Computer Alliance - Afterpay Sales Nightmare.. Need advice on what to do / approach to take

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Computer Alliance

• 

  MS Paint on 20/08/2022 - 16:29

  +12

  So if you didn't make the initial mistake none of this would have happened?

  Purchasing via a 3rd party using coupons and codes can get real messy, real quick and you already knew that.

  I'm confused.

  • 

    DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 16:33

    Correct if I didn't make a mistake it would have been fine I'm sure.

    But I sadly did make that mistake, which followed by mistakes from CA has made it worse. When contacting CA on those mistakes, there's been minimal support to resolve it.

    Honestly the point of purchasing using eBay gift cards and codes didn't really cross my mind. That's a lesson learned for me.

    In the end, things have happened and I need to get a good outcome. At the moment that outcome seems to be tending towards suck it up and never buy there again.
    But if theres other options would love to hear suggestions

    Edit: i should clarify there has been minimal support from CA to resolve it which puts my purchase back into a state that would result in a happy customer. The refund is probably a good outcome and an adequate legal outcome, but I wont be happy because in the end Order 2 should never have been touched and now i get to wear the outcome of that mistake rather than CA.

    • 

      MS Paint on 20/08/2022 - 16:45

      Are CA obliged to follow eBay return/cancel/refund policies in order to tin plate their backside?

      • 

        DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 18:19

        +1

        From whats been reported back to me, seems they need to follow specific rules from ebay. Doesn't really line up with consumer rights from brick and mortar but it is what it is. I'll have to suck it up which is fine, but its still a negative experience which will see me never return.

        Just a few lessons for me on other risks which purchasing through ebay.

        • 

          MS Paint on 20/08/2022 - 18:21

          @DarkAvernus: I like your attitude. Feisty yet realistic.

          • 

            DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 18:35

            +1

            @MS Paint: Thanks haha, I don't want to put CA out, that is just so unrealistic and all too common for some people where they expect the world thrown at them as the customer.

            It would just be nice to get what I ordered for the amount I should and would have paid if the correct order was cancelled. The world isn't always fair though.

    • 

      pharkurnell on 20/08/2022 - 17:29

      At the moment that outcome seems to be tending towards suck it up

      Yes.

• 

  Jagd on 20/08/2022 - 16:31

  +1

  You should declined the delivery of order 1 instead of accepting it as then it would of been returned to CA and they could of cancelled the order and refunded it to your payment source.

  • 

    DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 16:37

    +1

    Haven't received it yet, it is in transit. But I expect it will be left at the front door on delivery anyway.

    The issue is the refund to the payment source, it's an easy ideal outcome for CA, but leaves me with $850 dollars in eBay credit where I can't replace the items at the same price as the afterpay sale will end.

    This is a lesson learned I guess, if it doesn't go perfect when using gift cards, you're going to get the raw end of the bargain.

    • 

      Jagd on 20/08/2022 - 16:48

      Then if you do get the option to reject the delivery do so and in the event it is a dead drop (aka left on your doorstop) do not open it and return it to the deliverer for return to sender asap.

      Possession is 9 tenths of the law and it is way easier to get a refund if you do not have it when asking for one. At worse they may ask you to concede to a restocking fee.

      • 

        DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 16:52

        great advice, I wouldn't have opened it but I will take it to the post office as a return to sender. Will advise CA of this beforehand though.

        Sadly a better outcome for me here rather than a refund would have been store credit, which I did ask for, but I've been told I don't have that option because it's eBay.

    • 

      p1 ama on 20/08/2022 - 17:34

      The issue is the refund to the payment source, it's an easy ideal outcome for CA, but leaves me with $850 dollars in eBay credit where I can't replace the items at the same price as the afterpay sale will end.

      It's not an "easy ideal" outcome for CA, it's actually the only possible outcome for CA given eBay's policies.

      • 

        DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 18:17

        Yeah so ive been told now. im just going to have to eat this.

• 

  p1 ama on 20/08/2022 - 17:33

  +3

  At the end of the day, you made the initial mistake, CA could have handled it better. That's a fair assessment. However, have you actually picked up the phone just to speak with them about it? I imagine what is happening here is that you are just messaging them on eBay where they aren't checking messages 24/7 and there is a delay between what's happening in their automated warehouse and the customer support team that you are messaging with.

  FWIW, always in these complex situations, pick up the phone, give them a call.

  In terms of everything else, there is a lot of blame that rests with you as well - the initial mistake, thinking of eBay gift cards as cash, going through eBay (where support / amendment options are limited) vs. going with the retailer directly…etc. At the end of the day, the fact that you chose to purchase eBay gift cards to get a further discount is not CA's problem. In fact, this is the risk you face when purchasing gift cards in general. You could wake up tomorrow and eBay could have folded which means your gift cards are worth zilch as an unsecured creditor.

  You need to be aware that gift cards are not cash and any time you choose to use them, you are taking a risk. You should also familiarise yourself with eBay policies to know what can and can't be done, e.g. modifying an order, refunds outside of eBay (e.g. you requesting a store credit) are all not possible via eBay. Again, this is not CA's problem - if you use eBay, you should be familiar with the policies of that platform.

