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-   -   Problem with DVD Planet? (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/store-forum/305971-problem-dvd-planet.html)

folgersnyourcup 07-18-03 02:25 PM

Problem with DVD Planet?
 
I have ordered several times in the past from DVD Planet and everything has gone fine but I am having a problem this time. I have ordered 150 dollars in products over the past two weeks and have not recieved anything nor has been my credit card been charged meaning they have not even been shipped yet. I have e-mailed DVD Planet numerous times with no response and have called them all day long only to be met with a fast busy signal. As I write this now I have finally gotten through at least to hold music and a voice which comes on every minute or so thanking me for holding and saying "If you are unable to hold, please e-mail us at [email protected]".... I have currently been on hold for 40 minutes.

Has anyone else ordered something from DVD Planet recently and is experiencing the same problem I am? I'm not out money as my credit card has not been charged but I would really like to recieve these dvd's at some point!! I was expecting the order to arrive several days ago and it has not even been shipped. I'm confused as to why my e-mails aren't being answered and I am unable to reach anyone through phone calls.

Thanks in advance for any responses!

I debated what forum to put this thread in and if any moderator feels it is in the wrong forum I apologize. Feel free to move it to a different forum.

folgersnyourcup 07-18-03 03:06 PM

Well I got through after 1 hour and 5 minutes of being on hold and was told that they had no idea why my order had not shipped yet..... They also could not do anything about it at the moment but would give me a call next week.

Great....... :(

Ginwen 07-18-03 03:51 PM

Probably belongs in the store forum, there's even some posts about this there, although not as prominent as you'd expect.

I had an overcharge from them..

Here's my most recent email from them, which I received 7/16:

"Thank you for your e-mail. We apologize for the delay in answering your e-mail. We apologize for the error. Paperwork will be submitted to credit you back for the split shipping charge and the worth of the coupon. Please be aware that we are currently backed up in our credits department, so there may be a couple weeks delay before your credit shows up on your card. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact us by one of the methods below.

DVDPlanet Customer Service
TEL.800.624.3078 / FAX.714.892.8369"

marty888 07-18-03 03:58 PM


Originally posted by Ginwen

I had an overcharge from them..

Here's my most recent email from them, which I received 7/16:

"..... Please be aware that we are currently backed up in our credits department, so there may be a couple weeks delay before your credit shows up on your card.



They have a <i>couple of weeks</i> worth of refunds to process??? That's scary all by itself.....

imp66 07-18-03 03:59 PM

Take this from a person who has worked for a sinking mail-order ship.....The complaints in the store forum and your complaint are all signs that they are going down, that the staff has been cut to nothing, and the people who are left are hopeless.

My advice, get while the getting is good. Consider your orders gone and call your credit card company. Tell them that you do not authorize any charges from the company and order your stuff from someone else.

dinsdale piranha 07-18-03 06:31 PM

I wouldn't panic just yet...it looks like they may be going through some growing pains. I got this from them a couple of days ago....


DVDPLANET would like to take this time to thank you for your patience and understanding during the last few weeks. As you might know, we have recently upgraded our systems and relocated to a larger fulfillment center. With any major change, there are both expected and unexpected challenges to resolve. We want you to know that these changes were necessary and important changes that will allow us to serve you better. Our long-term growth will provide you with more options, more savings, and a higher level of service. Options such as "ship complete" and free shipping will soon be available.

We have been watching all processes more closely than usual to ensure proper handling of your orders. We anticipate that soon everything will be running smoothly, and we will once again be able to automate and streamline our procedures to eliminate these delays.

Our call volume has been higher than normal and we apologize if you have had difficulty contacting us. We have taken steps to improve our ability to handle your calls, but hold times may still be longer than usual. Please email us at [email protected] if you are unable to hold for a customer service representative. Most emails are answered within 48 hours.

We at DVDPLANET thank you for your continued support. We are working hard to resolve all issues as quickly as possible to ensure that you continue to receive the high level of service you have come to expect from DVDPLANET.

