Email exchange with customer service made me cry!

feesh · 4 April 2007 at 2:13PM

I'm really upset (as in trying not to cry at my desk!) at the mo, and I guess I just needed to vent.

I had some particularly bad service from a company I ordered some goods off, which never turned up - unfortunately this was the last straw in a line of errors on their part and I sent them an admittedly harsh email, to which I got a very arsey reply back.

I was a bit taken aback as I would have expected them to overlook me being a bit stroppy and to try and appease me as any good customer service person would (I deal with the public all the time and I take some cr*p off people but am never rude back!). They did offer me a refund after the 3rd email, but I had some serious concerns about their site security, which I wanted to get to the bottom of, so I sent them another one thanking them for the refund and explaining my worries.

It's all got a bit silly as they kept denying everything I said, so I sent one final polite email this morning explaining why I was aware of everything they were saying, but I still felt there were some customer service issues they needed to be aware of, saying this was more as a friendly advisory than a complaint. I also apologised for my initial email.

The issue is, that I found out about them through another girlie website which I am a member of, and some of my online "friends" there also put orders in, which concerns me given the security problems on the site. There is a massive thread about this company and its amazing special offer, so lots of people are going to them at the moment.

I had threatened to 'out' their bad service on that website in my 1st email, but I have since had a final email from someone else in the company telling me to stop hassling them, that I obviously have nothing better to do with my time all day, and that if I post anything about them on any website they will take legal action against me and the website! They have also blocked my email address.

I feel really horrible, it's not as if I'm some sort of nutter (I know the type they think I am, as I have to deal with those sorts all the time through work!). I feel deeply offended and sad that they would not ever accept my comments and apologise.

I can post the whole email convo here, but it might make dull reading!

A very sad
Feesh
x

looby75 · 4 April 2007 at 3:18PM

you have every right to complain about any bad service you have received and as long as you complaint is genuine (which if your items haven't turned up it is) they can threaten you with everything under the sun but don't have a leg to stand on. They obviously have some really big customer service issues.

Stand up name and shame them, you will be doing everyone who might ever consider using them a big favour if you do.

Which company is it?

feesh · 4 April 2007 at 3:36PM

I'm wary to post their name as they said they would be looking out for anything bad I wrote about them and would take legal action. It is an amazingly cheap beauty company.

The other complaints I had were more general 'I think you could do this better' type things - for instance, it had originally taken me over 5 days to place my order in the 1st place due to a website glitch, which they did resolve.

Then, when I did go to place my order, there was no padlock or 'https' on the page where they expected me to enter my credit card details. I nearly didn't bother, but noticed you could pay through Paypal so I did that instead.

To be fair, my biggest complaint (that my goods had not turned up and I had never received an email notifying me of their despatch) was resolved (I received a refund). However, the lady STILL insisted that they HAD posted my goods and they HAD sent me an email and I must have accidentally deleted it! (And I use gmail and have searched it extensively in all folders including spam - it is almost impossible to permanently delete an email sent to Gmail).

The rest of the emails involved me trying to explain why the lack of padlock/https was a worry, them denying it and trying to explain (in very patronising terms) how a website works and why theirs IS secure (and referring me to their badly written help pages) and me writing back saying something along the lines of 'Its all very well you saying that, but surely you are putting people off buying from you if they can't SEE that your website is secure' in a helpful tone.

It all got a bit silly, with every email being responded to with a defensive and almost threatening reply from them.

I am tempted to post the whole conversation up, without wanting to bore anyone.

yeslek · 4 April 2007 at 3:51PM

post it up!!

name and shame!!!

looby75 · 4 April 2007 at 3:52PM

I promise you they will NOT take action, it would cost them more than it was worth and they really wouldn't have a leg to stand on. It would be laughed out of court.

post the conversation by all means, if people don't want to read it they will just skip to the next thread. We are a [strike]nosey[/strike] friendly bunch here

feesh · 4 April 2007 at 4:27PM

OK, here it is in all its unedited glory. I admit I am a tad over sensitive today but I have bad PMT (sorry if TMI!) which is why I was stroppy yesterday too! Sorry if it sends you to sleep......

