Decided on Friday to get a last-minute gift for Christmas. FragranceNet.com had a special coupon code promotion: buy $70 or more in Quick Ship items and get free Express Shipping, guaranteed to get delivered by Christmas.

My order total came to $70.58 - yay! I placed the order and was looking forward to receiving it this week.

Hours later I got an email that the order was ON HOLD because there was something wrong with the credit card. I guess they are one of those few online companies that don’t check the card during the time an order is placed? They suggested that perhaps there was a typographical error. I figured that must have been it because the card is good and has plenty of funds on it.

They asked that I either call in to correct it or reply to the email with all my credit card info. Um, thanks but no thanks. I’m not putting all my credit card info in an email!

I called but it was no longer business hours for the agents that handle existing orders. However, their sales line for new orders is 24/7 (of course) and I figured since my order hasn’t gone through yet, a sales agent could fix it. After holding for about 8 minutes or so, I spoke to a rep who said he couldn’t do anything about an order in the system. He suggested that the best thing to do was to place a new order online. Why didn’t I think of that? I asked him what would happen to my existing order. If it wasn’t my error, and maybe a fluke in their credit card processing system, I didn’t want them to try my card again later and have me ending up with 2 identical orders. He assured me that because the order status was ON HOLD, nothing further would be done with that order.

So I placed a new order and this time was very careful typing in my credit card number. I checked and double-checked. Everything went through fine (let it did the first time). Though thankfully, this time I got a receipt email and then an “Order Received” email where previously I got a receipt email and an “Order On Hold” one instead. I went to bed thinking everything was A-OK.

I woke up to this email:

Your multiple FragranceNet.com orders are on HOLD
Thank you for your recent FragranceNet.com orders.
During the last 24 hours, we have received multiple orders from you.
Please inform us which orders you would like us to process or cancel so that we can continue.

WHAT!! This time-sensitive order is now again on hold! Isn’t it obvious that you should just place the order that went through!? I replied to the email saying to CANCEL the previous one where the credit card didn’t go through and to PROCESS the second one. This was on Saturday.

Now, on Monday morning, past the shipping deadline for Christmas delivery, I get an email saying that my SECOND order, which for all intents and purposes they had indicated was good, is now ON HOLD because of a credit card problem!

I got so mad that I actually got on the phone. It was within business hours for their existing orders department and I was determined to speak to an agent. I was put into the queue on hold, listening to a musical loop which periodically was interrupted with a agent’s recorded message. This is so not good because when the music is interrupted like that and there’s a slight pause, you think you’re being connected! I had so many false starts.

I was getting impatient around the 10-minute mark. Waiting on the phone for 10 minutes seems like an eternity. I told myself I would hang up at 15 minutes, but when 15 minute came and went, I decided to hold on just a little bit longer.

And then, at 19 minutes and 52 seconds, their line disconnected! WTF?!

Call me a cynic, but perhaps someone saw that my order was only 58 cents over the minimum $70 and it wasn’t worth dealing with. Or perhaps the company simply can’t handle the orders that are coming in during this Christmas shopping season and don’t actually have the inventory or manpower. All I want to do now is cancel my order. If the credit card doesn’t work, I shouldn’t worry, right? But you know what, after my horrible experience with FragranceNet.com, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are waiting to really process my order(s) until after Christmas. I don’t want these items if they’re not gonna get here for the holiday.

Well, lesson learned, sometimes it’s just not worth it to try to save a few bucks by buying online something you can buy right down the street.

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