ordering difficulties from Wico?

[Nailz]

So I ordered a bunch of parts from Wico a week and a half ago over the phone.  Seemed strange, the guy takes my order, takes my credit card, but doesn't give me the total, apparently that's a surprise when I get my bill?

Anyways, I call back this morning to check on the status, as I haven't gotten a thing, haven't seen the withdraw from my credit card, nothing.  They don't have my order anywhere in site, ask me what state I live in like 4 times, I have to repeat my name another 4 (all to the same guy).

I don't know how the rest of you have done with these guys, but what a bunch of incompetents!  The guy said he would take my order again, I stated I would go somewhere else to fill me order, he didn't really care, nice to see that companies still put forth the effort in customer service like they used to.....

I guess Bob Roberts will be getting more of my money, which is fine with me.

[SirPeale]

Yeah, Wico really doesn't seem to be on the ball for a lot of things.

The online catalog on their website is terrible.  You can barely read the item numbers to look up the price.

So I call to ask if I can have a catalog, and they say they've got this new catalog system on a CD.  "The pictures are really clear on it," he tells me.

I get them in a couple days, and guess what?  The pictures are the same as on the site, this time in PDF format.

The PDFs that are on the CD are another matter entirely.  They take up a grand total of ~20M, plus they have them in HTML format as well.  So do they have these just sitting on the CD?  Nope!  You have to install them to your hard drive.  The installer is in some proprietary format

I mean, jeeze, spend the extra couple bucks to get the originals from the printer when you discontinue your print catalog.  I hate to see how they're going to do updated catalogs for 2005.

[OSCAR]

So I ordered a bunch of parts from Wico a week and a half ago over the phone.  Seemed strange, the guy takes my order, takes my credit card, but doesn't give me the total, apparently that's a surprise when I get my bill?

Anyways, I call back this morning to check on the status, as I haven't gotten a thing, haven't seen the withdraw from my credit card, nothing.  They don't have my order anywhere in site, ask me what state I live in like 4 times, I have to repeat my name another 4 (all to the same guy).

I don't know how the rest of you have done with these guys, but what a bunch of incompetents!  The guy said he would take my order again, I stated I would go somewhere else to fill me order, he didn't really care, nice to see that companies still put forth the effort in customer service like they used to.....

I guess Bob Roberts will be getting more of my money, which is fine with me.

Sounds like you spoke with Charles.  Whenever I get him on the phone, I ask for someone else, like Andrea.  I've not once had an order placed correctly when Charles took it; everything from wrong quantities, wrong part number, and even one time shipped to the wrong state.    

[Ken Layton]

At one time when I worked for Capitol Amusement Wico was our number one parts supplier. We'd order thousands of parts each month. The key word is "was" our number one parts supplier. Over the past ten years their service has completely gone to hell. My buddy Steve Mildenberger and I now mostly order from Happ Controls, Competitive Products, Amusements Plus, and Mazzco. We don't even touch Wico at all anymore. Many people are finding "Wico --the Source... of backorders!"

[FractalWalk]

I just got an order last week from them (not Charles).  They completely missed part of my order (not on the packing list). Of the parts I did order only about 2/3 actually shipped. I assume they were out of stock on the rest, but they didn't provide any explanation except "shipped 0". Of the parts I actually received, some of them were the incorrect parts (e.g. packing slip didn't match box contents.) In addition I had to pay $5 to get their catalog on CD filled with almost illegible part numbers.

I won't order from them again.

[SirPeale]

In addition I had to pay $5 to get their catalog on CD filled with almost illegible part numbers.

You had to PAY for a catalog?  They sent mine for free.  Two of them, in fact.  Spelled my name wrong, too.

nb: I've been trying to get in contact with you about the locks, with no joy.  PM me?

[FractalWalk]

Peale, I sent you a PM.

[spidermonkey]

Oh man, don't even get me going about Wico again.
They are a pathetic excuse for a parts supplier. I don't know how they even stay in business the way they operate. I posted a long rant about them not too long ago on this board. Still waiting for their catalog. From the sounds of it I don't think I even want it anymore. .