> >> >
> >> > On 3/21/07, Beauty **** UK <info@beauty****.co.uk> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Beauty ****
> >> >>

> >> >> Order Number: 1676
> >> >> Detailed Invoice:
> >> >> http://www.beauty****.co.uk/account_history_info.php?order_id=1676
> >> >> Date Ordered: Wednesday 14 March, 2007
> >> >>
> >> >> The comments for your order are
> >> >>
> >> >> 1 x Rosey Shine - Despatched
> >> >> 1 x Clinique Eye Brow Pencil - Despatched
> >> >> 1 x Free Mascara - TO FOLLOW
> >> >> 1 x Lancome Eye Liner - TO FOLLOW
> >> >> 1 x Elizabeth Arden Eye Concentrate - TO FOLLOW
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Your order has been updated to the following status.
> >> >>
> >> >> New status: Processing
> >> >>
> >> >> Please reply to this email if you have any questions.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>

Original Message

> >> From: "**** ****" < ********@gmail.com>
> >> To: "Beauty **** UK" < [email]info@beauty****.co.uk[/email] >
> >> Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 9:39 AM
> >> Subject: Re: Order Update
> >>
> >>
> >> > Dear Sir/Madam,
> >> > Please can you explain to me where the rest of my order is? I am
> >> > absolutely disgusted with the service I have received so far. I only
> >> > received part of my order, with no explanation or updates as to where
> >> > the rest is. I can't log into your site to find out.
> >> > All this, after it took me over 10 attempts to even make my order in
> >> > the first place because of website problems and I wish I hadn't
> >> > bothered now.
> >> > I also noted that you expected me to enter my credit card details on a
> >> > non-secure web page (which is why I paid using Paypal instead).
> >> > Overall, I am distinctly unimpressed with the service and the website.
> >> > I found out about you through a popular beauty website forum and I
> >> > will be posting on there to let others know about my experience,
> >> > Kind regards,
> >> > **** *****
> >
> > On 4/3/07, Beauty **** UK < [email]info@beauty****.co.uk[/email]> wrote:
> >> ****
> >>
> >> I am not sure what the problem is as your order has been fulfilled and
> >> you
> >> were emailed over 10 days ago to confirm the second part of your order
> >> was
> >> despatched. It was sent via First Class Royal Mail to the address you
> >> gave
> >> us on the order form. We have a certificate of posting to this effect and
> >> this is the first we have heard of your order not being received.
> >>
> >> Secondly, at NO point does our website direct anyone to make payment via
> >> a
> >> 'non-secure' site. When you actually get to the site and to the stage
> >> where
> >> you put your card details you will see that in the address bar the
> >> website
> >> address starts with the address 'https' this means the site is secure and
> >> your details are safe. I am not sure where you got the idea from that the
> >> site is not safe maybe you could let me know?
> >>
> >> Thirdly, there is no reason why you cannot log into our site and check
> >> your
> >> order as people have been doing so all morning with no problems and I
> >> have
> >> just tested the site and account system and it works fine. Maybe you have
> >> lost your password?
> >>
> >> I can only presume that your email settings have been diverting our
> >> automated emails to your junk/bulk mail which is sometimes the case and
> >> would explain why perhaps why you did not see your order had been
> >> despatched?
> >>
> >> I am sorry you are so unimpressed with our service but fail to see what
> >> we
> >> could have done to satisfy you? Your order was despatched (of which we
> >> have
> >> proof) and we have emailed you at every stage of the process (this email
> >> being an example).
> >>
> >> We know where all our customers come from (as any good business does) and
> >> we
> >> know you came to us through the **** forum. We will be visiting it
> >> over
> >> the next few weeks to make sure you do not slander our business or make
> >> any
> >> posts that you cannot substantiate. Unfortunately if you do we will have
> >> NO
> >> choice but to take action against you and the website owners.
> >>
> >> Unfortunately you have not said in your email what you wish us to do
> >> about
> >> your dissatisfaction, maybe if you let us know we can come to a mutually
> >> agreeable arrangement.
> >>
> >> Regards
> >>
> >> ********
> >>
> >> https://www.beauty****.co.uk

