BIDZ.COM Ripp off on shipping refunds and general practices Internet

I've been a Bidz.com customer for over a year, and as a jewelry reseller I have purchased over $60,000 in jewerly from them. All in all the description of their items is fairly accurate, but when they make mistakes, they admit it over the phone, then when time comes to process your refund, they deny it and deduct a 15% restocking fee. If you return an item because it arrived broken/damaged, the refund is 100% but they do not refund their handling charge (generally $3,00 per item + the actual cost of shipping it), and they don't refund the cost of returning the item to them either, although they demand that you return it registered mail and insured.

Further, their international shipping FIMS, which supposedly goes through FedEx in New Jersey, then via post, is supposed to take up to 3 weeks. That would be nice if it happened but it never does. As it stands, I'm still waitingn for 6 packages shipped to me in early August, and when I inquired about it, they told me they would not accept a claim report until it had been at least 6 weeks since shipping. Well, 13 weeks after the fact, they will not return my emails and when I call (after holding for 20 to 30mn), I get the usual run-around "somebody will call you back", which they never do of course.

To make matters worse, thei invoice includes the so-called item value, which is about 4 to 5 times the actual value of the item ; if you are not too naive you can assess this rapidely and bid knowingly. However, when a package is occasionally held in customs and you have to pay VAT (about 22% of the value), Customs wants to bill you on the exageated value, not the price you paid. If you refuse and the item is returned, Bidz.com charges you 25% restocking fee.

Up until now, the matter of the unreceived items is still pending, but all other grievances I've had with them have been resolved (after numerous phone calls and emails), but mostly after written registred correspondances threatning to sue, and of course with CC to my attorney.

As it stands, tired of the huge phone bills I'm incurring since I have to call them so often, I am filling a report with the IFCC and I urge otherm Bidz.com victims to do the same (http://www.ifccfbi.gov/cf1.asp).

Nelly
Patras