NeoStore not honoring agreements

[finngamer]

I take no joy in creating this thread, but I feel it must be done.


I bought a new US SVC Chaos from the NeoStore, alongside a full complement of Classic inserts. Shawn even offered me a slightly damaged MS5 insert and sticker from under the counter, and I was happy with the service.

After receiving the package, on July 14th I sent a message to Shawn that the SVC was faulty. It had a major sound issue, as described in this thread.

No answer. I emailed again July 19th, and finally got an answer one day later. After we had discussed different options (namely me repairing the cart over here to save on two shipping costs), we agreed that I'll send the cart over and receive a new cart from him, and that my return shipping would be refunded. He said he would inform me once the game arrives to him, and that he would refund my shipping and send the replacement game on the very next day.

Game left Finland July 26th and tracking indicated that it was delivered to Shawn on August 1st. I sent an email reminding him on August 1st.

No response or refund, so I sent a new email August 4th.

No response or refund, so I sent a new email August 9th.

Then on August 9th I finally had an answer. No apologies or anything, just a copy-paste of tracking info that my package was sent on August 4th. So definetly NOT on the next day as promised, but it would still have been nice to have been informed of this.

Game arrives, it was a new copy as agreed. At least I've now got the merchandise I paid for, but I'm still missing the refund we agreed on. I used 29.05 euros on the shipping (lowest possible), so that means I've overpaid over 40 dollars more for the SVC Chaos, and all because of something not my fault. An agreement was made for me to receive a refund for the shipping, and that's what I want.

I sent an email on August 16th, no response.

I sent an email on August 18th, no response.

I sent an email on August 24th, no response.


It's now been weeks without a proper response and no refund. I have no idea what Shawn thinks to accomplish with this, but I just needed to let people know.

Since I did receive the game, it's clear that he isn't injured or anything: leaving me without a response or refund was a conscious decision.

I still wish to resolve this, and wish to harbor no hard feelings.


-Janne Kaitila, Finland

 

[Tomcat]

Well I don't think 30 Eur will make Shawn poor so he will probably refund you just once back from his holiday ..



regards

Tom(ITA)

 

[WoodyXP]

You need to be patient. Shawn will make good with you. I'm pretty sure NG.com isn't the only thing he has going on in his life.

 

[ChuChu Flamingo]

You need to be patient. Shawn will make good with you. I'm pretty sure NG.com isn't the only thing he has going on in his life.

With how easy it is to check e-mail, their is no excuse for how long finngamer has waited.

 

[Adderall]

You need to be patient. Shawn will make good with you. I'm pretty sure NG.com isn't the only thing he has going on in his life.

No. This behavior would not be acceptable in the marketplace forum and it's not acceptable here. I don't care who you are.

If you cannot conduct business honorably and you have communication issues then you should not be running a store.

 

[finngamer]

New message sent again, along with a link to this thread. Hopefully get at least an answer, I'll keep you posted.

 

[Shawn]

Concerning “NeoStore not honoring agreements”:
I reviewed the 7 emails I sent you pertaining to this purchase and I’m not seeing where I made an agreement to refund your return shipping cost.

Sent July 20th, 2011 @ 2:17 PM CST:

Hello Janne,

You can always exchange for new and tested copy, just as all previous
customers have been taken care of if they received a defective product. Or,
if you can pay someone locally to solder wire as described in solution
within forum thread, I can refund you the fee they charge. That would be
more efficient than x2 overseas shipping charges.

Shawn

Sent July 20th, 2011 @ 2:17 PM CST:

Would $30 refund be acceptable to cover fee for soldering wire? If
returning, you can ship just cartridge by cheapest method and I cover return
shipping from NeoStore to you for new and tested cartridge.

I explicitly said that I would cover the return shipping from the NeoStore to you, in essence, splitting the round trip shipping fees, yet I made no mention of refunding your shipping cost for sending from you to NeoStore.

Please keep in mind that I gave you a discount on the MS5 class insert and sticker, $45 below the bundle that is currently listed on the NeoStore. Also, you purchased SVC Chaos for $199, which is $100 below used retail and below my original cost (and my loss increased further with the 2nd shipping that I covered from NeoStore to you). In fact, a copy sold and shipped today for $349 before shipping from the NeoStore.

Yes, your profit decreased because the exchange shipping incurred for sending to NeoStore, but that was your choice. I offered to cover the repair fee for what has been described as a simple solder of a wire, which may have been faster, most certainly free to you, and would have eliminated the x2 shipping fees that I agreed to split with you.

However, I did fail to ship your exchange within 1 day. Shipping the tested new cartridge < 72 hours later is INEXCUSABLE and justifies a 10% discount, applicable store wide and never expires, but can only be used once.

Btw, all the remaining copies of SVC Chaos (currently 13 pieces left), will be personally tested on a shell free system to verify full functionality before shipping. In the past, I paid someone to thoroughly test the entire new release stock on a shell free system, but perhaps a few lemons slipped through. Or, the lemons that were returned to SNKP for repair were not sufficiently repaired. Since I’m performing a 3rd series of testing to catch what the others have missed, this instance of a defective SVC Chaos purchased from the NeoStore should not reoccur.

 

[Fox1]

Shawn is a top notch guy, never had any problems with him. It seems most of the problems with the neostore comes from international orders or am I just imagining things?

 

[Dr Shroom]

Shawn is a top notch guy, never had any problems with him. It seems most of the problems with the neostore comes from international orders or am I just imagining things?

