getting cheated buying online

[MichaelPicard]

I am at a loss, since it seems when one has issues with getting buying online magic we have no recourse fopr satisfaction when we feel we have been cheated or misled.
I have, as many others, have purchased magic and found the secret to be impractical for normal use etc. That is the risk as you pay to know the secret. What I am talking about is when an online company such as Hocus_Pocus .com advertises promos and fails to deliver on them. we have no recourse and when I called to complain about the recent issue was" I failed to mention the bonus" I would have no proof as when you order online through thier web it is not saved and the email confirmation sent to you only gives regular prices and not one word about bonus items. When you call to mention this they say doesn't matter that the sale price will be made when the prder is filled and bonus items will be included.
Yet when I received the order it was missing the bonus items and I was charged full price. They refuse to send my bonus items.
Also this is not the first time and they refuse to treat me as a loyal customer as I have spent thousands there since they started. They don't care.
Anyone here care to help?

[jason156]

If you paid through PayPal, perhaps they can assist you. Just a thought.

[flynn]

Theres alot of people that do shady business if thay can get away with it.

Sorry to here about your problems. And thanks for tellng us how Hocus-pocus conducts business. Maybe you could tell the owner or manager there that your gonna post how they do business all over at magic forums until its known to everybody how they runs things at hocus pocus. You maybe able to get your order straightened out. I had an instructor who bought a new car and break down the next day and she tried to get the dealer to fix or trade for a different car bought they wouldn't budge until she told them that she's an instructor at Arizona State and told them she would tell all her students and faculty how that dealership was, and they got her a rental car and fixed her car.

Elmwood Magic on east coast. West side I had good business with Presto Magic Studio in Scottsdale Az. The owner is quite honest i have to say.

[NCMarsh]

I've had them honor the discounts when I mentioned the code (and, recently, apparently did not).

If you suspect that you entered the code and didn't receive credit for it, I'd recommend taking a screen shot of the form with the code prior to submitting it in the future.

Best,

N.

[hugmagic]

I always keep a hard copy of the terms of anything I order online, the original ads if needed. It saves a lot of hassles. I always pay be paypal or credit card.

Richard

[Kevin Connolly]

I just don't trust anyone's first post to be a rant or I got screwed post. Just my 2 cents.

[the Larry]

Michael, you say you have spent thousands of dollars with them. You say this was not the first time that they cheated you.

Why do you keep shopping there? Why do you continue to be the mark? Never buy again from them ever no matter what they offer or how tempting their ads are. This has to be a matter of principle. I have several business inside and outside of magic I have learned to never spend a dime with. Vote with your money. It is the most effect way to eliminate or improve those bad businesses. Anything else is a waste of time and only adds to your aggravation. Give them the boot and shop somewhere else.

[Magic Newswire]

I've never had a negative experience with Hocus-Pocus.com and have always felt that Paul was a good guy to deal with. That being the case, I have to think that there's more to this story.

[MichaelPicard]

what's not to trust? I needed to go to a forum where this is applicable.

and also since I have purchased a lot over the years and spent alot, I have had good and in my haste and fustration I used the word "cheated" and should have said they made many errors and but this time I am very ticked about thier lack of support. How would you feel? last year when I bought "Linked" it was supposed to come with a gimmicked card, was not included and I immedialy let them know, they said they would send one out and 6 months later Nothing. In fact , I totally forgot about that.
So, what is more to this story...You m must realize since I am in Canada it is much more difficult and costly to correct these mistakes. This order included the jumbo rising cards, extremely substandard.It is cheaper for me to keep these than have to pay to ship them back and pay to have a new set shipped to me. In thier mind it is my cost to incur.

[Richard Kaufman]

I'm sorry, Michael, but I find it nearly impossible to believe that you have bought things from Hocus-Pocus and had a part (or a card, as you mention) missing, and they have refused to send it to you after you told them about it.

I also find it hard to believe that you requested a credit for a promotion where you neglected to check a box when you ordered online and they refused to give it to you when you contacted them.

[Adrian Kuiper]

I don't recall ever ordering from Hocus-Pocus and here's why:

They state that their "sale price" will be calculated when the invoice is written and the charge card is processed. That's too late. I want to see and approve the invoice before the sale is finalized. They should really join the Internet world by getting software that will do this as SO many other vendors do.

