Frustrated with PTI

[thelittlebirchtree]

As of tomorrow, I placed an order with PTI 10 whole days ago and it still hasn't shipped.

So I wrote their customer service, only to get a generic email that basically says "if you are emailing about this certain list of things, we won't be writing you back"

Totally ridiculous!! And then it said that they will respond within 3 business days. I used to work in customer service and I would be FIRED if I ever even dreamed of saying that to a client.

I was so excited because it was my first order with them and now it is definitely going to be my LAST. I am not going to wait 2 weeks! When I buy custom, hand made items it never takes even this long!

I'm really frustrated because I was so excited and now I'm just mad!

[rlsjohnson]

You know...there were some major customer service issues with PTI not too long ago. I read the entire saga on another forum. You can even read a letter from PTI on their website addressing the issue. There were so many customers in a flurry about the way another customer had been treated. I wonder if it hurt their sales. The stamping and scrapping community is tight knit, ya know?

This week, I decided to take a chance and place an order. There are some really great sentiment stamps I've had my eye on. I also inquired about a stamp set that was out of stock and received the same generic email. I then received another email that stated they could not notify customers when something was back in stock. I thought that was just strange. You would think that a stamp company of their size and popularity could add a feature like that to the website. Anyway, we will see when it ships. I'm not holding my breath, but I do hope it comes soon. Good luck with your order.

***ETA: I just read another thread about customers receiving thank you gifts in their order from PTI. Maybe you will get one, and it will make up for taking so long. We can only hope!

[Pat in Ohio]

I just sent them an email last night about the same issue. My question was 'where's my order?'.

Here's the response:
Please accept my apology for the delay in responding to your email. We are working to improve our system.
Shipping notices are generated by the shipping system when your order is processed (it is when we print the label). Due to our monthly release on the 15th, labels can be printed well in advance of your package actually departing. We have found, though, that the tracking can be rather slow in being updated and we've heard from several customers who are receiving their packages despite no updates on the online tracking. Hopefully this will be the case with yours!
I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
We appreciate your business and we value you as a customer of Papertrey Ink.
Thank You and Have a Great Day!
Dave Heink
Customer Service
Papertrey Ink

Didn't answer my question, did they? I was irate when I responded back, polite but irate. We'll see if there is any additional response.

PTI has great products, but their customer service stinks. Shipping is slow. Communication is non-existent or bad. They don't keep their promises. And good luck getting action if you have a defective item in your order. Their attitude is "the customer is always wrong."

Sorry for my rant. I'm just fed up with them. And I was a customer right from their beginning.

[melissa59]

I've never ordered from Papertrey Ink. I've heard great things about their dies (and have drooled over a few myself). I've also heard horrible things about their old inks and service.

Out of curiosity, I looked them up on the Better Business Bureau website. They've had four complaints in the past three years in the "problems with product / service" category and have scored an F on a scale from A+ to F. Here's the link: PaperTrey Ink Review - SCRAPBOOKING in Cincinnati , OH - BBB Business Review - BBB serving Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, Southeastern Indiana

It's hard economic times, small businesses are trying to get by with minimum staffing. I understand and can sympathize. Then again, maybe they think the can continue to get by with mediocre service ... and why not? As long as people will buy, there's no reason to change things. Sadly, customer service is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

[gregzgurl]

I sent an email with a question about their inks (because the page saying that they were being reformulated hadn't been updated for months and months, and the projected release of the new ones had passed, and the new ones weren't on the website yet). I didn't even get a generic email. Still haven't heard anything... I've never ordered from them, and may not if this is how they treat their customers, in spite of how wonderful some of their dies and stamps might be.

[maryrose]

To the OP, I am assuming that you placed an order on the day of the new release. Typically, this is a very high volume time for PTI, and it does take longer for orders to arrive. I also ordered on release night (which I normally do not do) and received my order yesterday. Considering that the post office was closed on MLK day, I thought that was pretty good for a new release.

