Dear So and So

[Eden]

Dear online retailer,

I'm going to give you a chance to make this right, but we're now playing by my rules.... After waiting for you to ship for nearly two weeks after I ordered said item, and two inquiries about when you would be sending it, you sent me the wrong item (a cheaper older version of what I actually ordered), so the ball is in your court to fix it. If I don't get either an exchange for what I actually ordered (now listed as unavailable on your web site) with you shipping it overnight and including a shipping label for me to send the incorrect item back or an offer to let me keep what you shipped, while immediately refunding me the difference, plus a discount (because not only is it not what I ordered or really wanted, but the box has been opened the item has been used and there is a piece missing....), I'll be taking the matter up with my credit card company (and maybe the BBB, the NY state atty general... who ever else I can think of).

You have a lousy reputation and I've now read other people's accounts of very similar situations.... but if you think you can scam me, you've got another thing coming.... I have a part time job, free long distance and a lot of patience...

[Pax]

Eden - could you share the name of the company so the rest of us can give them a wide berth?

[lph]

Dear male downhill instructor,

just because we're women, haven't tried downhill before and are over 35, some of us even over 45, does not mean that we're:
a) stupid
b) nervous
c) unathletic
d) timid
e) completely unacquainted with bikes. (I mean honestly... )

Between the six of us we have something like 100 years of collective experience with trail riding, road riding, bike repair, horse racing, xc skiing, telemark, snowboarding, rock climbing, mountaineering, sailing, kayaking and river kayaking, which we would gladly have told you if you'd bothered to ask... and your telling us things like: "it's ok to be nervous girls", and "nah, that suspension is fine, you don't know what it's supposed to be like" just made you look pretty stupid, to tell you the truth.

Oh, and that's why we didn't come drink beer with you that evening, btw. You ignoring us to chat and highfive with your buddies whenever they were around wasn't too endearing either.

Dear downhill rental bike shop,
when I asked, nicely, for a woman instructor if you had one, this is pretty much the reason why. Women are rarely that dumb.

[Eden]

Eden - could you share the name of the company so the rest of us can give them a wide berth?

It's not bike related, but rather the professional side of my life... but I'm more than happy to let everyone I can think of know to steer clear...

I order a small back drive/viewer (its basically so that I don't need multiple memory cards when I travel - it has a CF reader and you simply dump the card onto the viewer - it stores the photographs and has an LCD screen for looking at them) for my photographs from an online camera store called Tristate Camera. The only reason I went (with reservations) with this company is that I didn't really need or want a huge drive, and this was the only place I could find selling the 40GB version of the brand I wanted. Everyone else has the newest models, which start at 120GB.

They sent me an older model with a much smaller LCD screen (the size of which is entire reason for the price difference and also why I wanted the particular model that I ordered - I wanted the bigger screen...). Not only that the box had been opened (scotch taped shut) and there was an item missing from it and no (but not sure if there ever were any) warranty cards. This model is listed at $60 cheaper than the one I ordered and was charged for (and which is out of stock on their web site now....)

I knew something was up when I had to contact them twice just to get them to ship - and it took 10 days just to get the thing to UPS, then another week to ship..... (I ordered on Sept. 2). I figured they didn't have it and they would make excuses, try to get me to buy something else and cancel the order, but when they did ship it, I had hopes...

I called them on the phone this morning... the guy didn't seem at all surprised or even question me about it being the wrong item.... All he would do is blame "his supplier" and tell me that he was cheated too (actually he tried to say they just get them shipped directly from the manufacturer - which was a blatant lie - the manufacturer isn't selling that model themselves anymore and I called him out on that....), but anyway the thing was shipped with their invoice, from their address so that's a load of bull cocky anyway.....

They offered to refund the difference plus $10 (which is only about 5% of original price) and I said not acceptable - it is not what I ordered, not what I wanted and $10 isn't equal to the amount of hassle that I've been put through, not to mention the opened state of the item, the missing piece.

I told him that I wanted a full refund and that I wanted a pre-paid shipping label and he did at least send me that - but he also sent me return paperwork that only offers a trade or credit (I wrote in refund), specifies a 35% restocking fee and charges for both shipping both ways.... I included a letter stating that it was their mistake and I expect a full 100% refund with absolutely no money deducted period.

We shall see what happens when they get it back... I'm not afraid to get the BBB and Visa involved... I wonder if Visa ever revokes the credit privileges of companies with multiple complaints...

For me... I'm going to suck it up, order a new model off of Amazon... (the 120GB new models are only about $75 more) at least I know I can trust them...

[jessmarimba]

Eek! I've pretty much always used B&H for camera stuff. Thanks for letting us know!

[Hi Ho Silver]

It's not bike related, but rather the professional side of my life... but I'm more than happy to let everyone I can think of know to steer clear...

I order a small back drive/viewer (its basically so that I don't need multiple memory cards when I travel - it has a CF reader and you simply dump the card onto the viewer - it stores the photographs and has an LCD screen for looking at them) for my photographs from an online camera store called Tristate Camera. The only reason I went (with reservations) with this company is that I didn't really need or want a huge drive, and this was the only place I could find selling the 40GB version of the brand I wanted. Everyone else has the newest models, which start at 120GB.