  • 

    DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 18:12

    Unfortunately only the initial ask was on message, all other conversations have been on the phone and I'm about 5 calls deep into this.

    I have tried to provide alternate workarounds as well with say the store credit option which would work out great and ideally fair as I expect CA would receive the same funds from eBay at the end of the day that listed on the invoice. Also, is this not an option anyway by consumer law?
    I am sure there's probably a reason why this can't be done but mostly what I've heard so far is it's just hard dealing with eBay orders. I expect it easier to just cancel and refund.

    I agree though it's not CA's problem with regards to the gift cards and my choice of payment. My lesson learned there trying to save a buck because it's backfired massively. I absolutely won't be doing that again.

    I think in the end what's important is could this have been handled better and things i can see that should have happened.
    I appreciate i set the butterfly effect in motion with my mistake on the order, but this stuff is kinda fundamental in processing anything if an amendment is needed, its a bit much for me to accept responsibility for the continued misses in processing a request such as that.

    Things i can see that can and should have been better..
    1) Confirm with the customer that cancelation is the best option, and provide the customer the opportunity to cancel rather than assuming and actioning.
    2) Confirm the order number to be canceled before taking the action.
    3) Cancel the right order.
    4) When the above doesn't happen, provide a reasonable path to resolution once you have put a customer out that doesn't adversely impact the customer or the business.

    In the end I can see how this is going to go, i'll return the order, i'll get a mandated refund rather than store credit or product swap and ill be rightfully unhappy with the result because it doesnt seem like there are many options available in this spot thats going to help my position.
    I have got some great advice out of things to do though so hopefully that will make things smoother and I will just never buy from or recommend CA again.

    • 

      p1 ama on 20/08/2022 - 19:55

      +1

      I have tried to provide alternate workarounds as well with say the store credit option which would work out great and ideally fair as I expect CA would receive the same funds from eBay at the end of the day that listed on the invoice. Also, is this not an option anyway by consumer law?

      No it is not, because there are only two options on eBay - either cancel the order, in which case you get a refund to whatever payment method you used, or to keep the order, in which case they actually have to fulfil the order. What you are asking them to do, i.e. keep the transaction on eBay, but give you store credit instead of the products, is against eBay's T&Cs.

      I think in the end what's important is could this have been handled better and things i can see that should have happened.

      From what I can see, there are only two mistakes here:

      (i) Your mistake in the first place
      (ii) CA's mistake in cancelling order 2 instead of order 1

      That's all that happened.

      At the end of the day, you made one mistake, they made one mistake. Everything else is all above board and happened as it should have.

      • 

        DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 21:31

        I agree with everything you have said, however the final two points does miss some key nuances.
        - My mistake I absolutely made it and was a dumb mistake to make. But in the end no impact was made to the customer or the business in the end.
        - The mistake on canceling my order from CA, this caused customer financial detriment in the end. I am worse off because it was processed incorrectly. That's the key problem in this. Everything would be fine the correct order was cancelled.

        • 

          p1 ama on 21/08/2022 - 00:45

          +1

          @DarkAvernus:

          The mistake on canceling my order from CA, this caused customer financial detriment in the end. I am worse off because it was processed incorrectly. That's the key problem in this. Everything would be fine the correct order was cancelled.

          How did you suffer financial detriment? You paid $X for some goods, the order is cancelled and you got your $X back. You are where you started, or am I missing something?

          • 

            DarkAvernus on 21/08/2022 - 01:50

            @p1 ama: You know what you're right on paper and semi-legally as my understanding is financial detriment can be distinguished from financial disappointment on that point. However, the lines do get blurred if an action would put an individual in a worse financial position.
            Even if it would legally (not saying it would) fall under financial disappointment, none of this make a good customer experience when you look at the bottom line of that mistake and the impact to the customer and the business.

            Using a 1000 dollar order as an example, the initial amount paid without the CA mistake is $850 for $1000 dollars of goods.

            As a result of the error, I will now need to pay the full 1000 dollars to complete my build.
            You can argue that purchase is optional but in reality, it really isnt to pull together a usable system. In the end those ordered goods are required.
            Ultimately because of a mistake not made by me,
            - It will be a net -$150 impact in repurchasing the required items.
            - I didnt end up getting the components I should have got.
            - I now need to spend my personal time in returning the order and fixing that mistake. No one wants to spend time fixing these things.
            - I will have a significant lead time until the error is corrected.
            - The repurchase comes at a premium because if it was bought retail and not on eBay, the cost is significantly lower. Appreciate you can argue the gift card issue is my problem and not CA's, and yes you're technically correct.. but it also wouldn't have been a problem if the correct order was canceled in the first place.

            So in the end no one here wins.. CA has to spend time reprocessing this order and supporting the resolution of this processing mistake and I don't win because I will be further out of pocket along with the 4 other impacts above.
            My point remains valid, in the end, this is a terrible customer experience to go through that will impact me financially and will impact my time im multiple ways.
            Putting yourself in my shoes, I guarantee you wouldn't want to go through the same experience.

