View Full Version : Optics Planet Experience
I placed an order for a Safariland 6304 yesterday from Optics Planet. Today, I got a notice saying it was backordered. Okay, thats fine. So I go to look for another one online to see if there are other vendors at a similar price that have them in stock.
One of the first links google brought up was http://cgi.ebay.com/Safariland-6304-ALS-Tactical-Holster-6304-7742-131-/390256552262?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5add1a6946. I found it curious that they would list something on eBay that they wouldn't even have in stock for 10 business days (they claimed), so I gave them a call.
My call was answered promptly, and I asked about my order, and that I was wondering why they would list something on eBay that they didn't have in stock. The man replied that he didn't know why there was a manufacturer backorder, but it would be in stock in 5 to 10 days. I asked again why they would list something they didn't have, and the person said he had no answer, and then cut me off to ask if I needed anything else. When I said "No, but" he cut me off again with a nice canned "Thank you for calling Optics Planet, goodbye." and hung up on me.
The whole thing seems fairly dishonest to me. I don't think I'll be ordering anything from them in the future, and this order is canceled.
I ordered a few things from the a couple of weeks ago (a vortex strikefire, a blackhawk holster, and a blackhawk sling). Everything shipped very quickly except for the sling which they said was back ordered. I called them and change to antoher sling (which was also out of stock) but It arrived the next week as promised. Sorry to hear you had issues. I had a good experience, but I think that it is probably hit or miss.
I bought a scope from them a while back and they called to let me know that the reticule I ordered wasn't in stock and if I wanted the other version. No real problems with them...if your looking for a safariland holster check out usaholsters.com
At one point I ordered a set of Meprolight tritium sights for my pistol from OpticsPlanet. What they failed to disclose were that the sights weren't even in production yet. After a few months of occasionally asking their CR reps when they would be in stock, I canceled that order.
Everything else I have ordered from OpticsPlanet has shipped out same day or next day with no problems.
I tried ordering a Pelican case from them once, only to get an automated email the next day saying they were out of stock. So I called and had to manually canceled the order, since there's no way to do it on their website. They sent me an email confirmation of the canceled order.
Then a whole month later, I got another email saying they had just shipped me a Pelican case! What? :confused:
So I tried to cancel the order a 2nd time only to have the phone operator tell me off. She claimed that since "my" case had already shipped they could not cancel the order. I forwarded her the email confirmation I had of the order being canceled one month previously.
Optics Planet still refused to remove the charges from my card even after being presented with proof that the order had been canceled. They apparently wanted me to wait until the unsolicited case arrived at my house, and then ship it back to them ON MY DIME before they'd consider refunding me anything. Two phone calls later, (Visa and Northbrook, IL police department), they changed their tune. Rather than risking a Visa chargeback or possible wire fraud investigation, Optics Planet issued an intercept for the Pelican case (still en route) and finally refunded the fraudulent charges on my credit card.
So yeah.... they have good prices but watch them closely.
No shit, and all this time I thought Optic Planet sold optics...
Any reason that you don't deal direct with Safariland or is the saving that significant?
Have you tried Grey Group or any of the other M4C advertisers?
I wasn't aware that any M4C contributor carried them.
I also didn't know that Safariland sold direct to the public. Their website seems to point you towards dealers.
I've only placed one order from them and it was shipped promtly and correctly. I kinda hate to see them have such terrible customer service only because that's the town I grew up in and spent my whole childhood. I don't know (or am not aware that I know) anyone who works there. But I still hate to see them do dumb things.
I think if it's a standard gun holster (like a Glock) most places will have them in stock. But when I was looking for a holster for an M&P with Surefire x300 I had to wait a few weeks for Safariland to even make the holster. So it's possibly they don't stock every configuration they sell on the site.
I wasn't aware that any M4C contributor carried them.
I also didn't know that Safariland sold direct to the public. Their website seems to point you towards dealers.
I have never been a Safariland user but it looks like you are correct.
Might be time for them to add some new dealers into the mix...
I ordered a Safariland 6280 for a Glock 19 w/ SF X300 in September 3. I received an email confirmation that the product was back ordered. Just like Alric, it also read they would have it in stock within 10 days. After 10 days, I called the operator and I ask why my order hasn't shipped. I was told that they were going to receive a shipment on Sept. 20. I waited and finally recieved my order a month later after I ordered it. OpticPlanet does suck, If they know a product is not available, it should have a notation next to their product.
I can't recall ever trying to order something from Optics Planet and finding that it was in stock.
I think they're a good place to do business - I've bought a lot of stuff there.
A more broad-based review of that store can be found at http://www.resellerratings.com/store/OpticsPlanet . 1400+ reviews suggest that they're a really good online reseller.
