"Some traders really take us for granted.." Topic

What happened to the customer is king? Why do a lot of times I have to chase down traders to either get them to acknowledge an order or even ship it? Is it too much to ask to simply send "thanks for your order, we're on it" and to start working on fulfilling the order?

I know most traders we deal with are not large companies with loads of staff and a fancy automated website. And for some it isn't even their day job, but can't they really spare a few moments to spend on customer relations/satisfaction? Some companies do it, kudos to them.

All I ask is that when I spend my hard earned money on them they at least show me the courtesy of telling me that they received the order and then to ship my goods asap.

But no, weeks and weeks after placing the order it still is "processing" on their website, if they even have a website capable of that, usually you don't even get that much information. If you then dare to send them an e-mail to find out about your order you simply NEVER get an answer or in the rare cases that they do answer they blow you off with either: family emergency, health problem, too busy, was away on vacation or whatever else they can come up with.

I'm sorry if they have a real family emergency or health problem but I couldn't care less about the rest of those other excuses. You took my money now give me what I paid for, it's that simple.

It's not like I'm already shooting off e-mails 2 weeks after I placed an order, not even after a month. But if you cannot manage to get an order out the door in one month or at least inform us why you can't then you are not really trying and that is taking your customers for granted.

This is really tiring. Right now I'm dealing with two of those "masters in customer relations" again. Well, it's not actually dealing with because for that you need to get replies to your e-mails.

Don't ask, I won't name and shame now, my blood pressure is not high enough for that yet. :-)

The one I like best is when I finally cannot stand the wait any longer (for me it is normally after 4 weeks of nothing) and I write or call and I get this: "It was mailed yesterday."

Ummmmm, NO, you forgot! Idiots!

Name and shame!

I think you should call them out. You are not throwing them under the bus, you are throwing the unsuspecting fellow TMPer's under it.

@Skipper John

That one is all too common. If I had nickle for every time I had to coax a vendor through making and shipping my product I could just start my own casting business.

When an order slips the pros will admit to it and make it right. I once ordered some figures from Hasslefree, they were taking too long to arrive so I emailed them. They promptly replied back with a mea culpa, sent my order and included some extra figures and bits as an amends. Well done Hasslefree!

I had one wait over 5 weeks to email me to tell me that my Paypal payment went through but somehow the shopping cart order did not hand off what I ordered, and would I please order again and they would credit my order. Maybe if you'd done that the first week…..

At least when they do this on Internet orders, they only delaying the accumulation of stuff. They aren't insulting you and wasting your time in the bargain.

I've had dealers take my card at conventions, then wander off to have a nice talk with a friend--then come back to ask how much money I was trying to pay, and go back to talking with the friend.

Nic at Eureka Miniatures is one of the good guys – easy to deal with and communicates well. Reviresco ditto. Brigade Games lets you know if there are stock problems.

I've never had any problem with Pendraken.

I had placed an order from Noble Knight for a product. When it arrived it was missing parts and since the blister was sealed it was the manufacture's mistake. They had great communications with me and I just got the missing parts from them. About 3 weeks.

I want to note that this is much faster then the time I ordered directly from that manufacture and had missing parts. That took over 8 weeks to get those parts.

If you can't name and shame, I really don't have time to listen to you complaining. If you can't be bothered to help fellow TMPers avoid the same trap, then your plight is your own.

Oh I'm perfectly happy to name and shame one of the two but not the other one yet. I will explain later.

The first one is Model Hobbies in the UK. I doubt that many wargamers will fall into "the same trap" because he does not sell wargames figures but he sells model aircraft and vehicles on his webstore, Amazon and Ebay but here's what happened, just in case someone else is looking to buy his models.

I needed a lot of 1/72 Huey's etc for Vietnam so I ordered from him. My order arrived with 4 expensive items missing (Czech Master resin heli crews worth over 30£). So I e-mailed him, no reply. One week later a second e-mail also went unanswered. And a 3rd and 4th same over the course of the next 2 weeks.

After 4 weeks I had enough so I opened a PayPal case against him. Again no reply at all so I was starting to think that this guy maybe croaked or went bankrupt or something.

But then I saw that he was selling my missing items on Ebay at a much higher price. That's weird because he was selling exactly the number of sets that I was missing AND his stock level on his website went to 0 after I purchased them. So he either had some more reserved for eBay OR he was selling my items that I already paid for.

Then finally last night (should have done that way earlier) I googled him and found out that he pulled this trick before so I'm convinced now that he was indeed selling my stuff on Ebay. So I escalated my case to PayPal and they and I are now waiting for his reply, which will surely not come as said by others on Google reviews that went trough the same BS with this guy. It looks like this is his MO.

PayPal gave him until May 15 to reply before they decide what to do next. I hope they throw his ass off PayPal but I doubt it because clearly mine is not the first claim they have received against him and he's still there.

The second trader; I've read a lot of good things (and a few bad ones) about this guy before so I am not going to damage him before I am 100% sure that he will not do right by me. That means giving him a little bit more time to possibly get his act together before I name and shame him. I'm sure he's on this forum so he will know what this is about when he sees my name and order number: Fons L. #8810. Answer your e-mail dude!

Ironically enough, I'm going through the same thing with an online miniatures retailer. I inquired here on TMP about his shop and got mixed reviews. Then another member made a follow-up post saying he spoke to the seller in question that everything was fine and his business was still open. A second TMPer also gave the person in question a solid backing. I placed my order, received confirmation of the order, and the following week received an email notice that the order had shipped. We are going on day fifteen and no items have arrived. From right here in the USA. I have made several attempts at communicating and nothing. I will be naming and shaming When the situation has reached its conclusion.

@Capt Flash,
Are their initials T F. ?