I had one of the most peculiar customer service experiences ever at Plattsburgh Mail & Shipping…read moreCenter. The following is a detailed account:
I purchased several items from an online seller in the area. When I attempted to give the seller my packing and shipping information, they said they used a separate company to handle packing and shipping, and that company would reach out to me in a few days to make arrangements.
A few days later I was contacted by someone from Plattsburgh Mail & Shipping Center. She said "Your package is ready to ship, and your total is XYZ" I said, wait a second, everything is all in one package? I need these items shipped separately to separate locations. Not to mention these are very heavy, very fragile items, putting them all in one box would be over 60lbs. She said "Why didnt you say you had specific packing requests?" I said, this is the first I've spoken to you, I have no idea why the items were already packed before even talking to me. She said, "well if you want to pay for the packaging that's already been done, and pay us to unpack and repack them, we can do that." I said, why should I pay for packing I did not ask for? She raised her voice and yelled "MY MANAGER WILL CALL YOU GOODBYE" and hung up the phone.
I waited a few days. No call from the manager. So I called back and asked to speak to the manager. The woman that answered said "I am the manager." I proceeded to explain my issue. It quickly became clear I was speaking to the same young lady as before when she raised her voice and said "I SPOKE TO THE MANAGER SHE SAID WE ARE NOT REPACKING THESE ITEMS" and hung up the phone again.
I wait, and then call back. The same woman answers. I ask, can you at least tell me how they are packed, since you have placed 60lbs worth of fragile items in one box? She said "Sir, they have been professionally packaged with peanuts." I said, do you mean to tell me they're just thrown in a box with peanuts? That seems like a recipe for disaster. Can I pay you to repack them with bubble wrap? She said "SIR THEY ARE PROFESSIONALLY PACKED AND I DONT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS I AM SENDING YOUR ITEMS BACK TO (the seller)" and again hung up the phone.
I immediately called the seller and left a message, stating I was having trouble with their packing and shipping service, and would be happy to arrange (and pay) for packing and shipping via FedEx Office. The seller called me back some time later and said, "I just spoke to the young woman over there and everything is fine, your items are packed and ready to go, and the owner will be giving you a call."
Moments later, I received a phone call from a different 518 number. It was a woman, claiming to be the owner, Chantel. She said "I've been getting so many phone calls about these items, what is the issue?" I said that my items were supposed to be packed separately, and if that wasnt possible, I just wanted to make sure they made it to me safely. She said "It's our busy season and we really dont have time to unpack and repack them separately." I said, you can wait until after the busy season, and at this point, I dont care what it costs, I just dont think that peanuts alone are sufficient. Chantel said, "We will repack your items with bubble wrap, and split them into two boxes. We will contact you when they are ready." I was careful to clarify which parts were fragile and those were what I was most concerned about being sufficiently padded. I also asked for her eMail address and sent a written version of my packing and shipping instructions.
Several days later, I get a text from the same number Chantel called me from, saying they are ready for payment and to call the store. I respond to the text and ask if Chantel can personally call me to take my credit card information, as I do not want to give it to the young lady who keeps losing her temper and hanging up on me. Chantel, or whoever is texting, replies "Sir, that statement is inappropriate and all of our staff is trustworthy. We will be sending your items back to (the seller.)"
So again I wait, to either hear from the seller or Chantel. A week later, I get a phone call from the official Plattsburgh Mail & Shipping Center asking for my credit card number. It does not appear to be either of the women I spoke to before. I give them my credit card number. FYI the packing charge ended up being roughly double what I was originally quoted, which in theory would have been fine.
The items arrived today. They were thrown in a box of peanuts with a couple pieces of bubble wrap (one wrapped around two of the items, the other at the bottom of the box.) The two items were taped together without any padding or packing material protecting them from each other. The third item was loose in the box. Some smaller parts did arrive in a separate box and were better packed, unfortunately these were not the fragile parts.
