Buy.com adopting Google Checkout

RitzCamera.com and BoatersWorld.com are also supporting Google Checkout and are offering the Google Checkout offer of "$20 off orders of $50 or more" through December 19th.

I tried to place an order at Buy.Com using Google Checkout and its "$20 off $50" promotion. Buy.Com attempted to charge my credit card for the full amount, i.e. not taking into account the $20 discount. I used a credit card number where I can specify the limit. As the limit I specified was the total that included the $20 discount, the Buy.Com charge attempt was rejected.

I sent several e-mails to Buy.Com with the hope to get clarifications and reassurance that I won't get charged the full amount, my order was cancelled. The 2 replies I got from Buy.Com clearly show that they cannot read e-mails as the replies are not even addressing the questions.

I also sent an e-mail to Google Checkout but didn't get any reply.

Due to this, I'm cancelling my other order with Buy.Com (for a large HDTV) and would buy from Amazon now.

Google Checkout charges your credit card before your order ships. You might be ringing up a credit card bill and get nothing in return if the merchant does not ship your order.

I ordered an in stock item from buy.com on Dec. 6th. Google Checkout charged my credit card immediately. Buy.com never sent my order because it turns out the item is not in stock, it is on indefinite backorder. It took more than a week of contacting buy.com and Google Checkout to find out why my order never shipped.

There is a conflict in the Google Checkout Program policy and what buy.com says Google Checkout policy is.

Google Checkout Program policy:

“As a Google Checkout merchant, you’re required to adhere to the Google Checkout policies at all times.

2. Order Management

b. Ship orders before charging the buyer’s credit card. You may not attempt to charge the buyer’s credit card until you have
shipped the order.”

http://checkout.google.com/seller/policies.html

What buy.com says Google Checkout policy is:

“Please note that you are billed though your item has not yet shipped. This is one of the unique policies when purchasing through GoogleCheckout.

For more questions on GoogleCheckout policies, please visit our Buy.com help site. Under Pricing and Billing click on “What are my payment choices?”. Then, choose Google check out or you can simply copy paste the following link in your address box:

http://www.buy.com/corp/support/billing/google.asp”

Buy.com policy for customers not using Google Checkout:

“When will my credit card be charged? Since we don’t think you should pay for your order until it is actually on its way, Buy.com will not bill you until your products, including backordered or preordered items, are actually shipped. In
the case of Music Downloads we will bill you at the time of purchase.”

http://www.buy.com/corp/support/billing/creditcards.asp?what=whencharged

Google Checkout support knows that I (and many others - this is a growing problem, and not just with buy.com) have been charged for merchandise that has not been shipped and that the merchant can’t even give an estimate on when the item will be available - if ever.

They have done nothing about it. The charge is on my credit card statement. I have nothing to show for it.

If Google Checkout can’t be trusted to require merchants to “adhere to the Google Checkout policies at all times,” why should consumers trust Google Checkout with sensitive financial and personal information at all?

They shouldn’t. Period.

Don’t use Google Checkout.