PricePoint Customer Service

Note from JD: Please see the response to this post from PricePoint below in the comments.  Given their response, I will give them another shot.  I do understand that marketing is an art and including every little detail in an online store is difficult.  It is also difficult to ensure that all of your staff always does the right thing.  So, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.

I’ve ordered from PricePoint.com a couple of times and was satisfied with the communication, products, pricing, shipping speed, etc…  However; my most recent order has left me unhappy with their marketing and customer service. If I were writing a PricePoint review it would be… well… read on.

I ordered a set of 2011 Fox 32 Float 140 RL Forks that were 50% off.  Great deal, I thought, on a new item that had been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. The 50% off seemed reasonable considering it was no longer a current model year product. The ad stated “Steerertube is Precut to 7 inches…”  Perfect, that would fit my frame.

When I received the forks from PricePoint, they were packed fairly well but it was not original manufacturer packing.  It was cardboard and bubble wrap.  Interesting…

I unpacked the forks and took a close look at them.  I found a few small cosmetic blemishes and marks.  Clearly the forks had been installed on a bike and were not “new”.

I emailed PricePoint customer service the following:

“I received the following order and have noticed a couple of things:

1.       The Fox Forks appear to be used.  The packaging as well as a few wear marks indicate this.  Is this correct?

2.       I was charged for and received the 2 day FedEx shipping but I did not select this option.  I am always careful to select the cheapest shipping method possible. This is not a terribly big deal and it is certainly possible that I did select it accidently. However; I am mentioning it to suggest that someone take a look and ensure there is not a problem with your shopping cart/checkout pages.”

The shipping charges were no big deal and I quickly dropped the issue as it was most likely that I had made a mistake.

I quickly received this response from Frank regarding the fork issue. According to his signature line, he was the “Customer Service Manager.”

“The fork you requested was a take out from a brand new bike, that is why the stir tube is cut. It was from a bike that was never ridden and only take out the box to be taken apart. “

I responded with this:

“The tube being cut was mentioned in the ad details so not a problem.  The “take out” aspect is ok, it is the couple of small marks and the missing the parts that are a little disappointing.  Any chance of getting the Disk Brake Hose Guide and hex screw that normally comes with the fork?”

Frank, the Customer Service Manager, response was:

“Unfortunately since it’s a take out, we don’t have those pieces available. Sorry”

Because I just love going around and around with customer service, I responded with:

“Well Frank, I have to admit, I am not impressed.  When a person purchases an item from a store such as yours, it is reasonable to expect a new item that includes all of the parts and pieces.  A simple note on the ad would clear it all up but that did not exist.”

His response was:

“We’ll make sure to pass this information to our Web Marketing Manager. On my end, please accept a refund of the shipping charges for the inconvenience. Once again we apologize.”

I’ve contemplated this now for a few days.

It seems reasonable to me to expect a new product when ordering from sites like this UNLESS the ad says that it is used. Preferably, an ad would state exactly what the condition is – in this case, a “take off.” However; the ad did not say such a thing – it is included below for fun.   The tube being cut MIGHT indicate that the item was no longer in the original packaging . For all I knew, this was how it came from the manufacturer so it certainly does not indicate that that it is used NOR that some of the parts are missing.  Yes, 50% off is a great price.  However; I cannot shake the feeling of being lied to and duped.

These issues are typically complex. As we all know, there are always at least two sides a story.  I’ve tried to present my side honestly.  So, what to do?  Well, I am still not impressed with PricePoint based on this issue.  In this case, I feel that their marketing is disingenuous at best and fraud at the worst.  I will not be ordering from them again.