errrrrrrrrr.....Amazon.....ererrrrrrrrrrrr

[patrick_1853]

Sometimes a company can just push the wrong buttons. In early to mid december I started looking for the best place to order a jet mini lathe. Well, I looked at rockler, and woodcraft and amazon. My other option was a tool store near knoxville(about 3.5 hours away) that has the delta midi lathe for 215(I think factory refurbished). Well, I check rockler and woodcraft and see that they dont have them in stock, and I dont really want to buy a refurbished lathe from a store to far away to conveniently go for service. Well, then I see amazon has the same price, lists delivery as within 2 weeks (the 29th), and has free delivery. So I go with that one. Well today is the 29th and lathe still not shipped, email and they say it is out of stock, will upgrade me to standard shipping and will send it as soon as it is off back order, but they dont know when that will be :). So my order gets pushed back to January 12 when I could have already been turnin if they updated the status of their merchandise properly and informed customers when items were backordered. Had I known that I would have bought the one near knoxville, or the harbor freight clone of the 1236 for $179. Sorry for the whining, just wanted to complain a little.

Patrick

[Quartlow]

I would tell em to keep it and go buy the refurbed one myself. I hate it when I get jerked around!!!

[FireWrks7]

Or you can wait till they give you a delivery company with tracking number etc ... call them to cancel it while it is already in route ... refuse it at the door ... back charge credit card ... and call it a day. Yes, I did that to a company who first said two weeks, then it magically became six. Learn them a thing or two about customer service.


YMMV
Anthony

[patrick_1853]

Well,
After this Amazon.com will more than likely never see another order from me again, excluding used books, and those dont come from amazon, usually people selling through them. They seem to be unable to manage an order on anything larger than a book so that is all I iwll order from them, unless I can find an alternative. As of tommorrow, it will have been a full month from the date I originally placed the order for the mini lathe. I emailed customer service again, actually for the 3rd time on the 12th. (the second email was because they applied shipping charges to my total, but I think that happened because I moved the order from a credit card to a check card, I consider that a computer glitch and they fixed that the same day it showed up, so I will give it to them.). Since the new and improved ship by date was the 13th, I asked whether it would ship on time, they replied that it would and I should recieve a shipment notification by the 15th(is it just me, or is the 15th after the ship by date of the 13th?). Well, I noticed that this customer service email wasn't exactly a typed email, it was basically a cut and paste of the help link that explains the shipping date on their website, and also expains that I can check the status of my order anytime through their website!!...really, that wouldn't be the same website that has been showing incorrect ship by dates for the last month is it? That just kinda p****d me off for some reason. Sorry about the long post, especially since I am just whining. I know that many people here have had excellent service through Amazon, its just that this process has just frustrated the heck out of me. Usually I don't pay much attention to mistakes that companies make, its just the fact that they aren't really giving me any information, and don't seem to care about the fact that they are pissing off their customer. I think I am going to go ahead and give them until the 15th to ship it and if they dont I will order through woodturnerscatalog. I checked with them and woodcraft, woodcraft is out of stock(told me that they didnt know for sure when they would get them in and that I should probably order through someone else. This is the correct response for times like this! You may lose the one sell, but not the customer), woodturnerscatalog said they have them in stock and would ship it the same week that the order was placed.

Anyway,
thanks for listening to me complain,
Patrick

[Quartlow]

just for grins and giggles you may want to check
http://www.hartvilletool.com/
Toll Free: 800-345-2396

They don't show squat on the website but since they are hartvill hardware they may have something up your ally and price range, Last time I was out there thy had minis from Delta Jet and General on display

I don't know what they are like to mail order from but at the retail store there are some great people there. Very knowlagable and helpful

[patrick_1853]

That looks like a pretty useful link, thanks.
I requested a catalog, and will bookmark it. They didnt have either the jet or the delta minis on their site, but they could come in handy.
Patrick

[patrick_1853]

Well, I got an email notifying me that they pushed out the order again. At least this time they told me. They pushed the delivery estimate out until February 13th. Thats right, 2 full months from when I originally ordered it! Instead of repeatedly moving the delivery date out by two weeks, I wish they would have just said they didnt know when they would have them in and I should order through another company. Because right now, unless I for some reason cool down about this, I wont be a customer of Amazon.com, especially on large items. I'm gonna cancel that order and go through woodcraft or woodturnerscatalog I guess.

Patrick

[Quartlow]

Call em anyway patrick, the have a retial store and by no means is all the stuff on the website, The big power tool section would probably cover 1/2 of the average woodcraft store..

ARGH ARGH ARGH I feel a trip to hartville coming on from just talking about it!!!!

[patrick_1853]

Well, I gave Hartville tool a call, not expecting much since they are a couple states away. They don't carry them on their online or catalog sides, but I was transferred to the retail store. That was a breath of fresh air compared to my dealings with amazon. Very friendly and helpful man on the phone. He said they also are out of stock, but if I am still looking in february, give them a call because all there power tools go on sale and Jet usually matched whatever discount they give. Thanks for the link Quartlow!
Patrick

[Super Ry]

Reference my post

http://www.woodworking.com/dcforum/DCForumID8/4095.html

Need ta feel better - just canceled by Amazon order

I will NOT be ordering anything from them in the future. Reason being - Obviously they didn't get the product shipped when they said they would. But what really fumed me was that they didn't bother to e-mail me a Q as to why I cancelled my order. There business must be doin pretty good since they don't care about canceled 500 buck orders. So good that I won't be helpen em out in the future.