Medieval Ware Review: Ordering from Medieval Ware was far and away the worst internet purchase experience of my life.



Even though the item I ordered was "in stock, " it took two months to ship and arrived a week too late. Since Medieval Ware did not warn me of late shipping, I couldn't purchase it from someone else. And when it came, UPS charged a whopping $34 brokerage fee. (Medieval Ware had charged $18 to ship the item and said nothing about UPS fees.) Rather than paying, I sent the item back.



As if that weren't enough of an inconvenience, Medieval Ware refused to answer communications. LIE #1: The website promised a "prompt response, " saying that "We are always ready here to answer your questions within 24 hours." I contacted them three times without response, after which I reported Medieval Ware to the Better Business Bureau. THAT got a response.



> Hello, 

> We did contact you, we sent 3 emails letting you know of a delay one of which you had sent to see when item would arrive and we explained the delay. As far as fees in your country that is your responsibility not ours, in some cases no fee is charged depends on import broker you get. Also next time you order from someone explain in advance that you need it at a specified date as this might help, you did not do this we don't read minds. So in closing we will forward all emails sent to you as well as the one we replied to.

> Thanks, 

> Susan



LIE #2: She never wrote any such emails, and the forwards she promised did not arrive.



I wrote an email admitting she was right, but that I still wanted a refund, and she replied that she would refund the money, including the shipping.

I watched my bank account, but the promised refund did not arrive. After three weeks I began to send emails again. Only when I threatened to press my complaint with the BBB and get on the phone with UPS did they reply.



> Hello, 

> We have finally had confirmation of shipment coming back, UPS took forever to get the item back. We have credited your card back the full amount.

> Thanks, 

> Susan



LIE #3: My card was not credited. The money was not sent.



I waited another month and began to send emails that were angrier and more desperate. Finally another reply:



> We sent an email about a month ago stating that PayPal will not let us refund the order because of how old the transaction is, we offered to send you a money order for the refund. If that is fair then email back and will send it out tomorrow.



LIE #4: Another non-existent email. Why would some emails appear in my inbox and others just vanish? I checked the junk folder, but nothing. I was beginning to catch on, but at this point I still believed she was sending me my money. I replied thankfully.



LIE #5: The money order was as non-existent as those emails.



A month later I sent another email. The amount of pleading was reaching an embarrassing level, but I refused to let it go. I wrote, 



> Susan, it's been a month since you said you would send me a money order. I still have not received anything. Did you actually ever send one out? I cannot believe that you did. After all this time waiting to get my money back, I don't know why I got my hopes up and believed that you would actually fulfill this promise, after you broke every other promise of customer service you made. I just become more and more angry and sad.

> Especially because you said you would send a money order. Looking back, even that is suspicious. Even if PayPal cannot refund the original transaction, that's what PayPal is FOR—sending money. If you use PayPal as a business, you must know you can send money to people.

> Was promising to send me a money order just a way to get me to stop emailing you for another month?



I had also left dejected messages on their answering machine every once in awhile throughout this, and apparently this email was finally enough pleading. FINALLY she sent me the money! But now that it's six months after my original purchase, the exchange rate has changed, and the refunded $123 USD is not the $144 CAD I originally paid, but $119 CAD—I lost twenty-five dollars.



And I lost a lot of time writing emails, calling PayPal and my bank, trying to get the BBB to do something (they closed the complaint because Medieval Ware did not reply to them either), and trying to call the Ohio Attorney's Office (which the BBB advised, but my calls were never picked up).



What did I gain? Lots and lots of anger and stress.



LIE #6: "Providing outstanding customer service is our highest priority."