I'm not really sure who's running this site or WD, but their complete lack of communication is really starting to get old. Three MONTHS ago, I placed an order for back issues of WD. Oops, sorry, I was told, they have all been shipped back East to the new management. So I waited. Now they are up and running and I have heard nothing. I wrote an e-mail politely requesting at least an acknowledgment, but no joy. I wrote another e-mail, then a third, but nothing but silence. Not a "we're looking into it" not a "we'll get to it soon", nothing.

I've tired to make allowances for the new management but come on, just how long does it take to send an e-mail reply? I can only conclude that these people may well be well intentioned, but they have no concept of customer service. I should have known by the way they treated the old BB.

I guess I have no choice but to take the step I've been trying to avoid and cancel the order, stopping payment on the credit card. I would advise anyone thinking of ordering from them or doing any sort of business with the new management to expect a non response to any orders placed and to have all inquiries ignored.

I'm curious to see if they even bother to read the BB and take the trouble to post some sort of reply.

Dick

Dear Dick,

We are here to answer all your questions and assist you with your needs. First of all, the people who are running the website and WD are posted on the bottom of the Home Page described in the two articles titled Transition and Good Hands.

We did indeed receive your polite email regarding your back order. Please accept our sincerest apology for our untimely response. Our goals are to be quick to respond on matters such as yours. This past week we have sent out all of the back orders concerning the WD. These back orders transpired with payment through the Oregon office.

The transistion team in Cleveland has comitted themselves to customer service. We have purposely not taken any orders from anyone until we are definitely sure everyone that has purchased the WD newsletter from the Oregon office is satisfied.

We have noticed that you requested issue one through thirty four of the WD newsletter. Your package has been sent out to you today. However, we also included in your package issues 35, 36 and a special addition newsletter. We hope you enjoy.

Jamie also told me to give you a one year free subscription to the new quarterly newsletter that will be coming out in the near future. He also told me to refund all of your money that you paid because of the long wait and he thanks you for your patience. There will be a refund check shortly issued and sent out to you in the mail next week. He wants you to be happy.

Dick, while Jamie was in a good mood, I asked him that while we were at it, why don't we throw in a vacation for two for Dick to an exotic island in the carribean? . . . . . . Well. . . I tried!


Seriously, we value you as a customer. Let us know if we can assist you in any way in the future.

- Nola Lee

Dear Nola,
I think I also placed a backorder for many many issues and wait a second, hmmm, I just found this site a little while ago, so I coulnd't have. Well I just would like to say I sure could use a little puddle jumping vacation. Do you think you could get Worm Digest to send me to Australia to document the jumprope worms??? My boyfriend could hold the videocam....

Bubbles

Thank you for your response and the phone message. I'll look forward to receiving my order.

As I said before, I have always understood that you were going through a confusing period and that the shipment might be delayed. I was ticked off at the old management for taking the order when they knew they couldn't deliver, but that's not your fault. What really annoyed me was the lack of communication. I know it is easy to get immersed in work and problem solving; forgetting to let your public know what's going on. We had the same problem when WD was in transition and the old BB kept crashing. No one let us know what was going on, or that a new board was being created.

May I suggest that in this day and age of e-mail instant communications, to say nothing of the public forum you have, that you make just a little time to keep people informed. Just a quick note, 10 words or so, and I'd have been a happy camper. Instead of my having to post here and you having to scramble to make things right. I appreciate your efforts, but do wish to point out that they were unnecessary. Anyway, thanks for the info and good luck with the new WD. All new ventures have teething problems and in the grand scheme of things, this was a minor one.

Dick

P.S. No refund is necessary. I ordered to help you guys out more than from a burning desire to have the back issues. Same with the free subscription. I already paid for a year.

Hi Dick,
Thanks for your reply. It is very kind of you not to take the refund. As you know I tried calling you and put the issues in the mail today.
We here at WD appreciate your patience. If you have any suggestions, please write in any time.
The vintage t-shirts were sent in a separate package. We only got a few and select sizes. Of course no medium or large adult sizes - so you'll be getting an XXL & small.
More t-shirts will be designed and available- another thing that we want to get some new graphics for...
Any artists out there?
Maureen

As for T-shirts, etc., I just wanted to suggest a cool way to get stuff like this printed. Last year I discovered www.cafepress.com. I went there to make a T-shirt as a baby gift for a friend who had a baby girl, but once I got in and started messing around, I realized that it would be a great way for an organization (like this one) to sell merchandise. All you do is upload your graphics, and they don't make them until somneone orders them. So no costs up front. Somebody can place an order and choose their size, color, etc., and then it's printed and mailed. You choose a price, so you can pick how much mark-up to take, and what kinds of things (mugs, shirts, whatever) to put your graphics on.

I hope this doesn't sound like a big sales pitch, I just think it's such a smart way to do this sort of thing. I'll put a link to the baby shirt I made here. (actually, it ended up being a toddler shirt because I procrastinated so long!)

http://www.cafepress.com/amystew.31214006