A very UNFORTUNATE experience...

[angerli]

Hi, lads and lassies...

I am sorry to say that I've had a very unsavoury experience with The Scottish Store online (www.scottishstore.com). I ordered my 8-yard tank - MacNicol Dress Red - from them on February 17. I also ordered matching flashes and a "The Kilter" luggage. Well, the kilt (no flashes) arrived yesterday, and the luggage is still in limbo. Hmmm...that's a far cry from "10-12 weeks" which they quote on their site.

In the ensuing six months, I've had a number of phone calls to them. Generally, they've been polite and as the order drug on, full of abject apologies about how the mills just take their sweet time when a rarer tartan is involved. Three weeks ago, they advised that my kilt was in hand, finished, and they were putting in the basting threads and I'd have it "in 10-14 days via Air Mail". It arrived well packaged, without flashes. I called this morning and a young lady stonewalled me when I asked to speak with Colin, her partner. In fact, she was rather rude, totally devoid of any sense of compassionate Customer Service skill.

I wanted to hold on the phone, which I actually did for 15 minutes (that's gonna cost me...). She got pretty upset with me because I was hogging their sales line! I kept my politest cool. She told me rudely that she knows all about my 6-month order and that my flashed will be mailed separately. I did say that I was unwilling to wait another six months for them. We parted company with no information as to WHEN my luggage was sent; Colin told me three weeks ago that it was going to be shipped DHL on account of its weight. So, I still don't know when, or if, I shall see that.

Lads and Lassies, I must warn you about The Scottish Store online. I have been shabbily treated, never ONE e-mail about my 6-month wait (e-mails were always promised). I bought my tank (as nice as it is, although it has no label. Maybe this seller isn't proud of their work? It IS well-made, BTW). as they had the best price AND could do the MacNicol Dress Red in 16 ounce Strome.

PLEASE avoid these people, gang and save yourselves a LOT of worry.

[cessna152towser]

Sounds like the lady you spoke with on the 'phone needs to be sent on a customer relations course as she's obviously a liability to the company. No wonder you are angry, Angerli.

[Robin]

Not nice!

[Big Paul]

Sorry to hear of your rough time.

[GreenDragon]

just piss poor custome service.

[MacTavishOfJapan]

How to ruin the joy of buying a kilt. Sorry to hear of your troubles with them.

Maybe once everything's cleared up you can point them at this forum (thread) and tell them their 'reputation' has just been trashed with a large group of international kilties. You'd hope they'd learn.

[angerli]

Hi, Lads and Lassies!

I received an e-mail from, I presume, the lady I spoke with at The Scottosh Store. The text, unedited, is:

"I hope you mentioned how rude you were to me and how I took all of your details and all of the details that I gave to you were not acceptable and how you felt that my solid replies were not good enough and that you wanted to speak to more people and get the same reply but from a male.. I do hope you let all know that. I will not be reading your posting since I know what you stated to me on the phone and I know what my reply was. I do hope you mentioned that. However, I certainly hope that you were truthful in your comments because I would not hesitate to travel home to take you to court for slander. Good Day."

Not only was I NOT rude to her, I was calm and kindly and most polite! Imagine - my order's more than six months old, incomplete, and the seller is so arrogant as to threaten me with slander? Wow...maybe this is a first for an XMarks-er? Poor dear...she really needs The Lord!

[Kilted KT]

Hi, Lads and Lassies!

I received an e-mail from, I presume, the lady I spoke with at The Scottosh Store. The text, unedited, is:

"I hope you mentioned how rude you were to me and how I took all of your details and all of the details that I gave to you were not acceptable and how you felt that my solid replies were not good enough and that you wanted to speak to more people and get the same reply but from a male.. I do hope you let all know that. I will not be reading your posting since I know what you stated to me on the phone and I know what my reply was. I do hope you mentioned that. However, I certainly hope that you were truthful in your comments because I would not hesitate to travel home to take you to court for slander. Good Day."

Not only was I NOT rude to her, I was calm and kindly and most polite! Imagine - my order's more than six months old, incomplete, and the seller is so arrogant as to threaten me with slander? Wow...maybe this is a first for an XMarks-er? Poor dear...she really needs The Lord!

slander only applies to lies. Telling the truth is not illegal.

I will DEFINITLY not be visiting that site for any reason. That kind of arrogance and poor customer service is completely unacceptable.

[cessna152towser]

Her latest e-mail serves only to re-inforce poor customer attitude. The word gets around and companies who take this attitude with a customer end up having to close up shop. I have only once had a similar experience (with mail order of model trains, not kilts), when I reported a company to the Advertising Standards Authority and the magazine they were advertising in. In the event neither decided to take any action but I received a very nasty letter from the company falsely accusing me of telling lies about them. The company closed down a few months later.

[MacTavishOfJapan]

Absolutely shocking and would appear to irradicate any doubt about the level of customer service they offer. Shame.

They have been defended by previously satisified customers in this thread but she's gone and wrecked that in my opinion.