            • 

              p1 ama on 21/08/2022 - 11:36

              @DarkAvernus:

              You know what you're right on paper and semi-legally as my understanding is financial detriment can be distinguished from financial disappointment on that point.

              As someone who has studied law at uni and worked in finance, I have no idea what this sentence means.

              As a result of the error, I will now need to pay the full 1000 dollars to complete my build.

              I don't understand why you couldn't place the order again once it had been cancelled using the original discount codes?

              You can argue that purchase is optional but in reality, it really isnt to pull together a usable system. In the end those ordered goods are required.

              Ultimately this doesn't matter - this just happens to be your personal circumstance.

              Ultimately because of a mistake not made by me, - It will be a net -$150 impact in repurchasing the required items.

              It was due to a mistake made by you in the first place.

              My point remains valid, in the end, this is a terrible customer experience to go through that will impact me financially and will impact my time im multiple ways.

              So are many things, e.g. someone hitting my car. They are required to compensate me for the damage they cause, just like CA is refunding you the amount you paid for the order.

              The fact that it may have inconvenienced me or that it annoys me or that I don't like it is irrelevant. People make mistakes, you do too, that's just life.

              Putting yourself in my shoes, I guarantee you wouldn't want to go through the same experience.

              I never said that I wanted to go through it, but rather, that given the circumstances, it was one mistake from you, one mistake from them and that's that.

• 

  GrueHunter on 20/08/2022 - 18:07

  +4

  TLDR for the TLDR

  "I made a mistake"
  "I assumed"
  "Turns out what I thought wasn't actually true"

  • 

    DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 18:14

    -1

    That's a very one-sided assessment.

    Could equally say.
    I made a mistake and set the butterfly effect in motion.
    "CA canceled the order without that being requested"
    "CA canceled the wrong order in the process"
    "CA didn't fix the issue, based off their mistake in this"

    Also what I thought, was a result of a mistake made by CA in canceling the wrong order. But also yes I assumed the job was done correctly, it wasn't.

• 

  iamherenow on 20/08/2022 - 18:20

  +5

  I find these posts amusing where the buyer makes a mistake, causes a business extra processing costs and staff hours to sort it, and then get cranky with the store. Sounds like they made an error, but it was your error that led to theirs.

  • 

    DarkAvernus on 20/08/2022 - 18:31

    You're not wrong about my mistake kicking the butterfly effect off, that's a fair assessment and I will show more care next time on my end.
    But that should also be reciprocated when an error is made from the business.

    Mistakes happen and customer support is a part of running the business so the second part I would not agree with. It's not an inconvenience to the business, it's a part of doing business.

    I am at peace with wearing the cost because of missing out on the Afterpay sale deal and now having to buy more expensive components, its a lesson with a cost. But at the same time, this is not a great customer experience, im not happy with how multiple steps have gone and well I would say rightfully so. It could have and should have been handled better.

• 

  spackbace on 20/08/2022 - 19:21

  +4

  Refunds always go back to the original source, acl even dictates it

  Gotta laugh at ppl who use gift cards for stuff that may potentially need to be returned, for the sake of a minor discount. Happens all the time on here, not just OP

  Electronics are one of those things that occasionally do need to be returned - doa, bad shipping etc.

  • 

    DarkAvernus on 21/08/2022 - 01:55

    Yeah, won't be doing gift cards again on ebay despite how much people push them as a good thing on here. The downside of them doesn't outweigh the 3% saving.

    • 

      iamherenow on 21/08/2022 - 12:02

      Agree. But I have learnt not to fight with the $3 for $30 gift card crowd…

• 

  brendanm on 20/08/2022 - 20:38

  +2

  Another day, another issue with gift cards. Not sure why people still bother with these things to save a small amount, potential downside is too big.

  • 

    DarkAvernus on 21/08/2022 - 01:58

    Yep lesson learned! I'll save the gift card purchases for direct purchases from a retailer for big items like furniture. Ebay GC's are a no go in my books now.

    • 

      brendanm on 21/08/2022 - 10:08

      Just barter with the retailer rather than paying in gift cards. Much easier.

• 

  b0rnwithabeard on 21/08/2022 - 11:08

  I ain’t reading all that
  i’m happy for you tho
  or sorry that happened

• 

  Troyp on 21/08/2022 - 15:52

  Hi send me a pm happy to share an email address that may assist with eBay.

  Had an issue that was ongoing for months with eBay and finally found an email address to get action on simple issues.

  That prior to that eBay told me I would get a call back and nothing.

  • 

    DarkAvernus on 21/08/2022 - 16:04

    that would be great. I expect nothing but worth a shot i guess!

    • 

      Troyp on 22/08/2022 - 08:45

      Await your dm

      • 

        DarkAvernus on 22/08/2022 - 09:26

        Dropped you a line yesterday, maybe something went wrong. Sent another message just now to hopefully push it through.

        • 

          Troyp on 23/08/2022 - 08:01

          @DarkAvernus: I'll check now