After sales abandon ship scenario

I had hoped that this blog would have come to some form of happy conclusion but it did not. I therefore decided to continue my story and let you come to your own conclusions.

For starters here are the details of the person who sold me the coffee machine that never worked.

Name:     Claudio Frontori
Email:     romacaffeservice@gmail.com
Address: Roma Caffe ̈ Service Di C. Frontori,
               VIA FIRENZE, 51
               00065 Fiano Romano 

               RM

               Italia

My last update to this story was that I had sent the machine for the 3^rd time to Mr Frontori. I used the same service (Mail boxes etc) and the same box with the same address as on the other two occasions.  This excludes any concerns one might have about a mistake in the address.

Date: 2014-04-23

I was logging into the Mail Boxes Etc system periodically and noticed that the item was not being collected. I therefore contacted Mr Frontori and asked him what was happening.

His email reply was that he was there and no one had arrived.

My reply was that if it arrived two other times I could not understand why it would not arrive now. I gave him Mail Boxes Etc’s contact number and the tracking number and asked him to contact the company to make arrangements with them.

He promised that he would do so.

Date: 2014-04-28

Two other failed delivery attempts are recorded. I contact Mail Boxes Etc and ask what the problem is. I am told that there is no one available to sign for the package. I give them Mr Frontori’s number (they confirm that they have it) maybe the problem can be resolved telephonically.

Mail Boxes Etc promise to call me back.

Date: 2014-04-30

Mail Boxes Etc call me to tell me that they are having problems with the delivery. They made contact with Mr Frontori who always promises he will be there but never is.

I email Mr Frontori giving him an update and asking for clarification. He denies not wanting to pick up the machine and accuses Mail Boxes Etc of a cockup at their end. He does not reply to my question asking whether he had contacted Mail Boxes etc.

Date: 2014-05-06

Mail Boxes Etc send me a standard email to tell me that after numerous failed attempts to deliver the package the package will be returned to destination and I would have to pay to collect it.

Date: 2014-05-07

Mail Boxes Etc phone to ask me what they should do with the machine. I decided to cut my loses and instruct them to dispose of it.

Conclusion

If eBay had a proper after sales rating maybe this unhappy story would not have been written. Unfortunately without this system in place you will never be protected against suppliers who are cunning enough to let eBay’s vendor rating system expire (ensuring it cannot be set to negative). 

You really have two options available to you:

• Do not use eBay for your purchases
• Use eBay but never rate sellers. You will still get short changed by vendors such as Roma Caffe ̈ Service Di C. Frontori but at least you have the virtual satisfaction that you did not positively rate a crooked vendor.