Brite Express

Brite Express seems to be a modest-​size dental supply company on Long Island that sells various equipment to the dental trade, and also, strangely enough, college textbooks!
I had a terrible experience with the company in the first week of September 2014 with a textbook purchase that I made from them, based on their eBay listing for a linguistics book in «Like New» condition. Inasmuch as the dental supply business is one that requires a very high adherence to standards of cleanliness and technical accuracy, I fear that anyone who buys dental equipment from Brite Express could well end up with an issue as bad as the issue that I had with the book that they sold me – but, worse yet, that a future issue might compromise someone’s health!
When the book arrived (terribly packed, by the way) it was obvious that the book was not «Like New» according to eBay’s published standards, which states, ««A book that looks new but has been read. Cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket (if applicable) is included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/​highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May have very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear.»
Indeed, the book has ink writing on more than one page, plus ink blotches on the back cover, plus a damaged back cover (which maybe was damaged in transit by the poor packing). I emailed the company to express my concerns (especially in light of their «no return» policy); they asked me to send photos, which I did; they then denied receiving the photos; so I sent the photos again (three emails, each with one photo)– and at that point they cut off communication, not answering any more of my emails. I got lucky (I suppose) that when I then called the company I got to speak (WHAT A TREAT!) with the very same person, Ms. Christine Rice, the CEO of the company (according to NYState records in Albany), with whom I had all previous email communication.
The phone call started off poorly and ended up even worse. Clearly Ms. Rice was exasperated that her ignoring my last emails had not made me disappear from her life, and she proceeded to insinuate that I must be pretty stupid to have bought a book used when the price of the same book, new, was not that much more. MOST IMPORTANTLY, however, she refused to take any moral responsibility for her posting on eBay the misleading description of the book. Our phone call ended (no big surprise) with standard unpleasantries…
The good news is that even if Ms. Rice (who also goes by the business names «c.j.rice associates,» «
,» and «
) never makes good on this transaction with me (and to me making good means that she pays shipping for the return + full refund), eBay itself is a very good company when it comes to protecting buyers who were treated shabbily.
Given the totality of the circumstances, my considered recommendation is simply to STAY AWAY from Christine Rice, Brite Express and any other company whose portals she darkens!
UPDATE– as of 1030 am on Sept 5, Ms. Rice has written to eBay, «Unfortunately, I did not notice the markings that this buyer has indicated, however, do not have the time to debate the circumstance… Moreover, I haven’t even had the time to look at his pictures either.»
What arrogance! She has now agreed to allow a return, AND she admits that the book had ink markings, AND she admits that she hasn’t bothered looking at the photos that she insisted that I send her… BUT then she refuses to pay the return postage for an order that would never have occurred absent her irresponsibility and/​or dishonesty.
Again, do yourself a big favor and STAY AWAY from Christine Rice.