At any other time of the month, my orders come in less than a week.

I am also a prize winner for Papertrey Ink's blog hop last month. I am waiting patiently for my new free stamp set, which I understand will take four to six weeks to arrive, maybe more. But I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, as my mother would say. I'm thrilled to be the recipient of a new stamp set, whenever it arrives.

Even larger companies like Stampin' Up have been known to have items on backorder for weeks and weeks. Sometimes it is hard to anticipate the demand that certain items will have once released.

I've been ordering from PTI a lot lately, and I've had nothing but wonderful service. No complaints here! They even sent a lovely thank you set for free with my order. Their products are top notch and definitely worth the wait.

[Twi]

I just placed an order with them as well. It's only been 3 days. We'll see how long this takes. This may very well be my first and last order from them.

[sprtchick]

Also CHA is this week...I have been trying to contact Memory Box for over a week now...by phone and email...NO ANSWER. You would think someone would still be available for customer service in these stores.
blessings.

[AndreaSheldon1]

I just hate to hear that about one of my favorite paper sources! I just ordered a rather large order and had no problems. As a matter of fact, I also received a "thank you" set of stamps and just figured it was a nice gesture. I had no idea that there was any problem with shipping. My order came in a timely matter. Or maybe it was timely for me, meaning within a week. I am OK with a week delivery time.

I sure hope every thing gets resolved for everyone!

[efromhawaii]

I've been a long time customer of PTI and have always had great service from them. A few years back, I had problems with their inks and it got resolved quickly and to my satisfaction.

I've also learned over the years not to order around their new release date which seems to be very problematic for them. I usually order around the end of the month and it takes around 10 days or so which is acceptable to me. In fact, I just placed an order for some of their January release stamps and dies as well as a few other things that had been out-of-stock.

I get their newsletter and they often have information on shipping delays and the status of out-of-stock items.

It's a shame that they are not consistent and their service seems to be 'hit or miss.' They have been around for a while and you'd think they'd be over the 'growing pains' by now.

Hopefully, I haven't jinxed myself as I now knock on wood.

erin

[mcbenjam]

I'm sorry your first order with PTI hasn't been up to your expectations. From what you said, it seems you ordered with the new release. It may help to read the release ordering 101 part of their web site, which explains the longer shipping times associated with ordering during release week.

Lots of their customers want to receive their orders more quickly, and make sure to order at a non-release time. I've been a customer since mid-2007, and when I place a non-release order it usually ships the next business day. This month there was a major restock of dies , so there were literally hundreds of orders placed right before the new release went live, from people who had been waiting on those dies. Obviously, those pre-pre-release orders must be shipped before the actual new release orders.

A number of people on the PTI forum have also posted that their shipping status didn't change this month until their package was actually in their maiboxes, which led them to believe, up until that moment, that the package hadn't shipped yet.

Hopefully yours is already on the way, without getting a USPS update, and you'll really enjoy playing with your new goodies!

Mary

[thelittlebirchtree]

Thanks for all the responses! I appreciate being able to vent and commiserate. And glad to hear some people had good experiences.

I ordered before the new release. How is it the 26th and where are my math skills? At this rate, I should have opted for store pickup (if it exists) because they are only a few hours away. Fingers crossed it shows up soon!

[horseygal]

I have only ordered from PTI twice, but both times I haver been 100% satisfied. I recieved my order in less than one week and got 3 follow up e-mails before I got my order. I have no complaints!

[uncbballfan]

I'm a huge fan of PTI and have always rec'd my orders in a timely manner. I have only had a couple of problems, and both were resolved to my satisfaction very quickly. (One instance was my fault when I tore a stamp when removing it from the liner sheet. I emailed, asking if I could buy just that stamp. I rec'd a new one in the mail, no charge, in just a few days.)

Their new inks are being released a few colors at a time. I have ordered 2 colors, and love the ink!

