Karst Sports????

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Karst Sports????

Postby self-deleted_user » Apr 28, 2011 4:48 pm

Does anyone know if Karst Sports got hit? I'm not sure where they are, although their site has a mailing address for WV.

I have a problem since I ordered on Tuesday morning (and they said it would be shipped same day since it was in before 2pm) and got an email on Wednesday at 6:30pm that they don't have the right pantin in stock and it will be back in stock and shipped Friday or Monday. Well, that's a problem...I also got what I needed to edit my chest harness and I leave Thursday morning 6am to fly to TAG next week so I need stuff here in my hands Tuesday. I figured a WEEK order time was plenty, any basic shipping gets here by then, but they wasted two shipping days before notifying me, and they have yet to return my phone calls or emails. I can't order with someone else, because I don't want to have to buy from them as well. I can't get a hold of them to find out what is going on and if I'll have it in time or not though!

I'm really frustraited...I'm hoping their total lack of service (waiting 2 days to notify me? it's been another day and they have yet to return any phone calls or emails?) is due to extenuating circumstances like being totally without power (but why is their phone line and answering machine working then?).

But dang, I still need my stuff!! And I need to know what's going on!! It's not like we have an REI or something here that bothers to carry this stuff. We have camping gear, snowshoes, and skiis are our REI. They don't even carry women's hiking boots, that's how pathetic it is.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby boogercaver71 » Apr 28, 2011 8:54 pm

Amy

I always had great service with Karst Sports. Is it possible to cancel your order with them and have someone take you to One Rope in Chattanooga? Hope you get it worked out.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby self-deleted_user » Apr 28, 2011 9:07 pm

That's the thing - I can't even reach them to cancel the order!!! Which is what I want to do if they can't fill it in time, but at this point it's getting to be too late, but I'd be better off stopping yeah directly to OR1 or even the REI in Atlanta probably carries stuff in stock (that is a freakin' awesome REI). I don't want to end up paying twice, obviously.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby NZcaver » Apr 29, 2011 3:09 am

I've always had great luck with IMO, but most serious caving vendors (like KS) are all generally pretty good with their customer service. Like you said, some emergency may have distracted them.

I'd offer to loan you my Pantin, but it probably wouldn't make it to you in time to be of use.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby Tim White » Apr 29, 2011 8:02 am

Sorry but you will not find a Pantin at ANY of the REI stores in the Atlanta area. They just don't carry cave gear. I'd suspect that Karst Sports may be at VAR along with IMO and ON1 this weekend.

IMO is less than an hour out of Atlanta and OR1 is easy to get to if you are caving in the Chattanooga area.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby Scott McCrea » Apr 29, 2011 8:14 am

IMO is at VAR. OR1 is at MVOR. KS doesn't do events anymore.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby self-deleted_user » Apr 29, 2011 8:28 am

Well I have an *email* back this morning that simply said, "If you would like to pay for the 2nd day or overnight shipping we can ship it that way. Until it arrives in our warehouse we can not get it shipped out."

...so did it come in today, Friday? Or is it going to be Monday? I know they offer free standard shipping which is why I went with them to save almost $15, but this horrible lack of service frankly I think I should get 2day shipping free so it gets here on time. And they didn't even bother saying how much 2day shipping would be. So now I get to try and contact them again (because this first time the communication went *so well*) and find out what is going on. :doh:

Yeah. Okay so they have power, they have internet, they aren't at MVOR, I can't see any excuse for this. For an order placed Tuesday that was early enough to by their own rules go out on Tuesday, for it to be Friday and still basically no communication or solution determined...yeah, that's almost a full week shipping-wise wasted that I could have taken my business elsewhere. And apparently I can't cancel my order because I asked about that and nothing was said. I also asked to be called back so we could actually.../talk/ and figure out what to do, but apparently that is too hard as well.

Definitely never ordering from them again. In future, I'll pay the freakin' $14 shipping and use OR1 since they were great before.

But of course with OR1 and IMO being at MVOR, it would be Monday before they ship anything at this point too.

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions. The *worst* bit is that I really need to edit my chest harness and I can't find the little bit of webbing I had from it and now I remember I left it at Aaron's since his kids were playing with it and I figured I'd never have use for that short of piece, haha. So I need my order to fix it, and I want to make sure it's all done right how I want it *before* I leave. I can just basic frog if I don't have the pantin. Sucks since I really wanted to get on rope before going too and practice *with* it since I haven't done it much.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby self-deleted_user » Apr 29, 2011 8:47 am

OH hey someone was actually there to pick up the phone :yikes:

Apparently they didn't get my order through their system until 2:30 which is after 2:00 cut off time, and the dude who was answering emails stuff going on at home and so that's why I didn't find out until after they closed on Wednesday...no explanation for no replies yesterday (thursday) they arent willing to eat the cost for 2day shipping to get it here on time - I get extenuating circumstances like dude with home stuff going on being in charge of email but then...that is still their company's fault...

She's going to email me today around noon to let me know if it came in on today's shipment or not, she said standard shipping to get up to MI is 2-3 days so it would be here Tuesday assuming it comes in today which if it does she will make sure it gets shipped today.

