Complaint Review: Grace Essentials

I checked out the website for Grace Essentials and it looked like a nice, small company.  The online store page boasts: "Our goal is to provide quality products and exceptional customer service." 

The shopping info section also says:

 "-- How fast is my order processed?
Fast... Once you submit your order it is sent to our shipping department. Your order will be picked, packed and shipped from our facility within 2-3 business days of receipt. Any orders received with express or overnight" shipping and was placed b/4 12 noon (est) will leave our facility the same day orders received after 12 noon will be shipped the next business day. Any RUSH orders placed on Saturday or Sunday will be shipped the following Monday"

Perhaps I should have been more wary by the fact that the owner can't even write "before", substituting instead for "b/4".  I placed my order on a Monday night, thinking it would be processed the next day.  Well, I sure did get billed fast! The charge appeared on my credit card statement the next day. 

I contacted the company to switch the shipping address at the end of the week and surprisingly, my order has NOT shipped yet.  I figured this was okay because I was going to be in the same location for the next week and a half.  I emailed to change the shipping with no response. 

I called the customer service number and the cell phone number of the manager that was listed --- finally got ahold of the manager, Mary Buttrick.  She said she was traveling to the North East & she hadn't shipped my order but would change it to the new address. 

Then I waited.. and waited.. it got to be the end of the second week and my order still hadn't shipped!  I emailed, no response.  I called the owners cell phone a few times, left voicemails, and finally caught her once more.  She promised she would ship it that night (a Thursday) as I was speaking to her in the middle of the day.  She said she's ship it Priority Mail so it would get to me Friday or Saturday.

It got to be Monday of the third week.  Emailed again, called and left voicemails again, and finally caught the owner on her cell again.  She said she'd shipped it Friday night and so it should have arrived to me.  She told me she would check the online tracking number and call me back that afternoon.

She never called back.

I emailed again that night to say how upset I was and to request a tracking number.  I called and left voicemails to request a phone call back or a response including the tracking number.  No responses.  In total, I think I emailed about 5 times and left about 4 voicemails, none of which were EVER returned.  In addition, I called the company's customer service number numerous times (20+) and got no response.

I called on the Thursday of the third week to speak to someone.  I called the customer service number once, it rang a little, and went to voicemail.  I called the managers cell phone number and it was off.  I called back to customer service and it was also off.  I called back the rest of the afternoon and wrote another email and still no response.

Finally, I have now disputed the charge with the credit card company and have been reimbursed.  I wasted 3 weeks worrying about nothing.  Do NOT trust this store.  Do NOT believe their customer service claims.  And if you need anything, don't expect to get a response. 

The whole concept of "customer service" seems to be a charade in itself.  Everything seems to go through this one woman, the owner -- Mary Buttrick.

There is no respect for customers or communication with them.  Please do not make the same mistake as me.