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pdieguez

Is PCAviator.com a real store? Missing order and unable to talk to anyone there

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Hello there guys,

 

As a flightsimer since I was a kid, and now a pilot since 2008, I thought I could use this forum to ask: is PCAviator.com a real store? They claim they are online since 1990, but how so?

 

On December 23rd I placed an order on their website (PCAviator.com, not the AU store) of a TrackIR with the ProClip bundle, selected UPS Ground (2-day shipping, according to their website on the checkout process) and happily waited for something that would never ship/arrive.

 

Only on December 29th I received an email that my order was shipped (well, that's 6 days after the order was placed), they included a tracking number on that e-mail, however this tracking number cannot be found anywhere on UPS system. In case you guys want to check it out, the tracking number provided is 1Z224A0X0304872679.

 

So, I have been emailing then since monday (the 2nd) and did not get any single reply! I tried calling them, remained on the telephone for like 25 minutes listening to that FSX sound, and got no one to talk to me. So now I just don't know what to do.

 

My brother that was in the USA and would bring the product to me already came back, the 2-day shipping estimate is long gone, my money is gone, as they were really fast to charge my credit card on the 24th (the day after my order was placed), and I have no product at all! Now, all I want to do is get my money back because I can't get the product anymore, but they just don't seem to care.

 

My order number id # is 193925; there is another order number on the email I got that is 447602.

I have tried reaching them on orders @pcaviator, robert.ferraro @ pcaviator, info @ pcaviator, no response at all. 

 

I don't know if I can post this kind of information here, but I am just desperate guys, I am afraid I lost all this money, I just don't know what to do. Any ideas????? 

 

I just wish I had picked another store back then... I have never seem anything like this, specially with a US Store that claims to be more than 20 years old...

 

Any help is appreciated guys.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Paulo Gomes

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I stopped doing business with the US side of Pcaviator. As long as their highly automated store front and download service works, you'll be fine and enjoy attractive prices, in all other cases chances are, you'll be out on a limb.

 

They never responded to my mails and tickets, neither did they to a number of fellow simmers (as a quick forum search will reveal).

 

Best to claim refund via your CC company.

 

The Australian PCAviator store provides a much, much, *MUCH* more enjoyable experience and is very responsive. So these two stores, sharing the same brand, but run by different individuals, should not be confused.

 

BTW, the website www.MegaSceneryEarth.com belongs to the US side of PCAviator.

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I concur with the above post regarding customer service levels.  The US side is abhorrent whilst the AU side is extremely responsive.

 

The US side also turned off my $5.00 loyalty coupon during the Xmas sale, even though the coupon expired 12/31/16. 

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Fed up with the spam emails stating " I noticed you have not ordered anything lately ...."  The unsubscribe option is just ignored.


Gary Stewart

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Mark as 'SPAM' and that will be the end of that.

 

As mentioned above, I too gave up on the US side years ago. AU side is fine.

 

Cheers,

Mark

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Interesting...I have 21 separate transactions with PCAviator without ANY bad experiences.   Moreover, it's typically the first site I check as they offer the deepest discounts.  I had to contact customer service once to reset a downlown link, my query was responded to within 24-hours.  I will continue to make software purchases from them without hesitation.  Concerning hardware, it's best to use major distributors like Amazon, as they typically offer said products at a much cheaper price.  For example, purchasing Track IR via Amazon would have saved you $23.00; more if you have prime.  Again, if it's hardware, check Amazon first, otherwise PCAviator should be  your first source....  

 

PCAviator cost:  $184.90 + shipping

Amazon cost:  $161.98 *shipping free w/ prime

 

https://www.amazon.com/TrackIr-Optical-Tracking-System-Bundle/dp/B00KQPETHO/ref=pd_sbs_63_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ECBZAFD18PDSGTN7ZQXT

 

http://www.pcaviator.com/store/home.php?cat=265


Fed up with the spam emails stating " I noticed you have not ordered anything lately ...."  The unsubscribe option is just ignored.

Those emails are accompanied with a $5.00 loyalty coupon, which can be used in-conjunction with ANY sale.  Why would you not want save an extra $5 on your software purchases?  


Matt King

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If you google map the address attached the pcaviator domain, you'll see the Robert clearly operates out of his house. I would guess the orders are then shipped from somewhere else? Or perhaps he has to wait for items to arrive by him and then ships it out? I can't imagine storing a lot of inventory in your own home. Who knows?

 

On a side note, I did purchase megascenery earth lower 48 states on a 1tb external drive and I had no issues with the order process

 

Dave

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(...)

Those emails are accompanied with a $5.00 loyalty coupon, which can be used in-conjunction with ANY sale.  Why would you not want save an extra $5 on your software purchases?

 

As mentioned above, you can't use coupons during sales anymore. The new and current rule is, if there's a sale, the coupons won't be accepted. They now work with standard prices only. I had two coupons which expired during their Christmas sale.

 

BTW, over the years I had had a lot more than 21 transactions with PCA US. As long as their system works, you'll be fine. It's the transactions that might not run smoothly which are worrying me ...

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As mentioned above, you can't use coupons during sales anymore. The new and current rule is, if there's a sale, the coupons won't be accepted. They now work with standard prices only. I had two coupons which expired during their Christmas sale.

 

BTW, over the years I had had a lot more than 21 transactions with PCA US. As long as their system works, you'll be fine. It's the transactions that might not run smoothly which are worrying me ...

 

Interesting, I used a loyalty coupon in-conjunction with a Holiday Sale on 21 Dec without any problems; I bought the CLS DC-10 HD for $8.99. Admittedly, I haven't procured anything since...


