Chips and Bits - Poor Customer Service?
Chris McMahon
Has anyone ever received a reply from Chips and Bits
(http://www.cdmag.com/cgi-bin/order.cbi_home)?
When ever I tried to place an order MSIE gives the following:
Error 400
Invalid request "CONNECT www.cdmag.com:443 HTTP/1.0" (unknown method)
I tried emailing them 3 times, over a period of a month and they never
bothered to reply. Seems they are not interested in taking orders, or
maybe they are out of business ?
Can anyone suggest another company I could order from ? (Someone who
cares about their customers and takes international orders.)
Thanks
--------------------------------------------
Chris Mc Mahon - chr...@mars.nettrek.com.au
I reserve the right to make a complete and
utter arse of myself by posting senseless
dribble. I also lie alot...
--------------------------------------------
al...@tact.touro.edu
Fifa 95
Warcraft 2
civilization
colonization
Steve Bonnot
with their phone ordering service. Haven't tried the web site.
Phone orders are shipped the next day and almost always arive
at my door in no less than three days. Be sure to check to see
if the items requested is in stock.
Steve
Dean
Thus spake chr...@mars.nettrek.net.au, in article
<3207feae....@news.uq.oz.au>...
>
>Has anyone ever received a reply from Chips and Bits
>(http://www.cdmag.com/cgi-bin/order.cbi_home)?
>
>When ever I tried to place an order MSIE gives the following:
>
>Error 400
>Invalid request "CONNECT www.cdmag.com:443 HTTP/1.0" (unknown method)
>
>
>I tried emailing them 3 times, over a period of a month and they never
>bothered to reply. Seems they are not interested in taking orders, or
>maybe they are out of business ?
>
>Can anyone suggest another company I could order from ? (Someone who
>cares about their customers and takes international orders.)
>
Probably just a bad link. I've ordered from them MANY times via their 800 #
and they've been fantastic. Several of my clients have ordered from them, too,
with no probs...
--
Dean Robb (WB: Raz1) (Hawaii: Robb)
PC-Easy
On-site computer services and consulting
PCE...@Norfolk.Infi.Net
Lucio Burroni
On Wed, 07 Aug 1996 12:15:31 -0700, Steve Bonnot <ste...@cisco.com>
wrote:
>Try their 800 for ordering. I have got great service/results
>with their phone ordering service. Haven't tried the web site.
>Phone orders are shipped the next day and almost always arive
>at my door in no less than three days. Be sure to check to see
>if the items requested is in stock.
>
>Steve
Because Chips and Bits not reply by email at my messages?
,-~~-.___. <----------------------------------->
/ | ' \ -=|LUCIO BURRONI |=-
( ) 0 -=| E-MAIL: luci...@ats.it |=-
\_/-, ,----' -=| 39+575-355245-300533 Arezzo AR |=-
==== // -=| I T A L Y |=-
/ \-'~; /~~~(O) <----------------------------------->
/ __/~| / |
=( ______| (_________|
Brian D. Whitworth
My experience with C&B for many years now has always been good service and
good prices. They have not always been among the first to get software to
ship, though.
regards,
brian
: I tried emailing them 3 times, over a period of a month and they never
: bothered to reply. Seems they are not interested in taking orders, or
: maybe they are out of business ?
: Can anyone suggest another company I could order from ? (Someone who
: cares about their customers and takes international orders.)
: Thanks
: --------------------------------------------
: Chris Mc Mahon - chr...@mars.nettrek.com.au
: I reserve the right to make a complete and
: utter arse of myself by posting senseless
: dribble. I also lie alot...
: --------------------------------------------
--
DLRapp
>On Wed, 07 Aug 1996 12:15:31 -0700, Steve Bonnot <ste...@cisco.com>
>wrote:
>>Try their 800 for ordering. I have got great service/results
>>with their phone ordering service. Haven't tried the web site.
