How The Dovetail Customer Service Tries To Take A Customer For A Fool

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by Pennywise, May 5, 2021.

  1. Pennywise

    Pennywise Active Member

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    So now I'm going to make public here how Dovetail deals with customers when it comes to handling a cancellation.

    After I had problems paying with paypal in the Dovetail Shop at the end of March,where the order went through and was paid for but no code was transmitted. I made a request to cancel an order. This request was granted on April 1 and I received this email.

    Dear XXXXX
    Please note that your order XXXXXXX has been cancelled and a refund request has been initiated. Please also note that depending on your payment method, it may take up to 7 working days before you see the amount in your account.
    If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact our customer service team.
    Thank you for being a valued member of the Dovetail Games community and have a great rest of your day.
    Best regards, The Dovetail Games Team


    Name and order number have been removed

    So far, so good.
    Nothing happened for a while, so on April 19 I wrote to customer service to ask what had happened to the cancellation and received this email.

    Hello XXXXX,
    Thank you for letting us know.
    We are sincerely sorry to hear that you have not received your refund yet.
    We can confirm that the refund was actioned from our side on 1st April 2021. However, all payments which go through the Dovetail Store are managed by our retail provider Scalefast.
    We will be escalating this issue to Scalefast immediately for further investigation. Due to their large customer base, they can be slow to respond, but we will update you as soon as we hear back.
    Until that time we will move your ticket into "In Progress". Please accept our apologies for the delay.
    Kind Regards,


    On April 27, I contacted the customer service again because still no refund had been made. This time I received this reply

    Hello XXXXXX,
    Thank you for getting back in contact.
    Please accept our sincere apologies for the excessive time you have been waiting for this refund. We have received confirmation that Scalefast is working on resolving the problem, but it appears to be a wider issue than initially expected. This is increasing the time taken to process each refund, but other customers have started to receive their refunds now.
    Since your last reply, we have been regularly chasing Scalefast for updates as we would like to provide you with the best service we can. Unfortunately, Scalefast has yet to provide a subsequent update.
    If you wish to dispute the payment via PayPal, you will need to continue all further communication through PayPal. We will be keeping you updated on any new developments and try to minimise any further delays.
    Kind Regards,


    Yesterday, May 4, I wrote to the customer service again and got the following reply.

    Hello XXXXX,
    Thank you for your reply.
    We are very sorry that this issue has not been resolved yet, and we understand that it is an excessive amount of time to wait. Unfortunately, we are unable to speed up the process as the financial aspect of your purchase on the Dovetail Store is handled exclusively by Scalefast. We only have limited visibility of the status of your purchase.
    However, our retail team has recently met with representatives from Scalefast to discuss recent shortcomings. Scalefast will be implementing an entirely new payment gateway in the next few weeks which will resolve any further problems. Additionally, they will are manually processing any outstanding refunds as quickly as they can.
    Please accept our apologies again for the extended delay, and we will keep you updated.
    Kind Regards,


    Over a month later, still no refund, but again the same excuse.
    With the best will in the world, no one can seriously believe such an excuse that a company does not manage to process a refund for over a month.
     
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  2. GuitarMan

    GuitarMan Well-Known Member

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    As they have stated though - its not dovetail directly that have not processed said refund.

    That being said - it reflects on them as they "contract" the payment system to scalefast. I would hope a provision is in place for Dovetail to get some redress for this poor service (as im sure this wouldn't meet the required contract), and I would also hope that either Dovetail or Scalefast will make a gesture for those affected by this, as it appears to be particularly poor customer service all round.
     
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  3. junior hornet

    junior hornet Well-Known Member

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    Your contract is legally with Dovetail, NOT Scalefast. DTG should not be burdening you with the shortcomings of their sub contractors. Demand a refund from DTG now or threaten legal action.

    I repeat, your contract is with DTG. They are responsible for any refunds to you, not Scalefast. It is then up to DTG to get recompense from Scalefast. Nothing to do with you.
     
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  4. Tigert1966

    Tigert1966 Well-Known Member

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    You can repeat it as much as you like, but it's not correct. It's clearly stated in the Terms and Conditions that you are entering a contract with Scalefast. It reflects badly on Dovetail if it doesn't get sorted, but it's Scalefast that are to blame here

    To the OP - Is there a reason you can't do a claim through Paypal? This is what I did when I had problems. It was sorted in a couple of days.
     
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  5. Doomotron

    Doomotron Well-Known Member

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    I doubt Pennywise's real name is Karen. Normal people don't go randomly suing random companies for minor issues. It's a ridiculous suggestion and one that would cost a huge amount of money, waste both Mr Pennywise's time and Dovetail's, and they'd probably be laughed out of court because someone is suing a company over £14.99 or so.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Pennywise Did you contact support for a code before you asked for a refund? When I haven't received codes they've always given one.
     
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  6. Pennywise

    Pennywise Active Member

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    Tigert1966
    I have already considered handing over the case to Paypal, which I will then also do.

    Doomotron

    The first time I wrote to the customer service directly after the purchase, because I didn't get a code. They replied that there was a problem at the moment and that I should wait for Paypal to reverse the transaction. What I didn't know at that time was that other customers also had a problem with the payment with Paypal. There is already a thread about this https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/dtg-store-offline.38013/

    I then asked for a cancellation and received the email that I first posted.
     
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  7. junior hornet

    junior hornet Well-Known Member

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    I never called Pennywise Karen. Where did you get that idea from?
     
