Bad Gearbargain.com- Bait & switch

mwhich50

mwhich50

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Jan 18, 2011
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Warning to potential customers. I purchased a Carbon Fiber Leek (1660CF) from Gearbargain.com (New Bury, CA) over a week ago, and received a regular black on black Leek (1660CKT). I have emailed this company x3 and have received no response. They do not have a working phone. Their online, web page, customer support is not staffed during regular business hours. I am going to contest my credit card payment this week.
 
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Sounds the bladeshop, but they just wouldn't ship at all. They just took your money and left it at that.
Thanks for the heads up.
 
The name GearBargain dot com is an obvious ploy to get GearBest dot com customers.
There is a seller on DH Gate that has the store name "BladeForum"

Everyone should look further into shops with similar/popular names. If I can't find a LONG list of reviews on a particular shop, I pass it by
Too many scammers out there in the "net" world.

Hopefully Mwhich... it will be resolved for you.
 
Zombie411 said:
The name GearBargain dot com is an obvious ploy to get GearBest dot com customers.
There is a seller on DH Gate that has the store name "BladeForum"

Everyone should look further into shops with similar/popular names. If I can't find a LONG list of reviews on a particular shop, I pass it by
Too many scammers out there in the "net" world.

Hopefully Mwhich... it will be resolved for you.
Click to expand...

I suppose that is sound advice if one wants to wallow in the world of shady vendors.

GearBest is full of Sebenza "tributes", "Axis locks" etc etc etc. Its not "better" than GearBargain. Same thing.

Same goes for DH Gate. Hardly the most reputable of vendors.

And a long list of reviews guarantees nothing. Those "reviews" are hardly trustworthy either.

I don't why one would want to wallow in the world of shady vendors.

They sell crap.
The hurt the hobby.
They rip off fellow members here.

AND

We have a long list of proven, rock solid, entirely trustworthy, peer reviewed Paid Dealer Members here who have huge selections, excellent prices, and top notch customer service. Here they are:

http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/paid-dealer-members-list-updated-2-5-16.1089879/

Its a strange state of affairs we have gotten to when folks here claim Gearbest is "good" and GearBargain is a scammer.

I wouldn't touch either on a bet. Both scammers. :thumbsdown:
 
This again is why I have a very short list of dealers I go to for any new releases and always check no matter what I'm looking for. And if one of them doesn't have and can't get it ... then I pass.

The few dealers I trust are also great at going the extra mile to help you ... even opening boxes checking knives out for me if I ask ... just to check fit and finish or maybe am wantimg one with a special wood to gift to someone.

Always worth it in my eyes even if it may (and rarely does) cost a few dollars more then you might see it listed for sale in an unfamiliar dealers stock.
 
I wanted to keep it simple, but here is the rest of the story. Gearbargin.com is also a third party seller on Walmart.com. I trust Walmart. The items are mailed by the third party seller. If you have the item delivered to a local Walmart store for pick-up, you can return the item if you are dissatisfied. If you have it mailed to your home; which I did; you are on your own, and have to deal with the online vendor. Walmart customer service claims to send emails on your behalf, and will eventually fire bad vendors, but that is about it.
 
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Thanks. I can never find this darned list when I need it. I have BladeHQ, GPknives, Knifeworks, and Knifecenter on my 'favorites'.
 
I don't usually buy from walmart.com but $56 for a Carbon Leek vs $75 normally, not an impossible sale price. I was willing to take a chance, it's not a $500 mid-tech. We all know how it turned out, 1660CKT in the box... :p I emailed GearBargain via the Walmart website and they responded the next day with an apology and a shipping label to send it back. I'm expecting a refund this week. Not excusing them or defending them, but so far it looks like an honest mistake. The listing Walmart has lists the specs like a hybrid of the 1660CF and 1660CKT knives. Ultimately the item was listed as a 1660CF and that's what I was expecting. Also, to be a little glass-half-full, the price was typical for a 1660CKT so not a total hosing if one were to decide to keep it, but of course not a "deal" either.

I paid via paypal so if I don't get the refund I'm due that'll be my next stop and after that, my CC company.
 
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3 mails from me, 2 emails from Walmart customer service, and Credit Union dispute. Still no response. I think the "honest mistake" ship has sailed. This seems like a classic, bait and switch to me. Send them another email for me. Ask them they why they don't have a phone number listed on their site? Ask them why the phone number they gave Walmart is not working. See if you can find out why their online customer service is unstaffed during normal business hours. Please let me know what their response is.
 
mwhich50 said:
3 mails from me, 2 emails from Walmart customer service, and Credit Union dispute. Still no response. I think the "honest mistake" ship has sailed. This seems like a classic, bait and switch to me. Send them another email for me. Ask them they why they don't have a phone number listed on their site? Ask them why the phone number they gave Walmart is not working. See if you can find out why their online customer service is unstaffed during normal business hours. Please let me know what their response is.
Click to expand...

Hey Brother,

I'll make sure and let you know what happens. I just sent an email to them as a follow up early this morning before I noticed your reply. BF notifications are not working well...

Rob
 
Walmart has agreed to refund my money. I'm not sure if my Credit Union had anything to do with it. Still no response/postage return. Maybe I will have a Leek giveaway in a month or so, courtesy of Gearbargain.com.
 
Glad you got your coin back!
Now go spend it on a bad ass knife from one of the great dealers here!
:D
Joe
 
I just received a refund from gearbargain. I was emailing them through the walmart site. I kept sending emails everyday... I wonder if they were getting heat from everyone else... :) I was getting nervous 'cause I had sent the knife back and had nothing to show for it.
 
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