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  • Report:  #434777

Complaint Review: Thane International - La Quinta California

Reported By:
- Lancaster, South Carolina,
Submitted:
Updated:

Thane International
78-140 Calle Tampico La Quinta, 92253 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
760-777-0217
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
I ordered the Orbitrek Elite because I was looking for an affordable elliptical upon which I could exercise with minimal physical impact upon my bones being that I have bone cancer in my hips, femurs and spine. I saw the Orbitrek advertised and went to their website where they offered their FREE in-home trial for $19.95. I even upgraded to the Elite for the magnetic resistance.

When the product arrived, my son put it together for me and we IMMEDIATELY realized that what we had was a very poorly constructed, narrow, stationary bike upon which you were to stand up and pedal. This piece of equipment was NOT an elliptical in any sense of the word beyond the pedals going around and round.

I immediately called the company and explained that the herky jerky movements were too painful for me and that it was very easily overturned from the herky jerky movement of the pedalling system. I was given a Return Authorization # and was told to have it back to them by March 26. I asked them to send a call tag for the item and was very dismayed when they told me the shipping would be at my own personal cost.

My sons loaded it up and we drove to FedEx in Charlotte (not one in our small town) and was told it would cost almost $72.00 to return it. I was told that most likely the company had a special rate contract with FedEx and that was how they could ship them out for only $19.95.

We loaded the box back up in the car and brought it home. I contacted them again and told them how much it was going to cost to return it and asked them if I could pay them another $19.95 to send a call tag for the item. I was told no and that the return fee would be my responsibility.

I was FURIOUS! I have worked in the educational industry reviewing books for a school library for 15 years and when I reviewed something I did not want to purchase, a call tag was ALWAYS sent for the pick-up of the items. That is what good customer service is all about! I was so disgusted that I had been burned like this.

I live on disability and have two teenage sons. One is autistic and the other is just out of college and has not been able to find a full time job. I told the customer service lady that I simply did not have almost $100.00 bucks to just blow and have nothing to show for it.

I had a little time before March 26 to work with so I contacted the BBB and filed a report. Thane continued to say it was my responsibility to return the item even through the BBB rebuttal process. Therefore I sucked it up, borrowed the money from my working son, and sent the thing back to them.

Oh it gets worse! I logged onto my online account at the local credit union only to find that Thane International has charged me for the Orbitrek!!! Now three more drafts have come through my account that have been rejected because they charged me before 3/26!!! I now have the original $19.95, the $71.61 for shipping, and the $87.00 in bank fees I have had to pay because of this piece of crap I should have NEVER ordered. I am soooooooo disgusted!! I had to borrow MORE money from my son just to cover my drafts and get me to the end of the month when my disability check arrives.

I called Thane International back today to ask them why they debited my account when I had been authorized to return the item and she said that's just the way they do things. I will eventually be refunded any money I'm owed on the price of the product once it is received in the warehouse. She said it could take several months for the credit to show up on my statement!! My bank told me that if they would credit my account for the Orbitrek and fax them a statement saying it was their error they would remove the overdraft fees of $87.00. Thane says it was my error and not theirs so they will not help me.

I am a very smart person, but BOY DID I FALL FOR A SCAM THIS TIME!!!!! I am doing all I can to get the word out there about the Orbitrek and how poor a quality it is and how much it costs to send back. I just hope people find my Ripoff Report BEFORE they fall into the trap of which I fell.

Nobody cares about the customer anymore. Customer Service is DEAD at Thane International. The Bible tells us to leave room for wrath of God. I am giving Thane International to God and I'm leaving room for wrath so bring it on Yahweh.

Elizabeth

Lancaster, South Carolina

U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Thane International


1 Updates & Rebuttals

sandieinspringfield

Springfield,
Missouri,
United States of America
RE: YOur expereince with Thane

#2Consumer Comment

Thu, April 08, 2010

Wow! Sorry to hear you had so many problems with your order. I too am on disability so I can appreciate your situation.  I ordered the magnetic resistance elite and loved it!!! It's given me so far two years of great service. I do have to say though that when you read the terms of service (I know i know it's in small print etc etc etc but everyone really SHOULD take the time to read them!!!) I knew that should I decide not to keep it I would be responsible for sending it back and I also knew as heavy as it was that it wasnt going to be cheap. Actually when I received my orbitrek and had it put together a crucial part broke on it. It wasnt a part they could just send me either. So....they told me to do whatever I wanted with the orbitrek and they would just send me a new one. I didnt have to send the defective one back. True to their word they sent me a brand new one a week later.

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