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When people have email contacts on their business websites and then don't answer when you send them messages.

In the past week I have sent emails to 3 dealers with enquiries that would likely to have led them to doing business.

None have replied. sign01

I will be taking my business elsewhere>

Mike

I feel your pain. If they aren't going to monitor their inbox, they shouldn't bother to put the email address on their site.

I know plenty of old-school traders who just have a phone number on their websites - doesn't do any harm.

Same has happened to me with a well known firearms dealer and also with a very well known ammunition supplier.

Happens to us all I think

There's a company that many on here have used that has some 44 bullets and a particular type of ammo boxes I'd like, despite emails and text/voicemail messages over several weeks I only ever got one reply, and that wasn't with the information I'd asked for to place an order. OK it may not have been a huge order (about £150) but it means it's one place I definitely won't bother looking when I'm after anything else in the future.

That said, there's another seller (in the Vendors and Innovators section) that I've used for several fairly small orders and his service is outstanding As a result I've recommended him to several other shooters who have also reported the same service.

Worse; sites which list what they sell then go on to say "contact me to order".

Erm, no - why don't you get a shopping basket you lazy git. No worries, I'll take my £700+ elsewhere.

Worse; sites which list what they sell then go on to say "contact me to order".

Erm, no - why don't you get a shopping basket you lazy git. No worries, I'll take my £700+ elsewhere.

Maybe cos same dealer might just want to make sure you are getting what you want or trying to establish some customer /dealer relationship. I hate businesses where you can ONLY contact by email pain in the bum when things go wrong, especially with BIG business.

Our upcoming US website will have a contact where you can get advice on a range of topics before buying anything, that way we won't have to return it because it's not what you want or wrong for your intended use.

Called a company on Friday afternoon, and the young lady told me that all requests for quotation had to be by email!

So, emailed them on Friday expecting a quote back later on Friday - nothing. Late Friday evening got a mail exception report suggesting that their server had problems. Called this morning, spoke to te same young lady (not her department for quotes though), she said they may have a problem but company management would not allow anything else. She bent the rules and gave me a person's direct email.

As I am typing this I have an exception report telling me that they cannot deliver to the individual either!

I would go elsewhere but they are local and likely to be 30% cheaper!

If they have a process ... they need to ensure it actually works!

The ones that annoy me most are those that advertise something for sale but they don't actually have any, for example I found a nice looking Colt 1911 on a 7.3 status, the advert like many of his other guns said POA, so I enquired about the gun and the price only to be told it was already sold but they would contact me when they get anymore in, well that was 5 months ago and they still have the same gun showing for sale on their website and I've never received any contact from them.

I did try and answer this before but lost my reply which is topical...

A personal experience here, we have had some email issues in the past and the first we knew were existing customers ringing to ask if everything was OK as we had not answered an email which was unusual.. Lack of response is going to be worrying and annoying for both the potential customer and the dealer however it does happen. These days I ask for a read receipt on the vast majority of emails I send even though it can be denied at the recipient end, I also say to people if it is important ring as emails do get lost as well as ignored.

I ordered two items on-line this morning, one was GBP54.00+VAT and one GBP60.00+VAT the order went through and I received conformation only to take a call this afternoon telling me one of the items did not exist and would have to be specially ordered at an extra GBP140.00 I was not impressed.... as I need both of the items. Adding insult to injury they told me they thought they had under priced the item that was in stock and were well within their rights to charge more. I was doubly not impressed and would like to say I will never use them again, sadly it is one of the areas where I do not really have a choice.

Adding insult to injury they told me they thought they had under priced the item that was in stock and were well within their rights to charge more

And you are well within your rights to say NO and get your money back.

Once is a mistake, twice is dubious and if they continue to advertise at the "wrong" price they should be reported to trading Standards.