Pipes And Cigars.... Wish Me Luck

[sablebrush52]

I have no complaints about P&C, especially since their packing has really improved. When the problems with their new tracking system occurred the only result was a two week delay on one shipment to me. Not a tragedy and no big deal. They scrambled to cover the chaos that their software supplier had caused. Their service has been solid ever since. I did have one order where they added two tins of something that I hadn't ordered in place of two tins that I had ordered, and they took care of the swap very quickly. Nobody is perfect. I have no hesitation about buying from them.

 

[sablebrush52]

Well, yes a company can and should be faulted for being out of stock. Not just P&C, but any company. Their business is to sell things. If they show them, especially sale items, they should be in stock. Period. Russ has explained that they are making changes in regard to this. If a company doesn't have the sense or money to stock sufficient amounts of product, they shouldn't show that product as being for sale. Period.

Common sense isn't common anymore.

This presumes that P&C has control over the various companies who supply their blends. They don't. Shipments get delayed, or come in short. Happens in a lot of different markets
Blaming P&C for not continually carrying full stock on everything all the time in an unpredictable market is like blaming the waitress because the kitchen is disorganized or ran out the daily special.
As for back ordered or out of stock items, P&C has fulfilled my orders when they got product in, at the price set when I made the order. No complaints here.

 

[jravenwood]

Well, yes a company can and should be faulted for being out of stock. Not just P&C, but any company. Their business is to sell things. If they show them, especially sale items, they should be in stock. Period. Russ has explained that they are making changes in regard to this. If a company doesn't have the sense or money to stock sufficient amounts of product, they shouldn't show that product as being for sale. Period.

Common sense isn't common anymore.
When was the last time you stopped at a filling station and they were out of gas? Would you do business with that station when the one across the street has full tanks? I bet not. The current 'just in time' nonsense is just that. If you can't make that work, then you need to stock like it used to be done... Stock more than you expect to sell in a given period. Not rocket surgery.

Nevadablue; well said.

This presumes that P&C has control over the various companies who supply their blends. They don't. Shipments get delayed, or come in short. Happens in a lot of different markets
Blaming P&C for not continually carrying full stock on everything all the time in an unpredictable market is like blaming the waitress because the kitchen is disorganized or ran out the daily special.

No one, at any time blamed P&C for not continually carrying full stock on everything all the time :wink:

What Im saying, and I think NevadaBLue is echoing, is that if you SHOW it as in stock on your website, and I as a customer am able to check out and pay you for it, then it certainly should be in stock since we are exchanging money for goods that are showing as available. Its think its probably near impossible for any Tobacco retailer to keep everything in stock all the time.

 

[jzbdano]

Sable nailed it on inventory control.
If I'm buying baccy that will be cellared for years I don't care if it will take a month or two or ten to arrive when it is up to 50% cheaper than the other vendors I buy from. If I'm buying something I have to have now, obviously I will not purchase backordered items. I like that P&C gives me the option to load up at sale prices.

 

[blendtobac]

I dont want to be presumptuous and im sure he has a lot on his plate.

It's not presumptuous at all. If I didn't want to leave that door open I wouldn't have posted my email address here. I'm never too busy to help.

This presumes that P&C has control over the various companies who supply their blends.

Unfortunately, this probably accounts for 50 to 70% of out of stock issues. Without naming the supplier, there are three tobaccos that we have needed desperately for over three months, and we still haven't gotten our shipment. Probably about 20% comes from better than expected response to a promotion. The rest we'll take a mea culpa for not ordering enough.
I wish that the site could have 'real time" inventory, but we have two separate systems - one for inventory maintenance/management, and one to control the website. Because they have to "talk" to each other, there's some lag. It's not as long a lag time as before, but it can still take some hours before the website can report an out-of-stock.
Russ

 

[balkisobrains]

I might have one of those blends on back-order, ha! Waiting patiently. ::

 

[sablebrush52]

When was the last time you stopped at a filling station and they were out of gas? Would you do business with that station when the one across the street has full tanks? I bet not. The current 'just in time' nonsense is just that. If you can't make that work, then you need to stock like it used to be done... Stock more than you expect to sell in a given period. Not rocket surgery.
Nevadablue; well said.

Are you kidding? It would be a logical comparison if your gas station was supposed to stock dozens of different brands of gasoline and were out of the one you wanted when you happened to show up. This is comparing apples to orangutans.

Because they have to "talk" to each other, there's some lag. It's not as long a lag time as before, but it can still take some hours before the website can report an out-of-stock.

So, is there a way for buyers be notified in the instance of a blend that they see as "in stock" runs out before their order is filled?

then it certainly should be in stock since we are exchanging money for goods that are showing as available.