Yeah because something like this totally couldn't happen domestic...

 

[SNKorSWM]

NGF was domestic, wasn't it?

 

[Fox1]

NGF was domestic, wasn't it?

That's a whole different thing lol

 

[finngamer]

Concerning “NeoStore not honoring agreements”:
I reviewed the 7 emails I sent you pertaining to this purchase and I’m not seeing where I made an agreement to refund your return shipping cost.

Sent July 20th, 2011 @ 2:17 PM CST:


Sent July 20th, 2011 @ 2:17 PM CST:


I explicitly said that I would cover the return shipping from the NeoStore to you, in essence, splitting the round trip shipping fees, yet I made no mention of refunding your shipping cost for sending from you to NeoStore.

I can't believe I missed that, but I do see now that that's all you offered in that email.

I guess I read the message too fast, given that a full refund on back shipping is OF COURSE required from the seller on a situation like this.


I fact, I also made clear what the situation was, with this message, sent to you before I had sent the game back:

If you wish, you can send my new game after you have received the faulty one. You can also verify the shipping amount from on top of the return package, and refund me to my PayPal then. PayPal address: xxxx

If only you had replied to me then, that I had misunderstood.

Then, on the same message that prompted you to finally send the replacement game forward, I also reminded you this way:

Let me know about the shipping back and the credit card refund.

Again, if only you had replied to me then. Or after my next three emails.


Sorry I misread the initial message about you not refunding me (which is unreasonable and I naturally would have discussed the matter more), but you had ample opportunity to answer me then and there, not to mention correct me afterwards. It's inexcusable to leave someone without an answer for a month.

A 10% discount towards my next purchase won't propably amount to much, but I'll take it. Not because you took over 72 hours to send the game back, but because it took you a month to correct a simple situation.

 

[ChuChu Flamingo]

lol SvC chaos is now 350

 

[caren103]

I can't believe I missed that, but I do see now that that's all you offered in that email.

I guess I read the message too fast, given that a full refund on back shipping is OF COURSE required from the seller on a situation like this.


I fact, I also made clear what the situation was, with this message, sent to you before I had sent the game back:



If only you had replied to me then, that I had misunderstood.

Then, on the same message that prompted you to finally send the replacement game forward, I also reminded you this way:



Again, if only you had replied to me then. Or after my next three emails.


Sorry I misread the initial message about you not refunding me (which is unreasonable and I naturally would have discussed the matter more), but you had ample opportunity to answer me then and there, not to mention correct me afterwards. It's inexcusable to leave someone without an answer for a month.

A 10% discount towards my next purchase won't propably amount to much, but I'll take it. Not because you took over 72 hours to send the game back, but because it took you a month to correct a simple situation.

From all this, what I see is the main problems are due to communication issues from the Neostore, right?

I've been reading some more messages in the forum from other users/buyers in the last months moaning too about poor communication after a purchase: perhaps there is a trend here?

 

[finngamer]

From all this, what I see is the main problems are due to communication issues from the Neostore, right?

Well, the crux of the matter is that I bought a new game which turned out to be defective, and I had to pay extra for something that is solely the sellers responsibility. But yeah, better communication would have snipped this off right at the start.

 

[Darren870]

I dont know why people think they should be refunded for price of shipping for a defective item, especially new items.

If you buy a defective item from online retailers and have to send it back do they refund you? Maybe some of the big ones do...but not most.
If you buy a defective item from a store do they refund you for gas/time wasted to return it?

Its a risk you take with new items.

 

[caren103]

I dont know why people think they should be refunded for price of shipping for a defective item, especially new items.

If you buy a defective item from online retailers and have to send it back do they refund you? Maybe some of the big ones do...but not most.
If you buy a defective item from a store do they refund you for gas/time wasted to return it?

Its a risk you take with new items.

I don't know USA consumer laws, but here if a legit business sells you a defective item, it has to pay for all fees so you obtain what you bought: a "non defective" item.

Another thing is what at Ebay or forums some "business" behave.

 

[Xian Xi]

I dont know why people think they should be refunded for price of shipping for a defective item, especially new items.

If you buy a defective item from online retailers and have to send it back do they refund you? Maybe some of the big ones do...but not most.
If you buy a defective item from a store do they refund you for gas/time wasted to return it?

Its a risk you take with new items.

True BUT Shawn has known that these units are defective and didn't do anything to ensure they were all 100% working before selling them.

But discounts were given here and there so should be a wash. Plus if he never said he will then it shouldn't be expected.

 

[neo-geo-mvs]

send a complaint to SNK as they are the ones who made the game.

It's like buying a brand new factory sealed game from an ebay seller, open the game up and the disc is scratched. This is not the ebay seller's fault but the factory who made it.

In these scenarios, it's good that the seller is willing to sort the problem out when it's not their fault

 

[caren103]

send a complaint to SNK as they are the ones who made the game.

It depends on consumer laws.

Here, it's the shop/seller who has to give solution to buyer; shop/seller is the one that has to claim to the provider.

 

[Dr.NeoGeo]

All I can say is that Shawn is very reliable and trustworthy guy. The only thing is, that some times he needs ages to answer mails, but this is due the fact that he has a lot of other things to do besides the store. About the shipping costs: In Europe we have a consumer law which says that the seller MUST pay all fees for returning a faulty product when it was bought in an online-store. It is is called e-commerce-law. I don't know how you guys in US handle this, but in my opinion this is a quite good law. I mean why should i lose money because of the fault of a seller?