Have you had any bad purchase experience(s) been with Audio websites and/or retailers?

Have you had any bad purchase experience(s) with Audio websites and/or retailers?

I’ve fortunately only had three bad online experiences. All were buying a new item then I got a used, worn item:

• Notewrothy Audio (Canada)
  - Keith Monks PyraMat 12" cleaning platter - Was 11", stained, moldy and split.
• Galen Carol Audio (USA)
  - Stillpoints LP1 record weight - scratched up, especially the base.
• The Cable Company (USA) - The saying is "bad things happen in three’s,"
  so recently this happened with a cable, plus offensive "customer service" too (please see below)

Yes, I paid The Cable Company for a new cable but clearly received a used, worn and partially packaged cable. Okay, a mistake(s) can be made, either at the manufacturer and/or the retailer/dealer. We’re all human and fair enough.

So I emailed Customer Service, complete with photos. For comparison I then emailed an open box photo of the same cable in new condition, kindly sent by another dealer. Here is the full reply from The Cable Company’s Customer Service:

"We now have 15 of these in stock and not a single one has protective caps on them. I find your accusation that we sent you something used as not only baseless but inflammatory and I am offended by it. The cable that we sent to you was brand new, in the box, as shipped and received from "Company X," PERIOD." (caps in original email)

Well, so much for a calm, even handed and open minded response. Not even a question(s). Certainly no "let’s work this out" attitude or such. I then asked again for a return shipping label. Here was Customer Service’s full second reply:

"Not gonna happen. Not when I pulled a brand new cable from our incoming shipment and sent it out to you. ANYONE can dummy up a cable and take a picture and claim it was used- it was NOT used- at least not when it left here."

So I was not even believed and dissed. Wow! Especially surprising as they allow for 30 day trials and returns. This cable is also easily available elsewhere. Seems business is good enough I did not matter. At least I had the cable as physical proof of the problem.

Given the disbelief, rudeness, false claims and complete impasse right from the start I filled for Buyer Protection with PayPal. They decided the case in my favor, and issued a full refund the same day the cable was return delivered. Phew!
So have you unfortunately had such a bad or worse buying and/or "customer service" experience(s)? Hopefully not...