Russ, is that the case? Or do you charge only for items actually shipped? A lot of businesses don't charge until the item ships. If this is the case, there's no exchange of money for goods.

 

[jvnshr]

Russ, is that the case? Or do you charge only for items actually shipped? A lot of businesses don't charge until the item ships. If this is the case, there's no exchange of money for goods.

If you are using Paypal, they charge you once with the total amount of your order. That's how Paypal works. If you are paying with your credit card, then they charge only for the items that they are going to ship. That's what I've been told some time ago by the customer service, if I am not mistaken.

 

[wyfbane]

I LOVE P&C!
Now that's out of the way:
I was charged for my backordered Stokkebye tobaccos from the October promotion.
I remain unworried. I have credit card statements and will keep inventories from stuff that was shipped to reconcile if I must.
Added assache for me is I have to ship to Oregon and rendezvous to pick up my orders. Sometimes they will sit with my buddy for a month until I can get there.
Again, I LOVE P&C!!

 

[3rdguy]

I have dropped 800.00 since the end of August at them. Not one problem. I only order what shows in stock however.

 

[blendtobac]

So, is there a way for buyers be notified in the instance of a blend that they see as "in stock" runs out before their order is filled?

That would be an IT issue. I'm sure it would be possible somehow, but the computer jockeys have lots of stuff on their plates, but I will see if there's some way to flag an order that went from in-stock to out-of-stock status. It's a really good idea.

PayPal is problematic. Not only do we have to charge the customer up front for the entire order (their rules, not ours), but if the item is on backorder for a while and then arrives, the authorization may have expired so the item won't ship out until it's authorized again.
Russ

 

[instymp]

I have ordered from PC for years & the only time I had a little issue was when the upgraded software. (If my old brain remembers right).

My first choice every time I need something. Aces to me.

 

[cosmicbobo]

Fans of Butternut Burley can save ten bucks a pound at 4 Noggins. When P&C gets a fresh item in stock, even if it is a regular item, oftentimes it seems they don't give breaks for more ounces. 3.50/ounce no matter how much you buy. I saved 20$ on two pounds of it at 4 Noggins.
I did spend over a hundred with P&C today. It would have been over two hundred had they a reasonable price on their own product.
I am sure I will be bashed for "bashing" P&C, but that is not the case. As always, I just point this out FYI.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

If I didn't want to leave that door open I wouldn't have posted my email address here. I'm never too busy to help.

And that's the kind of attitude that brought me back to Pipes And Cigars :clap:

PayPal is problematic. Not only do we have to charge the customer up front for the entire order (their rules, not ours), but if the item is on backorder for a while and then arrives, the authorization may have expired so the item won't ship out until it's authorized again.

This is something I, and I'm sure many others were unaware of. I can imagine how that could be problematic, and I might refrain from using Paypal in the future on orders from P&C. It has, however, become almost a habit just to hit that Paypal button when I'm ordering from anywhere.

 

[wyfbane]

It is bashing.
This was about reliable delivery and whether the bugs are out of their system, not what price point they have on a particular tobacco.
Your point should have been taken to a separate post, not pinned onto the back end of this one.

 

[cosmicbobo]

If I had started another thread for this it would still be called bashing. I decided to throw an FYI in for Butternut fans.
If I went on about how 4 Noggins and SP can ship an item 4 days later and get it here earlier, then it is on topic, not bashing, but still FYI
Mods, can you disappear my username? You all are just too cool for me

 

[nevadablue]

Play nice children. David, please don't disappear. It is just a comment from someone else. Not a big deal.

 

[wyfbane]

You can't make a statement, anticipate a response as a way to somehow discount it, then take umbrage when someone does the anticipated response.
He's grown. If this is all it takes to make him run, he needs to thank God he never fired up Deathmetal, Jesse, Warren, or Jeff.
My response was fairly neutral. I just pointed out that a price post on a system thread is bashing, particularly when Russ is trying so hard to keep the ship even keeled over there. They are a site sponsor after all.
Dave, if you wanted to bring up price, just start a post about how inexpensive Butternut Burley is on 4 noggins and leave P&C out of it. Voila, no bashing.

 

[cosmicbobo]

You see, kitty kat, it is a game you play. You hold the rules in your hand of where Colonel Mustard can pop out of the conservatory with the pipe wrench.
Bottom line: I am sixty and ran some of the most notorious forums on the Net, some not here anymore thanks to the FBI. I've heard it all, seen it all, said it all, been called it all. I just have no want to play the shitting little games of the nugatory coprolite

 

[cosmicbobo]

I would have to bring up P&C because it IS a P&C blend that they are currently charging more for.
Mods, I wish to disappear like the wicked witch under the house. I'm shrinking!!!!!
Oh, and I want Russ to see this as he is a man of action. I would never let my products be sold more cheaply than I can sell them