>>Phone orders are shipped the next day and almost always arive
>>at my door in no less than three days. Be sure to check to see
>>if the items requested is in stock.
>Because Chips and Bits not reply by email at my messages?
Did you try the search facility to find the game you are seeking? That's
how you check on availability, not by email.
Adam Witkowski
Unfortunately, they don't reply to ANY e-mail, they simply ignor it.
Otherwise, their prices are the best.
Adam
Adam Witkowski
Chris Kintz
On 9 Aug 1996 00:31:48 GMT, pce...@norfolk.infi.net (Dean) wrote:
>Thus spake chr...@mars.nettrek.net.au, in article
><3207feae....@news.uq.oz.au>...
>>
>>Has anyone ever received a reply from Chips and Bits
[snip]
>>I tried emailing them 3 times, over a period of a month and they never
>>bothered to reply. Seems they are not interested in taking orders, or
>>maybe they are out of business ?
[snip]
>Probably just a bad link. I've ordered from them MANY times via their 800 #
>and they've been fantastic. Several of my clients have ordered from them, too,
>with no probs...
Hmmm. I put in a order with Chips & Bits online, and never got a
confirmation. Sent email. No reply. Sent another email. No reply.
Sent a third email to a different address. No reply. Grrrr. Called
their 1-800 number to bitch. Surprisingly, my orders WERE entered
into their computer system the day I send out the order (the guy read
'em off to me, one by one, so I know he wasn't making it up).
Anyway, the gentleman I talked to seemed surprised that I never got a
reply to my email. "I'll mention it to the guys." Maybe they're
having problems with the mail server?
-Chris
Christopher Kintz (cki...@aloha.com) (http://www.aloha.com/~ckintz)
Orbital Death Ray Strike Coordinates - Lat:21.343N, Lng:157.908W, Hgt:167ft.
ADVERTISEMENT: Use Chris' Email Archiving Service! Any unsolicited
commercial email sent to 'cki...@aloha.com' will be put into storage
on my hard-drive. Fulfill all of your storage needs! A charge of
$200 will be charged for every 5K or portion thereof. I accept VISA,
MASTERCARD, CHECK, and MONEY ORDERS. By sending me commercial email,
you signal understanding and acceptance of these terms.
Alan Dion
I've purchased many (over 20) games from Chips and Bits. They are always
curteous and helpful on their 800 number. They ship fast and if you
pre-order
before release they don't charge for shipping. What's the reason for the
title of
this thread?
Alan
Adam Witkowski <ada...@netvision.net.il> wrote in article
<DvzH0...@actcom.co.il>...
James Lindsay
Yes I have successfully received orders but no relpy when I emailed them
twice.
Victoria Sullivan
On 9 Aug 1996 00:31:48 GMT, pce...@norfolk.infi.net (Dean) wrote:
>Thus spake chr...@mars.nettrek.net.au, in article
><3207feae....@news.uq.oz.au>...
>>Has anyone ever received a reply from Chips and Bits
>>(http://www.cdmag.com/cgi-bin/order.cbi_home)?
>>When ever I tried to place an order MSIE gives the following:
<snipped by order of my server>
>>Can anyone suggest another company I could order from ? (Someone who
>>cares about their customers and takes international orders.)
>Probably just a bad link. I've ordered from them MANY times via their 800 #
>and they've been fantastic. Several of my clients have ordered from them, too,
>with no probs...
>
>--
>Dean Robb (WB: Raz1) (Hawaii: Robb)
>PC-Easy
>On-site computer services and consulting
>PCE...@Norfolk.Infi.Net
>
I gently point to the "au" in the poster's address and his comment
about international orders. 800 numbers aren't much use to the rest of
us who live in the rest of the world.
However, I suggest either trying to fix the problem with Internet
Explorer or trying another browser. Sounds like a security issue and
it probably happens when payment is required. I have ordered from
Chips & Bits by way of the web site numerous times without any
problems.
