"October 27, 2009. Too bad you can't give 0 star ratings... or negative stars. We submitted our design for production in mid December of 2008. In early January we received the mock ups and gave final production in mid February, at which point we were told 3-4 weeks. For some reason, after all that communication, they didn't have our email address correct and were sending emails to some unknown recipient. March passed and we made a few calls to check our order status with no response. April came and finally we received an email response stating they had screwed up our order, but they would rush the order and ship them directly to our event site in mid April (the whole point of the order). Of course they did not show up, nor did we receive a call stating that they could not execute. In June, finally the sales manager takes the case on personally, which ought to make you feel better, BUT THEIR COLLECTIVE INEPTITUDE IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE. After guaranteeing personal attention (which was never received) and guaranteeing phone calls and a shipment (which never happened), we have apparently fallen off their radar and they don't seem to care anymore. Here is an excerpt from from our last communication from them on June 30th, 2009: "I apologize about the delay in getting back to you. I headed out to Indianapolis last week and got a bit backed up. As I expected the jerseys were not completed. After and internal investigation it appears that you were significantly mislead and I had to address my personnel issues. I find this totally unacceptable and have addressed it accordingly. I am in the process of having the jerseys completed right now but with manufactures closing the doors it is going to take me three weeks to have the jerseys completed and in your hands. The combination of poor personnel performance and economic impact on manufacturers has made a simple request for jerseys rather difficult. I will follow up with you shortly on all details and delivery." This email came OVER 4 MONTHS from our order date and they still had not even started our order??? There has been no further contact, nor do I expect that there will be in the future. I don't even think the stereotypical used car salesman would be so bold or lie so big. Save yourself the headache and hand stitch your own jerseys. Better yet, order directly from overseas. You'll be happier, I promise."
"I wore my newly purchased Gilbert Sidestep X2 rugby boots to practice on Wednesday, September tenth. During practice, the spikes ripped out of the heel of the shoe, during standard use. I called Rugby Imports to notify them of the problem and either have the boots repaired or refunded.
I was told to overnight the boots, so I would have them back for my match on Saturday. I was unable to overnight them that day, but approximately one week later, I overnighted them via USPS express mail, paying $18.65 to have the boots shipped. A few days after overnighting the boots, I called Rugby Imports to verify the boots had been received. I was very hastily told that they would notify me of any problems before I was hung up on.
I called again a few days later and spoke to Nick in customer service. Nick told me that they had not received the boots. I gave Nick the tracking number for the boots which said that they had attempted to deliver the boots, but no one was there to receive them, so the boots were at the post office awaiting pick up. Nick assured me that he would take care of this, and that I would have the boots by Monday, September 29, at the latest.
On Friday, October 3, I received the boots, unopened, with a notice from USPS saying that they attempted to deliver the boots on 20 October 2008 at 7:46 AM, but were unable to do so, so a notice was left. The tracking details (EH00 7686 098U S) confirm this.
The tracking details also show that after the notice was left, the boots waited at the post office for 12 days, until they were sent back on October 2.
I called Rugby Imports immediately after receiving the boots, and informed the telephone operator of the problem. She said I needed to speak with Nick, but he was out to lunch, and he would call me later that day. Nick never called, so I called again on Saturday the fourth. I was told by a different operator that Nick was not in, but that he would leave a message on his desk, and he would call me Monday morning.
At noon today (Monday 6 October 2008), Nick had still not returned my calls, so I called and was finally connected to Nick. Nick was extremely rude and unhelpful. He blatantly lied, telling me he never said he would take care of anything, or that I would have the boots back by a certain day. He told me that it is the post office''s fault for not leaving the boots or a notice.
When I informed him that the tracking number proves that a notice was left, he then blamed me for overnighting the boots, even though I told him that I was told to do so by a Rugby Imports employee. He kept repeating that it is not Rugby Imports responsibility to pick up a package from the post office, even if a notice was left. Nick then told me that the only thing they could do was repair the boots, so I would have to send them back again. When I told him I was unwilling to do so because of the ridiculous amount of trouble I have been through, Nick started blaming me for the trouble. I then informed him that I was disputing my charge with the credit card company and filing a complaint with the BBB and hung up.
My issue is not with the quality of the boots; it is with the horrible customer service provided by Rugby Imports. Nick avoided my calls, and when I was finally able to speak with him, he lied to me. First blaming USPS, then myself. Rugby Imports needed to pick up my boots after the notice was left, but more importantly, after I called and gave Nick the tracking number and he told me that he would take care of it.
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