AVADirect Restocking fee on items not in stock

I placed two orders with this vendor, for two Clevo P770ZM notebooks at a cost of ~$7,900. A few days later I was informed by email and the AVADirect website messaging system that the P770ZM barebones with the IPS screens were not in stock, and would take an additional five to seven days to get, whereupon I cancelled the orders as I had work to do and I could not afford the extra wait time.

I was informed that there would be a 10% "restocking" fee -- that's ~ $790! I was able to talk them down to 8%, which came to ~$614, but I still consider this to be unconscionable behavior on the part of AVADirect, as the items were not in fact in stock, a fact of which I should have been immediately informed before my card was charged. Nothing was ever assembled or sent out!

I could see paying restocking if I had returned an item in good condition which had already been sent to me, but these folks saw fit to charge me a huge restocking fee on two notebooks that were not even in stock for them to begin building!

They said they are charged restocking fees on parts they must return should an order be canceled. I could even see repaying them that. But they charged me a huge fee based on the full price of two fully assembled units, for which the barebones were not in stock, these units were never even built, or sent out. This whole thing took place in the space of a few days.

My work crisis has now passed thanks to an overnight shipment from Amazon, and I'm still interested in one of these P770ZM units -- but needless to say it will be purchased from someone other than AVA.

 

Credit card? Dispute it with CC company. I would not pay a restocking fee for something that never left stock.

 

Already done, of course. We shall see how it goes. I was amazed. I've been doing business on the net for as long as there has been a net to do business on. This is the first time I have ever been treated in such a churlish fashion by a supposedly reputable vendor. Caught me by surprise.

 

Amazed is a good word.

 

This is pure ******** and they're just trying to rip you off.. I hope your CC dispute succeeds.. I'm not surprised with AVA Direct though... I've heard of some bad things in the past...

 

I hadn't heard bad things about them (didn't look too hard). But fleabus' story is the hugest red flag!