This is like H-P saying: "Send me $200.00 and I'll send you back what I don't need."

Yeah...right!

Just my .02 worth...
Adrian

[r paul wilson]

I've done business with both sides of Hocus Pocus (selling them products wholesale and buying them retail). Paul and his company have never been anything but honest, reliable and fair to me and to all my friends who use their service.

I can't speak for this person's experience but it is my opinion that HP's customer service is as good as any I've seen and they would deal with someone's problem fairly and reasonably.

HP is one of my favorite online magic dealers and Paul Gross is one of my favorite people in Magic. I simply don't believe they would treat a customer so poorly.

That's my two cents.

P

[MichaelPicard]

I am sorry to say that is completely true Richard.
Except I may not have been clear but they did say they would send it when I spoke to them but I have yet to receive it.
It is unfortunate and feel bad that I have had to make this public in order to get thier attention.

[Kevin Connolly]

First of all, Michael is not his name. Since I was the first to chime in that his post was suspect, he emailed me. He tries to make one believe that his post is innocent, but his agenda is evident.

I told him to post his email here with his name, but I guess he didn't want to be exposed or something.

[Mark Paulson]

I've used Hocus Pocus many times to buy magic, and they've always provided good customer service. One time, a DVD didn't play, so I called them and they sent out a replacement within a week.

When you fill out their order form and write in the code to get free stuff, you can print that page out on your computer before you hit 'send.' That way you will have a record of the original order.

If a company screwed me over, or made a mistake more than once on an order, I'd switch companies.

[Magic Newswire]

I am a customer service fanatic... I'll always give you an opportunity to correct an error, but if I don't receive an appropriate level of customer service, I look elsewhere for what I need. I'm really having trouble with this from that perspective. Paul and his team have always been very responsive and I didn't understand why you would continue to order from them if you continue to be treated poorly.. What's that smell? Am I in Denmark?

[MichaelPicard]

Hi, My name is Michael and no I have NOT emailed anyone here. If soemone emailed you and said they were me, then we both have been duped.
As to why I have purchsed from them many times? Because alot of what they offer is said to be " exclusive" also I also said they offered to resend the missing card but have failed to do so many months later. I also admitted that I had totally forgot about this and was reminded actually by them, and they said they sent me one. ( i never got it).

I also never said " I have always been treated poorly" just a few times and this time just put me over the edge, more about the "attitude" I guess.

I also know that when you purchase magic you take some risk. But when I order because of a special from an email they send me, and order online I know now I should print out the screen shot but also they should know that as one of "their members" I am entitled to said specials " when ordering within the time frame, so if there is a computer glitch, the customer is protected.
I also order from many suppliers and some I will recommend.

Lastly.. I replied to this and for some reason it did not show, so if this ends up being a duplicate post to the "email" issue, then I apologize.

[MichaelPicard]

BTW.. I usually am a nice guy and fun. Please don't let my frustration and rant get in the way.

[Ray T. Stott]

BTW.. I usually am a nice guy and fun. Please don't let my frustration and rant get in the way.

Don't be mislead my the anecdotal comments of others about how well they have been treated. Magic retailers, in many cases, run as slack an operation that I have ever encountered.

The first mail order tricks that I ever bought were purchased From Top Hat Magic in Illinois, back in the Devonian Period, and Mr. Tracy was a prompt shipper and even shipped orders to kids C.O.D.

It seemed that all of the old dealers were as straight as a string.( you had to keep an eye on V.L. and The House of a 1000 Mysteries) :) Abbott's, Thayer's (under the Larsen ownership) Douglas Magicland, Kanter's and Tannen's (until a change of ownership screwed them the all up - but I was really out of the catalog magic period then.

There are too many 21st century outfits who seem to survive on excuses.

So, the satisfaction of others has very little bearing on what you may personally experience.

I enjoy sashimi fugu and have never had a problem with it but that is no guarantee that the next platter will not knock me out of the box.

Or that your first experience with it will not land you in cold storage.

[Magic Randy]

I've never had any trouble with Hocus-Pocus.com. I would highly recommend them.

[Richard Kaufman]

Mr. Stott, fugu are now bred to be non-toxic. So eat away!

