PRA subscription Debacle; you gotta wonder............
05-10-2011, 04:51 PM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
PRA subscription Debacle; you gotta wonder............
I'm really not one to bit*h about stuff as I understand that sometimes things have problems, and a magazine subscription really isn't the most important thing in the world, but I have to say that the BS my daughter has experienced is really annoying...........
OK, so in mid-December my daughter calls me and says she wants to get me a subscription to Poker Runs America magazine for Christmas (she's such a sweetheart). She goes online and orders the subscription using her credit card. I then received an email confirmation of the purchase directly into my email account (a few days before Christmas).
The end of Feburary comes and I start wondering when I'll get my first copy. About this time, I read on OSO postings from other members talking about an article on Reggie Fountain, so I know its out. I never receive it, so I call and talk to a very nice woman and explain the situation which even though I had an order confirmation number, she has no record of.
My daughter calls back and repurchases a subscription (this time a two-year because she felt bad) and is isuued another confirmation number. The beginning of April comes and still no magazine, so I let my daughter know and she calls PRA back. This time she is told the credit card didn't go through; it got flagged being and international charge (in Canada) and the bank thought in might be fraudulant.
They get that straightened out and is finally billed for the subscription. Now PRA is saying that I will not get the earlier copies as the subscription didn't start until all of the nonsense was cleared up. Here we are coming into June and I still haven't gotten one freaking copy of the magazine.
Is it possible that the situation is really that difficult?! Why send out a confirmation and then have no record of it? I understand the CC situation, but why not communicate it instead of making the CUSTOMER chase all of this nonsense down? Why shouldn't I get the earlier copies? This is what she paid for................
C'mon you guys @ PRA, why you can't get a simple subscription right? I may not have a $500K boat, but I'm still a customer, no?
OK, so in mid-December my daughter calls me and says she wants to get me a subscription to Poker Runs America magazine for Christmas (she's such a sweetheart). She goes online and orders the subscription using her credit card. I then received an email confirmation of the purchase directly into my email account (a few days before Christmas).
The end of Feburary comes and I start wondering when I'll get my first copy. About this time, I read on OSO postings from other members talking about an article on Reggie Fountain, so I know its out. I never receive it, so I call and talk to a very nice woman and explain the situation which even though I had an order confirmation number, she has no record of.
My daughter calls back and repurchases a subscription (this time a two-year because she felt bad) and is isuued another confirmation number. The beginning of April comes and still no magazine, so I let my daughter know and she calls PRA back. This time she is told the credit card didn't go through; it got flagged being and international charge (in Canada) and the bank thought in might be fraudulant.
They get that straightened out and is finally billed for the subscription. Now PRA is saying that I will not get the earlier copies as the subscription didn't start until all of the nonsense was cleared up. Here we are coming into June and I still haven't gotten one freaking copy of the magazine.
Is it possible that the situation is really that difficult?! Why send out a confirmation and then have no record of it? I understand the CC situation, but why not communicate it instead of making the CUSTOMER chase all of this nonsense down? Why shouldn't I get the earlier copies? This is what she paid for................
C'mon you guys @ PRA, why you can't get a simple subscription right? I may not have a $500K boat, but I'm still a customer, no?
05-10-2011, 05:09 PM
#2
Registered
Being an online merchant myself, dealing with fraudulent CCs is more widespread than most people can imagine.... Because I end up with so many stolen CCs I seldom have the time or effort to notify each person when a suspect order is received. In most cases where I feel it is fraudlent, I simply cancel the order and void the CC authorization..... Usually when a CC billing information is in a different country than the ship to address this is usually the big tip off.... Also a lot of International Credit Cards do not offer address verification, so it is impossible for the merchant to verify if it was the card holder that made the order..... So as a merchant that deals with a $hit load of fraud I can see why they didn't make contact. It does suck, but unfortunately there are so many crooks out there that it is ruining it for the honest folks.
Also most people do not realize when a customer disputes a charge on their CC, the funds are immediatly seized from the merchant that processed the transaction (and a dispute processing fee is usually added as well)....... So it is (in a lot of cases) safer to lose a sale than it is to proceed with a high risk sale. Risk vs Reward. Here is an example: I sell a pair of $150 sunglasses and ship to a non-verified address. 2 weeks later I receive a "chargeback from the issuing bank for $150 and a $20 service fee is no tacked on (regardless of the outcome of the case). In almost every case the issuing banks side with the card holder (even in cases where merchant is 100% in the right). So now at this point I have lost $170 out of my account, add to that the $85 (my cost) of product. Now you kind of get the point..... A lot of people think the CC companys eat these disputed charges..... WRONG, it is the merchant that processed the payment that suffers...
While your situation is a bummer, I can see why PRA never notified anyone when they choose not to process payment.
Also most people do not realize when a customer disputes a charge on their CC, the funds are immediatly seized from the merchant that processed the transaction (and a dispute processing fee is usually added as well)....... So it is (in a lot of cases) safer to lose a sale than it is to proceed with a high risk sale. Risk vs Reward. Here is an example: I sell a pair of $150 sunglasses and ship to a non-verified address. 2 weeks later I receive a "chargeback from the issuing bank for $150 and a $20 service fee is no tacked on (regardless of the outcome of the case). In almost every case the issuing banks side with the card holder (even in cases where merchant is 100% in the right). So now at this point I have lost $170 out of my account, add to that the $85 (my cost) of product. Now you kind of get the point..... A lot of people think the CC companys eat these disputed charges..... WRONG, it is the merchant that processed the payment that suffers...
While your situation is a bummer, I can see why PRA never notified anyone when they choose not to process payment.
05-10-2011, 05:28 PM
#3
Registered
Thread Starter
Yeah, I understand the CC situation (on the second transaction). But geez, now we're almost into June and they still haven't sent a freaking Mag..... I just think that they should be a little more accomidating. In the end, they got a 2 year subscription rather than a 1 year and the fact still remains that they sent out a confirmation but had no record of the first transaction. Just doesn't seem as if they are much into customer service. JMHO
05-10-2011, 06:03 PM
#4
I feel customer service in all kinds of businesses & situations is out the door & seems 2 B get'n worse! U would think in tough X's people would try & go above & beyond 2 keep/take care of customers! no way!! I experience it all the X!!! All I expect is 4 people 2 do there jobs &/or do what they say!! seems simple, but, apparently it isn't!!! Hope ya get your mag!
