This was the first time I have ever used BHphotovideo. The payment including duties and taxes was selected in the app, but once the user interface was switched to PayPal, the total amount to be paid excluded duties and taxes. As several times did I try including duties and taxes, it kept malfunctioning and I had to give up.
Then I tried paying the amount excluding duties and taxes with PayPal. No error message was shown in the user interface of PayPal. However, when the user interface was switched back to BHphotovideo, it remained at the same stage in the shopping cart as it had been before the payment. I opened the app of PayPal and checked the transaction history. There was no transaction record for BHphotovideo in PayPal. Again, as several times did I try paying with PayPal in the app of BHphotovideo, it still kept malfunctioning and I had to give up.
I tried paying with Apple Pay. To my surprise, it worked. It did also include duties and taxes. But (there was always a “ but” in my experiences in BHphotovideo) a warning with red fonts flashed for a second when the user interface was switched back from Apple Pay to BHphotovideo. I didn’t catch the warning. After thinking it over for a minute, I decided to cancel the order for safe play, because the warning might be important. The cancellation of that order seemed smooth. I soon got the email from BHphotovideo which indicated the refund would appear in my account in 3-5 businesses days although the exact amount of refund was not mentioned.
I immediately tried placing another order that was exactly the same as the canceled one. I tried paying for this order with both PayPal and Apple Pay. Even Apple Pay did not work this time. What’s more, I had a new problem. One of the items in my order was removed from my shopping cart by the system after the warning about the transaction failure flashed. I put that item back into the shopping cart and tried paying for the order again. It failed and that item was removed from my shopping cart again. Again and again did I try until I gave up. I also tried it in my laptop, which made no difference. It did not seem a problem of the front stage, but the back end.
The one-star rating did not mean I had a completely negative view on BHphotovideo. I liked some of the features of their service, such as free shipping to Canada for an order over US$100 and prepayment for duties and taxes. However, as a matter of fact that I failed in placing an order, having spent so much time and earned so much frustration, one star was really what I could afford. I still wish I could enjoy their service by succeeding in placing an order one day.
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