Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

Hot-Internet-Auctions.com has Visors (Prisms, Platinums, Deluxes, and basic Visors) for great prices. But, I'm wondering if anyone has ordered anything from them? How long did it take for them to ship the item? Thanks in advance...

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

HIA Direct Sales

Oh man......I took the bait and ordered a Platinum and they recieved payment on Dec 16th. I e-mailed them and they basically said,"Sure sucker...we got your order and your Master Card payment....just sit tight as per our terms and wait 10 or 12 weeks for the goods." Please tell me I didn't do the wrong thing! I read on some other news groups that people were very leary of them. Great! Save a buck.....get burned in the process! All I can do is wait it out. Stay tuned for an up date. By the time I recieve the Platinum.....a new model will be out!

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

Hot-Internet-Auctions

Pardon my yelling but AVOID THIS COMPANY! I ordered mine on October 28th. They charged my CC on the 29th. Sent me an e-mail saying they received my cash. I have e-mailed them twice looking for a delivery time. I received the same form letter in response saying that "everything is on schedule." This Saturday will be 10 weeks, so if they live up to their word I should be the owner of a Platinum in no more than 2 weeks and a day. Check back to their web site though. Right now they are offering the Platinum for $9.50 less than list. Heck, I can get $9.50 looking in the sofa for change. They have the Deluxe on sale for $0.50 more than list! Before I ever purchase from them again I will pay full retail at Handspring.com or Best Buy, Target, or Walmart! I think Handspring will give you free shipping if purchased prior to the 15th.

__________________
Best regards!

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

Looks like you are in the same boat as me! O well.....I'll bite the bullet like you and wait it out. I will reserve my coments until I get my Platinum....then I will launch a fire storm that starts with my State Attonerys General. Waiting is horrible. I just hope it comes. I guess I could dispute the charge....but after three months? Please let me know if you get it ok? [email protected]

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

AVOID Hot-Internet-Auctions

I know this is a topic that has been brought up in the past but I think it bears repeating.
DO NOT ORDER FROM Hot-Internet-Auctions.com! (Especially if you actually want the product!)

Back on 10/29/00 I placed an order for a Visor Platinum and a serial cradle to give as a Christmas gift from Hot-Internet-Auctions.com. I received an almost instant response that they received my cash (via Credit Card) and said I would receive a notice when the product would ship. This coming Sunday it would have been 12 weeks since ordering and I have yet to receive a notice as to when it would ship. I e-mailed them twice to check on when it would ship. Both times I received a form letter saying "Your order is still on schedule." About 3 weeks after placing my order I notified by CC company that I may be disputing these charges. They told me that was a good thing to do so that they could keep a note. Yesterday I e-mail PayPal and Hot-Internet-Auctions telling them that it was my intent to cancel the order if my products were not received by Sunday. PayPal immediately refunded my cash no questions asked! I will use PayPal again. I thought that was extremely professional of them and will recommend them often but... Hot-Internet-Auctions.com should be avoided at all costs. I wish I had found this message board prior to ordering from them.

__________________
Best regards!

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

I'm screwed!

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

Try e-mailing PayPal at: [email protected]
Ask them to intervien on your behalf with Hot-Internet-Auctions.com to see if they will voluntarily cancel your order. Maybe they will since they are obviously unable to provide these Visors.

If they will cancel, go to Staples.com and buy it from them. Use this coupon number 91178. That will give you $40 off a purchase of $200 or more. They will also throw in free shipping! (You will end up paying sales tax since Target opperates in 48 states.) I ended up paying $12.97 more this way but at least I know I will get my Visor.

(If this coupon code doesn't work for you, go to http://www.imegadeals.com/coupon_codes.htm to find other great coupon deals.)

__________________
Best regards!

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

Thanks and a hat tip to you! The letter is off to Paypal!!

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

Let me know how things work out. Good luck!

__________________
Best regards!

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 7

Has anyone gotten one?

Has anyone reading this thread ordered from them and received their shipment? Just wondering if they're shipping anything at all, or just taking our money. Or do you know if anyone has received anything from them? I'm really interested (yeah, I'm another one of the suckers...).

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

I read on http://www.visorvillage.com that someone had received a product from them. They said that the Visor came in a box from Amazon.com.

If I were you I would try writing a letter to PayPal. (That is if you haven't already.) That is how I got my money back. PayPalseems to be a very honest company. I got my money wired back to me within 3 days. Of course I was only days away from the 12 weeks quoted by Hot-Internet-Auctions. Here is what I wrote:

"On October 29, 2000 I purchased an item from HIA using your service. This Sunday it will offically be 12 weeks since making the purchase. According to HIA's "terms of use" the products will ship between 10 to 12 weeks. I have yet to receive anything, yet my CC has been charged the full amount. I have e-mailed this company twice and the responses I have received has been identical "Your order is still on schedule." I have spoken to my CC company and have informed them os the situation in regards to charges to X.Com PayPal. I am writing to you to inform you that if I do not receive the products that I have ordered before Sunday, January 21, 2001, I will be forced to officially place these charges on dispute with my CC issuer. As a company that is featured on their home page I was hoping there was something you could do to help end this dispute? I am willing to accept either the merchandise that I ordered or a full refund. Your help would be greatly appreciated."

