"I normally buy from Emerson Ecologics, but after Natural Partners sent me three spam emails in one day offering deep discounts, I placed an order. This was despite my previous bad experiences with them.

The company was founded by one of the original officers of PetSmart and perhaps as a result, Natural Partners employees are encouraged to bring their pets to work. I have received products from them that were covered in animal fur. Their website once featured an interior photo of the company warehouse, which looked filthy, including stains on the floor. Contrast this with Emerson Ecologics, which is NSF certified to distribute refrigerated and frozen medical products, that absolutely must be stored and shipped in compliance with extremely strict standards, for not only hygiene, but also temperature and humidity.

In my experience, actually receiving an order from Natural Partners that is fulfilled accurately is a rarity. In fact, they typically manage to screw up their efforts to fix an original error, which usually requires yet another attempt to correct their correction, which is sometimes also wrong. A few years ago, the company experienced an expansion, when they created their Conflict Resolution Department, in an attempt to manage the consequences of their own *.

The Natural Partners website once featured a photograph of a member of their executive management team who appeared to be a *, wearing three neckties. This represents the level of professionalism and competency that anyone who does business with them can expect.

So, after being barraged with spam emails, I placed my order. A short time later, instead of receiving an order verification, I got an email stating that Natural Partners had not yet received my credentials, which they required to be on file and approved, before orders could be processed. This is despite me meeting all their requirements and being a customer for a decade!

After experiencing the abject * of Natural Partners through the years, I have a pretty good idea why I received this email. They probably were caught by manufacturers selling large volumes of products to * players who then channeled these goods into the grey market. Now, they're reacting to outrage from their suppliers by targeting customers who obviously couldn't be involved in this activity. This is typical of the * way Natural Partners operates.

Upon receiving the first email, I called to speak with the Compliance Specialist who demanded my papers, but was told this individual didn't have telephone access, which apparently means this function has been outsourced. Three days later, I have received an email message informing me that my order has been canceled. But, I still have the opportunity to comply with their requirements, which I have already been in compliance with for a decade. They also apologize for the inconvenience of tying up my credit balance with a pre-approval for the entire amount of my order. In addition, at such time as I decide to become compliant, I can place my order again, without the discount offered on the original order, of course.

If you love drama, you will absolutely love Natural Partners! If you love relying on business partners who are *, overbearing *, you will love Natural Partners! Or, you can just buy from Emerson Ecologics, instead.

* Redacted to avoid a libel lawsuit."