The Exclusive Inside Story Of The Fall Of Overstocks Mad King Patrick Byrne
This story appears in the Septemper 30, 2019 issue of Forbes Magazine.
Patrick Byrne, the founder and longtime CEO of former e-tailing giant Overstock.com, recently resigned, saying his involvement as a federal informant in the investigation of accused Russian spy Maria Butina made performing his duties impossible. Thats not the whole story. This is.
Its early May and Patrick Byrne has just gotten off the phone with hip-hop artist Akon and is roaming barefoot in the elegant three-room suite on the top floor of the Jefferson hotel, a stones throw from Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. He grabs a Diet Coke, a pack of gummy bears and some M& Ms from a minibar hidden in a tasteful armoire, settles on a plush cream-colored sofa and begins to boast about the circumstances around which the Senegalese-American celebrity sought him out. I hear hes a musician. We share ambitions for Africa, says Byrne, popping a gummy bear into his mouth.
For the last several years, Byrne, 56, spent no fewer than 220 days a year on the road spreading his blockchain gospel, despite the fact that Overstock was hemorrhaging cash. Over the next five years, we can change the world for 5 billion people, says Byrne. Well, at least a billion. Maybe 5 billion.
The Associated Press
Patrick Byrne at Overstock’s headquarters
Tim Pannell for Forbes
Backed by top-tier venture capitalists, Wayfair has eclipsed Overstock.com in all respects, including losses incurred.
Is Complaintsboardcom Associated With Overstockcom
ComplaintsBoard.com is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Overstock.com Customer Service. Initial Overstock.com complaints should be directed to their team directly. You can find contact details for Overstock.com above.
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Use this comments board to leave complaints and reviews about Overstock.com. Discuss the issues you have had with Overstock.com and work with their customer service team to find a resolution.
What Is The 55+ Tuesday Discount
The 55+ Tuesday Discount is a program exclusively for customers 55 years of age or older. Eligible customers are entitled to 10% off purchases made on Tuesday.
If you are eligible, you must notify the associate at time of purchase and may be required to provide an ID to verify your age or date of birth.
Note: This discount is only good on Tuesday.
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Contacting Overstocks Customer Service Has Never Been Easier
The e-commerce industry has grown tremendously in the recent past. Most people have shifted to online shopping due to its convenience and time-saving experience. You can shop for goods anytime and anywhere and have them delivered to your doorstep. For this, an e-commerce website must have dedicated customer service to respond to and answer customer questions.
Overstock is one of the renowned e-commerce websites in the United States. It sells many products, from furniture to baby products. It has a dedicated customer service team. Unfortunately, reaching customer service on call is challenging. This is because of the many people being served at a time. You are likely to be placed on hold, which is frustrating and irritating if you need urgent help. Overstock has other alternatives you can use to reach its customer care team.
DoNotPay has a “Skip Waiting on Hold” product that can help you bypass Overstock’s phone queue. It eliminates all the frustrations you undergo while calling Overstock’s Customer Service. It only requires you to sign up to the platform and follow simple instructions on the “Skip Waiting on Hold” tab. DoNotPay will contact Overstock’s customer care team and connect you with an available Overstock customer care representative. You save a lot of time using DoNotPay.
What Is Gethuman’s Relationship To Overstockcom
In short, the two companies are not related. GetHuman builds free tools and shares information amongst customers of companies like Overstock.com. For large companies that includes tools such as our GetHuman Phone, which allows you to call a company but skip the part where you wait on the line listening to their call technology music. We’ve created these shortcuts and apps to try to help customers like you navigate the messy phone menus, hold times, and confusion with customer service, especially with larger companies. And as long as you keep sharing it with your friends and loved ones, we’ll keep doing it.
Overstock.com Contact Info
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Contacting Overstocks Customer Care Using Donotpay
DoNotPay has a successful way to bypass Overstock’s phone queue, saving you the trouble of being placed on hold before talking to Overstock’s customer care representative. DoNotPay calls Overstock customer care and waits on hold in your place. Then, it will notify you of an available support agent for you to express yourself and have your problem solved. The process is fast and guaranteed.
Fine Jewelry Swimwear And Lingerie Return Policy
The Fine Jewelry return policy is the same as the store return policy with one addition: all Fine Jewelry returns or exchanges must have the original ticket attached AND be accompanied by a receipt.
Merchandise can only be returned to Ross Stores with a Fine Jewelry Department.
The swimwear and lingerie return policy is the same as the store return policy with one addition: all swimwear and lingerie returns or exchanges must have the original ticket attached.
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Get An Opinion About This Business
Think your friends might be familiar with this business? Ask your friends on Facebook to see what they think.
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Can I Use A Tax Exemption Certificate To Shop Tax Free At Ross Dress For Less
Yes, if you are shopping on behalf of a charitable organization. For each shopping trip, be prepared to leave a copy of your exemption certificate applicable to the state in which you are shopping with the cashier.
