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BFG stole my power supply in a trade up...I need an ATOT effect/help!!!!

Meghan54

Meghan54

Lifer
------I'd appreciate if someone/anyone could link other forums to this posting in hopes of shaming BFG into doing the right thing and to keep others from buying from this sham of a company.-------


A year has passed since I sent in a power supply for a trade up. A year has passed and still no power supply in my hands.

Short story......6/2009 I buy an LS-550. (For full documentation, such as I have, see post #8 below....
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=29976363&postcount=8)

7/2009 send it in to BFG for a tradeup.

Trade up is supposed to take a week or so from the time they receive it until the time they authorize the trade and send a code for their store.

So, a month passes and web site still says processing the power supply. Since it was used for all of 2 weeks and was sent in with everything it came with, in perfect working condition and appearance, I couldn't understand the delay.

I email CS. No response for a week. Email again. Same response.....nothing.

I call.....get a CS on the line. Get transferred twice and then get hung up on.

Repeat the call the next day, same result.

I continue to email every two weeks or so, all are ignored.

After 5 months passed, during which time I've been hospitalized twice for a chronic condition, I attempt to enlist JonnyGuru's help.

He gets involved. I finally get an email answer.

Now, by this time, I'm no longer wanting a trade up but simply want my power supply returned.

Nope, have to buy a new bigger power supply.

But my circumstances have changed drastically and just want an LS-550 returned.

The CS or whoever via email is indignant that only a trade up is allowed....despite 5 months passing.

So, I cannot fulfill the trade up.

I write off the power supply.....but I get an email last week, now a year later, saying that the trade up program is ended and sorry, I cannot trade up.

So, since I've got a live email responder now, I ask where's my LS-550?

I get back, Your power supply was sent out in February, 2010.

Now, that's news to me because I'm sitting here without any BFG product in my house.

So, I go on their website and indeed, my trade up details have been deleted and a ship date was put in. But there's no tracking number.

I ask for the tracking number since it was shipped....I want to see where it went. Get no answer other than the web site says it shipped in Feb. 2010.


Very strange business at BFG and I really don't recommend using their trade up deal unless you can stand to write off the item you're sending in.
 
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It sounds like you've been more than fair and have wasted a substantial amount of your time and they've, basically, fraudulantly advertised services to you, ignored you, and stolen your property.

At this point, personally, I'd say it's far beyond the BBB. I would sue them in small claims court.

The BBB is what I'd use if I wasted a month or two of my time and if they returned my property. They wasted a year of yours lying to/delaying you, stole your property, destroyed the documentation (or at least made it inaccessible to you), and then further committed fraud by claiming they shipped it out (which I'd say is unlikely since they refuse to provide you with a tracking number).
 
Just noticed... they've been suspended from the BBB it looks like, so you have no choice but to sue them.

I can't really tell why, though, because their statistics show that they've resolved every complaint they had through the BBB. Probably indicates something shady is going on... I'd sue them while they're still not bankrupt.

from bbb said:
On June 4, 2010 the accreditation was suspended due to failure to maintain minimum BBB Rating. The matter will be reviewed by the BBB's Board of Directors at its next meeting.
Click to expand...

Maybe it has something to do with this particular entry for them: "This business operates as a marketer and distributer of video cards." I remember hearing that they are stopping their video card distribution; maybe it's suspended because they'll only be dealing in power supplies and don't have an appropriate BBB entry for that segment of their business?
 
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Now, to provide a chronological sequence via screenshots of emails, account info, etc., here they are: (No resizing of screenshots were done, so they're big......and no crop, no alterations of screens done, except to blur/remove personal information, log in details, etc.)


