Do NOT shop at SonyMusicStore

A friendly warning, stay away from www.sonymusicstore.com (Sony Music Store Online) These people do not do what they promise and I am not impressed with their customer service either. And their pricing is strange!

On December 14th, I bought a CD on-line as a gift. They said it would ship in 2 to 3 business days. To be sure I got it in time, I opted to pay $5.98 for 2nd Day UPS rather than their regular $2.98 shipping. I was giving it as a Christmas present, and wanted it BEFORE Christmas.

The site claimed it would ship at the latest in 3 days, or the 16th. (14, 15, 16: 3 days!) They said ORDER by the 16th with standard shipping or by the 20th with express shipping to receive it in time for Christmas.

They item shipped TODAY (12/22/04), which is 8 days later. Not only that, but the price on the web site for the same item has dropped $3 since I ordered, but my confirmation emailed to me today still showed the price I originally paid. Hello? If it dropped in price and you have not shipped, how about lowering my price too!

And now, since it takes two days to ship, I MIGHT have it before Christmas if all goes well. Great!

So I called their customer service number. After being told EVERY 15 SECONDS how important my call was, and hearing that over and over for almost 13 minutes, a woman finally answered with “What can I do for you?”

I calmly explained that I was promised it would ship in 2 to 3 days, it took 8 to ship, and I am unlikely to have it for Christmas now. I asked for both a refund of the difference between the new price and what I was charged($3) and a refund of the more expensive shipping to the regular shipping since they took so long to ship (another $3), both reasonable requests I felt for what happened.

She answered “But it will ship overnight, so you will get it most likely tomorrow.”

“Well, I paid for express shipping, which is 2 day, not overnight, so what are you offering me here?”

“What? … Well, yes, you paid for express shipping, so you will have it in a few days.” That is all she said. I mentioned that is what I told her, but not what she said. I tried to ask for the refund again.

She quickly went into robot mode, and repeated 4 times, interrupting me each time I tried to ask for the refund “We do not refund shipping charges.”

“Oh” was all I finally said, and she stopped.

“Is there anything else I can help you with,” she then asked?

“So, what have you helped me with so far,” I asked back?

OK, it was a bit sarcastic, but I was not a happy shopper now. There was a long pause. I guess I asked for that, but what HAD she done to help me so far?

“How about the price difference?”

“I’ll check on that, what is your order number?”

I gave her the number from my receipt, and waited a few minutes.

“Oh, I guess I can refund the $3 for the new price of the item if you wish? We are not supposed to do that, but, I can give you the current price if that is what you want.”

This was confusing. They agreed to “grant” me the new, lower price that the item was actually NOW selling for (and had been for 2 days now) when THEY decided to finally shipped the item. Hmmm, I ordered 8 days ago, it was $3 more expensive, they waited 8 days to ship, the price dropped, but they are not supposed to give me the current price? How does that work?

“Sure, that is what I would like.”

“I have credited your account $3, thanks for calling Sony.” CLICK!

Needless to say, this bothered me. I was not given a tracking number, she hung up this time without asking if I needed something else (I wanted my tracking number), and did not leave me, the customer, feeling very good about calling for help.

10 minutes later I called back and spoke to a supervisor. This woman, very polite did offer to “file a claim” with UPS if my package does not arrive by Friday. But I have to call Sony, find her, file a complaint with Sony, and she will file one with UPS. She tells me that it could take as much as 6 weeks to get a $5.98 refund from UPS.

“How about, if it does not show up by Friday, you refund my shipping, and then you can get a refund from UPS. After all, it is your contract with UPS, not mine.” What did I have to loose by asking?

“That is not the way it works.”

She proceeded to tell me how backed up the warehouse these last two weeks, and although people who ordered by the 16th with standard shipping were promised to receive it by Christmas, that they were giving anyone who ordered before that date but shipped too late express shipping for free to be sure they got it in time. What?

“Hang on a second. So if I had ordered it with regular shipping, you would have shipped it express today for no additional charge?” That is what she said!

“Well, we want to be sure people got what they ordered, and because we were slow, yes, we are doing that.”

“OK, but because I paid for express shipping, and even though you were late, and even though you would have paid for express shipping anyway, you are not going to refund the difference?”

“NO! Here is your shipping number….. Anything else I can help you with?”

Obviously not!

I sure do not get this. Had I placed my order on the 14th with regular shipping, they would have shipped it today express anyway to be sure I got it. But because I paid for the express shipping, I do not get a refund! Something is very screwed up at this company!

*SIGH*

Needless to say, there are 100’s of places I can buy CDs on-line now, and SonyMusicStore will no longer be one of them. I suggest you stay away as well, and save yourself a headache, and maybe even a few dollars.

I know, all this for $3 more, but it is not the money, it is the fact that companies like this rip us off all the time.