tthorn

Hey, everyone. I ordered a copy the '39 Steps - Criterion' from CDNOW a while back as they had an obscenely low price of $7.99 on it.

Now, of course, they sent me the LaserLight edition even though the title stated 'Criterion', they showed the Criterion box cover on the page, and had the text description of the Criterion version.

I've spoken to them on email and the phone at length, and even faxed them the original $7.99 page that I printed out when ordering. After much waiting, they are now claiming that the Criterion disc is not available from them at all (this even though it's up on their site - now at $31.99.)

Aside from venting to planetfeedback, anyone have any ideas? These guys should honor the price - I'd understand if they put the Criterion box picture on by mistake, but c/mon - they plastered the page with the word Criterion and even described the extras. They should honor this for me.

- Tom

King Slender

Be persistent and firm, but be polite at the same time. I've had similar experiences elsewhere, and after a little prodding things turned out in my favor. Calling always seems to be the best method, also.

D.Pham5GLTE (>60GB)

If things don't work out, bounce the charges on your CC, and you get a free DVD

agitprop

tthorn - I'm in the same situation as you are.

I ordered "Naked Kiss: Criterion" during their recent sale - but I recieved "Naked Kiss" on the VCI label. Also recieved LaserLight edition although I ordered "39 Steps - Criterion". I have returned them for replacement but all their Customer Service seems concerned with is arguing that I ordered the wrong version even though I have screenshots and copies of their website that say I did order the Criterion editions. Also I'm out the cost of shipping both ways on two separate shipments - ouch!

Are there any other affected CDNow customers? Please post your response here...

agitprop

See new probably related thread here concerning problems with Rebecca Criterion... Seems there is a possible warehouse mix up over Criterion versus non-Criterion titles of the same name. In tthorn and my case it was quite different - we purchased the Criterion title but received the inferior version. Still haven't received a proper reply from CDNow in 4 weeks explaining how they will resolve this mess.

bhauge

I have an order pending with CDNow for the following:

o Notorious (Criterion Collection)
o Rebecca (Criterion Collection)
o Moulin Rouge (12/18 preorder)

Yesterday it showed that all 3 would ship from Warehouse G. Today when I checked it, they had cancelled Moulin Rouge. I talked to a CSR who said that Moulin Rouge would not be available from Warehouse G, but would instead be shipped from Warehouse B. This meant that I would be incurring an additional $3 charge to have this shipped from the 2nd warehouse. After arguing with the CSR about changing my order without my consent, I talked to a supervisor who then credited back the $3. The bottom line is that things are still in a state of flux at CDNow with respect to where they are getting their products from. Make sure to check your order status carefully. I'll post whether I actually receive the CC version of REBECCA.

Indurain

I want to apologize for the lengthy post in advance.

First of all a little info for everyone who is complaining about not getting a Criterion disc for less than $10 - get over it. If something is too good to be true it usually is. I would love a legitimate deal like that. If you saw Salo Criterion for $39.99 at Amazon (or insert your favorite price error honoring store) would you be pissed if you didn't get it? You shouldn't be. You took a gamble and you lost - big deal. Try it again some other time.

Considering the current state of many .com companies, I am glad that CDNow is refusing to give in on price errors (i.e., this keeps their margins in tact and thus their business alive). If you continually abuse stores like CDNOW, they will go out of business and what will the online buying community be left with - Amazon or a B&M. Both options already have some of the highest prices on DVDs. Remember the B&M option comes with many snappy features including:

-Long lines
-Uninformed sales associates
-Joe 6 Pack
-Dismal customer service replete with the highest level of inconvenience.


Here is an excerpt directly from the CDNow.com website (go to their homepage, scroll down to the bottom, and click Terms and Conditions). IMHO, as a general rule, it does pay to trudge through a company’s (especially one with which you aren't familiar) Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

"...In the event a product or service is listed at an incorrect price due to a typographical error or error in pricing information received from a supplier, we shall have the right to refuse or cancel any order placed for such product or service at the incorrect price, even if the order has been confirmed and/or your credit card has been charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your order is canceled, we shall promptly issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the incorrect price.

Order Acceptance. Your receipt of an electronic or other form of order confirmation does not signify our acceptance of your order, nor does it constitute confirmation of our offer to sell. We reserve the right at any time after receipt of your order to accept or decline your order for any reason or for no reason at all. We reserve the right at any time after receipt of your order, without prior notice to you, to supply less than the quantity you ordered of any product or service.

Restrictions. Not all products and services listed on this Site may be available for sale or delivery in every area. All orders of products or services are subject to prevailing law, including, as appropriate, export and import regulations and boycotting restrictions, if any, imposed by governing bodies having jurisdiction over such orders, products or services."


I reluctantly used CDNow a couple of times in the last month and have been extremely pleased. I received a broken disc (L'Avventura CC) and they sent me replacement before I even got the broken one in the mail (yes they paid the shipping to return it). I have seen a considerable improvement in the level of CS at CDNow. Combine this with their running 15% off coupon and their store is extremely appetizing. Oh well, I guess my rambling has run its course. If you read this entire thing - my hat goes off to you!

bhauge

Received both NOTORIOUS and REBECCA Criterion Collections from CDNow this last weekend, so whatever fullfillment problems they had earlier seem to be cleared up.

Officer Cartman

Not Criterion related, but CDNow totally screwed me this weekend.. I bought 3 DVDs using my $50 GC from Nissan, and the 15% off deal, and ended up costing me $7 and change.

