Another perk to ordering the Nikon D40 kit from Ritz Camera was a $50 gift coupon. I received it a few days ago, and decided to apply it towards the purchase of the Nikon SB-400 Speedlight Flash. I purchased it tonight, and checked out with my PayPal debit card. I originally wanted to use PayPal directly, but doing that method did not give me any way of entering in the gift coupon code.
After checking out, I check my email. I receive confirmation of my purchase. Then I receive another email, asking me to confirm the purchase. I’m given a phone number to call. I call it four times. Each time I am put on hold, auto-transferred, put on hold again, transferred to a ringing line, and then disconnected. Frustrated, I go on the Ritz Camera website to contact an agent. This should be simple, right? All I need to do is confirm my order, and my flash will be on its way to me. Or so I thought…
The conversation is as follows:
You have been connected to Brenda J.
Brenda J: Hello Jennifer, welcome to RitzCamera.com. I will be glad to assist you.
Jennifer: Hi Brenda.
Jennifer: Thank you.
Brenda J: I can understand your concern, and I am truly sorry to know that you were put on hold for a long time.
Brenda J: I apologize for the inconvenience.
Brenda J: May I have your order number?
Jennifer: Well, it’s not so much that I was on hold… it’s that I was disconnected each time. I don’t think the phone call lasted longer than three minutes before I would get disconnected.
Jennifer: It is xxxxxxx.
Brenda J: Please give me a moment while I track your order and check for the status.
Jennifer: Okay.
Brenda J: Thank you for waiting.
Brenda J: May I know whether you have used international credit card to pay for this order?
Jennifer: I used a Paypal debit card that is connected with my Paypal account.
Jennifer: I would have preferred to use Paypal directly, but didn’t see a way to do that and enter in the redemption code for a $50 gift coupon I had.
Brenda J: You will not be able to use the gift certificate through PayPal checkout.
Jennifer: I found that out when I tried to check out that way. That’s why I used my PayPal debit card.
Brenda J: You will not be able to use the PayPal debit card. However, you can provide us another mode of payment.
Jennifer: May I ask why I cannot use my Paypal debit card?
Jennifer: Nothing on your website says I cannot use that method of card to pay for my purchases.
Jennifer: I have a regular debit card attached to my bank account, but I would prefer to use the money in my Paypal account, rather than have to transfer money around.
Jennifer: I can verify the card if you would like, fax a copy of it to you, etc.
Brenda J: I am sorry; it is not possible. We do not accept faxed copy of your PayPal account.
Jennifer: The Paypal card is a MasterCard.
Jennifer: I meant that I would fax a copy of the card itself – front and back. It has my name and all card info as a regular card does on the front, and my signature on the back.
Brenda J: Please use the link to view the details of our payment method.
The agent is sending you to [link].
Jennifer: I already looked at that page. Under payment methods accepted: “We gladly accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover, PayPal”
Jennifer: My Paypal debit card falls under the category of MasterCard, as it has that logo, and PayPal.
Jennifer: It works like a regular credit card, is billed the same way.
Jennifer: I have logged into my account and can already see the temporary hold placed on the funds, pending the confirmation of the order.
Brenda J: I shall forward your order to our billing department and check the issue. One of our executives will contact you at the earliest.
Brenda J: May I have your telephone number?
Jennifer: My phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thank you.
Brenda J: You are welcome.
Brenda J: Thank you for visiting RitzCamera.com. Please feel free to contact us for further assistance.
Jennifer: Thank you. Have a good evening.
The jist of this conversation? Despite RitzCamera.com saying that it accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover, PayPal, I am being told two things:
1) I cannot use PayPal as a checkout method and use the $50 gift coupon
2) I cannot use a PayPal debit card.
Whiskey tango foxtrot?!?!?
I’m pissed. I want this order confirmed, as there is no reason why it should not be accepted. The PayPal card is hooked up to PayPal (an accepted payment method) and has a MasterCard logo (an accepted credit card). Furthermore, if I chose the route of PayPal directly, why can’t I use my coupon?
I am looking forward to the conversation with an “executive”.
I can’t use my paypal card at Burger King. I know, it’s freaking patheticly stupid. I also got flack at walmart around Christmas. The lady wanted to know what paypal meant and if there were funds in there. I told her, if there are no funds in there it won’t approve it so why are you so worried.
But with them listing paypal and mastercard I don’t get the problem.
I hate Ritz. Seriously. The customer service is crap and the sales people in the ones around here are arrogant pric’s that think because I’m blond and have boobs I must not know what I’m talking about.
I walked in there the last time and one of them tried to convince me that I couldn’t use the flash I wanted on my camera. It’s a Canon flash, I have a Canon camera and two of my friends use the same flash on the same camera.
The conversation ended like this: “I’ve purchased about $4000 in camera equipment in the last six months and you just reminded me why NONE of it was at a Ritz. It’s the same reason you haven’t earned a DIME in commission off of me. Thanks for nothing, asshole.”
Then I had to pay Cassidy a quarter for cussing, but man it felt good.
When I use my paypal debit in stores I get told horror stories that they’ve been through with paypal and ebay. I have been through serious run arounds too, but I’m not going to complain while things are good again ;). As for Ritz, they are hiding something…
I think she was confused because you added the whole paypal thing in there.
I have used my paypal debit MasterCard many, many places that takes credit/debit cards. I have never gotten denied once.
That’s…ridiculous. I’m trying to think if there’s a reason why she would want you to use a different method for the coupon, and I really can’t think of anything, especially since you said that the paypal card gets treated the exact same way.