Teach Soap

I ordered some supplies for the first time from Snowdrift Farms, perfumer's alcohol and some other stuff I could'nt find on Brambleberry, and got an order confirmation email. This was June 10, and I never got a shipping notification, so I called and emailed to see if items were backordered or it had been shipped, and I haven't been able to get any response. I left messages on different voicemails, but no return calls and no return emails or anything. Does anyone have any experience with their company? The website seemed great and had a large variety of items, and was easy to use, and I had seen some good reviews about their products on other sites, but now I'm worried. Will my stuff just arrive, or is there another way to get help from them? I'm worried since it has been 14 days and no response or shipment.

I ordered from them before and had no problem with them. I do got an e-newsletter from them that they are moving into a new facility? Maybe that's why orders got messed up?

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Shieh Design Studio
https://www.facebook.com/ShiehDesignStudio
http://soapandrestless.blogspot.com

They have something posted on the site about the phone issues being resolved, but I still cannot get anyone on the phone. I have gotten some e-newsletters since I ordered, from the same email address I sent the emails to asking about my order, but no actual replies to my questions. I just hoped I was dealing with a reputable company who will send my order. I made sure they received my payment thru paypal. Maybe it just takes a while to get your order processed, and maybe the phone issues have something to do with them moving as well. I just am a little nervous when I order from somewhere new and don't receive a response; last year I placed an order with a company called Scent Wizard just for some container bottles, and never received my order and only one email from the company claiming it was on the way. By the time I found hundreds of negative reviews and stories about other people going thru the same thing, paypal couldn't help me because it was 60 days past the purchase date. I hope my Snowdrift Farm order comes soon, I cannot wait to try some recipes with the perfumer's alcohol

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Thanks! The Scent Wizard thing really surprised me. I have never ordered anything online from a business and had a problem like that! I even tried to resolve it through the New Jersey Attorney General's office and their county's County Attorney, and they didn't respond to them either! But to this day they still send me automatically generated 'monthly special' emails!

Yay! I received an email from someone named Bill from Snowdrift Farms explaining that they have a big shipping backlog since thier move, which took longer than expected, and my package was mailed out last week. He said I should have a tracking number tomorrow. I'm so happy they took the time to reply to me and assure me that my stuff if on its way! I am always impressed with a company, no matter how large or small, that makes an effort to personally address an issue like mine. I'm sure my little hundred dollar order is small potatoes compared to their larger customers, but they took the time to let me know what was going on and that my order was received and shipped. I am kind of new to my soaping/lotion making/candle making endeavors, and I love this forum. I have learned so much from all the questions and posts on here! Today I'm going to try my hand at some colored lip balm, and when I get my Snowdrift order I'm going to have some perfuming and room spray fun! I'm a pet groomer by profession, so its nice to take some "me" time to do these kinds of crafts. My goal is for me and my home to smell good too, not just my customers' pets, LOL.

Glad you finally heard from them. But I have to tell you that I EXPECT that kind of service, and waiting 2 weeks to hear anything is unacceptable to me. I don't care if I am spending 10, 100 or1000 dollars! And you shouldn't either. That is what customer service is all about! Since they did have a move in there I would excuse this time with this company, but there is no way that a company would get to 30 days, much less 60, without me complaining. there are a LOT of fly by night businesses on the net and just because a site looks good and big and professional doesnt mean they are. So learn your lesson from that other company, and be assertive and proactive in your future orders!

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Oh, I totally agree! I think that kind of service should be the norm. Its just that I have had so many experiences like that Scent Wizard one lately that I was surprised and delighted beyond belief that I heard from the Snowdrift company, LOL. I had a similar experience with a couple of pet grooming suppliers, and my last order from a bookstore still hasn't gotten here three weeks later I have had to throw a fit with so many businesses with ridiculous customer service lately, when Snowdrift wrote me back, I thought I would turn cartwheels. I do some retail online with my grooming shop, and I have made the mistake before of having out of stock items listed, and the two times I had someone order something I didn't have, I contacted them immediately to explain the situation and jumped thru hoops to get them what they wanted, give them some free stuff for their trouble, even once special ordering a collar and leash pattern that had been discontinued for a customer. But it seems like lately I keep running into online retail places that just don't give a crap. I'm glad Snowdrift didn't turn out to be that way.

Got my order from Snowdrift Farms! They emailed me that some things were backordered and would be sent seperately, but most of what I ordered got here! Yay!

