Dealings with Long Creek Apiaries

[belt152]

To all 1000+ readers of this thread: Please count the the number of different people on this thread that are complaining. FIVE! That is FIVE out of hundreds of satisfied customers. It is sad that FIVE people can have such influence with only one side of the story. There are others on the tread offering advice based on one side of the story. I have no complaints with them. Such is the double edge of the internet.

We took orders based on our projected capability determined by normal weather. We went from an extreme drought to a surplus in just a few months. Our quality standards demand that we determine that all bees that we ship are the best on the market. I am sorry that some of you feel that bees should be shipped on time irregardless of quality. They did exactly what you wanted them to do, then you bad mouth the company when the stock is bad! We will not intentionally ship bad stock. Period! All our policies are spelled out on our website address that is listed in our ads. Read it!

All I ask is that you have both sides of the story before you make a decision about a company. I do not feel that is unreasonable.

Seems like the logical solution would be to simply return the persons money if you don't have the bees. Why would that be such a hard thing to do? It would save you from having to scramble to put some packages together and would save the buyer from having to post their bad dealings with you for 1,000's of people to read.

With today's internet outlets and forums news of bad dealings spread like wildfire. I would gladly refund one persons money instead of having 1,000's more potential buyers read of this dealing.

[Camp9]

Communication is the biggest part of what's going on. I bought two packages in 08 from long creek, was told they couldn't ship until the spring of 09. Got my two packages this spring with no problems. After installing the packages I went to release the queens 5 days later, one queen was dead. I know that the chances that the queen dieing may have just been one of those things that wasn't long creeks fault or mine, but I wrote and asked just that question. I figured if they were having problems with a few queens they'd want to know, or at lease give me a their 2 cents worth. I never got a response. I think most problems with package producers is you have to have constant communcation, even on the small requests such as mine to remain in business. If it's too much of a pain, which dealing with the public is, then you better find another way to make money. Hope all of you, both sides can get together and work this out.

Camp

[Barry]

This is the one detail with a lot of the negative postings about suppliers that I just don't understand. The common thread is a buyer sends a supplier money for a product, supplier keeps the money but doesn't deliver the goods for various (legitimate?) reasons. Note to vendors: Return the money if you can't deliver in a timely fashion!!! Don't suppliers understand that it's a double insult to not get the product AND to have your money kept by the vendor?

[Camp9]

Yes!! or hold the check until your ready to ship.

Camp

[Barry]

All our policies are spelled out on our website address that is listed in our ads. Read it!

When I read your policies, it feels to me that the buyer assumes the lions share of the risk. I understand that you deal with customers that you will never see face to face, but a consumer always wants to feel the vendor/supplier holds some, if not the larger, portion of the risk of doing business. I do residential remodeling. I often don't bill the client till the job is finished. I assume the risk and trust that a client will be more than willing to pay for a job well done. This requires a lot of communication during the job to make sure we are all on the same page. In all the years I've worked this way, at most, I've "lost" a few hundred dollars. I acquire satisfied customers that do repeat business and they recommend me to all their friends. Just some food for thought.

[piperspuppy]

btw, this is actually a law... you cannot cash a check unless the product is on its way. He seems to think he has done nothing wrong there. Using my money and not sending bees or refund is "stealing".

[piperspuppy]

I also run a small business and I know your customer comes "first" and satisfied customers are repeat customers. I wonder how many repeat customers Long Creek has. Maybe I should post and ask

[Ishi]

Bozo Bee
I think you need to read and study this post in Consumer Report!

Maxant Extractor 20frame Model 1400P

[dcross]

We took orders based on our projected capability determined by normal weather.

I am sorry that some of you feel that bees should be shipped on time irregardless of quality.

I placed my order in early Aug. of '08 and was told that my queens would ship the following week. How on earth can the weather delay them by over A YEAR?

How about the refund I was promised in fall of '08? Is the bad weather holding that up as well?

[BozoBee]

Bozo Bee
I think you need to read and study this post in Consumer Report!

Maxant Extractor 20frame Model 1400P

I have thoroughly read it. Is there something specific you would like me to notice? Not sure the purpose of the reference to that post. It is a nice postitive post and a lovely line of communication formed at the end of it from the Manufacturer helping a customer. Perhaps you could clearify what exactly you would like me to glean from it? "need to read and study"? Will there be a test later... :P only kidding.

[Ishi]

From your reply I think you got the point without being hit over the with it.

[alpha6]

Well maybe I need to get hit in the head cause I can't figure out what you are saying. I know its but beats the heck out of me what you are wanting him to study???

