Latest Pipes & Cigars Debacle

[hoosierpipeguy]

Placed an order for 4 items on Oct 26, C&D Virginia Flake 1 lb, 5 tins of Dreams of Kadath, 10 tins of Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky and a IM Corona Pipemaster lighter. Checked last week with the tracking around Friday, message was "Your package is on the way to a USPS facility....." I found that a bit strange but I think I read where P&C ships by some combo of UPS and USPS.

Checked Monday and Tuesday. No change. So I call on Tuesday. Wait quite some time, finally reach a Customer Service Rep. She looks, has no idea. Explains it has to be 8 business days before they can do something but said she would do some kind of check, I could call back on Thursday. I call today. Nothing changed. She told me "No problem, we'll ship another package, let me check inventory." Red Flags go up. Come to find out 3 of he 4 items are in the back order category. She asked me what I wanted to do. I said "Cancel the last order I will ever have placed with P&C, I'll take a refund."

Perhaps I am too cynical but I can't help but wonder if this package was never put together as they sold out of three of the items I ordered. Since placing that order, I placed two orders (one with Tobacco Pipes, one with Watch City) that both were delivered by Monday. Is this a grievous, malicious error by P&C that causes me great problems? No, of course not. The Customer Service Lady was polite, I don't believe the people at P&C are evil or anything close to it. When compared to any other internet retailers I have purchased pipes and/or tobacco from, however, they compare very poorly. Obviously, with all the other things that have been posted here about similar issues, I'm not the only one.

 

[rogers]

I dropped them years ago.

 

[danimalia]

I've had nothing but good experiences with them in terms of getting what I've ordered, personally, but I've found the free shipping with them (and SP, for that matter) just takes too damn long. Usually takes 7+ days to get to me on the west coast where as plain old USPS priority mail (offered for free on bigger orders at 4Noggins) takes 2-3 business days max. I know it's free shipping, but it basically discourages me from taking advantage of it.

 

[craig61a]

 

[craig61a]

I’ve had similar issues in the past.

Cigars International is the parent company I believe; they also own a number of other sites, CigarBid, Cigars.com, etc.

Ive pretty much given up on them. There are much better vendors out there, who place a higher priority on customer service.

 

[jerseysam]

P&C definitely seems to have a more antiquated/ineffective order management-fulfillment system when compared to similar-category web retailers. For me I know out of four orders, three will process absolutely fine and one will go off-rails.

Most times it's inaccurate real-time inventory management which rears its head during higher demand spots (popular blends or attractive sales), but I've some real head-scratchers. Earlier this year I ordered 16 ounces of the Russ O. birthday blend with a larger order......I got 16 1 oz. baggies labeled "Mississippi River". MR isn't a bulk blend, but darned if it sure didn't look/smell like MR. I also couldn't conceive of a situation where someone would either be pre-bagging a blend in small 1oz baggies or sitting there fulfilling an order and thinking preparing 16 separate, labeled bags was an effective use of paid labor. When I called to verify what I actually received.....I got the usual "We don't know what happened but here's a code for $10 off your next order". Three out of four orders go fine, but man on that fourth one.....

 

[craig61a]

 

[thebigragu]

View attachment 7665

haha

 

[trouttimes]

I just ordered 7 Seas Reg, 8 tins. I got bulk. I doesn't taste the same and it's not what I ordered to cellar. I done also.

 

[judcole]

I've never had any problems with P&C. Maybe that's because I am not trying to order hot items, and I am never in that much of a hurry. YMMV.

 

[cohibajoe]

Only order when I find those limited release...since the Esoterica screwup...I moved on.

 

[prairiedruid]

I've ordered with P&C for years. Once the package leaves their facility it's at the mercy of UPS (not USPS) until it gets transfered to my area post office for local delivery. Sometimes it goes straight forward and I get my order in a week. Sometimes it stays for days/ week at a UPS hub in PA. I have great experience with P&C customer service. In 6 years of ordering I have had only 2 issues which they quickly took care of to my satisfaction. Loyal customer and will order more with them. Their packaging has greatly improved over the last 2 years as well.

 

[rogers]

Their packaging has greatly improved over the last 2 years as well.

I'm glad they fixed that problem. Poor packaging was one of the two reasons I dropped them.

 

[spartacus]

I no longer do business with P&C. Haven't for a while and things are good now.

 

[SpookedPiper]

Placed an order for 4 items on Oct 26, C&D Virginia Flake 1 lb, 5 tins of Dreams of Kadath, 10 tins of Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky and a IM Corona Pipemaster lighter. Checked last week with the tracking around Friday, message was "Your package is on the way to a USPS facility....." I found that a bit strange but I think I read where P&C ships by some combo of UPS and USPS.

Checked Monday and Tuesday. No change. So I call on Tuesday. Wait quite some time, finally reach a Customer Service Rep. She looks, has no idea. Explains it has to be 8 business days before they can do something but said she would do some kind of check, I could call back on Thursday. I call today. Nothing changed. She told me "No problem, we'll ship another package, let me check inventory." Red Flags go up. Come to find out 3 of he 4 items are in the back order category. She asked me what I wanted to do. I said "Cancel the last order I will ever have placed with P&C, I'll take a refund."

