Can Someone PLEASE Contact Me, Or Do I Have To Choke A Bitch?

I mean really, people. I don't know about everyone else, but I have had THE ABSOLUTE WORST customer service in the last month than I have ever had in my entire life. Seriously.

I ordered a Christmas gift for someone back on November 29th from a place called hookmeuphometheater.com. Maybe that was my first mistake: trusting a webstore with a retarded name like that. Anyway, they had the best price and best shipping price for this item. They are also, allegedly, a member of the Better Business Bureau (who ROCKS harder than AC/DC, because they settled a 8-month dispute that I had with Home Depot, lickety-split. I will eventually post about this too. It's just that the wounds are still too fresh....).

Well, the item, according to the website, was "in-stock." I ordered it. About a week or so later, I realized that I hadn't received any communication from them confirming my order or telling me that they are going to ship it, etc. So I checked the order status webpage on their site.

SIGH

The order was there. They charged my credit card. But the status of the item had been changed to "back-order." Now, dear reader, I ask you: WHEN WERE THEY GOING TO TELL ME THIS? The answer? Probably never. To add insult to injury, the actual item STILL had "in-stock" next to its title. WTF? I managed to contain my rage long enough to type out this fairly coherent e-mail:

Hello:

I placed order #3691 for "such-and-such item" on November 29th.  According to your
website at the time I placed the order, this item was in-stock. Because I have not
heard from you about this order and it's been NINE days, I have just checked your
website to view my order status and it says that the item I ordered is on 
backorder, with the date "12/06/2006" underneath it (but it also STILL says
"in-stock" next to the item title)!  This is unacceptable.  I would not have
placed the order if I was told upfront that the item was out of stock and on 
backorder.

It is now December 8th.  Do you or do you not have this item in stock?  If not, I
cannot wait any longer for it and would like to cancel my order. If you do have it
in stock, I expect that it will be shipped IMMEDIATELY and can you please tell me
when I can expect to receive it?

Gina Waters

No response. Nada. The rage is now setting fire to my intestines. I wait all weekend. Nothing. Monday morning comes and I decide to call them. Of course, nobody is there to take the call because they are in freakin' California and it's like 8:00 am here in Philly. So I leave a message. Firm and concerned, but calm. ZILCHO. No call; no e-mail. I am totally incensed now. So yesterday, I sent them yet another e-mail:

Hello:

I am writing again regarding my order #3691.  I have not heard from you about the
status of this order, despite having asked you twice.  I telephoned yesterday and
received no response.  Below is an e-mail I sent on Friday, to which I also did not
receive a response.

Can someone please acknowledge that I exist and respond to me regarding this order?

Gina Waters

Can you guess what the response was? DING! That's right! NO RESPONSE AT ALL! I am so incredibly angry that I am like crawling out of my skin. I can't even explain it. I just...I mean...it's like...just watch this and you'll know:

Yeah. So, I am going to wait until 1:00 or so to call them, again.

I am having a similar problem with ANOTHER website --- this time a comic-book place --- about 2 orders that I placed on the 11th of December. The place is Westfieldcomics.com. They have THE most confusing webpage and ordering system I have ever encountered. So confusing that I ended up having to place 2 separate orders instead of one, thus getting charged $6.95 for shipping two times. I called them yesterday just to discuss the orders because I am so freakin' confused that I don't know if they got one of the two orders and when either of them will ship or if it's even it stock or what. It's all kinds of fucked up. So, anyway, I called yesterday evening and left a message with a woman named "Mary." No response. WTF is wrong with people? These people are in Michigan, I think. So, I will call them again at lunchtime, too.

Ok, I realize that it's the Christmas gift-giving season. Things are hectic for everyone. But Jesus Tapdancing Christ, this is ridiculous.