Topbuy Australia scammed me
http://www.topbuy.com.au/ was the worst online experience I have ever had in all my years of buying on the internet.
I purchased a faulty lens from Topbuy that never worked and they spent months mucking me around. I have ended up with no lens, no refund and no satisfaction. Stay away from http://www.topbuy.com.au/
If you are interested in the pitiful treatment I have received you can read the full transcript of my dealings with these scammers below:
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I have changed the names and any other personal information but this is a direct transcript of my dealings with Topbuy Australia so far, I have acknowledged that in certain area’s they are very good and in others not so good, you be the judge.
The lens became faulty less than a week after I received it and I contacted the suppliers by phone on 23 July to ask them what to do.
I then emailed them on 24 July
HI, I was supposed to get an email yesterday with instructions on how to return the faulty lens. I spoke to a gentleman on the phone who said that he would send me an email yesterday Thanks
24 July 12:2:43 by by Topbuy Customer Support
Hi,
I have forwarded your message to another staff with better knowledge of your inqiury. They will get back to you soon.
Some cases may need additional information from 3rd parties, so they may need some additional time to wait for this information.
24 July 12:3:14 by by Topbuy Customer Support
Hello dear customer, the return instruction has been send to [email protected], please check and let me know if any other questinos, cheers., Responsed by Customer Care Team – Sophia
24 July 13:35:23 by by Doug
for some reason I cant find the email in my hotmal. can you please send the return instrucions through this forum as it seems to work fine Thanks
24 July 13:43:37 by by Topbuy Customer Support
Call Fedex 132610 Fedex will bring a blank airway bill, and a blank Commercial Invoice please fill in below details item details (model, value…etc).
24 July 16:10:28 by by Doug
Thank you so much, I appreciate your patience
24 July 17:33:33 by by Topbuy Customer Support
My pleasure for service you, any other questions please feel free to contact me. cheers., Responsed by Customer Care Team – Sophia
5 August 21:0:46 by by Doug
HI, I have on my Fex ex tracking that the lens arrived in HK on 27 July. any word on what was happening with my lens. Thanks
6 August 13:5:50 by by Topbuy Customer Support
Hi,
I have forwarded your message to another staff with better knowledge of your inqiury. They will get back to you soon.
Some cases may need additional information from 3rd parties, so they may need some additional time to wait for this information.
6 August 18:48:42 by by Topbuy Customer Support
we wait for confirmation from technician to see if it is doa, the we will either make decision to send new replacement unit or get it fixed, Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
6 August 19:7:35 by by Doug
Thank you Roger, I appreciate that these things take time but the lens has been back with the supplier for ten days now. this seems more than enough time to see what is wrong and make a decision. regards
7 August 19:57:41 by by Topbuy Customer Support
we will double check with the supplier.please be patient, will let you k now the status by tommorrow, Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
5
8 August 11:53:43 by by Topbuy Customer Support
The technician still checking the lens, will get back you soon., Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
8 August 13:20:17 by by Doug
Thanks for your reply Roger; it seems rather strange to me that It has taken nearly two weeks to determine that the lens is faulty. I would have presumed that as it was less than a week old that you would have simply sent out a new lens. If this is going to take much longer I would rather you just refund my money as this whole process is taking up too much of my valuable time. Regards
10 August 19:3:2 by by Topbuy Customer Support
Sorry for keep you waitting for so ling, we will update news for you soon., Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
12 August 17:6:19 by by Doug
Dear Roger Purchasing the lens was easy and it arrived very promptly. Your company has this part of the transaction working very well. Returning the faulty product was also relatively easy and your company handled this well. Me as a customer of yours getting my money back or another new lens is not going so well. This has taken far too long and your company needs to address this part of the process. I am a very patient person and even I am starting to get a little annoyed at the time this has taken. I am not sure what to do next. I can’t spend any more time corresponding with your company as I have had enough If you choose to refund my money or give me a new lens it would be good, if you don’t I will just have to put it down to experience but I am annoyed at myself for trusting your company.