[Brad Henderson]

Doesn't that take the fun out of it? I thought the tingling lips was part of the experience.

[flynn]

I, for one, got scared away from hocus pocus lol. I'm not taking any chances. I believe Michael is telling the truth. People will be nice with whomever they choose and whoever is on the recieving end of that will tell you they're nice or whatever. Have you all notice people that had no problem with HP were clients that have a little more clout, I guess you could say, than others? my 2 cents

[Edward]

flynn, I was about to say that. I sincerely doubt that Mr. Paul Wilson would have any trouble at all with H-P. He is well known in the magic community so I believe he would get 1st rate treatment. So really that's not a valid endorsement of H-P. The little guys are just that, the little guys.

[Ray T. Stott]

Mr. Stott, fugu are now bred to be non-toxic. So eat away!

But I really dig that lightheaded feeling and those crazy numb fingertips. All washed down with a bucket of Rocks.

Without those, fugu is a bland white fish. Gimme those poison ones! :)

Who wants to live forever?

[Kurt]

I know many magicians who have had nothing but good dealings with Hocus Pocus. What is this mess with one person who has a problem>
Kurt Lohbeck

[Richard Kaufman]

It's one person bitching online is what it is. And the guy lives in Canada. No slight intended toward Canadians, but your postal service stinks. It takes ages for stuff to reach destinations in Canada.

[Ray T. Stott]

It's one person bitching online is what it is. And the guy lives in Canada. No slight intended toward Canadians, but your postal service stinks. [color:#FF0000]It takes ages for stuff to reach destinations in Canada.

[/color]

Amen to that Bro'!
Canadian customs sits on incoming international shipments until they are riper than a Limburger cheese and the addressee roaring like a lion during its incarceration. USPS Express International Mail breezes through customs throughout the known world but Canuck customs gives a Batman comic book a large dose of the drag ass and a couple of Ki's of smack breezes right through by international parcel post.

[MichaelPicard]

It was sent UPS by the way. This has nothing to do with the Canadain postal service. Why do you feel to be insulting because I am Canadian? what does that have to do with it? Should I go on about how our banks are not failing? No because that is irrelevant, I am sharing my experience with a company and what went wrong, I have no other recourse except to try to inform others as to my experience, my friends you can continue to support them or not but don't question my integrity. The issue of me being in Canada reflects that in a situatin such as this it costs me more to ship an item back and pay to have a replacement shipped back to me than to keep the item in question.
Would you have sat back and accepted a deck of rising cards that were in dire need of viagra? I don't think so.

[jason156]

My advice on not getting cheated is to only buy from online websites that are attached to actual brick and mortar shops. In effect you are simply looking at an online catalog of their inventory.

It's just my 2 cents....

[Bob Cunningham]

I don't know anything about this particular conflict. But I do teach on cyber security and consumer fraud, and there are a couple of things you can do keep your self from being "ripped off" on-line.

I personally do not recommend limiting your transactions to business that have a brink and mortar presence. Many reputable on-line companies do not have a brick and mortar facility (i.e. Amazon.com).

These four simple rules should keep you for safe in most on-line business situations:

1) Search the company name with terms like "review", "trouble" and "problems". If the merchant is trouble, you are probably not the first person to have a bad experience - and someone has probably written about it.

2) Always pay with a major credit card - not cash, not pay pal, but a major credit card. In my experience, American Express is the most consumer friendly. In a dispute Pay Pal tends to favor the seller - not the buyer. American Express has a reputation for being aggressively pro consumer.

3) Never ever, for any reason, give an on-line retailer any more personal information than your Credit Card info, shipping address, e-mail address and telephone number.

4) Just like in the real world, listen to the the experience of others that you know and respect.

[Ray T. Stott]

It was sent UPS by the way. This has nothing to do with the Canadain postal service. Why do you feel to be insulting because I am Canadian? what does that have to do with it? Should I go on about how our banks are not failing? No because that is irrelevant, I am sharing my experience with a company and what went wrong, I have no other recourse except to try to inform others as to my experience, my friends you can continue to support them or not but don't question my integrity. The issue of me being in Canada reflects that in a situatin such as this it costs me more to ship an item back and pay to have a replacement shipped back to me than to keep the item in question.
Would you have sat back and accepted a deck of rising cards that were in dire need of viagra? I don't think so.

