Ship to billing address... drives me nuts!

[mdameron]

I'm all for the added protection of only having vendors ship to the billing address... but there's gotta be another way!

I'm at college. My shipping addresses can either be my PO Box, or my dorm (physical address), or my parents' house, which is an hour away. I had to change my check card and my credit card's billing address to my PO Box... not a big deal.

So, lets go to newegg! Damn, they only send fedex or UPS, meaning no PO Box. Ok, fine. Change billing address to my dorm. Oh snap son, USPS won't deliver to my dorm, just the campus post office, so if Wells Fargo needs to send me something about my check card or credit card, I never recieve it.

Last week, ordered 2 textbooks off half.com. They don't list who they ship by, just 'media mail/expedited'. Naturally, as I NEED these books, I pay for expedited. I found out TODAY that my dorm doesn't accept USPS packages, and that USPS doesn't even try... Still no word from the 2 half.com vendors on how they ship. If they ship USPS, it'll be returned to sender. FedEx or UPS, all is good.

The big problem is that they give an EIGHT DAY window as to when it will be delivered. AND they say it could be up to TWO days longer. So, I have to wait till between Feb 7th or the 9th before I can OFFICIALLY file for a refund or what have you.

I NEED these books ASAP. I'm already supposed to have read 3 chapters out of one, and half a test coming up on monday in the other subject. I don't have the money to buy the books locally now... And who knows how long it'll take for a refund.

How has Amazon survived?! I ordered various things from their last semester... from an Antec computer case to CD's, to a few books. Each case I had them bill to the PO box address, and ship to the dorm via UPS/Fedex, and everything was awesome!

This was my 2nd go around with buying books off the net to save some bills... yeah the first time I was sent the wrong edition... This SUCKS!

[Dreamstalker]

I found out TODAY that my dorm doesn't accept USPS packages, and that USPS doesn't even try... Still no word from the 2 half.com vendors on how they ship. If they ship USPS, it'll be returned to sender. FedEx or UPS, all is good.
:eh?: That's crazy...

I'm also at college, and I've gotten stuff from Newegg fine. I have my box number as simply "#x", not "Box X". Haven't had any issues with non-PO Box shippers yet.

[perfectturmoil]

Yeah.. Thats pretty typical. Often they wont ship to P.O. Boxes... Often because someone needs to sign for it..

We write MS# on it.. Cause we have a mail stop. But when they get deliveries they can usually sign for it.

My roomies Opty can't be shipped here.. AND its signed signature confirmation to his house.. which is no good cause there probably won't be anyone there...

All this kinda sucks huh?

[darkknight187]

thats sucks, the off campus dorms i live in have people always in the front office who will accept packages and then they call us letting us know that we have a package to pick up in the office, and pretty much every place will bring stuff here. also i normally am able to order from ZZF and get it sent to here even though my billing address is still back in PA about 1000miles from here. just don't use paypal. thats about the only thing i can do unless the seller is willing to ship it to me where i'm at because of it.

[MonroeM]

Oh snap son...
Who says this?!

[Nathan0490]

Who says this?!

Bernie Mac? LMAO

[TankGuys]

Along these lines, I had a guy today put in an obviously fraudulent $1,100 order. His IP was in the Netherlands, his customer info was some guy in Kentucky, the credit card billing address was an RV park in Texas, and the shipping address is some place in Pennsylvania. To top it off, he/she tried 3 different cards before one finally worked.

This is a prime example of why we don't like to ship anywhere but the billing address. Scammers aren't always as amazingly stupid as this one, so they aren't always easy to spot. The only way for us to be completely safe is to refuse to ship anywhere but the billing address - as annoying as that is!

[deathman20]

I know with my CC you can put multiple addresses on the card for such these cases. Or at least I could a while back so I could have it shipped to my parents place if I was going to be there or to my APT when I was there. Either way it was very nice when I had to do that.

Might want to check and see if they have such an option, because then the billing/shipping address would be the same even if its not your primary address.

[deception``]

Along these lines, I had a guy today put in an obviously fraudulent $1,100 order. His IP was in the Netherlands, his customer info was some guy in Kentucky, the credit card billing address was an RV park in Texas, and the shipping address is some place in Pennsylvania. To top it off, he/she tried 3 different cards before one finally worked.

