Mexico: Online Ordering-Dont!

I got it into my head sometime in December 2004 that I wanted order a laptop computer. I thought I would get one from the hugely popular computer company that allows you to call their 800 number and custom order what you want. Presto, like magic, it appears at your doorstep in days.

Since I live in Mexico, I was forced to order from their online site-in Spanish. The company designed this site for Mexicans only. The order form required four names, a common custom in Latin America, and something called a "RFC" number. At the time I hadn't clue what that was.

I tried filling out the form the best I could, inserting my credit card number, but it would not send and rejected all my attempts. The site was insistent that I had to have four names and an "RFC" number. So I made up something! I put my mother's maiden name and my social security number on the recalcitrant form.

It went through. A customized, popular name brand laptop was on its way! Within days I would finally own a computer whose American TV commercials ("Dude you're getting a ______!") had convinced me that its brand would make my computing life complete.

The next day, the wife and I trudge down to the local Internet Café to check on my order.

"YOUR ORDER WAS REJECTED-BAD CREDIT CARD!"

That was in my yahoo.com inbox. Of course, I said slapping my forehead, the 4th name (Mom's maiden name) caused the bank to reject the charge.

Home we stomped to call the free 800 number, only it wasn't a free call from Mexico. I talked, screamed, cried, begged, wailed, and threatened until someone, at last, agreed he would fix the problem and send me a computer. Only it was not to be.

On their website, you can check on the status of your order. I did that several days later only to find another nasty message telling me because they could not charge my credit card, they stopped making the computer. Huh?

Back home, I went to call them again at International Long-Distance rates. This time, the wife gets on the phone because I was lying prostrate on the bed with a cold cloth on my forehead uttering curses at "Dude you're getting a _______!"

My wife spoke with a friendly person who told her the company made a mistake. They would correct it ASAP and told her not to worry.

I moaned in agonizing defeat, "Tell that woman I want to cancel the order!"

When the wife did, they told her they had already shipped the computer and that they would charge us a percentage of the computer's cost to return it as well as the shipping charges both ways. Ok. I changed my mind and said fine. Three weeks passed and no laptop. Each time I checked, there was no charge on our credit card for this computer.

Defiantly, I told our landlady, who intercepts all our mail and deliveries, to refuse anything from "Dude you're getting a ________!" Off we went to buy a Compaq Presario desktop here in Mexico (with which we are pleased as punch!).

We took our Christmas vacation in Puerto Vallarta for 12 days and, on our return, we got a phone call from an International Courier service announcing the delivery of a laptop computer from "Dude you're getting a _____!"

Shock, hysterical laughter, murderous rage?these were the emotions that flooded my mind. With the phone receiver shaking in my hand, I told this guy, "I do not want it; send it back."

To this day we have heard not a word from "Dude you're getting a _____!", nor has any charge appeared on our credit card for the customized laptop which they went to great lengths, I am assuming, to construct according to my specifications and sent to us anyway.

I expect them to show up at the door someday wanting their computer back or demanding the money. I plan turning the dogs loose on them and scream as they run for their lives, "Dudes you are NOT getting a _____!"

Expatriates Doug and Cindi Bower have successfully expatriated to Mexico, learning through trial and error how to do it from the conception of the initial idea to driving up to their new home in another country. Now the potential expatriate can benefit from their more than three years of pre-expat research to their more than two years of actually living in Mexico. The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico answers the potential expatriate's questions by leading them through the process from the beginning to the end. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn not only how-to expatriate but will learn what to expect, in daily life, before coming to Mexico.BUY BOOK HERE: http://www.universal-publishers.com/book.php?method=ISBN&book=1581124570

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Customer Service Information:

