Translating from the web to the real world.....



  • ...is sometimes not that easy. That's something that Blockbusters DVD rental might want to learn. I clicked and clicked and clicked... but nothing happened. :(

    (Let's try a few ways of linking to a pic. One might even work)
    DVD package
    chances of this working? 1 in 10,000
    http://www.zen92221.zen.co.uk/sillyblockbusters.jpg



  • Tiger Electronics has been doing this for months (or years?), in a much worse fashion, with their print catalog.

    The printed catalog, which you receive every few weeks if you've ever ordered anything from them, is layed out much like traditional mail-order catalogs, with the page divided into many smaller and larger rectangular boxes, containing pics and sales blather for each item, followed by item numbers and prices. This is of course quite different from their web pages--one page per item and lots of extra info.

    So, if it's not simply a dump of the web pages, why are there friendly rounded-corner white-text-on-red "Add to card" buttons next to every item number?! Like Ray, I tried clicking on them, and nothing happened.

    Sorry I have no photo handy. Someone else care to post an example to show just how stupid it looks?



  • "Add to cart", not "card". I give up. I need an working Edit button. Also, the handheld games had LCD, not LED displays.



  • Yes, that's the ones. Not sure if they're still around or not.

    Thinking about it, the funny thing is that in a many years in e-paper gets advanced and cheap enough, the "click here"s on printed materials might even work! By that point, we'll hopefully not still be snail-mailing video.



  • @Brendan Kidwell said:

    "Add to cart", not "card". I give up. I need an working Edit button. Also, the handheld games had LCD, not LED displays.

    Now, if you are really going retro, the old handheld games DID have LED.  I alwas liked the football game that had the two "blockers" in front of the runner.  You know... the one that you can hear in "The Sensible Song".

    (Sigh.  I'm getting old.)



  • @Brendan Kidwell said:

    Doh! You all know I meant Tiger Direct, right? Who is Tiger Electronics? Are they the ones with the cardboard cutout handheld LED games? Are they still around?


    Please don't get me started on Tiger Direct...

    Okay, I'll tell you all. :)

    I was in the UK at the time, and wanted to purchase a nice new PC for my fiancee in Canada. As I'd bought books and DVDs and had those sent to her address (and billed to me) the year before (Thanks to Amazon.ca), I figured there would be no problem.

    How wrong I was.

    I completed a nice order on TigerDirect.ca and entered my UK credit card details. I recieved the order confirmation, and waited.

    2 months later (!), when all the parts for the order had come into stock, I recieved a notification that there was a problem, the order had been put on hold, and could I please call Tiger Direct's billing department to discuss the problem. Having a reasonable International plan, I called the 1-800 number given on their site to talk to their billing department... And was connected to Tiger Direct.com's billing department (Who had absolutely no idea what I was going on about). After a lot of digging and e-mails back and forth, I finally found the local (Toronto) number for Tiger Direct.ca's sales department, who I managed to get to transfer me to the billing department.

    The problem? Tiger Direct would not accept my UK credit card. The Credit Card Billing address had to match exactly, and their bank would not accept a billing address outside of Canada (So they told me).

    So, I asked "Could I pay via. Paypal?" No (of course) was the response. The only way I could arrange for payment was via International Money Transfer.

    So I told them I'd get back to them, to leave the order on hold, while I contacted my bank to get details on how the transfer worked.

    I visited a physical branch, and got all the details I needed to give to them to arrange the transfer (Bank code, international sort number, access code, all that kind of thing).

    I then called Tiger Direct again to get their bank details. Great! It's all going into a bank in Miami (That was the address of the bank that I was given).

    So, I arrange with my bank to send the money (The exact amount in Canadian Dollars), and waited.

    Two weeks later I heard back from my bank that Tiger Direct's bank had refused the transfer, as it wasn't in US Dollars. So I re-arranged the transfer, this time converting to the equivalent amount in US dollars (And rounding up, in case exchange rates fluctuated enough to make a difference after the money had got there, and covering all conversion costs and transfer costs, which amounted to half-again as much as the order value), and informed Tiger that the money was on it's way.

    1 month (With me checking with Tiger every other day) passes, and I check with the bank to make sure everything went through okay. "The money's left your account, and that's as far as we can tell without putting a trace on it" I'm informed, so I ask my bank to put a trace on it, to make sure, and am informed that the trace will take at least 3 weeks to complete. Tiger still report that they've not seen hide nor hair of the money.

    5 weeks later, I get a response from the bank that the money has indeed gone through, and I get the SWIFT authorisation code and tracking numbers from the bank in Miami. Armed with these details, I go back to Tiger and tell them they have the money, it's in their account, and here's the authorisation and tracking codes. "Okay, we'll get your order sent right out", I'm told.

    2 months go by, and I still haven't got anything, nor heard from my fiancee that she's got her present (Which was supposed to be in time for her birthday), so I call Tiger again, and am told the order is on hold (again) because they can't find the money. I go through the details with them once again, giving them the authorisation codes and all the rest, only to find out that the bank details I was given were for TigerDirect.com's bank. "That's not my fault! I've done everything you asked, and have given proof that I've paid you into the account that you gave me. Any internal problems are at your end. I want my goods!". Of course, they're very understanding, and will "Take my order off hold. It should be shipped out and be at the location in about a week".

    2 weeks go by, and after digging deeper (And speaking to many supervisors) I find out that the order is held because parts are out of stock... ALL the parts are out of stock, and will not be coming into stock as they don't make those anymore. They suggest a list of alternatives they can give me (All of which are vastly inferior - I ordered a Brand-name NForce motherboard, they tried to give me a generic Via board). I refuse their list, and go surfing around their site to build an alternative (and compatible) list. After checking it, they try to complain about the price differences, at which point I lose it and yell at them that as they've f**ked up the order, they can cover the $3.24 difference.

    Finally, after another 3 month wait, the order's finally shipped, with two invoices for the goods.

    I phoned (Yet again) and checked, and am informed that "It's nothing to worry about, just a error in their shipping department" and "There's no need to worry about those, as they've been paid". Just to make sure I get a confirmation of this e-mailed to me so I have "Hard" proof that they're really paid and good to throw out.

    4 months after this, I emigrate to Canada to be with my fiancee, and the day after I arrive, what should be sitting on the doorstep but a threatening "Final Demand" from Tiger for payment for the parts ordered.

    Needless to say, Tiger got called again, and shouted at some more, with all the details gone through once again (Don'tcha just love having supervisors in tears), and I was told that the matter was closed and I wouldn't be hearing from them on that matter again.

    I still get junk mailed their catalogue every month though.

    And that is why I shall never purchase from Tiger Direct again.


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