eCost

Full review
Made a purchase on 4/08/2009.  I used to buy stuff from them regularly a few years ago, but I had a bad experience and stopped buying from them.  I figured since they are still in business a few years later, perhaps things had gotten better.  Boy was I wrong!   Before placing my order for an item they had on sale (nuvi 250 GPS unit) I called to verify they had the quantity I wanted to order, and that they were brand new in the retail box, not OEM or refurbished units.  They confirmed via email and phone (as I contacted via both methods,) that they were new and they had the quantity I needed to order for my company (80).  So I proceeded to place the order and pay for it.  $8054.68 was the total.  Within a few days they still had not shipped the item and continually called me to confirm my order, which I did during each call, but of course they would call back the next day to confirm the order.  Finally they shipped the item but not before emailing me that they did not have 80, they only had 53.  (So my calls and emails confirming availability were just misinformation.)  The items seemed to be a good price so I was okay with just receiving 53 units, and they had already sent them so not much I could do anyways.  Well after a little while the packages arrived, and I opened them up only to find that they were not NEW, they were in fact refurbished units, arriving in OEM packaging. I called Garmin to confirm, and then called to return the items.  It took 4 calls just to get thru to someone who would actually pass my information onto someone who would provide me with an RA#.   This took over 1 week just to get an RA#!!!  They wanted me to open the packages, then send them pictures of the units, to confirm I was telling the truth, as if I had any reason to lie about them sending me 53 units I specifically told them I did not want, USED, REFURBISHED, OR OEM.  WHEN I BOUGHT THEM THE SITE SAID NEW, AND SO DID THE PERSON ON THE PHONE, AND THE EMAIL THEY SENT ME.  Well I figured this hassle would be over soon enough, I took all of the units they had shipped me and put them back in the box, and took it to UPS.  The hassle was just beginning.  I finally received my refund, but it was $500.00 short.  So I called up and they claimed to have only received 48 of the 53 back, well for one I never went thru the packaging to confirm they even sent me the correct amount, and for two I sent them every single unit back, as refurbs were no use to me.  They told me okay they will get the other $500.00 refunded to me.  A week went by, nothing.  I called again, and they went thru the same thing, they only received 48 of the 53 back.  I told them again, I sent exactly what you sent me, I put every unit in the big package that they used to send me the items and they were all sent, if they were taken by UPS, or lost or never sent I do not know, but I don't have them so I wanted  my full refund.  They told me okay they will do a UPS investigation, and call me back tomorrow.  Tomorrow came, no call.  The next day, no call.  I called back, same thing "we only got 48/53", had to go thru everything again.  They refused to let me speak to a supervisor, that is against their policy you must speak to their first level agents who often struggle to communicate well enough to be comprehendable, and struggle to understand you.  Anyways this went on for the past 2 months.  Them telling me they only received 48 and have a UPS investigation going, and they will refund me when they hear back from it etc.  During the time I have dealt with this 7 times I have been promised to be called back when they got more information (I received 0 calls)  6 times I've been promised e-mails back when they get more information (i've received 0 emails.)   I finally got to a supposed resolution specilaist today named James, he will supposedly be calling me back tomorrow (over 2 months since this began, and might have a resolution, I will keep you updated) 

My recommendation, NEVER EVER SHOP ECOST.  They do not have new products if they are advertised as such, they do not honor their mistakes and they have thus far stolen $500 from me (for those of you thinking it, yes I have contested the charges with the credit card, but still the principle is that they are stealing from customers and they really dont care about it)