Michael Reuben
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 1998
- Messages
- 21,763
- Real Name
- Michael Reuben
There's an existing thread on the problems that many of us have had with Total Action Universe, but I thought this latest development deserved its own topic.
When TAU switched to their new website in early June, they stopped accepting orders in U.S. dollars, even though they list separate U.S. and Canadian prices on their site. They accept orders in Canadian dollars only, and then your credit card company does the conversion. TAU assured me that the conversion shouldn't vary by much.
Well, I've just seen my American Express card statement with the listing for the new Kubrick collection. My pre-order price from TAU was $160 Canadian, with a special one-time discount on shipping of $8 Canadian, for a total of $168.00. Using the conversion figures reflected on TAU's site should result in a U.S. dollar charge of $105. Indeed, TAU's current listed price for the Kubrick set is $169.99 Canadian or $106.24 U.S.
What showed up on my Amex card was $8.75 higher -- and both Amex and TAU disclaim any knowledge of why. Amex says the charge came into them in U.S. dollars; TAU insists they put it through in Canadian dollars. Who knows what happened? But it's pretty obvious that the U.S. dollar figures advertised on TAU's site are rough calculations at best, and that TAU won't stand behind them.
Now, I'm still getting the set at a good discount, but I've also had to wait weeks to get it (and, in fact, I'm still waiting). The moral of the story is that it's never good to order items where the vendor takes no responsibility for the amount you will ultimately be charged. U.S. customers should purchase from TAU with caution. Shipping will take longer, customer service is problematic, and that big savings you were expecting may be a lot less than you thought.
M.
When TAU switched to their new website in early June, they stopped accepting orders in U.S. dollars, even though they list separate U.S. and Canadian prices on their site. They accept orders in Canadian dollars only, and then your credit card company does the conversion. TAU assured me that the conversion shouldn't vary by much.
Well, I've just seen my American Express card statement with the listing for the new Kubrick collection. My pre-order price from TAU was $160 Canadian, with a special one-time discount on shipping of $8 Canadian, for a total of $168.00. Using the conversion figures reflected on TAU's site should result in a U.S. dollar charge of $105. Indeed, TAU's current listed price for the Kubrick set is $169.99 Canadian or $106.24 U.S.
What showed up on my Amex card was $8.75 higher -- and both Amex and TAU disclaim any knowledge of why. Amex says the charge came into them in U.S. dollars; TAU insists they put it through in Canadian dollars. Who knows what happened? But it's pretty obvious that the U.S. dollar figures advertised on TAU's site are rough calculations at best, and that TAU won't stand behind them.
Now, I'm still getting the set at a good discount, but I've also had to wait weeks to get it (and, in fact, I'm still waiting). The moral of the story is that it's never good to order items where the vendor takes no responsibility for the amount you will ultimately be charged. U.S. customers should purchase from TAU with caution. Shipping will take longer, customer service is problematic, and that big savings you were expecting may be a lot less than you thought.
M.
