Am I just impatient or what? Ordering online

[p85]

Not trying to start an online gun & accessories store bash, but what is a reasonable expectation of delivery of products you have ordered? I ordered 2 magazines for my 10mm pistol on May 24th and received an e-mail of order confirmation. After a week, I e-mailed the store for a shipping status. No reply, so I e-mailed a second request for info a day later. Still no reply. I know that on occasion, things will be on back order, etc., but still most shops will keep you informed.

The following day, I decided to call. Their "next available agent" informed me that items are shipped in the order that the orders are placed. Seems reasonable I guess. I specifically asked if the items I ordered were on back order, the answer was that they were in stock. I asked when I could expect them to ship. I was told "possibly next week".

Mind you, their policy is not to charge your card till the items are ready to ship, this is good. I said I would check with them today about the status.

I called this afternoon and was told that the items have not shipped and that they are shipped in the order the orders are placed. Deja-vu all over again. Asked when, and was told possibly this week.

Are stores this busy or was I hearing a story. I asked to cancel the order. The agent asked if I would re-consider if he personally put the items in the mail, possibly Monday. I said cancel.

Am I wrong in my thinking, was I fair?

 

[baz]

It sounds like a small time operation to me. Large online venues -- take MidwayUSA or Amazon, for examples -- seem to realize that filling orders quickly, and keeping customers informed of order status, are keys to success in online business.

If the mags you ordered are hard to get at a larger vendor like MidwayUSA, or the price was too good to pass up, then you have to decide whether that's worth the hassle of dealing with a small time operation that does not have the polished supply operations of a larger outfit.

Now if this was a larger outfit, I'd like to know who, so I can avoid them. But I'm willing to cut some of the smaller vendors some slack.

 

[p85]

The name of the shop was Impact Guns. Did I just have a bad experience, does anyone have experience with them, good or bad?

 

[thexrayboy]

I have dealt with numerous online retailers of firearms related merchandise. I have good experiences probably 99% of the time. Unfortunately Impact Guns and Florida Gun Works both have a less than stellar reputation for customer service. You will get what you ordered eventually but they have no qualms about charging your credit card immediately but taking longer than a 7 year itch to fulfill their side of the deal.

Just the nature of the retail beast.

 

[Car Knocker]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=274475

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=268364

 

[RNB65]

My advice is to avoid Impact Guns like the plague. They're one of the worst on-line retailers on the 'net. Most of what they sell they don't have in stock and order it after you place your order. Pathetic.

Here's a recent thread on them:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=274475&highlight=impact

 

[res1b3uq]

Witness 10mm 15 rnd.

CDNN shows these in their catalog for 26.99. I've had good luck with them.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Am I wrong in my thinking, was I fair?

You were more than fair. If an item is in stock, it should be shipped the day the order is placed/received, or the next business day at the very latest. Expecting customers to wait a week, ten days, two weeks or more before you even ship an item out of stock is idiotic. It's a miracle that vendor is still in business.

 

[Trip20]

You're not being unfair unless you've misunderstood their purported shipping quotations, which it sounds like you have not. This thread really hits a nerve for me due to some recent events.

My bike has been sitting at my local Harley dealer for 16 days. I've been told three times that they'll "get it done today." Three separate times I've been fed the typical BS just to get me off the phone, or out the door. This evening they finally confirmed that no one has even looked at my bike. Getting them to admit this was like pulling teeth.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to step out of character and quit being the understanding customer. I will be at their front door at 9AM sharp when the doors open. The Service Dept. manager is not going to be enjoying this Saturday morning coffee, I promise.

Unlike yourself, I'm able to go right to the source, in person and get this settled (hopefully). I understand your frustration.

I just received a Don Hume holster that was promised "with in 6-8 weeks." I didn't receive it until after the 10th week. They did discount my order 35%, and they also answered my emails promptly enough to keep me informed.

I treated Don Hume with respect because while they did not meet their promised delivery window, they allowed me to stay informed by communicating with me through out the ordeal. I advised them how much I appreciated that as a customer. They were honest, responsive, and padded the situation with a (truely unexpected) discount. That's decent.

Anyway... I've babbled enough -- good luck with your future on-line purchases.

 

[gezzer]

The internet is not instant. repeat to self over and over.

Until a replicator unit is for real it will not be.

Cheap prices do not mean the best customer service, keep repeating to yourself until it sinks in.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

"WE offer fast, good and cheap.








Pick any two."

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

It can work both ways. Last Friday I ordered two parts from Numrich. An hour or so later I realized that I'd ordered a wrong part (a magazine/trigger guard assembly instead of a bolt assembly for a Mosin Nagant ...dumb mistake). I called them about an hour an a half later to make a correction but it was already shipped and had an email out with the UPS tracking number. I reordered what I needed and will eat the $39.35 part I don't need. Sometimes service is just too good.

 

[p85]

Flashman, thats the kind of problem I don't mind having.

As a side note, I re-ordered the magazines from another vendor after checking with them as to whether or not they were in stock. I place the order Fri. evening and received an e-mail on Sat. letting me know (what I really appreciate) that they have shipped.

By the way, they are oem mags and were priced cheaper than Impact Guns.