MetaChat - Reasons to hate Abes of Maine

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

07 February 2007

Reasons to hate Abes of Maine →[More:]I ordered a TiVo Series3 from Abes of Maine nine days ago. Now I hate Abes of Maine, because:

1) The day after I placed the order, they sent me an email with the subject "THE ORDER YOU PLACED ONLINE," which said to call "for verification issues regarding the order." When I called, they didn't verify anything. The only reason they wanted me to call was so they could try to sell me an extended warranty.

2) They charged my credit card when I placed the order, but there wasn't any tracking information on my order a week after I placed the order. (Their order tracking page says it takes "at least 24-48 hours for tracking details to be posted to website." I guess they weren't kidding.)

3) I tried calling George, the contact person listing on the order tracking page, three times. Each time he immediately put me on hold and never picked up.

4) When I finally tried talking to someone else, they said they'd cancelled the order because I was shipping it to a package transfer company or something and I was using an international credit card.

I used the Jet Mail across the street from my office as the shipping address because I can't receive packages at my apartment building. I've done this a bazillion times before with other companies. Abes of Maine said they called Jet Mail and found out they were a receiving company and cancelled the order because they don't ship to receiving companies. (I don't remember seeing any mention of this in their online ordering process.) When I asked why they didn't call me, they lied and said they didn't have my phone number. I just checked my account at Abes of Maine, and they have my home and work numbers.

My credit card is from a US bank, and I'm not sure I understand why that would matter anyway.

5) Maybe it's a coincidence, but after I made this order, someone used my credit card number to make unauthorized purchases. I only use this card rarely and hadn't used it for about a month before.

6) "Abes" should really have a comma.

So, that's why I hate Abes of Maine.

post by: kirkaracha at: 12:39 | 9 comments

6) "Abes" should really have a comma.

you mean an apostrophe.

posted by jonmc 07 February | 12:40

Of course, I was too full of rage to remember what the goddamn thing was called.

I'm bummed because I was going to transfer my lifetime service from my Series2 box to the new one, and the offer expired at the end of January.

posted by kirkaracha 07 February | 12:49

That is a pretty bad customer service experience. Wow.

posted by richat 07 February | 13:06

Abes is known in photography circles as someplace to avoid buying stuff from. They outright lie about availability and they enforce their draconian return policy even when they ship you the wrong stuff.

posted by Mitheral 07 February | 13:51

Yep, what Mitheral said. B&H or Adorama.

posted by doctor_negative 07 February | 14:01

I am so leery of online purchases. Awhile back I bout about 2k worth of camera lenses and while Abes had the best prices they had some atrocious online reviews, finally went with B&H and was happy with it even though they where slightly more pricey. Recently there have been some reports about Abes paying people to post positive online reviews.

posted by edgeways 07 February | 14:19

I remember every time I've seen the Abes of Maine listed as a place to buy something I think to myself. Fuck Abe. No rational reason. I just didn't like Abe or link to Maine.

I also hate when companies lie. When I was in Europe my Wells Fargo debit card stopped working. I called and they said it was for my protection. I said, that's nice but when other banks suspect fraud they call me. They said they didn't have my number. Even though I've had the same number and account with them for going on a decade. Instead just say "We fucked up. Sorry."

posted by birdherder 07 February | 15:46

Purchasing anything from an outfit in NYC called Abe's of Maine is like buying stuff in Ohio from Bob the Swede.

posted by Smart Dalek 07 February | 19:09

They're not exactly "of Maine" anymore.
Abes of Maine
Raritan Center
5 Fernwood Ave
Edison, NJ 08837

posted by theora55 08 February | 09:06

← Have you seen this commercial directed by Nicolai Fuglsig? || Watch me3dia on "Chicago Tonight"! →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN