I'm frustrated and need your opinion

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GPDMTR25

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
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91
Location
Burbank, CA
OK, please tell me your opinion. For those of you that purchase quite often from companies there must be times when you are shipped the wrong item, poor quality, etc. Basically, if wasn't your fault you had to return the item(s). First you have to weigh the opinion if it's even worth your time to mail it back. This time it is so you pay $4.80 to mail it back. Do you feel the company should reimburse you since you had no control over what they sent you? Do you think it should be a store credit? Refund? Or nothing at all because that's the price of doing business. Well, if you think it's the price of doing business then what about if you have to make 4 separate shipments in one week to different suppliers because they either sent defective items or the wrong items? If a refund should the company just automatically do it or wait until the customer contacts them.

I would really like some ideas of what you all think about this. As you can probably tell I'm frustrated because this happened to me last week. I often don't bother to send things back but last week I was sent the wrong items (not what I ordered), poor plating, an inlay kit with cracked wood, and another item of poor quality control. Of all the companies' only one said sorry for the trouble and here's for shipping. This wouldn't be a problem if I only order only once in a while but I order at least $1,000.00 a month.

Am I asking for too much?

Thanks
Angela
 
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The way I look at it is this:

It's awesome being able to order items online and saving money, etc. I look at it as taking a risk buying something sight unseen. I have ordered may items online and almost exclusively. I think as a business owner you would want to make you customers happy and send them quality products. When a product is unacceptable, I would hope that the company would work with me to fix the problem. If they do, you can bet I will buy from them again. If they don't, they will be my lasy option in the future or I may totally avoid them. But that's the risk of buying sight-unseen.
 
what Stan said.

If they want it back, they pay. The should send the replacement item to you regardless.

I had this happen with Grizzly when I got my lathe. The first motor had bad wiring and wouldn't spin after the first day. They sent me a replacement headstock (not just the motor) with instructions to pack the old one in their crate and mail back instructions (call Fedex to pick-up). Yeah I bitched and moaned about the motor dying, but they made it right pretty quickly. Kudos to them and I still buy tools from them.
 
As a person that sells supplies I have my own view on it. I feel that if you were to buy a blank from me and I sent you the wrong one, the replacement is going to be sent for free and the wrong blank is yours to do what you want with, the same if the item is defective for any reason. If it is something that you ordered and then just changed your mind, I am willing to work with you to make you happy, but I shouldn't be paying for it. It sounds like you are getting a poor quality item and the supplier should either pay the return and go after his supplier for it or they should replace it and try to improve their quality. Accidents do happen and sometimes a bad product does go out but the difference between a good company and a bad company is how they fix the problem. Ifyou are sent a defective product, you shouldn't have to pay for it. If that means you have to eat the return shipping, then that happens and you don't deal with them again for anything. That is their problem then and they have lost a customer and a referal.
 
Often if you call they will tell you to keep the one you got and send you a new one as it's cheaper and easier for them in the long run.
 
Russianwolf said:
what Stan said.

If they want it back, they pay. The should send the replacement item to you regardless.

I had this happen with Grizzly when I got my lathe. The first motor had bad wiring and wouldn't spin after the first day. They sent me a replacement headstock (not just the motor) with instructions to pack the old one in their crate and mail back instructions (call Fedex to pick-up). Yeah I bitched and moaned about the motor dying, but they made it right pretty quickly. Kudos to them and I still buy tools from them.
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And I won't buy from them because of the way someone in customer service spoke to me when I was unhappy with a product I felt was misrepresented and was told I could send it back but I pay shipping and a restocking (BS) fee.
 
I think with the economy the way it is now and the fact that your spending $1000.00 a month, the companies you deal with would bend over backwards to keep your business. Call them discuss it and good luck.
 
Lee Valley

Your case is one the reasons I order a lot from Lee Valley. Not a lot of pen turning kits or supplies but I buy what I can from them. I've ordered the wrong items on at least 2 occasions (my mistake, not theirs) and LV refunded my return shipping costs even though I tried to pay them. I order from the smaller vendors who participate here on IAP but LV is definitely my favorite large vendor.
 
I had the same thing happen to me with the plating on some kits. The supplier wanted me to pay to ship them back before he would even consider shipping new ones to me. I said forget it and just ordered new ones from a good supplier. Now I know why that supplier has the cheapest prices on Black Ti, because they are junk and he won't stand behind them. Some suppliers seem to care about their customers and some just don't care at all.
 
I wouldl like to add my .02 also...

My wife and I shop almost exclusively from the internet and I do a lot of special ordering of parts for my business.

You have discovered something about the company that you are dealing with...If they don't ship out the new stuff that will make it right immediately, you shouldn't do business with them. There are too many suppliers out there in todays economy that will go out of their way to keep their customers happy and make them feel valued.

I would look for a new supplier, they obviously don't appreciate your business.

I had an experience with the BORG where I had ordered some laminate countertop and they sent me the wrong one...I called and told them it was incorrect and they drop shipped the right one TO MY HOUSE!! Best part...They told me to keep the old laminate...I am waiting for a purpose for it...it is a 5 x 12 foot sheet...

Moral of the story...They shouldnt have waited to ship you the new goods.

grub32
 
wudnhed said:
I think with the economy the way it is now and the fact that your spending $1000.00 a month, the companies you deal with would bend over backwards to keep your business. Call them discuss it and good luck.
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1000 dollars a month, where does one find some of those thousands? :eek:
 
I would ask them if they have a fedex or ups account, as stated above. This way anything that gets shipped back goes on thier dime. The only two times I've had problems was with Woodturningz and Woodnwhimsies, once each, and I order quite a bit from each. Both were awesome about it, and wouldnt even hear about me sending it back, even though I was fully prepared to. They had replacements sent right away, and one of them even threw in a little something extra. They both treat you as friends more than clients though, which is why I look to them first if possible.

I can understand your frustration, and that would definitely drive me away as a customer.
 
My advice; don't do Methamphetamine

Other than that, my only beef has been with my cable company. They've been sticking it to me with poor customer service for over 12 years because they know they are a monopoly in my area. Not anymore. I'm glad to say they are no longer my cable company. I guess that's my advice, if you can't get what you need else where, buy the minimum until you can find it somewhere else
 
I have had to deal with them thru work. pneumatic upholstery staple guns we purchased 10-12 of them and they said they have a 200k spale ecpected life. yup as little as 1 day of use as little as 1 clip of staples being used at or below spec and they would break. we had to pay for shipping to and from. went thru 20 or so then gave up. i will never purchase for personal use.

wolftat said:
And I won't buy from them because of the way someone in customer service spoke to me when I was unhappy with a product I felt was misrepresented and was told I could send it back but I pay shipping and a restocking (BS) fee.
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Thanks for the comments I'm just getting frustrated when I don't have control over it

hunter-27 said:
1000 dollars a month, where does one find some of those thousands? :eek:
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I've been one of the lucky ones. I'm having a hard time keeping up with the orders.

For the most part I've had great customer service, especially with the smaller companies. But this particular company made the comment that they do so much business that they can't check everything so mistakes will be made and they mailed out the new kits the same day they had received the bad ones. This is true, I agree, but also it's not my fault so give me my $4.80 back.:alien: (Which they agreed to do)

Thanks again for the comments, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't alone on feeling this way.
 
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