This is a prime example of why we don't like to ship anywhere but the billing address. Scammers aren't always as amazingly stupid as this one, so they aren't always easy to spot. The only way for us to be completely safe is to refuse to ship anywhere but the billing address - as annoying as that is!

Bingo.

In a nutshell, this is standard vendor practice in an effort to protect you and themselves. Believe it or not, you have little-to-no online protection from theft unless you use a credit card (and I don't mean a debit/"check" card with a VISA logo). I'm sure that this can be a little inconvenient for some, but it is a necessary measure to make everyone's lives (and our pockets) better.

deception``

[mdameron]

Who says this?!

I do when I'm feeling overly ****ed off and sarcastic. :p

UPDATE

1 of the 2 half.com shops have responded to my initial question. They ship media mail, which is USPS. Which means the box is on its way back. Instead of using ebay messages, i used that email address they sent to me to try for a refund.

The other shop hasn't responded two 2 different messages, and I just sent the third.

Neither shop has a phone number or email address listed, and one of them doesn't answer the only form of communication thats possible!



New rant... to send an ebay message, you get one of those dumbass "Type the series of number you see to the left into this box". WTF does that prevent? Automated fill out thingies? Ok.... so why in the HELL do they make it so hard to read the characters? I have to do 2 or 3 of the tests because I CAN'T EVEN READ THEM! Do automated fill out thingies scan pictures and input what they see? So, a few lazy asses make everyone else's life harder. Swwwwwwwwwwwweet.

[deception``]

New rant... to send an ebay message, you get one of those dumbass "Type the series of number you see to the left into this box". WTF does that prevent? Automated fill out thingies? Ok.... so why in the HELL do they make it so hard to read the characters? I have to do 2 or 3 of the tests because I CAN'T EVEN READ THEM! Do automated fill out thingies scan pictures and input what they see? So, a few lazy asses make everyone else's life harder. Swwwwwwwwwwwweet.

Those are to prevent spam and other annoying mass-messages. No offense, but those take all of 2 ~ 3 seconds and they make your inboxes a lot less full. Moreover, it seems as if you are making it a pattern to make large complaints about what are considered by many to be minor annoyances.

deception``

[MonroeM]

Moreover, it seems as if you are making it a pattern to make large complaints about what are considered to be many to be minor annoyances.
Like dark-blue text against a dark-gray background. =P

[deception``]

Like dark-blue text against a dark-gray background. =P

Edited for clarity :)

deception``

[mdameron]

Those are to prevent spam and other annoying mass-messages. No offense, but those take all of 2 ~ 3 seconds and they make your inboxes a lot less full. Moreover, it seems as if you are making it a pattern to make large complaints about what are considered by many to be minor annoyances.

deception``


Making them hard to read aids in prevention of spam? Tell me how!

[deception``]

Making them hard to read aids in prevention of spam? Tell me how!

No offense, but I don't respond very favorably to the sarcasm of others. All you need to know is that there are tools in place for a reason, and they are more than likely there to protect yours (and their) interests with no itent to annoy.

deception``

[deception``]

No defense, but I don't respond very favorably to e-people telling me what to focus my attention on. The tools in place could be done another way. I'd like to know how a jpeg with blurry text with lines through it helps stop spam better than a clear jpeg. Enlighten me, I'm all ears on this effective tool. It's not a minor annoyance if you keep getting it wrong because they make them hard to read.

It is great that it stops spam, sure. I love the guy who made the idea. Spam sucks, I'll have his babies. But when the only way you can talk to someone is sending petty ebay messages... with which you have to read scattered, blurry text with lines through it, it becomes more than a minor annoyance.

At the end of the day, I'm pretty sure you can find something else in life to focus your attention on besides a few hints of e-sarcasm. In light of my issue here with these two half.com store, I found another thing that bugs me... and decided to post about it in my own 'Vendor Discussion' thread. You respond 'You're stupid because they are effective tools', with no mention of how they work or why they look like they do.

