Never again will I purchase anything without researching the company first. For some odd reason, I felt that after years of receiving catologs from this well known company, I would be fine doing business with them. Boy was I wrong! I do a lot of online shopping, and Lakeside Collections is the absolute worst online shopping experience that I have ever encountered.
Several weeks ago, I ordered almost $400 worth of items. As of last week, I hadn't heard anything from them and was concerned because nothing was listed in my order history. Since I couldn't get through via phone, I wrote multiple emails only to be answered with the same automated generic email each time. I kept trying the phone route but like many, if not all, I couldn't get through.
Their website states: The Lakeside Collection is making every effort to deliver backordered items as soon as possible. We are receiving new merchandise in our warehouse daily and are working extended hours in order to meet your needs. What a bunch of bull. A retail business that isn't open at night or on the weekends - especially during the holiday season? And they're NOT reachable when they are open. Hmmmm.
Anyway, at the end of last week, one half of my order finally posted with a few backordered items. The other items were listed as 'processing'... But what happened to the other half of my order? Since they will not release anything until the full order is complete, I cancelled the backordered items. Today when I logged into my account, all of my order was there, but the backordered items that I cancelled remained as backordered, and the items that were added had all been cancelled because they are no longer in stock! Well now, that's really interesting, they were available when I ordered weeks ago AND when I rechecked all of those out of stock items on their website today, they were all available. Isn't that FALSE ADVERTISING? Other than their system letters, no one has ever attempted to contact me even though I wrote quite a few emails to them.
I went back to dialing and kept redialing for almost an hour. When I finally got lucky, my first wait time was 15 minutes and the CS rep. Couldn't do a thing so I asked for a supervisor. She transferred my call (another 15 minute wait) and the 2nd rep. Was just that another CS rep. Who also couldn't help me. She transferred me to her Supervisor and that took about 10 minutes. I explained my dissatisfaction and since my items would not arrive in time for the Holiday, I'd like to cancel my entire order. The supervisor told me that once the computer system lists an item as being Ready To Ship, the system won't allow a cancellation. THAT'S IT? I am stuck? BS! I asked for the name and address of the president of the company; she said her name was Helen Biar with a PO BOX # - what a surprise! Upon further investigation, the contact information does not match the Better Business Bureau's info. Every facet of this online business is set up so that the consumer loses - from order processing, to shipping, to customer service... It's not reputable and they have no business being in business!
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