Customer Service or the Lack Thereof

Customer service generally has shown a lamentable decline in recent years. Products do not seem to carry the same quality they did a few years ago and attempting to get a defective item replaced or repaired or to get a refund is often more costly than the purchase itself. Dealing with customer service can be even more difficult and frustrating when shopping online.

Here again, doing one's homework before ordering can be of some assistance. Researching the vendor's reputation for service by the methods mentioned above is vital. Also, carefully check the policies of the vendor with respect to warranties, returning merchandise, billing disputes, and other matters that can arise. If the policies are unclear, or worse, they are unpublished, it is probably good to steer clear. Some specific things to look for are the time limits and other restrictions on returns, whether the buyer will be responsible for shipping costs of such returns, whether damaged on nonfunctioning merchandise can be returned for a refund or only for replacement, and the policies regarding resolution of disputes.

The frustration felt when no final satisfactory resolution to a problem is achieved is probably greater when a purchase is made online than when it is done at a local store. If nothing else, the buyer's ranting tirade can be delivered to a living, visible, if powerless, person when purchasing locally as opposed to emails or speaking to a disembodied voice on the phone. Particularly frustrating is, given the penchant for outsourcing, the disembodied voice may very well be a hemisphere away and unfamiliar with the creative nuances of the buyer's language.

There are several avenues available if one is ultimately "shafted" by a purchase, some of them leading nowhere in reality. Legal steps are available if a vendor has actually violated consumer protection laws, but again, these steps are often more costly and time consuming than simply taking the loss. More often, however, the shadiness of the vendor or manufacturer falls short of actual illegality.

In those instances in which legal remedies are not available or are impractical, reports made to consumer groups such as the Better Business Bureau may bring some personal satisfaction, but rarely result in a real solution. Not only is BBB without any real power, most of its work is done behind the scenes and is unpublished. A consumer can seek information on a particular business or make a complaint to BBB, but generally the only effect of a complaint is to protect future purchasers who happen to make an inquiry to BBB.

Some consumer groups are more active and take on an advocate role in dealing with complaints. ABX's Miles Cheatham, functioning as his alter ego The ABX Sentinel, has begun a program in which he will investigate complaints against vendors or manufacturers of computer products, attempt to negotiate a settlement, and publish the results. Efforts such as this, which brings the weight of a large group behind the battle, should be much more fruitful than the solitary buyer whose solitary complaints are often ignored.

Conclusion

Online buying has increased dramatically in the past few years and it is reasonable to expect that the increase will continue for the foreseeable future. Some even predict the eventual end to shopping as we have known it. The potential for fraud, identity theft, avenues for phishing and similar attacks that comes with online shopping is considerable, but reasonable steps can protect the buyer. As online shopping continues to increase, security measures to protect against fraud and other evils, consumer groups to combat unfair but perhaps legal practices, and other safety measures will also increase, all aimed at making online shopping a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Note: Thanks to Albert "Tinker" Cox, ABX's Review Team Graphics Guru for the article icon.