But if not, I may as well cancil the order since they aren't willing to ship it faster and I can just beg David to stop off at OR1 or IMO or wherever. I'm sure we'd get near-ish to Chatanooga I don't know where things are down there yet to be honest xD (doing Signal Light, Snail Shell, Limerock, and Steven's Gap is the plan, oh I guess Pipeside too) but don't ask me *where* to find any of those :rofl: actually I have directions and surveys for them somewhere.

I *think* my REI has 15 and 30 ft precut prepackaged webbing (it's like the one thing they do carry in their climbing section I think, all 3ft of one side of a isle >_<) so I'll stop off there on my way home today and see if they have some in red if I have to cancel my Karst Sports order. I think Moosejaw has some webbing too I could check there, but iirc they only carry black. It's not like there is much demand for it around here.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby caverdoug » Apr 29, 2011 1:32 pm

All,

This is Doug with Karst Sports. First off I'll appologize for any inconveniences with our service over the past few days. I'm actually sitting in the hospital with my wife who is going to be having our 2nd child in the next few days.

Please email me directly at doug@karstsports.com with your name and order number and I will make sure any issues are resolved.

As far as pantin's, I know we have been out of the right petal for a few days but we do have the Kong and CMI versions available if either of those will do.

-Doug Moore
Owner Karst Sports - On the web at http://www.karstsports.com - Phone 800-734-2851
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby self-deleted_user » Apr 29, 2011 4:14 pm

I just got an email that it shipped this afternoon so it should get here in time.

Good luck w/the newbie on the way!
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby wyandottecaver » Apr 29, 2011 4:48 pm

Amy,

Should this be in the Rant Thread :big grin:

Also, I'm shocked you didn't go to your normal gear supplier.....Jansen :tonguecheek:
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby self-deleted_user » Apr 29, 2011 5:03 pm

Haha no since I was originally posting to find out if they were hit by the storms, which would explain all the delays. And I figured it is equipment...so peeps would see it here? haha.

A bit ago, Jansen said he has a pantin but isn't ready to part with it yet. Or I would go with him as he is a great provider of good gear! I tried that already. :tonguecheek:

PS hey when are we gonna meet? I've been caving in Indiana two weekends now! Do I scare you that much??! =P
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby wyandottecaver » Apr 29, 2011 5:19 pm

LOL,

No, just bad timing. I had intended to make the Beck's Mill trip but had car issues. I have been to Shilo and didn't wanna bump anyone since its a limited trip. Also, last weekend our grotto did a work day preparing for our annual "HogFest" that is the weekend of May 5th. This weekend is the Indiana Caving Symposium...where I will be one of the speakers and I have been preparing the data and powerpoint for that.

I'm sure it will work out eventually. Unless you move to TAG...in that case why would you come to Indiana :tonguecheek:
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby scrambler » Apr 29, 2011 5:19 pm

My first impression was...are you serious?!?! Why did you wait until a week before you were scheduled to leave before you ordered your gear? Mother Nature has a nasty way of getting in the way of emergency shipments, especially in the spring time. You were lucky that they didn't get hit by bad weather, etc. As we now learned, if it isn't Mother Nature, it could be due to human error. In this case, Doug has a small life altering event about to occur. I think the birth of his child might take priority... and in the process, the communications between him and his employees may have become a bit hazy. I can assure you that they have now correct this and will provide better customer service to those who need their hand held a bit more.

I've always had wonderful luck with Karst Sports. They have always been prompt in returning messages and taking my suggestions, such as changing their shipping company when FedEx attempted to hijack my order. When novices ask me where to buy their gear from, Karst Sports is always my first recommendation, and will continue to be my first recommendation. I have bought from all of the large caving vendors in the U.S. at one point in time or another, but Karst is the only ones who are consistantly happy to help out. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but ranting on this thread didn't seem appropriate since some of the fault is yours in waiting so long to order your gear.

I hope you have a wonderful trip and your critical piece of equipment makes it to you in time.
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Re: Karst Sports????

Postby self-deleted_user » Apr 29, 2011 5:50 pm

I know shit happens with orders sometimes, such is life. How things are handled are what tell me if the company is one I like or not. I've had order troubles before many a time over the years with various things. Some companies the time and way and fashion it was dealt with I didn't like and won't use again. Sometimes, things are dealt with well and those are the ones I stick with for sure because I know if something goes wrong they'll get it fixed right. 'Tis how things are. Like once, I ordered some rabbitry supplies and they were out of the widemouth 32oz waterbottles I ordered so they called me and told me and said they had missprinted 32oz waterbottles they could send me instead (they printed logos and such on waterbottles for people/other companies) for half the price if I didn't want to wait. Heck yeah! haha. I don't care that my waterbottles had some random rabbit printed on them, they were cuter actually.

Anyway, like I posted, they got it out today =) so it will get here in time (arrival on Tuesday).

Including the totally non necessary but helpful to have bit of gear...PURPLE webbing. Everyone says to carry webbing so heck I got 30ft :D PURPLE oh yeah! :bananabat: if I didn't like a rainbow of colors so much I'd just make *all* my cave gear purple somehow. With lime green and orange as accents.
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