Bad experience with coastal tech

[RaleighMatt]

Just want to let people know customer service with Coastal e-Tech is severely lacking. I ordered the lockpick last Monday and paid for 3 day shipping. I received notification the following day that included the UPS tracking. As of noon today, 1 week later, the UPS site shows NO update , from what I can tell the package hasn't even been shipped. Furthermore, I wrote to Coastal 4 days ago about this and have not received a response.

Why pay for 3 day shipping? Waste of money! I'm probably going to cancel my order completely.

[efusco]

If coastal has a product in stock they usually are very prompt in shipping. If not you usually won't hear a thing.

If you got a UPS tracking number I'd be more prone to blame UPS than Coastal in this case.

But yes, it's well known that their customer service sucks and their failure to respond to your inquiries is common behavior for them and unacceptable in this day and age.

[Danny]

I really wish we had another source for his doo-dads. He's never responded to my inquiries about putting together group buys on the site or helping an international PriusChatter purchase something.

[davidandjodi]

[font=Georgia][size=7][color=#000099]I was very pleased to have incredibly rapid delivery of my Lockpick! Unfortunately, it would not fit our 2007! (superficially it looked like it would, but the plugs were totally incompatible.) Repeated emails to them have gone unanswered, except one that asked if I had a problem! Long ago I mailed back the 2006 model, but have been waiting in vain....

[Our Garmin EyeQ 3600 navigator is still working splendidly, and seems to offer clear guidance in places where Toyota/Lexus can't! And god forbid you should be religious...; if you ask the toyota/lexus for the nearest church you'll never get there...!]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RaleighMatt @ Feb 19 2007, 02:46 PM) [snapback]392854[/snapback]</div>

... customer service with Coastal e-Tech is severely lacking. I ordered the lockpickI wrote to Coastal 4 days ago about this and have not received a response.

[/b]

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Feb 19 2007, 10:57 AM) [snapback]392862[/snapback]</div>

If coastal has a product in stock they usually are very prompt in shipping. If not you usually won't hear a thing.

If you got a UPS tracking number I'd be more prone to blame UPS than Coastal in this case.

But yes, it's well known that their customer service sucks and their failure to respond to your inquiries is common behavior for them and unacceptable in this day and age.
[/b]

I'd agree that if a UPS Tracking number has been received, the package is out the door.

BTW, from their web site, how do you tell if they have an item in stock? Does that happen after checkout, or is there some other indicator? I'm planning on getting the basic Lockpick. Actually, I ordered one over a year ago, but they lost the ordering info, and I never followed up, as they never replied to my emails. When I made the original order, they did phone me though.

Thanks.

Dave M.

[RaleighMatt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Feb 19 2007, 04:11 PM) [snapback]392953[/snapback]</div>

I'd agree that if a UPS Tracking number has been received, the package is out the door.

BTW, from their web site, how do you tell if they have an item in stock? Does that happen after checkout, or is there some other indicator? I'm planning on getting the basic Lockpick. Actually, I ordered one over a year ago, but they lost the ordering info, and I never followed up, as they never replied to my emails. When I made the original order, they did phone me though.

Thanks.

Dave M.
[/b]

I'm sorry that's not correct. First of all the UPS site clearly says " Status: Billing Information Received" and furthermore " Billing information has been sent to UPS. Check site later for updated shipment status or contact shipper for more details. " It has said that same thing since the initial e-mail notification 6 days ago.

All this means is that Coastal slapped a tracking number on a package which either has not been completed or is complete and hasn't been handed to UPS to ship. If anyone thinks UPS picked this up last Tuesday and hasn't updated their tracking then you haven't ever used UPS before. They are money when it comes to this stuff.

I still haven't received a response, it's quite simple, coastal if you are reading this, respond by end of today or I'll cancel my order, reverse the charge on my credit card and, if you ever do ship the item I'll refuse it and send it back! Clear?

[aaf709]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Feb 19 2007, 01:11 PM) [snapback]392953[/snapback]</div>

BTW, from their web site, how do you tell if they have an item in stock? Does that happen after checkout, or is there some other indicator?
[/b]

Nope, I ordered an Auto-Lock and NAV kit (pre-Lockpick) in April '05. I knew the NAV kit wasn't out yet, but expected the Auto-Lock to come sooner. Nothing told me whether it was out of stock or not. It arrived in September '05, after a couple of phone calls and an email on one of the Prius Yahoo sites. The NAV kit arrived in January '06. On the other hand, I ordered their EV kit in February '06 and it arrived a little over a week later.