First, my BFG account.....created June 2009 with my LS-550 power supply.

screenshot4.jpg





Next, an email acknowledging my request for trade-up in July, 2009. Keep in mind, I was hospitalized two days prior to the email being sent.....took a little time from the application to the request being accepted. I had surgery for my Chron's, so when I got home, I had to dig through pages upon pages of emails to get to this, so it was a couple of weeks later when I found this. No biggie, though, it was still viable. But notice the date of the email, July 15, 2009.

screenshot6.jpg







So, an RMA was created for the trade-up, as you can see its number in the link in the email above, which matches the RMA number in the screenshot below. Here's the RMA page from BFG.....notice the lags in dates. They took a few weeks to get the power supply created in their system, August 21. 2009 (which was the date it was received by BFG via UPS, btw), and then "received" the RMA process two (2) months later, October 8, 2009, and then "shipped" something Feb. 2, 2010.

screenshot5.jpg






Now, here's the email I got after first pestering BFG for months after they received my power supply in August, and then finally having to enlist JonnyGuru to help. By this time, I simply wanted my original power supply returned as I'd been admitted to the hospital a second time, had a HUGE deductible to pay off in the thousands of $$$, and had little to no interest in expanding my computer. And by this time, five (5) months had elapsed, so I figured simply sending me a replacement LS-550 was the most expedient solution and would be nice since I'd lost so much time and use of it. Notice the date of the trad-up allowance.....Dec. 8, 2009 with a seven (7) day duration and then expires.

screenshot7.jpg






Of course, the day I received the above, I returned the email requesting to have an LS-550 power supply returned and call it even. But no reply. Seemed it was take it or leave it.



Then, I get an email from a BFG employee this past Monday, June 7, 2010, saying the Trade-up program is ended and thanks for participating. So, I return the email asking what did I get as I've never gotten anything returned from them at all. Two emails later and I'm told that I was sent on Feb. 2, 2010.....see RMA photo above and you'll see a ship date of 2/2/2010 with NO tracking number.....and the product was an EX-1200W power supply.

Now that was odd since I'd never paid for anything, received anything, nada. So, I find the link to the trade-up store (since BFG has erased any evidence of a trade-up from my "regular" account----thank goodness I kept emails), log back into it and look under Order History for the last 12 months. Guess what I found?


screenshot1.jpg





That's right.....not a single bleeding order ever placed through BFG's Trade-Up Store in the last 12 months.....this screen was taken today, Sunday, June 13, 2010, which is inclusive of the entire time I've been going round and round with BFG.




Now, since the Trade-Up Store can track orders, store credit card numbers, etc., you'd think there'd be easy access to all my orders, info, etc., for a BFG employee.

Here's a pic of the main account page....there are links there for addresses, credit card info, orders, etc.

screenshot3.jpg






But upon me asking the latest BFG CSR---who is emailing me telling me I ordered, paid for and was shipped an EX-1200 power supply----for the tracking number of said power supply's shipment, the credit card used in the transaction, and a few other pertinent details related to said transaction.....all information that should be instantly accessible to anyone within the organization who can access my account details, such as telling me I ordered and was shipped a power supply.......I get stonewalled silence.

So, either BFG is wholly incompetent and run by baboons and they cannot keep simple information organized and cannot run a stupid computer program that tracks shipments, payments, etc., or something extremely fishy is being run by BFG.
 
Isn't BFG going out of business?

In any case, I buy EVGA (XFX for ATI) and Corsair for everything. Everybody else basically sucks ass.
 
Heh, one of the most expensive components in my system is a BFG video card, sucks if they're going out of business...
 
MJinZ said:
Isn't BFG going out of business?

In any case, I buy EVGA (XFX for ATI) and Corsair for everything. Everybody else basically sucks ass.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, they stopped the video card business and said they were only going to do "Power Supplies and Laptops"...didn't know they did laptops, however, their power supplies are top notch!
 
Suing them in small claims court would be a waste of time and money - you'll likely just spend more money simply filing the claim than the cost of a far superior psu. However, filing a criminal charge (i.e. calling whatever police department has jurisdiction over wherever it is you sent your psu) against them for stealing your power supply costs nothing. You can probably even name each BFG employee with whom you've spoken as complicit. Good luck, OP, and sorry. Guess my 'lifetime' video card warranty will have a short lifetime, ha!
 
