ECOST.com Fraudulent, Deceptive shipping practices. Plano Texas

On Saturday, 3-29-2008 I placed an order for a Delphi XM radio through eCOST.com's website. When finalizing the order I used Google Checkout, which eCOST advertises.

The price of the refurbished radio was $17.99 I am an eCOST Platinum Plus member. The Platinum Plus club membership cost me approximately $50.00. The benefits included reduced prices on some clearance items (available only to Platinum members.) and free shipping on the next 5 orders.

When I purchased the Delphi XM radio, I specified GROUND shipping which was supposed to be free for me because I am a Platinum Plus Club member. When I received an email confirmation from eCOST a few minutes after placing the order, the confirmation showed that I had been charged $18.50 for DHL 2nd day delivery.

I immediately called eCOSTS "WORLD CLASS CUSTOMER SERVICE" to ask for eCOSTS shipping charge error to be corrected. After a short wait on eCOSTS automated phone system, a female Customer Service agent came on the line. The Customer Service agent had a pronounced Mexican accient. I told her about the problem and asked for the shipping charges to be corrected. She told me that the order had already been processed and the shipping charges could not be changed. I asked her to cancel the order and she refused saying the order had already been shipped. Now this was 30 minutes after placing an order and it was Saturday.

She then told me that when the package arives I should reject the package and have DHL return it to eCOST. She told me that the purchase price and the shipping charges would be credited to my credit card. I told the Customer Service agent that I didn't believe what she was telling me was correct. I asked to speak to her Supervisor. She then told me she had no Supervisor and hung up on me.

I called back again and after a few minutes I was connected to another Customer Service Agent. This lady had such a pronounced mexican accient that I could not understand a word she was saying. I told her "Ma'am I cannot understand you.. (she may have been speaking Mexican. I am not sure) Without warning she transfered me to a Male Customer Service Agent. He also had a pronounced Mexican accient but I could understand him. I started explaining my problem and without warning he just hung up on me. I WAS NOT IRATE. I just wanted the shipping charge corrected.

eCOSTS "WORLD CLASS CUSTOMER SERVICE" agents lied to me twice and hung up on me twice. The order was not processed or shipped on Saturday, 3-29-08. The Package arrived on April 2, 2008. So much for the DHL 2nd day delivery I was charged for. I wrote to eCOST president, Gary Guy and asked for a shipping refund. I have received NO response yet. I also wrote to the BBB asking for a shipping refund. eCOST has offered to refund half the shipping costs.

Since I am a Platinum Plus Club member, this is not acceptable to me. Shipping was suposed to be free and I want ALL the shipping charges refunded to me. eCOST.com advertises Google Checkout. eCOST.com also heavily advertises their Platinum club and their Platinum Plus club membership and braggs heavily on the benefits of each. eCOST does not bother to tell you that a Platinum Plus Club member cannot use Google Checkout and get Platinum Plus Club membership benefits at the same time. Of course they did use this excuse when responding to my BBB Complaint.

If eCOST was a reputable company, they would refund my shipping charges. After all, I am not asking for anything I have not already paid for. eCOST should also chastise their "WORLD CLASS CUSTOMER SERVICE" agents for lieing to, and hanging up on a paying customer.

My advice is to avoid eCOST as you would avoid the Bubonic Plague. There are reputable companies with prices that are comparable to eCOSTS prices. In the long run, you end up paying EXTRA for doing business with eCOST. Thank you for reading this.

John
Statesville, North Carolina
U.S.A.