Video Only's Predatory Sales Practices

This complaint is about Video Only sales practices and customer service. On 5/23/09 purchased a TV set using a credit card from them with the understanding that the product was on backorder it would be received in about a week or less. Not only did that not occur but I have not received product or was I proactively kept informed about its status for around three weeks. Nevertheless the full purchase price of the TD was charged my credit card from date of purchase which appeared on my credit card statement online in about three days.

After about three weeks of waiting for product with no indication of any certainty when it would be received by canceled the order on 6/7/09 and received a receipt indicating that the price be credited back to my account. As of 6/16/09 that has not happened despite assurances from their corporate office in Seattle that it would allow a documentation that supposedly indicates that the price of the product has been refunded. As such, Video Only has had to use my money for close to a month without supplying product and has dragged their heels in providing a timely refund for the cancellation of my order after failing to deliver promised product by the promised date During the sale I had discussed with the store manager my need to have the TV installed by the DTV crossover day. He assured me itt would happen. Obviously it did not.

Additionally, I went back to cancel the order, I asked if they had a competitive product, a Sony XBR 9 52". Despite the fact that they are in Sony authorized dealer, and had a large quantity of them on their show room floor, the store manager slammed the product and cast aspersions on their customer service, indicating that I would be very sorry and disappointed if I bought a Sony TV. As it turns out, they didn't have this particular model in stock either. It was at that point I requested a refund. Yet two days later, the store manager called me back, indicating that he now had the Sony in stock, and ask if I wanted to buy it. I decline as on the same day I canceled the order, I went to the Sony style store and purchased a TV from them. However I regard the manager's comments about Sony as completely unprofessional, especially given the fact that they are major Sony dealer in the Bay Area. During the period of time I was waiting for the TV that I had ordered, repeated calls to the executive offices in Seattle, requesting that I speak to senior management about my issues were greeted with voice-mails which were never answered. On 6/12/09 I received a voice message in response to the previous day's message I left indicating that if I did not receive the credit shortly I would pursue consumer actions against the company. That message indicated that I should seek credit to my account within 72 hours. That did not happen nor has it happened yet.

While they did offer to 'purchase a substitute TV to use temporarily till the ordered set was available the Manager refused to indicate on the sales receipt that it was a loaner as it "was against corporate policy." As such I was suspicious and refused the offer.

I regard the act charging a customer's credit card for the full amount of the purchase without ever having received the product or without it being shipped to be consumer hostile and predatory. At this point I have contacted my credit card company and put the purchase in dispute.

Comment On This

I finally got my money back - a week and a half after I canceled the order and only after contacting the corporate office in Seattle.