I sent back a Bowie lp with a repeated skip that I couldn't fix for a replacement. They received it on June 4th and still nothing. I tried to email Import CD's on Ebay and couldn't, says they're too busy and can't respond - seriously? I was able to send message on their website, hopefully I get my record!
The website owner is the largest distributor for physical media products in the U.S. importcds and wowhd are essentially one in the same as they use a similar ordering and pack/ship system from their warehouse in Kentucky, USA
They are great to order from & save a few $$ on CDs imported to the USA but if ANYTHING goes wrong with your order AT ALL (them sending the wrong thing, getting something damaged, getting an empty box with nothing inside because they failed to tape it closed) be prepared to spend hours & hours & hours and days & days & days & let weeks & weeks & weeks if not months go by b4 you are able to get any satisfaction (if at all). Their customer service is ATROCIOUS and more often than not in my experience only makes things WORSE. I speak of my experiences with both ImportCDs and DEEPDISCOUNT, who are now part of the same distribution conglomerate (Super-D/Alliance). After problems I suffered through this year I really do not want to risk the aggravation, frustration, and loss of my free time fighting with their customer service department to try to get something fixed so I do not wish to ever use them again (see the thread below): Received EMPTY BOX from Deep Discount in mail.... Note that in the past I have had minor problems with both of them but this latest issue above really sucked! I also want to mention the time a few years ago that I had to return a DVD boxset to DD because it was damaged and that they at first did not even refund my $$, and after I waited like 4-8 weeks they LIED to me and told me that they never received the package that I returned. It was only because I was able to get the post office to ADD delivery confirmation to my return (not an ez thing to achieve back then since the USPS at the time did NOT offer delivery conf for free, but I was able to find ONE post office where a friend worked at who knew how to add it for me), and I could quote them the delivery conf # that SHOWED that they HAD received the package (like 6 weeks prior to my following up again) that they agreed to refund my $. Avoid this place (& DeepDiscount) at all costs, or at least until such time their customer service department gets a big reboot.
Just use PayPal and if anything goes wrong THEY MUST answer to PP or they pay out right then and there. And do not order anything on back order. Only items shown as in stock. I saved a lot of money on my Audio Fidelity 4.0 SACDs by going through DD or Import.
Actually paypal is the WORST thing to do when ordering from ImportCDs (or DD), especially with preorders. They take your $$ immediately even though the item may be months away from release date. Then if the release is canceled or they can't fill it they keep the shipping costs after they refund you (if you are lucky enough to even get refunded without having to bug them over and over again). The best way is to order direct with a credit card. At least that way you do not get charged until the item actually ships. If the item release was canceled or they could not fill it for whatever reason you don't lose a penny and save yourself tons of potential aggro trying to get a full refund from them.
I just said that I only order what they have in stock not back ordered and not preordered. And I’m sure PayPal will get you a FULL refund including shipping. PayPal is a bitch to deal with as a seller. I can’t imagine they would agree to a partial refund in any circumstance the seller fails to come through. But maybe I’m wrong and just never have seen this be the case. Credit card companies are also darn good about stepping in to do a charge-back (is what it is called). Charge-backs are not known to be partial. At any rate PayPal likes buyer to try to work with the seller first, one time. If results are not forthcoming- they step in. And you better believe that the company dept that never seems to be able to pick up the phone - all of a sudden picks up the GD phone! If a seller is not reachable by PayPal, they simply refund buyer and do a charge-back in the seller and hit them with a strike. I won’t het into what strikes can do to a seller’s cash flow, but it’s a bummer that they don’t want.
Are you sure about that? As far as I know ImportCDs.com sells the same releases you can find elsewhere, though often for much less money. But, as far as I know, they don't carry anything unique to them, like, say, Target or Best Buy have in the past.
I think he means certain import CDs in general. Not ImportCDs : the business. At least, that's my take on his post.
I take it Movies Unlimited, being under the DirectToU banner/monopoly, is also terrible, or risky, to order from? (I ordered from them a couple decades ago, but they weren't part of...this DirectToYou thing then) Is Movies Unlimited now any better regarding packaging or service than, say, Deep Discount? I guess it would be naive to think so, since they're under the same company running them all, but I'm curious.
I don't recall that happening with me when buying something on backorder, unless paying by paypal. If you use a credit or debit card it will not be charged until it ships (unless they changed something?).
If I remember correctly, they charge immediately. I usually pay using paypal. Paypal has a new feature that you can pay off the order in 4 payments every two weeks, or you can set it up to pay monthly. Generally, you can stretch it to 12 months but then there is interest.
I believe that anytime you pay someone with paypal (whether that be ImportCDs or whatever) the $$ immediately gets taken out of your payment method and gets sent to the selling venue/person. That is not counting that new paypal way of putting off payments in installments. Not sure how that works. I suspect paypal pays the seller all up front and then you owe the seller nothing, but you do owe paypal (?). Wonder how that works with something on preorder months away but you change your mind and decide to cancel the order after a month. Somehow all that has to get sorted out as to who refunds you etc??