I cancelled one of the DVDs a day later, because it could be had from Best Buy at half the price. Wasn't worried, because the order wasn't going to ship until 01/02, because one of the orders was a pre-release, and the other was on backorder. The order goes to "Cancel pending".. Now 2 days later, my other 2 DVDs have been cancelled, and the DVD I want cancelled has shipped. According to the CSR, "Since the other 2 DVDs were cancelled, we shipped your other one". But I didn't cancel the other ones (one of which isn't on backorder now, wierd). "We're looking into that". They gave me a $2 credit for my trouble, but now I have to return the DVD when it gets here (at my expense or theirs, I don't know), and only after they get it back, do they credit my account, so I can order my movies. Problem is, the 30-40% off sale they're having right now will be long gone by then.

So I printed out the movies I'm trying to buy, with today's prices. I don't care if they manually have to enter the prices in somehow, this is their mistake, and they need to own up to it.

Question with regards to the DVD I need to return, can I just do a "Return to Sender", or do I need to open the box, and do a return that way?

Jack Straw

No, the next step is that they'll send you a return label which should arrive within 10-14 days that will send your item to their old address. Then, in 10-14 days more days, you'll get it back in the mail again. This actually happened to me. Then I insisted on not waiting for another bad label and just sent it on my dime in exchange for a $3 credit. I'm still waiting for the darn credit to come through.

Officer Cartman

This is becoming a nightmare. I spoke to yet another CSR, after reading on the website that I wouldn't be refunded my $3.99 shipping cost. I asked why, and she said it was my fault that it shipped, even though it wasn't due to ship for another 3 weeks. Seems sort of strange that my order "accidently" gets shipped after I try to cancel it. At the rate this is going, I won't get my credit for about 2 months, which screws up my order completely. I tried talking to a manager there, but I have to wait tomorrow to speak to one.

In an ideal world, I'd like to be pre-emtively refunded my money. If they don't receive it back from me, bill my credit card the full amount. At least this way, I have the credit back in my account, so I can place my order while the sale is still on, and everyone's happy. Doubt he'll agree to this, but I'm not going to quit until I get a reasonable solution.

Jack Straw

I will avoid CDNOW at all costs UNLESS they have an item that I cannot find anywhere else (i.e. a special CD or music DVD). After their tactics, they do not deserve my business and certainly haven't earned it.

Jericho

My current orders seem to be stuck in limbo with them. I had made an order for 6 discs, all coming out either 12/4 or 12/11. Now I had hoped they would make two shipments, like they normally do for these. But they changed their shipping policy so I had to wait until all titles were ready. No biggie. So I wait. Then when everything's just about ready, I look to see why it hasn't shipped yet. Apparently Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey was on backorder. That's fine. It was mislabeled on their site as Bill and Ted's Bogus Adventure, not sure if that played a part in it, so I cancelled that item. Still no shipment, because now another title is backordered. This is on top of my Almost Famous Bootleg ordered sitting in processing for a week and my most recent order being cancelled for credit card reasons. Now I know my credit card works fine and is not maxed out, so I don't know what's up. I'm kinda stuck with these orders since I'musing GCs and they are at low prices (i.e. Almost Famous at 40% off). I hope this is just slow during Christmas time, but it seems they are having trouble they didn't use to have a month ago

asabase

After bad experiences serveral years ago with them, I started ordering everything from amazon instead (almost always gift certificates though).

Anyway, my nissan GC came and I thought I'd give them another chance. After several years, they still haven't got there stuff together.

1) Place order for 2 DVDs and a 9.99 CD on friday
2) Order gets cancelled (problems with credit card - I called the CC company about the card and they say the account is fine)
3) Try to place the order again, but my GC isn't valid anymore, let alone the 15% off code
4) Wait to deal with this the next day (sat.)
5) Find out the CSR office is closed on weekends
6) Call first thing monday, CSR is nice, but doesn't have any idea why its not working. I finally offer to read off the CC number to verify it. She says went through the system. I'm happy.
7) Two hours later, my order is cancelled again.
8) Call CSR again, this time am on hold for 15 minutes. Get an ok one that only offers to try to send it though again. I ask if its just going to get cancelled again in a few hours. She assures me it went though just then.
9) Order gets cancelled 3 hours later.
10)Call CSR again, am on hold for 35 minutes (thank god for speakerphone). Get a rude one. Doesn't do anything except offer to take another credit card. I ask if she can credit me the 1.50 (the final amount of my order) or so for my trouble so the order will go though. She says no way. Ask to speak to a supervisor.
11) Supervisor credits acount in under a minute.
12) In the meantime Peral Harbor is suddenly backordered. (What more than two people were going to buy this movie? Amazing, isn't it CDNEVER?)

Jericho

Yep, good ole Pearl Harbor holding up my order too. Sad thing is, I've used them since August and they've been great until now.

Good thing you had credit card problems, I was thinking I was the only one. Though I guess that's a bad thing too

Jack Straw

This reminds me of the women's product for that time of the month called "Always". I would think that a better name would have been "Never".

Jericho

Well I should say my larger order just shipped with Pearl Harbor. Only 1-2 days after it went on backorder with a so-called 10-15 day wait. That's good news for me as I can watch all the discs before Christmas, but still seems very weird. No shipment on Almost Famous yet though

asabase

Did yours ship from warehouse 'B'? There's where mine's shipping from, eventually. I'm am just pissed because if the order went through the first time, it might have been shipped before everything got backordered.

Jericho

Yep, warehouse B it is

yiinhc

I didn't know they changed their policy. No wonder I am still waiting for my order of 2 DVDs. I was kind of hoping that they would ship one first and the other (backordered) later, like they did before. Guess the safe bet now is to place one DVD per order.

yiinhc

Wow, just got a shipping notification from CDNow. They did separate the order and sent the first DVD. Hopefully they would continue doing two shipments per order.