Hit and miss.
Very long wait for backordered components that weren't listed as such and when called no idea when the items would be in. No real attempts to gain my confidence in their prediction, either. I think that's what bothered me the most.
Recently - just yesterday, actually - ordered TA71 lanyard covers for ACOG optics. They sent the incorrect ones (Internal vs. External). I was told that since I ordered online they would charge me to send the item back. I asked that they go online and READ CAREFULLY the item listed and select either box as well as track my selection. They did and agreed to elevate my claim. The nice thing is that the guy was very understanding w/o acknowledging I was correct ( I was and he knew it ). I respect that.
The prices are good and the shipping (if the item is in stock) ships very, very quickly.
In the future I'll speak with someone when ordering from them.
Oh, I do recommend them as well.
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I got the backorder run around with them ONCE. Since then, I call and ask if it is in stock, then I order it on the phone. Haven't had a problem since I've been doing that.
.
genegoesfast
10-30-10, 23:52
I tried ordering a Pelican case from them once, only to get an automated email the next day saying they were out of stock. So I called and had to manually canceled the order, since there's no way to do it on their website. They sent me an email confirmation of the canceled order.
Then a whole month later, I got another email saying they had just shipped me a Pelican case! What? :confused:
So I tried to cancel the order a 2nd time only to have the phone operator tell me off. She claimed that since "my" case had already shipped they could not cancel the order. I forwarded her the email confirmation I had of the order being canceled one month previously.
Optics Planet still refused to remove the charges from my card even after being presented with proof that the order had been canceled. They apparently wanted me to wait until the unsolicited case arrived at my house, and then ship it back to them ON MY DIME before they'd consider refunding me anything. Two phone calls later, (Visa and Northbrook, IL police department), they changed their tune. Rather than risking a Visa chargeback or possible wire fraud investigation, Optics Planet issued an intercept for the Pelican case (still en route) and finally refunded the fraudulent charges on my credit card.
So yeah.... they have good prices but watch them closely.
Damn that sucks.
Cop Quest (www.copquest.com) is the best place to buy Safariland holsters.
ColdDeadHands
10-31-10, 03:30
I've had so many experiences where I ordered online but the product wasn't in stock so I've made it a habit to chat, email or call to check if the item I want is in stock before I check out...saves a lot of headaches.
Unless an online vendor has a online inventory system that they guarantee as being accurate, I always call first to ask if they have the specific item I am looking for "In-Stock". I actually order a Safariland holster (6325 for my M&P9 w/X300) from OpticsPlanet last week over the phone. The CS rep I spoke to said they had only (1) available, and I had it the very next day via UPS. (I only live about an hour away in Chicago).
most of the items that opticsplanet has listed on their website they drop ship from the factory. Some of their "Hot Buys" or stuff that continually sells well they keep in stock, otherwise most stuff is drop shipped.
Ive only had good experiences with them, but Ive only ordered from them 3 times, my Burris XTR 1-4, my Badger scope rings, and my 20 MOA rail for my Rem700.
The XTR was drop shipped from Burris, the rest they shipped from Illinois somewhere.
I've ordered twice from them and both times the items were drop shipped directly from the manufacturer. Everything was done in a quick and timely manner though.
Cop Quest (www.copquest.com) is the best place to buy Safariland holsters.
I've had good experience with CopQuest also.
I'm looking into an aimpoint comp M4. Optics planet has the best price and I was planning to call to see if they're in stock.
Other than poor CS, they're legit? None of those airsoft copies that are floating around?
I'm looking into an aimpoint comp M4. Optics planet has the best price and I was planning to call to see if they're in stock.
Other than poor CS, they're legit? None of those airsoft copies that are floating around?
===================================
Wise to call them to check stock and order on the phone or you could be on the "Backorder from hell" list.
If it is in stock and I order on the phone, I've never had a problem.
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I tried ordering a Pelican case from them once, only to get an automated email the next day saying they were out of stock. So I called and had to manually canceled the order, since there's no way to do it on their website. They sent me an email confirmation of the canceled order.
Then a whole month later, I got another email saying they had just shipped me a Pelican case! What? :confused:
So I tried to cancel the order a 2nd time only to have the phone operator tell me off. She claimed that since "my" case had already shipped they could not cancel the order. I forwarded her the email confirmation I had of the order being canceled one month previously.
Optics Planet still refused to remove the charges from my card even after being presented with proof that the order had been canceled. They apparently wanted me to wait until the unsolicited case arrived at my house, and then ship it back to them ON MY DIME before they'd consider refunding me anything. Two phone calls later, (Visa and Northbrook, IL police department), they changed their tune. Rather than risking a Visa chargeback or possible wire fraud investigation, Optics Planet issued an intercept for the Pelican case (still en route) and finally refunded the fraudulent charges on my credit card.