Matt King

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Interesting...I have 21 separate transactions with PCAviator without ANY bad experiences.   Moreover, it's typically the first site I check as they offer the deepest discounts.  I had to contact customer service once to reset a downlown link, my query was responded to within 24-hours.  I will continue to make software purchases from them without hesitation.  Concerning hardware, it's best to use major distributors like Amazon, as they typically offer said products at a much cheaper price.  For example, purchasing Track IR via Amazon would have saved you $23.00; more if you have prime.  Again, if it's hardware, check Amazon first, otherwise PCAviator should be  your first source....  

 

PCAviator cost:  $184.90 + shipping

Amazon cost:  $161.98 *shipping free w/ prime

 

https://www.amazon.com/TrackIr-Optical-Tracking-System-Bundle/dp/B00KQPETHO/ref=pd_sbs_63_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ECBZAFD18PDSGTN7ZQXT

 

http://www.pcaviator.com/store/home.php?cat=265

Those emails are accompanied with a $5.00 loyalty coupon, which can be used in-conjunction with ANY sale.  Why would you not want save an extra $5 on your software purchases?  

 

 

Do you have a particular e-mail you use to reach them? Maybe I could give it a try...

 

Still absolutely no word from them, and I agree with you, I should have gone with Amazon, but how could I have imagined that a Flight Sim specialised store would give me this kind of problem?!

 

I'm thinking about going with Amazon now... And I will probably receive the product before I get any word from them... That's really sad. I'm concerned I will never get my money back  :fool:

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Do you have a particular e-mail you use to reach them? Maybe I could give it a try...

 

Still absolutely no word from them, and I agree with you, I should have gone with Amazon, but how could I have imagined that a Flight Sim specialised store would give me this kind of problem?!

 

I'm thinking about going with Amazon now... And I will probably receive the product before I get any word from them... That's really sad. I'm concerned I will never get my money back  :fool:

 

I hear you, pdieguez!  When you order something from a reputable distributor, you should receive it without hassle.  I only mentioned Amazon because when it comes to hardware, it's cheaper 99% of the time.

 

Here's the SMTP address I used: info@pcaviator.com

 

I sent the email on 6/27/15 and received a reply on 6/29/15.  This was the only time I needed to contact them.  Good luck, sir!  

 

message details:

to: info@pcaviator.com date: Sat, Jun 27, 2015 at 8:57 AM subject: Fwd: PC Aviator: Here are your download links for order #50561

 

date: Mon, Jun 29, 2015 at 10:43 AM subject: RE: PC Aviator: Here are your download links for order #50561 mailed-by: pcaviator.com

Matt King

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Paulo

 

 

Unfortunately, with the communications problems you appear to be experiencing with the US store of PC Aviator, you are not to know whether any time lapse is at the store end or in the course of delivery.

 

 

As reflected in this thread and in other threads on the Avsim Forum, others have historically expressed their views about the degree of satisfaction with the communication and service performance of the US store of PCA - see, for example, my post #13 at  http://www.avsim.com/topic/493342-megasceneryearth-colorado-v3/  

 

 

Consistent with the experiences of others, my opinion of dealing with the US and Australian stores of PCA has been like a "chalk and cheese" comparison. Like others, I stopped dealing with the US store.

 

 

However, the Australian store would not have been a realistic option in your case because converting the AUD price there for the product into USD would have been much more expensive in USD terms than buying from the US store as you did.

 

 

You could not have picked a worse time to buy. I don't know whether, like the Australian store, the US store did this but prior to Christmas, the Australian store warned on its website and in emailed newsletters that it would not be sending boxed products between specified dates. I think that the indication was that between 23 December and 3 January, boxed products would be sent only on 28 and 29 December ( I am going from memory and stand to be corrected). Such a pro-active warning avoids the creation of expectations which may not be able to be met.

 

 

Anyway, if it was me here in Australia buying your product from the US store at that time of the year, I would not be expecting to receive it in under two weeks (I notice that the website of another US flight sim retailer is indicating that there is a five day wait for this product).

 

 

Therefore, if it was dispatched by PCA US on 29 December, I think that you would have been doing well in the circumstances.

 

 

However, I wonder how much that dispatch email can be relied on or whether there may be a "many a slip between cup and lip" scenario. On 30 May 2014, I bought items from PCA US to be shipped to me here in Australia. They were coming by air-mail but I did not expect that the delivery would be super quick. I received an email saying that the goods had been shipped on 6 June. They arrived by air-mail on 9 July but what I found interesting was that the sender's handwritten customs declaration attached to the back of the parcel was dated 18 June ie 11 days after the email had said the goods had been sent. I sent an email raising this inconsistency but I don't recall having received any explanation on that aspect.

 

 

I wondered whether, in my case, the goods had been prepared for dispatch and been set aside for posting but had somehow been temporarily overlooked or misplaced. In your case, there may be an explanation as simple as that but without you hearing further from PCA US, you are not to know.

 

 

Gary

 

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Well, I understand that it was a not very good time of the year to buy, but then they should clearly specify that, and never mention a 2 day UPS shipping. They were REALLY fast to charge my credit card.  We are already on the 7th, I still got not a single word from them, there is nobody in the US address to receive the product to me, even if they ship it to me now.

 

Their tracking number still is not on UPS system. I feel like I have been stolen, simply like that. It's gonna be hard to me to get my money back. I am afraid they might ship it now, without reading my e-mail begging for them to cancel my order, because of how badly ineffective they are.

 

I just bought another one from Amazon yesterday, it's gonna be in my door in Brazil on Tuesday, with a working UPS tracking number. Simply as that...

 

Now I will keep trying to cancel my order... while already receiving tons of marketing emails from them. Gosh...

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If they truly do not ship the item and they do not respond to your e-mails, you can do a chargeback with your credit card company to recover your funds.

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I tried to order a non-sale item during December and they wouldn't honor my coupon. No response to subsequent emails.

 

John

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