Paradise Galleries- Absolutely the WORST customer service I've ever come across!

[crazymomof4]

I have never experienced anything quite this bad! Posting this here bc. I couldn't find any website where I could post a review of this company and thereby warn any potential customers.

Here is my story:
~11/27/06- I order 2 dolls on sale. I'm sent an invoice that contains a time frame of 7-10 days for shipment of these dolls. Great!
~First week of Dec. I get a letter that one of the dolls is back ordered and will not be shipped until 12/18/06. No problem. I didn't need them by the holidays anyway.
~Watching for the other doll to arrive. Nothing.
~Mid Dec. I email asking where the other doll is. Reply: oh, the other doll is on back order too. OK- well, thanks for letting me know!
~1/5/07 - I still have neither of the dolls. An email comes to me offering free upgrade on shipping for orders placed in the next 5 days. I call to tell them that since they are offering this to new orders, I think it fair that it be applied to my order since it has taken so long to be filled. After much time on hold, the woman says I will get the upgraded shipping promo.
~1/28/07- I receive one of the dolls and I'm charged almost what they were supposed to charge for shipping both dolls. (??)
~2/17/07- I email customer service to ask about the second doll and the confusing shipping charge. No response after 3 business days so I called today.
Both times that I have called the same person has answered. She spoke in broken english (nothing against that, both my parents are immigrants) and repeatedly said "um, um, um, um" very often. In the aggitated state that I was in, this annoyed me bc. it really seem as if she were not qualified to help me with my issue. Adding to this further was the fact that she kept putting the phone down for long periods of time (10 mins at one point) and I heard women speaking in a foreign language in the background. Then she would come back on only to leave again when I had another question. All told, I was on the phone for over 30 minutes, most of that time with no one to talk to.
Here is how the call went: She tells me the 2nd doll will not be shipped until 3/30-- WHAT? I ordered it on 11/27!!! The odd shipping charge on the 1st doll was explained like this- half the originally quoted shipping + $4 extra for upgraded shipping! WHAT? I was supposed to get that upgrade free! She leaves me hanging and comes back to say that I have to give her the promo code. WHAT? She didn't ask for the code when I called to request it, but now she wants me to find it! Leaves me hanging again. In the meantime, I find the offer in my "inbox". She comes back to say that that offer was never mailed to me. I say, "That's funny bc. I am looking right at it". Awkward moment of silence follows. So I give her the code. She leaves me hanging again. Comes back and tells me that there are 2 accounts with the same email and I shouldn't have received the promo so they can't apply it. She gives the name of the other account holder. I say "That's my daughter who is 6. These dolls are for her!" She leaves again.
Comes back and tells me that they will credit my account the $4 and not charge me anymore shipping for the 2nd doll. OK- WHY did it take so long to get to this point. I ask her to put that in an email and send it to me for my records! Not taking any chances!!

I order via the internet a lot. Disney, ebay, half.com, amazon, etc. and dozens of catalog companies. I have never had such a bad experience!!! Not even close!

All I can say is they have seen the last of me. If DD was not expecting this doll, I'd have canceled the shipment a long time ago!

UPDATE: 3/27/07- Just called and they have moved the estimated shipping date to May 8, 2007- Almost six months from when I ordered it!!!

If you are considering ordering from them: BUYER BEWARE!

 

[Chicago526]

Ugh, what a mess! This reminds me why I rarely order anything from the internet or catalogs in the first place. That, and I love to go out shoping!

Sorry for your troubles, I hope you and your DD finaly get the second doll.

 

[JikoMarie]

This is absolutely inexcusable. Even though your daughter is waiting for them, I would return the one you have, cancel the other one, and demand all your money back if you've paid already.

 

[disneysnowflake]

I was going to pre-order a set of 2 Asian babies right before Christmas, but their website wouldn't work. I couldn't check out. I got a bad feeling and decided against it even though I wanted a couple of their dolls.

I'm sorry you had to go through this. I'm definitely staying away from that place.

 

[crazymomof4]

OP here.

I'm bumping this to let more people aware of this TERRIBLE company and to update.
I finally got the second doll in mid-May-- the doll I ordered in NOVEMBER!!!!!!
Guess what? They overcharged me!
Now I've got to get back on the phone, probably w/ the same numb-skull I spoke with earlier and try to explain that they need to credit my account.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

That is just insane. I would be livid.

 

[Evil Genius]

You need to ask to speak to a supervisor straight off. If they tell you that none is available, tell them you want to speak to a manager or the phone number to their corporate offices. Their website might have all that information anyway. This issue is now for management to clean up for you.

 

[agnes!]

Oh, no, don't even bother with the numbskull. It sounds like they are overcharging you on your credit card, time to file a formal grievance with your credit card company. Let the credit card company/bank walk into the equation on your side and all of a sudden things will change.

Paradise Galleries doesn't care about the customer but they WILL care when the 500 pound gorilla walks into the room and threatens them with legal action, etc.

agnes!
PS - I would also see what governmental entities you need to file with. Aren't they committing fraud of some type? I would think since it is interstate that the FBI might want to get involved.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Definatley go "up one level" or two...

 

[Reverie]

I actually asked them for a quote on international delivery recently, and it took them seven emails to understand what it was I was requesting of them. Then, when I finally got a quote, I asked them if I could have sale price on my dolls, since in the time they had taken sorting my invoice out, the dolls had gone on sale. They never responded, and now my email address is apparently blacklisted with them. I have tried to contact them through another email address, but the minute I give them my contact details, they stop responding, as if they have me banned from ordering from them.

I think I'd rather pay the extra buying them off eBay than buying them through Paradise Galleries.

Thanks for the heads up on their poor service, I really could have done myself in ordering from them from overseas.

 

[crazymomof4]

If they were selling dolls for a penny each, I wouldn't initiate another transaction w/ this company!
I still get their paper catalogs in the mail and they go straight to the recycle bin! I guess I could call and TRY to explain to them that I wish to be removed from their mailing list, but it would probably take 3 calls to them at 20-30 mins each before they actually understood and followed through with what I was requesting.