So yeah.... they have good prices but watch them closely.
Wow what a nitemare! Thats a little ridiculous! Its the same reason most stores will only credit you instead of a refund...it keeps money in THEIR store. I wonder how many complaints they get, it sucks cause some of their older scopes are SO CHEAP. Someone should Email them this forum and say HEY! Get your S--T together! Lol
Sorry to hear about your experience. I ordered a Nikon M-223 from them. I needed to change my order to a different M-223 and I called them right away. They changed it, applied the change to my CC and it shipped the same day. No problems.
I have ordered a few times from Optics Planet and all was well until this last order.
In January, I ordered 2 TAG Duty Belts in Ranger Green, Product#: T1-TB-BDBBED-DB1RG, in a Size 27-37. After paying for the belts I got an email a day later saying they were out of stock, but would ship in something like 2 weeks. I eventually received two belts but one was not what I ordered. It is not the one pictured on their website. Something must have gotten mixed up. The belts had completely different designs, buckles, and material. Not even close. so I contacted them by email and even sent them pictures of how the belts were so jacked up. After some more run around they eventually sent me a prepaid packing invoice and I sent the one belt back to them. After they received the belt back, I finally got a refund two weeks later that is about $2 less than the belt cost me. I am now waiting for an answer as to why I didn't get a full refund. I know it is just $2 but I just want to see what their answer is--if I get an answer at all. All of this headache for trying to buy 2 belts for guys I work with that like the one I bought for myself. R U N A R O U N D.
update:
Ordered numerous more items from OP. Have yet to have a problem.
totenkopf_u64
04-01-11, 18:19
Hope this doesn't count as thread necromancy...
Anyways. I'm currently in the middle of dealing with Optics planet.
Placing the order went well. The next day got a email notice that it had shipped. Great. Their website said I ought to receive a email with shipping info but I never got it. Oh well. I waited three days (on the shipping map I'm only one day away) and emailed them requesting shipping info. It got ignored apparently.
I waited a couple more days and called them. The guy I talked to finally revealed that they "took the liberty" of ordering my out of stock item direct from the distributor and that they had no shipping info. All he could say was to wait a couple days and if you don't see it call us back.
Of course I ended up calling them back. They were utterly unhelpful. They wouldn't even let me cancel the order because they had to halt the delivery first... and whoever does that is closed for the weekend. I was pretty fed up with his lack of any human characteristics. I explained that I had payed for 3-5 day shipping and I wanted that money back to which he replied I was getting 3-5 day shipping but the company that shipped it did so later than the date on the email notice I got saying it was shipped... seriously? It will be 9 business days and two weekends this coming monday...
Basically, I have lent OpticsPlanet $150 so that they could take some liberties and give me no idea when I will get what I paid for; which, by the way, must be getting sent by rickshaw... a rickshaw being pulled by an old man with bad arches and hep C. They had best be glad I'm not a member of Anonymous or it would be DDOS time!
Optics Planet is a typical 'two-guys-and-a-laptop' operation. Just keep this in mind. They seem honest enough but are a little disorganized.
A few months ago I ordered an Eagle Industries shotgun stock pad/ammo carrier. I used PayPal and ordered thru their PayPal interface on the Optics Planet site. I wanted OD Green but the system defaulted to Black after the order was placed.
I called them the next day and they said it was some sort of coding error on the site. The guy on the phone (and most likely the owner) apologized and was nice enough but the product had already shipped (from Eagle) and there was nothing he could do now.
I got the product and was pretty happy with it. I just wanted it in OD. Not really a big deal for me but some guys will freak out about this sort of thing.
They do have some of the best prices around because they have such low overhead. I will do business again, most likely to buy one of the new Trijicon RMR's unless my .mil discount gets me a better price from Brownells.
Pathfinder Ops
04-02-11, 11:14
I give them an "A." I have ordered a few things from them over the years and never been disappointed.
They are not always the cheapest though so as with everything they are only 1 option.
"Two guys and a laptop"
Actually, they have 220 employees and $73 million in sales revenue. That puts them at #197 among the top 500 e-retailers in the US.
I got my Hatch gloves from them and had no problems. Had them within a week.
My only experience with Optics Planet was a bad one. This occurred about 2 years ago.
I tried to buy a holster (I think it was a Galco for an M&P9, can't remember exactly, it's been a while).
Anyway, I bought the holster from them because it was listed as in stock. So the day after I purchased it, I received an email that the holster was back-ordered, with no estimated shipping time.
I then tried to contact them via email to cancel my order. After receiving no response after 5 business days, I emailed them again. Still no response. So I tried to call them. I tried to call them on 5 separate occasions, at different times of the day, different days of the week.
