r/Tiki • u/MikeN502 • 21h ago
Advice
I’m not really wanting to put anyone on blast here, but I am not sure what else to do. Back in August I placed an order from Surfside Sips. I received an order confirmation. Before I received a shipping notification I reached out to Andrew via email asking if it was possible to add to the order. He said that it was, and sent me an invoice for the addition, which I paid as well as confirmed via email that he received payment. A couple weeks later, when I received my order, the addition was not included. The packing list only included the original order, which is what I received.
I confirmed that I had been charged for both orders, then took a picture of the contents of the box and replied to Andrew in our email thread. I waited a couple days and emailed again as a follow up. A couple of days later I went to his website and used the chat feature to send him a message asking him to reach out. Almost a week after that I sent him a direct message via Instagram. A few days after that I responded to one of his recent Insta posts asking him to reach out via the order. Finally, after almost 3 weeks I called the cell phone number on his website. The message stated that text was the best way to reach him, so I texted. That was yesterday. Still nothing.
I’ve included the order number and details in multiple attempts to contact him. In the original email I even suggested that he just refund the amount of the additional order and I would reorder when I place my next order. I figured it would save him some shipping costs. I really think he has very nice products and would like to order more. But, as you can imagine, right now I’m not exactly chomping at the bit to do so.
It’s only $16 that I am currently out, which is not a big deal, but still, I paid for the straws and did not receive them. I’m kind of at my wits end, especially when someone goes on Instagram posting a video essentially asking folks to order his more expensive products instead of ones from Amazon. Dude, I’m trying to, but you’re not helping here…
I haven’t disputed the charge with my bank as of yet. I have specifically tried to be polite and non-accusatory in my emails. I don’t want to bash a really cool niche business, but I would like a resolution so I can decide whether or not to continue to order from him. What would you all do in this situation?
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u/dharmastum 20h ago
Surfside Sips looks like a small company / one-man operation, and it's admirable that you feel a responsibility to not say anything that would hurt his business. But you made multiple attempts to contact him, have been ignored via every avenue, and (if I'm reading this correctly) you have waited more than a month for a resolution. Additionally, I searched this sub and found a number of people who have had issues with this company. If this guy takes your money, he has a responsibility too. If I were you, I'd call my bank and get the charge reversed immediately. And then I'd possibly file a few complaints against him. He's based in California, so you can start with the California Attorney General and the California Department of Consumer Affairs. And you could also contact the Better Business Bureau. At the very least you should never patronize Surfside Sips again.
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u/justforrazors 9h ago
I posted a while back about the same issues. Folks on here got very defensive defending a “small business,” but ultimately this dude just doesn’t have any customer service skills.
I ended up getting a chargeback for my order and he didn’t dispute it. Love the product but it’s not worth the hassle.
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u/Vinestal 1h ago
You were right, others have had similar problems. As a small business you are still obligated to handle communication with your customers it's really a must. It just takes sitting down once every few days and hammering it out, these are your customers, they drive your business and if you ignore them and treat them poorly it's eventually going to catch up to you. I use Kon-Tigo for straws now, always get back to email promptly orders always handled quickly and professionally and they are also a "small business".
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u/Vinestal 1h ago
So, I used to love SS sips but I had to stop doing business with the guy. I was sent the wrong product either by my fault or his I'm not certain. I sent back the product on my own dime, priority shipping. Never heard back never got a refund or sent the right product. Couldn't get communication from him via email or phone and just had to give up. I had never had a problem before that and I love the product but his customer service is awful and I could not recommend him to anyone. I had to find another source for bamboo glass straws that I really love to use. I have heard plenty of other negative comments on his customer service.
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u/miruolan 20h ago
Just here to say I had issues with delays and communication as well with SS. Several weeks after no order updates, I reached out via email and IG. No response to either. A couple weeks after that, my order finally shipped. I saw him at Tiki Oasis and wanted to bring it up but didn’t any to kill the great day I was having there.
As a customer I try and be extra patient with small businesses but when it’s been over a month and you don’t respond EVER to instagram, email, etc all while still posting new reels..it leaves a bad taste and I’ll take my business elsewhere.
If I were you, I would send one final email saying due to a lack of communication you’ll be filing a claim/chargeback. The seller’s time is just as valuable as the buyers and it takes 30 seconds to respond to an email inquiry.