Hi, I sent you an email detailing my experience as I didnt want to write anything her about such an extremely negative experience and the lengths I had to go to get a refund. It wasnt pretty. Think that things are way way different since Trina Wallace passed away a little more than a year ago. I will order from Snowdrift again in time, but I am going to wait a good while for all of the "hitches" to be worked out.
Oh and on your back order, MAKE SURE YOU KEEP TRACK OF TIME AND STAY ON THEM! I ORDERED LAST YEAR, NATRASORB WAS BACKORDERD, 30 DAYS LATER I INQUIRED AND THEY TOLD ME TOO MUCH TIME HAD PASSED!
Brightest Blessings
Jan Pace
Power Of Three Creations
Fallbrook, CA

Hello,

I'm new here but wanted to comment on Snowdrift. I recently made a purchase from them before I found Bramble Berry and I was somewhat worried once I paid and the order was placed because I didn't really get any kind of confirmation of the sale. I waited a few days and still nothing. I finally called them and it took quite a few repeat phone calls to get an actual person on the line (I would call, get a voice mail, hang-up and call back till I got a person). I talked to a young man named Chris who was very helpful and he said my ordered had shipped and I should receive it the Tuesday after Labor Day - this was the Thursday prior. I actually received it either Friday or Saturday which was a nice surprise. I was very disappointed in their fragrance oils - they smell nothing like what I expected them to or how they were described. Ugh! Luckily I came across Bramble Berry and was talking to a friend about them and she has ordered from them in the past and loved their products so I knew I'd stumbled upon a wonderful resource. I'm not going to buy from Snowdrift Farms again because I don't think their customer service is there and the quality is no where near a good as Bramble Berry. Anyway, that's just my two cents.

RamblinJan

Hum I've never had any trouble with my Snowdrift Farm orders. Guess it is YMMV when suggesting them or BB or WSP! Personal experience with the customer service departments is very important, it isn't a job that can be hurried threw or brushed aside that is for sure.

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~bytheSEAsoap~ Mella bythesea, bythesea, bythebeautiful sea

海の皂

I never have gotten my backordered items from my original order from them, and after emailing repeatedly someone finally contacted me back and wanted my paypal email address for a refund. That was three weeks ago, and I keep trying to call customer service and all I get is a full voice mail box that I cannot leave a message in. I have since placed an order where 2 more items were backordered and I hope it doesn't take months to get them or a refund like the first order. My last contact with them was an email from the shipping department saying they would forward my problem to customer service. I guess I could summarize my experiences with them as being happy with the items I actually received, but there is something seriously lacking with the customer service. It is just too hard to communicate with them and it leaves you worried that you aren't going to get your problem resolved promptly or at all. When I call, no matter which department I choose, no matter what time of day it is, I NEVER get a person. EVER.

One thing I wondered about as far as Snowdrift's fragrance oils, they advertise them as pthalate free. Does anyone know what that means? Do BB FO's have pthalates, and is there some reason you wouldn't want pthalates in your oils?

You're not the only person this is happening to. There's a huge discussion going on over at another forum and it seems to be that one of the owners has recently perished and they are in the middle of moving to a different warehouse and changing their name (Rancho de Nieve was mentioned in the thread)... woo... that is a lot of change to handle in such a short period of time. It seems as though they aren't filling most orders and the ones that they are filling are very very slow. Make sure that you keep your receipt for your purchase on you so that when they do come fully back up and running, you can prove that you made the purchase and haven't received any refund or the products themselves (just in case, you know...).

I've never ordered from them so I don't know how they were before all the happenings this year. I hope that you will be able to get in contact with them soon, though!

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Tamra
New to soaping, long time crafter and artisan, avid learner of new things!

Thanks for the info. I had the impression that the move was going on during my first order, but they have sent out a few email newsletters out saying that they are back up and running and the move went successfully, and that the backlog was all cleared up. Then they sent out one saying they were using usps for shipping to get orders to people sooner, and I did get my last order sooner than the first 2, but no email saying 'the items are on their way, here's a tracking number' or anything, just emails saying that some of my items were backordered. I have my receipts for everything, and they reference my order numbers when I do get an email from them, I am just frustrated that they would ask me for my email address for paypal and imply they were going to give me a refund and then nothing for weeks. There is a note on the site saying their phone problems are resolved, but you cannot get anyone on the phone ever. I just have a some things on their site I like, some containers and a few fragrances, and they have lots of recipes in the 'formulary' section with lots of info, but I keep picturing this empty office and warehouse with phones ringing and no one there Maybe they are having to hire all new people or something