Verified Shipping Address
Posted on Wednesday, August 25th, 2004 at 23:28.
I budgeted for a 1GB RAM upgrade for my new iBook when I purchased it, however, I have been too busy to buy it until now. So I went to dealram and found that Other World Computing had a great price and offered 2-day shipping. The latter was very important because I am doing a big project this weekend and need the RAM.
But, like everything else that happened today, something so simple did not work out. Other World Computing is stuck in a 1990s-era business model. To “protect customers,” Other World Computing requires that the shipping address be a verified address on the credit card being used. If the shipping address is not the billing address or a verified address for the card, you must fax your driver’s license and other crap to the company. Facsimile died circa 2000. There is no excuse for an e-business to be using a 1980s technology at the core of its billing process.
Call me crazy, but I thought that the point of the internet was to be faster, cheaper, and more convenient. Other World Computing is insane. What if I wanted to order RAM as a gift for someone? What if I am a college student and moved more than a nomad and just kept one address as a permanent address for my bank? What if I ordered RAM on behalf of a non-tech savvy individual? I’ve shipped Amazon.com purchases to 7 different addresses in the last two years. I most certainly am not adding all of these addresses to my Visa.
I do not own a fax machine. I guess I am going to be forced to spend $3 on a fax transmission at Mail Boxes Etc. near Emerson (you know, the one that lost my server). Why would any company make doing business so damn difficult? Unless I receive a free upgrade to overnight shipping, I will never buy from Other World Computing again.
This has happened to me, and it sucks, but it’s to help them against fraud. As an internet merchant with a merchant account, the card companies will accept almost any disputed charge by a cardholder unless you have a card imprint or something.
What would you suggest they do instead of using AVS?
Don’t get me wrong, it annoys me too, but I’m playind devil’s advocate.
s
My suggestion to Other World Computing is to trust me if I give them an accurate billing address and the three digit security code on the back of my card. If I can provide an accurate billing address then I’m probably not using a stolen credit card.
If you have a scanner, you can scan it & fax with Panther’s built-in fax software.
I find that 1-800-4MEMORY is almost always cheaper, although I buy drives & CPU upgrades from OWC.
I don’t have a scanner… or a telephone land line. I would never use a scanner, save this instance, and my cell is the only phone I ever need, save this instance.
OWC was cheaper and had cheaper 2-day shipping than 1-800-4MEMORY.
You could take a picture of it and fax that with panther
I do not have a land line or the ability to attach my cell to my laptop. Nor do I know anyone with a land line. We’re all college kids packing cell phones wherever we go.
I just remembered that as soon as I switch to T-Mobile in September, I will be able to link my cellphone to my iBook through BlueTooth and send faxes this way. Good times.
Anyhoo, I sent the fax yesterday and the RAM will be here on *Monday*. The customer representative’s response to my thrashing e-mail was, “We have marked your account so we don’t have to go through this again.” But Connie is wrong. The address being shipped to is only my place until September 1, 2004, because this is just a summer sublet and I will be moved into my rockin’ new apartment by then. The only reason we won’t have to go through that again is because I am not ever ordering from OWC again.