Last year, I received an unexpected gift from someone that means the world to me. It's a metal sign and long story short, I liked it well enough to foolishly try to do business with these people. DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT I MADE! Seriously, save yourself the aggravation.
It wasn't a complicated order, it wasn't even customized. It was three items that they list on their website as in stock and ready to go. HA! So I made a call to see when they were going to be ready before I ever made the order because they are gifts for a thing I have to go to. I was assured that they had plenty of lead time and my order would not only be here but might even be here early. I'm composting that little promise, it will make corn grow out of concrete.
So cutting it close, I finally get an email from the worst shipping company in the world and their tracking number shows the product has been delivered. I look outside and there is nothing. Not by the door, not on the shelf where most deliveries get left if I am not here, it's nowhere. It seems that Saturday evening deliveries from this particular company are something of a myth after all. At least they are for me.
So I call Metal Unlimited and get the unprepossessing 'manager' of their customer service team and she tells me that I have to call the shipping company directly and report a problem. For those of you keeping score, that is lie number 2, the first one being that it would be here on time.
I guess I'm lucky in that she sounds like she has enough teeth to be understood properly, but other than that, she is the worst customer service agent I have ever spoken with. Here is her solution for the gifts that won't be handed out this Friday: she sent me black and white images of the items in question, so they can see what they aren't receiving. I asked her if I should use a black frame or a metal one to set off the black and white images she emailed. I haven't gotten an answer yet.
So today, I get the unbridled joy of following up with the logistics company that shall not be named and they inform me that there is no order from Metal Unlimited coming to me, as they have no record of the order. I give them the tracking number (again) from their own website and somehow the supervisor can find it but tells me that the company Metal Unlimited will have to contact them to file the claim, but here's the file number to give them.
You can't make this stuff up.
So this claptrap nonsense looks to be located between two churches, here's hoping that the Lord can spread a little charity and common sense on them. They can use it. At least the brain trust in charge of the "customer service" sure can.
I'm all for small business, I have a couple myself. I'm not for liars and cheats, and most definitely I don't believe anyone whose sole response when caught in a gigantic lie is to hang up the phone should be supported. Look in your local area to see what's available and if you waste time on Facebook (no doubt being told that you must think a certain way or be booted from the 'neutral' platform) don't click on their ads. If they spent as much time on personnel and actually making the items they claim to sell they would own the world and could clean up that junky lot. Think about it, you'll thank me later.
7:03 update
It seems that a lovely company that is about 29 miles from here read about the cut-rate service that is Metal Unlimited and asked me if I would be interested in signs from them. I am and bless Garrick's heart, he's got the idea of what I want them to look like and he's going to get those done tonight! He's even going to deliver them! I'll have them when needed. So in happy conclusion, don't fall for the clickbait nonsense on Facebook. Shop local and keep the money in your community, not some ridiculous online thing that may or may not be legitimate. And thank you Paypal for the refund!
another update: it seems that while they cannot get gifts delivered, they can leave countless comments telling me what a horrible person I am for expecting to receive what I ordered, when I ordered it. My review stands.
