AltSmoke... What the hell is going on!

[Keita]

Hello,

So here is my story... It is not pretty.

Recently I have decided to upgrade my PV to the Silver Bullet due to many positive reviews and it was also suggested by people on the ECF.

I communicated with them before purchasing my Silver Bullet such as if certain batteries would work, what color is the difference between two different ones, etc. All with timely responses I might add.

So I invested 90 dollars on another website for batteries, charger, Drip shields, multimeter and around another 170 or so from Altsmoke for the Silver Bullet, 10 LR atomizers, a battery case and a drip tip.

Well when I got my items the silver bullet had a button issue where it did not fire correctly some of the time and continued to get worse and worse as the days followed. After having this issue for about a week after receiving my item I contacted them saying the button has a issue. There response was, "I believe we use the best buttons on the market, try tapping the button hard." I told them, "I understand however I am having this issue and a miss fire every 25-30% of the time is not working for me and that tapping didn't work". So they said, "Send it in." So I sent in my item with Shipping Insurance and Signature near the end of November.

Now, I have never received my item back and they have been communicating less and less. I asked them 2-3 weeks after shipping my Silver Bullet how long it would take to fix the button and they said, "I have already shipped it". I told them, "I have never received my item". They said, "The tracking number says it was has been shipped." I told them again, "I have never received the silver bullet, it could have been lost or shipped to the wrong house by mistake. Do you have insurance on the item?". They said, "No, we don't put shipping insurance on fixed items. Track down the particular person who delivers and ask him where he put it".

Now that answer is completely ludicrous for me to ask someone (the driver) if they placed a "envelop or box" to my house when they are not going to know... After I told them this they said call up the Post office in which I did. After I explained the situation they said, "There is nothing we can do, the product was not insured, please contact the person that shipped the item.

So I told AltSmoke this and I told them, "I understand this is not your fault or mine (though it kinda is theirs since I Insured mine when shipping to them and they Didn't when shipping to me) so if you can please send me a new one to replace it or if I can pay 50% and your pay 50% so I only have to go half on it since this is no ones fault". There response was, "They only thing I can do is offer you one at Full Price".... WTF! You are telling me that I must pay Full Price for an Item that I only used for 1 week! That I Insured and required a signature because you sent me a faulty Item and when you shipped it back you lacked Insurance and what not so I have to take 100% responsibility? Am I understanding this correctly? What the hell is that? Customer Service My ...! I love there atomizers, but this issue has push me to the edge as it has been nearly 2 months since the issue.

I just send them another email since they never responded to my last one from about 4-6 days ago. I doubt anything will change, but I will keep you updated.

 

[Keita]

Hello,

So here is my story... It is not pretty.

Recently I have decided to upgrade my PV to the Silver Bullet due to many positive reviews and it was also suggested by people on the ECF.

I communicated with them before purchasing my Silver Bullet such as if certain batteries would work, what color is the difference between two different ones, etc. All with timely responses I might add.

So I invested 90 dollars on another website for batteries, charger, Drip shields, multimeter and around another 170 or so from Altsmoke for the Silver Bullet, 10 LR atomizers, a battery case and a drip tip.

Well when I got my items the silver bullet had a button issue where it did not fire correctly some of the time and continued to get worse and worse as the days followed. After having this issue for about a week after receiving my item I contacted them saying the button has a issue. There response was, "I believe we use the best buttons on the market, try tapping the button hard." I told them, "I understand however I am having this issue and a miss fire every 25-30% of the time is not working for me and that tapping didn't work". So they said, "Send it in." So I sent in my item with Shipping Insurance and Signature near the end of November.

Now, I have never received my item back and they have been communicating less and less. I asked them 2-3 weeks after shipping my Silver Bullet how long it would take to fix the button and they said, "I have already shipped it". I told them, "I have never received my item". They said, "The tracking number says it was has been shipped." I told them again, "I have never received the silver bullet, it could have been lost or shipped to the wrong house by mistake. Do you have insurance on the item?". They said, "No, we don't put shipping insurance on fixed items. Track down the particular person who delivers and ask him where he put it".

Now that answer is completely ludicrous for me to ask someone (the driver) if they placed a "envelop or box" to my house when they are not going to know... After I told them this they said call up the Post office in which I did. After I explained the situation they said, "There is nothing we can do, the product was not insured, please contact the person that shipped the item.

So I told AltSmoke this and I told them, "I understand this is not your fault or mine (though it kinda is theirs since I Insured mine when shipping to them and they Didn't when shipping to me) so if you can please send me a new one to replace it or if I can pay 50% and your pay 50% so I only have to go half on it since this is no ones fault". There response was, "They only thing I can do is offer you one at Full Price".... WTF! You are telling me that I must pay Full Price for an Item that I only used for 1 week! That I Insured and required a signature because you sent me a faulty Item and when you shipped it back you lacked Insurance and what not so I have to take 100% responsibility? Am I understanding this correctly? What the hell is that? Customer Service My ...! I love there atomizers, but this issue has push me to the edge as it has been nearly 2 months since the issue.

