Frustrating Freestyle Service

[davidb]

Freestyle will take back opened boxes of film and paper.

B&H won't.

[Louie Powell]

Without fail, anyone who transactions business remotely by telephone, mail or internet eventually has some kind of service problem. Most commonly its with a shipper, but it can and often is in warehousing, stocking, etc. So the issue is NOT whether a vendor has problems. Instead, the issue is how they resolve those problems when they happen.

My Freestyle story relates to an enlarging easel that I bought from them for my wife to give me for Christmas. (She does the same thing to me.) It came, I gave it to her, she wrapped it, and put it under the tree. Several weeks later, on Christmas morning, I opened the package to find that (a) part was missing and (b) the name of the former owner of what was supposed to be a new easel was written on the bottom.

#$^&*(!

I immediately wrote Freestyle an e-mail, and called them on the next business day. They shipped a replacement immediately with instructions that when it arrived, I should return the used easel in the box that hew new easel was shipped in, and they provided a prepaid shipping label for that purpose.

So I don't complain about Freestyle.

[Ron Marshall]

I've had only excellent service from them. Better than with B+H, but forced to deal with B+H for certain items due to their selection.

[Michael Graves]

Freestyle will take back opened boxes of film and paper.

B&H won't.

Damn! NOW you tell me that. I ate two boxes of fogged Kentmere because I had opened them both. My previous experiences with other retailers dictated that I didn't have the proverbial snowflake's chance of returning them. So I didn't even try.

I'm stupid.

[scott_6029]

Nothing but great service here. And great return policy too.

[tim atherton]

okay - this should have been the first post

...Once upon a time Freeestyle had the most frustrating service set-up for shipping to Canada and I eventually stopped using them. Up until then they had been easy and efficient to use - but their customer service and policies just became more and more obtuse.

Then they eventually changed their whole customer service approach, things improved and I began using them again. But now, once more, they seem to be making things difficult again.

I ordered a batch of stuff from them and then today received the following reply

"Thank you for your order. We are unable to ship your order at this time. As part of our credit card security efforts, we verify complete credit card billing information for all international orders before shipping. As an international bank issued your credit card, this process can take from 1-7 business days, depending on how quickly your bank responds. In some cases, your bank may not provide this information. If this is the case, we will contact you with further details"

It would also seem like this is going to happen every time an order is placed...

So, I pay for a speedy shipping service, but it may actually take them several days to eventually get around to shipping the order - or they may not actually ship it at all... you have no idea apparently

So now, you don't really know if or when when the order will be shipped.

Now, I can understand issue of security and fraud in this day and age, but I have been a long time customer, am in their system, and I have used this card numerous times before to order from them - and experience this with no other vendor to dae.

With choices for ordering film getting fewer and fewer, when a dealer takes this kind of approach it just makes everything that much more frustrating.

UPDATE:

After writing a couple of frustrated emails to them, they seem to have agreed to put the order through straight away this time.

But I can't get a clear answer from them as to whether this will apply each time you order as regular customer, if you order with a different credit card, if it really takes up to 7 days or never etc.

Which just ends up making me cautious about future orders - is there the possibility it's going to sit there for several days just waiting or what? I don't really need that when I place an order for something

(I recall now that the first time I placed an international order with B&H they require a fax to confirm some details vis a vis identity - and that was it. Sorted out - quick, easy and simple)

[Nick_3536]

I got the same email Sunday afternoon when I put my order in. Tuesday morning I got an email saying it had shipped.

I know if you're in need the extra two days won't thrill you but it was only a day longer then B&H or Badger.

What would be nice is if they got together and didn't force me to order things from three different suppliers.

[Kirk Gittings]

I'm sure this is a PITA for them too. These guys are very professional and reasonable people, so these issues with international orders must have some real basis in fraud. I wish I could get some bank verification when I do ebay business out of the country! I hold my breath everytime I buy or sell something overseas.

I will pass on this thread to the management.

[Brian Ellis]

Just had a box of Harmon paper from Freestyle delivered a couple days ago with no problem. I received it a few days after ordering it. I believe it came by Priority Mail.

[kjsphotography]

I have never had a problem with Freestyle. Furthermore if you got a delivery problem it isn't Freestyle it is the carrier that delivered. Tell the delivery service not to leave it on the door step.