DealExtreme
reviews and complaints

THIEVES. If you've been ripped off by DX, like thousands of others, join my group or page. This is my only option since DX stopped responding and it's too late for Paypal to do anything. I want to hear your story about how they let you down or ripped you off. With enough participation we can turn this into a class-action lawsuit and recover our money.

This company makes cheap goods available because they can offset the poor profit margin by simply not sending out 5% of their orders, and pretending it got lost in the mail until the 45-day validity period in PayPal expires, and then never refunding. This leaves you in a position where you can do absolutely nothing to get your money back. Here is a list of their dirty tricks:
- ALL orders are paid up front, but DX doesn't necessarily even have the product! Even whenn it says "In stock" or "temporarily sold out" they simply DO NOT AND MAY NEVER HAVE THE PRODUCT. You are LUCKY if you ever get it. You will NEVER get it in the time they specify, if at all. If they never restock the product, you will NEVER get your money back! There are many products advertised as "in stock" on DX that they have not in fact had for years! Most online stores WILL NOT ACCEPT your money if they do not have a product available, because it just means they will have to refund you. But DX doesn't do this because THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF REFUNDING YOU, unless you lodge a complaint with Paypal within 45 days. Since most orders take longer than this to arrive, most of DX's customers never do this in time!
- A variation on the above trick, your order will go through, and then the order will say "Pending" - leading you to believe that it will be packaged shortly. But items can be "pending" for more than 12 months! By this time, there is no way for you to get your money back, and DX will ignore you if you try to complain.
- Most of dealextremes tricks rely on you waiting for the 45 day period without lodging a PayPal dispute. This even includes being told that they will or have sent you a refund or replaced the item, then you wait, but there is no refund, but if its been 45 days, you are screwed! They will tell you ANYTHING to keep you on the hook until the 45 days are up, and then they don't care.
- If you ever point out that you have been ripped-off by DealExtreme on their forums or messageboards THEY WILL BAN YOU so that you cannot tell others. So far they have locked 11 of my accounts for attempting to tell others of these dirty tricks.
- DealExtreme is WELL KNOWN to all the scam-reporting websites on the internet. If you don't believe me, just google "dealextreme scam" you will get hundreds of hits from various scam-reporting websites containing basically the same story from ripped-off customers.
- If you haven't been ripped-off yet, it's only a matter of time, there is NO protection for you and the support staff are not interested in refunding money.

I have gone to a lot of effort to start this cause against DealExtreme because I cannot stand that they are able to get away with this, and their customers and potential customers need to be aware of how they operate.
Help us expose them by telling us your story:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/DealExtreme-are-thieves/103354763081603?sk=wall
(Page)
or
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_200569453297410&ap=1
(Group)

-=DealExtreme Are Thieves=-

I order just a few small accessories for my digital camera (SD card, card adapter and card reader) all totaling less than $15. The website indicated the items were in stock and would ship with 4 days and in transit about 14 days with free shipping. Although I was not happy about the extended shipping time, it was free shipping--so I couldn't really complain. After 4 weeks I contacted the company and asked for a tracking number. They responded by saying the items had shipping just a few days after the order was placed and that I should check with my local post office to see if the package was "held up" there. I checked and it was not at the post office. After contactiong them againg and asking for a trackgin number--they responded by saying to "give it another 10 days" in case the package was delayed somewhere in transit. Still they had sent me a tracking number to prove my order had shipped. By now it was almost 6 weeks. I immediately responded back to them that PayPal has a 45 day limit on opening a dispute against the order (if it did not show up in the additional 10 days). They stopped responding so I had to open a dispute with PayPal. A few days later I was refunded the purchase price (minus PayPal transaction fee). It had now been alomost 8 weeks since the order was placed and no package has arrived---it is apparent they never sent anything and were either just stalling because the items were not available or they were just fraudulently stealing my money. [protected]@k Deal extreme.

I am an old Deal Extreme customer. I bought so many excellent and rare gadgets there, and I would recommend it to everybody.
But, this is archived evidence of how Deal Extreme customers are shamelessly harassed by Deal Extreme Forum moderator while "Waiting for supplier" for items they bought at Deal Extreme:

http://mprofaca.cro.net/DX-rude-nutjob-harrasment_01.png
http://mprofaca.cro.net/DX-rude-nutjob-harrasment_02.png
http://mprofaca.cro.net/DX-rude-nutjob-harrasment_03.png

Is Deal Extreme owner (or anybody else) going to do something about it, particularly referring to Deal Extreme Forum "moderator" nicknamed NUTJOB ?
Complaints I posted to Deal Extreme Forum were promptly removed by its "moderators" NUTJOB and CYCLIST so that Deal Extreme staff members (and owners) could not read it.

