Silk Road forums
Discussion => Silk Road discussion => Topic started by: lstermadden on August 13, 2013, 04:14 pm
-
To Me, there are three assumptions, inferred expectations, that I have in my mind when purchasing from a vender. These aren't crazy unreal expectations either. If a vender goes against these, I will try to find another vender that does.
I am making this post in hopes that it will educate some other Silk Roaders and maybe help venders to get insight of their customers' expectations.
EDIT 8/14/13:
I changed the wording of my post to show that these are not only my opinions, and I wish to include any others that you guys feel is important to the list.
So far these are our assumptions/expectations customers have when purchasing ANY listing:
(The first 3 on the list are my own personal assumptions)
1. Processing Time - The time it takes for my order to go from 'Processing' to 'In Transit'.
When a vender offers express shipping it is my understanding that if I pay an extra fee, I will get my package faster than those who did not pay that fee. Express orders should be processed in under 24 hours from order. Other shipping options should take no longer then 48 hours unless specified on the venders' profile. Any longer than 24 / 48 hours is unacceptable unless the vender is communicating in some way.
2. Quality of Product - The QUALITY of the product is the same or better then my previous orders with the vender I am purchasing from.
This is a given since the reason I am coming back is because I liked the product I got on a previous purchase and want to reenact the past experience.
3. Quantity of Product - The QUANTITY of the product is on point or over, NEVER under, the amount I purchased.
Obviously, I bought (2) One gram listings and I expect no less then 2.0 grams when I receive it. If I wanted 1.5 grams I would have bought (1) One gram listing and (1) Half a gram listing. Mistakes happen, but there's a fine line between making a mistake, and skimping on product for more profit.
4. Anonymity - He / She / They now have my name and address (Thanks TSX)
I assume that the vender is not going to do ANYTHING except send the package to my address. No other personal contact will EVER be made. As stated in the rules, all customer information should be deleted after his/her package is finalized.
5. Safe Delivery - An order will safely get delivered to its destination by a United States Postal Service Mail Carrier. (Thanks TeamGB)
A vender on Silk Road should be up to date with current packaging and stealth practices to ensure the package makes it to its destination safely. Before becoming a vender, he / she has done the proper research and created a plan to ship products safely and efficiently. It is in the customers' AND the venders' best interest to have this locked down.
*I only order domestic, but if anyone has any input on what should be here regarding internation safety then please let me know!*
6. A Vender's Profile Is Their Word - What is listed in a venders' profile are his / her promises to their customers.
I see this as the venders own version of the 10 commandments. If a vender says, "Orders processed same day as purchased" I expect exactly that. "Express delivers to your door 48 hours after order", "100% reship" I expect exactly that. If a vender can't live up to what their profile states, then why is it still in there? It's ok, you got popular, bogged down with orders, got sick, shit happens! Just change your profile accordingly since that is the main way you are presenting yourself to your customers.
7. Communication - (Thanks Bigdaddy5150, I changed your wording a little but the idea is still there)
The purpose of having a messeging system within the site is to have a way for customers to ask venders about their wares. I can imagine most of the questions are urgent. This can include a question that the customer would like answered BEFORE they make that purchase. I don't know about you guys, but if I have coins in my wallet, that is because I want to place an order today. And sometimes I just need a little clarification before I take the plunge. But waiting 24 - 36 hours for a response is rough. That could be the difference between getting an order on Thursday/Friday and having to wait till Monday/Tuesday.
___________________________________________________________________
Lets keep this thread going! Keep sharing your own assumptions when buying from a vender and help make this list better!
-
Your points are all good. If a Vendor has done all three once, they should continue.
Unless their Vendor page states otherwise. For example if they say they're busy and to allow X amount more time, or if they state they have a different product/grade in.
-
Yep all good points especially about Express Mail orders.
Be sure to read vendor's profiles. Ordering in Fridays or Weekends may require that you adjust your expectations on shipping time accordingly. Many vendors do not work 24/7 and take weekends off.
Under weight/under count can happen. It's really no issue to get worked up over since most of the good vendors can make it up to you. Mistakes happen. Scales sometimes need recalibration. So if it's off by a few milligrams, you can mention it to the vendor, but if you got overweight in the past, let it go.
Of all your points, the only one to really get worked up over is Express Mail taking days to process. That IS unacceptable. Vendors who can't hack it, shouldn't offer it.
