Beware! Delays & poor customer service - June 2020
This is a review of PADI Gear EU, the PADI affiliate selling clothing & gear in the UK and Europe:
I agree with previous review about dispatch timeframes given online by PADI Gear. If only I had known!
Ordered eco-facemask (made of recycled marine plastics with inserted PM2.5 filters) with estimated dispatch stated as around 27 April. Full payment taken on day of purchase but product only arrived 1 June!
PADI Gear made no unprompted attempt to update or advise the customer of supply chain issues or other problems delaying delivery of the product.
After no news 2-3 weeks after purchase, I emailed customer service. (Be warned: they have no phone number, just an email address.) Then they promptly replied explaining there were delays and they would email on shipping soon. I then waited another 2 weeks, no product received & with no further update from PADI Gear. I followed up with another email. A reply came a couple days later explaining a global shortage of PM2.5 filters to be the cause of the delay as well as social distancing measures for the business, and that product would be shipped 'soon'. I had to reply requesting an actual estimated delivery date or I would request a full refund.
Miraculously, I got a positive reply that shipment would be imminent. Product finally arrived 1 June.
A far better and simple service approach for lengthy product-wide delays is for the shop to send updates *before* customers have to ask (repeatedly)!
As a customer I am quite understanding given the current Covid-19 pandemic business & supply chain effects. But there is little excuse for misinformation (dispatch time frames) and terrible customer care (re. no updates on delays). Money paid to a business adds to the interest in their business bank account, not yours. So when there are unexplained lengthy delays and this level of service, it's really not fair.
In all, although the delivered face mask product is suitable, I cannot recommend any purchase from PADI Gear at the moment.
This is a shame as I only made the purchase based on good experiences via PADI dive certifications over the years. Thought this would be a trustworthy company.
2 de junio de 2020
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