Ridgid customer service is very rigid

[mac davis]

I had an interesting experience today... thought ya'll might get a kick out of it..

I tried to order Zero tolerance and dado throat plates for my 3650 and hit a typical problem:

Since I live in Mexico and have a California PO box, I can't receive UPS or FEDEX, only US Mail... naturally, the only shipping option they had was DHL...

So, having been through this from everyone from Craft Supplies to Lee Valley, I'd send them an email explaining my problem and they'd put the parts in the mail..

NOT...

First I got an auto response that my email had been received...

Then I got another auto response that they were working on my problem and had "established an e-box" for me... they gave me a URL for it and a login/password..

I got a follow up email telling me that my answer was ready... GREAT!

I went to the URL, went through the login process and read my messages... the message requested that I go to the support section of my "e-box" and the solution to my problem would be posted there...

Their solution??

"I guess you'll have to have someone in the States order it for you and mail it to you"

*sigh* I guess it would have been bad karma to send a "no shit, Sherlock" reply, huh?

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[J. Clarke]

You might want to obtain a mail drop, not just a PO box. Mail Boxes, Etc is an international chain that provides such services but you may find a local who is cheaper.

[dadiOH]

There is UPS in Mexico. When I lived there, at least.

I was stuck in Aldama (about 80K north of Tampico) for a week waiting for a Fiat Spyder water pump. It was sent by UPS to Ciudad Victoria; from there it was sent to Tampico via a local delivery survice and they were then supposed to run it up to Aldama. Trouble was, the local service didn't go to Aldama so they sent it back to UPS in Ciudad Victoria. After much pleading, yelling, screaming etc. both by me and a *huge* fellow transplanted from Trinidad and known locally as "El Negrito" the UPS manager in Victoria personally drove it to Aldama in his car.

Aldama is not a fun place...spent most of my time on the hotel porch in a rocker watching the vultures circle...

[Toller]

I agree that Ridgid customer service is a joke, but will spare you the details.

I just got a shipment by DHL. They delivered it to my local post office, who brought it out to me; not my choice, that is just how DHL does it. Fedex and UPS never did that. Might work for you.

[Lobby Dosser]

I've never had anything shipped DHL, but both Fedex and UPS sometimes use the USPS for delivery. Never large items.

[mac davis]

This is a PMB and as good as it gets unless we want things held on the California side of the border and drive 120 miles each way to pick it up...

We have a pretty good deal here.... We pay $120 a year for a box here and a mailing address in Calif... then they send a courier up 5 days a week to being the mail down...

NOBODY uses the Mexican Postal service, AFAIK...

[mac davis]

Probably is on the mainland, but we're outside of a small town in N. Baja (San Felipe) and the only other choice is DHL... They deliver once a week, on Saturdays, I think.. and I've heard that you're lucky if the package makes it..

One of my web clients sent me a DHL "over night" right after we moved last year and after 5 weeks it ended up being returned to them..

[mac davis]

My wife just got to WA today for a week with the grand kids... I had her order the parts and she'll bring it back with her...

Now, if I could talk her into taking a trip a little farther north to the Grizzly showroom/outlet store for me.. lol

I do order a lot of stuff that gets shipped to folks in the states, though... always seems to be someone that we know that's coming down soon..

A neighbor just got back from a 2 week trip to the states and picked up a Ridged planer for me on the way back... Great deal because she "forgot" to declare it and saved me the 17% import duty...

mac

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[mac davis]

This just seemed silly to me because they could have stuck both parts in one padded envelope and mailed the suckers... I offered to pay any additional handling or whatever..

I figure that together they measure about 14" x 5" x 3/4"... not a huge package.. I get some pretty good size packages from Lee Valley with no problem..

mac

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[Upscale]

I'm willing to be that because of the customer service attitude of Lee Valley, that they're spending some extra funds somewhere to ensure you get delivery. ~ Extra funds that other delivery services just aren't willing to spend.

[mac davis]

Lee Valley had a problem on my 2nd or 3rd order... I hot an email that my "UPS DELIVERY" had been returned to them... I explained that I always put "must be shipped by US Mail" on the order form and they sent it again and didn't charge postage... Besides their excellent tool p*rn, Lee Valley's customer service is my main reason for being loyal to them..

mac

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