I just send them another email since they never responded to my last one from about 4-6 days ago. I doubt anything will change, but I will keep you updated.

What should I do now?

 

[Keita]

That is bogus. It is their responsibility to get the product to you, whether they choose USPS, UPS, or to drive it to your home.

As they are an ECF Supplier, I'd try one more round then complain to ECF staff.

You should not be in a spot to even split the cost of a replacement -- it's an error on their part, wholly, product not delivered, based on your description.

I might just have to do this. I don't really know how the system works (ECF Supplier and ECF Staff) but if it will get the ball rolling then I will pursue it, thought you might need to explain how it works and how to do it. I have been more then patient and polite with them but as the days wear on (again nearly two months total with dealing with this) the less I can be.

 

[Keita]

Wow! That is truly sad. I would be shouting from a roof top. Do ecig vendors think they are exclusive? I have run into a few with this type of attitude and I dislike it. (Personal opinion).

OP Did they ever send a tracking number? Or any proof they actually sent this item? I know it might be petty but I would check out some legal options.

Good luck to you!

They have provided a tracking number after telling them I never received my item. I doubt they are double crossing me as the item was probably lost or shipped to the wrong person. I remember talking to Amazon.com about an item shipped and they said, "A lot of times carriers will mark the item as shipped before they even arrive to the house while they are still in the middle of the route".

 

[classwife]

I have moved this to Negative Reviews to merge with your other thread there. Altsmoke can not respond about business to assist in a thread other than here or their Forum.

 

[rocks82]

Hi Keita,

I've pulled up your email exchange with Chad. It seems there is a little confusion with what went on and what we need you to do to be able to proceed.

We completely understand the frustration that has occurred. Unfortunately, the way things went down, USPS does require that you be the one to take the next step. We really wish that it was otherwise, but USPS policy does not allow us to take further action until you have contacted them regarding the missing package and opened a claim.

From my understanding of the tickets, tracking information, and issues, this is what's going on.

- On 11/21, you contacted us regarding issues with your Silver Bullet switch. After attempting to troubleshoot, it was determined that your SB needed to come in for repair.

- On 12/8 your Silver Bullet was received by Chad, repaired, and shipped back to you same day.

-On 12/12 @ 1:41 pm, your Silver Bullet was marked as "delivered" by USPS at the address you provided inside the package, which is the only thing Chad asked you to provide.

As far as we can tell by this, the package is at your home and the transaction is completed. Unfortunately, we really are forced to rely on the delivery scans to determine if a package has been delivered.

- On 12/19 , you contacted us to let us know that you had not received the package. We provided you with the tracking # and let you know that the package was marked as "delivered".

- You replied advising us that the other people in your building are less-than-trustworthy and that you did not have the silver bullet in your possession. You then asked us what was to be done next.

The really frustrating thing with USPS is that, once the package is marked as “delivered”, we (the sender) are unable to do much of anything to track it. We let you know this and let you know that USPS requires that you (the recipient) open a “missing package” claim so that they can track it.

An investigation would be opened by USPS once this claim is filed, it will involve tracking down your postal carrier to see what he can remember and attempting to trace the package from the point of delivery. It was repeatedly encouraged that you open this claim as soon as possible because, the longer you wait, the harder it is to track something down. It seems that no missing package claim was ever filed by the receiving party though.

Regarding insurance, USPS only honors insurance claims where the package is damaged or lost while in their possession. Unfortunately, in this situation, because USPS marked the package as delivered at your residence, USPS would not honor any insurance claim.

We all are vapers here at AltSmoke. Due to this, we are very sympathetic to your situation and would like to do whatever we can to try to make this situation less frustrating.

Unfortunately, we are not able to meet the request for a free silver bullet that you made via email due to this incident. However, we did offer to sell you a new silver bullet at cost (a discount to you, for your frustrations and trouble with USPS). At no time, in any of the email exchanges, did anyone at AltSmoke ask you to pay full price for a replacement.

I really do wish we could do more. Again, we urge you to please take the actions requested so that our hands are not quite so tied.

Thank you for your patience,
Valerie

 

[Keita]

Hi Keita,

I've pulled up your email exchange with Chad. It seems there is a little confusion with what went on and what we need you to do to be able to proceed.

We completely understand the frustration that has occurred. Unfortunately, the way things went down, USPS does require that you be the one to take the next step. We really wish that it was otherwise, but USPS policy does not allow us to take further action until you have contacted them regarding the missing package and opened a claim.

From my understanding of the tickets, tracking information, and issues, this is what's going on.

- On 11/21, you contacted us regarding issues with your Silver Bullet switch. After attempting to troubleshoot, it was determined that your SB needed to come in for repair.

- On 12/8 your Silver Bullet was received by Chad, repaired, and shipped back to you same day.

-On 12/12 @ 1:41 pm, your Silver Bullet was marked as "delivered" by USPS at the address you provided inside the package, which is the only thing Chad asked you to provide.

