Amazon

november

On 7th July I ordered a Creative Zen player in red.

On 18th July they send me an email saying it isn't in stock so they've cancelled my order. However I can order an identical substitute costing the same price. BUT in order to do this I will have to place another order with a 1 - 2 week delivery wait.

Problem - its for my daughter's 16th Birthday on 21st July. The original order was timed to arrive on 20th (I had explained to her it may be a little bit late just in case). 1 - 2 weeks is no good - we are on holiday then :mad:

I cannot see any difference in my out of stock order (which was in stock when I ordered it so why can't they keep their system up to date) and the new item apart from a slight difference in the description number. The colour is the same, the price is the same, the facilities are the same. I just haven't got time to re-order it and wait for 2 weeks.

I am very :mad: it took them 11 days to check stock. Now I've got to try and track down one to buy in person in 2 days while at working full-time during regular shopping hours.

If anyone has any ideas what I am looking for is a Creative Zen Micro 5GB - Red. The one Amazon said I could order if I had time to wait is a Creative Zen Micro SE 5GB - Red. Quite frankly even if I did have time I don't trust them to have that in stock by the time the delivery date has arrived :mad: I don't care which one I find I just need one very very quickly.

edited to add

I've checked their website and I'm also :mad: that there is no way to speak to them in person

ITFC

Play.Com are selling this at £134.99 including delivery. It states it is in stock and they are usually pretty good with delivery. They also have a phone number if you need to talk to someone to explain your haste in delivery.

Link attached http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=promo&page=title&r=ELEC&title=602154

Hope this helps and good luck with your search.

fatboyonadiet

Bob them an e-mail complaining, they'll send you some vouchers by e-mail, you could use this for your next purchase and get it from Play this time, they might offer to the next day deliver free as well. They normally work quite hard to resolve any issues.

november

Having checked the rest of my order I found they've put back the delivery date of that too for some strange reason with no notification

I have sent the following complaint (if anyone is interested )

The above order no. .......... placed on 7th July originally contained a Creative Zen Micro 5GB - Red. On 18th July I received an email saying it isn't in stock so Amazon had cancelled that part of my order and I can order an almost identical substitute costing the same price. However in order to do this I will have to place another order with a 1 - 2 week delivery wait.

The original order was timed in order to arrive for my daughter's 16th birthday on 21st or at Amazon’s latest estimate before we went on holiday. After this time she is staying at her father's for the summer and I promised her present would be available for her to take with her. I am therefore very annoyed and frustrated that Amazon took 11 days to notify me it was out of stock and that the web site stated Amazon had the item in stock when I ordered it. This left me with just 2 days to get the item elsewhere while working full-time as a search of Amazon’s website for a telephone number to contact customer services proved fruitless.

Having no way of obtaining the alternative item from Amazon within my original estimated delivery time I have had to incur additional expense in ordering the item from elsewhere due to having to pay for 24 hour courier service so I don't ruin a very special event - my daughter's 16th. Had I been informed originally that the item was out of stock or emailed within a more reasonable amount of time I would have been able to purchase elsewhere without paying for a courier delivery, or indeed re-order an alternative from Amazon.

I also note having checked my remaining order today that the books ordered have a changed delivery estimate of 25th to 27th July. I know the original delivery estimate was 20th to approx 25th. Obviously I can't check the second date now (25th) as Amazon has altered it and I have no access to viewing my original order but I'm positive about the first date (20th) as it was the day before my daughter's birthday. I cannot see why the delivery date for my books has been altered/delayed given as the despatch date is given for them on Amazon’s web site as normally within 24 hours and my understanding was that they were only taking longer than that due to awaiting the MP3 Player so all items could be dispatched in the same parcel.

As a long term customer I fear I have had to review my opinion of your service which had previously seemed reliable, excellent and which I would have recommended to friends and colleagues. My apologies for the length of this email. I await Amazon’s.

Regards
my real name

Thanks to everyone for their help and information. :T Fingers crossed for tomorrow (anticipated delivery). Unfortunately I ordered from elsewhere before I saw the Play information but if the site turns out to be any good I'll let people know :cool:

fatboyonadiet

Sounds like a decent letter, let us know how you get on

november

Response time excellent. Response rubbish.

My interpretation of the response:

Due to our not being able to supply the main bit of your order you will now have to pay delivery charges for the 2 books you ordered as the main item meant delivery was free. We will let you off this. We've already emailed you about the Creative Zen. We apologise for delaying the books so will upgrade them to first class delivery therefore delivering them one day after we said we would in the first place.