I never got through. So, I ended up contacting the Better Business Bureau, and filed a complaint. It was only after all of this (probably 3 weeks later) that I received an email from Optics Planet, stating my order was cancelled.
The email was very rude, stating that I was "impatient and arrogant" (both false, I am always polite as can be when dealing with online merchants). So Optics Planet is a no-go for me. Maybe they've changed, but that one experience was enough to ruin it for me.
I hope others have better luck, or better yet, use someone who deserves the business, like G&R Tactical or other vendors listed on this site.
I have ordered a few items from them based on price, but I never order from them anymore without confirming something is in stock. My experience is that IM's or e-mail is the best way to communicate with them and that they are responsive BUT that any item that does not ship immediately will ship sometime between the scripted "week to 10 days" timeframe and never.
I've only bought from Optics Planet when the price is significantly better. Everything I've ordered from them has gotten here, though sometimes after a while, but I'm a patient person. I think maybe they grew faster than their organization could improve.
Keep in mind truly great customer service like some of us are used to from companies like BCM and G&R costs more--and some companies just aren't willing to pay that price.
Optics planet tends to run a bit cheaper than a lot of other online retailers in my experience. With that being said, I have ordered several times from them, both via the website as well as by phone. I have never had any issues, short of one back order issue several years ago. I was told the item was out of stock and would ship in 10 days. Three days later, I had an email saying it was shipped and within two days, I had my order.
I usually do most of my ordering from them via phone, as it tends to get things moving quicker.
H
totenkopf_u64
04-02-11, 16:41
I guess I'll have to wait and see how it all turns out before I write Opticsplanet off as a sorry outfit.
I am capable of being very patient. That said, my patience is fleeting in these types of transactions. There is a professional way to handle everything and when you buy or sell on ebay, for instance, you ship asap, you pay for auctions immediately and you communicate when necessary. If someone at work says they will do their job and they fall short, I don't have any patience. If I'm not confident in their ability or the outcome I find someone else, or turn on the patience and get them through it.
Opticsplanet has failed to honor their end of our agreement. They sold something they did not actually have, failed to deliver it in the timeframe I payed for, and as of yet can not or will not work to reconcile these issues. If I knew this is how a simple order would be handled I would never have purchased from them... these are bad business practices and if they have hiccups with online ordering they ought to resolve the problems or not accept online orders.
I placed an order with them, and a few items were out of stock. The ones which were in stock were shipped the next day... or so they wrote on my order report. Several weeks and a few calls later, it turns out they were waiting to ship all of their items together from my order. Weird, because the other items that I had ordered which were in fact in stock, were over $50 which means free shipping.
But forget about all that... they clearly wrote that they had shipped things which they in fact did not. That's called lying. It still says that when I check my order. From the tracking number, the actual day that they shipped my items was 5 week AFTER they wrote that they did.
So I finally got my stuff, and they threw in a keychain flashlight for my troubles, since they were still out of stock on some of the things I had ordered. That's nice and everything, but it doesn't make up for randomly sitting on the gear that I had ordered all the while deceiving me into thinking that it was on the way.
Sorry, but that's not going to win you many fans. Yes, their prices are often lower, but not enough to justify getting the run-around.
This has been my experience: for my birthday, I was ordered a Surefire G2X on February 7th. They said the item was out of stock, and will be there in 5-10 days, when I contacted them it was changed to over a month and a half later: March 28th. (Although they did reply quickly and were helpful.) So it looks like I'm stuck in the OP backorder purgatory currently :mad:. I'm considering just canceling the order and going to Skd.
I have never placed an order with them where something was not back ordered. Not once. They will ship it eventually, so if you are in a hurry, it isn't worth the extra $. If you can wait, their prices aren't that bad.
Have bought there a couple of times and had one problem with a return of defective merchandise. First customer service person was very nice but couldn't give me an answer and then stopped responding to emails or calls. Tried getting someone else on the line and he took care of it with no fuss. Way to much effort had to be expended on my end for resolution of a minor matter. They always seem to have a 5% off coupon running so do a search for the code before you buy if you do choose them.
ColdDeadHands
04-04-11, 11:05
Been shopping there for some time, no problems so far. Good prices & fast shipping.
I've been using them since 2005, and never had a problem. Plan on getting a range finder from them once I clear my list of toys up. Great site and service.
Quick update on my order: Now the CS says the arrival date is April 12th-18th. :cray:
Quick update on my order: Now the CS says the arrival date is April 12th-18th. :cray:
Nice, when its all said and done, you will have saved $5 on shipping and waited two months. That's just crap. I think I'm gonna ordering from SKD next time, this is just redonkulous.
