Full Version: Delvies - Thumbs Down
From: Upacreek [#1]
14 Dec 2005
To: ALL
I just wanted to share my recent experience with Delvies so that others may be aware...
In mid-Nov a prospective new customer contacted me for some signage and chose IPI's Grand Illusion as the main color and 9 Lasermax colors for elsewhere in the facility. I contacted Delvies to inquire about possible new Lasermax colors and asked if they carried IPI's G.I in the laser version. He told me they carried it and I should have no problem ordering it and sent me a Rowmark color flyer.
On 11/21 I called Delvies to place the order and emphasized the IPI was my main item. I was told they only had the rotary version in stock but was assured they could get the laser version. I asked for clarification to ensure I would receive the IPI G.I. and was again assured she could get the IPI for me. So I ordered all of the items from Delvies. She asked if I wanted the items in separate shipments or to save money and ship the items when the IPI arrived. I told her since it would only be a week delay, ship everything all at once.
2nd week of Dec I open the package ready to start my work. I find an Invoice stating my IPI G.I. and 4 Lasermax colors are on back order. I wasn't too concerned about the backorder, but was disappointed they didn't ship the items altogether like agreed upon to save $.
2nd shipment arrived this week and I open the package. The 4 Lasermax colors are there, but no IPI Grand Illusion! The Invoice has nothing indicating what happened to the G.I. sheets! It's just been removed from the order.
I contacted Delvies the next day to ask about the missing IPI items and was told they couldn't find any sheets anywhere. That they would have had to order 10 sheets from the Distributor and they were not going to do that.
All those assurances that 1) Delvies had it in stock 1 week prior to order, 2) Delvies didn't really have it in stock, but could order it for me, 3) Delvies would ship all the items together to save shipping costs, were false. They didn't even make an attempt to contact me to indicate there was a problem or a change in my order.
Needless to say, I'm EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED with the way Delvies handled the entire order - knowing that the IPI was the basis of my order.
On the positive side, I want to give a THUMBS UP for Johnson Plastics. They had the IPI Grand Illusion in stock and did not require me to place a minimum order.
Michel
From: logojohn [#2]
14 Dec 2005
To: Upacreek [#1] 14 Dec 2005
I usually can't wait more than 2 or 3 days so I use about 6 different suppliers so can almost always find it somewhere.
Johnson Plastics is my first choice for the unusual items. It has a local branch here but fairly often the unusual stuff has to come from Minnesota but at least they have it. There is only once they didn't have something and it amazed me since it was simple clear/clear gloss reverse in 1/8.
For quick shipment of some common items, JDS, Plastics Plus, Artisan and BUR-Lane for Rowmark only have also worked well.
.
From: Upacreek [#3]
14 Dec 2005
To: logojohn [#2] 14 Dec 2005
Thanks for the other vendors. It's nice to be able to have some other options.
I was originally going to contact Johnson's, but Delvie's assured me they had it. They offered decent pricing, so I put my trust in them.
The IPI's are shipping from Minnesota.
Michel
From: UncleSteve [#4]
14 Dec 2005
To: Upacreek [#3] 14 Dec 2005
From: gt350ed [#5]
14 Dec 2005
To: Upacreek [#1] 14 Dec 2005
I too had a very bad experience with Delvies but decided not to post here because there were more than a few members here that had good things to say such that they recommended Delvies a few months back when I was looking for custom cut and beveled clear cell-cast acrylic.
Most of my dealings with them at the time were by way of email. I tend NOT to spare the detail when putting things in writing so there was virtually no way there could have been any misunderstanding as to my needs and timeframe in which to make it happen.
To make a long story short, my dealings with one particular person representing the company were UNBELIEVABLY bad. Each email was as though we were having to start completely over. There was continuous re-inventing of the wheel and changes to things previously agreed upon...even though NOTHING had changed.
Finally, I placed a call to the specific individual who had been responding to the emails and it only got worse. He was a complete slug and had virtually NO personality, let alone any inclination to be of service. And this was no small order.
The final straw was that, with my deadline fast approaching, and after promising to do his/the company's part, he chose to go on vacation with no contact thereafter until his return.
In the meantime, I had been informed that American Acrylic, a company with whom I do business already, could handle custom work. I placed the order with them and less than 10 days later, the pieces had been fabricated in China, flown to California and shipped up to me.
A few weeks later, when someone at Delvies was obviously cleaning up stale emails, I received a message asking if I was still interested. I replied that it was quite obvious that they did not need my business and that my order was placed with a competitor.
From: logojohn [#6]
14 Dec 2005
To: Upacreek [#3] 14 Dec 2005
Pricing is about #8 on my priority list when picking suppliers.
Our retail pricing is set high enough to cover any cost of products.
My time is more valuable than the few cents I might save shopping around with a supplier that doesn't deliver on time. A few dollars saved isn't worth having a valued client standing on a stage somewhere with nothing to give their Employee of the Year.
The number 1 thing for me is availability followed closely by shiping speed.
Years ago, I tried to be a nice guy and gave a large part of our plaque business to a smaller local company after a National Company went downhill with their out of stock levels at the location closest to us.
We needed more 12x15 plaques than we stock and they assured me they had them by phone but were leaving early on "summer hours". They arranged to leave them outside the back door. We sent a courier to pick them up and when they arrived there was a note saying they were a few short but could make some more next week.
That was our last order with them.
.
EDITED: 14 Dec 2005 by LOGOJOHN