1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Like to gamble? Shop here! (C'mon Danny, prove me wrong! Please)

Discussion in 'PriusChat Shop Forum' started by emtownsend, Jan 20, 2008.

  1. emtownsend

    emtownsend New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2005
    111
    0
    0
    Location:
    Post Falls, ID
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    It pains me to write this as I love the forums, but the store... Shut it down Danny! Do us all a favor and don't dangle the carrot in front of us; especially when you have our money and won't send the product...

    The Priuschat store and I are on shaky ground.
    Starting with a group order for the Engine Block Heater back in the summer of '07. I got on the "list" by placing an order. I never received an invoice, never received any word at all. I emailed Danny and posted on this site til I was blue in the face. Nadda, ever. Think I'd learned my lesson, but I like this site and I wanted to give them another chance.

    So, I recently ordered the same EBH and a DICE iPod unit together and paid via Paypal. The PriusChat store took my money right away. I received the EBH in relatively short time (alleluia) but nothing on the DICE. It has been over a month now.

    Again, I wrote Danny, and AGAIN no answer. I posted on the forum and NO ANSWER. I finally had to submit a dispute with Paypal before I got a response. Then Danny said he would go ahead and refund me $10 and send the unit out; and that I was overlooked on my original order.
    Now several days later and no word from Danny or Nichole. I PM'd him again tonight.

    The Priuschat store is so inefficient that I am not sure it can be saved. If it were a serious business, they would respond to all emails and make sure that nobody was "overlooked" and ignored. I cannot tell you how many emails Danny has ignored from me (maybe 12). He has my money and I have nothing.
    I am still waiting with baited breath that he may actually follow through, but he has already proved, to me anyway, the Priuschat store is only a hobby and customer service is not a priority. That is OK if that is his business model, but I cannot imagine why. Why be in business if you don't want to bring great products to people, help them, and make money??

    I dare you to prove me wrong! :mad:
     
    #1 emtownsend, Jan 20, 2008
  2. GeekEV

    GeekEV Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2006
    417
    14
    0
    Location:
    NorCal, USA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    While I too had a disappointing lack of communication back when I got my DICE unit, I just have to comment on this statement. While most merchants will not charge your card UNTIL they ship, this is not true if you pay with PayPal. That's not the merchant's fault, but is a fact of life when using PayPal. They debit you immediately, there's just no way around it.
     
    #2 GeekEV, Jan 20, 2008
  3. emtownsend

    emtownsend New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2005
    111
    0
    0
    Location:
    Post Falls, ID
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    True, you are right about that. I just think the seller knows this too and therefore, the impetus would be to get the product out ASAP or at least communicate a status so the customer (like me) doesn't freak out (like me)...
     
    #3 emtownsend, Jan 20, 2008
  4. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    10,664
    567
    0
    Location:
    Adelaide South Australia
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I like dealing with the forums store to support the forum, I would like to see replies to emails even if its a quick, "We haven't forgotten you and are waiting for part of your order to arrive." At least you know your email or PM has been seen.

    I'm sure the store is a hobby for Danny and Co and there is more in his life than PC but if he isn't enjoying the store he may be able to enlist some help from a member or 2 to help keep up with it.

    I want to make it clear that any dealings I have had with the store Danny has gone out of his way to help, I just need to be patient.
     
    #4 patsparks, Jan 20, 2008
  5. diamondlarry

    diamondlarry EPA MPG #'s killer

    Joined:
    May 20, 2007
    559
    12
    0
    Location:
    Elkhart, IN
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    On a similar matter, I was having major log-in problems when I first signed up(May of 2007). Every time I tried to log on, I would have to get a new password. I sent numerous emails and they were never answered. Since the forum has been switched to the new software it has not been an issue though.
     
    #5 diamondlarry, Jan 20, 2008
  6. Doc Willie

    Doc Willie Shuttlecraft Commander

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2007
    1,717
    144
    0
    Location:
    Out there, somewhere
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Confucious say "Righteousness begins tiwth the proper naming of things." or something to that effect.