Sincerely,
DVDPLANET

mcarver 07-18-03 06:37 PM

From Video Business:

IMAGE DIPS INTO THE RED IN ITS FOURTH QUARTER
Margins, tax provisions, DVDPlanet business hamper supplier.
By Daniel Frankel 6/27/2003

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

JUNE 27 | DVD supplier Image Entertainment on Friday reported a net loss of
$318,000 for its fiscal fourth quarter compared to net earnings of $552,000
for the same period last year.

For the year, the company lost $4.2 million compared to $195,000 last year.
Image officials attributed the loss in part to income tax provisions that
paired unfavorably to tax credits for the fourth quarter of last year.

Net revenue grew 1% in the quarter ended March 31 to $27 million; for the
year, the gain was 14.1 % to $108.2 million.

"The loss was not determined by revenue, but by margins, which declined from
29.7% last year to 26.4% this [fiscal] year," Martin Greenwald, president
and CEO of Image, said during a conference call. "The cost of carrying
studio product has burdened our balance sheet by carrying lower-margin
inventory," he said, adding that Image will continue to move away from such
titles.

Revenue at Image's DVDPlanet retail business rose 13.8%, but executives
conceded the operation is still losing money, hampered by "comparatively
weaker new releases and competition from rival Internet vendors."

Image is moving DVDPlanet to a third-party fulfillment center, iServe, in
Chicago--a move Greenwald said could save the division $800,000 a year.

"DVDPlanet is the black sheep in the family that we've got to bring back
into the fold," he said.

folgersnyourcup 07-18-03 06:48 PM

:(

This is all really unfortunate. They have incredible prices on Criterion discs there!

imp66 07-18-03 09:56 PM


Originally posted by folgersnyourcup
:(

This is all really unfortunate. They have incredible prices on Criterion discs there!

Again, a sign that they have major problems. When you aren't selling enough, just drop the prices and cut your profit margin. It looks good for a little while, cause your volume goes up. But that eventually comes back to haunt you. Pretty soon, you need to buy more inventory, but you either cover your overhead, or bring in more product. One way or the other you have problems.

While I wish them the best, this brings back haunting memories.

Revoltor 07-19-03 04:42 PM

DeepDiscount must be kicking their asses.

dvd-4-life 07-20-03 06:06 PM

I will continue to order from them since I never had a problem receiving an order.

dvde 07-21-03 01:32 AM

Everyone wonders why successful businesses fail. Well, you have Image who have been loosing $ for years and don't appear to be able to run a business correctly and get back into the profit margin. They go and buy a successful and profitable operation, DVDPlanet aka Ken Cranes DVD/LD, and try to run it how they feel is the correct way. The only problem is, they have already proved that their methods and ideas don't work. If they did, they wouldn't be loosing $ before they bought DVDPlanet and better yet, run DVDPlanet into the red. Like I said before, take Kenny Crane out of the picture and you can take the $ away as well. Good going Image, congratulations on running another business in the red. By the way, they don't have a new distribution center, they have contracted out their order fulfillment to a third party. Like usual these are just my opinions and feelings.

Ellison42 07-21-03 12:15 PM

The hits just keep on coming. A word to the hopeful - give up hope! For those of you who placed orders this past weeked for either "Road To Perdition" or "Catch Me If You Can" for $1.00, you can forget it! There's no way they'll ever ship them out at that price. I know for a fact the've received thousands of orders for those titles based on the one dollar price, but I also know for a fact that they have absolutely no intention of standing by their mistake and making good on the listing. I've ordered titles from other etailers who have accidentally listed DVDs for free ("Jurassic Park III" comes to mind), and the etailer stood by their mistake and sent it for free!!! Something that will not happen with this sinking ship.

matome 07-21-03 12:50 PM

From DVDPlanet's pricing policy page:

<i>We do our best to keep information as up-to-date as possible. But sometimes errors do occur.We reserve the right to refuse orders placed with erroneous pricing.</i>

Any smart e-tailer would have that policy to protect themselves from people with your mindset.

marty888 07-21-03 01:58 PM


Originally posted by Ellison42
I know for a fact ......I also know for a fact ...

And how do you know these facts? I can't help but be a little suspicious of a new member whose only posts so far have been to make negative remarks about DVD Planet..... prove my suspicions wrong.