Sorry pal, but I did not attack you nor did I accuse you of being stupid; all I stated was that, in my opinion, there's really more things on the net to complain about (for example, paypal holding funds unfairly) than your little issue here. You are welcome to express your opinions (as you did here), and I should be able to express mine without you going on the defensive.

And to be fair, I did not properly answer your question - these tools I spoke of obviously are not fool-proof, but the general belief is that a person with a long list of e-mails or user-names cannot send mass-messages through them when you have to use that sort of authentication. Granted, an individual could literally sit there and squint through each one in order, but this is a very simple (and arguably effective) measure which is meant to deter spam of a more automatic nature.

deception``

[mdameron]

Deleted my apology on accident :(

Sorry again deception.

[deception``]

Deleted my apology on accident :(

Sorry again deception.

No problem. I edited my post as well.

deception``

[mdameron]

Well I ordered two books. One is $20, one was $90.

The shop that I bought the $20 one through just emailed me saying that I gave a bad address, so the refund will be partial. They didn't say WHEN or HOW MUCH partial means though... irks me a little bit. This game of email tag has got to go...

EDIT: And I don't disagree with the partial payment since this is technically my fault... really depends on how much "partial" means. No way should they take half the price of the book, thats for sure.

Wish there would have been clarification to exactly WTF 'Media Mail/Expedited' really means... If they would have posted USPS instead and shipped to an address other than billing, I could have just had it go to the P.O. Box and be studying right now :(

Since most crap I buy online is through newegg/zzf and whatnot... and they use mainly FedEx and UPS, i'll STILL keep my billing address at the dorm I guess...

[mdameron]

Along these lines, I had a guy today put in an obviously fraudulent $1,100 order. His IP was in the Netherlands, his customer info was some guy in Kentucky, the credit card billing address was an RV park in Texas, and the shipping address is some place in Pennsylvania. To top it off, he/she tried 3 different cards before one finally worked.

This is a prime example of why we don't like to ship anywhere but the billing address. Scammers aren't always as amazingly stupid as this one, so they aren't always easy to spot. The only way for us to be completely safe is to refuse to ship anywhere but the billing address - as annoying as that is!

That's great! I'm glad this system does work... Just for us college kids it can be a kind of a pain, though it's better than no protection!

I know with my CC you can put multiple addresses on the card for such these cases. Or at least I could a while back so I could have it shipped to my parents place if I was going to be there or to my APT when I was there. Either way it was very nice when I had to do that.

Might want to check and see if they have such an option, because then the billing/shipping address would be the same even if its not your primary address.

Wells Fargo (who has both my checking account/check card and my credit card) doesn't do this unfortunately. It would be awesome if they did though! I even went in and talked to a banker... no go. :(

[perfectturmoil]

BTW: The reason they have those blurry wiggled lines is so computers themselves have a difficult time figuring it out. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is something computers have been able to do for quite some time.. your scanner probably has a feature built in where it can scan, and transform it to text.

Now. People with automated message senders could easily just use a similar implementation of the same type of software to look at the image displayed, OCR it, and paste it into the box.

So they change the characters a lot. They make it difficult to pick up a good line, and blur characters together to confuse the OCR.

Yeah, it confuses us sometimes.. But it is also quite difficult for the compy's to do automaticall. :- ]

[Dreamstalker]

thats sucks, the off campus dorms i live in have people always in the front office who will accept packages and then they call us letting us know that we have a package to pick up in the office, and pretty much every place will bring stuff here.
That's what my PO does ("contract station" on campus).

[mdameron]

BUMP!!!

LOL! LOL! LOL!

I laughed out loud when I read this...

Dear Customer,

You have put in a request for a reshipment of your order xxxxxxxxx

. Unfortunately, your order shipped 1/27/2006, it has been longer than our reship policy allows, which is 45 days from the original ship date. So I am unable to process a reshipment of this order. I apologize for any inconvience this may have caused you. Your business is very appreciated!

Thanks for your business!

Here's a doozy they sent me on February 7th.
Unfortunatly I cannot have you refunded untill 2/16. Please contact me at this date and I will be glad to have you refunded at that time.

