Smokingpipes Fail

[dragonslayer]

Placed my SP order on Tuesday, was confirmed and billed. Now I have no problem with getting a notice that something needed to be back ordered and would ship when they received more, or change it/cancel it. But I get an email today at 3:30PM when the shipment was to be delivered telling me an item was out of stock and call them. So when I called them the entire rest of the order was not shipped. It was a busy day, well yeah and you knew it would be, and this wasn't the first IPPD. I expect a level of customer service that is top shelf. I buy almost everything of the internet, and every vendor I use meets a certain standard.
So they dropped the ball, I canceled the entire order. P&C is an example of quality customer service that meets my standards. Their POS doesn't charge you for items that are backordered/out of stock. SP charged my card for the full amount and was three days until they contacted me...Fail

 

[brewshooter]

I wonder if they had an issue with an electronic inventory saying an item was in stock and so it just automatically charged before they realized what was going on? Hard to say, but you wouldn't think it would take them three days to notice and advise you of the problem. I've actually had more issues with P&C than with Smokingpipes.com, but I've also ordered a lot more from P&C.

 

[wallace]

First let me say that I'm not trying to run them down here, but have you noticed their shipping has gone through the roof?

 

[sebastian]

Ive never had any issues with Smokingpipes.com, and they are my "go to" online merchant when I'm looking to buy. I can understand your frustration, but I wouldn't dismiss them for a one time problem.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Odd, my experience has been the same for P&C. Never good. In contrast, I have had over 200 orders from SP and never a single problem. Goes to show you I guess that life is a gamble.

 

[hfearly]

Wait, they ran out of stock, so they put your order on hold and sent you an email to give them a call, so they could discuss with you whether you want to move forward with the rest of your order or take another course of action. I'd consider that quite appropriate.
As to the three days, I'd expect them to get at least 3,000 orders on such a special day (P&C estimated they'd get 500 orders before noon!). Surely it'll take a team of say 5 people quite a while to process all this, gather all the tins, pack them up in boxes, label and ship. Say it takes them 10 minutes to process an order, that'll be 6 orders per hour, times 5 (=30) times 8 hrs (240) in a working day.
So yeah, if they are not using real-time inventory and POS systems that are fully integrated and automated, I can totally see, how they'd take 2 days to figure out they can't ship what you ordered because they ran out.
Now, I don't know how big SP.com is or how advanced (there still exist a bunch of mom&pop B&M who do online sales the old fashioned way) they are.
I can understand that you are miffed, but I'm also pretty sure whoever works in their shipping department has busted their butts off these past 2-3 days.

 

[jpberg]

I've been using online pipe and pipe tobacco vendors since 2001. Smoking pipes has been (along with 4noggins) the best of the bunch. One transaction does not a relationship make. If you choose not to do business with them, it's your loss. It's as simple as that.
After literally hundreds of transaction with SP, I would be hard pressed to think that you'd be well served to not use them again.
We are a small lot, and we need to stick together, warts and all.

 

[numbersix]

One transaction does not a relationship make. If you choose not to do business with them, it's your loss. It's as simple as that.

+1
One thing I agree with is that they shouldn't have billed your CC until it ships. However, the reality is most vendors do the same. It's just easier for a small e-tailer to do that since they need to check to see if the card is legit, etc.
Smokingpipes has made mistakes with my orders, but I still consider them one of the best overall (no online store is perfect). I would urge you to give them another shot.

 

[zonomo]

I've had wonderful success with smokingpipes. Have ordred a lot of stuff from them. Never ordred from P&C, yet. Won't order ever again from 4noggins for personal reasons.

 

[jpberg]

Dragonslayer, keep in mind. I'm not beating on you. In 2004, I ordered a pound of SG Commonwealth bulk, and a few tins of JFG Special Latakia Flake from SP, to be delvered to a place I would be staying at while working on the road. When I arrived, the box was waiting for me. Along with my order, there was a very elaborate 3 piece Tsuge tamper. It took me a while to get my internet hooked up, but when I did I emailed Sykes, wanting to return the tamper. Sykes' reply told me to keep the tamper, with his compliments, and to enjoy all my smokes to their fullest.

