Welcome to the Order! We are so excited to bring you two new members to the Order: Michelle from Waxing About and Liz from Furianne! These ladies write awesome blog posts about smelly stuff and we are honored to have them join us. Please chime in on our question this month:
Have you had any wax ordering frustrations?
I am so excited to join the Order of the Odor and to be able to interact with everybody as we indulge in this waxy hobby of ours! So with this very first post, I am going to share my experiences in wax ordering, I hope you do too!
By and large, ordering wax has been a smooth process for me. I have rarely had any frustrations because I try my best to understand the wax ordering process of each company before I plunge in and I keep expectations low for TAT. So what I am going to say next, it may rankle with some but I would like to be honest about it.
Recently, I found myself frustrated with Sniff My Tarts. I ordered during the October 2014 opening and I knew it would take awhile to get to me because I ordered during the second opening. The list began moving at a regular pace (which surprised me because of the holidays) but in February of the year, it suddenly stagnated and it took two months before any new updates. I understand there were several huge orders and it takes awhile to get through those orders. But what really frustrated me was the lack of communication from the owners, leaving the remaining customers wondering what had happened. If I had some inkling that there was a problem and the process is going longer than expected, a quick message would have helped me adjust my expectations and patience level to the new situation. But without it, I was just stewing at my computer wondering what had happened, it's no fun being kept in the dark. Added to the frustration of lack of communication was also watching the Dream Boxes fly out and flash sales being conducted in the group, that really made me feel like my order was being neglected, even if it may not have been the case, but that's how I felt. :(
Now, let's find out what the other members of the Order have been up to this past month:
By and large, ordering wax has been a smooth process for me. I have rarely had any frustrations because I try my best to understand the wax ordering process of each company before I plunge in and I keep expectations low for TAT. So what I am going to say next, it may rankle with some but I would like to be honest about it.
Recently, I found myself frustrated with Sniff My Tarts. I ordered during the October 2014 opening and I knew it would take awhile to get to me because I ordered during the second opening. The list began moving at a regular pace (which surprised me because of the holidays) but in February of the year, it suddenly stagnated and it took two months before any new updates. I understand there were several huge orders and it takes awhile to get through those orders. But what really frustrated me was the lack of communication from the owners, leaving the remaining customers wondering what had happened. If I had some inkling that there was a problem and the process is going longer than expected, a quick message would have helped me adjust my expectations and patience level to the new situation. But without it, I was just stewing at my computer wondering what had happened, it's no fun being kept in the dark. Added to the frustration of lack of communication was also watching the Dream Boxes fly out and flash sales being conducted in the group, that really made me feel like my order was being neglected, even if it may not have been the case, but that's how I felt. :(
Now, let's find out what the other members of the Order have been up to this past month:
Deb hauled from a newer wax vendor and is quite impressed with their TAT, scents, throw and pricing. What new vendor has snared Deb's hard to capture attention? Come and find out, you will want to order too!
There is a vendor that Sunnee tries to never miss a sale from. Check out her most recent post showcasing just such a sale haul. Her gorgeous photos and blend picks are sure to create a lemming.
There is a vendor that Sunnee tries to never miss a sale from. Check out her most recent post showcasing just such a sale haul. Her gorgeous photos and blend picks are sure to create a lemming.
Jamie Lauren Cupcakery and Confection in Wax (JLCCW), a old popular vendor who closed and is now slated to re-open (for the second time- fingers crossed!) has a reputation for cute and strong throwing wax creations. Liz was one of the lucky old crew that hauled a nice order before JLCCW closed and is reviewing some. Check out how JLCCW wax is faring years later.
Mystery tarts, custom brittle and scent shots that have lightening fast TAT are all great things but when the brittle is Pink Peppermint you KNOW that is the cherry on top. And you probably know who hauled it.... Lauren! Haul posts are rare gems from her, so make sure not to miss this one!
Lasting Scent Candles announced they are closing, but will still be selling off their stock on their website with announcements on Facebook, until they run out. Julie shares her recent LSC haul with wishes we can all grab some last stragglers before they are gone forever.
Plum Wine Sandalwood, Jasmine Vanilla Green Tea Peach, and M'Lady's Boudoir fragrances... can you guess what vendor these unusual and innovative blends hails from? Michelle shares her recent haul that includes these cool scents, great photos and ordering information.
Lasting Scent Candles announced they are closing, but will still be selling off their stock on their website with announcements on Facebook, until they run out. Julie shares her recent LSC haul with wishes we can all grab some last stragglers before they are gone forever.
Plum Wine Sandalwood, Jasmine Vanilla Green Tea Peach, and M'Lady's Boudoir fragrances... can you guess what vendor these unusual and innovative blends hails from? Michelle shares her recent haul that includes these cool scents, great photos and ordering information.
I agree. Lack of communication is tough when the list doesn't move for months. SMT has been my longest TAT too but I do so love their wax. Has your name come up?
ReplyDeleteYes, my name is up, and my order has shipped out. I will probably ship it home within the next couple of weeks when a couple of other orders get in. I think the excitement will rush back when I finally see the box.
DeleteI still have yet to order from SMT because of how long their TAT has been. I've only been able to try their products because of the kindness of some of the other wax ladies here, and maybe it's just me but I can't see how their products were worth the wait. They're nice blends, sure, but to wait so long for that wax? Noo thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am coming around to that way of thinking now, I like their wax enough but definitely not for a 7-month wait in future. There are so many other great vendors who ship faster!
DeleteNo communication is definitely not good when ordering wax. Luckily, most vendors are really good at it! When they aren't though, it puts the customer in the (sometimes) awkward position of contacting the vendor, and (not that SMT is because they have never been anything but really nice to me) if the vendor is not so great at communication/has a bad rep, it can be really difficult to get answers.
ReplyDeleteThe Dream Box list is a little more specific than just straight chunk samplers thrown in a box/bag and shipped, they take time and care to pour through people's likes and dislikes, thus seemingly working alongside orders that were placed a long time ago in lieu of finishing and then doing dream boxes. It's a tough situation. I really like SMT, like Julie said, but they have been my longest TAT, too.
Yes, I hate to bother the vendor because they probably have to deal with lots of other messages per day but I asked a couple of times with SMT and they were nothing but nice and prompt with the PMs. I appreciated that very much.
DeleteOh, I didn't know that. It's nice that they try and take preferences into consideration and if I had purchased a Dream Box, I would have really appreciated that service. But if the customs are compromised because of that, then that's not good. I wonder how long the last person would have to wait. It could be another month at least, taking the TAT to almost 9 months!
You have a very valid point Michelle. I think updates are most crucial when TATs are lengthy. It takes very little effort to send out an update on pending orders but it would pacify a lot of anxious customers, especially when flash sales and mystery boxes are going out regularly.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that most of us think the same way, and I am not in the minority! Communications is so important and goes a long way to build good will!
DeleteOh yes, lack of communication is a huge irk for me too. And SMT . . . ? No thanks. They had ungodly long TAT even way before it became 'fashionable.' I've seen other people talk about things like the Dream Box situation you mention, where the list is long and slow moving but other things are being worked on or sent out, or there are new openings before the previous one is completed. That pisses me off just hearing about through others!
ReplyDeleteReally? I know their product is great but if this long TAT has been going on for so long, I wonder why they haven't taken more active steps to change the situation. I am glad I am not the only one who feel the same way about the Dream Box situation, it's just so frustrating.
Delete