Bolster
Flashlight Enthusiast
A little over a week ago, Fenix Outfitters took my order by website, accepted my VISA credit card as payment, sat on my order for a week, then sent (via paypal, so the notice looked spammish, not from FO themselves) a notice they'd cancelled my VISA order and wanted paypal instead. When I checked my VISA statement online, no refund was visible.
I called Fenix Outfitters and got a churlish rep who argued that I'd placed a "high value order" (an HL35 for $45) and was a "first time customer," so therefore I was suspect, and they would not take my VISA to complete the order--even though they'd accepted it a week ago.
"Why did you accept my VISA in the original order, in that case?" I asked. They knew I was a first time customer at the time of the order, because they gave me a small "first timer" discount. "And why did you wait a week to inform me of this policy? And why isn't that policy stated on your website?"
The rep had no answer, just went into "salesman repeat mode" where he reiterated that I was a first time customer who had made a "high value order." Then he shifted into "shout the customer down" mode, and would speak over me, whenever I tried to speak. I offered to answer any security questions he had about my VISA, but he was not interested. He repeated several times that on subsequent orders I could use VISA.
"There will be no second order, nor first order," I informed him, and hung up. Now I am waiting for the VISA refund, but will call VISA and discuss this order with them.
FO can refuse credit card orders if they want to--it's their choice to limit their universe of customers however they want. But they should not accept VISA orders in the first place if that's their policy, and not cost the customer a week's waiting to figure it out.
I called Fenix Outfitters and got a churlish rep who argued that I'd placed a "high value order" (an HL35 for $45) and was a "first time customer," so therefore I was suspect, and they would not take my VISA to complete the order--even though they'd accepted it a week ago.
"Why did you accept my VISA in the original order, in that case?" I asked. They knew I was a first time customer at the time of the order, because they gave me a small "first timer" discount. "And why did you wait a week to inform me of this policy? And why isn't that policy stated on your website?"
The rep had no answer, just went into "salesman repeat mode" where he reiterated that I was a first time customer who had made a "high value order." Then he shifted into "shout the customer down" mode, and would speak over me, whenever I tried to speak. I offered to answer any security questions he had about my VISA, but he was not interested. He repeated several times that on subsequent orders I could use VISA.
"There will be no second order, nor first order," I informed him, and hung up. Now I am waiting for the VISA refund, but will call VISA and discuss this order with them.
FO can refuse credit card orders if they want to--it's their choice to limit their universe of customers however they want. But they should not accept VISA orders in the first place if that's their policy, and not cost the customer a week's waiting to figure it out.
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