PriceMad Avoid PriceMad like the Bubonic Plague New York, New York

I tried to buy a Panasonic 42 inch plasma TV from PriceMad. I have ordered countless items over the internet over the last few years, and while there were occasional minor problems, I never experienced a complete disaster ... until I tried to buy from PriceMad.

The TV showed that it was in stock and the price was attractive, so I completed the on-line order and entered my credit card information. The next day, I received an email message saying that in order to complete the order, I needed to call PriceMad for "security reasons."

When I called, I was routed to a salesman who explained that the TV that I ordered had just been discontinued by Panasonic, and that PriceMad would be taking the ad down that day. He apologized for the error, and offered another Panasonic model, but at a higher price. I reluctantly took the bait and agreed to the switch. I was told that the new set would ship the next morning.

I waited a couple of days for a shipping confirmation, but received nothing. In the meantime, I found a feedback forum on Nextag, and checked out comments about PriceMad. There were a LOT of comments from people who that also received the same sort of bait and switch, as well as numerous other complaints.

It was now a week after the purchase. The same ad was still posted, but now the price was even lower! I called PriceMad, and after about an hour, I got through to the salesman. I asked if the TV had shipped, and he said that it had. I asked for a tracking number. After a few minutes, he admitted that it had not shipped, but that it would 'any day.' I told him to cancel the order, since PriceMad had not lived up to any of their promises. After a few minutes of arguing, he agreed to the cancellation. Said that I would see the credit card refund within 5 days.

A week later, there was no refund, so I called again. A very rude "customer service representative" told me that I would see the refund in 10 working days.

To cut this long story short, the refund never came through so I had to contest the charge with Visa. Thank goodness that I didn't use a debit card! Eventually, Visa reversed the charge.

There are a lot of good sellers out there, so my advice is to always search for feedback ahead of any sizeable purchase. If you see numerous bait and switch complaints, save yourself a lot of aggravation, and order from someone else. Also, never ever order online using a debit card.

By the way, PriceMad continued to offer the original "discontinued" TV as in-stock for several months after my ordeal, and at progressively lower prices!

Boats
Camarillo, California
U.S.A.