Have you actually seen the "credit" (refund) on your credit card statement? I discussed my situation with my credit card company three days ago, and still no credit has posted to my bank statement. I don't trust the a$$holes running DVDSlow. Can these Canadian crooks "obstruct" the processing of bank "credits" to our credit cards?

I also want to know how you talked to your credit card company. I did but the card-issuing bank said that they cannot do anything since I agreed to give DVDSoon my credit card number for purchasing. Then I checked VISA website about disputes, and found that they don't get into if there is any dispute in the statement and said it is the business between the card holder and the bank.

But I thought (though never did before) that we can argue with the credit card company about that.

http://forums.dvd-swaps.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9169 here is what they responded on DVD Swap

questions:

Why werent members informed that the refund to credit card will never be coming back? When will we be getting full refunds back to our cards instead of us having to issue chargebacks against you?

Why the decision to only allow 25% of credit to be used when the credit was accumulated through legitmate reasons (i.e our orders being cancelled by you or an order being lost in the post etc)?

What is the exact situation with stock? Currently you seem to have none. Instead of them saying it will be sorted soon can you give us some honest timeframe for this to be rectified.

When are members going to get a refund for their icard and how much? (see this thread for client ids awaiting refund).

Why is cancellation of orders not working?

Please fix the $0 store credit for cancelled orders!


Answers:

Hi,

1. Unfortunately, it was impossible for us to advise our clients that the refund option will not coming back, because it has been decided last Friday. As I know, there is no possibility to see this option coming back. However, be sure that I will pass your comments to our President.

2. This decision has been take with the implementation of our new payment system. Now, only a few credit will be issued for exceptional reason as you card will be charged at the shipping time only. However, I realize that some of you will have store credit due to the cancellation of orders placed with the old system and that you would like to use it as you want. Unfortunately, we cannot keep two different systems due to accounting reason, this is why the application of 25% in credit for an order is applicable for everybody.

3. The situation about our stock level will probably get to the normal in the next two or three weeks. There is a lot of chance that it's next week, but I prefer to add a week or two to be sure.

4. The credit for the iCard will be issued probably by Friday. The amount will be different for each client, because we need to consider the utilisation of the card, in months and in money.

5. As soon as the cancellation of old orders will be finished, we will reactivate the cancellation button. So, the delay should be approx. 24 hours.

6. Your credit will be in your account in the next 24 hours. The operation of cancelling orders is very long and we need to be sure that the amount is issued correctly. So first we cancel the orders and then the credit will be issued. I apologize that you were not advise before because we didn't realize that the cancellation process take so much time.

Thank you.
__________________
Véronique Vincent
Customer Service
DVDSoon.com

ITs simple. If you did not get what you ordered at the price you ordered, you have a right to get a refund from your credit card.

That there is the biggest load of bull**** I have ever seen in my life. "Yeah, you gave us lots of money, thanks. Bye."

Before the recent unpleasantness I had always been a defender of DVD Soon. I thought they were peculiar but that their rules, though eccentric, were clearly laid out and those who wanted to accept them could get great deals. Also, when they did change anything it was virtually always a positive for the customers.

Obviously, none of these things have been true lately.

I'm not going to bitch too much personally because I was one of the lucky few. I ordered more than 50 DVDs between December 27, 2004 when I became a Fidelity member and late March. I got almost all of those for 20%-25% off through Fidelity deals and the coupons they had back around March. I received everything except two or three I cancelled because I was waiting too long. One DVD never came but I got the replacement after waiting the requisite time and filing a missing DVD form. Almost all I received in a timely manner. I stopped ordering when the prices skyrocketed but, with the noted exceptions, I received all preorders by July 2. I was free and clear before the trouble started.

