PipesandCigars(dotcom) -- What in the World?? I am Confused.

[FurCoat]

I've order from them more times than I can count with no issues. That can change though. I'm just one order away from a bad experience and that can happen with just about any vendor.

 

[spartacus]

I've had issues multiple times with P&C. I haven't ordered from them for over a year. I'll send my business to other companies that seem to have better customer service. I doubt they miss me though and I hope others have a better experience.

 

[BarrelProof]

Like many folks, I had several orders from them with no issue whatsoever. In fact, a lot of them arrived quicker than SP, TP, etc.

And then, looming on the horizon, unseen, unheard, and unannounced, was my 'bad' P&C order...

Timeline of events:

July 3, 2020 - Place order of ONE 'in stock' item (probably my 7th-8th order with them by this time, important for the next line item)
July 4, 2020 - Receive first age verification email
July 4, 2020 - Email P&C customer service asking why I'm all of a sudden receiving an age verification email after several purchases with the same account
July 5, 2020 - No reply
July 6, 2020 - Receive my second age verification email
July 7, 2020 - No reply
July 8, 2020 - No reply
July 9, 2020 - Receive my third age verification email
July 9, 2020 - Receive age verification approval
July 10, 2020 - August 4, 2020 - Forgot about order, no communication either way
August 5, 2020 - Receive shipping notification
August 5, 2020 - Email P&C customer service/submit contact form on website letting them know the address is incorrect
August 6, 2020 - October 31, 2020 - Forgot about order again, no communication either way, no answer to email or submitted contact form to customer service
October 31, 2020 - Some thread on here reminded me to check on the order, saw it had been returned to sender and delivered back to P&C on 10/9/2020
October 31, 2020 - Submitted another contact form on the website, sent another email to customer service about the order, what was going on, why I was getting no contact, what was the outcome going to be, etc.
November 1, 2020 - November 11, 2020 - Forgot again, no contact either way, no reply to any of the emails or contact form submissions I'd made in the last four months
November 12, 2020 - Finally decided to call after hearing about the long wait times on hold to speak with someone, got through to someone, she said her system showed that the order had shipped but had never been returned to the sender and said they would have to file a report and investigate to figure out where it went. I directed her to the UPS tracking page that was linked to the tracking number, some pretty serious and in depth detective work on my behalf, and then she agreed to refund the original purchase price.
November 13, 2020 - November 19, 2020 - No communication either way.
November 20, 2020 - Received pending refund notification from PayPal indicating several days to clear
November 21, 2020 - November 22, 2020 - No activity
November 23, 2020 - Refund cleared checking account



I understand that things can happen that cause unforeseen delays, erroneous shipments, etc. I'm not even mad about it. What I can't understand is when a company makes no attempt to contact a customer in these situations. Why did I never receive any type of email letting me know that the 'in stock' item was going to take longer to ship than usual? Why didn't I receive an answer to ANY of the emails I sent? Why didn't I receive a reply to ANY of the contact forms I submitted on their website? To be fair, I wasn't a thorn in their side about it, so it's not like I was an irate customer commanding all of their attention; however, I assumed that I would have received a response from any of those attempts. My mind is (obviously) set up to where when I send them a comment, I completely forget about it assuming I'll eventually get a reply that will be the next step in the process.

I won't shop with them anymore. Like I said, I'm fine with errors and mistakes. No one is impervious to those. But what I can't handle is the complete lack of regard for a customer demonstrated by an absolute failure to provide any communication throughout this entire process.

 

[didimauw]

@blendtobac

If it hasn't been resolved, this guy should be able to help

 

[samuelgawith01]

LOL nice. I guess I am officially in the club now then. To the guy who asked if anything was backordered: nothing was marked backordered.

Here's an update: I called their local line for Cigars International (same company) and chose "I want to place an order" and finally got a nice lady. She apologized and said something about "being swomped" and transferred me to a guy who said something about my order not going through because they have a lot of "fraudulent orders because of COVID" lately, or something like this. Not sure what that meant. Said it was leaving today.

Then 20 minutes later I get an email from them about a problem with my payment/order and to call them and resolve it. LOL. I called and was put on hold for a long time. Sound familiar? I hung up. The payment was already charged on my card...it didnt need to even go through again.

Anyway, thanks for allowing me to vent, guys.

Sounds like a management issue, not staffing.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I've had a lot of smooth orders.. but I've also been on hold with them for like 45 minutes before, I finally hung up.. Its a damn cigar store, not a government agency. That hold line is bullshit.. they do not intend to take your call.

 

[STP]

I have generally had good experiences, but returns ... fuhgeddaboudit! Error was on their end and it took over a month to remedy. CS could certainly be improved.

 

[mordy18]

Put in an order sunday night. Got the tracking number morning. Ordered from the a number of times in the past. Never s problem. They replaced defective peterson pipe no questions asked months after I bought it. Shame that many have had bad experiences.

 

[renfield]

Many orders over the years and only one problem that was quickly dealt with. I must’ve lived well in a previous life. Go figure.

 

[Cotton1]

I have never had a problem with CI but only ever ordered cigars from them.
I feel fortunate that Smoking Pipes is here in State and I normally receive orders from them next day. It does make me lazy about searching other places though.

 

[jaytex1969]

The problem is, P&C is mostly dudes and you know how that goes:

 

[Jaylotw]

A litmus test for being a real pipe smoker is getting bent over a barrel by P&C for a banged up box with a broken free ashtray in it a couple of times.

Yep! ....yep...

I used to order from them almost exclusively, but after a few unresolved issues, them not sending the promotional items they promised, and Jen-yoo-ine disrespect-“maybe you entered the order wrong-“ I’ll never order from them again. It’s a shame, cause Russ is a great blender and voice but I feel his reputation has been sullied a bit.

 

[yohanan]

I have had a much better customer experience, when Pipes and Cigars were still operating out of Albany New York, so much for acquisitions, that being said, I have always received my order, sooner or later. although I don't know how some of my packages arrived intact due to the crap packaging that I have experienced in the last 3 years. Too each His own, I you don't like it, shop elsewhere, that's what I do.

P.S .If your looking for Help, Don't blame it on Russ, He has nothing to do with that aspect of the Company.

 

[python]

Here is a dead horse that has been beaten repeatedly here. Actually, I think the horse my just be a skeleton now.

Closing it down before more piling on of the same old stories.