# Draper's super bee shipping issue



## beez2010 (Dec 9, 2009)

Being the owner of a beekeeping supplies business for the last four years, I know about customer service in this industry. Draper's Superbee is one of the first companies I ever dealt with when I first got into beekeeping. I have used them and referred them. For the last few years, what I have purchased from them is candle molds. I have fifty or more, totaling well over $1000.00 in purchases.

Well, one of the candle molds I recently purchased was a small pine cone mold. My girlfriend was excited about having it, but after several attempts to create a candle, we found that we could not get the candle out of the mold without breaking it every time. Now, remember that we have over 50 molds and have NO OTHER issues with any mold that we have ever purchased from them or anyone else.

I called and talked to Royal and explained the situation. I asked him if we could exchange the mold for a different one and he said "sure". Now, even though I felt the mold had some sort of defect, I paid the return shipping no problem. The mold weighed less than 13 ounces when packaged up, so first class mail back to PA was about $3. We sent along a note asking to exchange the mold for another that was specified.

A week or so later I went to the mailbox and found a package so large (an old, beat up "Pure honey" box) that it would barely fit into my JUMBO sized mailbox. I wondered what else he might have sent back to us besides just this little mold. Of course, with the package being so large, it had to be sent priority mail at a cost of $6.85 (clearly stamped on the box by the post office). 

Went I got in the house and opened the package, I found a tiny candle mold amongst lots of scrap card board, packing peanuts and an invoice. On the invoice it showed the credit for the returned mold, the cost of the new mold (about $4 less) and a shipping charge of $9.35. Huh? The box clearly said $6.85. There was also a receipt; my credit card had been charged to cover what I "owed" them. Nobody had called to authorize any charges. I called and spoke to the owner, Bill, and explained the situation. He was quick to point out that there was nothing wrong with the mold that I returned and that the extra $2.50 for shipping was for his box, packing peanuts, tape and his time. I asked him if he realized that I had purchased at least 50 molds from him and that this was the only one I ever had an issue with. I asked him if he realized that we own a beekeeping supplies business and that we have referred dozens of folks to him because he has such a great selection of molds. Then, I asked him if he was willing to lose a good customer, a lot of referrals, and get bad press on our Facebook page and elsewhere over $2.50. His answer..."Hey, you do what you gotta do, Pal. I've been in business 40 years, so it makes no difference to me." Then (I was pretty steamed by now), I told him that he wouldn't get the money anyway, because I would call my credit card company and have the charges reversed. I asked him if he was sure he wanted to cause himself all this grief for nothing?? He said "Like I said, Pal, I don't care what you do."

WOW! Seriously?? $2.50 for your box and packaging? What was wrong with reusing the box I sent him? He drove up the cost of shipping by using this ridiculously large box and then charged me for the privilege? Any customer that spent a substantial amount of money with me would have had the returned shipping covered...even if it cost me a couple bucks. If a guy won't cover $2.50 for a customer who spent over a G with him, that tells me one thing...this guys business is seriously hurting. I will never do business with this company again, and will certainly not be sending anyone their way. BEWARE!

My business grows at a rate of 50-75% per year. With people in the industry treating their good customers this way...it's no wonder.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Sounds like you are dealing with it in the best possible way;voting with your wallet.Poor customer service is all too common these days.


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## comb (Jan 12, 2006)

has gone down hill without bernard bill is very arrogant all about the all mighty dollar


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## imthegrumpyone (Jun 29, 2013)

Good for you, if more people wouldn't take some of this crap from people that do business like that, maybe they'd get there act straight or disappear. "Customer service" and getting what you pay for just keeps going down hill. Had one live bee seller a couple months ago advertise that he still had bees for sale, took him over a week to respond to e-mail, than tells me he's out and yet his web site still showed confirmed paid and not paid orders and shipping dates for a month or so after I contacted him. Needless to say I deleted his web site, I'll buy from someone else when the time comes,


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

Dont confuse this with Drapers in Nebraska. Its NOT the same company.


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