>
>

Original Message

> From: "**********" <************@gmail.com >
> To: "Beauty *********** UK" <info@beauty******.co.uk>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 12:35 PM
> Subject: Re: Order Update
>
>
> > Thanks - I have worked out how to log in now (it doesn't say anywhere
> > on your home page where you can log in, but I found it under
> > 'Welcome').
> >
> > I tried adding something to my basket just now, to double check about
> > the secure ordering, and sure enough (see attached screengrab) it is
> > NOT an https page where the credit card details must be entered, but
> > an http page (with no padlock secure sign in the bottom of the
> > screen). I was really worried when I was about to put my order in, and
> > nearly didn't, but then I saw you could pay via Paypal instead which I
> > knew would be safer.
> >
> > Perhaps you could send me the email confirming the dispatch of my 2nd
> > order and a copy of the proof of posting certificate. I did actually
> > go into the post office this morning to double check. They had a
> > French Connection parcel for me which was going to be delivered today,
> > but nothing outstanding for collection and nothing was waiting to be
> > delivered. I have a good relationship with them, as the postman is
> > aware that I am on crutches for now, so has been making extra effort
> > to ensure I get any parcels, as he knows I don't get to the door very
> > quickly at the moment!
> >
> > Hopefully we can resolve this soon,
> > *****
> >
> >
> >>
> >
On 4/3/07, Beauty **** UK <info@beauty*****.co.uk> wrote:
> Regarding the secure server you need to read the 'help' section by where you
> put in your card details in order to understand what I am explaining to you.
> The long and short of it is that when you enter your card details on our
> site, they are not sent anywhere, the details are not held with us and no
> one sees them. The only reason you need to enter them is so our software can
> determine what kind of card you are using (you can tell by the first 4
> digits of the card) so that providing you are using the correct type of card
> (Visa or Mastercard) (NB from Feesh - I don’t think this is true as I tested this with a slightly incorrect card number this morning, and it recognised that the last 2 digits I put in were wrong, so it obviously DOES process the card number in some way at that stage) you are then transferred to the SECURE page which
> starts with HTTPS that is where your card details are actually processed etc
> hence why it is secure.
>
> I am not sure exactly what you want me to email you? The automated email was
> sent through our website database software not by a 'real person' all we see
> is the date and time the email was sent and it is was despatched
> successfully.
>
> Of course we can post you the proof of postage but if we do so we cannot
> refund you as we have no way of claiming our money back from Royal Mail for
> the missing parcel.
>
> If you have been to the sorting office this morning and you checked they did
> not have the parcel is is obviously not there. I think the best thing for us
> to do is refund you for the missing items and to claim our loss from Royal
> Mail as this is dragging on and is time consuming for both you and us.
>
> I will get the person who processes refunds to calculate what refund you are
> due and the you will receive an email confirmation that the refund is being
> processed.
>
> Hopefully we can then close this matter and move on.
>
> Regards
>
> ******
> www.beauty******.co.uk>
>
On 04/04/07, **** ***** <*********@gmail.com> wrote:
I have read the help section in the checkout area (which is not very well written, by the way - there are some pretty basic grammatical errors which make it hard to read and do not instil confidence).

I still don't feel confident enough to put my credit card details in on your site. I DO understand that the processing is done at a later stage in the checkout process, through a third party agent, which is fine and perfectly normal. But that still doesn't get around the fact that I still have to enter my credit card details, and home address, on a non-"https" page. I'm not happy putting even my address in on such a page, let alone all the other information. It goes against the advice of respected agencies such as the Consumer's Association and Trading Standards, who say to never enter personal details on any page which does not show the padlock or https.

I am assured by you that Beauty **** don't have access to any of that information, but that still doesn't protect me from other 3rd parties who might be accessing my information, because it isn't encrypted.

I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I just want you to realise that no matter how secure you KNOW your site is, it doesn't look that way to customers and it might be putting some people off.

If you need to identify the type of card the customer has, surely a drop-down box would work better, with a list such as "Visa debit, Visa credit, Switch/Delta, Mastercard etc etc".