I won't buy from Optics Planet until they implement a live (real-time) inventory system (i.e. Midway/BCM, etc). By not having one, and not making a good-faith effort to mark products as out of stock, they are just phishing people into placing "blind" orders who think "the item must be in stock since it doesn't say it isn't!"
That's shady, especially considering that they must know what's going on. :nono:
I won't buy from Optics Planet until they implement a live (real-time) inventory system (i.e. Midway/BCM, etc). By not having one, and not making a good-faith effort to mark products as out of stock, they are just phishing people into placing "blind" orders who think "the item must be in stock since it doesn't say it isn't!"
That's shady, especially considering that they must know what's going on. :nono:
These are my thoughts exactly. Twice now I've placed orders only to get an email, very soon after, stating that one or more items was out of stock with no ETA on when it would be available.
I also had a smimilar experience as the other poster. Upon finding out the item wasn't in stock (Nikon Monarch X binocs), I called and cancelled the order. 4 weeks later I got an email stating that my order was shipped and my CC was billed. I did get my CC refunded, but it wasn't exactly a painless process.
Nice, when its all said and done, you will have saved $5 on shipping and waited two months. That's just crap. I think I'm gonna ordering from SKD next time, this is just redonkulous.
I agree and recommend this.
Although I agree a real-time inventory system would be good, I've bought numerous items over the last couple of years and never had a problem. Had a backorder situation of some clothing once, and a DeSantis holster. Called to cancel the clothing, no problem. Left the holster on backorder since timing wasn't an issue. Communication was good, end result has always been satisfactory for me.
After reading all of this I think I will add them to the list of shops not to buy from. If they do as much in sales as Hmac said they do I see no reason why they can not set up a real time inventory system. It sounds like a lot of people end up calling to cancel backorders which ties up your staff and is 100% not profitable.
totenkopf_u64
04-08-11, 16:40
Well, I'm finished dealing with my Opticsplanet fiasco.
It took a couple more phone calls, but my order has been canceled and my money refunded. Initially, I was told by yet another service rep that they couldn't cancel my order because it had been shipped, even though they could not actually confirm that it had in fact shipped (or tell me anything about its status). I was pretty flamed once again, but decided to try again later.
The next day I got a very helpful person on the phone who said they could not reach whoever the heck it is that tells them whatever info it is they need to get their job done, but that she would keep calling every ten minutes and try to get my order canceled. She got it done... whoever you are, Opticsplanet lady, you ma dawg!
So, in the end I don't know whether my order ever shipped, was back ordered, or what but they decided they could give me back my money... which is good because I went ahead and bought the same thing elsewhere online and already had it in my possession by the time this was all resolved. I guess I'm happy, but I'm sure not doing business with them anymore. I'm sure if you call and make sure your gear is in stock before you order they would be all good... thing is, why would I bother to do that when every other retailer I order from can get it right without that hassle?
I discussed this topic elsewhere recently below was my reply. I am personally done with Optics Planet. I have had issues every single time I have ordered from them.
I actually have an order being shipped by them as I type this. The original order was Jan 31, 2011. Every single order I have placed with OP, the response has been this same notification and this is an exact quote from my most recent emails...
Thank you for your order. We apologize, but your order has been temporarily placed on hold because we have just run out of stock on:
==================================================================
Safariland XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
==================================================================
They are very popular and hard to keep around. We do expect to receive the merchandise back in stock within 7-10 business days. We will not charge your credit card until we are able to ship the order. You will be automatically notified with your tracking number when your order ships.
Then after 2 weeks I email about the status of my order and get this.....
The Safariland XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
continues to be on backorder and we apologize for the further delay. The
newly-revised estimated time for delivery from our supplier is now set for
the 28th of February.
Then on On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 11:51 AM they want me to resend a paypal payment, DAMN! I shoulda just canceled it here.
OpticsPlanet.com <Sales@opticsplanet.com> wrote:Greetings from OpticsPlanet.com!
Thank you for ordering:
==================================================================
Safariland xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Safariland xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
==================================================================
Your item(s) are in stock and ready to ship. Unfortunately, your original PayPal payment authorization has expired. Therefore, we are unable to charge you for this order.
So I send the payment the very next day on March 4. On March 8th I get a notification that my payment has been received. The item doesn't ship until today! (3-11-11)
I wouldn't be upset if this was the first time, but almost every order, if not every single order from them has been backordered and I have always had to email way past the date that stock was due back in. I think if I never emailed, I would never get my items! I am glad that others have had better experiences but personally, I am done with Optics Planet.
I've ordered 2 or 3 times in the past from them without any issues.
Hey all,
First, I would like to offer my personal apology for any bad experiences you may have had with OpticsPlanet.
