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I am still frustrated with my most recent order from Simon Says Stamp. First, I am not crazy about the fact that they don't send shipping info or tracking numbers, and it always takes a really long time for their order to be filled and shipped. This latest order was a disaster. It was placed in a large envelope, with 2 cuttlebug long plates that were a bit longer than the end of it, and the whole top of the envelope was torn off during shipping, so it arrived at my post office completely open. The packaging on the two plates was shredded, and I am worried that the plates may have been bent or damaged, and so I am a little afraid to use them in my Cuttlebug.
I contacted them, and the reply was underwhelming. The rep just said they apologize for the inconvenience, and wanted me to send photos so they could retrain their shipping department. So I go to the trouble of taking photos to send, and still no offer to replace the packages that got ripped. Not even an offer of a discount on a future order, which is pretty standard when there is a problem. Throughout the whole email conversation, I was made to feel like I was a scammer who just wanted something for nothing. The whole experience was completely negative.
This company already has really slow shipping times and poor follow through on orders, so the fact that they wouldn't be more gracious when they made a mistake just eats at me. I have read other posts in this forum about bad shipping experiences, and I wish I had read them before I spent so much on my order. I just wanted to share in this forum so others can keep this experience in mind when they consider placing an order, since I won't be ordering from Simon Says Stamp again.
I'm so sorry for your bad experience! While I do agree their ship times are terribly slow, I've had great experiences with customer service when I've had a problem. They did ask for photos but were so very good about shipping out replacements for damaged or missing pieces very promptly.
I'm another that has never had a problem with Simon Says - I've never even noticed that the postage is slow although it is coming internationally so perhaps I've put any delays down to the distance.
Hope you can get your problem sorted out with them - they usually seem so good. :/
__________________ Stop paint chip abuse. Act now!!
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I'm another that has never had a problem with Simon Says - I've never even noticed that the postage is slow although it is coming internationally so perhaps I've put any delays down to the distance.
Hope you can get your problem sorted out with them - they usually seem so good. :/
Same here. No problems touch wood! While I originally thought the shipping was slow, I too chocked it up to the distance. In fact I'm getting ready to place another order!
I hope you get your issue resolved to your satisfaction!
__________________ There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but few will catch your heart. Pursue those.....
Thanks for the warning! I have not ordered from them before and have no desire to now. I have had a similar experience from overstock.com. We ordered a very expensive college textbook for my daughter which arrived damaged because it was shipped in a paper envelope. When we contacted them, they made us buy a second book and would refund us for the first book when they received it. They apparently did not "retrain their shipping department" because it arrived the exact same way - damaged in a paper envelope! The man actually lied to us when he said that the second book would be packaged better (he was in India). The worst part, besides being out a large sum of money for too long, was that my daughter was without a book for the first 2 weeks of a very hard science class! So I similarly warn people to stay clear of overstock.
I have had good service from them the Ranger Holigraphic Embossing powder was cracked on bottom& up the side in 2 places ,being International i always insure my order they replaced it no hassles ,the replacement arrived wrapped in bubble why the first 1 wasnt like that i dont know. Hope you get some help.
Thank you for the good thoughts from all of you. I think if Simon Says Stamp showed a quarter of the compassion that all of you have demonstrated, I could have worked with them and would feel confident to order again. As it is, I cannot stand the aloof, nonchalant attitude that was displayed by Customer "Service", and they made me feel worse after my interaction with them. They have some good stamps, but I have discovered that I can order most of them straight from their designer/manufacturer at a lower price and with a more welcoming attitude toward customers. Thanks again, everyone! I feel a little better now!
Because of all of the negative posts I've read about SSS and Oh My Crafts, I would never order from either company. It really surprises me that so many "big" names in stamping would have anything to do with these companies.
It really frustrates me to read this. In an older thread, I wrote about a bad experience with SSS. Then I broke down and ordered from them because they had some items I couldn't find elsewhere and had a great experience. I have since ordered several more times with no trouble and felt I should share a positive experience just as readily as I did my negative one. But these examples of an ongoing problem are disheartening and cause me to doubt that Simon has reformed their poor customer service issues. Sorry to read of the woes others have experienced. Don't hesitate to politely demand a refund or replacement and if necessary file a dispute with your credit card company.
I've ordered from Simon quite a few times and never had a problem even though the shipping is slow but they have lots of what I'm looking for and it is free shipping for orders over $75.00. and Ellen Hutson is free shipping over $150.00.
I have placed 2 orders from SSS in the past few months and had no problem. I have read about problems that seem to be consistent with the company though, so I was nervous placing the orders. My orders were never packaged in manila envelopes. They always used postal service priority mail boxes, even though they shipped UPS ground which I though was weird. I don't like how they fail to send shipping notices and tracking numbers and it did take a long time to receive my order (compared to other services). The first time I receive an order in a torn envelope is the last order they will get from me.