MarioPro

I think DX uses the early adopters -- people who place their orders early and ahead of the curve before the masses do -- in bad faith so they can test the waters and see if there is substantive demand for an item. Once orders are taken, they then make their order in proper and optimal size to their suppliers. I know: that's tricky, clever. It's indicative of the tactics and ethics in that region. I can't really be angry, I just pity these folks.

Furthermore, on at least 2 past orders, I got fed up with non-responses from DX people.

On one occasion, I tried to cancel my order. And you know what, it won't let me! Status on the cancellation page says: "On the packaging line and pending some last steps for shipment. If you would like to obtain the latest update, please contact us." However, when I go to order tracking, it says the status is: "Temporary stock shortage, contact us if necessary" Could there simultaneously be two very different and conflicting status? Obviously, at least one of these is a lie. DX presents whatever status they feel like to manipulate the buyer.

Also no such thing as a FIFO policy. People who buy the product after you -- especially if you are an early buyer -- will often get their items shipped first. When inventory is very low, but many orders are taken, DX appears to try to do damage control on their public image -- manipulating the perception of the masses by shipping the bulk of the last orders first for positive feedback. A few very angry customers is better than many unhappy customers.

Meanwhile, DX often drops the price while they are 'waiting for stock' from suppliers after you make the order (but note, you only made the order because DX tells you it's in stock in the first place.) But point is, no chance in getting a price match.

Don't trust their forums either. I suspect at least a 3 of the members are 'planted' -- agents who work for them but say a few soothing words to disgruntled buyers who post. (e.g. moneycow). Just look at the reviews of these people. Be cautious who is posting. And the moderators, they say they are not DX Employees, but believe me, they are 'agents' at the very least. Cunning and very manipulative.

Along the lines of 'paid posters' or 'planted agents', look at some of the users on this site who has given DX a 5 check mark rating, 99% of users have only one posts. There is pattern here. Hmmmm... makes you wonder. It seems like DX staff are trying to keep their score up.

On one occasion, I got myself a DOA (Holux GPS unit). No response after inquiries to customer service.

These incidents have one thing in common: when the value of the item is over $50 (GPS, aPad). That is about as much as you can trust them with one order. Sure you probably will have no problems with small items (less than $20) but think twice before you buy something significant -- could be delays, DOA or other problems.

I'm going to report these incidents to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. I don't know about HK or China, but in Canada there are ethical standards for merchants. For the public record and with each new report of deceit, it's gonna make it harder to exist as a quasi-sham.

Poor ethics. Poor practices. It's a matter of time before karma catches up.

This was the worst experience I have ever encountered with internet purchasing. In summary, I ordered a product for a trip that I would be leaving for a month later. The web site presents the product as it is in stock, but it isn't. Three weeks later I found that the item hadn't even been shipped. I canceled the order and asked for a refund. They responded by lying to me that the order had been shipped the day before so that they couldn't cancel it. In reality, the order was shipped 3 days later and arrived while I was on my trip. The post office sent it back to them and ever since I got back from my vacation, it has been a battle to get a refund. Below I have listed the word-for-word correspondence for anyone interested in reading them. My advice; stay away from this company if you think you may cancel your order or ask for a refund, or would like to receive the item in a reasonable time frame.

These are the following correspondence as written.

-This battery pack was ordered and charged 4/27 and I still haven't received it. No one bothered to tell me that you were currently out of this item. I am really not pleased and I expected to have it before I leave for Europe. I would like a refund immediately. If someone would have emailed or phoned me about the problem I would see the situation much differently. I doubt I will buy anything from your store ever again.
regretfully, ...customer

-Sorry for the delay.
kindly tell you that your item 31967 in this order has just been shipped yesterday, on 5/17/2010.
We are sorry for the delayed shipment, because the item you ordered has been of stock for some time and just was available many days later. So we really appreciate your understanding.
So please don't worry and kindly wait for some days. Alright?
Thank you very much for your patience.
Should you have any problem, please feel free to contact us.
Have a nice day.
Yours sincerely,
Alvin

-In my last email I asked that this order be canceled since the order was placed 4/27 and I still haven't received the item. It took a few days for customer service to respond and they said the item was going to be shipped that day 5/17. I still wanted the refund but decided to see in the battery pack would come before I went out of town. According to the tracking # info the package didn't even leave til' 5/21 and from Hong Cong of all places. Its been a month since I ordered this product which I supposed would be plenty of time to receive it before my trip. I wasn't even offered a discount of any sort. Im sick of being lied to and put off and I want the refund I originally asked for.

