"Shark Mounted Lasers... almost 2 months" Topic

I ordered a Tourny Table Set from Shark Mounted Lasers on 16 Sep. link

Never received an acknowledgement of the order. I inquired via email (from their paypal address) on Oct 4th requesting a status on the order, and received a reply the same day. They said they got the order and its in the schedule, but they had a fire on the laser cutter, and they just got back up to speed on 10/3. They said I was no. 3 in the queue.

I sent another email 10/31 requesting status and straight up asking if this order is just a bust. 45 days with only one contact from the mfgr and then only when the customer initiates does not promote confidence.

No reply to that email.

Sent ANOTHER email 11/7 requesting status again, and offering that if this was to difficult, could I just get a Paypal refund and we both walk away.

Still no answer.

Approaching two months.

File a claim with PayPal, before your time runs out. With copies of the emails sent, Paypal will almost certainly refund the money to you.

Don't ask for the Paypal refund, just file for it.

No product has been shipped so you won't have a problem.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that you have to "Open a Case" with PayPal within 45 days of payment date. If so, don't wait any longer.

Dave

I have to agree. Paypal is a great tool but you need to be prepared to use the carrot and the stick.

I am amazed at how impatient people are these days.

Please elaborate, altfritz, unless that was sarcasm.

The refund period changed awhile back.

Direct from PayPal website:

"The default refund period is 180 days from the transaction date. If you issue a refund within 180 days, PayPal credits the original transaction fee for receiving the payment to your account. For partial refunds, PayPal credits a percentage of the original transaction fee based on the refunded amount."

Doc X, thanks for the update. But, in my opinion, it is best to open a case as after 30 days to at least get the sellers attention.

Dave
wargamingminiatures.com

Well, how many wargaming related businesses are full time? Less than 50%, even less if you disregard the large few, like Old Glory, Warlord, GW, etc. I suspect the majority have real jobs. So while they probably should be more on top of their emails, I can see why they might be off a bit, especially if they are having technical issues that cause fires.

It just seems to be the assumption is that everyone is a scammer and out to take your money unless stuff arrives right away. It must be an internet thing, or a tech thing, like people thinking they need their phone on all the time or that they have to reply to every inane phone call. Remember back when you had to send a postal order…how long did things take then?

It is not the delay that is the problem, but the lack of communication.

^^this^^

Breaking this down for altfitz…

They have a website, well populated with options and products.
They have a Facebook presence, with followers and all manner of product pics and announcements (granted, all from 2016.)
Their products have been shown in wargaming blogs (BeastsofWar, etc.)

I do not know how you would think I am assuming they are a scammer for not getting my product "right away."

Litko tells you right up front they make things as they are ordered.

I waited a full two weeks for an acknowledgement of the order and they never did until I initiated contact, and I've heard nothing from them since.

I emailed them yesterday telling them I wanted verifiable shipping conformation numbers by COB the 14th or I was filing for a refund through paypal.

They lost my ability to be patient when they failed to keep me in the loop about on going issues professional or personal that may be delaying my order. There is no assumption of scamming or fraud, just bad business practices.

Shark mounted lasers …

I was clearly led to imagine something else.

Dan

There is no excuse for a lack of communication to a customer.

In the end it comes down to expectations.

If you accept my order and take my money with no expected delivery time communicated to me, either by your website that I ordered from or an email, I expect "local" orders (placed in the USA for me) to be here in a month. If overseas, two months, to account for the slow down in delivery time that has impacted many incoming orders in the last few years.

That leaves the part timers plenty of time to get after it and fill my order. If they can't deliver then reset my expectations and I can either cancel or accept the new delivery time.

Its really quite simple.

Dave – Like you, I've found that those that ignore multiple emails from me miraculously respond to a PayPal email taking money back from them. If they still don't respond I get my money back and don't waste my time waiting. Win-win for me.

Dan – That is exactly what I thought when I saw this topic, haha.

Wow. Note to everyone, be prepared for Paypal to require you to enter into a dialog through their website giving time (not specific… 1 day? 1 month?) for the seller to reply before they'll even THINK of moving on a refund, no matter how many times you have emailed, called or been in contact previously.

I should have done this at the 30 day mark.

I received my refund by PayPal, but only after I called them direct to prompt them for it when the Seller did not reply after the time elapsed that PayPal gives them.

I wrote a one-star review of the Paypal refund process, mainly due to the lack of specifics with what steps to take, and no, "if, then," clarifications.

Their narrative is very blurry, and only accounts for how to close the case when the parties "work it out."

Leaving 20 days for a seller to respond allows plenty of time for a seller to withdraw funds, close their Paypal account, close the attached bank account, start up a new bank account and Paypal account and continue on like nothing happened.