Buyers and Vendors-POST YOUR GRIPES HERE!!

[Dan Faupel]

Hey everybody...I'm working on an article for Hauntworld Magazine regarding measures that can be taken to prevent getting the shaft when making a large purchase from Dark Amusement Vendors.

The article will also cover measures that vendors can use to help qualify a potential client. With the overall goal of, through communication, cut down on the amount of people in this industry, on both ends, from getting ripped off.

I would really appreciate input from everyone out there. If you've tried to make a large purchase from somebody before, and ended up getting screwed somehow, tell me about it here! What do you feel now, that you could have done to safeguard yourself then? You don't have to mention the name of the company, and if you don't feel comfortable griping in "public", just PM or email me.

If you're a vendor, and you have a tale about getting ripped off by a customer, post it here. What will you do next time to prevent that from happening again? Again, you don't have to mention names, and feel free to contact me offlist too.

THANKS ahead of time everybody for your input on this important topic. I'll use everyone's input in writing the article, maybe even some direct quotes.

[Jim Warfield]

Isn't getting ripped off the American Way?
Staten Island for $23.00 worth of beads? Remember that?
How many suckers were once sold real estate in the Grand Canyon or sold the Brooklyn Bridge?
I can see both sides of the problems potentially being a venders or a customer and probably most of it either comes from customers waiting til the last minute to order an item that needs a certain amount of lead time, or a slew of orders overwhelming a small business that means well but just can't keep up with demand, niether one of these situations involve anyone setting out to be a crook.
Don't you think the problems mostly come from these just mentioned reasons moreso than not?
then there is always that tempting decision, so well justified,"The phone is ringing, but if I don't answer it(a mad customer) I can get more actual work done and fill the orders!

[PrintSation]

I am having several customers who must have their spam killer set-up or something. They keep sending me e-mail asking about our product and after I send it out I get a e-mail wondering why i haven't answered their questions.
If you are expecting a e-mail from someone and are not getting it Check your spam killer and chances are that there could be your missing e-mail.
Mike

[Hearseman]

We have been trying to get product from several haunt vendors for our build this year with very little success. I guess my gripe is why would you be in the business of selling items and not return phone calls, emails (I do not use spam filters) and faxes from someone wanting to give you their money for your product. I am not talking just one vendor here, I am talking 3 (and no I am not going to name them but I should). Also here is another gripe I have, buying product at a show (in this instance Transworld) and never receiving the product. I have heard more excuses this year on why we are not getting our stuff than ever before. I am also talking about large orders, not just a mask or two. When I order product, pay for it and am not told that it is on backorder than I want said product right away. Here is another gripe I have, sending video footage in for submission to a multiple haunt tape (NO NOT LARRY) and being told by the people putting the tape together that you will get a copy of completed tape gratis for your submission and never getting anything. Then when you ask about it they go off on you like you are asking them for the world. All I wanted was what they said they would give me to begin with. Well that?s all the griping I can stand for now, I need a drink (or two).

[Frank Weidman]

Hearseman,

We may have ordered from the same company at TW......the answer i get every time I call is BACK ORDER

I don't know who's back that order is on, but if alot of orders are on back order......that damn back is going to break....Call a chiropractor!

Frank

[HauntedWebby]

So far I've had pretty good luck with vendors. Until I tried to deal with a company in las vegas that took my money, then never sent the product. I snail mails, faxed, emailed, called ... everything. At first they used the excuse that their vendor hadn't shipped the item. In my mind I'd give the customer a refund if that happened. But other people said that the same company has been really good to them. So I guess the it's luck of the draw and each company treats each person different.

But other then that personal grip the only thing that has been happening this year is more companies that have really cool stuff going out of business or stopping produce some things.

[Nicole]

Hearseman:We have been trying to get product from several haunt vendors for our build this year with very little success. I guess my gripe is why would you be in the business of selling items and not return phone calls, emails (I do not use spam filters) and faxes from someone wanting to give you their money for your product.

THANK YOU! Yes - there is a vendor (not here) who I have sent an email to... this email has questions that I indicated are important to us and that we will not place an order until we hear back from him. Haven't heard a thing yet... I guess if we as cutomers aren't important to him, he's not important to us. I was just so surprised -- I can't stand those with no follow-through.

[Hearseman]

What if there was some sort of "black list" (I know Jim will chime in on that one) for vendors who are screwing with people? You would have to be registered first off and if you had a problem you could post it on the list to let everyone know that you are having problems with a certain company or vendor. The vendors on the list would then have to make good with the poster in order to get their name removed.
I think it is too easy for some vendors to just give you the run around with story after story on why you don't have product or whatever. It is a real shame that this hurts the industry as a whole. We are having problems with a vendor that has really helped us out in the past and we really like them and their product but I don't know what is going on with them this year. It really bothers me because these people have some great product and we need it like yesterday so we can get it into our build but they don't respond.

[Dan Faupel]

I can see both sides of the problems potentially being a venders or a customer and probably most of it either comes from customers waiting til the last minute to order an item that needs a certain amount of lead time, or a slew of orders overwhelming a small business that means well but just can't keep up with demand, niether one of these situations involve anyone setting out to be a crook.
Don't you think the problems mostly come from these just mentioned reasons moreso than not?

Jim, yes you're right, maybe in the article I'll include some tips on how to get your order when you're wanting it.

But I'm referring not to being inconvenienced, but straight up ripped off. As in you spent money and got zilch in return. Or from the vendor side, you sent promised product and the customer didn't pay their final bill.

Here's a real-life example for you. When someone places an order with us at CV, we require a 50% deposit, and the balance prior to shipping. With larger purchases (full attractions for example), we usually set up custom terms, depending on the customer. One of the haunts we were contracted for last year, a first year haunt, which was semi-local, no marketing or promotions to speak of (we offered some free advice, which went in one ear and out the other), had paid most of their bill, but late in the season when it became apparent they weren't even going to break even, stopped paying us and started giving us excuses. As of now, pending any legal decisions that I may not be aware of, they still owe us over $20,000.

[Jim Warfield]

Before posting a list of bad venders I think the legality of doing this should be examined.
The state law here says if someone writes a bad check you can't publically display it (this used to be a common practice)
I remember seeing a bulletin board full of bad checks with a sign above them saying "Take Back You Worthless Checks, you might as well have them, they are no good to us!"
Establishing a good reputation takes many years of hard, concentrated work, ruining it takes about 60 seconds. (Sort of like that "Tree-thing", takes 100 years to grow, a few minutes of chainsaw and GONE!)