- Here is the short version
I bought an unlocked Black Berry Storm (Verizon Version) from GSM Monster on March 31 and received a defective product without a charger the next evening.
I tried to contact them for over 20 times to resolve this problem, and later to return to product. I was only able to reach them 5 times - first 4 through phone and the last time through email. They ignored my request to return the product and sent me a Motorola charger.
After finding them on usacomplaints.com, I requested and received the charge back from the bank yesterday. The credit card company asked me to keep all my evidence and documentation for 90 days. If anything is changed, I will update this post.
Below is the full story if you are interested in the details
I bought an unlocked Black Berry Storm (Verizon Version) from GSM Monster on March 31 and received the product the next evening.
The phone came in a large UPS shipping box without any stuffing material. I have purchased lots of electronic or other fragile items online, and I have never seen any merchant treating delicate products this carelessly.
The Black Berry box was scratched and the sealed sticker was cut open. I didn't stop here and return the product because I thought the merchant had opened the box to unlock the phone.
After opening the box, the items inside were quite messy. When I saw the phone, "Oh My God!" was the first thing coming to my mind. The cover over camera was dropping off. I looked through the accessories, the charger was missing!
Since I had never been the victim of this type of scam, I tried to tell myself not to over-react. Maybe the person who opened the box to unlock the phone simply overlooked the charger and forgot to put it back.
I put the cover back onto the camera, inserted the battery and turned on the phone. The phone did not seem to turn on normally. I attempted it a few times without success, and the last time I tried, it finally turned on after waiting for 5 minutes or so.
I called them the next morning at 11am, the beginning of their business hour posted on the website. I complained about the condition of the phone, but the woman who answered the phone told me that they only sell brand new product. When it came to the missing charger, the woman began her response by "can you go to the local store..." I was very upset and asked her, "Go to local store for what? Buy a charger myself?" She then told me they would send me one.in that conversation, I forgot to ask when the charger would be sent to me. I called them back, a different woman told me that the charger would be posted on Saturday and should reach me the following Monday or Tuesday.
Of course, I did not receive the charger as they promised. I began calling them and traced after the charger. I tried approximately 15 times and was only able to reach them twice. The first time a man answered the phone, apologized and said that someone would send out the charger and email me the status report that evening. It was a lie. The second time was the same woman who answered my very first phone call. She again apologized and said that they only update tracking number in the afternoon and I should receive something later.
This was when I started to be suspicious and found them on the complaint.
Following James' advice (on the first complaint about GSM Monster), I decided to call them and return the product so that I could ask my credit card company for a charge back. Just like the previous 15 attempts, I couldn't reach anyone to ask for RMA number.
I called the bank and was told that I had to try at least twice to return the product. If phone calls didn't t work, I should've tried email or letter. I emailed them to request a RMA number and a full refund before I take legal action. They replied with their usual worthless apology and gave me a tracking number without courier!
Two days later, I received a scratched "Motorola" charger rather than the BlackBerry international charger.
By this time, it had been about three weeks after I began dealing with them. I called the bank again to dispute the billing. The bank was not particularly willing to help and was trying to make sure that I comply with GSM Monster's return policies.
I remained persistent and referred to other complaints that I found on the complaint. Since I've also documented all my calls and conversations with them (dates, attempts of contacts etc.), the credit card company finally agreed to process the charge back. The refund was processed within two business days, as the bank promised. But I have to keep all the evidence and documentations for 90 days.
Lesson learned:
1) Avoid buying from unknown sellers;
2) If really have no other choice, search through Ripoff report before purchase;
3) If become suspicious about the merchant, document the entire process of dealing with them;
4) If you are in the same unfortunate situation, insist your consumer right and don't be shy to ask for a charge back;
5) Share the experience on usacomplaints.com and hope that there won't be more victims like you or me.
Best luck!
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