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Old 07-24-08, 10:06 AM  
F1mom
 
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Atlanta
Did you email Cathy Sovde? That will probably be the best course of action. I think her address is cathy.sovde@gaiam.com.

She and Erin Warren have cleared up any issues I've had in the past, and I'll still order from FIRMDirect as a result.
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Old 07-24-08, 10:22 AM  
Carol K
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
Erin is still the customer service hero of the moment. She recently cleared up problems for other people. However, I would go through Cathy Sovde, because eventually Erin will leave and will be replaced by someone else. Cathy will know where to refer you.
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Old 07-24-08, 10:26 AM  
Taiga
 
Join Date: May 2006
Quote:
Originally Posted by bearcatfan
Wow, that is amazing that your credit card company is telling you to close your account because of these yahoos.

So what is the resolution to this (is there one?)? Do you think you will get your merchandise? At this point I'd let the credit card company fight it out for you - they might listen to them.
Thanks for the replies everyone, and I'm so sorry to hear that others have had the displeasure (CarlaShanti I shudder to think about having to deal with The Firm AND customs ugh!)

As far as resolution, I'll just have to wait and see if I get my money back. They just added extra charges out of the blue so it isn't a matter of getting merchandise. I ordered, received my confirmation page (with the total I expected and authorized), and received my order (very small and simple) nearly a month later. I thought I made it out. Then my credit card statement came the following month and they had added extra charges. I wonder how many folks don't catch that when it happens. I consider that to be out right fraud. They charged my card without my permission or knowledge. Many people have shared horror stories so it's not like there was an honest mistake or an unreasonable or disgruntled customer. These guys are stealing, and I don't care if it's due to greed or incompetence (most likely both). I've been a vidiot for many years and I've never even had a dispute with a credit card charge, much less had my account closed. If my credit card company doesn't make them credit the money back (I have provided proof of purchase/order confirmation), I will be dropping that company permanently. If I don't have any recourse when a merchant decides to have field day with my card, then I obviously need a new credit card company in my corner.
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Old 07-24-08, 10:50 AM  
Taiga
 
Join Date: May 2006
Thanks so much to those who provided contact info. Since my credit card account has already been closed, it can't be credited unless the credit card company authorizes it directly. Of course there's no way in Hades I'd give new credit card info to The FIRMDirect, so I pretty much have to let it play out in the cc company's hands. Probably best anyway since the ball is already rolling. But I will keep those contacts in mind in case it drags on too long. If I don't get the resolution I'm hoping for, at least I'll know where to send a long, fiery letter voicing my displeasure
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Old 07-24-08, 12:23 PM  
Randi
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Central Florida
another bad experience

I posted this awhile ago on the thread about Kettlenetics (a Gaiam product). I ordered the deluxe package on June 10, about 6 weeks ago. As of today, I had talked to customer service about 15 times and have not received anything. There were stories about having trouble processing my credit card (not true, I checked with the bank), a shipment getting "lost" etc. They've been trying to send a replacement order for about 2-3 weeks, and they split the order into 2 parts and said today that the first is at my local post office but won't be delivered till Saturday (????). The second part has been awaiting shipment since Monday (this is Thursday) but is still at their warehouse.

I finally lost it when I talked to customer service again today, got the information above and told them to cancel the 2nd part and that I'd be refusing the first part and expecting a full refund. I was initially very excited about this product but have totally lost my enthusiasm for it. That's not as bad as your experience with unauthorized charges, but it's the worst experience I've ever had with an online order.
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Old 07-24-08, 12:29 PM  
deesharee
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: NY
FirmDirect is horrible. I tried to get some answers regarding an order I made through FirmDirect and it seems like Gaiam may have acquired the Firm brand, but they are still separate companies. I called Gaiam and they sent me to the Firm reps. I felt like a tennis ball at Wimbledon. The Firm reps -3 of them- were apathetic and one was downright mean. They were clearly outsourced reps with no investment whatsoever in meeting the customers needs. Not all outsourced customer service depts are like this, but there are far too many that are.

I will NEVER EVER order from them again. So far, nothing else has been charged, but if it is, there will be hell to pay. Taiga, I am so angry for all the trouble you've all had with this company.

I guess the customer means nothing.

Dee
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Old 07-24-08, 02:03 PM  
Taiga
 
Join Date: May 2006
Randi- I remember when you first posted!! I'm so sorry that you are still dealing with this. I don't blame you at all for having lost your enthusiasm I guess it looks like instead of Gaiam bring FirmDirect up, Firmdirect has dragged Gaiam into a downward spiral. They've got your money and you have nothing to show for it, so I'd say we are in the same sad boat at the moment, but at least the company is good

Dee- I feel your pain. You said it perfectly- the outsourced reps have absolutely no reason to care, even if they did speak the same language. Actually, I feel bad sometimes for the people because a few seem nice but can't understand what I'm saying. I can't imagine going to work as a phone rep in a foreign country.These companies may think they are getting away with cheap labor but "the cheap comes out expensive" as the saying goes. I will tell as many people as I can about my experiences with this company. I only wish a good investigative reporter would put these guys in the spotlight. The Better Business Bureau doesn't seem like anything more than a collection basket for their numerous complaints.
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Old 07-24-08, 03:50 PM  
smilesolovely
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Stone Mountain, GA
Yes, another bad experience

Last year I ordered the Transfirmer system directly from their site. OMG! What a bunch of freakin idiots! I ordered online and had a seperate billing & shipping address (I live in an apartment and I usually get items shipped to my mother's house b/c I'm at work all day). I called their customer service just to make sure that the item would be shipped to the shipping address (as was noted on the order confirmation email), not the billing address. I was assured that it would go to the right address. After a month of not getting my order, I called customer service and as you can probably guess, they shipped it to the billing address (just a day or two prior to my call). I had to track down the package at the post office, and use my gas to go get it.

Not only did they take forever to ship my order, they shipped it to the wrong address, and I kept having to speak to some foreigner who couldn't speak or comprehend English! I mean, is it too much to ask for all employees working for American companies to speak our language?

Thank God I didn't have any cc issues or I would have been going off!

Needless to say, I won't be buying from Firmdirect ever again.
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Old 07-24-08, 05:57 PM  
Carol K
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
The shipment to the billing address was not an accident. Although they allow you to enter an alternate shipping address, they will never ship to that address. I have seen countless people post about it and not one person has ever posted that they received their shipment at the shipping address. I believe that's why they've switched to USPS: because people who enter alternate shipping addresses frequently have a P.O. Box as a billing address and UPS will not ship to P.O. Boxes. I have no idea why they don't fix this problem, but the system has been like this since GT bought the Firm.
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Old 07-25-08, 04:48 AM  
Taiga
 
Join Date: May 2006
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol K
The shipment to the billing address was not an accident. Although they allow you to enter an alternate shipping address, they will never ship to that address. I have seen countless people post about it and not one person has ever posted that they received their shipment at the shipping address. I believe that's why they've switched to USPS: because people who enter alternate shipping addresses frequently have a P.O. Box as a billing address and UPS will not ship to P.O. Boxes. I have no idea why they don't fix this problem, but the system has been like this since GT bought the Firm.


Aggravation is apparently an art form with this company. I never heard this mentioned before on the boards. It boggles the mind that they can get away with all this for so long. I wish we could do more to warn off future victims.
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