My complaint (which I realize is very minor compared to most of yours) is that I do not see why "utilisation" of one's Fidelity Card should have any bearing on one's refund for the Fidelity cancellation. I bought the card for a year and it was cancelled after about 6½ months. But I saved hundreds of dollars so I suspect I will get no refund. Is it being held against me that I spent a lot of money with them rather than using the Card sparingly? By my calculations I should get back at least $20.82CAD for having 5+ months of Fidelity membership taken from me. The amount of time should be the only criterion.

I checked my credit card statement on my Bank's website tonight. After three days of waiting, I received a $74.94 "conditional credit for dispute" for the eight DVDs I paid for on June 28th and never received. Also, amazingly, I received a credit of $2.24 for the foreighn purchase transaction fee I paid on this same order. Now, I guess, the Bank will do battle with DVDSlow to get the Bank's money back. It seems to me that sooner or later, MasterCard and VISA will terminate their affiliation with DVDSlow. What a nightmare and waste of time this experience has been. Good luck to everyone else in getting your hard-earned money back from these crooks.

The Latest:

August 18, 2005

Dear Valued Customer,

During the past few months, we have taken a close look at DVDsoon's platform, the needs of our customers and the realities of the marketplace. We concluded that we needed to improve our site, simplify the order process and more clearly define our value proposition for you, our customers.

As a result, we have decided to focus all of our efforts on two key elements:



Improve our order management process
Extend our fidelity program and promotions to all our customers

As part of our commitment to always improve your experience on the site and to increase the quality of our offering, you have probably seen in the past few days that we have launched an important technology initiative to update our site, including the implementation of a new order process and enhanced policies that should make your shopping experience an enjoyment. Effective now, payments for all orders will no longer be upon you ordering products, but rather when we are ready to deliver your products.

In order to implement this enhanced process, we were forced to cancel all pending orders and reset the system. To avoid penalizing our customers, we have immediately applied a credit to your account for the outstanding value. Changes to the system and refund to customers will be finalized by December 31st 2005.

As we have established market-leadership and a long track record of market innovation, we have also decided to extend our iPoints program for all visiting customers and also to reintroduce our worldwide free shipping policy. Customers who previously purchased our fidelity card were already credited up to the level of usage of their card.

We are working closely with our suppliers to bring products to you in a faster time and we will continue to partner aggressively with them to drive DVDsoon to the highest levels of customer service in the market.

We recognize the trust and loyalty that you have expressed toward us, and we are committed to protect this relationship.

We want to emphasize that these changes in no way diminishes our commitment to serve you better. We will continue to invest in the development of our site, as you will discover in the upcoming weeks and months.

We value your business and sincerely appreciate your continued patronage as we take positive steps to build an even stronger partnership with you.





E. Guiard
President
DVDSoon.com

So, it was not just me...

I moved to Canada a year ago from US and found DVDs are much more money than what you can get through Amazon merchants. There's also not many Netflix like renting places, and since postal system in Canada is notoriously unreliable, Netflix won't do well if they were to start business here.
I tried ordering some DVDs through US, and despite NAFTA, Canadian Customs charged tax + service fee at delivery, and it took a long time to come through the border.

So, when I found DVDsoon.com, a QC based online company with good selection of movies, I was really happy!

I placed an order for four DVDs and got one of them within 2 weeks, but the rest was "on order" for almost two months. I emailed them, but didn't get any reply.

Finally, after all that waiting, an email came telling me that they went through redesigning the ordering system and had to cancel my order.
That was okay, I understand that can happen.

But, when I tried going back to their site and place an order again, I found there was no way to use the store credit at the check out.
They had already charged for my previous order and when they cancelled my order, they gave me store credit without the option for a refund.
The story gets worse: I found that their policy allows to use store credit for less than 25% of the total order. It means in order to use all of my store credit, I have to order 4 times more amount worth DVDs!

Transition is transition, and they said now they won't charge at the time of order but when they ship the item. That's good.
However, how about people like me who did not know they were going through transition, was never explained what was going on, waited for months, and only to find that in order to get my money's worth, I need to spend 4 times more money.