Ellison42 07-21-03 05:23 PM

And what might satisfy your "suspicions" without telling you exactly who I am? I don't see your real name and personal information on this site, do I? I'm not suggesting that they don't have, or shouldn't have a backup program to account for such errors. I'm merely suggesting that this is one in a series of continuing problems that this company (and its customers) are suffering. Would it make you happy if I said something positive about DVDPlanet? Well here goes - their retail store has plenty of parking.

marty888 07-22-03 08:15 AM


Originally posted by Ellison42
And what might satisfy your "suspicions" without telling you exactly who I am? I don't see your real name and personal information on this site, do I? I'm not suggesting that they don't have, or shouldn't have a backup program to account for such errors. I'm merely suggesting that this is one in a series of continuing problems that this company (and its customers) are suffering. Would it make you happy if I said something positive about DVDPlanet? Well here goes - their retail store has plenty of parking.

Attiitude....attitude....attitude.

Now up to 4 posts, all about the bad times at DVD Planet.

Agenda..... agenda.....agenda.

Why, someone might almost begin thinking <i>disgruntled employee</i>.

jimbo 07-22-03 02:22 PM

I'm sorry to say I've pretty much stopped shopping at DVDplanet. I can usually get better prices either via online or brick and mortar stores. I hope thier policies regarding split shipments and the inability to cancel a online order via the website are addressed and that they get thier act together but I'm doubtfull that will happen.

As Ellison42 stated in his post there have been other instances of e-tailers with price mistakes honoring them (unless you have ordered multiple copies). While I understand everyone makes mistake I feel that offering a $5 off $30 coupon nin respnse to this price mistake is adding to DVDplanets previous mistakes.

dvd-4-life 07-22-03 05:54 PM

I read somewhere in the future they will have a free shipping option.

Josh-da-man 07-23-03 01:44 AM

I've never ordered anything from DVDPlanet.

Their prices always seemed kind of high, as did their shipping. Back in "the day," Reel mostly, and occasionally 800, Buy, and Bigstar got most of my business.

dvde 07-23-03 03:51 AM


Originally posted by marty888
Attiitude....attitude....attitude.

Now up to 4 posts, all about the bad times at DVD Planet.

Agenda..... agenda.....agenda.

Why, someone might almost begin thinking <i>disgruntled employee</i>.

Relax! Who really cares what his agenda is. Sounds like you're a present employee that's defending them... sounds like ... agenda.. agenda... Keep your assumptions to yourself and save all of us from them.

matome 07-23-03 09:24 AM

Geoff's post from the other DVDPlanet thread (why is this thread even here?):<i>

... First off, I'm slightly suspicious when I see someone join the forum and their first post is a slam of another company.

If you look at the history of online retail, almost EVERY online store goes through a rough patch, most often this happens right before they move to a new system that addresses many of the long term problems they have.

I've had extensive discussions with Key people at DVD Planet and I can tell you that they DO CARE about their customers, they ARE actively reading the problem threads in the forum and have on several occasions asked me to forward notes to members who are having problems and having a hard time getting them resolved.

I not only don't think they'll be gone in 6 months, I think in 6 months they'll be rocking and rolling. They're commited to upgrading their entire systems to make the DVDPlanet experience better, and like most big moves online, there have been some speed bumps.</i>

My sentiments exactly.

folgersnyourcup 07-23-03 12:42 PM

This thread is here because I posted about it in the dvdtalk forum without realizing there was a separate store forum and it was moved. If I had realized there was already a large thread devoted to DVD Planet problems then I wouldn't have posted it.

I never got the call I was supposed to recieve early this week but I got a response to one of my 5 e-mails saying that their records showed Tokyo Olympiad is now in stock and should ship soon. I got a confirmation on Monday saying the order I placed AFTER the order for Tokyo Olympiad was shipping. I sent another e-mail asking when they thought the order with Tokyo Olympiad would ship and did not get a response. I guess the stuff will get here sometime.... Regardless of how long it takes though, I have yet to find Criterions for cheaper than DVD Planet sells them. I have saved hundreds of dollars purchasing them there. If anyone knows of a site with cheaper Criterions and less hassle please let me know. Thanks!