Related Articles

Passing the After-Sales Test
Some time ago a major UK food retailer decided to branch out into non-foods. Well, they all do it now, but in those days it was unheard of.
Be the Customer: See Yourself as Your Customers Do
What do your customers experience when they interact with your business? As a mystery shopper, I help businesses see themselves through the eyes of their customers by posing as a typical customer and evaluating their service, quality and cleanliness. Was it easy to find what I needed? Were the employees polite and helpful? Was everything neat and clean? Was I thanked for my business? What happened when I made a return?Whether your business is an international retailer or a small one-person shop, what you don't know about your customers' perceptions of your quality and service can hurt you.
Outsourcing: The Unspoken Costs
Outsourcing seems to be the new-new thing and approximately 50% of our major corporations are doing it. What are the costs? The benefits? And what skills need to be managed in order to make it work optimally?Let's get a clear understanding of what we mean by outsourcing: it's the shifting of easily codified jobs - such as help desk support, call centers, system maintenance, and programming jobs - to countries that can manage them more cheaply.
Dissatisfied or Rude Customers Can Be Satisfied Customers
On a recent airline flight I was an upset customer. I was arriving on a late inbound flight and connecting with the last flight out on the same airline, but the connecting flight left without me! At first, I was furious when told to wait in a line of 300 people to resolve my problem.
4 Customer Service Mistakes Companies Should Avoid Making
1) Being placed on hold endlessly. Don't you just love it when you call a company and they place you on hold, leaving you to listen to their latest on-hold, recorded sales pitch, over and over again.
Tips for Curing Bad Customer Service
Bad customer service is everywhere these days - unmanned front desks, surly servers, clueless staff, employees talking on the phone, and managers who refuse to acknowledge a customer. It's no longer an exception .
How to Easily Increase Your Profits
Do you remember the last time you went into a shop and the person 'serving' raced over to you, greeted you with a lovely smile, heaps of enthusiasm and said, "Welcome to our store, what can I help you with today?" And then listened attentively to what you had to say?Doesn't happen very often does it? In fact, while I was writing this, I couldn't recall when I had experienced it. I'm sure I must have yet it would have been so long ago, I can't remember.
How To Keep Your Customers Coming Back -- Understanding Customer Retention
Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth coffee for free?These businesses understand that a customer retention program is a fantastic way to ensure that customers keep coming back. The most recognized customer retention programs are those loyalty programs used by retailers, but this same principal can be applied to any business that wishes to maintain a loyal customer base.
More Customers - Watch those Little Things
Two situations, two perfectly acceptable experiences, but in one case, an excitement about great service and in the other case, just OK.The LaptopI have a laptop which is under warranty - 5 working day turnaround they said when I rang them about a power problem.
Accountants / Lawyers Do Yourself a Favor - What do Your Customers Want?
In my day to day practice in strategic human resource management I often come across customers looking for a 'good' accountant or 'good lawyer'. As an accountant myself the common thread for a 'good acountant or lawyer' seems to be 'I want someone who can explain things in plain english without the jargon'.
When the Customer Demands: Give a Discount or Lose the Order
Periodically every sales person encounters the customer who refuses to buy unless they receive a discount. Sometimes this is driven by the organization's culture or the buyer wanting to look good to their boss and sometimes it is simply the mindset of the individual buyer them self.
I Wont Tell My Lawyer but I Will Tell You
A general counsel of a large international consulting firm told us about his experience talking to an interviewer who had called to discuss his satisfaction level with his outside law firm. He had been using the services of a "high end, expensive" law firm out of New York.
The Reality of Customer Service in America and Best Efforts in Franchising, We Can Do Better
Yesterday I went to buy a sandwich at a franchised outlet. I thought while driving up would the owner be there to help out and save some money on labor, knowing a holiday weekend is hard to get labor.
The Added Value - Is YOU!
If there was a restaurant in your town that was physically attractive and clean, had a pleasant variety of entrées on the menu, served food that was prepared in an attractive manner, and the service was outstanding--the maitre'd greeted you by name, remembered which was your favorite table, stopped by later to inquire about your needs and satisfaction, the waiters and waitresses bent over backwards to make your dinner a pleasurable experience and always treated you as if you were their most important patron--would you be willing to pay a little more than other restaurants charged?Many of us will pay a more to obtain better treatment. Why? Today, outstanding customer service has become the exception rather than the rule.
Customer Service, the Internets Primary Neglected Business Concern
Customer service is everything to a business. Just look at big, successful retail chains: They let you return perfectly good merchandise just because you changed your mind.
Difficult Customers - Theres No Such Thing
A couple of years ago I had a call from a Customer ServiceManager working in the paper industry. He wanted me to run aseminar for his team, on "How to Deal with DifficultCustomers".
How to Walk the Floor and Talk to Customers
This may seem a strange topic to introduce. Yet, it is the most under-used skill by many retail managers, but one of the most important roles in their supervision.
Is Your Food Establishment Clean?
Is your restaurant, bar or hotel clean? I mean really clean. I don't mean"do you stick to all the rules and regulations?".
Revealed - A Simple Formula For Success! Exceeding Expectations
Delight = Customer Expectation plus 1. This was the simple formula for delighting your customers that Ken Blanchard informed us of in his book "Raving Fans" For me this is a great formula, but in itself it also raises a number of questions.
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
However, in the world of business, this cliché may not necessarily be true. Sometimes it can be more like 'Out of Site, Out of Mind'.