ShopNBC

Full review
Buyer beware ! I've occasionally shopped with ShopNBC (since it was Value Vision) and typically have had a decent experience (if it's NOT anything electronic, or anything heavy, or bulky). However, if a problem does occur it  seems to grow our of proportion  due to what seems to be inept, unprofessional customer service that seems to reflect a corporation that seems to be more concerned with retaining the money from the purchase, than it does to having  repeat customer purchases (even if the company verifies that the item was never delivered). And although they do seem to sometimes have items of interest to me I would now be hard pressed to ever consider doing business with ShopNBC again. I guess third times the charm...and there are afterall many other companies with whom one can more readily do business. Companies who actually seem interested in retaining customers.

I'll briefly describe a few of my more memorable experiences:

(1). Recently, I placed two separate orders for the same item on the same day, that were supposedly shipped separately within two days of the order, with an expected delivery of three weeks after the order date. Eight days after the expected delivery date I contacted Customer Service and was told their tracking indicated that neither package had been delivered to me and that both items had been lost....but there was nothing that could be done at that time as I had to call back after at least ten days after the expected delivery date.

Eleven days after the expected delivery date I once again called customer service and was again told by ShopNBC that their own package tracking indicated that neither item was delivered to me and that both items were showing as lost. At this point most reputable companies, that actually care about customer satisfaction and repeat business would issue a credit back to one's credit card...NOT ShopNBC. Although their own records show that the items were never delivered and were moreover lost (their error), I was informed that it is the company policy to not, at that time,  issue a credit back to the customer;  that the "matter has to be turned over to the Loss Prevention Department for further investigation before any credit might be issued". This was verified by a supervisor (did I mention that availability of supervisors who are willing to talk with a disatisified customer are almost non-existent and require an extended hold time, with the phone occasionally being "accidently" disconnected while on hold). Customer Service further informed me that the Loss Prevention Dept. would just be sending me something so as to verify that I had not received the items in question (that ShopNBC itself was already verifying had never been delivered and had indeed been lost by ShopNBC). A seemingly overt delaying tactic to refunding a customer's money (it's now been almost six weeks from the original date of purchase). Loss prevention emailed me a three page document (for each of the two lost items) that are a bit more burdensome on the customer that just simply verifying non-receipt of an item that ShopNBC acknowledges it lost before delivery could be made. Additionally, although it is possible to call the Loss Prevention Department, it is only possible to leave a voicemail message, unfortunately no one has ever responded.

The three page documents are more than a  simple delaying tactic before a credit is issued back. Although ShopNBC acknowledges that it lost the items before delivery could be made to me, in other words it is a fault...the Loss Prevention documents require one to: (a). verify if the customer has as yet filed a police report and to provide full details (can anyone imagine the police response to someone attempting to file a stolen property report for an item that the merchant acknowledges was never delivered?), (b). verify the the customer has contacted their neighbors to verify that the acknowledged lost item was not delivered, (c). list any and all items that were lost or damaged from any company with whom you have done business over the last three years (and attest that the list is complete), (d). do not then just email the document back, or sign and mail the three page document, but the customer MUST then get the documents Notarized, (e). after receipt back of the three page notarized documents, ShopNBC can then take 45 days before issuing a credit back to the customer's credit card for an item that ShopNBC acknowledges it charged the customer but indeed never delivered. Did I mention all this is for a credit of less than $20 ? Imagine what hoops one must jump for a greater amount of money, or if there is a possibility that the problem arose after delivery.


(2). I have previously purchased an inexpensive but bulky and heavy piece of furniture (with rather high shipping costs) that was supposed to be delivered to my front door (or so I had been informed at the time of purchase), only to find  at the time of delivery that it would only be delivered to the curb (I had to hire someone to carry the item up my six front porch steps). I was informed that if I did not accepted delivery to the curb instead of my house ShopNBC would again charge me additional shipping for the return shipping costs. I have never again purchased any item that was bulky or heavy from ShopNBC.

(3). It was after this purchase that I ceased doing business with ShopNBC for a few years. I purchased a small hand held mirror and brush set that was to be a gift. When it arrived I was disappointed as it did not seem to be quite what was advertised, so I returned it for a credit back to my credit card. At this point I should probably note that ShopNBC seems to require a very long time span from the date of purchase to the date of delivery (for me it's typically been about three weeks), and ShopNBC has a 30 day return policy that apparently begins counting down as of the date of purchase, not delivery. Typically, with other merchants delivery is less than five days from date of purchase, and the thirty day return policy starts counting down as of the date of delivery, with a store credit if the item is returned after the 30 day period.

So, I received the item three weeks after the date of purchase, but when it arrived it did not appear to be as advertised. I returned the item back to ShopNBC the following day. Six weeks later I received the item back...this time damaged and broken, along with correspondence from ShopNBC informing me that it had been receive back to ShopNBC 31 days after the date of purchase and that it was not ShopNBC policy to accept merchandise back after 30 days. When I had contacted customer service about this I was informed that the date of delivery really wasn't relevant, that 31 days after the date of purchase was beyond the 30 days allowed, and that ShopNBC was not responsible for the condition in which the item arrived. Most other companies seem a bit more interested in repeat customers. Did I mention that ShopNBC lost my business for at least five years over a purchase that was less than $40 ? 


I have found that if there are no problems (and I avoid some categories of products, e.g., electronics, furniture) that ShopNBC has some items of interest and often a decent prices. Unfortunately one cannot predict when a problem will occur and I have unfortunately found that ShopNBC does not seem to embrace the old adage of "the customer is always right"...ShopNBC does not even seem to brush shoulders with the concept. It must also be noted that for the most part ShopNBC customer service personnel are courteous, but they seem constrained by a company that apparently believes it can thrive without repeat customers......are there really that many prople who will make a one time purchase?