I recently tried to get optics planet (OP) cust service to do two things at once. i know...i know.
I found something on sale at Midway. Since I had received a optics planet gift certificate for Christmas, i thought I'd get optics planet to match Midways price then use the $25 gift cert. I figured i'd have a stellar deal. Well, at OP, you do all the research for them. First, you send them an e-mail to see if they will match the competitors low price. If they agree they will tell you that you have to purchase the item at full price, then send them an e-mail, and they will adjust the price when they process the order. (um..ok i guess)
Well i'm ready to try it so I call cust service first as I knew this was going to be complicated. They told me they dont deal with the gift certs and that I had to go online to use it. (mmmm...i got a strange feeling now). Well i go online, enter the certificates code number and, of course, its not working (says invalid number). I "live chat with a rep" he says try this method. Well, during his method, the order gets submitted at full price.
I called cust service and asked that they cancel the order via phone. No gift cert=no order for me. Ordering from optics planet and getting them to match a price is a good
concept but emailing order numbers and applying it later is a cumbersome. When
you combine that with trying to use an optics planet "gift certificate".....it
becomes a royal pain in the arse.
I mentioned this to someone else, who relayed a horror story of endless work when they tried to use a prepaid Visa card with OP.
Lessons learned:
1. Do not work to give a business money.
2. DO NOT buy an OP gift card as a gift. (unless you're mad at the recipient)
3. Do not deal with a business that has helpless customer service reps. that "don't deal" with their own gift certs or products.
4. An OP gift cert makes excellent fertilizer because it's ****