To top if off they ask if this answered my question - yes it did but quite frankly it lacked the 'I read your email properly' touch. All they have given me - free delivery and on 21st - is what I had in the first place. All they have done is taken it off me and given it back again.

Email from Amazon below:

Dear Customer

Thank you for contacting Amazon.co.uk about your order ...................

The cancellation of this item has resulted in your order no longer
being eligible for free Super Saver Delivery.

Because the other items in your order were ready for delivery, your
order entered the dispatch process and will now be delivered by our
standard delivery service, for which there is usually an additional
fee.

We have therefore reduced the cost of your order by GBP 3.34.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to visit our
online Help Desk at:................

However, we have checked your account and found that you may have
already received an e-mail from us regarding this item "Creative Zen
Micro 5GB - Red". When we contacted the supplier for an update we
found that, unfortunately, the item is no longer available.

Until recently we had still hoped to be able to obtain this item from
our supplier. We do apologise for any inconvenience this availability
issue has caused.

As we are currently unable to offer this item, it has been deleted
from your order, and you have not been charged for it.

Also, I have checked your order ............... and we are sorry
that the estimated dispatch date had been delayed.

In an effort to compensate you for this inconvenience, I have
upgraded your shipping option from Free Super Saver Delivery to First
Class without any charges.

We now expect your order to be delivered to you by July 21, 2005.

When we dispatch it from our Fulfilment Centre well send you an e-
mail confirming the date, contents and method of delivery.

Please contact us (by visiting the following link) if you do not
receive your e-mail confirmation by July 22, 2005 and we will
investigate:

To confirm the status of your order, or view estimated dispatch and
delivery dates, please visit Your Account at the top of any page on
our website or use the following URL:

Thank you for shopping at Amazon.co.uk.

Please let us know if this e-mail answered your question:

If yes, click here:

If not, click here:

Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept
incoming e-mail.

fatboyonadiet

Suppose it's OK but could have been better I guess, had problems with Amazon in the past and it is so annoying, maybe a response saying thanks for the offer and assistance and it will suffice but you will not be using Amazon in the future after this transaction has been completed.

EvilMonkey

They do have a phone number for Customer support, but it's VERY hard to find. I used to keep it for instances just like this, but can't find it at the mo.

I had something exactly like whats happened to you, they admitted to me that the super saver delivery can be to blame as they don't assign the stock to your order until it enters the delivery cycle (IE whatever the stated wait time was + 3-4 days for the super saver delivery). If it goes out of stock during this time (from other orders places after yours), well it's your tough luck unfortunately....

I went with an independent retailler in the end for a similar price, but like you 2 weeks further on with my frustration levels high.

My learning was to NEVER user supersaver delivery if its time sensitive.

I did get a £10 voucher though...

E.M.

november

EvilMonkey wrote:

They do have a phone number for Customer support, but it's VERY hard to find. I used to keep it for instances just like this, but can't find it at the mo.

I've got it now ta.

they admitted to me that the super saver delivery can be to blame as they don't assign the stock to your order until it enters the delivery cycle (IE whatever the stated wait time was + 3-4 days for the super saver delivery). If it goes out of stock during this time (from other orders places after yours), well it's your tough luck unfortunately....

Well why don't they make that clear? If I had known that I wouldn't have ordered via super saver. Stupidly I assume if something says its in stock at point of purchase - it is in stock!

Many thanks for the explanation - its more than I got from them.

My learning was to NEVER user supersaver delivery if its time sensitive.

I don't actually but when I ordered it there would have been plenty of time. Maybe I shouldn't use supersaver delivery if its important to me that its in stock!

I did get a £10 voucher though...

Ho hum - where's mine :mad: They must prefer you as a customer to me

I think what annoyed me about the reply was it was so impersonal, had nothing in it related by way of an explanation really (Evil Monkey's explanation makes sense) and not much by way of an apology. I have been a customer of theirs for years and years and I think I am now on the look out for a good online book stockists.

Incidentally I have had to phone the other stockists as my item wasn't delivered this morning (doomed I am). However I used the freephone number displayed and got a prompt apology with an explanation of a delay in the warehouse, a promise that I will get it tomorrow and my courier cost refunded (which makes it cheaper than Amazon!) Fingers crossed for tomorrow (birthday day).

fatboyonadiet

november wrote:

I have been a customer of theirs for years and years and I think I am now on the look out for a good online book stockists.

I use WHSmith a lot and pick up in store to save on delivery costs

spender

DHL lost my parcel from Amazon and when I queried by email they gave me this freephone number for Customer Services at Amazon (which works because I used it) it is 0800 2796620. Hope this helps