My apologies to those who don't appreciate the cross posting, but as
the original message was sent so broadly, I wanted to make sure I
reached the intended audience. The web site of Chips & Bits has been a
great help while I've lived here in the UK. Some US games just aren't
availble here and those that are often cost a lot more than stateside.
Late PS - my latest order from C & B just arrived today, clearly
shipped the next business day after I placed the order online. I'm
sorry if others haven't had good luck, but I find the service quite
satisfactory.
--
Victoria L. Sullivan
vl.su...@ukonline.co.uk
Dean
Thus spake vl.su...@ukonline.co.uk, in article
>I gently point to the "au" in the poster's address and his comment
>about international orders. 800 numbers aren't much use to the rest of
>us who live in the rest of the world.
Thank you for the gentle pointer! I was not aware that 800/888 #s were
inacessable internationally. Learn something new every day...:)
--
Dean Robb (WB: Raz1)
PC-Easy (on-site computer services and consulting)
PCE...@Norfolk.Infi.Net
(757/804) 495-EASY
DLRapp
In article <320EF8...@voyager.co.nz>, James Lindsay <pent...@voyager.co.nz> says:
>Chris Kintz wrote:
>> Anyway, the gentleman I talked to seemed surprised that I never got a
>> reply to my email. "I'll mention it to the guys." Maybe they're
>> having problems with the mail server?
>> -Chris
>Yes I have successfully received orders but no relpy when I emailed them
>twice.
Try emailing them with a "return receipt" to see if anyone is even
reading/receiving the message.
Dan Mize
I LIVE IN VA BEACH LOOKING FOR MODEM PLAYER FOR ANY GAMES
DOOM2 WARCRAFT2 OR ANYTHING ELSE
DAN
Sanders
vl.su...@ukonline.co.uk (Victoria Sullivan) wrote:
>>
>I gently point to the "au" in the poster's address and his comment
>about international orders. 800 numbers aren't much use to the rest of
>us who live in the rest of the world.
>
>However, I suggest either trying to fix the problem with Internet
>Explorer or trying another browser. Sounds like a security issue and
>it probably happens when payment is required. I have ordered from
>Chips & Bits by way of the web site numerous times without any
>problems.
>
Old technology to the rescue -- I've always placed overseas orders by
fax, and it always works a treat. Not as 'cool' as e-mail, I guess,
but if it works ....
Kurt Sanders
Chris McMahon
chr...@mars.nettrek.net.au (Chris McMahon) wrote:
Thank to all those who replied to this post. The general consensus
seems to be that Chips and Bits are ok but don't bother to answer any
email.
A few people suggested ringing them but as I'm in Australia (something
I should have made clear in my original post) 1-800-numbers don't
work. The high cost, time differences and hold times, generally rule
out voice calls.
> Has anyone ever received a reply from Chips and Bits
> (http://www.cdmag.com/cgi-bin/order.cbi_home)?
Not one person said that they ever received a reply from Chips and
Bits.
> When ever I tried to place an order MSIE gives the following:
> Error 400
> Invalid request "CONNECT www.cdmag.com:443 HTTP/1.0" (unknown method)
>
I finally gave up on MSIE and tried Netscape. It worked first time and
I place an order.
It appears that MSIE doesn't support SSL, even though MS say it does.
>
> I tried emailing them 3 times, over a period of a month and they never
> bothered to reply. Seems they are not interested in taking orders, or
> maybe they are out of business ?
They aren't out of business, they just seem totally clueless about the
internet.
> Can anyone suggest another company I could order from ? (Someone who
> cares about their customers and takes international orders.)
A few people offered other companies and I followed them up. All of
the other have similar prices to C&B, however their shipping charges
were outrageous. They averaged US$33 for a single game to Australia
via air-services. So if the game is $45 they want $78 all up!
In the end the only reason I ordered from C&B was the $6 shipping
charge on in-stock items, and free shipping on back and pre-orders. In
fact most of my order (28 items - some due to arrive up to 12 months
from now) was pre-orders so I should save quite a bit on shipping.
