Complaint Review: ShopNBC - Viscom - Nationwide

I join the crowd! On 10.8 I ordered a laptop for $1,999 based on years of buying happily from this on air shopping network. I loved them so much I averaged over $1.000 a month (I hate crowded stores)

Oct. 22 I get a box with the laptop and software - no packing slip or accessories. Takes me til 11.8 to get everything. I decide to hire a professional to set up the router for my wireless hi speed. He gets it installed but we can't access the Net. Then it begins to make screeching sounds.

We spend a lot of time on hold(over 20 minutes) to be told its a hardware problem call another number. 20 more minutes on hold, the consultant explains a few things to the very nice guy in Atlanta (where warranty services is) and he leaves. The guy tells me my hard drive is likely fried but as one more thing we'll reinstall the drivers. This confirms that it is indeed fried.

The next day I begin the ShopNBC nightmare. I was confident they would help me and that this was just a minor glitch. (I can hear the snickers wafting thru the ether from my fellow sufferers).

I was told by ShopNBC that it wasn't their problem. Despite ShopNBC taking my money, I had bought my machine from Viscom. Back at Viscom I was stunned to discover that despite being promised a 30 day return policy and 1 year warranty... my return period expired 5 days after I got all the stuff I bought.

I'll skip a lot of the boring stuff. I started emailing customer service at ShopNBC to express my disatisfaction. I got a series of nearly boilerplate responses and a $20 coupon.

So I go back to Viscom and start the process of returning my lemon for presumably a new lemon(or at least a refurbished one). I have yet to get the "return" box to send my poor little piece of (expensive) junk back for repair.

At the suggestion of this site I sent an email to Howard Fox, VP of customer service yesterday, 11.30([email protected]). For a few hours it couldn't be sent... too busy

I guess Howard gets a lot of email. So I resent, it failed because Howard was not accepting email. Today I resent. No response so far.

In my message I said that the only thing that would keep me a customer(tho not for computers) was a total return for total refund. I have been very satisfied with the things I've gotten. Real bargains, nice stuff. The few times I thought the quality was not as advertized the return was cheerfully accepted.

From a business point of view they really are lamebrained. First, lots of people are happy with their computers. Thus when one is bad its obviously a lemon and they should cheerfully replace it without the runaround they took me through(by design I believe). Second, if you have someone who is spending a lot of money, over a period of years and you get a complaint - you make them happy.

I worked in high end retail years ago, I took back sterling tea services used to impress at the reception, evening gowns worn one and once a month a purse from an elderly customer who was disappointed in how it "wore".

My boss explained so simply: sure we take this stuff back, they will be back to spend more..and they always spend more than they return.

What am I going to do: if I don't hear from Howard (or an empowered minion) I will fedex my letter and my emails with customer service to him;

I will file a complaint with the Minnesota Attorney General(forms are on the net). They probably can't help me(as I live in NYC);but having lived in Minnesota for over 30 years ,I know that they take a dim view of not honoring what you promise. It would be great if lots of fellow sufferers would do the same. At the very least perhaps Jim Peterson and the various hosts might have to stop making the 30 day - 1 year claim so blithely.;

Every executive and board member of ShopNBC and also a couple of regular NBC people will get a letter explaining how ShopNBC drove a cash cow like me away.

In the end I will let it go(tho I don't rule out legal action - I work in a huge lawfirm and most of my friends are lawyers - they usually like a fight).

But even if I accomplish nothing more than venting and carpel tunnel syndrome I will be fine. I will get a laptop that works, find another place to spend my money and generally sleep the sleep of the innocent.And from my web research it seems IBM has the fewes horror stories(tho I bet there are some out there).

Of course if lighteniing strikes and ShopNBC does make it right I will be right back to report. Please contact me to share the pain or make suggestions! Perhaps we could form a group just to get the word out?

Andrea

new york, New York
U.S.A.

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