Not sure how to feel about this?

[SharonMM]

So during the Black Friday shopping frenzy, I decided to roll the dice on a new-to-me vendor, Steam juice. Checked out their website; looked good... Checked out their flavors; lots that looked appealing... Checked for good reviews; found some. Saw that they package in glass, which is important to me.. Looked at their prices; excellent. Had a great deal on a package of 2x30ml and 3x15ml for $29.99 with the coupon code. They didn't gas me for shipping either.. got it all for like $32 shipped. So ok, I'm in!

The website did have a disclaimer up saying that their lead time was 5-7 days. No big deal, it's the holidays, I understand. So a week later I checked the site and saw my order was still processing, so I thought I'd ask when they expected it to ship. The owner Laura responded fairly quickly and said that my stuff would go out on the 6th, which was the next day.

Checked again on the 6th and sure enough, I had a tracking #. Checked the tracking# on the 7th, and saw it was still in "pre-shipment" mode. Checked again on the 8th, and same thing.

Contacted the owner again and asked if my package had in fact been shipped, because there were no parcel scans in the queue. "Yep, definitely shipped" she says, "You'll have it by Tuesday"

Then I explained to her that there have been no parcel scans for the tracking # she provided me. So obviously this indicates that the Post Office has not taken in a physical package, only that a label has been printed. Even sent her a screenshot of the webpage to drive home the point.

She continued to insist that the package was indeed shipped on the 6th, and then started blaming the post office for holding the package.

Checked the tracking number again today, and see that package was accepted last night, the 9th at 8:30 and another scan processing thru the sort facilty, and a third scan departing the sort facility.. all on the 9th.

So basically, I'm feeling like I've pretty much have been blatantly lied to by this vendor. However, I also know its the holidays, and things can get hairy at the post office. I'm just trying to decide whether I should write this vendor off forever, or if it was the post office's fault.

So which do you think is more likely: That the post office took in a package on Friday night, and let it sit unscanned until late Monday night. Or that a very busy vendor printed a label on Friday night, in order to pacify me, but then didn't get around to sending it until Monday night?

 

[Muggs]

She definitely white lied to you. Printing that label buys vendors a couple extra days and they usually aren't used to getting called out on it. I think when she realized you knew it meant that only the label was printed and the item actually didn't ship yet she didn't want an angry customer, probably felt backed into a corner and kept the "it shipped" story to buy an extra day or 2.

 

[SharonMM]

She definitely white lied to you. Printing that label buys vendors a couple extra days and they usually aren't used to getting called out on it. I think when she realized you knew it meant that only the label was printed and the item actually didn't ship yet she didn't want an angry customer, probably felt backed into a corner and kept the "it shipped" story to buy an extra day or 2.

Yeah, that's kinda what I figured.. that's too bad. If she just would've been forthright with me and said, "Hey, we're super swamped.. we'll have you shipped by Monday", I would've understood..

But being lied to and played for a fool? Oh hell no.

 

[DetraMental]

I'm sure you're not the first customer to call her about the same issue. God knows what she's had to put up with so she was probably telling you what she could so as not to be attacked. I'm not saying you would, just saying she probably had been by others prior to you. Yes she should of been up front with you and any others. Maybe she had tried that route and it didn't make another caller happy, I'm just saying.

 

[exnihilo]

Or... She's telling the truth and USPS tracking/scanning sucks.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[vjc0628]

OOh she def lied

I never could understand this but in a few industries ive worked in
I noticed people who are in the position of taking those phone calls from complaining customers
would often tell them what they want to hear rather then the truth

I always felt that causes more problems in the long run
now that I have my own buis
I always try to tell people the facts even if they don't like it ( it def costs me from time to time)
But this is how I would like to be told so that's the way I do it

But that is not the norm
most people in customer service situations have a tendency to try to make a bad situation sound better then it is

 

[MD_Boater]

You may NOT have been lied to. What times were the "sort facility" scans, and were they all from the same facility?

USPS uses hand held scanners that need to be connected to the network, so that the data in them can be uploaded. It is entirely possible that someone scanned the package when they picked it up from the vendor, and then uploaded the data in their scanner much later on. Every day, my company orders several hundred items from a USPS warehouse that are shipped to local post offices. It is not uncommon for our packages to arrive at their destination prior to the "acceptance" scan. We see it all the time. We'll check a tracking number, and tell a (USPS) site that their package did not ship. 20 minutes later, they call us back and tell us that it is there. When we check the tracking number again, we see all of the tracking data.

I'll bet your stuff shows up today.

 

[vjc0628]

Although I would add don't take it personally

It's human nature

and I am sure it was not done with intent of malice

 

[patkin]

I deal with one vendor who does that printing label/ready to ship thing that goes on for three days... a well known one that I used to recommend. Actually I could kick myself for that but truth is they make the best menthol around. A year ago when I started up with them, my juice was made and shipped in two days and reached me in two more... from Michigan. About 7 months ago they started doing what you describe and I see they've opened a second B&M so they may have just bitten off more than they can chew. But I do think USPS differs depending on location. I get a package from Pennsylvania in two days and tracking along the way paying First Class but not from Michigan. Its 5 days since my order shipped from there Priority Mail and as of this morning it still hasn't hit Phoenixt... this is consistent from this vendor and not because of Holidays, BF or CM. They've started selling large sizes of juice so I don't have to order as often or I would just drop them. The first time this happened I got the same song and dance you've gotten. Its very disappointing to say the least. Anyone who orders as much as we do and from the same areas knows the delivery patterns and when they're being lied to... thing is that makes it really tuff should a package actually get lost.

