flashburn

I don't know what is going on with these guys any more. They use to be great, cheap prices, free shipping, and quick delivery.

I just recently placed an order for Ichi the Killer (animated). I placed my order on 3/8 and to this day, it still hasn't shipped. When I placed my order, it showed the item in stock(24 hours) and currently it is showing ships in 5-7 days.

Last Saturday, the 20th, I sent an email asking for a status update, since you cannot even check your status online any more. They promptly emailed back saying that it will be shipping within 48 hours at the latest.

I waited until Wends. to see if it would ship, and I never recieved a shipping confirmation. I sent them an email directly to the CS rep. who responded to my email and to their general sales address. To this day I have not received a response, after sending 2-3 more emails.

I remember a few years ago that this was the greatest company, now they almost seem like a completely different company.

Off I go to amazon.co.uk!

Has anyone else who ordered from bensonsworld recently received piss poor customer service?

marty888

I ordered from them ONCE, shortly after I purchased my region-free player, and it was a disaster. Here's the whole saga, as posted in the uk forum - as you can see, I wasn't the only one having problems, and now (several months later) people are still complaining about them.

http://thedvdforums.com/forums/showt...hreadid=243545

I now stick with amazon.co.uk or hmv.uk or blackstar - all of them have proven to be excellent, especially amazon which dazzles me with the speed of their shipping.

Copenhagen

flashburn I'm in the same boat right now with an order and am teetering on cancelling it and getting the title from amazon.uk or another retailer.

ntuc

yup, they are getting lousier.

pat00139

I ordered about 2 weeks ago. I never got a shipping conformation. My order was a bit large, so they split it in two packages. I've only gotten one. They took a long time to answer my questions. I sent an email about 4 days ago and haven't gotten an answer.

The only reason I ordered from them was because I wanted some HKL titles and they were the cheapest. I was surprised I got the package so fast, though. However, I wanted to cancel my order but they told me the package had been sent already.

I think I'm gonna wait until the HKL site gets a courrier service. I'd rather buy from them. Luckily PAL isn't my favorite so I don't really buy movies from the UK much.

flashburn

One step ahead of you, emailed to cancel my order, and placed my order at amazon. I am just going to watch my credit card, since they probably won't respond. If I get charged, I'll just call up my credit card company to dispute it.

rkndkn

I recently made my first ever purchase from the UK at BensonsWorld.

First, I didn't get any kind of shipping notice, so I had to e-mail them after the expected ship date had passed to verify shipment. Upon receipt of the package, one of the DVDs was not factory sealed, and had also popped off the hub and sustained many scratches. I wrote to ask them if this was a NEW DVD since I'd NEVER received anything from any retailer which was not factory sealed. They said that it was new, but sometimes, the wrap may be removed if it's tattered or such. If the scratches presented a playback problem, they said to mail it back for a replacement.

I've yet to find time to view the disc, but I'm not pleased at receiving an unsealed product. Hopefully, it will play fine as I don't think I should have to pay to return it for a replacement.

Bill Geiger

Sometimes I get discs from Australia that are unwrapped. Happens more often than not. The discs are always perfect however.

jrutz

Yeah it's pretty common in the UK shops DVDs and CDs are not shrink-wrapped.

Damn! I just placed an order with them on Sunday. Now I wished I didn't. I was going on past experience with them, on an order I made back in 2002.

How are they in cancelling an order? I'm worried if they are as bad as responding as they are in cancelling, I might get the item anyway.

Jeremy

rkndkn

Thanks for the info! I did see a note, at EZY DVD, I think, that some of theirs may not come sealed. Didn't know it was pretty common with the UK as well.

jrutz

Well, I guess they are great in shipping an order when requesting to cancel that order. I hadn't heard anything in three days so I sent an email to cancel and reordered from HMV. This morning I get an email from Bensonsworld saying it's too late to cancel because the items already shipped. And my HMV items shipped too, so I'm getting double the order.

Anyone interested in buying the first two seasons of Footballers' Wives on DVD from me?

Jeremy

flashburn

Just call up your credit card and ask them to dispute the charge, you have every right to do that.

I plan on calling my credit card company today and ask them to refuse any charges from Bensons World.


Oh, my copy of Ichi The Killer (Animated) shipped yesterday from Amazon.

Joe Molotov

I don't think you have "every right" to dispute a charge on your credit card when you ordered something and then they ship it to you, just because you tried to cancel it after they already shipped it.

jrutz

That's a little extreme. I wouldn't do that to them. I ordered it and just didn't cancel in time. I can't complain about prompt shipping!

BTW, if you've seen the live-action Ichi, you'll love the animation. Great back story.

Jeremy

flashburn

It isn't extreme if you order an item that says it will ship in 24 hours and it doesn't. Especially if it takes weeks, and they don't reply to your emails. Why should the customer be punished for their incompetence?


edit: Also to note, they still haven't responded to 3 of my emails. Sent from dates ranging of a few weeks ago, to a few days ago.

jrutz

Just say you want to cancel and they will ship.

I ordered on Sunday, emailed to see what was happening with my order yesterday, and then sent another email to cancel when I found it as cheaper at HMV.co.uk. So my situation is different than yours - you actually have reason to complain about their service.

Jeremy

flashburn

Yeah, that definitely isn't anything to be too dissapointed about. I just don't understand their logic for answering emails. Maybe its some sort of raffle.

foxdvd

I once placed an order for an item that said it would ship in 2-3 days. After a week, and no shipment I emailed and asked what was the problem. No response. I emailed again. They said the item was out of stock, but would be in less then a week. I went ahead and emailed back to cancel the order, and placed it again with another site. Within 1 hour after the cancel email, I got an email back saying it was to late and that the order had already shipped.

I felt I had a right to dispute this, so I did, turned in all my emails and the information I had and the credit card company took my side. So after I get my package they asked me to send it back at my expense. I refused, and told them I would only send it back if they paid postage. They agreed to credit back my card if I did so, but I knew I would never see the money so asked for them to pay postage up front. They did, I sent it back. The funny thing is I still got my order from the second place I ordered from before this one came in the mail.

So anyway, in a situation like this my Credit Card took my side on this.

jrutz

Well, I placed my order on Sunday evening (Eastern Time), got the email this morning my order had already shipped, and to my surprise I got the package today. I can't believe how fast that was shipped!

Sorry that others are having problems with them, but I wish I hadn't read this thread - now I have two of the same items coming from different retailers! And that's two perfect transactions with Bensons for me.

It looks as if their communication needs to be a little better with their customers, that's all.

Jeremy

flashburn

I just got off the phone with a representative of my credit card company (Amazon Bank One card). They basically said that they cannot refuse a charge before it is sent through (which is what I figured). I explained my situation, and they told me when I am charged, to give them a call back and they will dispute the charge and take care of it for me.

I really wish it wouldn't come down to this, as over the years, I have probably spent over $500 at their site without a problem.

jmstone18

I made a number of purchases from them without any problems until my last order. I ordered "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" and instead they sent me "Easy Rider" It took two weeks to get it straight and at first they wanted me to mail it back, but then I asked how they were paying for the shipping and so they told me to keep the DVD and then they shipped the DVD ordered. Total time to get it all right, 5 weeks.