13 August 21:46:16 by by Doug
Dear Roger, I have recently become interested in photography and have a website that I host my pictures. http://www.redbubble.com/people/. I was trialling your company to see if I could confidently buy camera gear from the internet as I intend to progress my photography to the next stage. I have had enough of you telling me that the problem will be resolved soon so if it is not resolved by Friday of this week I intend to take a three pronged approach. Firstly it has become evident that I can’t trust your online company to do as they say so I am going to post a running commentary of my dealing with your company on my website to warn others of the dangers of trading on line. Secondly I am also going to contact channel seven with my story to warn others of the dangers of on line trading. And thirdly I am going to contact fair trading and lodge a complaint. I hope that you see fit to refund my money or send me out a new lens so that my actions are not required.
13 August 23:49:31 by by Topbuy Customer Support
thanks for reminder, we will chase the hk supplier to return the replaced lens back, Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
14 August 11:9:54 by by Topbuy Customer Support
Our technician checked the lens can be auto focus, may I know what kind of camera for this lens?, Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
15 August 19:14:3 by by Doug
Canon Eos60d Thanks. I feel the HK supplier is letting your company down.
15 August 23:18:33 by by Topbuy Customer Support
thanks for your information, will let hk company know those, sorry, we need to count on them sometimes, since we do not have everything ready to dispatch from our sydney warehouse, Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
19 August 14:14:28 by by Doug
Dear Roger Your company doesn’t seem to be taking my case very seriously. Please refund my money immediately or I will take fair trading action next week.
20 August 12:40:13 by by Topbuy Customer Support
Those Hk supplier are still testing, please be patient, thanks., Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
20 August 14:18:33 by by Topbuy Customer Support
It will fixed soon, may be this week., Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
23 August 20:13:3 by by Doug
Roger, I am not upset at all the trouble your company has caused me; in fact it’s the opposite. I have learnt that buying camera equipment on line is a false economy. It has been a month since I contacted you and said the lens was faulty. Most other suppliers would have given me a refund or a new lens. Your company has decided to mess me around and tell me different stories each time you contact me. As previously stated I have posted my dealings with you online and have had two very prominent photographers comment and say that they appreciate my warnings. I know that their opinions are valued by thousands of photographers in Sydney. They have told me to Go to DD photographics. I can assure you that I will never deal with your company again and I will make sure that all in the photography world know what to expect if they deal with your company, so far only about 40 people have seen my message but I intend to post it on facebook and twitter. When I have done this then I intend to take legal action, I am in no hurry and will continue on my quest until justice has been done.
28 August 11:46:30 by by Topbuy Customer Support
sorry, we will chase the service people to send back your lens asap, Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
7 September 11:44:10 by by Topbuy Customer Support
Hello, Doug, apologize for keep you waitting for so long, Just got the back news from service peopel
technician find the problem again after changed the parts, they will re-arrange another parts to test again, but it may need 1-2 weeks., Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
8 September 21:1:58 by by Doug
Thanks Roger Its very sad that your company has treated me so badly over this. I find it rather strange that I am not that upset that you have taken over $400 of my money and given me nothing in return. To be honest I have never experienced such poor service from any company I have dealt with. If I get my lense I will be very happy. I don’t really expect to receive anything from your company any more. I wish you all the best as you have just been doing as you have been told. To the person that has made the decision to treat me so badly I feel sorry for you as I have learnt in life that what goes around comes around so I know that it will all balance out in the end.
10 September 17:58:13 by by Topbuy Customer Support
it happens ocassionally, sorry for keep you waitting for so long, we will chase up again to make sure the product can be back to you asap., Responsed by Customer Care Team – Roger W
WELL, three months after my ordeal started I have my lens back. Its the old one I sent back and after the first few shots its came up with an error message on my camera so I cant really trust it, I can just imagine taking a shot of something fantastic and oops up pops the error message and what ever It was I was shooting was gone.
I might put it on ebay as someone could hollow it out and make a coffee cup out of it.
20/05
I came across the lens again after moving back to my mums house. It made me really pissed off so I had to get rid of it. I spent another nine dollars and posted it back to topbuy. I doubt they will do anything as they are #@$%^&^%. I noticed that they had deleted my comment from their site. They only post what they want. Top buy sucks and I have to build a bridge and get over it.
Doug
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