Since this email ^^^, I've emailed them 5 times, including the day they asked for (the 16th). TODAY, they email the first email of this post...

WHAT THE ****

Do they not even read my emails? I haven't mentioned 'reshipment' once in our 20 something email correspondence!

I've already emailed them twice in the last hour... if I don't get a refund -today-, i'm going to half.com's staff.

[mdameron]

Me to them: (feb 3)
Transaction #: 313716924

Hi. The book is being sent back to you as USPS/Media Mail will not deliver to my dorm. Can I get an expedited refund so I can buy the book locally as I need it ASAP. (hence the expedited shipping)

Them to me: (feb 3)
Your order shipped on 1-27-06 and should be arriving shortly.

Me to them: (feb 3)
Right, I don't doubt that it's been shipped. That's not the problem. It won't get to me is the problem. The post office will not deliver to where I'm at (college dorm), and likely the package is already on its way back to you. I didn't realize that Media Mail was just USPS, otherwise I wouldn't have ordered. Can I get a refund seeing as how I won't be getting the book? I've called and confirmed with both Denton post offices that packages are not delivered to dorms and that packages are returned to sender immediately.

Thanks.

Them to me: (feb 3)
Dear Customer:

I have checked our shipping records for you and confirmed that your item
indeed shipped, and is en route to you. The total shipping time on most our
orders within the United States is normally 3-5 business days. For
international orders, please add a few more days. It is difficult for us to
give you an exact time for your delivery, but please track your order online
and receive updated shipping information at: http://emarz.com/tracking.html.
Use your Order ID # from your receipt. Unfortunately, we are unable to
track international orders (outside the United States) at this time. We
apologize for any delay and appreciate your patience.

If you have not received your item within a few days, please let us know.

Me to them: (feb 3)
YES, it IS shipped. I know that!!! You shipped via USPS. USPS does NOT deliver to where I AM! I will NOT get the shipment! I will NOT get the shipment! It will be returned to sender, and I'd like a refund rather than you trying again.

Them to me: (feb 6)
I apologize but this order isn't able to be cancelled at this time.

Thanks for your business!

Them to me: (again) (feb 6)
Please check with your local post office to see if they might be holding the package for you.

Me to them: (feb 6)
I already did. Both local post offices. They say packages addressed to the dorms are immediately returned to sender. When can I expect a refund?

Me to them: (following day) (feb 7)
I checked both local post offices, and the package was not held. When can I get a refund?

Them to me: (feb 7)
Unfortunatly I cannot have you refunded untill 2/16. Please contact me at this date and I will be glad to have you refunded at that time.

Me to them: (February 28th)
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923

Me to them: (March 1)
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923

Me to them: (March 18)
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Over a month later now. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923

Me to them: (March 22)
Transaction 313716923

Refund? When?

Me to them: (March 22)
Transaction 313716923

It's been over a month since Erika told me could get me a refund. Still no refund. She doesn't respond to my emails. Can I have my refund now?

Them to me: (March 23) (doozy to end all doozies)
Dear Customer,

You have put in a request for a reshipment of your order 313716923

. Unfortunately, your order shipped 1/27/2006, it has been longer than our reship policy allows, which is 45 days from the original ship date. So I am unable to process a reshipment of this order. I apologize for any inconvience this may have caused you. Your business is very appreciated!

Thanks for your business!

Me to them: (march 23)
No! I don't want it! I want money! Thanks!

Me to them: (march 23)
have been contacting you and Erika for about 2 months now, so that reshipment policy is a load of bull ****. Give me a refund. I don't have my ****ing book, and you guys don't respond to emails. Refund now, please.

Order 313716923

Me to them: (march 23)
Beth, read this clear. This email contains our entire correspondence, including you and Erika. On February 7th, Erika emailed me this:
"Unfortunatly I cannot have you refunded untill 2/16. Please contact me at this date and I will be glad to have you refunded at that time."

I've emailed you and Erika both 5 times since 2/16, and still do not have my refund. And you tell me that I can't get a 'reshipment'. I don't want a reshipment! R-E-F-U-N-D

(all our emails here)

Them to me: (March 24) (another doozy)

After 45 days from the date of order, no re-shipments/refunds of missing, damaged, or incorrectly packaged orders will be permitted.
I apologize but I am unable to process this order further.
Thanks for your business!

