xp8103
New member
It's the first of April 2007. A buddy of mine sends me a link for a cool helmet from a place called Helmet's Etc (they have a website, you can Google it if you're so inclined) in Daytona Fla. I liked the helmet and I made a purchase. Got an automated response in my email of receipt of the order and payment. The helmet was in stock and shipping should have been within a day or so. So I waited. A week went by, no news on the fulfillment of the order. So I politely inquired via their "Contact us" link. And I waited. Several more business days and a weekend. Still nothing. Searched their website for a phone number. Nothing. Another less polite email to their "Contact us" link. There cancellation policy stated that orders must be cancelled by phone but I could not find one. It's been a strong couple of weeks. Their website is still up, still functioning and still taking orders. I then try the central FLA BBB. Find a listing for the company with a phone number. Call the number, rings but no answer and no machine. Try several times over a couple days to make sure I give them a chance. Still nothing. We're now pushing the third week.
Back to their website. More searching for information. Go to their returns page. There's an address to ship returns to. Time for Google Earth. First, put in the address that the BBB has. It's a building in a business park north of the city. Next, the address for the returns. It's a HOUSE in a neighborhood maybe a mile from the business park.
We're now approaching the 4th week, still no contact. As it happens, it is also our school vacation and as it ALSO happens, I have two very good school teacher friends who happen to own a hanger in the Spruce Creek Fly-in community probably 5 miles from the house and they just happen to be down there. So I get on the phone one morning, ask them for a favor (and they are just the kind who'd be up for the challenge.) I get on Google Earth again and basically guide them, turn by turn right to this place. While one stands by the car, with me on the phone, the other goes and knocks on the door. A teen aged girl answers, my friend tells her that he is there about a helmet order that has never been delivered. The girl calls her mom to the door. He repeats that he is there to find out where my helmet is, that he has a friend in Maine who ordered a helmet almost a month ago, has been trying to get in contact with them since and now wants his money back. He said the look on her face was quite something. I guess she wasn't expecting someone to show up at her house....
She was all apologetic, said they were moving the business, they'd lost their lease, that everything was a mess at the moment, they were trying to catch up, her husband was at the old place trying to get stuff packed up so they could move it, etc etc etc.... She took my name and phone number and said that she's have her husband call me later that day.
Two more weeks went by, STILL nothing. My friends had returned to Maine. No phone call. Their website was STILL up, still taking orders. Finally, sometime around the 15th of May I was on line checking my account balance and noticed a credit to my account from this place for the full price and shipping of the helmet. Never a call. Never a sorry for your trouble. Nothing.
All's well because I got my money back. But I'll not be making a purchase from them any time soon.
Back to their website. More searching for information. Go to their returns page. There's an address to ship returns to. Time for Google Earth. First, put in the address that the BBB has. It's a building in a business park north of the city. Next, the address for the returns. It's a HOUSE in a neighborhood maybe a mile from the business park.
We're now approaching the 4th week, still no contact. As it happens, it is also our school vacation and as it ALSO happens, I have two very good school teacher friends who happen to own a hanger in the Spruce Creek Fly-in community probably 5 miles from the house and they just happen to be down there. So I get on the phone one morning, ask them for a favor (and they are just the kind who'd be up for the challenge.) I get on Google Earth again and basically guide them, turn by turn right to this place. While one stands by the car, with me on the phone, the other goes and knocks on the door. A teen aged girl answers, my friend tells her that he is there about a helmet order that has never been delivered. The girl calls her mom to the door. He repeats that he is there to find out where my helmet is, that he has a friend in Maine who ordered a helmet almost a month ago, has been trying to get in contact with them since and now wants his money back. He said the look on her face was quite something. I guess she wasn't expecting someone to show up at her house....
She was all apologetic, said they were moving the business, they'd lost their lease, that everything was a mess at the moment, they were trying to catch up, her husband was at the old place trying to get stuff packed up so they could move it, etc etc etc.... She took my name and phone number and said that she's have her husband call me later that day.
Two more weeks went by, STILL nothing. My friends had returned to Maine. No phone call. Their website was STILL up, still taking orders. Finally, sometime around the 15th of May I was on line checking my account balance and noticed a credit to my account from this place for the full price and shipping of the helmet. Never a call. Never a sorry for your trouble. Nothing.
All's well because I got my money back. But I'll not be making a purchase from them any time soon.
