I purchased a $45 amplified tv antenna for the jensen unit back in July, and just installed the antenna last labor day. The amplified antenna unit simply didn't work-it was easy to prove too-because when you disconnected the power leads to the "amplified" antenna, it made no difference at all in the picture quality. The first thing I did was call the tech support number that was included with the antenna for the manufacturer. I spoke with the tech support for the tv antenna manufacturer who confirmed to me that the unit was defective. Mfg. told me to contact retailer for replacement. I sent two e mails to autotoys, including my customer number, my invoice number, and all the other info they requested, outlining everything I did and why the unit was defective. After about a week, autotoys finally sent me a response, saying, "exactly what is wrong with the unit?" Sent them additional email and waited about another week. Hadn't heard anything as of today, so I tried calling their phone number listed on my copy of the credit card authorization. Only voice mail response, no humans to talk to, if you want customer service, you are referred to their web site (which is terrible). I called again and tried to connect to their "order desk", hoping to speak to an actual human. On hold a long time, then told, "all reps are busy". Then looked up the web site on networksolutions.com (who is? search engine), and tried calling that number-it was busy all morning. Then I sent toyman an email today, complaining about their customer service. Finally got a response (not from toyman, but from autotoys), which I received later this morning (don't know if e mail to toyman was the reason or not). Autotoys sent me a five page return authorization form which must be filled out and faxed back to them BEFORE they will authorize any return at all or provide any merchandise return authorization. If you don't fill out the form and fax it back to them and then ship the product back to them within ten days, then you forfeit your right to return their defective stuff. Plus they charge you a sliding scale "processing fee" for the priviledge of returning their defective merchandise ($7.00 for my $45 antenna). If it isn't returned double boxed, and insured, in the original packaging, they add on another $20.00, which they say they will charge to your credit card used for the original order. If you don't include every screw, bracket, wire, etc., that came with the original unit, you are charged an additional fee. You have to wait for them to process the five page return authorization and then they will send you a return authorization number before you can actually ship the defective product back to them. I faxed them the return authorization application this morning, but haven't heard anything back from them as of tonight. Assuming you jump through all their hoops and get a return authorization number and ship the stuff back to them, they won't even process your return until "its your turn" based upon whatever other returns they have to do first (you can pay an additional $20 rush charge if you are in a hurry). Then they will test the product and determine based upon their own testing, and absolutely within their own discretion, whether to replace the product. They claim they have to have these policies because dishonest customers are returning defective merchandise they buy off ebay, or the like, but I get the vibe that this is just their way to deter any customers from returning bad merchandise.
All in all, I'd say this outfit has a pretty crappy customer service policy and if you purchase anything from them, you are doing so at your own risk. Read their shipping documents that come with the stuff they sell-everything they sell is sold as is, no warranty, no nothing. Plus its going to cost you a bunch of money to ship the stuff back to them, jump through a bunch of hoops that don't really seem reasonably related to any legitimate business purposes, and then wait around till they get around to doing the adjustment, if they do one at all.
I'd say that anybody who does business with these people thinking they are going to be doing you any favors as members of the odyclub.com forum are going to be very disappointed. They say on their web site that they have made thousands of "friends" over the years. I don't need friends like them. Buyer beware. Pass it on.
