Follow Up CSN Review

So I posted here about an opportunity to check out a new online website called CSN.  My post was honest, I was impressed with the variety, prices and overall ease of the site.  Because I completed the post website review I was compensated with a gift certificate to purchase anything on their site.  I was in need of cookware bad!  SO I shopped around until I found what I thought was an overall good choice and price.

So then I was faced with a dilemma. Because I use SWAGBUCKS I also had the option to use gift certificates I acquired cashing in my SWAGBUCKS  OR I could see what CSN could offer me.

The items I looked through on the CSN site had an option to select a "Seen It For Less" button and submit a competing price.  So comparing the price of the item on CSN with Amazon I thought let's see if they will match or better yet beat the price.  ***Crickets***  As in no response for a week.  Placed a call, only to find out even though the option was listed, it WAS NOT available for that item.

Huh?  I was a tad annoyed.

Sooo, I quickly got over it knowing I could purchase it at Amazon, which I did and decided I would stick to getting a free item and be done with it.

Or so I thought.

I decided I still wanted a skillet to go with the set I purchased from Amazon. They have a clearance section, so you KNOW that was calling my name!  There were two skillets available and either would work and would still be free.  I selected the first one, went through the entire order process until I got to the payment instructions.  It required I provide my credit/debit card information prior to selecting a payment option.  No bueno, I was paying with a gift certificate that would make it free and it also had free shipping.  Needless to say I called up Customer Service and the SUPER NICE rep went took care of the entire process with me over the phone. Ahhh, but wait.  Then she explained the item was no longer available.  It seems they have a 30 minute hold once a item is selected for purchase and that this particular item was not available since I had just tried to purchase it.  Although she was SUPER NICE I told her I would call back later.

Funny enough I decided on the other skillet by the time I called back (a day later).  Enter another SUPER NICE rep!  Only problem it happened AGAIN!  And I PROMISE I did not put it in my (online) cart this time.  She suggested that she would watch it til it was available again and call me back to complete the purchase.  What else was I supposed to do? Yes, PLEASE please call me back.

All the while the SUPER NICE rep who contacted me originally about the review was keeping my sanity  corresponding by email and sent me a free shipping code in case I selected something without free shipping or over the gift certificate amount.  Because I am not one to waste a dime, I scouted the CSN website to see what I could possibly get with my free shipping code and the remaining $5.01.  I settled on paper towels, because who can't use extra paper towels ( I had not yet hit my 58 package windfall)?

Not 30 minutes later the last SUPER NICE rep I talked to, called back and gave me a confirmation number for my order as she was so SUPER NICE to place the order on my behalf the minute my skillet was available.  Ummm, paper towels?  Yeah, had to let that one go, but I did get this beauty 5 days later.

***SIGH*** Free? Yes, but...it depends how much you value your time.  Truth be told, I LOVE the skillet and it was ALL worth it in the end.  CSN  has quite a bit to offer and I would actually shop there again.  Their AWESOME customer service is definitely money in the bank, however they should use some of that money to polish up the site and policy issues they have.  So there you have it...thumb and three quarters up.

Disclaimer:  I was compensated for my review of CSN with a gift certificate to purchase any item of my choice.  This review is in no way affiliated or being compensated by Amazon or Swagbucks.