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  8. Pennywise

    Pennywise Active Member

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    DTG Natster

    I would also like to know what our community manager thinks about this?
     
  9. synthetic.angel

    synthetic.angel Well-Known Member

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    I think Doomotron is referring to "Karen" in the context of the phrase "full Karen", which broadly speaking means:

    "someone who is justifiably upset at the service they have received, and is making it known to everyone around them because no other reasonable attempt to resolve the issue has worked so far"
     
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  10. DTG Natster

    DTG Natster Producer Staff Member

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    I can completely understand why you are frustrated. The delay for a refund should not be this long.
    As was explained above, our retail team have been in conversations with Scalefast to ensure this doesn't happen again.

    Right now, that probably doesn't make you feel much better.

    The responses from customer support are providing you with the most up to date information as they have it.
    I will continue to chase this up and see if there has been any progress since your last email. We will be working to get you your refund as quickly as is currently possible.

    Could you please send me a Direct Message with your Name and Order Number.
     
  11. junior hornet

    junior hornet Well-Known Member

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    Thanks. A new on on me. I’ve just Googled it and I think it’s a bit offensive IMO. I’ve know quite a few Karens in my time and they’ve all been lovely people.
     
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  12. synthetic.angel

    synthetic.angel Well-Known Member

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    I'd have to agree. Every Karen that I have known has been a truly lovely person.

    And I would add (back to topic) that it is a particularly loose service standard to have, to take payment and not complete the delivery, and then when it is clear that delivery will not be made, to stall the refund for over six weeks with no indication of when the refund will be made - especially for a purely digital transaction.

    And to do that to very many people.

    And it strikes me that a simple solution would be for DTG to make the refunded payments immediately (within 24 hours), and for DTG to then resolve any outstanding accounts with their third party provider - and hold that provider to whatever service standard had been agreed (if any) when their services were procured.

    Although I really do love DTG products, and I would rather give 100% to DTG than let Steam take a 30% slice, there is no way on Google's Earth I am giving DTG any access to any payment method, ever.
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2021
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  13. Doomotron

    Doomotron Well-Known Member

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    My aunt is called Karen, and she is a very nice woman. As with a lot of jokes, they are nothing more than that. I'm sure it's obvious that I'm not specifically insulting people called Karen. In fact, I doubt many of the people called 'Karen' in memes and videos are actually called Karen. The Karen meme revolves around people who react disproportionately to comparatively minor issues, which is why I used the joke when it was suggested that Mr Wise threatens DTG with legal issue over a small amount of money.

    If Mr Wise doesn't get his money back soon, the best way to sort it out would be:
    1. The staff give him a code for a DLC of his choice which is the same price as the DLC he originally bought and don't refund him.
    2. The staff give him a code for the DLC he bought originally and don't refund him.
    3. If Pennywise wants to continue with the refund, and a refund cannot be given to him, a conference call between employees of Dovetail Games and Scalefast and himself to get the situation sorted. It is likely a communication error that has caused this situation in the first place, so direct communication between all three parties will hopefully be helpful.
     
  14. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    Speaking as a lawyer, the very small sum involved isn't worth it, not unless you enjoy burning through hundreds or thousands of pounds just for the principle of the thing.
     
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  15. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    What a nonsensical, euphemistic definition!

    "Karen" is an American slang term which has grown up in the last couple of years to mean "An obnoxious, entitled customer who makes unreasonable demands and complaints and is never satisfied, and invariably demands to speak to your manager." Anyone who has ever worked waiting tables knows exactly the sort of customer referred to.

    A broader meaning it seems to have taken on just recently is "A person who constantly complains that completely unrealistic expectations are not being met, and reports unfortunate low-level workers or fellow citizens to management or law enforcement."
     
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  16. paulgregs

    paulgregs Active Member

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    To a British person that all sounds a bit amerikaren....
     
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  17. edward.gregg

    edward.gregg Active Member

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    I had this problem with PayPal payments at DTG/Scale fast dealt with my issue perfectly. If you used PayPal why worry? they will sort the issue for you. No need to stress. The only reason an issue might occur is if its been over looked or that their is a discrepancy in the facts between yourself Scale Fast and PayPal. As you have used PayPal they act as intermediary in such matters and will resolve on the side of the victim. So you will have nothing to worry about if you are in the right.
     
  18. edward.gregg

    edward.gregg Active Member

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    Dressed as you are she or he is probs having nightmares! ( Why I say he or she, I don't mean to be offensive. Just I've recently fell into the gender identification trap) :(
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2021
  19. Pennywise

    Pennywise Active Member

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    I received an email from customer service today that my money will finally be refunded. Nevertheless, it is sad that the whole process, which was actually quite simple, has now taken 40 days and caused me a lot of frustration.

    I would like to thank DTG Natster for their help.
     
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  20. Doomotron

    Doomotron Well-Known Member

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    I get around that issue by referring to everybody as 'it'.
     
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  21. edward.gregg

    edward.gregg Active Member

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    or "It or you". Its like walking on eggshells. My friend who is an old man gave up his seat on our local transit system, and he was subject to abuse from the woman who said he was sexist. He was only being a gentleman! You cant do right for doing wrong :(
     
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  22. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    Simply carry on being a gentleman. And if someone takes umbrage, calmly observe that when we were brought up, we were taught manners.
     
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    • Helpful Helpful x 1
  23. Michael Newbury

    Michael Newbury Well-Known Member

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    Well said I could not have said that any better.
     
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