It's been a week since I placed my order, I haven't received anything
yet, no even confirmation of my order, so I'll give it another week to
see if something turns up.
Once again, thanks to those who offered their opinions on this
subject.
Runestar
In article <4uqjpa$9...@nw101.infi.net>, pce...@norfolk.infi.net says...
>>about international orders. 800 numbers aren't much use to the rest of
>>us who live in the rest of the world.
>
>inacessable internationally. Learn something new every day...:)
>
>
If I remember correctly they're accessible but as a regular toll call.
Is that right?
John Beaderstadt
Chris McMahon wrote:
> It's been a week since I placed my order, I haven't received anything
> yet, no even confirmation of my order, so I'll give it another week to
> see if something turns up.
FWIW, I used to have a friend in Sydney, and we frequently sent packages
back and forth (I'm in Vermont -- about a two-hour drive from Chips &
Bits, actually <G>). It normally took 10 to 14 days for a package to
make the trip, air mail, and a letter only a day or two less.
--
"The fortunate man knows how much he can safely leave to chance."
-- Lady Barbara Hornblower
John Beaderstadt
Runestar wrote:
> >>I gently point to the "au" in the poster's address and his comment
> >>about international orders. 800 numbers aren't much use to the rest of
> >>us who live in the rest of the world.
> >
> >Thank you for the gentle pointer! I was not aware that 800/888 #s were
> >inacessable internationally. Learn something new every day...:)
>
> If I remember correctly they're accessible but as a regular toll call.
> Is that right?
800/888 numbers are *very* geography-limited. Usually, US callers can't
use Canadian 800 numbers (and vice-versa) and, living close enough to
Chips and Bits to be able to drive there if I want, and far enough to
make ordering by phone practical, I can tell you that their 800 number
can't be used if the call is placed from a location too near to them (50
miles or so).
Kevin So
In article <321603ba....@news.uq.oz.au>, chr...@mars.nettrek.net.au wrote:
>A few people offered other companies and I followed them up. All of
>the other have similar prices to C&B, however their shipping charges
>were outrageous. They averaged US$33 for a single game to Australia
>via air-services. So if the game is $45 they want $78 all up!
>
>In the end the only reason I ordered from C&B was the $6 shipping
>charge on in-stock items, and free shipping on back and pre-orders. In
>fact most of my order (28 items - some due to arrive up to 12 months
>from now) was pre-orders so I should save quite a bit on shipping.
>
>yet, no even confirmation of my order, so I'll give it another week to
>see if something turns up.
A friend of mine, who's also in Australia has a similar experience
with C&B. He placed an order of a Thrustmaster ACM gamecard and a
Thrustmaster Formula T2 steering wheel /w pedals combo a while ago. The T2
came about two weeks after he placed the order, but the strange thing is, the
game card didn't come with the steering wheel! I don't know whether he has
received the game card or not, but one thing for sure is that C&B has kindly
choosen to deliver the T2 by courier service (something that my friend didn't
ask), another US$64 add on!
Kevin "Maverick" So <py...@glink.net.hk>
Flat 17B, 62 Moorsom Rd.,
Jardine's Lookout,
Hong Kong
(852)2577-6677
Assman
yep, if you are too close to the area, the call might not
work! ( My local radio station has an #800 number but if I
call, it says not from this area)
Roger W. Billings
I have had problems with C&B also they would charge me for 2 day
shipping when the package came in 4-5 days. Called to C/S dept and
one person would tell me one thing and then another would tell me they
had no authority to do that.. etc... Very poor C/S.
"A faster car would probaly get you there quicker"
Jim Waggener
da...@ix.netcom.com(Dan Mize) wrote:
>
> DAN
How 'bout ATF Dan?...Got Warcraft II but ya'd slaughter me in that
(rarely play it).