-Dear customer,

Sorry for the trouble and inconvenience we have created for you.
We tracked your package from HK post:
Destination - United States of America
The item (RB317904405HK) left Hong Kong for its destination on 21-May-2010
Would you please wait a few more days?
Best wishes!
Anna

-Response from (Customer) 6/20/2010 6:47:03 AM HKT (UTC+8)

The battery pack was intended for the trip I left for on 5/26. The item arrived sometime in my absence. After being gone for 3 weeks the post office gave up on a signature and "returned to sender". Therefore I still do not have the item I ordered in April and I still would like a refund for my purchase.
-customer

Request (Responded) from anna Customer Service Staff 6/21/2010 4:50:08 PM HKT (UTC+8)

Dear customer,

Sorry, we will record your order and tracking number, then ask HK Post to track your package, when they confirm that your package has lost, we will arrange the replacement for you ASAP.
Best wishes!
Anna

Response from (Customer) 6/21/2010 9:56:34 PM HKT (UTC+8)

I don't want a replacement. Again this was for a trip that has already finished. I would like the refund for my purchase.

-Request (Responded) from anna Customer Service Staff 6/22/2010 4:19:16 PM HKT (UTC+8)

Dear customer,

OK, when HK post confirm that your package has lost, we will fully refund you ASAP.
Best wishes!
Anna

Response from (Customer) 7/19/2010 7:20:51 AM HKT (UTC+8)

The item was returned from the post office 6/14 and now over a month later I still haven't received the refund of $54.79. When can I expect to see this credited to my c.c. account?
-customer

Request (Responded) from anna Customer Service Staff 8/2/2010 2:57:25 PM HKT (UTC+8)

Dear customer,

Sorry for the late reply because I was absent about 15 days.
We confirmed that your package was returned to us.But since the payment was made more than 90 days ago PayPal does not allow a direct refund on the payment. Instead, in order to issue the refund to you, we have to contact paypal separately for this refund and usually there is no guarantee that the refund could be processed by paypal in a timely manner.

Would you like to take a store credit of the original amount? You may use the credit immediately to get something else. Or, you can leave the credit and use it later at a time you like.

Please let us know which way works the best for you.

Thank you for your understanding.

Have a nice day

Anna

Response from (Customer) 8/5/2010 1:15:33 AM HKT (UTC+8)

My patience is really wearing thin. I have been asking for this refund over a period of several months; even before the product arrived. Deal Extreme can issue a direct credit to my american express card immediately and deal with paypal separately. Why must I be punished for this company's incompetence? I have never experienced such problems from online purchasing as I have with Deal Extreme. That being said, I definitely do not want store credit. I would like to see the balance credited to my c.c. before this situation becomes any worse.

Request (Responded) from anna Customer Service Staff 8/6/2010 5:25:26 PM HKT (UTC+8)

Dear customer,

Do you have any other orders, which the payment was made less than 90 days ago?

Best wishes
Anna

Response from (Customer) 8/6/2010 8:48:03 PM HKT (UTC+8)

-None

Request (Responded) from anna Customer Service Staff 8/9/2010 3:31:46 PM HKT (UTC+8)

Dear customer,

Would you like us to arrange the replacement for you?
Best wishes!
Anna

Response from (Customer) 8/9/2010 9:22:26 PM HKT (UTC+8)

I would like my money refunded ASAP.

Request (Responded) from anna Customer Service Staff 8/10/2010 5:51:19 PM HKT (UTC+8)

Dear customer,

But since the payment was made more than 90 days ago PayPal does not allow a direct refund on the payment. Instead, in order to issue the refund to you, we have to contact paypal separately for this refund and usually there is no guarantee that the refund could be processed by paypal in a timely manner.

Would you like to take a store credit of the original amount? You may use the credit immediately to get something else. Or, you can leave the credit and use it later at a time you like.

Please let us know which way works the best for you.

Thank you for your understanding.

Have a nice day

Anna

Response from (Customer) 8/10/2010 8:44:41 PM HKT (UTC+8)

I am sick and tired of all the games. I have been asking for the refund ever since May.
I have learned about many similar complaints about this company and its fraudulent practices. I will now file complaints against this company, file a claim with paypal, and follow with legal action if necessary. I don't even care about the money as much as I care about your dishonesty and lack of integrity. If I don't see the amount credited back to my credit card this week I will began seeking legal counsel.

-After contacting American Express, they graciously filed a dispute claim for me even though it was after their 60 day dispute deadline. Now that is customer service! A few days after calling the credit card company, Deal Extreme sent a response.

-Well, we will contract Paypal to refund you separately, but we can only refund you $50 because we have to deduct the postage that we paid for the shipping, please understand.