And if you're subscribed to their newsletter, you receive an email when items are restocked. I love the fact that they revisit older stamp sets, and give you new ideas. I also love that they don't retire their stamps, so I don't feel pressured to buy them within a certain time frame. I appreciate that they addressed and resolved the problem with their inks. I love that they design new stamps to work with previously released sets.

Consider me a very happy customer, and I hope all problems are resolved to your satisfaction.

[lylacfey]

I would have been mad at that response too. I would have called them up and let them know. I would have said the canned generic response was hurtful and rude. I have ordered from PTI. I did not have any problems with my order. It was not a large order or during a busy time for them.

I know CHA is crazy for vendors. I have expensive die cutters in my home. One die cutter I actually ordered during CHA. That was just brilliant on my part, ROFL! Once I realized what I did I knew it could be two weeks before I got my order. The owner of the store sent it to me that day and it was a weekend too. This was a specialized cutter. Another time I had a small billing issue with another cutter. My DH called the company over the billing. I told him not to get frustrated because it was CHA. The company might have a skeleton crew. He got everything resolved that day and it was an error on their part and they were so sweet about it.

Some companies do go way beyond they have to for customer service and then others get complacent. Sometimes you just have to let the complacent ones know your not happy.

[diannep575]

I LOVE PTI and have ordered from them since they started. Love their matching cs and beautiful ribbon! Like the new ink but not too sure about the shape of the container. I have learned not to order at release time. When I ordered last month, it was at the end of the month and I had my order within the week and I did have the thank you set in there. The shipping notice came the next day I just placed an order this week so I'm hoping to get it soon.

[NancyK.]

I've learned over the years to avoid purchasing from PTI during their release. My last few orders were well after the release and they still took over 10 days to arrive. The shipping notices are never correct.

The one time I sent an e-mail asking about a particular product was responded to with a generic e-mail.
PTI has wonderful products but their customer service, or lack of it, may be their downfall.

[KristaTracy]

I'm another fan of PaperTrey. I've only had one incorrect item shipped to me over the past several years, and it was more trouble to ship it back than I was willing to take. It does take a while for their products to arrive compared to other small companies, but it is still in line with my Stampin' Up orders. I think they put most of their efforts into their products, their blog, and their design team, which for me more than make up for the small inconveniences I have personally had.

[Twi]

I placed an order on Jan 24 and just received a notice that it has shipped. It should arrive in a couple of days. I'm okay with that!

[Shelby68]

I've had mixed results with PTI. I've had a shipment sent to Florida (I live in CO). It took some time to convince them that I really live in CO and didn't get the package and to please resend or refund. It took 6 weeks to resolve and to get what I ordered. I've never had an order received in less than 10 business days (no matter the time of the month I order), I've learned to ignore the shipping information, I never order from them if I need their product for a pending project. However, I love love love their cardstock with the coordinating ribbon and the quality of their stamps is top notch. So I guess I'm willing to put up with less than stellar customer service to receive their products I love and haven't found a substitute. I've limited my orders to their cardstock, sentiment stamps and ribbons. I've given my business to other companies for dies, inks and non sentiment stamps

[whoistracy]

PTI has been having customer service issues for almost as long as I can remember. I actually got so tired of contacting them and either never hearing back or only receiving generic responses that I don't order from them any longer. There are so many other wonderful companies out there- I would rather give my hard earned money to a company that cares about customer service and prides itself on taking care of its customers.

As far as coordinating cardstock & supplies- Clear & Simple Stamps has a wonderful collection of coordinating colors. And that includes ribbon, buttons, ink, and cardstock.

So sorry that you're going through this- I really do hope you get your order soon.

[schlozb]

I haven't purchased anything from PTI since last July, and I can't imagine that will change anytime soon. I love their products, but I'm simply not willing to support a company with such horrendous customer service. I am one of many who had issues with receiving my anniversary set. I first contacted customer service about this issue in August, after MANY non-answers from customer service (i.e. refusing to give me any information I actually asked for, just giving me vague timelines), I finally received my set in December. If you read PTI's message boards, you will see that some people still haven't received their anniversary set, even though a new set is due out in February. That is, of course, on top of their ridiculous shipping times.

