You know me, I don't like to complain

I really wanted to pick up a new handset while I wait for the Nokia N95 to come out. So I thought I’d give an E-Series handset a spin, to supplement my N73 as a general media device. The N73 is great, but it kind of sucks for email and messaging. I played around with Eric’s E70 and really liked it a lot, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

I shopped around and 3 stores I went to online said they were sold out. Must be some crazy E70 shortage or something.

I went to CellHut and saw that they had them in stock. I was quite pleased with myself for finding such a fine operation that carried the product I wanted and had it available.

I called them up to confirm. I spoke to a woman that said yes, in fact, they have them in stock and would be happy to sell me one. I started giving her my name and other important information but she couldn’t understand my last name. The “DBE” part kept freaking her out. Dee Bee Eee. “Dee Dee Bee”? “No, Dee Bee Eee.” “Bee Dee Bee”?

Ugh.

“Can I just place the order online?” “Of course!” she said, so I hung up and went to the webpage and clicked “buy me” and dutifully used Google Checkout to pay for the next day shipping, the handset, checked my address info, etc etc.

That night I got a notice from UPS. Yay! My handset is on its way. This morning I opened my MacBook and checked the UPS site and it still said Billing Information Received.

Well that’s weird.

I called CellHut up and asked them what gives? I got a tracking number, but no merch attached to it! They dig around a bit and tell me that they actually don’t have any E70s. I pointed out that it said on their site that they were in-stock. The fellow on the phone told me that they had a shipment come in Thursday, and that they thought it would have an E70 in it.

First of all, how you can run a business and not know what you’re getting from where is beyond me. Secondly, don’t tell me it is in-stock and ready to go if it isn’t. Insane.

So the dude said that someone would call me in the afternoon with the status update on my order, and so I wait. Eventually someone does in fact call and brings me the good news. Gratz! We just got some E70s in stock! We can ship your order! I ask to get my shipping bumped up to Saturday Delivery, and the dude on the phone takes my billing information again, and adds another 6 dollars to my order for Saturday delivery and then thanks me for my business and I think to myself, “Well, crisis averted. This will be a great weekend of fun and tinkering,”

Tonight I’m catching up on some email and such (hello, #joiito) and I glance over at my pine session and see something about an order being canceled. Canceled? I thought, surely they mean the first order, cuz they must have redone the sale to handle my shipping.

It doesn’t look like it. Because the reason in the email notice says “backordered.”

Backordered, eh?

I call up CellHut, again, and talk to a guy eventually who says that yes, they’re backordered, and don’t have any. At this point I’m incredulous. I just can’t believe that any company that runs a retail operation can really have no idea what they’re getting and sending out. I tell the guy on the phone flat out, that this is insane, and that I’ve been jerked around for the last two days and I’d like to really know what is going on. He puts me on hold and runs down to the warehouse.

Yup. Backordered. None in stock.

So I told him to cancel the order. Even if they were the last place on Earth that had an E70, I wouldn’t buy it from them. I just can’t stand being lied to over and over again. I don’t have the energy and patience to chase after people that need babysitting to sell me something!

So I went to MyWorldPhone, which can be hit-or-miss apparently, but I’ve never had a problem with them. I ordered the E70, with next day shipping (so I’ll get it, I guess Tuesday or Wednesday because of the holiday weekend) and still paid less than CellHut with Saturday Shipping for a handset they don’t even have. Twice.