Justin R.
On February 6
On February 6, I ordered a pair of orthopedic walking shoes, designed for individuals with plantar fasciitis. I received a confirmation email with this message: "This email is to confirm that we have received your order #W14772759, placed on 2/6/2025. Expected ship date 2/11/2025" Today, February 14, I called the Customer Service Department, which is an outsourced center, and asked about the status of my order since no tracking number was provided in the confirmation email. I was told that the item was so popular, the store was sold out. I asked why there was no "Sold Out" or "Out of Stock" notice on the website. I received neither an answer nor an apology. I stated: "So, why wasn't there a follow-up email informing me that the shoes were sold out?" I did not receive an answer. I proceeded to tell the Customer Rep that leaving a customer in the dark without notice and without crediting the total purchase amount back to their account is unethical and strikes me as a form of fraud. Again, no apology was forthcoming. I demanded that the amount be credited back to my account, but it will take at least 3 business days before I can verify. I will never again attempt to buy an item from Hammacher Schlemmer, a company that I previously respected. If this is a ploy to defraud customers, then shame, shame, shame!!!