Two weeks ago, I ordered a B. Mendica from Dylan. It's been a gong show of frustration, bad customer service, lies, and wasted time.
Problems:
1) Shipping gouging and disorganization: Despite me specifically asking for expresspost shipping, receiving a quote for expresspost from Dylan, and paying him promptly in full, he claimed to have sent via standard "air". When I asked Dylan to confirm the address he shipped to, he told me that he "Doesn't keep those records, and deletes the mail as soon as he ships".
2) In retrospect, I don't believe that Dylan sent the package. Initially, there seemed to be a delay, and I was distressed at the thought of a poor mantis dying cold and hungry in a dark box somewhere, but it's been 16 days now, and I don't think this is a matter of Dylan shipping via "Air": I don't think he shipped all. This is somewhat of a consolation to know that a mantis didn't, in fact, die.
3) Lack of customer service: After not receiving my package within the expected period, I emailed Dylan several times to ask him the status of my shipment. His replies were dismissive and unhelpful, consisting of "sorry i dont have a tracking number but i know i sent it". Repeated requests asking him to confirm the destination address, and whether it was sent via expresspost were ignored or answered similarly. It was only when my tone became ominous that he started to communicate in a somewhat-helpful manner. It appears that I got better service than others, however, who only seem to get verbal abuse from him after he rips them off.
In my ensuring discussions with Dylan, he seemed repentant, conciliatory, and inexperienced. Knowing he's a kid just starting out made it easy to cut him some slack, and I was initially planning on writing a gracious and forgiving review, however, the plot thickens:
11 days later, and no parcel in sight, Dylan agreed to re-send a replacement Mendica. Good enough. However, Dylan told me that he could only send a "pair", and would need me to pay for the extra one. I found this "conditional replacement" to be both insulting and audacious. Nonetheless, I agreed to his terms, eager to bring things to a close. Were I in his position, I'd be sheepishly throwing in the extra mantid for free as an apology for the inconvenience. We agreed that he'd ship on Monday the 14th, via expresspost, and send me a tracking number. Monday has come and gone, with no word from Dylan.
Increasingly, I am having trouble believing that Dylan is simply inexperienced, and find myself questioning his honesty. Initially, he had me believing that he was just a dopey and disorganized kid, but it's no longer possible for me to believe that. It has been a great waste of time, and I'm most unimpressed, and would not deal with Dylan again. It's simply been too much effort, with no results.
Dylan, it's unfortunate it has come to this. I have given you many chances to make good on this, and you have thrown them all away.
Ps. If anyone is thinking of ordering from Dylan, I urge them to use Alex Panassov instead. He was excellent to deal with, and his well-packed parcel arrived prompty. Did he pay me to say that? No, he just provided great customer service and delivered as promised - Which is all anyone can ask for.
Problems:
1) Shipping gouging and disorganization: Despite me specifically asking for expresspost shipping, receiving a quote for expresspost from Dylan, and paying him promptly in full, he claimed to have sent via standard "air". When I asked Dylan to confirm the address he shipped to, he told me that he "Doesn't keep those records, and deletes the mail as soon as he ships".
2) In retrospect, I don't believe that Dylan sent the package. Initially, there seemed to be a delay, and I was distressed at the thought of a poor mantis dying cold and hungry in a dark box somewhere, but it's been 16 days now, and I don't think this is a matter of Dylan shipping via "Air": I don't think he shipped all. This is somewhat of a consolation to know that a mantis didn't, in fact, die.
3) Lack of customer service: After not receiving my package within the expected period, I emailed Dylan several times to ask him the status of my shipment. His replies were dismissive and unhelpful, consisting of "sorry i dont have a tracking number but i know i sent it". Repeated requests asking him to confirm the destination address, and whether it was sent via expresspost were ignored or answered similarly. It was only when my tone became ominous that he started to communicate in a somewhat-helpful manner. It appears that I got better service than others, however, who only seem to get verbal abuse from him after he rips them off.
In my ensuring discussions with Dylan, he seemed repentant, conciliatory, and inexperienced. Knowing he's a kid just starting out made it easy to cut him some slack, and I was initially planning on writing a gracious and forgiving review, however, the plot thickens:
11 days later, and no parcel in sight, Dylan agreed to re-send a replacement Mendica. Good enough. However, Dylan told me that he could only send a "pair", and would need me to pay for the extra one. I found this "conditional replacement" to be both insulting and audacious. Nonetheless, I agreed to his terms, eager to bring things to a close. Were I in his position, I'd be sheepishly throwing in the extra mantid for free as an apology for the inconvenience. We agreed that he'd ship on Monday the 14th, via expresspost, and send me a tracking number. Monday has come and gone, with no word from Dylan.
Increasingly, I am having trouble believing that Dylan is simply inexperienced, and find myself questioning his honesty. Initially, he had me believing that he was just a dopey and disorganized kid, but it's no longer possible for me to believe that. It has been a great waste of time, and I'm most unimpressed, and would not deal with Dylan again. It's simply been too much effort, with no results.
Dylan, it's unfortunate it has come to this. I have given you many chances to make good on this, and you have thrown them all away.
Ps. If anyone is thinking of ordering from Dylan, I urge them to use Alex Panassov instead. He was excellent to deal with, and his well-packed parcel arrived prompty. Did he pay me to say that? No, he just provided great customer service and delivered as promised - Which is all anyone can ask for.
