My First And Last Order From goHastings

I know there have been mentions around the internet about how much of a hassle it is to order things from goHastings.com.  Unfortunately, I didn't know about this before I had placed an order with them through Amazon.

On Wednesday evening, a listing for some HeroClix Pacific Rim figures popped up on Amazon.  It was for a full display box with twenty-four blind packed figures.  And the price was crazy: $2.99.  However, the description said three times that it was indeed for a twenty-four pack.

 

Click to embiggen

I figured, if it was an error, the worst that could happen would be the order being cancelled.  The next morning, the order was updated to Shipping Now.  I was beginning to get excited about the deal, but I was still waiting for that cancellation email.  The email never came, but my order did.  Part of it, at least.

After returning home from a day trip with my wife to celebrate our anniversary, I found a box waiting for me.  It was my HeroClix figures!  I quickly grabbed the box... and it felt really light.  Suspiciously so.  I grabbed a knife, cut the tape, and opened the box.

My twenty-four count was missing twenty-three figures.

This is where the problem comes in.  They took my order for a twenty-four pack.  They took my money for a twenty-four pack.  They didn't send me a twenty-four pack.  In fact, they didn't send anyone twenty-four figures.  Therefore, they didn't hold up their part of the deal.

I would not have been disappointed if they had contacted me to inform me if it was an error and cancel my order, but they did not do that.  All they did was take my money, and send me something different than what I ordered.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, this falls under Bait Advertising:

Sec. 238.2 Initial offer.

 
(a) No statement or illustration should be used in any advertisement which creates a false impression of the grade, quality, make, value, currency of model, size, color, usability, or origin of the product offered, or which may otherwise misrepresent the product in such a manner that later, on disclosure of the true facts, the purchaser may be switched from the advertised product to another.

I have notified the seller, Amazon (who also emailed the seller telling them to send all of us the rest of the items we ordered), and I have also filed a complaint with the FTC.

This may seem a little extreme to some, but what was done is considered fraud, and is thus illegal.  If we let them get away with the little stuff, where do we then draw the line?  

It is for these reasons that I have decided to never order anything from goHastings again.  They will never see another cent of my money.