Complaint Review: 1-800-Baskets.com - Melrose Park Illinois

I was browsing this company’s website to make a purchase. I decided to purchase two identical gift baskets, with each containing a different card, that would be sent to my address so that I can hand deliver them to each recipient individually. Upon calling their call center to notify them that I want two separate cards denoting two different things, rather than having the same message on both—which is what their website would only allow me to do.

The salesperson over the phone created my order, after great difficulty due to a lack of her English proficiency. After 30 minutes of difficulty creating my order, she finally had the correct baskets ready. I mentioned that their website had a large banner denoting 15% off your first order. This being my first order, I kindly asked the lady if she could apply such a discount.

At first she informed me that such a discount is not applicable on my baskets. After some back and forth, she decided to honor the 15% discount on one basket. After some more back and forth, she decided to honor the 15% discount on my entire order as originally advertised on the company’s website. Finally, I get my total from her, the cost being nearly $30 more than the online price without the 15% discount.

The lady could not explain to me, why her total was $30 higher than the one on the company’s website. I was further puzzled because she had applied a 15% discount, yet my online order did not have the 15% discount, and was still $30 less. I decided to order online, to disregard the cards provided by the company, and hand write two personal cards of my own. This allowed me to order the same gift baskets at a cost lower than that offered by the company’s representative via telephone.

Fast-forward 48 hours, I receive an email notifying me that my order has been cancelled because my order contains wine, and they are unable to process any wine gift baskets at the moment. The email further notified me that “IT” is working to resolve this issue. I have no clue what they’re “IT Department” has anything to do with wine gift baskets, but I digress. Regardless, I called the provided customer service number within the email.

Upon answering, I am once again connected to someone with a lack of English proficiency. This time however, this particular customer service rep, in addition to her lack of english proficiency, also has a lack of hearing because she keeps telling me that she cannot hear me. However, this was not due to her hearing abilities, to which I would have felt empathetic, but rather because the background noise of the call center sounded like a party with people yelling.

To the best of my ability, I yell into my phone so that she can hear me to cancel my order. At first, they only offered to exchange my order to a gift basket which did not contain any wine. However, because my delivery was the following day, and I was already fed up with this company’s antics, I was not going to chance a missed delivery from a company that can’t seem to operate within their "guarantees" which are posted ON EVERY SINGLE PAGE OF THEIR WEBSITE. I kindly asked for a refund.

The customer service agent placed me on hold multiple times, each time, telling me that she needs to “investigate my account” or “investigate my order.” After 15 minutes of being placed on hold, the customer service agent notified me that she cancelled my order. To clarify, I asked if a refund had been issued. She once again, asked me to hold for another three minutes, then returned to the line, this time informing me that she could refund me without a problem, and that refund will occur after two billing cycles.

I asked why would a refund take two billing cycles? She said that is company policy and that I was notified of this when I made my purchase. At no point during my purchase, was there any notification that refunds would take two billing cycles. Beginning to get annoyed, I said “Why is it that your company can charge my card within seconds, but a return will take approximately 60 days?” To which the customer service agent had no response. She further informed me that she could not help me any further. I proceeded to inform her that this is a scam business.

They are taking orders and charging credit cards, only to immediately cancel those orders without providing an immediate refund. They keep your money to float the business for two months, on the presumption that the customer gets refunded in “two billing cycles," if the customer gets refunded at all. Seems like they prey on customers who accept the “two billing cycle” refund and later forget to make sure a refund was ever issued.

BUYER BEWARE, THIS COMPANY IS SCAMMING PEOPLE. This explains why their prices are significantly lower than other companies; because it is a classic bait and switch tactic. I hung up, and instantly reported the charge to my credit card company, and they have blocked the merchant and the charge. I have yet to see how this unfolds, or what other tricks are up this company’s sleeve, but as of now, I feel scammed, used, taken advantage of, and lied to.

Now I’m stuck scrambling to get a gift basket together, at triple the cost because this company decided to cancel my order the evening before the delivery date.  Absolutely unacceptable. Not only was I taken advantage of, but now I am suffering the repercussions of additional costs, and time wasted disputing their charges.