(none) Quintin Stone - Editorials
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The Horrible Bid.com
Sunday, August 30, 1998 5:19 PM

I'd just like to take this chance to tell everyone in the world to avoid Internet Liquidators International at www.bid.com. Their business is an online auction house, selling all kinds of electronic equipment. On the 8th of April, I made the mistake of bidding on a computer monitor and "winning". They assured me my shipment would be delivered in about 2 weeks. Three weeks later I inquired about my shipment. One month later, I was told that the monitor was on "back order". Back order? They're selling things in an auction that they don't even have? Yes, apparently so. This was all accompanied by reassurances that the item would ship soon. Not having a real pressing need for the monitor, I agreed to wait a while longer.

Nearly three months after charging my credit card, ILI graciously told me that the monitor was no longer available, but that another, better monitor was available as a replacement. Fine, I said. Three weeks later, no monitor, no messages from Bid.com. Extremely frustrated, I once again demanded to know where the hell my monitor was. They sent me an obvious form letter, thanking me for my patience and apologizing for the unexpected volume of sales they'd made that left them unable to blah blah blah. FINE! Just give me my damn monitor. Next Friday, so they said. A week after that deadline, nothing, and I let them know. Not a peep from them. A week after that, nothing, and I let them know. Again, not a peep. Finally, I've given up, told them to credit my account, and if they don't step on it, I'll be in touch with the BBB and state's Attorney General's office. I'm going contact the BBB anyhow, but wanted to let them think they had a way out.

On a related note, my wife "purchased" a PCMCIA modem/network card from them for her laptop. After a month or so of waiting, they told her they'd have to send a replacement. Fine, as long as it's both modem and network card. Oh, yes, they assured her. They were right. But when the replacement got here, she discovered they'd sent her an ISA card, designed, of course, for desktop computers. Utterly useless in a laptop.

Scam artists or incompetents? Who knows, but this is the main reason that online commerce will not overwhelm standard business at the speed many people seem to think. When they're not trying to rip you off, service is horrendously unreliable and customer support is often nonexistent. Everyone, do yourself a favor and get your electronics from a local, reputable retailer.

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