[BozoBee]

Well maybe I need to get hit in the head cause I can't figure out what you are saying. I know its but beats the heck out of me what you are wanting him to study???

Agreed. I already referenced the importance of both positive and negative feedback in my original post. I also called for people who had postitive experiences with this particular individual to post. Plus advocating for clear lines of communication. The point of directing me to that other post seems to have failed me? Could you again clarify the reason for it Ishi. You said I needed to study it, but to what ends?

[karu]

Yes!! or hold the check until your ready to ship.

Camp

I guess I'll step in to be a devil's advocate. I've used similar services many times to say that in this type of business nobody will hold your check until they are ready to ship. In fact, I know someone who gave couple thousands deposit to a contractor to build a porch and they showed up the next season, they showed up when it was convenient for them... I've been ordering my birds for three seasons now and you have to place your order well in advance and they charge you right away, not when they are ready to ship...Could be some kind of a deposit, but no, they want all of it, and then you have to wait and hope that mother nature will work in your favor and the chicks will hatch when you want them... I've used LCA this year too, funny enough I tried to find some feedback before I placed an order in Nov./Dec of 08 and there was nothing negative, except that someone was saying that that they did not get their order until the following year. And I still placed my order. And I've got my 2 packages in June, late, but I've got them. I was able to get in touch with them via phone and e-mail, not instantaneously though, but I did get the weather updates, and finally the bees arrived in a nice condition, I was really pleased. On the website they are saying "Refunds for canceled orders will be sent at the first possible date." I guess the interpretation of the 1st possible date can be stretched.
At the end I can say that I would possible order from them again. There is a local big supplier around here and I don't know how they deal with the refunds, but they are not the most reliable either, and the quality of the bees I was told not the greatest, and when you call them to find out the status of the frame order (not even talking about the bees !) they say - "we don't know when our supplier will send them, couple weeks maybe."...How is that ? I guess the nature of a beekeeping business is such that you either use them or loose them, there is not that much competition going on, so they can do pretty much as they pleased, you are the one who needs them..Last year I was late with my order locally, so I had to drive 3 hours to Boston to get my bees last year, this year I bought from LCA and my neighbor (now I know where I can get it). But some locals will not even call you back, and if you want russian bees you are out of luck, because it is also hard to find someone who will want to ship them. So we take chances...

[dcross]

And once again, nothing.

[magnet-man]

btw, this is actually a law... you cannot cash a check unless the product is on its way.

I would like to see that law, because as far as I know there isn't one. I have a number of suppliers that I have to prepay before they even begin to process my order. I had to write a check for over $1,500 to Pratt Industries and wait for the check to clear before they would even schedule my order for production. Total time before I got my boxes, 5 weeks. It takes 3 to 4 weeks to get zippers if my supplier is out of them. I still have to prepay. Had to prepay over $5,000 to the fabric mill in order for them to schedule my fabric run for 5 weeks in the future.

I have people that send me a personal check for a suit or jacket and I hold the check until it ships. I have over $1,500 worth of bad checks that have been turned over to the collection agency this year. To expect a seller to hold your check until they ship is not realistic. Companies don't stay in business if they don't ship. Long Creek sounds like it has some problems and has obviously lost some business. A consumer who writes a bad check is awfully hard to collect from. Yes it is illegal but the DA has bigger fish to fry and the Post Office is after sellers that practice mail fraud not the little guy that writes a bad check and won't honor it.

By the way two of those checks are from Beesource members.

Well my rant is over with.

[beemandan]

By the way two of those checks are from Beesource members.

Sad to say, Beesource folks are pretty much like everyone else. Most are 'good uns' but there are surely those few who aren't.

Maybe you should post their names. It seems like a 'turn about is fair play'.

[magnet-man]

I could but I don't think it is good business and likely against the rules. I think they sent checks in good faith and later had economic hardships that caused the checks to be returned. Just wish I could get them to send the items back. Both have promissed to make good on the checks but need time because of job loss. But for the grace of god go I.

[beemandan]

I could but I don't think it is good business and likely against the rules.

Maybe.... but it shouldn't be. Its ok to discuss a supplier that takes your money but doesn't deliver the goods. It would seem like it should be ok to do the same for folks who take the merchandise but don't pay..or are unwilling return the goods.

I think they sent checks in good faith and later had economic hardships that caused the checks to be returned. But for the grace of god go I.

You sound like you're a good hearted fellow. Best of luck to ya.

[magnet-man]

Something funny happened. Both of them called me and said they were sending checks this Friday. Also received a check today for a custom jacket that I made months ago. I must have good Karma.