Me to them: (march 24)
You said you would refund me on February 16th and you didn't!

Them to me: (March 27)
I apologize but you didn't reply until 3/22.

Thanks for your business!

Me to them: (march 27)
Um no, I just re-checked. I've emailed you on 2/27, 3/1, 3/18, 3/22, 3/22, 3/23, 3/23, 3/23, 3/24.... I emailed you on 2/27. That means that it's within your 45 day period, and I can get a refund. When can I expect it?

Them to me: (March 28)
Please send all of your emails regarding this order.

Thanks for your business!

Me to them: (march 28)
Ok Beth, here is everything that was emailed between me and Erika. My last email to her was on February 27th, and from then I think you're the one that talked to me.
(all emails)

Them to me: (march 29)
Please send the email sent 2/16.

Thanks for your business!

Me to them: (march 29)
I don't know where the 2/16 email is. I think it was just an ebay message and I didn't have it email me a copy. The 2/27 one is there, which still falls within your 45 day period.

Them to me: (march 30)
I apologize but you haven't included the emails you sent.

Thanks for your business!

Me to them: (March 30)
Ok, here we go again. The email that Erika sent to me:


On 2/7/06, Erika - Movie Mars, Inc. < erika@moviemars.com> wrote:

Unfortunatly I cannot have you refunded untill 2/16. Please contact me at this date and I will be glad to have you refunded at that time.


I sent an ebay message to her on the 16th, and then this email to her on February 27th, which STILL falls within the 45 day period. Theres probably 20 more emails, but these 2 matter the most.


On 2/27/06, Matt Dameron <mattdameron@gmail.com> wrote:

"
Unfortunatly I cannot have you refunded untill 2/16. Please contact me at this date and I will be glad to have you refunded at that time."

Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923



Them to me: (March 31)
Please send the original email sent by you showing the date it was sent.

Thanks for your business!

Me to them: (March 31)
Do you mean the 16th or the 27th? Like I said, the 16th was an ebay message, and I don't know where a copy of it would be. I do have the February 27th email... and here it is:


On 2/27/06, Matt Dameron <mattdameron@gmail.com> wrote:

"
Unfortunatly I cannot have you refunded untill 2/16. Please contact me at this date and I will be glad to have you refunded at that time."

Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923



That is the email I sent on February 27th to erika, and it's within the 45 day period. So much run around for $20! When can I expect the refund?

Them to me: (april 3)
Please send the email you wrote and sent.

Thanks for your business!

Me to them: (april 3)
holy ****! here ya go!!! i wrote this on february 28th!!! ::::::


Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
Ok. I emailed you the 16th and still no refund. Can I have my refund now? Transaction 313716923
--------------------------------------------------------
is that not clear enough??? HI CAN I HAVE MY REFUND SINCE I DON'T HAVE THE BOOK??? LOL?!?





I know I sent something to them on the 16th, because I was super ****ed. It must have been an ebay message that I didn't have it 'email me a copy'. No matter where the mysterious 2/16 email (ebay message) went to, I have at least, what, 2 emails that are within the "45 day period" that are asking for a refund? 45 days from January 27th, eh? That is like halfway through march, right?

[White Runner]

Why not dispute the charges?

[mystfied]

Sounds like :(

Is there a telephone number you can call?

[mdameron]

great half.com! No telephone numbers! Dispute it? How? It wasn't paypaled... suggestions are great. They're actually lucky that they DON'T have a phone number right now...

[{PMS}fishy]

You can have your bills sent to a PO box, and add a ship to address with your CC company.

Its not that big of a deal....

[White Runner]

great half.com! No telephone numbers! Dispute it? How? It wasn't paypaled... suggestions are great. They're actually lucky that they DON'T have a phone number right now...

If you paid via credit card, then dispute the charges.

[SunRedRX7]

Go to your purchases list in your half.com account. You should see an option to send the seller a message or FILE CLAIM.

File a claim is what you want, but I think theres a time limit to do this that I'm not sure of. Good Luck.