No contact Big Sky International

[Casper v]

Dear Backpacking Light,
I am Casper (50) and I live in the Netherlands and recently joined this very good forum.

Now my question:
I ordered a tent from Big Sky International on March 14 and have been trying to get in touch ever since.

Contact ?
So no contact :-(
Not via the info @, not via the customer service, not via the chat on the website.
Even text to their phone number in the USA and Asia, nothing!
Finally an email to Bob himself, but no response there either.

So I thought doing business is still a matter of communication or am I wrong?

Money has been debited from my bank account, received an order confirmation and that’s where the story ends.

So my question is what now?

[bradmacmt]

Hello Casper, I’m sorry to hear of your trouble.

Try addressing your request to Tim here:

[email protected]

 

[Casper v]

Thanks bradmacmt,

used this adress several times, but no reaction.

does Tim have a personal e-mail adress by Big Sky International ?

[Daryl and Daryl]

Bummer,

Poor customer service was their problem in the past.  Hate to see it return.  This is my favorite tent maker otherwise.

[Casper v]

Yeah, that’s why i bought a tent from them.

i orderd the Revolution 2p.

Hope there is some one here who can help me further.

[Casper v]

The website states that the tent is also in stock.

so that can’t be the problem.

 

[Scott Smith]

Bummer

 

I ordered a set of tent stakes, also in early March , and has been crickets ever since 😞

[Nathan F]

Only the bigskyinternational.com website accurately depicts what is in stock. Bigskyproducts.com lists items as in stock that actually aren’t available for purchase. I’ve ordered from there and paid only to have my money returned a few days later. Great products but actually obtaining them is often super frustrating.

[Sam Farrington]

My general understanding is that merchants have 30 days from payment to ship.  The credit card billing or bank statement will show the date the purchase price was charged to your account, and that would be the best guide to determine date of payment.

I wait until after the 30th day after payment before requesting the status of the order, and I think merchants appreciate that.  If no prompt reply, and no other reason for delay has been communicated by the merchant, I would have no qualms about a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission.   Also, the Attorney General of the merchant’s home state may have a consumer protection bureau which would be of assistance.   State attorney general information is available online.

Although some states have consumer protection laws that include provisions for treble damages for unfair and deceptive acts and practices in trade or commerce, your residence outside the USA would probably make a small claims action pointless, unless you travel regularly to the USA.

In my experience, products are delivered here within or close to the above described 30 day period; however there a few that have not been.  But I’ve always received responses to inquiries for status after the 30 days, and have never had to take legal action as described above.

Also, most online merchants warn customers up front of delays due to the pandemic.  But I have no knowledge of the legal effect of these warnings on the above 30 day rule.  If you were to contact a state’s consumer protection bureau, though; you would probably find out more about this.

I agree that stonewalling your inquiries is rude in the extreme, even though the merchant may be within the shipping period.  I inquired about an order from another merchant well known to BPL members because I did not receive even an order confirmation by email as you did, although the charge was made to my credit card.  Finally got someone on the phone who claimed that not only was an order confirmation emailed, but responses to my inquiries were emailed as well.  Like your inquiries, my emails were earlier than the 30 days, in my case because I did not receive even an order confirmation.  In any event, I was assured the order would be filled promptly, and it was.

If you want the tent, as opposed to a refund, then suggest waiting until 30 days from the charge before taking further action; but note that some credit cards require notice to the issuer within a specified time from the charge should you be seeking a refund.  If the transaction was through PayPal, there are additional remedies that I understand are consumer friendly.

With the pandemic, I’ve experienced these kinds of difficulties even more than before.  I think your post will be appreciated if for no other reason than alerting us to the perils of overseas ordering during the pandemic.  Thank you for reminding us how important trust and responsiveness are to consumers.

Please also note that I am not a merchant, nor affiliated with one.

[wiiawiwb]

There are many companies out there that work hard to earn their customers’ business and offer excellent customer service. Seek Outside is one excellent example.

I try hard to research companies before buying from them to find feedback about service after the sale. I also never buy from a company that doesn’t post a telephone number that’s easy to find on their website.

 

 

[Link .]

Casper,

I made an order with them several weeks ago and when I received my order I noticed an item not included. I tried getting in contact with them several ways but was not hearing back from them, so I hit reply on my original Confirmation email from them and heard back right away

I apologize, I am just reading your email…

 

I am not sure why you did not receive the………..

We will send you another one right away.

Again, we apologize for the short shipment, delay responding, etc. and thank you for your patience,
Bob

[John]

I had been having good customer service from Big Sky over the past several years. Good response to emails. An order last September was shipped the next day. But something has happened within the past several months. I ordered some stakes and tent poles this year and it took 4 weeks for them to ship. I had to send several emails before I even got a response.

I was told they are extremely busy. I’m not sure if Tim still works there. Maybe they are having huge order volumes and supply chain issues, all complicated by COVID, and are just overwhelmed. I don’t know. It’s a shame to see though as they make great products. Instead of silence, a little communication would help a lot here.

[wiiawiwb]

Being busy is no excuse.  Think of getting a table at a restaurant,  sitting there, and not having been served in two hours. Would you find “We’re busy” a satifactory answer?

Treat your customers as you would expect to be treated.

 

 

[Author]

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