[RaleighMatt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Feb 19 2007, 03:49 PM) [snapback]392933[/snapback]</div>

I really wish we had another source for his doo-dads. He's never responded to my inquiries about putting together group buys on the site or helping an international PriusChatter purchase something.
[/b]

wow I didn't realize they were this obnoxious. I don't know about you guys but I think we should demand they change their non-existent customer service or we stop buying from them. Period.

[RaleighMatt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RaleighMatt @ Feb 19 2007, 05:23 PM) [snapback]392987[/snapback]</div>

wow I didn't realize they were this obnoxious. I don't know about you guys but I think we should demand they change their non-existent customer service or we stop buying from them. Period.
[/b]

Here's an update on this issue. someone e-mailed Coastal a link to my original complaint and what do you know they finally responded.

So here is how Coastal e-Tech does business: They have contradictory information on their website, you might see something is backordered - yet you can buy it AND pay extra for 3-day shipping. Instead of them sending you a nice note and letting you know they can't ship it in 3 days and have refunded your extra shipping charge what do they do? They send you a UPS shipping tracking number less than 24 hours after your order, letting you believe the item is on the way. In addition, (also within 24 hours of your order) they change the website so that it no longer says the item is on backorder. All of this would lead a reasonable person to assume the item was shipped. 2 days later, when you, the customer (a.k.a reasonable person), realize the UPS information is still the same and UPS hasn't even been given the package yet, you e-mail Coastal. Here is that email:

================================================== ===========
to: support@coastaletech.com
date Feb 15, 2007 3:18 PM
subject Re: Order I03464 with www.coastaletech.com

I placed this order on Monday and paid for three day shipping and you haven't even shipped the item yet! I think you need to refund my shipping.

Matt
================================================== ==========

2 sentences. Quite clear and to the point, IMHO. 4 days pass. Not a word. Not a peep. Not a sound from Coastal E-Tech.

You e-mail again:

================================================== ===========
to: support@coastaletech.com
date Feb 19, 2007 1:38 PM
subject Re: Order I03464 with www.coastaletech.com

I still have not heard back from you regarding my order. I placed an order on Monday 2/12 and as of today 1 week later, the UPS tracking information still has no status other than they were notified to pick up a package on 2/13. Where is my package? I paid for 3 day shipping!

I need a refund of shipping costs and I need confirmation of that by the end of business today or else I'm going to contact my credit card company and reverse the charge for my entire order and cancel my order. I do not appreciate the fact that I wrote to you 4 days ago regarding this same issue and have not received the courtesy of a response.

================================================== =============

Several hours go by. No response. You post on Priuschat.com and then you send a final notice to Coastal E-tech:

================================================== ==============
Still no response? Respond by 6pm PST today or I will be calling my credit card company and the next two calls will be to the Better Business bureau and the Attorney General for California.

(1) Where is my package?

(2) When will it be shipped?

(3) When will I receive it?

(4) Confirm you have credited my credit card for the extra shipping I paid when I selected 3 day shipping.

Failure to do all 4 of these things by 6pm PST today will result in the aforementioned actions. I am very unhappy with your complete lack of customer service and have already posted about it on priuschat.com

Matt
Order # I03464
================================================== =================


And here is the rude, insulting, and complete wrong response that you receive from Coastal:

================================================== ============
Another customer has sent me a link to the email you posted maligning this
company. You placed a 3 day air select order for an item that is on
backorder. It clearly states that item is on backorder when placed in the
shopping cart. You are then given the information a second time via a
confirmation email that also clearly states the item you ordered is on
backorder. When you place an internet order you have a responsibility to
read the information given, if you choose not to look at the info that is
provided we certainly cannot be blamed for that. Although that item is now
shipping, we have cancelled your order as you requested, your card has been
refunded and expect that you will post that you chose not to read the
information given which is why you were uninformed, and quite frankly,
unfair.

Paula
http://www.coastalEtech.com
mailto:support@coastalEtech.com
================================================== ==============

Finally, here is my response to them. I will later post and let you know the final outcome/their response/non-response to my last e-mail which clearly details what they need to do to satisfy this customer.

================================================== ================
WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG. YOU ACCEPTED PAYMENT FOR 3 DAY SHIPPING THAT YOU COULDN'T FULFILL! What exactly are you suggesting? Are you saying that because you said the item was backordered and took extra money from me for 3 day shipping that you should be allowed to keep the money for nothing just because YOUR website and instructions/shipping choices are confusing and contradictory? Please answer yes or no, because if "yes" I want to be sure to let everyone on Priuschat.com know about it. and if "no" then your entire response is bs and you have no point.