-
yea, the express is the absolute number 1 reason I started this post.
Also, the quantity, yea shit happens, but venders should be on top of it. If I ordered a gram, anything less would be false advertisement.
0.9 does not = 1.0
-
yea, the express is the absolute number 1 reason I started this post.
Also, the quantity, yea shit happens, but venders should be on top of it. If I ordered a gram, anything less would be false advertisement.
0.9 does not = 1.0
True. True. You got robbed for 10% in that example.
-
1. my anonymity ends here - he/she/they now have my name and address. hopefully i don't get death threads or get robbed.
2. hopefully the package comes through without problems. (with problems i mean police) (and that even tho i only do domestic)
3. quality/quantity
that would be my 3 thoughts on every (except for one vendor) order i place.
-
agree on the anominity aspect, that should be a no brainer assumption for ANYONE selling / buying on the road =X
-
Does anyone else have any personal assumptions that you make when making ANY purchase on Silk Road?
I have updated the Original Post to reflect all assumptions thus far.
This is a great thread to have for both a BUYER and a VENDER,
Lets get these assumptions out into the open so that venders understand what their customers expect when buying a product!
-
The only one extra I can think of, is if a Vendor in the same town/city decided to bypass the postal service and fully deliver it.
I can't work out whether this is better or worse, but it creeps me out not knowing.
-
Thats a good one, and yes, having someone near by with your name and address is a little scary, especially if you life with mom, dad, wife, kids, or other family members.
I get chills just thinking about the doorbell ringing and my GF opening the door to see a guy wearing a ski mask, gloves, and holding a package asking for me >_< Maybe I'm thinking too much into this now... lol
-
My top priorities are pretty much the same as yours.
1. Speed - I am an incredibly impatient person. Any of my regular vendors can tell you that, I expect Priority packages in 2 days and Express in 1. If I don't get things when I'm expecting them I get frustrated, but I don't bug vendors about the whereabouts of my order until a few days after ETA.
2. Quality - It just needs to be as good as the vendor says it is. I don't want to buy some "top shelf GDP" that turns out to be greenhouse-grown granddaddy green with a sweet purple smell. I want purple buds.
3. Consistency - I prefer for my vendors to be consistent. If you say to contact you via PM, then I expect you to respond to my PM within 36 hours. I understand that complications arise, but I really hate when a vendor makes a claim and then fails to back it up.
Honorable Mention criteria - the color purple. I LOVE purple weed, I'm an indica guy and most purps are indica strains. I haven't gotten any purple-colored buds since 4/20, and I'm jonesing for some sweet indica smoke. Sorry to get off-topic but if anyone knows of a USA vendor with good purple weed then please PM me.
-
The only one extra I can think of, is if a Vendor in the same town/city decided to bypass the postal service and fully deliver it.
That would be creepy, dangerous and funny at the same time, i thought about this also. It's much easier to just throw it in the mail then to localize the address and dropping it personally, even if it's only 2 miles away, not to mention the risk because of the attention that this would be generating.
I also agree fully with bigdaddy5150.
-
This happens.
Person dropping shit has to think about what clothes to wear etc. In order to keep the buyer's normal status.
-
If a vendor decided to drop a pack at your house instead of mailing it they would be a complete moron. I would not appreciate it one bit.
I look for:
1. Honesty - I always expect vendors to offer legitimate products. What you see is what you get. If a vendor is honest about what they are listing and it's the same product that actually shows up upon arrival, then they are fine by me. Also if there is a delay with people's orders or they are overwhelmed, it's always nice for a vendor to make a public statement like "Hey, thank you everyone from ordering from me. My inbox is flooded and I have experienced a large influx of orders. Some orders will be late". It puts people at ease about their order.
2. Integrity - I like vendors that have the sole purpose of existing to offer customers product at a specific price, and to please them. It's great when a vendor is all about pleasing the customer instead of making a boat load of cash and running a sloppy business. A person offering a higher priced product that is out to make their customer satisfied will always get business from me versus a vendor that offers cheap wares but does not give two shots about the customer.
3. Reliability - Vendors that constantly have their advertised products in stock get my business. If a vendor has a listing up, but does not actually have said product on hand, then I try to take my business elsewhere. Vendors that never keep in contact with customers with serious questions and or concerns are useless.
-
This may be coming from a different angle, but my number one assumption is that I will eventually get ripped off. I always hope not, but it is the nature of the beast.