..nearly 60 days after I ordered it, exactly 8 weeks from the date DD say it was shipped on 3rd Jan. I'm pleased, of course, and I immediately closed the dispute and sent them a 'thank you' email. I honestly have no wish to put a dampener on things, and I'd be happy enough to just tick this particular box and move on, but there are a couple of points that other readers of this thread might find relevant.
The first thing is that that the package arrived yesterday, the same day as I received the latest 'Resolution Centre' email from DD asking me to please inform them as soon as the package arrives. Previous to this, their last email had been on 13th Feb, in which I was asked to close the dispute and wait for the torch, which of course I politely declined to do. 15 days later the light arrives at the same time as their next email..
Not much in that, likely just a minor coincidence. But the date on the package is stamped as 2012. 02. 21:16. I don't know how Chinese post works regarding date stamps, and please correct me if I'm wrong here, but it would seem to be a February postmark (02), suggesting that the package couldn't have been sent on Jan 3rd, which in turn suggests that this is a replacement item. If so, fair enough, but why not just tell me a replacement is on it's way?
I can think of at least half a dozen questions about this transaction that I'd dearly like answered: Is this a replacement? If so, why wasn't I told? Or, if it IS the original package, how come the '02' date stamp? How does it take so much longer to receive items direct from Chinese sellers than when I buy from other Chinese sellers via Ebay? Would this light have still arrived if I'd closed the dispute when DD asked me to? Etc etc..
But the bottom line is that, so far, I'm happy with the torch and the fact that I finally have what I paid for. It was a tedious business, but in truth, I've received far worse customer care from domestic companies based here in my home town. Even when I'm peeved at a seller, I never forget that they only have our word for it that an item 'still hasn't arrived' (assuming they actually sent it in the first place). For all any of them know, we could be happily playing with our new toy even as we write to complain that we haven't received it.
So yes, on this showing, I would buy again from DD. Summer, if you read this, my thanks to DD for finally sorting the issue (however it was done). As so many others have said, just be straight with customers about what's in stock, and when it's likely to be sent, and you'll find most of us will wait patiently enough provided we know that we'll get what we ordered eventually. And please stop asking that customers close Paypal disputes BEFORE they get a replacement or a refund. None of us will do that, and the fact that we're asked to makes us deeply suspicious. I honestly think I speak for all BLF members when I say that if DD refund anyone for an item which then subsequently arrives AFTER a refund is made, we would all inform you and repay the refund immediately. We all value trust, and we all realise that it has to work both ways..
