RedEnvelope

Full review
Bait and switch? I placed one order earlier this year with RE and had great service. I placed another one closer to Christmas, responding to their offer for a free shipping upgrade. I chose 3 day select, for $7.95 after the offer. I made sure to select this option on the order page. When I got to the last page however, (the one that you print for future reference) it reflected a $14.95 charge for rush delivery! I also got this response from customer service:
"Dear RedEnvelope Customer,

Due to unforeseen technical difficulties, we may have lost your email that you recently sent to us. As soon as we became aware of the problem, we wanted to advise you of the situation. We sincerely apologize for any delay.

If your question or concern has not yet been addressed, please call us at 1-877-733-3683. Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding, and hope we can be of service to you in the future."

I resent the email and have heard nothing.

Of course, the phone lines are BUSY 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.... and the online chat turned out to be a waste of time for me also as after getting to #1 from 217 people in que, I was told that all representatives were busy at this time.....

It's been a week and the package is here - so what am I supposed to do? Send it back and pay twice the shipping?

I don't think I will continue to do business with them. Yes, every company has some trouble now and then, but if you are going to do business on the web, you should be ready to hire extra customer support people during the holidays and at least answer the phone or return an email.