I ordered a another Platinum and a serial cradle from Staples.com last Wednesday. The cradel is sitting on my desk and the Platinum has shipped and according to UPS will arrive Wednesday. Sorry about the length. Hope this helps. SPREAD THE WORD - AVOID HOT-INTERNET-AUCTIONS.COM

__________________
Best regards!

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 7

FTC complaint form

I don't know if any of you have read through all the terms on hot-internet-auctions' web site, but you've probably noticed they like to point out that they are complying to "Federal Trade Commission guidlines". Well, I did a bit of hunting on the FTC web site, and they said regarding businesses selling on the internet:

"By law, you must have a reasonable basis for stating that a product can be shipped within a certain time. If your advertising doesn't clearly and prominently state the shipment period, you must have a reasonable basis for believing that you can ship within 30 days.

If you can't ship within the promised time (or within 30 days if you made no promise), you must notify the customer of the delay, provide a revised shipment date and explain his right to cancel and get a full and prompt refund.

For definite delays of up to 30 days, you may treat the customer's silence as agreeing to the delay. But for longer or indefinite delays - and second and subsequent delays - you must get the customer's written, electronic or verbal consent to the delay. If the customer doesn't give you his okay, you must promptly refund all the money the customer paid you without being asked by the customer.

Finally, you have the right to cancel orders that you can't fill in a timely manner, but you must promptly notify the customer of your decision and make a prompt refund."

They are clearly not living up to this, as they do not send accurate e-mail to their customers (sending automatic messages stating that orders are on track doesn't cut it). The FTC also has an online complaint form. I urge you all that ordered through them (or know someone that did) to file a complaint. You may have your money back thanks to PayPal, but let's try and help other people avoid our mistakes by getting the FTC involved. The complaint form is at https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01. If you're interested in where I found the other FTC information, it's at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/intbalrt.htm. Thanks for reading!



[Edited by g_omega013 on 01-22-2001 at 10:12 PM]

__________________
If you want to live life on your own terms, you've got to be willing to crash and burn...

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 7

Ongoing saga...

For any of you that care...

I e-mailed hot-internet-auctions yesterday, asking what was going on with my order. I asked them for an update, and refered them to what the FTC said regarding this whole deal (see my last post). Well, instead of the usual "your order is on schedule" e-mail, I received this from them:

---
CANCELLATION REQUEST RECEIVED

Confirmed. Please print this email for your records. Your refund will be
issued shortly per our terms and in compliance with Federal Law.

Thank you for your business.

Support Staff
HIA: Direct Sales
http://hia-direct.com
---

They obviously can not ship product, or there wouldn't be us angry customers out there. I know that they also sell on auction web sites, and I urge you all to steer clear if you ever see "Hot-Internet-Auctions" or "HIA" as a seller. They are highly unreliable. Please spread the word to make sure other people don't fall in this trap.

Now I hope I just get all my money back from them...if not, I guess I'll just write PayPal.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

PayPal is the only good part of the equation! I would be willing to put money on it that they do the right thing and return your cash. If you haven't purchased from somewhere else yet, I bought mine at Staples.com. It took 5 days to get my Platinum. Go to http://www.imegadeals.com/coupon_codes.htm for discount coupons. I got $40 off my purchase!

__________________
Best regards!

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

Hey ....you are right buddy!! I disputed my charge with my credit card company and included a lengthy letter explaining the whole 9 yards that you went through. Seems exactly the same as me....down to the cancellation letter. I think any time an e-mail to them has the key word "cancel" in it, a filter grabs it and they respond to it with an in your face letter cancellation notice! I'll also bet they will try to steal our 25.00 too! But remember this, WE DID NOT CANCEL THE ORDER!!!!! Therefor we don't owe them a red cent! Besides what happened to the policy they have of a written cancellation buy you and me to keep on file according to their policy? Bunk!!! These rip offs are going down! Can't thank you enough for the tip to the FTC site. I'll include my 2 cents tomorrow. Great action!!!! We will let the people know!!!!!!!!! Also letter to payPal is another good idea! I too wrote them and they said they would try to do something...but I was unclear what at this time. I think I may have better luck with my Master Card company. Have no fear....you did the right thing and will get your money back. Don't give up and if you have too...copy this entire page for reference when you dispute the charge with your credit company! Hang tough! WE WILL WIN!!!!!

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 7

Don't worry...when I got the cancelation note from them I wanted to make sure I got my money sooner than in "10 to 12 weeks"... I wrote to PayPal a couple of days ago, and they said they're going to send a refund check to me within the next week. I have no doubt I'll get my money back...but if they charge me a "cancellation fee", you can be sure I'll fight it.

BTW, thanks for the Staples reference slaviol. I ordered a Platinum with the $40 coupon, and it's on it's way. Thanks!

__________________
If you want to live life on your own terms, you've got to be willing to crash and burn...

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

Let me add my thanks to you, "slaviol". I ordered my Platinum from Staples and got it in 4 days with a hefty 40 bucks off! Sure I paid the tax but the whole thing was 280.00 delivered to my door. Lovin it!!!! Thanks again for the info! Death to HIA Direct Sales! Long live Staples!!