Hopefully, eventually the disappointment in their customer service will hit them in the pocketbook and they will be forced to make changes. Until then, I've found other companies that have great dies and stamps, so I'll shop elsewhere.

[melissa59]

This is so sad! Papertrey Ink appears to have so much potential but its hit and miss customer service could be its ultimate downfall. As someone who has not yet purchased from PTI, I'm really hesitant to do so after reading all these posts.

If someone is friends with the owner, or even a die-hard shopper, it might be of service to the company to direct them to this thread. Perhaps if they see how disgruntled people can become when items are sent late, they'll consider bringing in extra help during release time.

Then again, It's my understanding that PTI has a forum, so it's possible that they are fully aware that people get upset and they just don't care. I certainly hope that's not the case. Many of us have no LSS and if we something not offered at JoAnn's or Michaels, we order online. And there are just too many other places to order to risk a bad experience.

[maryrose]

Oh trust me, it's been fully explored on the PTI boards...ad nauseum.

They recently hired employee to head customer service, so hopefully there will be improvements in the future. I know that they're also converting to a new website soon. Nichole and others have written lots of updates and apologies on the PTI forums, so they're well aware of the problems.

[PMR]

I am impressed with PTI, I ordered the day after release and got my order today. I am so excited! They are a small company and I think they are doing the best they can. I will order from them again!

[creativec]

I placed my first order with PTI about a year ago after seeing all the beautiful creations everyone made from their products. I have since then ordered a LOT from them and I am very satisfied with their service!

Their product quality is very good and the variety is nice too. Their pricing is always reasonable as well.

I love their free shipping over $60 and also the fact that they ship priority for any order. this is so much better than the experience I have had at other online stores where shipping is really expensive. Given so many cost benefits, I am happy to wait a week for my package.

[maryrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by creativec

I placed my first order with PTI about a year ago after seeing all the beautiful creations everyone made from their products. I have since then ordered a LOT from them and I am very satisfied with their service!

Their product quality is very good and the variety is nice too. Their pricing is always reasonable as well.

I love their free shipping over $60 and also the fact that they ship priority for any order. this is so much better than the experience I have had at other online stores where shipping is really expensive. Given so many cost benefits, I am happy to wait a week for my package.

Me, too! Free shipping is a HUGE savings, and makes it worth the wait for me!

[lylacfey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KristaTracy

I'm another fan of PaperTrey. I've only had one incorrect item shipped to me over the past several years, and it was more trouble to ship it back than I was willing to take. It does take a while for their products to arrive compared to other small companies, but it is still in line with my Stampin' Up orders. I think they put most of their efforts into their products, their blog, and their design team, which for me more than make up for the small inconveniences I have personally had.

I am in 100% agreement with you about SU. Oh Wow! It takes forever to get in an order. I am a patient person but sometimes I am tapping my fingers at SU. After your great post I am starting to understand the frustration of PTI users over the slow or bad customer service. PTI has beautiful items. I have only ordered from them once. I am not into their style. I am more of an SU girl for color palette's and stamps. I do understand where you all are coming from because even though I love SU's products their slow mailing of products drives me bonkers. I keep ordering.

[rlsjohnson]

Hi all! I just wanted to give an update. I had placed an order the beginning of the week, and it has already shipped! Yay! Way to go PTI! Oh, and I also received the PTI newsletter saying what items were back in stock. The other set I wanted was on the list...ordered that too. It ships out on Monday! I'm pleased so far. Maybe they are really working things out.

[Bellegirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lylacfey

I am in 100% agreement with you about SU. Oh Wow! It takes forever to get in an order. I am a patient person but sometimes I am tapping my fingers at SU. After your great post I am starting to understand the frustration of PTI users over the slow or bad customer service. PTI has beautiful items. I have only ordered from them once. I am not into their style. I am more of an SU girl for color palette's and stamps. I do understand where you all are coming from because even though I love SU's products their slow mailing of products drives me bonkers. I keep ordering.

It's really quite interesting to read about people's ordering experiences. I am not saying that to be insensitive, but to point out (from my perspective anyway) that there seems to be so much variety here. For instance, I am not a frequent customer to PTI or SU. Yet, I just ordered from PTI yesterday (2nd order) and today I already have a shipping notice. With a recent SU order (in maybe two days max) had a shipping notice. Yet, an order I placed to The Twinery, almost a week ago, I have heard nothing from, which I do find quite irritating. It's my first order to them, so this experience will no doubt impact my future ordering with them.

I am definitely influenced by reasonable shipping rates, speedy service, and quality products.

[crs16]

First I think their policy is ABSURD. Their shipping policy at normal times is that the order should ship in 24 to 48 hours. Great! At release times? You may experience a 2-7 business day DELAY. Which means that at release times, your package may not go out until NINE business days after the release and still be within their shipping policy.

NINE business days.

If you ordered on the 15th of this month, they could legitimately not ship out your package until yesterday, the 27th, and that is still within the stated shipping policy.

And it is OBVIOUS that packages are not packed and shipped in order. Because I placed an order on Wednesday the 25th and I still don't have my shipping notice. And yet Bellegirl ordered yesterday and she has a shipping notice already.

So her label has been printed before mine??? She ordered on Friday and I ordered on Wednesday.

These things drive me crazy when it comes to PTI. They have such great quality stuff and I love Nichole's designs.

But their customer service still SUCKS.

If a customer emails concerning an order, I expect the CS rep to be able to pull up the info about that order and tell me exactly where it is. Is it still in the warehouse? Has been sent to the shipper and they just haven't scanned it yet? Not some bland canned response about shipping times.

And 3 business days for CS reply is poor business. 24 to 48 hours? Sure. But I better have a specific response to my question and not some canned response if it takes that long to get a response.

[Bellegirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellegirl

It's really quite interesting to read about people's ordering experiences. I am not saying that to be insensitive, but to point out (from my perspective anyway) that there seems to be so much variety here. For instance, I am not a frequent customer to PTI or SU. Yet, I just ordered from PTI yesterday (2nd order) and today I already have a shipping notice. With a recent SU order (in maybe two days max) had a shipping notice. Yet, an order I placed to The Twinery, almost a week ago, I have heard nothing from, which I do find quite irritating. It's my first order to them, so this experience will no doubt impact my future ordering with them.

I am definitely influenced by reasonable shipping rates, speedy service, and quality products.

Ok, here's where I eat "humble pie". My order from The Twinery arrived today, a mere 6 days from when I placed it. I guess, in today's world where information via our technology is pretty much immediate and 24/7, I think it sets up some pretty high expectations about service, etc.

Again, let me emphasize, this is MY OPINION and I, in NO way, mean to disparage or discount the concerns / issues brought up on this thread.

I just felt the need to "come clean" about my remarks about "The Twinery" as I spoke way too hastily here about their service.

[Bellegirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crs16

And it is OBVIOUS that packages are not packed and shipped in order. Because I placed an order on Wednesday the 25th and I still don't have my shipping notice. And yet Bellegirl ordered yesterday and she has a shipping notice already.

So her label has been printed before mine??? She ordered on Friday and I ordered on Wednesday.

These things drive me crazy when it comes to PTI. They have such great quality stuff and I love Nichole's designs.

But their customer service still SUCKS.

Yikes...I am SORRY. I see your point here and this has got to be very frustrating and down right irritating, to say the least! If situations were reversed, I'd feel the same! Here's hoping your items are shipped SOON!