Shipping times are often interpreted to mean that the order will be at your door in so many days. However, what it really means is time in transit. Order processing times can range from 1-3 business days and longer if the product is regulated and requires compliance controls, such as many weapon sights and tactical gear. Processing time is on top of any time in transit and any time the package spends in the shipping carriers warehouses.
The only way to guarantee that your order ships the same day or next business day is to order one of our "Out the Door in 24" products. You can also call to verify inventory availability and request expedited shipping/processing if possible.
Again, I understand the frustration that some of you may have experienced with your orders. If you are currently having order issues, please PM me your name and order number and I will do my best to get any issues resolved.
Regards,
Mike
Optics Planet
http://www.opticsplanet.com
800.504.5897
Hey all,
First, I would like to offer my personal apology for any bad experiences you may have had with OpticsPlanet.
Shipping times are often interpreted to mean that the order will be at your door in so many days. However, what it really means is time in transit. Order processing times can range from 1-3 business days and longer if the product is regulated and requires compliance controls, such as many weapon sights and tactical gear. Processing time is on top of any time in transit and any time the package spends in the shipping carriers warehouses.
The only way to guarantee that your order ships the same day or next business day is to order one of our "Out the Door in 24" products. You can also call to verify inventory availability and request expedited shipping/processing if possible.
Again, I understand the frustration that some of you may have experienced with your orders. If you are currently having order issues, please PM me your name and order number and I will do my best to get any issues resolved.
Regards,
Mike
Optics Planet
http://www.opticsplanet.com
800.504.5897
I think the bigger issue is that the only way to know whether or not an item is in stock is to order it and see if you get the email the next day (as I did Saturday...)
Thank you for your order. We apologize, but your order has been temporarily placed on hold because we have just run out of stock on:
===============================================================
DeSantis Right Hand - Tan - Speed Scabbard (3 Slot) 002TAN9Z0 *$52.09
===============================================================
They are very popular and hard to keep around. We do expect to receive the merchandise back in stock within 5-10 business days. If you used a credit card as your payment method, it will not be charged until we are able to ship the order. You will be automatically notified with your tracking number when your order ships. ****
I think the bigger issue is that the only way to know whether or not an item is in stock is to order it and see if you get the email the next day (as I did Saturday...)
Hi Hmac,
Thank you for the reply. OpticsPlanet offers hundreds of thousands of SKU's to its customers and stocks many of the items you see on the site. We also process thousands of orders every day.
Sometimes we may have a handful of a specific item in the warehouse and it is possible to sell more than we physically have in just one day. If we have more on-order, then you will receive a back-order notice (as part of our quality assurance process) with an approximate timeline for arrival. If we do not, then we will verify our ability to drop-ship the item and such notification will be given as well. If you do not wish to wait, there is always the option to choose a substitute or cancel the order for the time being.
Let me know if you have further questions or concerns. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience anyone may have experienced with their order. If anyone is currently experiencing order issues, please PM me your name and order number and I will do my best to resolve the situation.
Regards,
Mike
Optics Planet
http://www.opticsplanet.com
800.504.5897
I think the bigger issue is that the only way to know whether or not an item is in stock is to order it and see if you get the email the next day (as I did Saturday...)
Hmac just beat me to it but I'll reiterate - While it's good of OP to address this here, the issue isn't how long it takes for in-stock orders to process or the length of time from warehouse to destination via courier.
The issue is simply: OP needs an externally facing live inventory system to accurately set the customer's expectations..
Hi Hmac,
Thank you for the reply. OpticsPlanet offers hundreds of thousands of SKU's to its customers and stocks many of the items you see on the site. We also process thousands of orders every day.
Sometimes we may have a handful of a specific item in the warehouse and it is possible to sell more than we physically have in just one day. If we have more on-order, then you will receive a back-order notice (as part of our quality assurance process) with an approximate timeline for arrival. If we do not, then we will verify our ability to drop-ship the item and such notification will be given as well. If you do not wish to wait, there is always the option to choose a substitute or cancel the order for the time being.
Let me know if you have further questions or concerns. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience anyone may have experienced with their order. If anyone is currently experiencing order issues, please PM me your name and order number and I will do my best to resolve the situation.
Regards,
Mike
Optics Planet
http://www.opticsplanet.com
800.504.5897
I think you missed the point, Mike. A real-time inventory notification is what you're lacking. Most people here are frustrated by that, being used to other online retailers who do have right on their website whether or not the. Item. The buyer is looking at is available before it's even ordered. Admittedly, those are mostly smaller companies with smaller inventories, but OTOH I order a lot from B&H Photo and they have no problem with real time stock notification.
You must realize there's a problem at Optcs Planet.....all you have to do is go to resellerratings.com and review your score and your customers feedback. Those comments are pretty consistent with what people are saying in this thread too.