Edit: Well I just got an answer from my vendor in question. If your Priority Mail insured package has not arrived by the 19th.. that's two weeks after the USPS-stated shipment left Grand Rapids for Arizona and makes it three weeks after ordering... then they will reship. So two-day priority mail delivery has now become two WEEKS! I might as well have saved some money and ordered from China.

 

[SharonMM]

You may NOT have been lied to. What times were the "sort facility" scans, and were they all from the same facility?

USPS uses hand held scanners that need to be connected to the network, so that the data in them can be uploaded. It is entirely possible that someone scanned the package when they picked it up from the vendor, and then uploaded the data in their scanner much later on. Every day, my company orders several hundred items from a USPS warehouse that are shipped to local post offices. It is not uncommon for our packages to arrive at their destination prior to the "acceptance" scan. We see it all the time. We'll check a tracking number, and tell a (USPS) site that their package did not ship. 20 minutes later, they call us back and tell us that it is there. When we check the tracking number again, we see all of the tracking data.

I'll bet your stuff shows up today.

Ok, well that's encouraging. I do want to give the vendor the benefit of the doubt, but the evidence really doesn't support it. Yes the package scans were all from the same facility, and all within an hour or two of eachother. But doesn't each scan timestamp for the time of the scan, not when its uploaded?

I think its unlikely that my package will be here today.. last scan was in California last night.

 

[ShariR]

I am still waiting on a Thanksgiving day order from Ahlusion. Three other orders placed after that one have been received. The tracking is spotty with USPS. I read many stories of packages tracked as out for delivery or delivered that are not received until the next day. Then others that can't be found on tracking are in the mailbox. With the weekend and Black Friday a little slack may be in order. It is a tough call.

 

[Kemosabe]

Ok, well that's encouraging. I do want to give the vendor the benefit of the doubt, but the evidence really doesn't support it. Yes the package scans were all from the same facility, and all within an hour or two of eachother. But doesn't each scan timestamp for the time of the scan, not when its uploaded?

I think its unlikely that my package will be here today.. last scan was in California last night.

not in my experience. ive seen mismatched package scans. for example, ive seen "sorting complete" occur after "out for delivery". really lol? the package left the building, and then it was sorted? really? LOL
personally, i would try to not worry about this issue in the slightest. i know its hard when you want your goods, and i too succumb to impatience more often than not.

 

[StormFinch]

Whether it was the supplier or the shipper, keep in mind that this time of year USPS is completely wonky. Not saying that it's not wonky all times of the year, just that it's worse over the holidays. The package I'm currently waiting on took 2 days to go approximately 160 miles. I know one person who's package tracking was time stamped for the origination hub just before it was delivered. I've even seen someone on another forum post about theirs making constant round trips between one hub and another. Mix a little too much Christmas cheer with a major uptick in packages and you get a complete cluster.

 

[Amraann]

I have recently ordered several items not just e-cig items and all of the deliveries/ tracking was messed up. Like when originally ordered expected shipping was 3-5 days .... Then the tracking said it would not arrive until the 12th then the item was here that day.

This specific item was from Walmart. So I just think that tracking and shipping is wonky this time of year.
I ordered some e-cig items from a company that always has it to me in 2-3 days.. It took a week and a half. Again the tracking info was totally incorrect.

 

[Kyi]

I say, if you like their juice and feel like you got a good deal other than the shipping hassle, order from them again. If not, I guess move on. No way to know for sure if she lied to you or not but if it was worth the wait, then they might deserve another chance. USPS is known to be a little cray cray anyways.

 

[DexO]

She probably didn't lie to you. The recent snow storms have shut everything down. I ordered 2 different items from 2 different vendors on the 6th and both sent 3 day Priority. One from Texas and one from Maine. I should have received yesterday yet both tracking #'s show that they have not left the state.

 

[mirandag819]

Because there still was a scan at the intial post office, I would say she lied to you. Until that point I wouldn't have thought she was lying though. I had a package from Giant Vapes, never show as scanned at the origin. They had great customer service and said they had issues with their drop office post office not scanning packages in, and sure enough they were right. It was out for delivery today and that was the first status ever listed on the tracking number. It took more than the 2 quoted days, but looks like the post office was to blame, and the make up for the post offices screw up, they gave me a discount code for a future order!

 

[Pam1384]

If it's any consolation I have ordered from them twice and the order and shipping went very fast. Also contacted them about some advice on which juices to order and they replied within two hours. So hopefully this is just a wonky, doesn't always happen kind of thing.

 

[HeadInClouds]

As someone who ships for a small business, I can tell you it is possible to drop off a package to the post office on Friday and have it sit there until Monday...if you miss the last drop off and they don't have weekend hours. It's also very common that online tracking info is wrong - that happens all the time. On the other hand, it could be as you suspected: they just printed the label and didn't mail until Monday. You'll never know for sure.

I'd look at other people's experience with the vendor rather than writing them off, especially if you like what they send!

 

[Jay-dub]

When I order from EVC I get my product(s) the day after my order everytime. People don't rave about their liquids but I haven't seen how they're any different from any of the liquids people tend to bandwagon about. They just don't do custom blends or have the variety of others. But compared to everyone else I've ordered from you can count on it arriving sooner than later.

In writing the above paragraph I remembered something a local pharmacist went through when he was tired of dealing with a specific product and vendor. The item was slow to sell and he wasn't fond of the vendor so he figured he could further sabotage the product and get rid of the vendor by killing demand completely. He raised the price of the item thinking it would kill sales and to his chagrin the tactic actually raised demand for the product. I'm sure there's a sweet spot but a price can actually make people think the product is better, more exclusive, or more valuable than it actually is.