venting: Tiger Direct bites!

[Lionheart]

I had ordered 2x 100 pack CD-R's, and 2x 100 pack DVD-R's and this is how they looked when they arrived. I ordered on the 15th, didn't ship until the 18th, didn't get it until the 25th, and it was poorly packaged. Three of the four packs were broken, one had the discs spilled over the floor of the box. There was little in the way of packing material. I e-mailed tigerdirect and sent this photo the same day and only today did I get an e-mail response. When I called them I had to wade through menus before I got someone live, and all he said was follow the e-mail instructions when I get them. Basically they said if I want an exchange, then send the products back after requesting an RMA from them first. Hello!!! Why didn't they just send a freakin' RMA with the e-mail in the first place? Of course I want an exchange! I will never buy anything from these clowns again. All my digital business is going to NewEgg. I had a hard drive go down in flames from them, got the RMA in seconds online, shipped back that day, and the new drive arrived a week later. When I order from them, it usually ships that day. Now that's how an online business should be.
Sorry for the long rant, thanks for looking

[Liz]

Wow! That's incredible. There are many places that do the same with packing.

Dell has a reputation as one of the worst packers - except for their computers (so they say - I never bought one). I got a new lens from them. It was in a box 4 times the size of the lens box, with one thin small piece of brown wrapping paper wrinkled up with it which did absolutely nada. It just bounced around the box when I picked it up. Somehow, the lens survived.

I hope you get your new merchandise without a hassle - and safely.

Liz

[Lionheart]

I guess I'm a little spoiled. I usually order camera gear from B&H, and computer products from NewEgg. I had ordered a few things from Tiger about a year ago, but the goods arrived safely, if a little later than is reasonable. Seems like it takes them at least a day to process orders, then a day to get it out the door. NewEgg has a rush option if you want it processed and shipped that day, but I've never used the option because only once has an order not shipped and processed the same day, and that was because I ordered the night before (around 10 at night). B&H takes a day to process, but usually ships the next day, and the goods usually are well packed and arrive in good condition (only had one order screwed up-they missed a couple of attachments for my Bogen Autopoles). NewEgg packs their goods TIGHT, and I mean tight, no rattling or movement in the boxes they ship, especially hard drives (one complete wrap with large bubblewrap, taped all over with packing tape, and packed tightly in a box with foam peanuts).
Thanks for lending the sympathetic shoulder. I'm just really PO'd with the customer service end at Tigerdirect. The last time I shipped a defective product to BH, they had the replacement EOS-1D in the mail the same day I sent the defective one back, so I guess I'm just spoiled with good customer service.

[Outdoorsman]

You know, one is never spoiled by good customer service. Good CS should be the norm, no? We would be spoiled if the service was more than good-- excellent/luxurious/fantastic/over-the-top, etc.
Here locally we have a very serious problem with service. I go into Les Schwab a few months back and the manager is running the counter. I go up to the counter, he looks at me like I'm ruining his morning, and says nothing. I wait about two or three seconds of awkward silence before saying "Good morning," and he snorts and says "If you say so." I almost walked out the door right then. But where else can I go for tires in this tiny little town?
And the service is like that everywhere here. You go into Wal-Mart and the "associates" won't be bothered from socializing with each other to give you help. I waited for five full minutes, standing right beside two female associates while they chatted, finally one looks at me rudely and asks "Can I help you?" The grocery store, the bank, the newspaper(editor won't reply to my photo submissions even when I politely ask for a response), everywhere. The graphic design shop. The puzzle store. The sporting goods store. Pizza Hut. Even the old ladies at the quilting store! It is endlessly infuriating... and people wonder why it says "misanthrope" under "Outdoorsman"!
Now, nothing has ever been screwed up in shipping from the store, but FedEx managed to damage a B&H package so badly that the RC-1 I ordered fell out in the truck. They found it a few days later and it was OK, but jeez!
Don't worry, you're not alone, I feel your pain, man!
-O-

[Lionheart]

I feel for ya man. I live in Jackson, small (2500 people) but good town, mostly good service-TOMORROW. Everyone works on tomorrow time out here, and shops close promptly at 5 pm M-F. We do have a really great tire place, locally owned, not one of the big companies, but gets things done right and fast. I bought tires from them, and all my rotations and balancing is no charge for the life of the tires. I had a flat, brought it in to repair, no charge, in and out in 10 minutes. I sing their praises to everyone in town, not that I need to since everyone in town boycotts the Big-O in favor of the local guy anyway. The grocery stores have great service too. The only bad service out here are the insurance agents and the county government. Maybe you ought to move down here Most folks don't let you go by without a smile and hello, a handshake if they know you around these parts-it's really unnerving for me coming from a big city not used to knowing everyone in town by first name, last name and occupation.
Hmmm. maybe I am spoiled

[paulnj]

LESSON LEARNED....

Stick with NEWEGG, They are a NJ based company with a CA warehouse too I have to pay tax when ordering from newegg(even though some orders ship from California), but KNOW my orders are safe and backup by BUSINESS oriented people ! I will pay tax rather than deal with that shipment you recieved!!!

My GF is a head customer service rep for her company( reliance vitamin) and she would SCREAM at the person who packed that and WOULDN'T even wait to send UPS to pickup your package at their cost, while sending a new order ASAP! That is how a CUSTOMER ORIENTED business is run!

[almo]

I had ordered 2x 100 pack CD-R's, and 2x 100 pack DVD-R's and this is how they looked when they arrived. I ordered on the 15th, didn't ship until the 18th, didn't get it until the 25th, and it was poorly packaged. Three of the four packs were broken, one had the discs spilled over the floor of the box. There was little in the way of packing material. I e-mailed tigerdirect and sent this photo the same day and only today did I get an e-mail response. When I called them I had to wade through menus before I got someone live, and all he said was follow the e-mail instructions when I get them. Basically they said if I want an exchange, then send the products back after requesting an RMA from them first. Hello!!! Why didn't they just send a freakin' RMA with the e-mail in the first place? Of course I want an exchange! I will never buy anything from these clowns again. All my digital business is going to NewEgg. I had a hard drive go down in flames from them, got the RMA in seconds online, shipped back that day, and the new drive arrived a week later. When I order from them, it usually ships that day. Now that's how an online business should be.
Sorry for the long rant, thanks for looking

Dude that bites...

[masdog]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I've never dealt with Tiger Direct, but after that, I don't think I ever will. I've had some good experiences with Customer Service and some bad ones. Calumet Photographic has been my best - they called me to confirm my order, apologized when they didn't ship it the same day, and even have knowledgeable staff at their stores who bend over backwards to help you out. At least that is my experience.

Most very large companies have apathetic customer service. The first person you talk to over the phone could care less because there are going to be other customers. Only if you complain loudly enough and to the right people will you get something done.

[masdog]

...the newspaper(editor won't reply to my photo submissions even when I politely ask for a response)
-O-

I know the feeling, Outdoorsman. I was ignored by the athletic director of my college when I asked for media credentials (they were between SIDs when I contacted them). It's not like I go to some big, D1 school that has thousands of people trying to get access - my school is D3 and has no more than 2000 people. My high school had more people than that and I could get any media access I wanted and I probably still could if I tried.

I'll step off my soapbox now.