I contend that Optics Planet is a good a place to buy based on my experience, but the onslaught of customer service complaints and backorder situations is beginning to be reminiscent of Botach Tactical. Optics Planet is in danger of becoming the next Botach Tactical. That would be bad for you.
Hey Hmac,
All of the points being made are valid and we genuinly appreciate our customers input and advice. Ideally, we would be able to display live stock updates and lead times for every product we sell. This is something we are working on. In fact, many of our most popular products and new products have such notices displayed on the product page, such as http://www.opticsplanet.net/celestron-personal-gps-retrace-deluxe-handheld-locator.html, just look below the product model options OR like here http://www.opticsplanet.net/bushnell-elite-1600-arc-7x26-black-laser-rangefinder.html, just look at the banner marked "info" above the search box.
This may be worth noting if you have never noticed such announcements before. I hope this advice was helpful, let me know if you have continuing order issues or further questions or concerns.
Regards,
Mike
Optics Planet
http://www.opticsplanet.com
800.504.5897
Hey Hmac,
All of the points being made are valid and we genuinly appreciate our customers input and advice. Ideally, we would be able to display live stock updates and lead times for every product we sell.
Last time I talked to Optics Planet, the people on the phone said their sales system was a turnkey product from Yahoo. The dude on the phone essentially blamed Yahoo's system and said the choice to use said system was beyond his paygrade.
This is something we are working on.
I'll believe that when I see it.
In fact, many of our most popular products and new products have such notices displayed on the product page, such as http://www.opticsplanet.net/celestron-personal-gps-retrace-deluxe-handheld-locator.html, just look below the product model options OR like here http://www.opticsplanet.net/bushnell-elite-1600-arc-7x26-black-laser-rangefinder.html, just look at the banner marked "info" above the search box.
So you've implemented stopgap measures on some of your more popular/profitable items. It's a start, but bandaids won't fix your sales and inventory system. Throw it out. Start over. Might be smart to rebrand your company while you're at it. Too many marks, err, I mean customers, are getting hip to the OpticsPlanet experience. Heck I'd rather waste my time with Botach than OP.
Seriously though, if you really want to improve, look at how Brownells or MidwayUSA run their live inventory. Also notice that they ship their shit within 24 hours, like clockwork. You could stand to learn a thing or two.
fiddly_foo
04-12-11, 11:30
When ordering from a place like that and the other bigger stores, I always call them and before I order make them call the warehouse and visally see if the product is in I tell them I'm recording the phone call and make sure that it's in stock and tell them if I isnt I have everyyhting you said on record it takes 10 min on the phone when I order but in the last 2 years I have done lots of ordering and never had a problem. I make sure that it's in stock...
manderson2228
04-15-11, 21:36
Funny this is a topic as I am currently on the OP backorder hell.. I didn't know this was a problem with them or I wouldn't of ordered.. I made my order last weekend, got the backorder e-mail that was posted earlier. Which clearly said they won't charge my card until the order ships... Except they did charge my card...To me thats dirty business.
I hope this gets shipped soon. I dont want to deal with the headaches from them to cancel.. After reading this I feel like I am about to get screwed.. So many people with backorder problems there is clearly an issue.
I did have to put up with a backorder one of the two times I ordered from Optics Planet. That said, they sent the backordered items to me very quickly and even gave me a small discount. I'd order from them again, but nothing I needed any time soon.
Optics Planet ripped me off and I will never risk ordering from them again. I ordered a Leupold scope and wanted Leupold scope caps to go with it. I called the 800 number as the website did not indicate which cap was the proper cap for the scope I ordered. The customer service person placed my order and assured me the correct scope caps would ship with the scope. The scope arrived in a timely fashion but the scope caps were not close to fitting. I emailed customer service and they said no problem, they apparently did not have the proper caps in stock and instructed me to return the caps for credit card reimbursement.
I sent the scope caps back on my dime and Optic's Planet deducted $10.00 per cap for a "restocking fee." They charged me $20 for their mistake. I called customer service and was transferred to a supervisor who not so politely told me to pound sand as they didn't care if their customer service rep sent the wrong item.
I'm currently contesting the charge on my credit card so we'll see how it comes out. Bottom line, watch out for these guys as they will not give you decent service.
I've always had good luck with OP in the past, but I ordered a TAG chest rig from them 3 weeks ago & it's still on backorder. I called twice to check on it & was told it was being shipped directly from TAG & they didn't know when it would ship. I asked if I could change my color choice or style & the answer was, "No." I probably won't order from them again. There are too many smaller companies out there who really need our support.
I've bought many things from OP and have naver had an issue. I recently ordered a Troy TRX and Troy front site from them as a matter of fact.