That's too bad you are having a bad time with them. I buy from them all the time and I have been most pleased with everything. I live in Canada and their shipping costs are fair and reasonable and I receive my pkg. in a good amount of time compared to other times I shop on time. From all that I have read, they try and really keep their customers happy.
I was a bit surprised that my package was in a Manila envelope. Do you think it was because I qualified for free shipping, so they wanted to save a buck or two? Everything was just done so poorly. I am glad to see that some of your experiences have been better, but I still don't have the confidence to jump back into that pool with them. Thanks for your thoughts.
Thanks for the warning! I have not ordered from them before and have no desire to now. I have had a similar experience from overstock.com. We ordered a very expensive college textbook for my daughter which arrived damaged because it was shipped in a paper envelope. When we contacted them, they made us buy a second book and would refund us for the first book when they received it. They apparently did not "retrain their shipping department" because it arrived the exact same way - damaged in a paper envelope! The man actually lied to us when he said that the second book would be packaged better (he was in India). The worst part, besides being out a large sum of money for too long, was that my daughter was without a book for the first 2 weeks of a very hard science class! So I similarly warn people to stay clear of overstock.
I guess sometimes it's just the luck of the draw....I've ordered many, many things from Overstock, not just stamping/craft supplies. Bedding, silver jewelry, kids toys, etc. I have never had a bad experience with them.
My items have always arrived very quickly, and were packaged very well.
So sorry for your bad experience.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I have gotten packages from several companies that use the US postal service boxes fo their orders. They simply wrap them in brown paper. I was surprised.
Blessings.
I thought about this post yesterday when I received a package from PaperTrey Ink. It was in a priority mail box, sent through USPS, and it was in perfect condition! They carefully wrapped the stamps in tissue paper, the dies were in a separate envelope, and they even put cardboard corners on the Cardstock to prevent any bending. The also put butcher paper in both ends to keep everything from jostling around. Amazing! I really wish their shipping department were the instructors for the "training" that Simon Says Stamp says it will do for its own shipping department. I was very happy with the service from PTI!
I wish I had read this post before I ordered from Simon Says. My order took
24 days. BUT I am most angry because they ran my credit card the day I
placed the order. I received my credit card statement before I received my
shipment. It was packaged well, but I will never order from them again.
I love Ellen Hutson and Papertrey!
I, too, have ordered from them a lot. However, I will say that when I do order, it as a last resort (none of the other sources panned out). Kinda on the edge of my seat till I know the order is safely here (which can take quite awhile as other posters have said) because it's such an iffy proposition.
I received a survey from them a short while ago. Since I haven't had good experiences with their customer service in the past, I really didn't see any sense in filling it out. If they aren't going to respond to direct communication, why would I bother with a survey?
I haven't had issues with SSS, but am having issues with TCP right now. I ordered something and it was shipped and supposedly received on 4/7. We have already talked to the mail carrier and she doesn't remember handing my husband any pkg. Nothing is going to be done for another week. They want to allow 14 business days for the PO to deliver. Do you really think the PO is magically going to find a pkg they have obviously delivered elsewhere and give it to me. I need these stamps for a swap and by time they resend them it's not going to leave me enough time.
I really just want to cxl the order and find some place else to place an order, but who knows how long that would take
Since I last posted SSS is now charging shipping even over $75.00. I placed and order on 03/11/14 and received it on 04/10/14. It had a reserve item but didn't know it would take this long but they had some good stuff for 75% off. And placed a order on 03/22/14 which has the Mama Elephant Honey Bunny set but it has not shipped so I will have to do something else for Easter cards. I usually will only order when I take an online class and you can get 10% off.
I received a survey from them a short while ago. Since I haven't had good experiences with their customer service in the past, I really didn't see any sense in filling it out. If they aren't going to respond to direct communication, why would I bother with a survey?
I filled out that survey and mentioned that their shipping is far slower than any other online craft vendor I've ordered from (and let's just say that is a very large reference group. :cool My next order from SSS shipped within 24 hours. So maybe they do listen.
I've placed several orders and have not had a problem, other than the slow shipping. And I will not longer order anything "on reserve".
And placed a order on 03/22/14 which has the Mama Elephant Honey Bunny set but it has not shipped so I will have to do something else for Easter cards. I usually will only order when I take an online class and you can get 10% off.
You may have inadvertently done a preorder for that stamp set. I suggest this because I almost made that mistake but caught it in time. If you did do a preorder, they're holding the whole rest of your order for those stamps.
It did say pre order but that it would ship in April so I was thinking maybe the beginning of April. (silly me)I got the dies from Ellen Hutson in plenty of time. :rolleyes:
It did say pre order but that it would ship in April so I was thinking maybe the beginning of April. (silly me)I got the dies from Ellen Hutson in plenty of time. :rolleyes:
Ah, I see. Well, then, never mind me. I am sorry you won't have them for Easter but they are super cute stamps.
