UPDATE(11/11/11): MY RECOMMENDATION AND FINAL WORDS:
After my first experience with LetsBuy.com, I can say that they have what it takes to calm down a frustrated customer, definitely, LetsBuy is worth a try, well you might get unlucky at times with the order, but isn't that the case with any other online store. I have many friends who order through LetsBuy.com and haven't faced any issues.
Okay, I might have been a bit unlucky with my first order, and because of the excitement associated with the product, I did get frustrated(you don't wish to own a pre-release version once the whole world has it, as it defeats the purpose of exclusivity, right). And yes, just to be sure, I took a risk and ordered again, as providing a judgement in single try wouldn't have been fair and yes things are pretty much on time this time. Lets face it team LetsBuy is in direct competition with players, which have been in the market for quite long time. So taking into consideration the progress LetsBuy has made in such a short span, I think they are ultimately the best(yes I have tried other stores too!), agreed, LetsBuy lacks on the customer support end as of now but you don't get stuff anywhere at the price they offer, also the delivery time is good.
I'm pretty sure they will do something about the customer support pretty soon. Anyways, I would shop with LetsBuy.com in the future, as I'm convinced with the kind of response I received from the higher authorities, I'd say that you give LetsBuy a try and see for yourself, chances are might end up surprised with the speedy delivery or less probably, be stuck with the customer care, trying to get what is yours(but isn't that the case with almost every online stores in the country?), either ways you have the best deal, I would any day, prefer paying less and being stuck, than paying a higher price, getting stuck and regretting my decision of not shopping with LetsBuy.com!
I appreciate the efforts of the LetsBuy staff that they are constantly putting to make it a better experience for its users.
Wishing team LetsBuy luck and hoping to see a better customer support in the future.
: THE CASE:
ORDER NO.: LSB-565270
Day 1(2/11/11):
I placed an order of the much awaited title - Battlefield 3(PRE-RELEASE/LIMITED EDITION) for the Xbox 360.
Day 2(3/11/11):
LetsBuy.com dispatches the order.
Day 3(4/11/11):
I receive the order, and I was impressed with the prompt delivery. To my surprise on opening the package I realize that they shipped me a PS3 version instead of Xbox 360 version. My first reaction like anyone else's, I call the customer care, after waiting for 9:32 seconds for anyone to answer I disconnect the call, try again twice and no response for the first 5 mins I disconnected. I try again, and finally my call is answered by a representative, I told him the situation, he assures me with a callback within 48 hours, I tell him to arrange for a callback in a specific time frame. I realize that the person forgot to give me a token number for my complaint so; I write a mail requesting the token number along with the problem
( https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/214/capturelq.png/)
Day 4(5/11/11):
I finally receive a call, but outside the time frame I specified. Since I could not take the call, I called back on the number and strangely no one answered. I get back to the customer care(fortunately, I didn’t have to explain the whole situation again, like other customers) I get a scripted reply neglecting my request to forward the call to the concerned authority and I'm instead told that, the senior official will tell me the same thing(WTF?), and as per his script tells me to wait again for 48 hours for a resolution.
Day 5(6/11/11):
I receive a mail from one Amit Thapa which is not of much help and no callbacks probably due to a Sunday(but I was told that, I would receive a call).
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Day6(7/11/11):
I again receive a call outside the time frame, and try calling back once free from work, and no one answers the call. So finally I revert to the customer care and tell them to callback on the same day(as they don’t forward calls to other staff!), and while assured with a callback on the same day, I kept on waiting and decided to write a mail to the staff requesting them to continue the conversation via e-mail or provide me a number on which I may call them up(no replies to this mail till the present day!).
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Day 7(8/11/11):
After waiting till 5 in the evening, I realize that I won’t be getting a call from the department. So I call the customer care and tell the person to arrange a callback, once again assuring to fulfill my requests, I disconnect and somehow, since I’m totally unconvinced with the reply, I dial the number, I got the call from and put it on redial, after some 10 redials, someone answers and puts the receiver down, again after 3 redials same thing happens. I finally got a call from a representative named “Suchitra”, she tells me that the correct order will be shipped on 9/11/11 and the dispatch details will be mailed on the same day. On inquiring about the wrong delivery, I get a reply which won’t even convince a kid, she says “Sir, at the time you placed the order, the product was out of stock”. Now, firstly if that really was the case, the website never should have let me place the order, secondly and more importantly that does not mean they can ship something else in lieu of my order.
Day 8(9/11/11):
I call the customer care at 11 in the morning, to inquire about the shipment details, as expected, they didn’t ship the product as yet, but since they have the whole day for the task its okay. So on a bit more conversation with this representative called “Jayati”, she says “Sir, we are shipping the new product, without taking back the old one”…I know, another(WTF?)……….still waiting for the correct order.
I receive a mail from the customer support, open following link for the conversation:
(https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/252/58970654.png/)
Lets just hope they live up to my expectations this time.
DAY 9(10/11/11):
Totally frustrated by now and determined not to call up customer care, I decide to escalate the matter further and write a mail to the Mr. Hitesh Dhingra, CEO, LetsBuy.com
( https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/716/ceof.png/)
In a few minutes, I get a reply from Mr. Hitesh stating that the case is being sought at a high priority and I receive a call from a representative, "Raman", the only professional sounding guy on call so far, who provided me with a docket no. for the re-shipped product.
( https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/440/ceo2.png/)
THE AFTERMATH:
(i) I HOPE THAT TEAM LETSBUY.COM YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRODUCT I HAVE WITH ME IS OF NO USE TO ME, so it makes no difference if you take it back or not.
(ii) IT BARELY MAKES SENSE TO OWN THE CORRECT PRODUCT NOW, AS IT WAS A PRE-RELEASE/LIMITED EDITION…(thank you LetsBuy team for ruining all the enthusiasm for the title).
(iii) I have wasted a lot of money and an ample of time in trying to have the matter resolved; amazingly the amount spent is close to the discount I got!
