earthpak: great idea, crappy company
and waited…
and waited…
i started to get really concerned about two weeks ago, when i realized that i really needed the laptop bag for biz trip i’m taking in a few days. So i called…
and called…
and emailed…
and called…
BIG FAT NOTHING!!!!
it wasn’t until i filed a claim with paypal that someone finally answered the phone (odd coincidence)… no one could seem to help me, nor tell me when my order would be delivered… so i asked to speak with the owner, scott figueiredo, who i’d been emailing for weeks. he wouldn’t come to the phone, but the “customer service” gal PROMISED me that the laptop bag would be sent out by last friday or else she’d overnight it monday.
fast forward to yesterday, when – huge surprise – nothing’s arrived. i called three times and finally got someone on the line. imagine my surprise when she (natalie, i believe) tells me that, no, my order still sitting in limbo land. ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
so i ask for my money to back… this gal has no clue and claims to have just started working there. So i ask for someone else… another woman “shauna” (sp?) comes on, puts me on hold three or four times… and then forgets about me. natalie comes back on and i ask to speak with shauna, who “tries” to connect me with the owner by holding his cell phone up to her landline phone. f-in brilliant (and, silly me, i used to wonder how in the world G-dumb got elected… TWICE!).
finally i just tell her i want my $207. 96 back… she tells me that only scott can take care of this… so i respond that if it’s not refunded w/in 24 hours, i’m hitting small claims court… it’s no longer about the dang money… i wasted HOURS trying to help keep them in business…
by late last night, earthpak had refunded $206 of the $207.96 i gave them…any idea how much i want to go after them for that remaining $1.96? brreaaaaattthhhheeee…
honestly, this was the WORST online retail experience i’ve ever had… and it’s just a dang shame because legitimate companies working hard to do the right thing are getting screwed because of people like these guys… nice job, earthpak!
28 comments:
just sent the company a message that i'd never be buying from them.
so sympathetic about this...i miss good customer service.
I am having the same issue. I asked about a price discrepancy on their website but ordered anyway. No response to my inquiry, no confirmation of order, paypal payment hit my account, and my order is "pending" after 10 days....
oh.. i hear ya, gjw06! just wait until you actually get hold of someone... then they'll come up with all sorts of excuses, lie to you about getting your order out to you asap... promise that "Scott" the owner will "call you right back" (which he never does)... and then have the nerve to wonder why you're upset...
my advice, file a claim with paypal asap and just get your moolah back (if you have a paypal account, you can file online. if you don't, you're going to have to call paypal and hassle em a bit to get them to do it... but they will)
good luck and let me know how it goes...
--kristen
Thanks Kristen, I just filed the claim with paypal. It really is too bad that the situation is the way it is, I was hoping to buy a bag made in US and the recycled material was a bonus. Surely somebody could take over this company and run it properly and make a nice profit too!
So Pay Pal investigated and resolved complaint in my favor, however, they are sorry but they can not recover my funds. I wonder if they are still processing payments to Earthpak?
Did you talk to someone at PayPal? If you paid through your account, I'm aghast that they wouldn't recover the funds... If you paid through PP by credit card, it's going to take some hasseling... Keep working at it... It's just not right!
I am so agreed w. your experience: thought it would be great to not buy from China, and buy back-to-school bags for my teenagers that were made from recycled pop bottles. NO customer service, no bags; paid for one w/ cc, the other one w/ debit, and looks like I may get $ back via Washington Mutual bank. Honestly, this is just sad that we can't have a US company hold up some standard of production and service. Makes me think I should go into business of producing them my self; anyone on? Cynthia & Hanna
I am having the same problem! After ordering from the, Aug 15th -order still pending!!! Many calls later, no answer to where my pack is . . . but it is too late to get my money back from Paypal - it is over 45 days!!! yuck!!!
well, all... it appears earthpak is belly up... its site has been down a while. i'm not surprised (as that is exactly what i told the unhelpful gals answering the phone was going to happen), but i'm bummed that it seems a LOT of people got taken by this scam... you know... IF they really are out of biz (and they didn't file for bankruptcy), scott the owner would most likely be liable... i'm not a vengeful person, but i'd go after what's rightfully mine...
I just filled a claim with PayPal too. I ordered a backpack on August 27th and have repeatedly asked for more information about our order. I received a terse email for Scott asking me to be patient....I then asked for a refund. Their s is down and no one answers their phone. I have never been scammed like this before! It looks like PayPal is still considering them 'Verified'!
