I have a fairly long history with being unsatisfied with Bidz.com. My complaints range from extremely shoddy merchandise that breaks practically on arrival to site error's that cheated me out of items. But this complaint is the biggest of them all.
In early December I experienced a site error that cheated my group out of a scooter we were buying for an indigent family's child. After being completely ignored by Bidz.com's SUPPOSEDLY efficient customer service I decided to send my complaint to every address that has ever been affiliated with Bidz.com.
As expected, early the next morning my phone was ringing and on the line was the certified merchant's manager, eager to please. He assured me that bidz.com wanted ONLY my happiness and was willing to take any necessary steps to attain it.
After explaining my problem, again, to him, he phoned the merchant that I was originally bidding with (and had won, if not for the site's error) and set up a sale. He assured me time and again that Bidz.com backed this sale and that they were completely behind it. I e-mailed the merchant and asked if they could get it here by Christmas for the little boy, and they said yes.
I was rather pleased with the events and with the service I THOUGHT I had received, because I was so pleased I issued a letter absolving Andrew (the certified merchant's manager) of guilt, which he had begged me to do.
But then Christmas came, without a scooter. I e-mailed and called that "representative" of Bidz.com that had arranged the sale time and again. No one would answer for where he was when I called their generic customer service line. They just kept transferring me to his voice mail.
Finally, after a series of transfers and calls, in late January I was connected to a woman that said Andrew was not doing his job and was gone. (Well I could have told them that). But that I should not worry, because the merchant that had not sent me my scooter was being taken to collections and I would be refunded by Bidz.com hastily. I sent her the receipt and never heard anything back.
Well, then I had another dispute because I wished to return a ring that had broken. I had been trying to get a return code since four days after I received the ring. Naturally, I was ignored for a good month. After which, all customer service agents conviently hid behind the fact that the 15 day return period had lapsed. So again I had to write a nasty letter to every address I could find explaining that it would not have lapsed if ANYONE at Bidz.com had been inclined to do their job.
Surprise surprise, the next day another manager was calling me, eager to please. So I finally DID receive the return code on the ring, which should teach anybody seeking REAL help from Bidz.com that you have to write a letter to every address you can find connected with Bidz.com on the net and their competitors, after which you will probably get a semi-prompt response, if the letter is enough proof that they really DON'T do their jobs.
But, they still had not cleared up the issue of the refund for the scooter. The agent I spoke with was very helpful up until the point that he found out that Andrew had not officially worked the sale through the site (which Andrew told me was fine and that Bidz.com still backed it). Then the new guy tells me that unfortunately, Bidz.com could not be held responsible for "private transactions." Of course, the transaction was in no way private, as the certified merchant manager set the sale up with the merchant himself and ASSURED me that Bidz.com backed it 100%. But, this fact didn't do anything to help my case.
Now I realize that Bidz.com has obviously got some major issues with liability. Even though Andrew Weiss was an undisputed representative of the company AND they agree that he made a very bad mistake by setting up the sale that way, they claim that they are not responsible.
Their employee, on company time, under the promise that he spoke for the entire company commits fraud, but Bidz.com is NOT responsible? Obviously they do not take committing fraud half as seriously as I and everyone else I know does.
So, to recap, my group that tried to get presents for a few indigent families on Christmas gets stuck with many faulty items that just weren't worth the horrible hassle to return and one COMPLETE and sizable loss because of Bidz.com's failure to care or take responsibility for their own personnel's mistakes and take action against fraud that happened in their own company.
I don't know of many companies that shrug off the actions of their employees. Especially when said employee was not only on the clock, but assuring me that the entire company backed his actions. Actions that NONE of the other customer service agents (and I talked to quite a few about the same issue) bothered to tell me would not be backed by Bidz. There is no other word for it but fraud and there is no other word for Bidz.com's refusal to step up than gross negligence.
Steer clear of this company, because obviously, each employee is allowed to say or do whatever they please and Bidz.com takes NO responsibility and is not liable in any way, even if the employee commits undisputed fraud against Bidz.com's consumers.
Kristen
Vernon, Florida
U.S.A.
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