On a different note - about a year ago a Nording Woodcock (the pipe that inspired me to head down the pipe smoking road, along with discovering this site) was available so a big deal to me since I'd also discovered that it was a pipe that was pretty hard to find new or used. So I ordered it and the package arrived and I took out the Nording tube and opened it and . . . it was empty. Nothing in it. Unfortunately it came on a Friday, the dealer was closed for Columbus Day and so I had to sweat it out until Monday. Although it seemed hard for the person I spoke with to believe they sent an empty tube, and no doubt it was, the usual inspection note that came with it wasn't initialed and apparently that meant something to her and long story shorter a replacement was sent out right away that I had to order and pay for and although a refund on the first order was simultaneously offered I decided to convert it to credit and ended up ordering last year's Nording Cheeetah. So a pretty happy ending to a tale that I'm guessing wouldn't have had a happy ending with a lot of other dealers.
So sometimes things work out. Maybe the retailer at issue here just needs to receive the pipe back and at that time will make things right? Hope it does!
On another note, lol, looks like OP mentioned all but maybe two of the sponsors listed, so if not mentioning the retailer is a matter of principle, that rings a little bit hollow by saying it isn't pretty much anyone else - now I'm looking at two and I guess flipping a coin. Kind of unfair to one of those two, IMO. Maybe just edit it back to saying it was a sponsor and leave the whole who it wasn't out of it.