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The story: I bought a Belkin backpack while on the road with work. In December both zippers failed to work and I felt gypped. Luckily Belkin has a return program on their website. Hooray I thought, I will get my beloved backpack in working order again. Well 2 months, 6 emails and, a few disappointing phone calls later I am not satisfied.

The backpack that I bought was a sleek, usable, and comfortable backpack. For my work I need a backpack. While on the floor at CES or setting up equipment for an interview I need something that can carry all my stuff and not get in the way. This backpack was perfect, its slim profile really made be appreciate the design that belkin put into this backpack. Understanding my love for this backpack you can see my disappointment when a few months later, both zippers on the large compartment quit working correctly. What seemed to have happened is that the plastic on the zipper teeth was deformed making the zipper head to rub the other teeth, causing, after a while, the zipper head to not push the teeth into each-other correctly. I never took a picture of the problem but here is an image that sort of looks like the outcome:

I was bummed, and being it was in December I was traveling home to see my parents when the backpack became completely unusable. Luckily because it seemed that the problem was because of some manufacturers mishap I felt comfortable sending it back to belkin for a replacement. Using their warranty replacement webpage was simple and my spirits were high that this was going to be a carefree operation. I sent it away the day after christmas.

A week later I get this email:

Oh great. My RMA is canceled. You already have my backpack! Well certainly the person at the UK office can help me… or, maybe not. I tried every combination of that number and I couldn’t get through. I used my google voice number, my normal phone number, I used a few country calling code services on the web to make sure that I was formatting the number correctly. Nothing would work. It also didn’t make sense to me that a belkin employee would need to have their costumer call another belkin office. Don’t they have a connection to the other belkin shipping houses? Also isn’t that what a Customer Care Representative is supposed to do? Call around to get the customer their product?

I had just got home from vacation and CES ,the networks biggest show, was staring me in the face. Also I didn’t have a backpack. Because of the work schedule it took me a bit to reply:

Two days later:

No explanation or apology. Just a short curt email. And before, what was the email about not having the product? Your just confusing your customer. Whatever, I am getting my backpack back. I have gone from frustrated to happily frustrated.

Until I got the package:

A briefcase?! That is not my backpack, that is not even a backpack! I can’t use a “Toploading Laptop Carrying Case.” Thanks belkin! Well because I have been talking to that Cristina Rep, I am sure she can work things out…

No reply… So two weeks later assuming the curtness from the second email I got from her, maybe she had sent something and forgot to tell me.

No reply… So one and a half weeks later:

No reply… now it is the 28th I am beyond frustrated and in-to this is the worst company in the world territory. I decide to call (have fun finding that number – Belkin has hidden their support phone number better than Blackbeard hid his loot). After explaining my story to a rep (forget his name) there was no acknowledgement of my frustration or apology for the way that my clame was handled. He just said that he could ship me another backpack. My original type of backpack? NO. A much less expensive, less quality backpack. the backpack that I bought was $60 (I use my backpack a lot so I spent some good money) this backpack, $34. Oh, and instead of shipping it right away they need me to ship the briefcase first or give them my credit-card number. I guess that they are afraid that I would steal from them, who is stealing form who blekin?

In conclusion, Belkin has sent me on the worst customer experience trip I have ever taken. I will never buy a belkin product again for fear that I will ship them a defective product and they will keep my stuff for months until they send me a lesser product. You should never buy a belkin product too.

UPDATE: I really nice lady from belkin gave me a call. She said that they would be happy to replace my backpack with a new model that is worth more. They are also refunding my money for my first backpack. I am much happier with the situation now. It stinks that I had to go through two months of this to get the outcome that I wanted. But it seems that once the appropriate person was told of the situation they were happy to make things better.