Newegg.com, they used to be one of the best. I’d go there first for most of my computer hardware and software needs.

Not anymore.

Their prices were usually competitive, but rarely the absolute best. Their shipping and handling fees were sometimes ludicrous as odds and ends were raised in price to pay for the main selling items that were listed with free shipping. It was annoying, but if you were building an entire PC it tended to wash to be something approximate to fair. But the selling point, THE best thing about Newegg, used to be their customer service.

Used to be. I’ve had to RMA them in the past. Shit happens. Once even for their own blatant mistake – to which I was refunded for them shipping the wrong part and both shipping costs: the original and the RMA shipping price, because it was their mistake. Newegg’s customer service used to be quite excellent. Their people were friendly, skilled, and fair.

But this isn’t yesterday. It’s today.

On September 29th, 2007 I ordered a printer. A nice black and white laser printer with built in networking and a full duplexer. A) because I’m a geek. And B) because I’m trying to break into the world of fantasy/sci-fi novel writing and so full duplex printing allows me to save on paper as well as print neat little books very much like the common paperback, all from my seemingly normal printer. This printer was, well, costly. It was more than I had to spend really, but I told myself it would be worth it.

Newegg processed and shipped my order with their usual alacrity and splendor. You don’t get to be the top in the business by doing things wrong. They are Newegg after all. So I tracked my order with glee, and on the 2nd of October, it arrived.

Arrived defective. The printer worked fine … except the duplexer. The duplexer jammed every other page. Literally. So on the 2nd of October I began the RMA process. I got my RMA number, and made it clear the return was for replacement. I sent the printer back at a hefty cost, because these things aren’t light. Now here’s one place where Newegg screwed up. It’s a minor thing. I got my RMA confirmation through their webpage. I boxed it up, shipped it back. THEN, much later, I get an email from Newegg with the RMA confirmation, but with DIFFERENT instructions on the RMA and with an RMA barcode that I didn’t get in the webpage confirmation. Oops! Like that’s going to be on the box then, since it’s already on its way back.

But to Newegg’s credit, they informed me by email that they received the returned printer on the 10th of October, and at least got that part right.

And on the 11th of October they created a new invoice of zero dollars to ship a new printer as a replacement. A strange method. But it’s Newegg, so surely it must work…

Well, later on the 11th they sent another email saying that they were out of inventory (they couldn’t check before?) and were issuing a refund instead of a replacement. No calling to ask if I’d like any other option like waiting for a new shipment, using store credit to buy a different printer, or even to just apologize. Nope. Just here’s your refund, sorry you paid double shipping on a non-product because we shipped you a defective product and then ran out of stock when you RMAed it, have a crappy day.

Okay, bad enough. But at least I was getting a refund for the cost of the printer.

Only a month and a half later, still no refund. Even after I called customer service twice. Even after once I was told they would look into it and call me back, which they never did, and another time I was told I that my refund was definitely being processed – which it wasn’t! Oh and did I mention that in that process I was blamed for the problem? Right! Because according to customer service, I never responded to their email asking if I wanted a replacement or a refund. Except, wait, there was no such email. As I already said, the only email I ever got close to that stated that they were out of stock so I was getting a refund no matter what I wanted. And that email also specifically stated, and I quote, “This email has been sent by our automated notification system. Please do not reply directly.” (Okay, so the bold was my emphasis, not theirs.) Lovely of them to blame me, no? Obviously I was supposed to respond to their email. Clearly it’s all my fault. (For those of you who can’t tell, that was sarcasm by the way.)

So late December, utterly pissed off, I leave a deservedly scathing review on ResellerRatings.com, one of the best resources out there when you’re trying to determine how safe or shady is the company that you’re considering making an online purchase from. I highly recommend using them! My review was nothing nasty, just brutally honest of the situation.

Well, Newegg – the friend of the world that they are – doesn’t like that. Almost instantly, the 28th of December, 2007, Dianne V. Segue, a Newegg Senior Customer Service Representative, leaves an oh-so-friendly response to the review as well as contacts me – by email – to sort out the problem. Now, in all fairness, maybe she really does mean well. Maybe she really is trying. Maybe Newegg really does care.

Maybe.

But let me tell you, even after discussing it with her, and her promise that I will get the refund (that I should have gotten months ago now) right away along with the shipping and handling refund, when do I get it? Well the two have to be processed seperately you see… So I get the important one – the printer cost refund – on the 4th of January, 2008. So then the S&H refund is right behind that, right? Well … umm …

The S&H refund, which is still only half of the total S&H I’ve paid for this non-product since I had to return it at my own cost, remember, finally arrives on the 17th of January, 2008. Yes, that’s right, two weeks later! Even with a Newegg Senior Customer Service Representative taking charge of the situation, it still was screwed up!

So because I ordered a printer from Newegg in September 2007, and did everything right with my RMA, which they received on time, I’ve had to fight with them all the way until the 17th of January, 2008! It’s been the RMA from hell!

And even after all this time, after not getting any product in the end, I’m still out about 45 bucks from my own pocket between the RMA shipping cost and the interest I’ve had to pay on an RMA that they didn’t refund me for months.

Oh, but in Newegg’s world that’s all right because they offered me a 100 dollar credit off my next order. If I call Dianne first to sort it all out. AS IF I AM EVER GOING TO SHOP AT NEWEGG AGAIN?! Honestly, what good does a store credit do a customer when they’re so utterly disgusted that they’re never going to buy from you again? But that’s Newegg’s idea of being fair about it. And maybe, if I’m lucky, I can order a hundred dollars worth of stuff that will all need to be RMAed and I can pay out of pocket for all of that shipping again! Yipee! Sound like fun?

(Again, sarcasm.)

I don’t think so.

Newegg used to be worth the little extra cost because of their renowned customer service.

Now?

Totally not worth it.

Newegg has cracked and all I got out of it was egg on my face.

Never again. In that one process they’ve had well more than three strikes. I’ve been fair and fair again with them. And repeatedly they have screwed up a flirking simple RMA! Clearly Newegg no longer has the customer service chops to handle even the simplest of things. Don’t buy from them. Their prices aren’t worth it. Their customer service isn’t worth it. They aren’t worth your business.