Out of respect for one of our own who works there, I'm going to give them until tomorrow to answer my email or PM I sent on Friday. The thing that gets me worked up is:

1. The site said they were in stock as of 9/1
2. I ordered on 9/4
4. They finally told me on the phone after 3 email inquiries that they were not in stock as of the 9/15
5. Their site now says they were in stock as of 9/14!

It is really bizarre and very frustrating.

MCS
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Damn its now 21 September 2009
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How big is the establishment?

My input as a small seller is mistakes do happen. Orders do get screwed up and the smaller the business the harder it is sometimes to keep all the wheels rolling at the same speed. In my case I deal with items that are built to order so there are no its in stock issues and then its not. But I will tell you that the busier I get the harder it gets to wear all the hats. Being the only one who does all the quotes, answers emails, web designs, weekly updates, payments, accounting oh yea and building, you find yourself balancing them all on a priority basis. Not answering emails is never a good thing, but if faced with sitting in front of a computer for 3 hours reading email to find there was nothing there importiant, or packing orders that need to ship, well you make a choice. That all being said, as a buyer, I truly understand your frustration and if we are talking about a site with lots of employees who have specific duties, then let them have it. If its a small site struggling to get it all done, hopefully they learn from their mistakes.

Chas
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You are so right. PM inbound.

MCS
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I strongly disagree. I've run an internet sales website, and real-time inventory is readily available from a number of internet business portals. IMO not having real-time inventroy is totally unacceptable.
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u should out them
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Image

:-) :-)
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:-)
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Okay, I called them and am not playing nice any more. I called customer service and the phone was answered. When I said I wanted to inquire on an order the woman said to another employee "Can you take this so I can do this order?" Why did she answer the phone if she wasn't ready to help? Anyway, the next woman told me that the Cain Habano is still on backorder. I asked her why the website said they were in stock as of 9/1/09 when I ordered on the 4th and then was updated to say they were in stock as of 9/14/09 after my orders and inquiries. She told me "The website is not my department but would look into it." I told her that wasn't good enough and I wanted an immediate refund or I would open a credit card fraud case with them. She said she would take care of it. Actually she stayed calm and respectful througout the conversation. I always look for a positive!

The site that has had my money for the last 17 days and lies about their stock is Duque Cigars. Here's the link that says they are in stock:

http://duquecigars.com/index.php?mai...roducts_id=776

I'm sorry it has to come to this but I was informed by another member that there had been other issues with them. Here's the thread:

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=11996

I'm afraid that others may be put through the frustration I did as their advertised prices are pretty good. Looks like I'll find my Cain's somewhere else!

MCS
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Thanks for helping us avoid some poor service, MCS! Sorry about your difficulty. I hope they clear it up quickly and with a smile.
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Yep, you were more than patient with them MCS. I appreciate you posting the warning to the rest of us. I've never dealt with them, and will make sure I never do. While it's good not to immediately call out vendors without first giving them chances to make amends, it's also good to protect the membership here from unresponsive vendors who have been given ample opportunity. :-)
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That really sucks man...sorry for the frustration. It sure would be nice if this guy would hop on here and address the deficiency. Good luck to you.
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How about listing some online sites that were painless?
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I and others here have posted favorable reviews of sites we deal with that have given exceptional service. Unfortunately, this thread was not about a positive experience. Take a look around the board and you'll find plenty good retailers to order from.

MCS
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MajorCS you gave them every opportunity to come clean and obviously they are not on the up-and-up so you did the right thing. The rest of us certainly respect the way you handled it fairly with the company/member as well as sharing the name and experience with us at the appropriate time. Hopefully all this will result in saving someone else the frustration:-) you have dealt with. Thank You!:-)
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MCS, you handled this, IMHO wonderfully. You gave them ample opportunity to make things right in a timely fashion, and they didn't. Thanks for making the community aware.
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I was looking to buy something from them as the price was great...BUT I did a google search and read a few bad review for things just like this...Needles to say, I did NOT order from them, and I will not in the future.

I am sorry you had to go through this, but it will help everyone in the long run.

Also, it is one things to have a single incident, it is completely another when it becomes a TREND. Caveat Emptor
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Famous Smoke Shop - Great Folks, been buying regular there for over 5 years without a single problem.
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You did the right thing, Major. Sorry for your Problems & Issues, Brother.
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:-) Never Had a problem!:-)
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