Four months ago, when it was the new Harry Potter time, I placed an order for The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And we received
the book, promptly, even though it was a Sunday!
And I received this mail from Indiaplaza on July 27:
Thank you for placing your order for The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on www.indiaplaza.in... As a part of the offer, please find attached the gift certificate worth Rs 634This can be redeemed online for over 3.5 million items including books, music, movies, toys, watches, apparel, electronics, mobile phones, home and kitchen appliances, consumer durables etc. The gift certificate will be valid for purchases of Rs 2500 or more. The gift certifcate can also be used to purchase your air ticket at www.indiaplaza.in
As I was thinking of buying a new mobile phone at that time, I placed an order on August 05. I got a prompt acknowledgement the same day with this heart- warming note on Aug 07:
With reference to your order, #050820070130, we have shipped out the items against shipment # 1 on August 6,2007. The consignment has been shipped out through BlueDart.
I waited for the parcel for three days. As it didn’t arrive, I contacted the local Blue Dart office on Aug 10 , but to my surprise, they had no idea what I was talking about. I wrote immediately to Indiaplaza, and got a reply the same day:
With reference to your mail ... we would like to inform you that Nokia 6030 With 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty was shipped through TNT couriers now the consignment Held For Inspection By Government. We request you to provide us 2 to 3 working days time so that we can follow up and update you on same. We request you to accept our apology for the inconvenience caused.
Needless to say, I accepted their apology and waited for one whole week. Meanwhile I began to have nagging doubts: Did the courier come when I had gone out or did he call me when I had switched off my mobile? So, on Aug 18, I wrote:
Today is 18 Aug, and I am still waiting for the consignment. Somehow, it seems, the TNT is not exploding here.
And I received a prompt reply (one has to admit, they do reply promptly!) on the same day:
With reference to your mail below regarding order # 050820070130, we would like to inform you that we have reship the ordered title ?Nokia 6030 With 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty? through ELBEE courier on 8/17/2007 from our end and the same is in transit. The shipment will be delivered to you in a day’s time.
The courier service had changed yet again, and again I waited for the mobile to appear at my doorstep. More mails exchanged, more phone calls and still nothing till I got the following message:
Sept 11
Thank you for shopping at Indiaplaza. We have received the following items returned by you against order #050820070130 and shipment, #1:
Item Name Price Quantity
Nokia 6030 With 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty 2899 1
Please note that the shipping charges paid by you are not being refunded. And that was the end of it. The gift certificate of Rs.635 that I was entitled to? No answer. The time I wasted writing all those mails, calling up India Plaza and various courier services? "We request you to accept our apology for the inconvenience caused! "