I do not mean to sabotage their business - it's a rare Canadian on line dvd store with good price and good selection. However, I wished I could read a review on this online merchant before I placed the order with them.
So, here it goes - my experience with them. Their priority at least for last two months was NOT customer satisfaction.

I don't know what I'd do now... I was never given an option for a refund, and I don't want to spend that much money for their stuff, and besides, they don't even let me use the store credit according to their website setup.

URGH!

They are penalizing customers by forcing them to order 4 times as much in order to use all of their credit.

The card wasn't sold based as having a limit to usage, but as a year long membership, so the credit given back should have absolutely nothing to do with the usage, but only with the time left on the card.

How is it legal to cancel 1000's of orders and then give 25% refunds? If I am understanding this correctly then this might be more than just a civil matter.

The way I understand it, you do get full (store) credit for your cancelled order.

It's just their new policy is you can only use 25% of that store credit towards a new order.

So, basically, if you have $100 store credit, and you want to buy a $100 item, you can only use $25 of the credit, and will have to pay for the other $75 out of pocket.

That will leave you with $75 credit left. If you order another $100 item, you can use another $25 of your credit, leaving you with $50 left of credit.

So, you DO get full credit for your cancelled orders, but their new "system" only allows you to use it for 25% of any single order - therefore you have to order more to use up your full credit.

Ethical? Nope.
Legal? Probably.

As I explained above (Told you so, Michael Corvin ) they are not limiting you to spending 25% of your credit at a time. They ARE saying that your credit can only cover up to 25% of the order you're placing. So you could, with a $25 credit, use it all at once if your order was $100 or greater. Subtle difference, but a difference indeed.

Again, there really isn't much difference if you have $100.00 credit you would have to place a $400.00 order just to use it.

Still sounds to me that you have to give them more money just to use the money you already gave them.

And what gurantee is it that they can fulfil your order? In which case you get ANOTHER credit and can only spend 1/4 of that!

Absolutely. It still sucks ass, and is completely unacceptable.

This whole 25% of credit use thing, is positively hilarious, that they think that is a valid acceptable business practice. You order 100$ worth of stuff, they cancel it, wont refund, then give you store credit, crappy but ok......
but cant use it all at once (only 25$ worth) unless you spend way more than you have in credit? Sounds like they are trying to patch the boat while they take on heavy rocks......this company is going under.....and trying desperately to keep from losing all their fluid assets. Its pretty obvious.

Here is the latest

Now that they've finally answered my question about what "useage" of the card means (they never answered my e-mail asking), I've sent them a little note.

Now my only question is, what category does this fit under when reporting them? I went to the website mentioned and couldn't decide.

I too have been caught up in this mess, along with my father. I've got $80 worth of credit sitting there, my father has $450.

Right now I'm unsure on how to go about getting my cash back - contacting who exactly? Creditcard company? F.B.I? all in all, will I be able to get my money back from my bank. Someone stated before that over 60days they don't do anything... guess I'll contact my bank and hope for the best.

"You may remove my account from your records. I do not want my credit
card on record with you anymore".............

Fortunately they don't keep credit card information on file, otherwise who knows what they might have done with it?

Ah, good! I wasn't sure, as I wasn't sure what exactly the point was with that VISA verification thing they had later on.

I chose the other option... figured there are probably plenty of complaints coming in just for DVDsoon, recol shouldn't have an issue if I chose the wrong option.


http://www.recol.ca/intro.aspx?lang=en

I have just filed a complaint via this link:

http://www.recol.ca/intro.aspx?lang=en

I urge all those who have been affected to do likewise.
Maybe if the authorities get inundated with enough complaints we may see some action.

After ringing up my bank, I've recieved a Electonic Transaction Dispute Form. Along with A Statairy Dclaraction form that I'll pick up via the post office, the Bank guy on the phone told me that dvdsoon are not allowed to take off the function of "refund to credit card" nor cancel orders like that.

So hopefully I'll be seeing my cash in a few months!