    Solution to problem: rename the "Store" to a "Buyer's Club." Change nothing else. Or maybe put a disclaimer about how thing have to be ordered from suppliers, variable (to say the least) shipping times, etc. With a store, one has certain expectations, like stock and service. With a buyer's club you never know exactly what the situation will be.

    I ordered the BT skid plate. Pay Pal has my money. I know enough not to expect the thing for a while.
     
    #6 Doc Willie, Jan 20, 2008
  7. patrickindallas

    patrickindallas Shire rat

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2007
    676
    36
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Caveat emptor

    or

    Cave canum

    Something like that. Latin 1 was many, many moons ago.



    EDIT:

    I've purchased 2 items from the store. The plate and the windshield
    shade thingy. Both arrived in a timely manner. Not faster than the
    speed of light, mind you, but I didn't grow old waiting for them.
     
    #7 patrickindallas, Jan 20, 2008
  8. Clubford00

    Clubford00 New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2005
    93
    1
    0
    Location:
    Buffalo Grove, Ill.
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    I have made two purchases, from the store. The first was the winter floor mats,(front) and the second was the Scanguage II. The mats took close to 3 weks and i finally emailed and said where ae they? I got a nice email back right away and said they should have been there they were sent out on such and such...I go them the next day, and they are nice and fit well. The scanguage II i was amazed , but i got it in i think 4 Biz days since i placed the order. Cant beat that.
     
    #8 Clubford00, Jan 20, 2008
  9. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    I don't go there because for some reason it either slows down or in some cases freezes up my browser. I also like to see the price of things before I put them in my shopping cart.
     
    #9 Godiva, Jan 20, 2008
  10. GeekEV

    GeekEV Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2006
    417
    14
    0
    Location:
    NorCal, USA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Brilliant idea. Danny, are you listening? While I understood this when I went in, others may not, and Doc is right, "store" has certain connotations that just don't apply here...
     
    #10 GeekEV, Jan 20, 2008
  11. koa

    koa Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2005
    980
    45
    0
    Location:
    Hawaii
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    #11 koa, Jan 20, 2008
  12. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2003
    7,094
    2,116
    1,174
    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    emtownsend - you have the basic facts about the matter correct. Your issue was that we simply overlooked your order when the new shipment of DICE units came in. I am not able to read every post on the forums and I'm not able to respond to every email that I receive due to the sheer quantities, but we do our best to respond in a timely fashion to all inquiries through the Shop. We haven't been able to find any emails from you since July of 2007, so once I saw the dispute on PayPal I was more than willing to look into your issue.

    We shipped your unit Friday via USPS Priority Mail and normally you would have received an automatic email notification letting you know that information. Since your DICE shipment was "out of the box" that notification didn't go out to you. So I apologize for that. But, that was Friday, today is Monday. I can't be expected to be on this site 24/7 checking PMs and emails - I normally work from about 9am - 8pm and then 10pm - 1am Monday through Friday.

    I do understand the frustrations that some customers have (koa, for example, is a Hawaiian customer and 90% of our vendors only ship to the lower 48), and I have been working for the last few months on addressing previous concerns while I have been building a new shop software.

    Communication will be our #1 concern going forward, though. The first step in that will be adding a 800 number for customers to call if they have questions regarding their order.

    I appreciate everyone's continued support of the Shop as it is what keeps PriusChat's doors open.
     
    #12 Danny, Jan 21, 2008
  13. emtownsend

    emtownsend New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2005
    111
    0
    0
    Location:
    Post Falls, ID
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius

    Thank you Danny! See, that's what I love to see! You are stepping up your game for your customers. Cheers!
     
    #13 emtownsend, Jan 21, 2008
  14. PriusinSeattle

    PriusinSeattle Donny

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2007
    15
    1
    0
    Location:
    Seattle
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I ordered mud flaps for my '08 in early Dec and received them last week. Although that may seem to some like a long time from start to finish, the Shop had contacted me twice along the way: once to apologize for the delay and another to say the flaps had been shipped. Seems to me like the entire process was handled just fine and I won't hesitate to order form the PriusChat Shop in the future - you guys "have it together" much better than most other grass roots operations.
     
    #14 PriusinSeattle, Jan 21, 2008
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)