I bought from them occasionally for years, both from their store and from ebay and no issues. Recently I had a horrible experience. I SO agree with you. They lack caring and service but I do like their large stock and their products. I placed an order, a large one for me. They are Ohio based and I live in Ohio. Two weeks later, no order although I got an order from LOTV stamps placed on a Friday night and it arrived by Tuesday from ENGLAND . I wrote and they said one item was on reserve, whatever that means. Didn't say backordered or preorder- just reserved. I wrote and said I don't know what that means, so deduct it from my order and please ship. Although they BILL before they ship, they charged me 20%- that's right- 20% to change an order they never shipped! If I can help it, I won't deal with them again!! Sad, but after years of getting my order promptly, they blew it and NEVER explained what reserved meant nor do they explain in their terms. Their service is awful if all products are not in stock. When England can get an order here in three business days with a personal thank you, Simon is my last resort and Simon- WHAT does reserved mean? It thought since it was in my cart it was reserved for me!
Sorry, I forgot. IF you go to their site, there is NEVER a contact us button to send a question, compliment or complaint! ZERO service unless your order goes through without a problem. Terrible vendor. Try Frantic Stamper, ( two ladies who started a business in their garage and will gladly LOOK at paper colors to get what you want) or Oozak or Ellen Hutson!
Does anyone know where I can order the cardstock that SSS sells.
I told them I will never order from them again, and I will stick with that.
So I am wondering if the same colored cardstock can be ordered elsewhere.
Does anyone know where I can order the cardstock that SSS sells.
I told them I will never order from them again, and I will stick with that.
So I am wondering if the same colored cardstock can be ordered elsewhere.
There are several companies that have great cardstock. PaperTreyInk and My Favorite Things are my favorites, but keep an eye on the weight when you are matching up colors. Also, if you like the ink that is the SSS brand, I just learned that it is the same formulation as Hero Arts Shadow and W Plus 9's new line of ink. I like that W Plus 9 has reinkers, also.
I agree that I will not order from SSS again. I broke down once and went against my word because I admire Jennifer McGuire's work so much, but I got burned once again. I am glad that Jennifer McGuire and the Online Card Classes now also link to Ellen Hutson, a company that is the polar opposite of SSS regarding service and shipping.
I, too, have experience very slow processing and shipping times from SSS. I did, however, recently participate in a survey on how they can improve. It's my understanding they are revamping their website and (hopefully) streamlining their shipping process.
I will admit to looking at Ebay when I need something SSS carries...if only for the faster shipping!
__________________ "I have cats, but they don't smoke or associate with dogs...."
I, too, have experience very slow processing and shipping times from SSS. I did, however, recently participate in a survey on how they can improve. It's my understanding they are revamping their website and (hopefully) streamlining their shipping process.
I really hope you are right about this, pepperann, although it may be too late for some of us. I would need for them to actually acknowledge the problem instead of blaming the post office, and I would love to learn details on how they plan to improve. Sadly, it doesn't seem like they see their own mistakes, so I am not holding out hope for this.
It doesn't surprise me that they didn't send me a survey after the many emails we exchanged after my package was 23 days "in transit" last December. I returned it unopened, so they held my money for a month, interest free. I don't like their business model.
Thank you, I like Papertrey very much - but always looking
for more colors, more shades. I will try My Favorite Things
and Hero Arts.
I see Ellen Hutson has Hero Arts - again I love her site, easy order,
ships fast and frequent buyer coupons. I agree night and day
to SSS.
I had a very good experience with SSS this week. I ordered on June 30/14, it shipped on July 2 and I received it July 8. This is particularly good because it was an international order to Canada. I also received free shipping using one of their coupons. I am more than pleased with the service and will definitely order from SSS again.
I am glad to read that you had a good experience. There have been so many negative posts about SSS and their poor shipping/customer service that it is refreshing to see this. It just makes me ill when someone wrote last week that SSS Customer Service actually hung up on her when she was trying to resolve her problem. I hope your situation is not the exception to the rule. So many people I admire, like Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner, are big fans of SSS, and I just don't see the same results as they do. Sad.
I love their products too but I live in the UK so ordering from them has high postal charges and possible tax overheads.
I will be on holiday in Florida for three weeks at New Year. Would love to order from SSS when I'm there but scared to in case my order doesn't arrive before its time to go home.:(
It makes me wonder why such big names in the card making community continue to promote a shop that is consistently receiving generally negative reviews from consumers and yet SSS seems to be making no progress to improve customer satisfaction. A friend of mine recently waited 3 weeks for her order and then to top it off, a couple of stamps were missing from the set. I've never ordered from them, but I have considered it many times. Now after reading numerous threads like this - I'll stay away.
So sad because I like many of their exclusives.....
Bad Experience with Simon Says Stamp