As far as we can tell by this, the package is at your home and the transaction is completed. Unfortunately, we really are forced to rely on the delivery scans to determine if a package has been delivered.

- On 12/19 , you contacted us to let us know that you had not received the package. We provided you with the tracking # and let you know that the package was marked as "delivered".

- You replied advising us that the other people in your building are less-than-trustworthy and that you did not have the silver bullet in your possession. You then asked us what was to be done next.

The really frustrating thing with USPS is that, once the package is marked as “delivered”, we (the sender) are unable to do much of anything to track it. We let you know this and let you know that USPS requires that you (the recipient) open a “missing package” claim so that they can track it.

An investigation would be opened by USPS once this claim is filed, it will involve tracking down your postal carrier to see what he can remember and attempting to trace the package from the point of delivery. It was repeatedly encouraged that you open this claim as soon as possible because, the longer you wait, the harder it is to track something down. It seems that no missing package claim was ever filed by the receiving party though.

Regarding insurance, USPS only honors insurance claims where the package is damaged or lost while in their possession. Unfortunately, in this situation, because USPS marked the package as delivered at your residence, USPS would not honor any insurance claim.

We all are vapers here at AltSmoke. Due to this, we are very sympathetic to your situation and would like to do whatever we can to try to make this situation less frustrating.

Unfortunately, we are not able to meet the request for a free silver bullet that you made via email due to this incident. However, we did offer to sell you a new silver bullet at cost (a discount to you, for your frustrations and trouble with USPS). At no time, in any of the email exchanges, did anyone at AltSmoke ask you to pay full price for a replacement.

I really do wish we could do more. Again, we urge you to please take the actions requested so that our hands are not quite so tied.

Thank you for your patience,
Valerie

First off I do not live in an apartment complex. I live in a house in the suburbs. Secondly the reason why I brought that up was because I heard on the News that with Christmas just around the corner, stolen shipments are on the rise. I have had one item that was stolen earlier. (Since USPS most of the time just drops the items in front of the door and drives off, not even ringing the door bell or anything).

Now you have told me to "contact USPS" which I have and they told me to contact you guys. At no time have you ever told me to "file a missing package claim" as you mentioned in your post that you told me multiple times and that is outright BS.

I was contacted by Rob today and he said "cannot do free or 50% but can give me a new one for a price" I think this is a bit much for me to pay out of pocket for an item i never got.

 

[Keita]

I just tried to file a claim, but it said please try again later due to an error. I will try again tomorrow.

 

[halopunker]

Although it is not part of our terms and conditions to replace the item. In good faith I will send you out a replacement unit. I am sorry there has been so much confusion over the package. Unfortunately once it leaves our hands it goes into the hands of the post office we no longer have any control over the items and it is a shame they did not live up to their responsibility.

We have not been implying that your situation has not been upfront, we simply have to abide by our terms in order to not hand out free SB's everyday. In the future, if a package is showed as delivered definitely contact your post office and request to issue an investigation in to a possible stolen/lost package that is showed marked as delivered. This is not as troublesome as it sounds and takes just a few minutes to do. You would be surprised how most of the time it shows up magically a few days later.

Thank you for your patience with this matter, I hope this now makes matter right and wish you a great New Year.

-Rob

 

[Keita]

Although it is not part of our terms and conditions to replace the item. In good faith I will send you out a replacement unit. I am sorry there has been so much confusion over the package. Unfortunately once it leaves our hands it goes into the hands of the post office we no longer have any control over the items and it is a shame they did not live up to their responsibility.

We have not been implying that your situation has not been upfront, we simply have to abide by our terms in order to not hand out free SB's everyday. In the future, if a package is showed as delivered definitely contact your post office and request to issue an investigation in to a possible stolen/lost package that is showed marked as delivered. This is not as troublesome as it sounds and takes just a few minutes to do. You would be surprised how most of the time it shows up magically a few days later.

Thank you for your patience with this matter, I hope this now makes matter right and wish you a great New Year.

-Rob

Thank you Rob for taking the time to deal with this situation.

I understand your policy to make sure you do not send out free silver bullets to whoever makes bogus claims but I am sure you would have done the same thing if not been more vocal about this if you were in my situation and vice versa. Hopefully after I receive my item, things will go back to normal for both of us and things will resume. Please don't take what I have said as anything negative towards altsmoke and your products. Everything I ordered was fine, except the silver bullet issue. In fact if I did need to buy more LR 510 atomizers or infact another silver bullet or omega or what ever you plan on releasing in the near future I will definitely order from your store. One thing that I am surprised about is that all 10 atomizers I ordered from you ran at the same Ohm and I am still using the first LR Atomizer for the last two months on my Ego and Riva and it is still going strong.

 

[halopunker]

It's no biggie, just looking to get it resolved. Just a long list of unusual events and miscommunication. Things don't normally take this long. The LR 510's are awesome, it's out top seller and glad you're enjoying them. Hopefully everything will be resolved on Monday

-Rob