If the item was backordered then why would you even accept 3 day shipping? The very next day, in fact within 12 hours of my placing the order your website no longer listed the item as backordered. At the time I placed the order I assumed that either

(1) the item is backordered and will take more than 3 days to arrive in which case your company would OBVIOUSLY not accept extra payment for 3 day shipping that you couldn't possibly satisfy. (or would accept it "automatically" b/c I chose it and then you would use your BRAIN and refund the extra shipping the next day when you realized you couldn't fulfill the agreement you made!)

(2) The item is backordered but due within a day or two and you would take my extra payment for 3 day shipping because you knew you could get it out on Monday or Tuesday of last week and get it to me within 3 days, in which case I wouldn't care what happened behind the scenes b/c I'd have the items I ordered in 3 days like I paid for.

When the item no longer stated "backordered" as of noon EST on Tuesday Feb. 13 AND you sent me a UPS shipping number, it was clear to me that you had the item and you were shipping it. This was incorrect - because you PURPOSELY misled me.

"although the item is shipping we have cancelled your order as you requested"

WRONG WRONG WRONG

(1) Again, you purposely word things to mislead. What you mean is "the item hasn't shipped yet and you pissed us off because you called us out on the message board so we are going to cancel your order....."

(2) "....even though we know you didn't cancel the order". Let's see, my e-mail in THREE different places, specifically said that if you didn't respond by 6pm PST today, that I would cancel my order. You emailed me at 2:24pm PST. (fill in snide comment of your choosing here, I'm sure you can imagine what I would like to say about that)

The bottom line is this. The ONLY way you will satisfy me as a customer is to ship the items to me via 3 day shipping before the end of business tomorrow (meaning I will receive said items via UPS by Friday - unless THEY have a problem, in which case I will not blame you) and refund me the $13 and change that I paid for 3 day shipping.

This should be something you can easily do and I shouldn't have even had to point it out to you. Do you honestly think that had you said "I'm very sorry we did not respond sooner, we are extremely busy (or whatever excuse you want, I really don't care). I have already credited your card for the extra shipping in the amount of $13.xx and we have shipped the items to you, today, with 3 day shipping to make up for the delay" - do you honestly think I would have a problem with that? Because that's all I asked for all along. Had you responded to my message I sent LAST WEEK, I wouldn't be pissed off in the first place.

So again. you send the items via 3 day shipping (or faster) before the end of business tomorrow and refund me the $13 and change that I paid for 3 day shipping and upon receipt of items and credit of $13.xx, I will immediately post to Priuschat.com and explain that despite my initial disappointment you did rectify the situation to my satisfaction and I recommend you to others.

Finally, because I refuse to let something untrue that you said slide, my post was not at all unfair. If you had responded in the 4 days since my first e-mail to you on Thursday, we wouldn't have a problem. That's the bottom line and we both know it, so don't blame me. Your customer service sucks, you do not respond to e-mail in a timely fashion, if at all, and there are many posts on Priuschat.com to back me up.
================================================== ================


As I said, stay tuned, I will definitely post and update everyone on whether Coastal actually apologizes for being rude and non-responsive and fixes the problem, or if they continue to insult and attack me for their shortcomings.

[RaleighMatt]

It occurs to me that in order to further support my position and to more adequately illuminate Coastal E-tech's purposely misleading information, I should post the UPS tracking information I received less than 24 hours after I placed my order, TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THIS PART "SCHEDULED DELIVERY 2-15-07".

================================================== ==============
Important Delivery Information

Scheduled Delivery: 15-February-2007

Shipment Detail
Ship To:
.......
NC
***
US

Number of Packages 1
UPS Service: 3 DAY SELECT
Weight: 3.0 LBS

Tracking Number: ******************
Invoice Number: I03464
================================================== ===============

IMAGINE THAT, AN E-MAIL CONFIRMING MY PACKAGE IS BEING SHIPPED AND SCHEDULED TO BE DELIVERED TO ME ON 2-15-0 - COINCIDENTALLY THIS IS EXACTLY 3 DAYS AFTER I PLACED MY ORDER - Just as I had requested and paid for. Yet, I'm supposed to think that all of this means something entirely different. That the package had not been shipped, the item was on backorder, and that I would not receive my item on February 15th.

This is Coastal's position: I receive an e-mail telling me Coastal was shipping the item via UPS, 3 Day Select, with scheduled delivery on FEBRUARY 15th and it's MY FAULT that I interpreted this to mean that they were shipping the item via UPS 3 day select and that the scheduled delivery was February 15th. That's their position.