Thanks for getting the word out!
Same thing happened to me. However, their site is still up. I wonder if paypal would still accept payments. I was told by Paypal there is no money for a refund. I am so pissed. Can you file small claims from out of state??? Grrrrrrr.....
dang... i'm sorry! (especially sorry that the earthpak site is still up, as more people are being sucked into its vortex)...
first off, i'd go back to paypal and *demand* reimbursement... isn't the whole dang point of using paypal is that its "verified" and that it's a secure way to buy online?
second, if paypal won't help you (i really had to b**ch up a storm to get paypal to act), find out if it is still dealing with earthpak and, if so, WHY?????
last, call earthpak... EVERY DAY... it took about a week or so of me doing this (along with a few, very serious, threats of legal action) to get them to give in...
do NOT give up... please, please, please... do not reward a shady company like this by letting it get away with ripping you off!
good luck!!!!
kmt
This is sad. I ordered twice from them about a year ago. It took about 3 weeks to get my items and was 110% satisfied (if that's even possible) with their products. Even back then the customer service was pretty much non-existent but I didn't mind. It is depressing that they've hit the wall since then. It looks like their website got rid of all of the negative reviews and ratings they were getting because of this. If EarthPak and PayPal won't help you, has anyone tried contacting the Texas Attorney General and filing a consumer complaint?
GREAT NEWS!
All the above comments are classic with an underfunded, poorly managed company. There is new funding and new business management being put in place as I write. All old complaints are being addressed as this company is being rebuilt. Every existing order is being addressed.
You all got it right - a great concept and rather good products. Look for a complete change as they gear up and get everything new in place. Please be patient and look for good things during the first quarter in 2008
you know, i'd give the above comment more credence if it weren't posted anonymously. also, when everyone who's been ripped off by earthpak has been reimbursed, *then* i'll look forward to something...
Hey all. I know it's easy to jump on the negative bandwagon when a company is having problems. I ordered a backpack from Earthpak in August and POLITELY called after not receiving anything after 2 months. I knew that they were having production problems, and wasn't in a huge hurry to get my La Original pack. I spoke with Scott (founder), who was polite to me in return, and he was honest in telling me they have been overwhelmed with orders and just can't complete them as promised. Now I agree, they really should be notifying their customers what the wait time will be, where they are in production etc., PRIOR to ordering so there are no surprises. So I waited another 6 weeks, and called back again. I spoke with a VERY helpful woman, I'll not post her name, who confirmed that they are embarrased themselves at their inability to fulfill orders. The founder is no longer the business manager, they have hired a professional to turn this great company around, in terms of production and order fulfillment. I asked her if I really am ever going to get my backpack, and she promised me that she could take care of it and would have one shipped out that week. Well guess what? I RECEIVED MY LA ORIGINAL THE NEXT WEEK AS PROMISED!!!!!!! Maybe being kind/understanding paid off?!! Let me tell you, it is an AWESOME product. The fabric is great, sturdy but soft, almost cloth-like. The finish work is very good, this coming from someone who owns everything from fannypacks to expedition packs from TNF, Arc'teryx, Osprey, Gregory, Dana, Deuter, REI etc. etc. And the difference between Earthpak and the other small, US pack manufacturers such as Tough Traveler, is that these packs are actually PRICED well, the same as any cheap import pack. You can't beat that combination, in my mind. My La Original was for my schoolage child and he loves it. My opinion is that this product is SO important to recycling and to US manufacturing, that we really need to give these guys some credit and our support. They're doing something that all the above mentionned companies have given up long ago; PRODUCE A QUALITY, AFFORDABLE INNOVATIVE PRODUCT IN THE NORTH AMERICA, USING RECYCLED MATERIALS!! (I know, Arc'teryx still builds some good stuff in Canada. And don't get me started on why a pack produced in China by some of these companies sells for $400!) I hope part of Earthpak's immediate plan is to be forthcoming with their customers on shipping times etc. If you need a bag next week, you'll be disappointed. But if you need an affordable quality product, that was domestically made, using "green" technology, then buy from these guys. CALL the company first, ASK when they think they can honestly get you a bag, and BE PATIENT. WHEN you get your pack, you won't be disappointed! IMHO! :)
How can you not be negative when I paid them almost $80 back in AUGUST 2007 and as yet have not heard a word from them. Paypal has finally stopped accepting payments to their account.
i agree, gjw06. so, dikirasu, if you went out for nice dinner, paid up front and then sat there for 8 to 10 hours without getting your meal, you're saying you'd be just fine with that...? wow.
