TL;DR Below is a very recent customer service exchange with ModChipsDirect. Their website is still advertising super fast shipping from the US; and no bulk alert has been sent to customers advising unforeseen delays.
Clearly nobody will think I'm the world's nicest guy — but for those about to buy new 3DS flashcarts in the USA — this might deter you from buying at MDC.
Nov 19 - Me to MCD:
Hi,
This order was submitted on the 17th and was scheduled to ship within 1
day. It is now the 19th and no shipping has occurred. Please ship asap.
Thank you,
(My Name)
Nov 19 - MCD to Me:
We hope within 24 hours
really sorry, shipper is in Buffalo NYC, and over the last 3 days its
been snowing there like crazy, 4 + people dead, etc. Mail services shut
down.
Nov 20 - Me to MCD:
Yes, I live in New York. It’s very scary. Why aren’t they driving the
shipments to a drop off location?
Thank you,
(My Name)
Nov 20 - MCD to Me:
Because they cannot leave the house!
Nov 21 - Me to MCD:
I understand there was a disaster, but from a customer point of view —
no action was taken to alert customers with pending orders and no action
was taken to advise customers on your website. What was your company’s
strategy? To pretend it didn’t happen and write curt and uncourteous
responses to your customers?
And if your team is truly on weather related house arrest, why aren’t
they supporting your site by reaching out to customers?
I work in eCommerce, I know this game. I understand that I sound like a
dick. But guess what? I paid for something I’m not getting, and I can
get it elsewhere.
I will be reviewing this transaction on Reddit and GBATemp.
Please fulfill or forego my purchase.
Nov 22 - MCD to Me:
Hi,
You do sound like a dick, but I can understand your frustration. You are
not covered in snow, and your neighbour isn’t in a coma so there is
nothing in front of you to really be compassionate about the situation.
Its hard to know what is happening the next day with mail services when
the weather is so unpredictable.
If you want to cancel your order let me know.
Nov 23 - Me to MCD:
Calm down. I survived Sandy. Your highways are already open, your storm is already over. Sandy caused NYC $65 Billion in damage — people were running around my neighborhood screaming for food in lower Manhattan. BTW — since I didn’t care enough to point it out before, Buffalo NYC is not a place. I’m not sure what country you are in, but by your grammar and unfamiliarity with New York I suspect you're somewhere in Asia. And I suspect you aren’t covered in snow either.
Upstate New Yorkers are very firm in differentiating themselves from NYC. The majority of New York State’s population is NOT in NYC, and they would prefer if you knew that. That’s just a fun fact for you.
Also; I’m not upset that you aren’t fulfilling orders. I’m upset that your business isn’t communicating with your customers when you are so clearly able to. Instead of using this time to save face — or even get donations for Snowing relief — you’re just being rude.
Stop crying and cancel my order. Or fulfill it. Ship it or cancel it. I’ve already asked.
And here are some thing you can put on your site; since you clearly are having a tough time envisioning it:
“Hi, US based orders are currently affected by severe weather patterns near our fulfillment centers, this has caused delays and we are unaware when orders can ship again. If you’d like to donate to relief for Buffalo, NY please visit [americanredcross / whatever]”
And please don’t ask again what I want. I have answered you. If you can’t ship it, cancel it. No hard feelings.
Clearly nobody will think I'm the world's nicest guy — but for those about to buy new 3DS flashcarts in the USA — this might deter you from buying at MDC.
Nov 19 - Me to MCD:
Hi,
This order was submitted on the 17th and was scheduled to ship within 1
day. It is now the 19th and no shipping has occurred. Please ship asap.
Thank you,
(My Name)
Nov 19 - MCD to Me:
We hope within 24 hours
really sorry, shipper is in Buffalo NYC, and over the last 3 days its
been snowing there like crazy, 4 + people dead, etc. Mail services shut
down.
Nov 20 - Me to MCD:
Yes, I live in New York. It’s very scary. Why aren’t they driving the
shipments to a drop off location?
Thank you,
(My Name)
Nov 20 - MCD to Me:
Because they cannot leave the house!
Nov 21 - Me to MCD:
I understand there was a disaster, but from a customer point of view —
no action was taken to alert customers with pending orders and no action
was taken to advise customers on your website. What was your company’s
strategy? To pretend it didn’t happen and write curt and uncourteous
responses to your customers?
And if your team is truly on weather related house arrest, why aren’t
they supporting your site by reaching out to customers?
I work in eCommerce, I know this game. I understand that I sound like a
dick. But guess what? I paid for something I’m not getting, and I can
get it elsewhere.
I will be reviewing this transaction on Reddit and GBATemp.
Please fulfill or forego my purchase.
Nov 22 - MCD to Me:
Hi,
You do sound like a dick, but I can understand your frustration. You are
not covered in snow, and your neighbour isn’t in a coma so there is
nothing in front of you to really be compassionate about the situation.
Its hard to know what is happening the next day with mail services when
the weather is so unpredictable.
If you want to cancel your order let me know.
Nov 23 - Me to MCD:
Calm down. I survived Sandy. Your highways are already open, your storm is already over. Sandy caused NYC $65 Billion in damage — people were running around my neighborhood screaming for food in lower Manhattan. BTW — since I didn’t care enough to point it out before, Buffalo NYC is not a place. I’m not sure what country you are in, but by your grammar and unfamiliarity with New York I suspect you're somewhere in Asia. And I suspect you aren’t covered in snow either.
Upstate New Yorkers are very firm in differentiating themselves from NYC. The majority of New York State’s population is NOT in NYC, and they would prefer if you knew that. That’s just a fun fact for you.
Also; I’m not upset that you aren’t fulfilling orders. I’m upset that your business isn’t communicating with your customers when you are so clearly able to. Instead of using this time to save face — or even get donations for Snowing relief — you’re just being rude.
Stop crying and cancel my order. Or fulfill it. Ship it or cancel it. I’ve already asked.
And here are some thing you can put on your site; since you clearly are having a tough time envisioning it:
“Hi, US based orders are currently affected by severe weather patterns near our fulfillment centers, this has caused delays and we are unaware when orders can ship again. If you’d like to donate to relief for Buffalo, NY please visit [americanredcross / whatever]”
And please don’t ask again what I want. I have answered you. If you can’t ship it, cancel it. No hard feelings.