Bramble Berry gripe

[dibbles]

I don't mind not having a packing slip. I am also a hobbyist, so I can pretty much remember what I ordered from where. If in doubt it is easy enough for me to walk from my soaping space in the basement to the computer to check the order. If I had a business, I may well feel differently about it.

Maybe the answer would be an option for those who want a paper packing slip to be able to request that at the time the order is placed.

 

[lenarenee]

I'm glad they sent you a pre-paid shipping label, that was the right thing to do.

I order regularly from Brambleberry but have noticed a dramatic change, for the worse, in their shipping. My last order, delivered in early December, was supposed to include a 15 oz bottle of Lavender EO 40/42. It arrived in an unmarked bottle - there was a label on it, but it was blank. It did smell like lavender EO, though. The box also arrived with no packing slip or invoice.

The Brambleberry website clearly states that the Lavender 40/42 flashpoint is 150 degrees, and it has an MSDS. Shipping a product like this without a label tells me there's serious issues in their warehouse. Another telling sign is they no longer include the little 'checked by' labels on the boxes.

When I contacted Brambleberry customer service they blew it off, and suggested that the product had leaked and erased the label information. No, I looked at it under a magnifier, and there was no ink or impression anywhere on that label.

I requested a pre-paid return label so they could deal with it, but instead all they offered was to send me another label because they were 'super sure' it was Lavender 40/42. Also 'a lot of our packages ship without invoices or packing slips. We figure you can print them off yourself.'

I run a tight shop. My supplies have labels, and I write purchase, open, and expiration dates on them. I'm not interested in doing business with suppliers who can't get the basics right. Brambleberry used to be a trusted supplier that I would pay a bit extra to use, but I'm steering clear from now on.

"super sure"? That phrase gave me an image of a Valley Girl teenager rolling her eyes, chewing gum with her mouth open while flipping her hair over her shoulder.

It's simply not acceptable.

I'd be tempted to call them and ask for their lawyer's 800 number in case the mystery liquid in their UNLABELED bottle causes a reaction in one of your customers.

 

[DeeAnna]

From my (the shipper's) point of view, either everyone gets a slip or no one does. The "either-or" scenario is incredibly frustrating, speaking from experience.

On occasion, someone will place an order and ask for a special version of a packing slip to be enclosed in the package or they ask that the address label not show my company name. (Thank goodness I seldom have to deal with people expecting gift wrapping or handwritten gift cards, but that happens too.) It's extremely confusing during the best of times to deal with exceptions to the normal procedure. But during the holiday rush, it can be just awful.

 

[saratk]

When I first started ordering from Brambleberry early last year, I wasn't aware of a lot of other suppliers out there. I took their lengthy processing/shipping time + expensive postage to be the standard. Then I started ordering from different vendors and the difference is night and day. I now avoid ordering from them whenever possible.
I've also read several product reviews on their site and the customer service response (usually written next to the comment) often seems arrogant. Along the lines of "well we're the standard and you just don't know or aren't doing it right".
I think a greater focus on genuine customer service and boost in how quickly they get orders out would serve them well.

 

[MaryWaldman]

My real concern is that the product, Lavender 40/42, has an MSDS. Any product that is required to ship with a Material Safety Data Sheet is, by definition, somewhat unsafe. At any point along the long shipping journey there could have been a leak, the box would have been opened, and no one would have known what risks were involved (aside from getting overwhelmed with lavender scent) because the product was unlabeled and there was no packing slip.

I think you have to have a license to ship hazardous materials, at least you did when I worked for a chemical company.

The kicker is that I had selected a mica sample as a bonus and they forgot to include that as well.

Thank you all for this interesting discussion, perhaps I should contact Brambleberry about this. It's just that it took them 10 days to respond to me in the first place... Here's a picture of the bottle with the blank label.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Thanks for the pic, Mary. It reminds me why I don't like BB's labels... once a bit of product gets on the label, it's unreadable. I've got a couple of bottles like that of stuff I rarely use and I have to guess what's in them.