[turki]

I guess I have a lot of patience waiting for packages. I think it comes from watching too many ads for products on TV where they say it will take 6-8 weeks for delivery. Which i realize is ridiculous in today's age of automation, etc., but it's still what tends to stick in my head.

That says, there was one day I went on an on-line shopping spree. I ordered from PTI, Oh My Crafts, Taylored Expressions, and something from eBay. I thought it would be an interesting measure to see how long it took eveything to get here. I was most worried about Oh My Crafts, because I had read that some people had issues. I never checked on PTI, because I had the impression they were a reputable company.

As you might expect, the Oh My Crafts, Taylored Expressions, and the ebay packages all showed up within a day of each other, in a very quick time frame. PTI, a week later.

But it was still better than 6-8 weeks, so I was content...

[kamart]

:mad:I am another PTI customer that is getting frustrated with their shipping times. My most recent order was placed on the 16th.......and didn't ship until the 21st.......today is the 28th and was not in today's mail either........so that means it will not be in my mailbox 'til AT LEAST Monday, the 30th. This is ridiculous.......
This is my second order for the month of January......and I have not received a "thank you" stamp set.....I have been a very faithful and good customer since they first began.
I do like their stamps, dies, paper, etc.......but their customer service is in the toilet, as far as I am concerned.

[lovethebeach]

Add me to the list of frustrated PTI customers!! I have ordered from them several times and the first few times, their shipping was very quick but lately, they are awful. And I have also gotten the form email response. It has taken anywhere from 10-16 days to get orders - and these are not orders placed near the release dates. Seems to me they would start planning now prior to releases a little better. I have an $80 "wish list" right now of things I really, really want - love, love Nicole's design team - but I am hesitant to place the order. I order frequently from MFT Stamps and their orders come within 2-4 days of my order. Now that is customer service. I also wish you could see your order history on PTI's site. Hopefully they have someone trolling sites like this and are working on their issues. It is one thing to have slow shipping times (with free shipping over $60, I am inclined to buy from then BUT their email responses have to be more professional, and courteous.)

[deipara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellegirl

Ok, here's where I eat "humble pie". My order from The Twinery arrived today, a mere 6 days from when I placed it. I guess, in today's world where information via our technology is pretty much immediate and 24/7, I think it sets up some pretty high expectations about service, etc.

Again, let me emphasize, this is MY OPINION and I, in NO way, mean to disparage or discount the concerns / issues brought up on this thread.

I just felt the need to "come clean" about my remarks about "The Twinery" as I spoke way too hastily here about their service.

I found it unusual when looking at The Twinery's FAQs that the only notice that your order's gone through is the receipt from PayPal. Most online companies do send out "your stuff has shipped" emails so you know to expect it. Especially if you're ordering one of their multi roll packs - those are expensive and I'd want at least a notice that it's on its way.

Thankfully I read the FAQs before ordering.

[jackie1]

I have ordered from PTI several times and I have never had a problem with shipping. I live in Canada and I usually have my order within a week and a half to two weeks. I don't qualify for the free shipping and I usually order well over $100 in order to justify the price of shipping to Canada. As for the shipping notice, I have ordered from several companies that do not give shipping notices or I get the shipping notice the day the parcel arrives. I hope that you get your parcel soon and I hope that this does not discourage you from ordering from PTI again, there products are great and are well worth the wait.

[kamart]

.........and another problem......I was unable to access the Customer Rewards database & when I e-mailed customer service, I received a reply telling me how to view it and keep track of it......but, at this time we cannot redeem the points. Papertrey is working on a new website. Hopefully, with a new website, maybe many of their problems will be alleviated.......time will tell.

[Trell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maryrose

Me, too! Free shipping is a HUGE savings, and makes it worth the wait for me!

I don't think this helps those that have been waiting. Personally, I have more patience because of the free shipping, but at some point, especially when one spends significantly more than $60, patience begins to run thin. And there are some people that spend major money there.

I've figured out that customer service means different things to different people.