Sams Beauty
Complaint 225300 Details

On December 31st, 2012, I purchased a variety of beauty supplies from SamsBeauty.com valued at $134.46 USD, which included $38.55 USD for USPS Priority International Mail shipping and handling costs. I was provided with a USPS Tracking Number for my order.

Several weeks later, I had still not received my merchandise. I visited the USPS website repeatedly to track my order and also contacted USPS by phone on more than one occasion to speak with a USPS representative. The only information I could get from both sources was the following: "Electronic Shipping Info Received on January 16, 2013." Although USPS had electronically received this information from SamsBeauty.com, they could not verify that they had physically received the merchandise for shipment. The USPS representative advised me to contact SamsBeauty.com to inquire whether or not my merchandise had been shipped.

I contacted SamsBeauty.com via email on February 15th, 2013 to inquire about the shipment of my order. I did not receive a response to my email until two weeks later on March 2nd, 2013. They informed me that a "Missing Package Claim" had been opened for me and that they would contact me with further information upon investigation with USPS. I replied to this email the same day, but received no response.

On March 7th, 2013, I sent a follow-up email to SamsBeauty.com to remind them that I still had not received my order and also to place emphasis on my dissatisfaction as a repeat customer. Needless to say, this email also received no response.

My $134.46 USD payment to SamsBeauty.com was submitted via PayPal.com. Of that payment, $67.37 USD was funded by money I had in my PayPal Account and $68.50 USD was funded by my RBC Visa Account. As more than 45 days had passed to open a dispute with PayPal.com, my only other option to recover my money was to open a dispute with RBC Visa. The RBC Visa representative informed me that by doing so, PayPal.com would have to investigate the dispute. Later, in an email from the PayPal.com Chargeback Department, I was informed that PayPal.com was working with RBC Visa to resolve the dispute with SamsBeauty.com.

I would negligent not to mention that SamsBeauty.com delayed the shipment of the above mentioned merchandise order without my consent. The transaction for this order was completed on December 31st, 2012. Two weeks later, on January 15th, 2013, I received an email informing me that my order had been shipped that day. Not only did SamsBeauty.com fail to ship my order on time, but this merchant also failed to notify me about any delays and failed to obtain my consent to any delays.

On March 18th, 2013, I contacted PayPal.com by phone to address concerns about my dispute. I asked the representative if my dispute takes into account the $67.37 USD that was funded from my PayPal Account to SamsBeauty.com, as the RBC Visa Chargeback only covers the $68.50 USD funded by Visa. I was informed that the RBC Chargeback only pertains to the $68.50, not the full $134.46 USD payment for this transaction. I asked if PayPal.com would recover the $67.37 USD funded from my account and was informed that once a dispute is opened with my credit card company, all of my PayPal Buyer Protection Rights are gone. Basically, the $67.37 USD funded from my PayPal Account for merchandise I did not receive will go to the Seller!!!

I am extremely upset about this!!! I feel that SamsBeauty.com has not acted in a timely manner to resolve this issue with me. I notified them via email that my order had not arrived and explained that I could not get much assistance from USPS to locate it. Still, weeks have gone buy with no rectification!!! It feels like THEFT to know that merchandise I've paid for in full has still, to this day, not been delivered and SamsBeauty.com will get to keep $67.37 USD of my payment!!!

This is unfair to me, as a customer, because PayPal automatically applied the balance in my account to this purchase, prior to funding from my RBC Visa Account. Also, the PayPal.com website does not indicate that PayPal.com account holders forfeit their Buyer Protection Rights if a dispute is opened with their credit card company.

SamsBeauty.com is fully aware that the merchandise I ordered was never delivered to me, as verified by USPS. According to USPS, SamsBeauty.com most likely neglected to physically ship the merchandise to me in the first place. This merchant has stolen hard-earned money from me and they don't care!!! By rewarding SamsBeauty.com with $67.37 USD of my payment for merchandise they failed to ship, PayPal.com is perpetuating this theft!!!

I recently contacted USPS Customer Service on March 21st, 2013. Upon explaining my situation, I was transferred to an agent in the Priority Mail International Department. After providing all of the requested information to the agent, she apologised profusely and informed me that no "Missing Package Claim" was ever initiated on my behalf by SamsBeauty.com.

Any individual who is subjected to a sub-standard level of customer service, such as I recently experienced at the hands of SamsBeauty.com, should be greatly discouraged against making repeat purchases or any purchases at all from this online merchant. Customer service like this is simply NOT GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE!!!