The refunds will be issued to you within 2-3 weeks. You will receive a confirmation e-mail directly from PayPal when it has arrived at your account.
Should you have any other problems, please feel free to contact us again.
We look forward to serving you in the near future.
Best regards,
Anna

-So they still want to get anything they can even if it is a few dollars. This is nothing more than subtle theft. I canceled the order before it was shipped, they shipped it in disregard of my request, and now want to charge me for it. Obviously not everyone has a terrible experience like this or else the company would be bankrupt. Buy from this crooked company at your own risk. You've read the correspondence exactly as they were written - now you decide.

Ordered 4 products from DealExtreme. Shipment arrived with 2 of the items with a note saying the other 2 products would be backordered. Never arrived. Wrote for refund. They will not refund or investigate unless I submit a photo of the original package (which didn't contain the missing items anyway). Why would I have saved a padded envelope which contained what it claimed to contain? Why should I have to own a camera and save all my obsolete packaging just so I can get a refund? Paypal won't get involved if it's after 45 days, which it is because I gave them time for the backorder. DealExtreme must do this as a way of denying all refunds. I've bought from them in the past, but never again.

I want to let people know that this is definitely a fraud company. I didn't get anything from them at all. I also should have googled them first before I spent money.

YES, I'M YELLING! THIS COMPANY IS A RIP-OFF AND I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT THEM ON THEIR WEBSITE AND IT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE MY ORDER NUMBER THEN I WENT THRU PAYPAL AND TRIED TO CONTACT THIS BUYER AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE AT ALL. ITS OVER 30 DAYS AND I WANT TO ESCALATE THIS MATTER THRU PAYPAL EVEN THOUGH MY CASE IS CLOSED THRU PAYPAL. I WANT MY FREAKING MONEY BACK. ANOTHER THING, I WANT TO ADD THIS ### OF A COMPANY BASED IN HONG KONG, CHINA AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT UNTIL I WAS CHARGED $1.00 FOR INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTION FEE.

I GIVE THIS COMPANY A FREAKING ZERO! I DON'T RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE TO PURCHASE ANY THING FOR THIS WEBSITE.

YOU SCREWED ME ONCE AND THAT' ENOUGH FOR ME!

Rechargeable Digital Pin-hole Spy Camera + USB Drive Disguised as Working Pen are FAKE products, the pen are not working as described, sometimes you'll have working usb flash drive, sometimes working camera without working usb memory, most of the time just regular pen for about 20$. Regular price for such item on internet is about 100$. Support, waranty and return policy are questionable.

[protected]@gmail.com sold me a very expensive flashlight, one of those HID 35 watt Bright ones.. When it arrived, it was broken, and will NOT work at all.

This was paid for by Pay Pal, and I complained, sent e-mails, and even back charged them on pay pal, both them, and Pay Pal are not responding at all.

Out 255.44 usd

I purchased an HDMI to HDMI/optical audio switcher from Deal Extreme. They sent me the wrong item. In order to return items to them, you have to take a picture of it and the envelope it is sent in and upload it to an e-mail, which I did. Even though they had a picture of the item that stated what the item was, they sent an e-mail back and asked me to describe the item, which I did.

After much e-mailing back and forth (I have copies of all the e-mails), Monica stated that they don't have the item in stock and they would refund my money if I found a way to ship it back to them. She promised to reimburse my shipping costs as well. UPS showed they received it on 1/5. I sent them copies of my receipts from UPS showing the date and cost of shipping. I e-mailed them 3 times from 1/9 and 1/31; they did not respond to any of these e-mails. I later found out by going to their website that they were gone from 1/24 -1/31 for the Chinese New Year, but there was no auto reply to my messages.

After waiting for a month, I finally contacted my credit card company and explained the situation. They were very helpful and stated that I would not be responsible for the purchase price. Only then did I receive an auto reply from Deal Extreme stating that they received a request to cancel the order. When I replied telling them what has been occurring, they replied that the item was shipped on 12/6 and do I have proof that I returned the item. They still have not refunded my money, although I am having the CC company deal with them on that. They also have not refunded the return shipping costs.

Deal Extreme is either staffed by totally incompetent personnel or they are a disreputable company. Either way, like Robert, my advice is don't do business with them. I wish I would have googled this company before doing business with them, there appear to be other complaints there as well.

I've ordered two items from DealExtreme. The first item came to me in about 2 weeks just like they said. It was defective and I was a little frustrated.

So I ordered a second item from them which never came. I became more frustrated this time and I emailed DealExtreme. They told me to please wait for a response from us while we look into the matter.

We sent several emails back and forth and it was the pretty much same thing from them everytime. Please check your post office, we'll look into it at the Hong Kong Post, please confirm your address or please allow more time for your item to be delivered. Also, they don't provide you a tracking number.

If you have a problem with them they will give you the run around and they won't really try to resolve any problems. Do not, and I repeat, do not order from them. They will not refund your money if you never receive what you ordered.