sorry, i just didn't have that kind of time, i needed the backpack sometime before my 10-year-old graduates from high school.
i also have to chuckle at dikirasu's emphasis on POLITE... quite the ASSUMPTION that we all called up two days after we ordered and screamed at them... i didn't lose my patience until i was lied to, time and again... "next week"... "it will be in the mail tomorrow"... blah, blah, blah...
and when tried to communicate with scott, not once did he pick up the phone, call me back or respond to any of my emails...
so dikirasu, since your profile is not public, i'm giving very little credence to your experience (which you tell with such zeal)... smells to me like another earthpak "plant" trying to do damage control (and, from this PR gal's POV, you're doing a cruddy job... but i'd expect nothing less for ya'll)... point is, stop using my blog for your spin. if you don't ID yourself legitimately from here on out, i'm deleting the post.
wheee! :)
Well Kristen, what do you know... This past Friday, Jan 25 my bag arrived from Earthpak! It's been a little over 5 months since I ordered. The bag is nice, a bit larger than I thought, but it will work. I just wish that there had been some communication from the company while I was waiting.
Given my experience, eventhough the bag seems to be of good quality, I don't think I would seriously consider a repeat order.
gjw06...
yay! i'm glad earthpak *finally* came through... i'm sorry you went through so much crud to get it, tho... and i'm still not planning on trying again anytime soon... but, hopefully, they'll get their act together enough to repair the damage to their reputation...
cheers!
k
I was too late to get a paypal refund. This is the first time I've ever been screwed over by a non-local company, and I'm so disappointed. I really wanted to buy a backpack (for my kid) made of recycled plastic bottles. This experience makes me very leery of ordering online again unless I can find very convincing evidence that the company is legitimate. Too bad I didn't find your blog sooner.
About 2-3 years ago I bought an EartchPak Queso backpack from the University of Texas Student COOP here in Austin. I had heard of the company before this and was glad that I could actually find something GREEN in a store. Well, the pack held up great. I still use and love it! Sturdy clothlike material (can withstand a bio students massive texts) and stylish design. I was about to try and order an Earthpak messenger bag from my bf until I saw this blog. I've never ordered online from them, and after reading these horror stories it doesn't look like I'm going to.
Its a shame that their customer service sucks so bad bc they actually make a really nice bag. I'm glad that I've been able to enjoy my pack w/o all the headache you all have been through. I really hope they get it together.
consider me adding to the list!... i had an extremely similar experience... thanks for inspiring me to attempt to file with paypal and see if i can get my money back!
colin
I think it is so unfortunate that companies with such great concepts can fail so much! Although I didn't have a bad experience from this website - I have been wounded in the past by similar companies (www.greenculture.com - DON'T DO IT - IT WILL BE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS EARTHPAK). Companies have the potential to really do so much good and be incredibly lucrative, but unfortunately, they make everyone look bad when they can't bring in the right leaders and really pull it together.
I ran into a similar situation with the paypal not able to refund, after the nightmare customer service. However! I did receive the bag after about 3-4 months.
and it's a great bag, very happy with the quality and design.
Honestly, if I would have been informed upfront that they were going to ignore me until the bag shipped in 3 months, I'd have been OK with that.
They need a separate retail division with some care and they could be doing Timbuk2-level business.
So it has come to my attention that Earthpak has not been meeting its customer demands. I would like to present Ecologic Designs and its Green Guru Gear all made in the US from the highest percentage of reclaimed, recycled and renewable materials. We are an eco and socially friendly company from the ground up. Co-Op America certified and 3rd party verified as an A+ manufacture on the Global Reporting Iniative. We have bags and accesories made from recycled watterbottles, billboards, inner tubes, climbing ropes and more. Check it out and we promise you will recieve your green gear as it is promised.
www.GreenGuruGear.com
303-258-1611
Thanks,
Davidson Lewis
President
Ecologic Designs, Inc.
My company actually placed large orders with EP for packs we used in workshops and we were always pleased with the company until the summer of 2007 when everything fell apart. We actually paid an invoice to the company for shotty work while it appears many of you were trying to get refunds, Doe anyone have any idea what happened to the company? This was a great idea.
I ordered from Earthpak for the 2008-2009 school year. It took 6 months for me to get my back pack and it wasn't even the right color. They refused to make it right or give me any money back. I own an organic company and if I ever treated my customers the was I was treated, I would be out of business. I wouldn't recommend buying from them.
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