JimW in Norfolk
cre...@infi.net
Lephturn (Sean Conrad)
chr...@mars.nettrek.net.au (Chris McMahon) wrote:
>chr...@mars.nettrek.net.au (Chris McMahon) wrote:
>Thank to all those who replied to this post. The general consensus
>seems to be that Chips and Bits are ok but don't bother to answer any
>email.
>> When ever I tried to place an order MSIE gives the following:
>> Error 400
>> Invalid request "CONNECT www.cdmag.com:443 HTTP/1.0" (unknown method)
>>
>I finally gave up on MSIE and tried Netscape. It worked first time and
>I place an order.
? This is weird. What version MSIE are you using. The new 3.0
version is out, and it is hands down faster than Netscape. Also, I've
never seen the error you are talking about.
>It appears that MSIE doesn't support SSL, even though MS say it does.
You must have been using a beta version of IE3.0 I would assume. I
have no problems.
Sean P. Conrad <Lephturn> http://fox.nstn.ca/~spconrad/lephturn.html
spco...@enviroclean.ca Leph in WB <F'ing Pigs>
Roey Lehman
I ordered Grand Prix 2 from ISRAEL!
It arrived within 12 days, in cardboard box, with a manifest,
catalog, the game, and a magazine!
Very nice!
The only thing that kept the package from arriving the next day,
is the DAMN israeli customs!
Chris McMahon
Ok here's the latest on Chips and Bits:
> > Has anyone ever received a reply from Chips and Bits
> > (http://www.cdmag.com/cgi-bin/order.cbi_home)?
I finally received a reply from Chips and Bits! It took them 20 days
to answer me - heres what they said:
"Sorry it's taken so long to respond. We had a problem with our email
account which just recently got fixed, and we've been trying to catch
up to a 500+ message backlog. As of this point we are answering all
email on a daily basis, and don't expect the problem to repeat
itself."
As for my problem with their page-
> > When ever I tried to place an order MSIE gives the following:
> > Error 400
> > Invalid request "CONNECT www.cdmag.com:443 HTTP/1.0" (unknown method)
They said:
"In regard to the error message you keep getting, it's because you're
using Microsoft Internet Explorer. We've recently become aware that
our ordering system is grievously incompatible with MS Expolrer. Our
Webmeister General is working on re-coding the ordering system, and
hopes to have the problem solved soon."
So maybe now they have got their act together. Time will tell.
I also asked another question which they failed to respond to.
As for my order made on 11-Aug-96 - it's now 24-Aug-96, 13 days later
and I haven't received anything. While most of my order was
pre-ordered items, 4 items were "in stock" so I should have received
something by now.
John Beaderstadt
Chris McMahon wrote:
> As for my order made on 11-Aug-96 - it's now 24-Aug-96, 13 days later
> and I haven't received anything. While most of my order was
> pre-ordered items, 4 items were "in stock" so I should have received
> something by now.
Not necessarilly. I don't know where in Australia you are, but I do know
that mail routinely takes a minimum of 10 business days between Vermont
and Sydney. I'd say that you could consider it normal service if you
receive your order sometime in the next week. Unless it's coming via
surface mail, in which case you have my deepest sympathy.
Peter Huebner
>> As for my order made on 11-Aug-96 - it's now 24-Aug-96, 13 days later
>> and I haven't received anything. While most of my order was
>> pre-ordered items, 4 items were "in stock" so I should have received
>> something by now.
>Not necessarilly. I don't know where in Australia you are, but I do know
>that mail routinely takes a minimum of 10 business days between Vermont
>and Sydney. I'd say that you could consider it normal service if you
>receive your order sometime in the next week. Unless it's coming via
>surface mail, in which case you have my deepest sympathy.
Typically they have sent stuff to me ( in New Zealand ) via DHL and it seems
to take around 3 - 4 weeks to get here. But then I am quite happy to wait that
long since their shipping rates are nowhere near as outrageous as others. (sic).
cheers, Peter
--