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Report: #1146618

Complaint Review: hccost - Internet

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: RippedOffinNYC — New York New York
  • Author Not Confirmed What's this?
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  • hccost Internet USA

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I've been a loyal Amazon shopper for nearly 15 years. I've purchased hundreds and hundreds of items through Amazon during that time.  And this purchase was, by far, THE WORST EXPERIENCE I've ever had on Amazon.

Why? Because the two very expensive air conditioners I purchased through Amazon from this seller, HcCost, were horribly defective. They emitted a foul stench that rendered our apartment totally unlivable when they were running. And at every turn dealing with HcCost about these defective units I was met with either indifference, delay, and/or flat out lies.

Furthermore, Amazon was not on my side. That's right, they did not require the seller to take back these defective units at the seller's cost. No, they required me to shell out over $400 in shipping costs to return them. With NO guarantee that I would be refunded ANYTHING.
 
The supposed A-Z "Guarantee" that Amazon promotes in order to offer shoppers confidence when shopping with a 3rd party seller is nothing more than a maze of ineffective and frustrating email communication. And unlike other e-trailers, the Amazon phone support team apparently has no authority to escalate or make decisions on matters like this. So customers have little recourse when things go terribly wrong, as was the case with this purchase.

Suffice to say, this was not what I expected from Amazon, and their approach to this entire situation has eroded my confidence, particularly when it comes to their 3rd party sellers. 
 
In fact, whole thing was such a fiasco that I've had to file a dispute with my credit card company. 

As for HcCost, I would NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AGAIN.  And I would strongly urge everyone considering a purchase with them to go elsewhere.

I wish I knew then what I know now, but in hopes that I can spare others from the disastrous shopping experience I had, know this:

-- The Better Business Bureau rates HcCost an F (the worst rating they give):

http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/retail-stores/hccost-in-brooklyn-ny-140511
 
-- Read the complaints about HcCost posted on Amazon, keeping in mind they are limited to 400 characters, so customers really can't convey the whole story; in other words, read between the lines and KNOW there's MUCH MORE to the complaint than what's posted.
 
-- Consider HcCost's warehouse location when purchasing ANY product that was commercially available in 2012 (as the ac units I purchased from them were), during Hurricane Sandy.
 
First, Google map their warehouse address:  10101 Foster Ave Brooklyn NY 11236
 
Next, closely examine the NY Times map that shows, block by block, where Sandy Flooding occurred:
 
http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2012/1120-sandy/survey-of-the-flooding-in-new-york-after-the-hurricane.html
 
-- Lastly, I have since purchased replacement acs -- from another vendor, and not through Amazon. They work PERFECTLY.

So... Don't EVER shop with HcCost. 
 
And be VERY wary of the 3rd party seller Amazon A-Z "Guarantee." I've discovered first hand that it means absolutely nothing.

 

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 05/14/2014 11:11 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/hccost/internet/hccost-worst-3rd-party-seller-on-amazon-internet-1146618. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
2Author
0Consumer
1Employee/Owner

#3 Author of original report

Service Call Facts are Inaccurate

AUTHOR: RippedOffinNYC - ()

POSTED: Wednesday, May 14, 2014

I called the service company directly on this issue, twice.  HcCost did not call the service company on my behalf at any time.  

The service technician arrived only after my second call.  After my first call, they did not call me back to schedule a service visit, as I was told they would. When I called the second time, 3 days after my first call, they scheduled it for their first availability, 2 days later.  Five days total elapsed between my first call and the actual service visit.

The technician was very nice and left a report with us verifying the presence of foul odors. It didnt include any recommendations on how to solve the problem, nor did it cite any identified reason for the problem.

I sincerely expected that returning the products for refund, obviously defective as they were, would be an easy process.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Every consumer deserves better than the experience we got at HcCost.

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#2 Author of original report

Rebuttal Inaccurate

AUTHOR: RippedOffinNYC - ()

POSTED: Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Simply put, the carbon filters were NOT the problem.

First, the very models we purchased are promoted and sold with these carbon filters as specific accessories by the air conditioning manufacturer.

We purchased these Friedrich Kuhl SS models.

Friedrich SS08N10 7,900 btu - 115 volt - 11.7 EER Kuhl series Wi-Fi Capable room air conditioner

 
And
 
Friedrich SS12N10 12,000 btu - 115 volt - 10.8 EER Kuhl series Wi-Fi Capable room air conditioner
 

Friedrich owners manuals that came with the SS models we purchased include instructions on using these carbon filters; the Friedrich web site recommends & sells these carbon filters for these SS models.

http://shop.friedrich.com/products/kuhl-carbon-filters

http://friedrich.com/sites/default/files/Kuhl_S,M,L_IOM_2012.pdf

http://friedrich.com/products/residential/window/kuhl

Furthermore, the technicians who performed the service calls did not say these carbon filters caused the foul stench in these defective ac units. 

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#1 REBUTTAL Owner of company

False report by this customer

AUTHOR: hccost - ()

POSTED: Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Dear customer, the feedback you are reporting is 100% false. I’ll explain in full detail:

You purchased 2 x air conditioners from us in March of 2014, received in March of 2014 as well. On 4/11 you stated that the air conditioners both of them have a bad odor coming from them. Immediately a service was scheduled for you with the manufacturer’s technician to come out to your home, the service tech from North Pole cooling came to your home and immediately found the problem with both of your air conditioners, you had inserted a filter called “carbon filter” which was NOT meant to be used on these 2 air conditioners you purchase, the carbon filter is meant for a higher end model.

He removed both carbon filters from both of your air conditioners and the odor disappeared. He specifically advised you NOT to insert the filters you purchased separately, dust and dirt builds up and causes the odor.

How can both units be defective and cause odor when you ordered 2 separate model numbers, 1st was a 12,000 BTU and the 2nd was 7,900 BTU. From 4/11 until 5/2 no issues and no odor, on 5/2 we received several emails from you stating that the odor came back, we immediately once again scheduled a service call, the technician came to your home the same day, and once again, you inserted the carbon filters when the first technician advised you NOT TO.

How can we resolve a problem when you go completely against the manufacturer’s instructions?  We the seller did nothing wrong here, we fulfilled an order and stood behind the product. You requested for us to take the order back, we did. We provided you with the return RMA # and return address to send both unit’s back.

To reiterate, you ordered 2 x air conditioners, damaged both on your own when the manufacturer directly advised you NOT to insert the carbon filters you did so anyways. It happened twice, you requested to send back used products, we took them back with no questions 60 days after you used both units, when we have a 30 day return policy,  what wrong are we the seller doing? 

 

thank you

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