I REALLY hope they can get better though.

folgersnyourcup 07-23-03 07:40 PM

Hi, I am finished with DVD Planet. This is completely absurd. They have absolutely no idea what they are doing. None whatsoever. They are THE worst retailer I have used. Stay away from them. My god......

They e-mailed me and told me that Tokyo Olympiad was in stock and would ship soon and I then got an e-mail saying my order consisting of:

Bad Boys Superbit
All About Eve
Spartacus (Criterion)
Kwaidan (Criterion)
Throne of Blood (Criterion) had now been shipped. The total price was 113.00 of which my credit card was charged.

I e-mailed asking about why Tokyo Olympiad was not being shipped along with this order as I had ordered that first and never recieved a response. I called and after being on hold for an hour gave up.

Well today, the package showed up. I open the box and the first thing that is staring up at me is....LOOK WHO'S TALKING! A brief thought crossed my mind. Hmmm, perhaps they gave me a free dvd because of my troubles? How nice!

Of course, that was not the case. It was in place of Throne of Blood. I don't know how the HELL they got those two dvd's mixed up. They are not even CLOSE in the alphabet. Even the packing slip that came with it said Throne of Blood and there was a check next to it.

This is completely ridiculous. I don't even know how I am going to go about complaining about this. I suppose I could call and wait several hours on hold or e-mail 100 times and get a response after a month....

As it stands, I'm very pissed off. Before, my complaints had to deal with my items not being shipped. I was not being charged for them. Now, after being charged, the incorrect item was delivered. I can only assume this was someone's idea of a cruel joke.....either that, or the people packing my items are COMPLETE MORONS.

This is unacceptable and I urge you to not press your luck with this company. I had been ordering from them for a long time now and had never had a problem and always made sure to recommend it to others even though I heard the horror stories but it had never happened to me. NOW it has and I'm finished.

What a joke. I'm not laughing.

folgersnyourcup 07-23-03 08:46 PM

Wow..... 10 seconds after I posted this message I recieved a phone call from DVD Planet. They said they had read posts on some internet forum that I had posted on and that they wanted to see if they could help me in some way.... I can only assume they were responding to earlier posts and not the one I had posted seconds before. It was truly surreal. The woman wanted to know if everything was alright and I explained about the problem with Tokyo Olympiad and the newest problem with the wrong item shipped. She was very nice and wanted to help me out, we both laughed when I told her Look Who's Talking had been included in lieu of Throne of Blood. She also said she had no idea what it happened, how it's not even in the same genre, etc......

In reference to Tokyo Olympiad she said there was some sort of server problem that happened with switching to a new system that it had it caught in some sort of loop of ordering, cancelling, and re-ordering and that it was now finally ready to go. She said it would be shipped out Friday... With the Look Who's Talking dvd, she told me I could keep it and that Throne of Blood would be shipped free of charge....(suddenly I had thoughts of it being given to me free but she then added that free of charge meant I would not be charged for it twice). I asked if Throne of Blood and Tokyo Olympiad could be included in the same package but she said no as Tokyo Olympiad had already been sent to the wharehouse but that Throne of Blood had not therefore it could not be shipped out until next week.

I'm glad that I'm just finally getting the dvd's.....

I was a bit mad in my previous post as I envisioned me having to wade through endless hold times and send countless e-mails to get a response. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would get a phone call actually caring about what I had posted on an internet message board and wanting to straighten things out and make me happy....

I'm not sure what the heck's going on right now but as evidenced by my problems and others it's a bit of a rough spot. But this kind of customer service shows promise. Obviously the long hold times were because of many problems but I really believe they can straighten them out and get back to business as usual if they keep this up.

It was really nice of them to call me though and I'm pleased that things are being fixed, I am not being charged for any additional shipping, and that they are letting me keep Look Who's Talking without having to worry about the hassle of mailing it back, etc. I never planned on purchasing it but will keep it because it's free. I'm a bit upset at having to wait so long for the dvd's but as long as I eventually get them I'll be all fine and dandy. They've still got the best prices on Criterions I've seen anywhere on the web and that alone is reason for me to stick this out.


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