Note: If you are a diplomat or other government representative with valid diplomatic identification and passport, be prepared to leave a copy of your exemption document, government exemption card with the store.
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Contacting Overstocks Customer Care By Yourself
Reaching Overstock’s customer care yourself is depressing. You are likely to be placed on hold for some time before a customer care representative can pick up your call. This can lead to losses if the inquiry is urgent. You can use other alternatives, such as email, live chatting on the company’s website, or texting the representatives.
The alternatives are also time-consuming, as you are likely to get a response within 24 hours. You can seek the help of a trusted consultant such as DoNotPay to contact Overstock’s customer service in a hassle-free way.
Business Model And Management
Part of Overstock.com’s merchandise is purchased by or manufactured specifically for the company. Among their products are handmade goods produced for Overstock by workers in developing nations. The company also manages the inventory supply for other retailers. In addition to its direct retail sales, Overstock.com began offering online auctions on its website in 2004, known as Overstock.com Marketplace and later O.co Marketplace. This service was retired in July 2011.
After initially relying solely on word-of-mouth marketing from customers, the company turned to distinctive starring German actress Sabine Ehrenfeld. Later, they would employ other advertising spokespersons.
In July 2006, John J. Byrne, the father of Overstock’s chief executive, resigned from the board of directors after a public airing of the elder Byrne’s unhappiness with his son’s actions against naked short-selling. In August 2008, Jack Byrne said that after “much initial skepticism” he believed his son was “right all along” about the battle and lawsuits with short-sellers and analysts. In 2010 the elder Byrne returned to the Overstock.com board of directors.
In early 2007, John A. Fisher and Ray Groves resigned from the Overstock board of directors over disagreement with the company’s prime broker suit.
In 2014, Overstock began developing software that would allow it to distribute corporate stock online instead of using traditional methods like the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ.
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Main Reasons Why Customers Contact Overstocks Customer Care Team
Overstock’s customer care receives numerous inquiries from its clients. The most common questions the team receives are linked to
- Tracking not showing updates
- Time a client has to cancel an order
- Seeking more information about a product
- Enquiring on order shipping
- Whether a customer can make changes to their order or shipping address after they have submitted it
Get Rid Of Excess Stock
Financing residual stock ties up your capital. The longer excess stock is stuck in your warehouse, the more cost it will generate. Once the call is made about wanted items of stock, there is always another list which shows undesirable products to be held in your warehouse. Sending these products to a disposal company is the most costly way of solving the problem.
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Naked Short Selling Controversy
Overstock filed a lawsuit against the hedge fund Rocker Partners in 2005 for libel, unfair business practices and tortious interference, saying it colluded with a research firm, Gradient Analytics, in short-selling the company while paying Gradient Analytics to publish negative reports about Overstock.com and supplying pre-publication copies to Rocker. Naked short-selling was not alleged in that suit. In a conference call with analysts in August 2005, a day after the suit was filed, Byrne said that “there’s been a plan since we were in our teens to destroy our stock, drive it down to $610 … and even a plan for how the company would then get whacked up.” He said that the conspirators were part of a “Miscreants Ball”, headed by a “Sith Lord”, who he refused to identify but said “he’s one of the master criminals from the 1980s.” Byrne said the conspiracy included hedge funds, journalists, investigators, trial lawyers, the SEC, and Eliot Spitzer.” Gradient Analytics countersued, alleging Byrne waged a smear campaign.
In December 2010, all but two of the prime broker defendants settled out of court with Overstock for $4.4 million. That same month, the company filed a motion seeking to amend its lawsuit against the remaining defendantsGoldman Sachs and Merrill Lynchto include claims of RICO violations. The enhanced claims were based on evidence gained through discovery in the case.
Overview Of Overstockcom Complaint Handling
128Overstock.com reviews first appeared on Complaints Board on Aug 7, 2006.The latest review Table was posted on Jul 7, 2022.The latest complaint Never can ship item was resolved on Feb 06, 2015. Overstock.com has an average consumer rating of 2 stars from 128 reviews.Overstock.com has resolved 37 complaints.
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Overstock Banner Re Robin Williams
Although it is unfortunate of Robin Williamss death, I believe it is just as unfortunate Overstock.com is giving more attention by placing a yellow banner reading, “Remembering Robin Williams ” on their website. Why hasn’t a banner been posted acknowledging our service men and women who have lost their lives for our Country or have suffered disabilities for their remaining lives?
Understanding Overstocks Customer Care
Overstock is committed to ensuring its customers get value for their money by providing high-quality products and exceptional customer service. The company connects people with products and services in a convenient way. The company has established several ways customers can reach its customer care team. They include:
| The chat button on its website |
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Can You Sue Overstock If It Refuses To Resolve Your Issue
If you are convinced Overstock has wronged you and has refused to own up to its mistake, you can sue it in small claims court. Suing them will compel them to solve your problem or refund you. DoNotPay is committed to ensuring you get justice in the following ways:
