How to deal with Champion Lighting?
- Thread starter MandarinFish
- Start date
1 guy there is helpful and nice, but that was when I placed my order.
WHen I needed help he did the hold + transfer game with me too.
The pitiful thing is they didn't ship anything until I called to complain. Suddenly they decide to get the stuff to UPS.
So yeah, I should use a place closer to the West COast. But also, they weren't even sending anything until I started really getting p1ssed off.
And even then it took me over 1/2 an hour this time (as well as 2 others) to get a response.
That's so weak.
Seems like they've been good with some people, bad with others. 2-1 bad experience it seems based on replies here.
If it was just me I would be understanding. If it had been sent, but was taking UPS a long time, I would also understand. But this seems common, and they didn't bother to tell me everything was out of stock.
Hold on - from their site: "Welcome to the USA's largest distributor of exclusively Saltwater products. Champion Lighting & Supply Co. is a stocking distributor. We stock in our warehouse 99% of what we sell,"
So I ordered the 1 in 100 item they didn't have, they didn't tell me, they didn't email me, they didn't reply to my emails, and it took 3 seperate 1/2 hour phone tree transfer experiences to get the other items that were in stock but they couldn't be bothered to send? :evil:
WHen I needed help he did the hold + transfer game with me too.
The pitiful thing is they didn't ship anything until I called to complain. Suddenly they decide to get the stuff to UPS.
So yeah, I should use a place closer to the West COast. But also, they weren't even sending anything until I started really getting p1ssed off.
And even then it took me over 1/2 an hour this time (as well as 2 others) to get a response.
That's so weak.
Seems like they've been good with some people, bad with others. 2-1 bad experience it seems based on replies here.
If it was just me I would be understanding. If it had been sent, but was taking UPS a long time, I would also understand. But this seems common, and they didn't bother to tell me everything was out of stock.
Hold on - from their site: "Welcome to the USA's largest distributor of exclusively Saltwater products. Champion Lighting & Supply Co. is a stocking distributor. We stock in our warehouse 99% of what we sell,"
So I ordered the 1 in 100 item they didn't have, they didn't tell me, they didn't email me, they didn't reply to my emails, and it took 3 seperate 1/2 hour phone tree transfer experiences to get the other items that were in stock but they couldn't be bothered to send? :evil:
Marine Depot has the same setup for $200 less, they are going to put it together and ship it ASAP and promised to try to get it to me by the end of the week.
The only difference is I'm not getting IceCap, but Advanced Transformer brand. Still moisture-proof 5 foot VHO's. IceCap would have been $80 more, but I don't know that it's necessary, neither did the Marine Depot guy.
They are in my state, still pay no tax, also free shipping.
I canceled with CHampion, as well as put in word with Visa and the BBB.
I feel much, much better.
The only difference is I'm not getting IceCap, but Advanced Transformer brand. Still moisture-proof 5 foot VHO's. IceCap would have been $80 more, but I don't know that it's necessary, neither did the Marine Depot guy.
They are in my state, still pay no tax, also free shipping.
I canceled with CHampion, as well as put in word with Visa and the BBB.
I feel much, much better.
Okay, now Champion is telling me that I have to ship everything back to them to get Visa credit.
Funny, since the only thing I actually have are the VHO bulbs they throw in free with the order anyway.
They got UPS to pick some stuff up from them Friday.
Do I have to pay shipping on the crap I didn't get yet on an order I already cancelled?
Do I have to pay shipping on the bulbs I got?
That would suck.
Funny, since the only thing I actually have are the VHO bulbs they throw in free with the order anyway.
They got UPS to pick some stuff up from them Friday.
Do I have to pay shipping on the crap I didn't get yet on an order I already cancelled?
Do I have to pay shipping on the bulbs I got?
That would suck.
i wouldnt pay sht. i live in the same town these guys are located, and they wouldnt even let me pickup my order! so i didnt order. i emailed them once to stop buy and check out there display tank just for fun, and they said "sorry we dont have a walkin showroom". boy thanks a lot fellow reefer:roll:. i didnt think they were this bad. good luck
Call your visa company and tell them what is going on, again. Champion has nothing to say about disputed charges with visa - they only have something to say if they credit your card.
I wouldn't sent anything back to them until it was worked out with your visa people. Seems to me, that if they are supposed to credit you, they won't or it will take a long time or you won't ever get them on the phone again.
I wouldn't sent anything back to them until it was worked out with your visa people. Seems to me, that if they are supposed to credit you, they won't or it will take a long time or you won't ever get them on the phone again.
hi.
I feel that if they shipped out the stuffs to you before you cancel/file charge dispute, you are liable for shipping them back. You don't own the items, since you did not pay for them. So you will have to bring them back (ask beerbaron for a favor :wink: ) in person, or ship them back to them with your money.
Rather you owe them for the shipping from CL to your place is something to dispute about. I check CL's website policy on returned item, but nothing is mentioned there about shipping charge. Almost in all cases, the buyer is responsible for shipping charge.
Consider this as a lesson learned, I guess.
I feel that if they shipped out the stuffs to you before you cancel/file charge dispute, you are liable for shipping them back. You don't own the items, since you did not pay for them. So you will have to bring them back (ask beerbaron for a favor :wink: ) in person, or ship them back to them with your money.
Rather you owe them for the shipping from CL to your place is something to dispute about. I check CL's website policy on returned item, but nothing is mentioned there about shipping charge. Almost in all cases, the buyer is responsible for shipping charge.
Consider this as a lesson learned, I guess.
I filed a complaint with the BBB.
I told Visa to reverse charges.
I refused delivery on the Champion stuff as it showed up and went to my local center.
They refunded the cost of the shipment, and I got to keep the 5' VHO bulbs (actinics) that I'd opened when i still expected them to deliver everything in a reasonable amount of time.
All in all, it worked out.
If only their customer service was reasonable without resorting to a Visa challenege and the BBB, they would get my business again.
As it is, I won't complain any more. But they definitely won't get my business again. That was an ordeal.
I told Visa to reverse charges.
I refused delivery on the Champion stuff as it showed up and went to my local center.
They refunded the cost of the shipment, and I got to keep the 5' VHO bulbs (actinics) that I'd opened when i still expected them to deliver everything in a reasonable amount of time.
All in all, it worked out.
If only their customer service was reasonable without resorting to a Visa challenege and the BBB, they would get my business again.
As it is, I won't complain any more. But they definitely won't get my business again. That was an ordeal.
Good lord! Maybe I should act as a customer service consultant for companies like this? You guys would not believe the hoops I've had to jump through working for Bombay Co. (Technically still employed there, but I'm suing for my injury expenses and I ain't never going back!)
You see, my training and skills are focused ENTIRELY on customer service. I am so good at my job that customers have refused to speak with anyone else, including my supervisor. And, many of the folks who shop there seriously upped my old "******* factor" percentage (used to be 2%. Simple, out of every 100 customers I had, there were only about two who were real jerks) to over 30%. However, the customer base (there's a reason why you'll always find a Bombay near a Nordstroms) is high-maintenance/high-demand.
There is NO good reason for this company to be so incredibly difficult to deal with. While one does need to be careful about what they post on a public site, I think it's an invaluable tool, as illlustrated by the one poster (sorry, can't remember your name!) who was wishing s/he knew of these troubles earlier. That being said, it would make one hell of an impact on them if this person immediately called and cancelled their order and stated that it was due to the problems stated here.
Ain't capitalism great that way?
You see, my training and skills are focused ENTIRELY on customer service. I am so good at my job that customers have refused to speak with anyone else, including my supervisor. And, many of the folks who shop there seriously upped my old "******* factor" percentage (used to be 2%. Simple, out of every 100 customers I had, there were only about two who were real jerks) to over 30%. However, the customer base (there's a reason why you'll always find a Bombay near a Nordstroms) is high-maintenance/high-demand.
There is NO good reason for this company to be so incredibly difficult to deal with. While one does need to be careful about what they post on a public site, I think it's an invaluable tool, as illlustrated by the one poster (sorry, can't remember your name!) who was wishing s/he knew of these troubles earlier. That being said, it would make one hell of an impact on them if this person immediately called and cancelled their order and stated that it was due to the problems stated here.
Ain't capitalism great that way?
Well, Chumpion responded to the BBB complaint by claiming it was the fault of the companies they order from not having the stuff (funny since the Chumpion site says that
Then they said they offer refunds to all customers that they do not have the stock on their orders for, which is also a lie because they wouldn't reply to my emails, field my phone calls, nor email me the info they promised on tracking number (even on the one item they did ship).
I *love* this....
How sweet of them!
They also said they would provide a refund to the credit card used on all items returned.
Also not true - it was Visa trying to deal with them that convinced Visa itself to reverse the charges on them.
So my mistake. Chumpion didn't credit me. The Visa complaints department did.
:evil:
I'm *NEVER* using this company again and will tell everyone my horror story.
Then they said they offer refunds to all customers that they do not have the stock on their orders for, which is also a lie because they wouldn't reply to my emails, field my phone calls, nor email me the info they promised on tracking number (even on the one item they did ship).
I *love* this....
How sweet of them!
They also said they would provide a refund to the credit card used on all items returned.
Also not true - it was Visa trying to deal with them that convinced Visa itself to reverse the charges on them.
So my mistake. Chumpion didn't credit me. The Visa complaints department did.
:evil:
I'm *NEVER* using this company again and will tell everyone my horror story.
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
