Complaint Review: International Video & Electronics

I filed immediately with the Better Business Bureau...hoping to get a refund.
Here it is...cut and pasted...the annoying back & forth:
(I'm fully aware that some of MY complaints may be trivial and annoying)
BUT HERE IT IS:

Consumer's Original Complaint :
purchase date: 9/10/2008
model no.: iVIEW-1000DV
sale no.: 123886
PO# 40866965
payment method: mastercard
payment amount $106.50

I sent the following email to 220-electronics:

I've read your "policy"...
Your page is deceptive.
Your product misrepresented.
I want my 89$ back...
I'm filing with Better Business Bureau.
Remote is largely UNRESPONSIVE.
Does not recognize all titles on
Ripped DVDs...
Does not play MP4
Obviously old stock. Current Model
DOES play MP4 and retails for 39$ to 69$
I ordered an "International Plus"
which does not exist...I DID NOT order
an iVIEW-1000DV...I don't care for a
REPLACEMENT. I have a cheap 40$
DVD player already...I sent 89$ to move
up a level in quality and you send me
OLD STOCK of a cheap 40$ iVIEW-1000DV
calling it an "International Plus".
If you just called it what it is in
the first place people would compare and order elsewhere...
BOTTOM LINE: I want my 89$ refunded.
Secondly, I am angry @20$ additional
shipping expense for a total of 37.50
out of my pocket. For that I can buy another Philips DVP-3140 at Best Buy
and sit here listening to it struggle
TO DO ANYTHING, then finally skip over
any features and play nothing but the
movie...exactly what I've Been Doing,
in other words. You send me similar
garbage at twice the price: UNACCEPTABLE.
We've just been through Hurricane IKE
down here and this is no time for
questionable practices. Every cent counts down here right now...
I WANT A REFUND. 89$.

Consumer's Desired Resolution:
$89.00

International Video & Electronics RESPONSE:
As per our exchange policies we can exchange the unit for you only. We would not be able to issue you a refund.
Sorry.

So I update the BBB of progress...at least I THOUGHT it was progress:

I have already agreed to swap for a Philips DVD-5980.
This agreement was made since filing with BBB on 9/19/2008. Below is a cut/paste copy of the email thread with the last words I sent to International Video & Electronics Co., which was:
Send me a Philips DVD-5980.
--- On Tue, 9/30/08, International Video & Electronics wrote:
OK we'll exchange it and take care of shipping 1 way to you as long as you pay for the shipping to us.

So I ship the garbage iVIEW-1000DV player to them ($10.40 MORE out of
pocket for shipping). And I notify International Video & Electronics in an email:

The iVIEW was shipped to you this morning. Trk# 1ZV45F630300037143
The only way I'll agree to a different name brand swap is if YOU PAY TO SHIP IT HERE.
If you agree...Send me a Philips DVD-5980. If that's not reasonable to you,
I would like my 89$ refunded.

International Video & Electronics emails back:

Philips is being shipped today as exchange for the view player as agreed.

...Note how they don't commit to the exact model no. I requested. Only a
"Philips" is being shipped...SLIPPERY when WET.

Finally I email the BBB the following:
A Philips DVP 5990/37 arrived by FedX this morning.
I was clear in MULTIPLE emails that I would settle
only for :
a)Philips DVD-5980 (available for 89$ online)
OR :
b)$89.00 REFUND
The Philips DVP 5990/37 is available online for
$64.99. A cheaper player and not what we agreed
upon. They have no intention of giving me my money's worth.
The player they sent isn't even a product
they offer on their website! Hard to believe a
company would go so far out of the way to chisel
me out of a few dollars.
I'm sending it back to them unopened. I should have stuck with my
original request for a refund.
Desired Resolution: REFUND 89$
Loss on shipping charges : $38.30! And for nothing
but frustration and waiting...
Desired Resolution: REFUND 89$

RECEIVED BUSINESS' RESPONSE TO REBUTTAL : The DV-5990 is a updated version of the discontinued philips 5982. It has 1080p output rather than 1080i. The one you are seeing for cheaper is not a region free unit but a region 1 unit.

I won't even address the evasive SalesVomit above... which addresses nothing
relevant since I requested over and over I would settle for a Philips DVD-5980
or a refund, END OF DISCUSSION. So I REPLY:

I do not wish to do business with International Video & Electronics Co., I WANT A REFUND.

RECEIVED BUSINESS' RESPONSE TO REBUTTAL : As per our policy this is the 3rd time we have said we can not issue a refund. The first player that was send was what we have advertised and does what we say. Out of good will we exchanged it to a Philips model for you, the newest 5990 which is modified for region free. You are still complaining. We are not willing to do anything further in this matter. I'm sorry!
You have brand new region free DV-5990 that is modified to play movies from anywhere in the world.
Nick
10/23/2008 Send Consumer Bus. Response - Close AJR
10/23/2008 EMAIL Inform Business - Case Closed AJR
10/23/2008 BBB Case Closed AJR

So much for the Better Business Bureau helping with a refund...Although in
all fairness I have to say that the last time I filed with the BBB things went fine
and I got results.

Anyway, to make a long story even LONGER:

I paid a total of $116.40 for a player that wal-mart sells for $54.88 (in fact I found one site that has 'em new for 50$ as of Oct. 23rd, 2008).
The player is glacially SLOW as I knew anything under 80-90$ would be...
Luckily for me I got the final word from all concerned BEFORE I had another 10$
to waste sending the Philips DVP 5990/37 back...Which I had decided to do
EVEN if it meant getting blown off completely and losing $126.80. This experience had me THAT annoyed...I just wanted the thing out of my sight. Lesson learned the hard way... I usually do much more research before buying online and should have noticed that International Video & Electronics' whole approach was shady...Though I notice that they have changed the web page and do not claim that ANY of their players play apple MP4s anymore...
Well, you live and you BURN............

Nick
Houston, Texas
U.S.A.