A small story, I know. But the same guy is still running SP, and his love of pipes and pipesmokers hasn't changed.

 

[rigmedic1]

I have never had an issue with either Smokingpipes or P&C. I frequently do business with both.

 

[cigrmaster]

Craig, Lighten Up Francis. lol
Do not cut off your nose to spite your face, mistakes happen. These guys go out of their way to take care of their customers and I know this for fact. I have been dealing with them since 2000 and can count on one hand the few time they messed up. Shit happens, P&C screws up also. For the prices these guys charge I would put up with a screwed up order once a week because I am saving so much money using them.

 

[w2srg]

For what it's worth, every store make mistakes,but the way they handle it makes the different. I very rarely purchase tobacco from P and C, with the NY taxes, but I do purchase pipes and other hardware from them. I ordered a pipe from them and received someone elses instead. I called them and offerd to hand deliver the wrong pipe back to them, 80 miles round trip. I was told "keep it", the next day UPS delieved the correct pipe. When the wife and I do visit their store I'm always treated very well. I sometimes have gotten the online price, instead of the store price. They done right by me. Good people.

 

[weezell]

I use both and both have been VERY,VERY good.We all have a glitch now and then.Both venders have been good to me...

 

[cigrmaster]

I placed an order on the 20th for IPSD from smokingpipes to get my 10% off, and it just got delivered like an hour ago. My son went outside and saw it next to the door. Freaking UPS didn't even bother ringing the bell because I was home. Talk about service though, 2 days regular ground UPS, I always take the free shipping never 2 day but here it is 2 days later.
Craig, just tell them you are me from now on. lol

 

[dragonslayer]

Well it’s not a great big deal, and I’ll probably order from them again. The reason I canceled the order really had to do with the conversation on the phone. This was a clear POS software issue that confirmed a stock item held in peoples shopping carts. It works real time and knows the inventory and updates the website and inventory lists. Had nothing to do with packing or anything else along those lines. Wednesday morning they had in their hands a list of a few orders that got double processed. Twenty minutes to write out a few emails would have been the right action.
The fact they didn’t get to me until Friday afternoon with an email to call them is what upset me, this also means nothing will be done until Monday. I always get free shipping and it’s always 2 days, so I got my P&C package and while unboxing it the email from them popped up. When your feet are held to the fire for 20 years as mine were, I hold people doing business on the net to a high standard. It’s just my way of saying, you screwed up and hopefully you’ll avoid this in the future. P&C, Amazon or Newegg doesn’t matter. Every customer is golden, that’s business 101, and 1000’s of dead .coms to prove it.
Be honest if you had a $500 pipe in your shopping cart, hit the button. Got the confirmation on the pipe you wanted to spend that much on was on the way. Then get an email 3 days later telling you sorry, we knew it was sold, but were too busy to let you know earlier. Would you like one of our others. I think you’d be a bit pissed.
Oh and I did tell them my friend Harris, who buys a lot from you, recommended you .

 

[cigrmaster]

Craig, now you are screwed. lol
I just ordered from pc yesterday and today I got and email that a couple of things are back ordered. I think both of these companies are so busy that when we put stuff in the cart and then continue to shop, things get sold out by the time we checkout. I don't think there is too much they can do about it. I have had plenty of orders where stuff is allegedly in stock, and then a day or two later they inform you sorry, we will ship the rest when we get it in. I have no problem with it because they ship the remaining stuff for free and don't charge the credit card for the back ordered stuff until they ship.

 

[dragonslayer]

We keep crossing PM's lols

Ah yes the CC was an issue also.

 

[foggymountain]

They are not perfect, they are getting bigger and too many people are involved to be perfect. But they are good, and in my experience probably the best. I have had a major problem recently with P&C and will only buy from them in an emergency, and only with Paypal.