Perhaps I am too cynical but I can't help but wonder if this package was never put together as they sold out of three of the items I ordered. Since placing that order, I placed two orders (one with Tobacco Pipes, one with Watch City) that both were delivered by Monday. Is this a grievous, malicious error by P&C that causes me great problems? No, of course not. The Customer Service Lady was polite, I don't believe the people at P&C are evil or anything close to it. When compared to any other internet retailers I have purchased pipes and/or tobacco from, however, they compare very poorly. Obviously, with all the other things that have been posted here about similar issues, I'm not the only one.

I hardly order from them because their website is terrible. They show pictures of old tobacco's that are not available today, almost like click bait..

No thanks...too many other places to choose from unless its a p&c exclusive.

 

[gatorlope]

Jury’s out. I’ve had just enough confusion with them to plan on making any further orders directly with their customer service where they can confirm what they have in stock and whether the conditions for any premiums they offer are being met.

 

[mso489]

PC has had some shipping and order-filling troubles in the past. I've had mostly good experiences especially with their sale prices on brand name pipes that have been excellent -- Stanwell, Tsuge, Peterson. No problems.

 

[shanez]

I've had no issue with them but do agree their automated system seems rather antiquated and shipping (at least the packing portion) seems slow.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I've ordered with P&C for years. Once the package leaves their facility it's at the mercy of UPS (not USPS) until it gets transfered to my area post office for local delivery. Sometimes it goes straight forward and I get my order in a week. Sometimes it stays for days/ week at a UPS hub in PA. I have great experience with P&C customer service. In 6 years of ordering I have had only 2 issues which they quickly took care of to my satisfaction. Loyal customer and will order more with them. Their packaging has greatly improved over the last 2 years as well.

No doubt they have some loyal followers. Perhaps there are those who haven't ordered much or any at all from other Vendors. I can say I consistently get tobacco and pipes from Europe as fast or faster than from P&C. I have placed well over 100 orders in the past 2 years and the only vendor I've had any problems with has been P&C. This last order had to have been a pretty good size box given the quantity of tobacco. Struggling to understand how UPS simply misplaced it.

I haven't been ordering much from P&C in the past year due to product availability and their service. I placed this order due to their 23% sale. My mistake. No more.

 

[sandollars]

When first getting into this hobby, I "cut my teeth" on P&C. I Spent a couple thousand with them within the span of 6 weeks in the beginning and had a LOT of problems. When I spoke to their customer service department I could tell that problems were not uncommon by the way they responded my various situations. They always made a tiny effort to make it right but it required so much effort on my part that it wasn't worth the effort. NO ONE READS their "Contact Customer Service" emails! You gotta call them to get any help. I don't like calling people.....

Tins arrived poorly packaged, almost ALWAYS significantly dented and sometimes smashed and often popped open. One time 16 ounces of Rocky Patel in a glass container was destroyed with glass throughout the box. There was 1 tiny bubble THIN sheet padding around the POUND of tobacco in a 3 POUND JAR along with other items to help bang around! It doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to predict the end result of this scenario...

In short, their packing is horrible.

True story (you can't make this sh*t up):

One time I mistakenly purchased 2 tins as singles that were also on one of their "battle of the (whatever)" where you can buy both tins at a significantly better price than separately. Instead of just making the change, I was charged as I ordered them (no big deal, MY bad...) and was sent a note in my box ON P&C LETTERHEAD calling me a "boofus" for doing it. This REALLY happened! I called them over that and they gave me a discount code to use on my next order for a few bucks.

The final straw was a $550.00 Peterson Amber pipe I bought with both Amber and acrylic stems. It arrived with a chip on the P-lip of the Amber stem. No way to prove it happened before I got it and I was SO TIRED of calling them on a problem with ALMOST every single order! I stopped doing business with them. I am still ticked off at that stem. It works fine but has a tiny flaw...... No more P&C.

I started buying at SP and found out what fast, reliable shipping and secure packing was suppose to look like. Sure those thin tins get a dent here and there especially if there are 2 rolls of 5 in the same box but no big deal. They have become my goto steady house to buy from. They even reward me with Levels for additional discounts based on how much I have purchased. It's not much but it makes me feel appreciated.

I also purchase from a few other .com and all have been great! Do you know how many times collectively I have had to call ANY OTHER Tobacco website about problems? ZERO TIMES! Anyone can have a problem but the frequency at P&C without any concern from them will keep me away.

P&C has great products and a great website. They have great sales too but their fulfillment department needs 100% revamping. I still buy sale items on tobacco from them on occasion.

Anything serious that I care about (Pipes, etc.) . I buy from someone whom I trust and I believe appreciates my business.

As always this is just my opinion based on my experiences of things that happened to me .