Complain about a product or service

NationalGeographic.com

Rob of Union, NJ, writes: (4/19/01):
I ordered a framed poster of a mother and baby polar bear on 11/22/00. This was supposed to be a Christmas present. After about 2 weeks, I emailed nationalgeographic.com just to check the status of my order. 5 days after my email was sent, I was informed that they had no record of my order and I should call their toll free number and ask a “customer service” representative about it.

After 45 minutes on hold, a not so helpful or friendly woman informed me that there was no record of my transaction. She informed me that the order, once placed again, would be shipped direct from the vendor. I asked if she could check with the vendor if they had an estimated time frame for this item. I was informed that she would not check with the vendor. After asking how I could have been assigned a customer number for an item and them not having any record of it, I was told that “that’s the nature of e-commerce.”

I assure you all that this is NOT the nature of e-commerce. This is a policy of a lazy and inept staff of people that just don’t care. I manage 2 on-line stores as well as a brick and mortar store. I would not let this happen in any of those 3 locations. While I understand that mistakes happen, I also understand that provisions should be taken to take care of these mistakes. While we’re all human, it is critical that the “customer service” aspect is all important.

I cancelled the order with the woman on the phone and emailed National Geographic notifying them of my displeasure. After receiving a notification of cancellation via email and finally getting through to someone in their staff that had half a brain, I thought I was done. I was sorely mistaken. 3 months after I cancelled the order and 4 months after the order was placed, I was informed that the order had shipped and my credit card was being charged $101.00. After sending yet another email to nationalgeographic.com, I was told that once an order ships, it is immediately billed to your card. I guess they want some money even if they’re the ones that screwed it up to begin with. Even after informing them that I was the Director of a Consumer Complaints Dept., they still treated me as if with scorn. So, rest assured, they would more than likely treat you, the consumer, with the same disdain. I wonder if Ralph Nader ever had this problem? Please be aware that not all e-stores are run like this, but you must be wary. Even if it’s a well known name like National Geographic.

Damage Resulting
I didn't get the Christmas present I wanted. I now have to go back over all my credit card bills to see if this was ever charged to me without my knowledge. This gives a bad name to all on-line stores, even the ones that do not practice this sort of incompetence.

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