Back in May Catholic Artworks sent out several emails with their 30% off everything promotion. After having seen many great craft projects, coloring pages and other ideas for celebrating the liturgical year around the blogosphere using their products, I decided that that I'd order their Faith Keepers and More Faith Keepers Holy Card Makers. I was excited a few weeks later when a package arrived on my doorstep in early June. The excitement faded when I discovered only half of my order. Since Catholic Artworks failed to send me an email with my order details and also failed to include a packing slip with the order, I had to call George Nippert and ask if the rest of the order was shipping separately. I was told, a bit gruffly, that the More Faith Keepers item was on backorder.
I waited over two month before contacting George again to get an order status. First I emailed him since it says on his website that they respond within 24 hours. A week went by and I still didn't have a response. [Isn't 24 hours just 1 day?] So then I called and left a message in early August [that's two an a half months after placing the order]. George was pretty good about calling me back an hour or so later. He told me he had my package and it was shipping out later that week. Ok, great! I was happy that I was finally going to see the rest of my order.
Let's fast forward to September now, shall we? It's been nearly six weeks since George told me my package was shipping out that week. I still don't have the rest of my order. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but my recent emails and phone call have gone unanswered. Remember that 24 hour response time? Yeah, I've been waiting well over a week [nearing two] for a response to my email asking for a status on the rest of the order or a refund for that portion since the order is unfulfilled. I called and left a message for George early last week and there's been no response. Something tells me I shouldn't hold my breath.
So let me warn all of you dear readers that if you are interested in the products that Catholic Artworks has to offer you might want to think twice. If you're like me, you might not get everything you paid for and four months later you may still be wondering if you'll ever see the rest of what you ordered.
While I would have loved to have blogged a glowing review of the products offered by Catholic Artworks, I'm afraid the sketchy experience I had with their order fulfillment and customer service negate the positives of their products. After this experience and the equally poor customer service the deacon who heads up our parish's religious ed department had in dealing with this company when he placed an order, I'm afraid I simply couldn't recommend this company to anyone.
My experience with the 3 transactions I have had with George Nippert, CatholicArtworks has been deplorable!!!
ReplyDeleteMy 1st purchase was made with my credit card on the phone with George. He was delightful. That was in Sept. 2011. I did receive my order in a month. In Jan. 2012 my husband asked if I had made another purchase with Nippert in Dec. I had not but there turned out to be 3 purchases made to my credit card totaling about $300.00 made in Dec. and Jan. I tried contacting George with no response. I reported the fraud to my credit card company (who credited my account and went on to deal with the fraud themselves) and I made a report to the Better Business Bureau in Washington D.C.
I work at a Catholic Church and I really like their merchandise so foolishly I decided to give him one more chance using PayPal this time so no more charges could be made to my account. I received the order with items missing. No response to my calls or emails. I decided to send him one email a week until I received what I had ordered. After 3 months of that, I sent a very angry email demanding that I see my merchandise or a refund in one weeks time. I finally received the missing items the week.
To further confirm my foolhardy nature, I decided to place one more order totalling $18.00 for a few Advent Bulletin Board items using PayPal again. I received my order in a timely fashion but one item was incorrect. I am back to emailing him once a week until he gets it right.
Again, I really love their Catholic items that I cannot find anywhere else. My teachers love them and I love them but I will NEVER bang my head against this wall again.
I bought $163 worth of coloring books & such to give as gifts. I have been emailing for over two months about my order and have yet to get a response. I think I am just going to report the charge to my CC company. So frustrating bc I love supporting small Cathomic businesses but this is so frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you'll never see your order from them. It's been over five years now and I still never received the rest of my order.
DeleteWow, Karen, I wish I had seen this a couple of months ago. He was so cheerful and responsive when I ordered and had a question, I thought this would be a breeze. After numerous emails and phone messages went unanswered, I finally threatened to take action to recoup my money and report the website. He immediately emailed me that they are having health problems with a grown son and that my order would ship later that week. So far I haven't seen or heard from them again. So disappointing! And I will be looking into getting a refund. Any idea how to/who to report this To?
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd seen this earlier. I am on 3 months with no order....seems a crisis arises each time a customer orders....hmmm. I have contacted Facebook and soon the BBB about them. Calls and emails have not garnered any response.
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