I have checked on a few online shopping sites I use regularly, including HQHair, Topshop, FCUK, play.com and lookfantastic.com and on every single one of those, the second you go to the checkout and have to enter ANY personal details whatsoever, you're on a "https", padlocked page right from the start.

At the end of the day, I was already disappointed with my experience on Beauty ****, and although I wrote an admittedly slightly hurried and aggressive email of complaint initially, which I do regret, I haven't particularly liked the tone of your emails, which seem very defensive and imply that I might have made some errors myself (which I am certain I haven't).

I honestly did not receive any email from you after March 21st, not in my spam box or through any other channel, as I have comprehensively searched my entire Gmail archive three times now, including archived and "deleted" items (it is impossible to permanently delete a gmail), items in my 'all mail' folder, spam folder and inbox and I am 100% certain that it did not arrive.

Given that my parcel never arrived either, I hope you can understand why I did not get the best impression of your company, whatever the reasons behind these errors.

I look forward to receiving my refund and as you say, putting an end to this matter. Although I won't be shopping with you again, I do hope you take my comments seriously, for the sake of your business and your other customers.

******
from Beauty ***** UK <info@beauty******.co.uk> hide details 12:37 pm (3½ hours ago)
to ******** <*********@gmail.com>
date Apr 4, 2007 12:37 PM
subject Re: Order Update

*****

We note the contents of your email but when criticizing our 'grammatical errors' it would make sense for you to proof read your own email before sending it to us. I do not have the time to point out all YOUR errors, needless to say if you take the time to re-read your email you will see many of your sentences do not actually make any sense, for example in the first paragraph missing the S of the word 'make'. I have absolutely no idea why you keep emailing us when we have told you we will quite happily refund the part of your order you have not received and we are unclear why you keep dragging this on?! It is also worth pointing out to you that we process in excess of 100 orders per day and most of those orders are paid without complaint through our 2checkout service. In fact I can honestly say that this is the first time I have ever received an email from anyone informing us of any concerns over the way we run our business. I am frankly amazed that you have nothing better to do with your time than to repeatedly email a company, giving them advice that they did not ask for and that they do not need. The fact that you would visit several other websites making notes on how they run their business to then report back to us when it is of no interest to us and of no benefit to yourself is simply bizarre.

I would have to ask you to refrain from contacting us again. We have deleted your customer account and your personal details from our database and your refund will be processed as per our Terms and Conditions. Should we receive any further emails from you in the immediate future we will have no choice but to block your email address as unfortunately this is all becoming somewhat tedious, unnecessary and of course we cannot spend all day exchanging emails with someone with whom we have no outstanding issues especially when there our genuine customers we could be assisting.

As a final reminder please note that should we become aware of you 'bad mouthing' our company and stating anything on a public forum that you cannot prove in a court of law we will take immediate action.

Regards

*********
https://www.beauty******.co.uk

looby75 · 4 April 2007 at 4:36PM

OMG How very very very unprofessional. There is NOTHING in your first email to warrant the response you received imo,

They do not, and I repeat DO NOT have a leg to stand on. Nothing you have said could in anyway shape or form be considered slander (and btw shows how far they are talking out of their backside slander is when something is spoken, libel is when something is written, they obviously don't have a clue what they are talking about)

I have a pretty good idea which company it is and I am so very very pleased I decided not to place a quite large order with them very recently (for GHD straighteners and some other makeup and hair items) I will stay well clear.

mrbadexample · 4 April 2007 at 4:47PM

I think we should all sign up and barrage their customer service e-mail with loads of "genuine" enquiries with irrelevant and banal questions.

feesh · 4 April 2007 at 4:52PM

Thanks looby, now I know I'm not in the wrong I'm more confident to name and shame them.

In fact, I NEED to name and shame them as I think you might have got the wrong website!

They are !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and yes I have noted that they can't spell parlour

)

Thanks
Feesh
x

feesh · 4 April 2007 at 4:53PM

Oh it won't let me post their name, why is that??

Lifeisbutadream · 4 April 2007 at 4:59PM

Im going to send them an email asking what colour parcel I will get if I place an order with them.

Email exchange with customer service made me cry!

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