If you take it to small claims court, and you've bought another power supply in the time being, make sure you sue for the cost of the original PLUS the cost of the replacement that you had to purchase. This should at least cover any filing fees.

Can the OP file in his local small claims court since BFG was dealing directly with him in the trade up program?
 
Well, it costs me $55 to file in small claims court and another $25 to have papers served on BFG if it's out of state, which it is.

So, I'd end up paying for the power supply twice, no three times because I had to replace it already, and just cannot justify the cost.

Sucks.

Guess BFG got themselves a free barely used LS-550 out of me. Suppose I have sucker tattooed on my forehead.

But, I'd appreciate if someone/anyone could link other forums to this posting in hopes of shaming BFG into doing the right thing and to keep others from buying from this sham of a company.
 
Lifted said:
If you take it to small claims court, and you've bought another power supply in the time being, make sure you sue for the cost of the original PLUS the cost of the replacement that you had to purchase. This should at least cover any filing fees.

Can the OP file in his local small claims court since BFG was dealing directly with him in the trade up program?
Click to expand...

you will NOT get the cost of the one he never recieved AND the cost of the new one.

he can and should recieve any fee's he paid to do the lawsuit though.
 
there is another BFG employee on this forum...I forget who at moment.

BTW, I think BFG is leaving the graphics card market, not going out of business.

EDIT: the forum member is ZAP
 
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waggy said:
you will NOT get the cost of the one he never recieved AND the cost of the new one.

he can and should recieve any fee's he paid to do the lawsuit though.
Click to expand...

I think you have it backwards.

In small claims court I believe you specifically can not sue for court costs, but this may be different in different locales.

If somebody damaged your car, and you had it at the shop, you don't think you can sue for the rental car costs? I do.
 
I believe ZAP was working for BFG but with the closure of the graphics side I don't know if that's still the case(hope it is, for ZAPs sake).
 
Lifted said:
I think you have it backwards.

In small claims court I believe you specifically can not sue for court costs, but this may be different in different locales.

If somebody damaged your car, and you had it at the shop, you don't think you can sue for the rental car costs? I do.
Click to expand...

not really. if it was how he claimed he would get a free PS.

EVERY time i filled a small claims case i was able to get court fee's.
 
Flipped Gazelle said:
OP, have you posted this over at jonnyguru.com?

Jon works at BFG.
Click to expand...



I know. Jon was the one I turned to in December of last year after 5 months of being essentially ignored by BFG. He was the one that got the company to at least send emails that were answered, unfortunately not ever answering my requests, though. Just "Take this or leave it."

In this go around, which was precipitated by an email from a BFG employee telling me the Trade Up program was ended, I told Jon about it and then left the forum.

I did have a long diatribe written for the off-topic section, but since I like JG, I didn't feel like it was his responsibility to suffer for the incompetencies of the drones who work there, nor his forum's.

So, I'm out of there for the time being.
 
Upward for more input......from research it almost seems that in Georgia, I can only sue in-state entities. Any lawyers from GA care to offer a clarification to that? Because I really don't want to travel to Illinois to sue BFG.
 
Meghan, found out about this on another forum. I registered so I could pass this along. Forget about the BBB they are not an enforcement agency. Before filing a small claims suit try filing a consumer complaint with your state's Attorney General's office. I have had issues with several companies in the pass that my AG was able to correct fairly quickly and usually in my favor (the biggest being Sprint).
 
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Minor update.....Georgia's Attorney General said I can file a complaint with their consumer fraud division, but since BFG is out-of-state based, they have little power.

So, I filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General Consumer Affairs division. I hope that within a few weeks, I get a response to that filing, but my hopes aren't high in that respect.

In other happenings, the Yoli R. I've been emailing back and forth with daily last week disappeared today. Maybe it was his day off. But since I asked last Thursday morning for the tracking number of the power supply that was sent to me in February along with the credit card number it was purchased with (guess I should have access to it since it was my card, supposedly), I've heard nothing.

Maybe vacation?

The silence from Yoli R. at BFG is deafening.....and damning.
 
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