[color:#3366FF][size:11pt]
Mush! Mush!![/size][/color] :D

[color:#FF0000][size:11pt]Having your purchase sent via UPS and the heart stopping brokerage fees that your government lays on you was a real burst of intelligence

As to US Bank failures, Canada's monopoly money fagged out long ago. You should hear cashiers curse when checking out their registers upon discovering that someone has slipped them a Canadian nickel or quarter... and the greenback has slipped in parity with some other countries' currency: but it ain't failed, and, by the way, US banks owned by Canadian banks i.e RBC Centura et al, who get their marching orders directly from the financial brain trusts in Quebec, have fared [size:14pt]NO[/size] better.

BTW - I didn't insult your postal system, Mr. Kaufman insulted your postal system.

I insulted your customs system! :D

Time to hit the bricks, Sargent Preston[/size][/color]

[color:#3366FF][size:11pt]
Mush! Mush!![/size][/color] :D

[Ray T. Stott]

Most of your advise is very sound, but your statement about PayPal favoring the seller is 180 degrees bassackwards. :)

[Brad Henderson]

Would you have sat back and accepted a deck of rising cards that were in dire need of viagra? I don't think so.

What are you complaining about? You Canandians are famous for your Health Care System. The Viagra should be easily obtained and free.

See, problem solved.

Brad Henderson

[John LeBlanc]

What are you complaining about? You Canandians are famous for your Health Care System. The Viagra should be easily obtained and free.

See, problem solved.

There's Moore logic in that statement than most realize.

John

[Bob Cunningham]

All I can say is do a search on the terms "paypal difficulties refund" and you will see thousands of complaints.

Here is just one site that lists more than a hundred complaints - http://www.aboutpaypal.org/

[MichaelPicard]

Just an update, I received an email from Hocus Pocus and they are now calling me a liar and siad I am to take my business else where and I am to "trust" them and send back the rising cards for a refund as they will not replace them. I am unsure I can trust them as they still have not sent the gimmick card for "linked" they said they would.Wellnow I figure they will not. So they lured me into an order by offering "free" stuff and when I did not receive it is easy to say it was my fault. They are upset that I kept my word about telling the world how they treated me.

btw as for the "excessive" duty.. all we pay is the sales tax as if we did buy in Canada and Hocus Pocus sent it UPS automatically.

[Brad Henderson]

What are you complaining about? You Canandians are famous for your Health Care System. The Viagra should be easily obtained and free.

See, problem solved.

There's Moore logic in that statement than most realize.

John

Well played, sir . . . well played.

[MichaelPicard]

Hi Ray, yes I realized that Richard did the Canadian comment and I in haste clicked reply on the wrong post.

I do not want to turn this into a "bank" thread. that disusion could be held on an appropriate forum such as Timebomb, the tree of liberty etc.

[MichaelPicard]

Hi Bob, that seems like very sound advice. I am not against buying online. I have purchased from many online suppliers. Also I may not have been clear that there have been many times I ordered form Hocus Pocus with no issues.
I agree that there are many more who have had a "no issue" history with Hocus Pocus. but the true test of any company whether in the 3d world or virtual world is how they deal with an error and a custome rcomplaint. This is exactly where Hocus Pocus gets an "F".

I don't know anything about this particular conflict. But I do teach on cyber security and consumer fraud, and there are a couple of things you can do keep your self from being "ripped off" on-line.

I personally do not recommend limiting your transactions to business that have a brink and mortar presence. Many reputable on-line companies do not have a brick and mortar facility (i.e. Amazon.com).

These four simple rules should keep you for safe in most on-line business situations:

1) Search the company name with terms like "review", "trouble" and "problems". If the merchant is trouble, you are probably not the first person to have a bad experience - and someone has probably written about it.

2) Always pay with a major credit card - not cash, not pay pal, but a major credit card. In my experience, American Express is the most consumer friendly. In a dispute Pay Pal tends to favor the seller - not the buyer. American Express has a reputation for being aggressively pro consumer.

3) Never ever, for any reason, give an on-line retailer any more personal information than your Credit Card info, shipping address, e-mail address and telephone number.

4) Just like in the real world, listen to the the experience of others that you know and respect.