...snip


For me... I'm going to suck it up, order a new model off of Amazon... (the 120GB new models are only about $75 more) at least I know I can trust them...

Sorry about your problem. Tristate has always had a bad reputation, as do many of the electronics/photography stores. Starting in 1980 (Yes, I know that's almost prehistoric ), I've ordered a lot of photography related items via phone and internet and the only stores I trust are B&H and Adorama. Amazon has always been reliable too. I hope it all works out okay for you.

[Eden]

Eek! I've pretty much always used B&H for camera stuff. Thanks for letting us know!

Yeah - I get stuff from B&H too, never any problems ordering from them - unfortunately they don't have any of the smaller drive ones.... they do have the 120GB at the same price Amazon does, so maybe I'll just go with them.

It's not that I don't know that there are a lot of less than reputable electronics/camera goods dealers in Brooklyn....but really, I figured this thing would be relatively safe... it wasn't actually a smoking deal or anything as far as value for the money the new ones are probably actually a bit better, but even the smallest one now has so much more hard drive space that they automatically start at a higher price... it's not an item that you can really up-sell, there aren't (as far I as I know) gray market versions of it... geeze... how wrong can you be...

Sigh.... I didn't really want to to spend $300 on this, when the 40GB drive would do just fine.... I could just chuck it all and buy some more CF cards. One of the reasons that I was going with the drive was that it worked out to be about the same amount of $$ GB per GB as buying (cheap) CF cards and I could use it to show photographs. I do need something though. I'm going away for a whole month and I'm not taking a computer...

[Crankin]

MY DH had a horrible problem with a camera place online a few years ago and I am wondering if this is the same place. It was in NY. He put out some horrible reviews online, somewhere, and received a call from the place to PLEASE stop and they would fix the situation. Maybe you should do this, if you don't get satisfaction.

[Eden]

MY DH had a horrible problem with a camera place online a few years ago and I am wondering if this is the same place. It was in NY. He put out some horrible reviews online, somewhere, and received a call from the place to PLEASE stop and they would fix the situation. Maybe you should do this, if you don't get satisfaction.

Oh indeed - I've been searching down every review site I can find and I'll keep doing it....

I've come up with a solution. I found a used 1st gen 64gb Ipad at a local and reputable dealer. I'll get the camera connection kit and then I'll have my storage and a very, very nice display... It was a bit more expensive than a stand alone store/viewer, but not much... and it will be useful for other things too.

[bmccasland]

Dear Knee,
Would you stop hurting?! I didn't do that much to you today, why the grief? Little bit of twisting to load luggage, then a stroll in the city park. Stop! Enough! I see 800 mg of motrin in my future.

[jessmarimba]

Oh indeed - I've been searching down every review site I can find and I'll keep doing it....

I've come up with a solution. I found a used 1st gen 64gb Ipad at a local and reputable dealer. I'll get the camera connection kit and then I'll have my storage and a very, very nice display... It was a bit more expensive than a stand alone store/viewer, but not much... and it will be useful for other things too.

Very cool! Someday I'd like an ipad, it would make flying so much more entertaining.


Dear contact solution makers:

4 ounces has not been an acceptable travel size for FIVE YEARS. Do you realize how much money you're missing out on? And how frustrated you make all of us contact lens wearers? You pick the ONE thing that I can't just buy in bulk and repackage, and still can't make it right. aowiejfa;iwj;awijefa;oija;oegh.

*sigh*

[Becky]

Dear contact solution makers:

4 ounces has not been an acceptable travel size for FIVE YEARS. Do you realize how much money you're missing out on? And how frustrated you make all of us contact lens wearers? You pick the ONE thing that I can't just buy in bulk and repackage, and still can't make it right. aowiejfa;iwj;awijefa;oija;oegh.

*sigh*

It is....if you go through the hassle of declaring it

Check with your eye doctor. They often get 2-oz. sample bottles. I was able to get a travel bottle of RepleniSH this way. Thankfully my solution of choice, Clear Care, is available in 3 oz. bottles.

[Owlie]

Dear line at coffee shop:
I realize the fact that I didn't eat breakfast this morning was my fault, but could you leave or dissipate or something? I'm hungry!

[Desert Tortoise]

Dear gyno,

You can be a good doctor and understand women's health very well, but do you have to do be so harsh about it? I tried explaining what a rough last year and half have been, my struggle to drop the weight regained and you just tell me I need more exercising and better eating. And not very kindly. Didn't you hear the part about how I understand all of that, it's the getting back into the routines and not feeling so darned tired all the time. I'm mostly used to your ways and have learned to not dwell on them. So....

Dear allergist,

Thank you for being so warm and kind, listening to my health struggles and interested in working to find a solution. AND you were genuinely happy for me that I started biking regularly again and encouraged me to keep it. You were also happy for me that I'm dropping weight again. When I complained of the glacier pace, you said it said as long as it's going down and am exercising I am moving in the right direction. You were awesome to focus on what's right. Thanks, I didn't realize what a lift I needed and you did it.

[Blueberry]

Thankfully my solution of choice, Clear Care, is available in 3 oz. bottles.

And the Costco box has been re-done, and now includes 2 large bottles and a 3 oz bottle. Hooray!!