Postal tale

My final purchase of 2015 which led to complications. Let me share.

The pedal itself is superb. It's an extract from a bigger pedal called the Super Duper. No issues in terms of performance.

Well this one was purchased online & shipped via Vpost. You see, before releasing this item for shipment, I received a new credit card, the details of which were not recognized by Vpost's database despite their homepage giving the customer a 'new card' option. I contacted the Vpost people who told me there might be issues with my card so I called the bank. The bank did a real-time test on my card & found nothing amiss. I believe the bank because I've been using the same card to purchase other stuff. Back to Vpost- they sang me the same tune; there are issues with my card. I told them that's rather far fetched because I've been trying 2 cards & they both failed. Obvious conclusion- there are issues with Vpost's database. I told the officer on duty maybe it might be due to a change in credit card details which led to this complication, maybe they can amend the details or let me key in the new details for processing. Their answer- Vpost does not retain card details in their database so online entries in real time should work. 

I've since left a feedback request pertaining to the matter on 24th December 2015 & it had not been resolved since then- 15 days & counting. Their first reply was awful- they mistook me for another individual but got my case number correct. I'm aware they tried to call me but my policy is this- I don't answer calls from unfamiliar numbers. A subsequent reply came in days later & it merely acknowledged the fact that my transaction was successful. Of course it was successful- I paid via PayPal, you idiots. I'm still waiting for a firm reply from Vpost pertaining to the matter. I tweeted & one of the officers replied & this, frankly, was a serious dent in their reputation- they put my query, which went through the proper channel, on hold but responded to tweets. So what does it show? 

1. If the matter had been resolved through some means, it becomes the least of worries for some commercial entities. That's right- it's settled, we don't owe you anything.

2. If you are sincere about providing services to your customers, pursue with genuine interest. The worst you can do is turning it into a service facade, being there as obligations but nothing more.

3. If your reputation (or the lack of it) is being hung up for show to the public, attend to it. If it remains private, take your time.

This is a first for me when it comes to Vpost. I prefer Vpost (in the mean time) to other third party handlers when it comes to online purchases. As it is, my belief in them is waning. I'm OK with hiccups, these happen all the time & not exclusive to the postal service. I'm a very reasonable person because I believe in any commercial transactions, there is a human element in it & keeping it cordial & sensible is the way to go. However, if your standards are rotten I foresee others receiving the same festering treatment in similar circumstances, then I make it a point to expose you.