Hmm...
I ordered four things from OpticsPlanet on April 30- ALL of them were out of stock. I receieved the email stating, "We do expect to receive the merchandise back in stock within 5-10 business days". Well, I call a couple of weeks later and I was told that the Blackhawk bag is backordered till mid june? But the rest of my stuff is being held until that is in..
Well, if its not in by mid june, I need to cancel my order and get it from somewhere else...As a matter of fact..i need to check my credit card to see if they charged me..
Gutshot John
05-17-11, 17:55
Optics planet has always treated me properly. When I order something out of stock, they promptly let me know. When I contact them inquiring about status they respond promptly and courteously letting me know the approximate wait. When something is backordered they never charge me until it is in and when I want to change or cancel my order they are happy to accommodate me.
About 3 weeks ago I ordered a Vortex PST and Spotting scope. They shipped the spotting scope immediately and the PST(which was backordered for 3 weeks) showed up on my door today, 3 weeks before they said I'd get it.
Comparing them to botach is a bit flawed. They charge you up front for backorders, they never reply to your emails/vmails and they almost never seem to answer their phone.
I'm not dealing with OpticsPlanet again. I just canceled the other half of an order I had with them.
I previously had an order in for a RDS and Safariland holster, both of which went immediately to backorder. I was willing to wait, but then when I started receiving further delay emails after they indicated a time it was expected to stock/ship, I started wondering if I had made a mistake with these guys.
I went ahead and canceled the order on the sight (found it through another retailer IN STOCK), but still wanted to give them a chance on the holster. What happens today? Another email indicating another month-long delay on the holster when they said they'd have it this week. I need it for a class April 7th, so no dice. I'm done with these guys selling things 1) they don't stock 2) can't seem to even get in stock when they say they can.
Regardless of what their employees and shills say, be forewarned M4C-ers....
Edited to add: And yes, I dealt directly both by phone and online chat MULTIPLE times with OpticsPlanet (Starr, Kathleen and a few others) customer service. Can't say they were unpleasant, just completely unable to deliver as a company.
Street Dog
03-05-12, 10:04
My experence was, I placed an order for a Safariland holster, and was told it was backordered. I cancealed the order when I found the holster on Amazon. When the holster arrived, I was suprised to see it was shipped from Optics Planet. Perhaps they hold part of their inventory for Amazon.com sales. I no longer buy from them.
I've had both good and not so good experiences with Optics Planet. They don't have a realtime inventory and lots of times things are backordered. More disturbing is the deal they do where they are never in stock and you get the five days plus runaround. Then after a week yo learn that the item is backordered. Most everything I've checked on with them lately has been out of stock. Amazon says they are in stock at Optics Planet, for a little higher price. All the above seems a bit bogus to me..
It seems that lately I always find myself ordering from Brownells Midway or Amazon Prime in the end.. Ron
NOBODY can afford to stock the entire line of Safariland holsters - you're likely only to see the bare pistol versions of common pistols in one or two colors, and maybe a lighted version of a couple - and only in black or tan.
It simply has to do with how diverse Safariland's product line is - I had to wait two months for my opticsplanet order, but that was what I was expecting, since Safariland likely made that holster just for me, and then shipped it over.
With other items I may have had an issue, but I've got ZERO concern with having to wait for Kydex - that's just part of what it is.
NOBODY can afford to stock the entire line of Safariland holsters - you're likely only to see the bare pistol versions of common pistols in one or two colors, and maybe a lighted version of a couple - and only in black or tan.
It simply has to do with how diverse Safariland's product line is - I had to wait two months for my opticsplanet order, but that was what I was expecting, since Safariland likely made that holster just for me, and then shipped it over.
With other items I may have had an issue, but I've got ZERO concern with having to wait for Kydex - that's just part of what it is.
Totally understood. And I was willing to wait.
But #1, don't list things as IN STOCK when they're clearly not. OpticsPlanet does this with almost everything these days and it's a common complaint.
That's false advertising.
#2, don't tell me a backorder will be IN STOCK within a week to 10 days and then when that time is up, say the same thing again and again and again. If it's going to take months to get, SAY SO UPFRONT. It's pretty easy.
Bottom line is: these guys will do/say anything to make the sale and then string you along. Not good business in my book.
dmaxfireman
03-05-12, 14:58
Another bad experience here, just cancelled my order and requested a refund after over 2 weeks of waiting...
Another bad experience here, just cancelled my order and requested a refund after over 2 weeks of waiting...
2 weeks is like FedEX Priority Overnight timing by OpticsPlanet standards. :D Sorry you had a bad experience too, but lesson learned.
I now have a member/retailer on here working on getting me what I want now.
I just placed an order with OP on Wednesday. I call the order in to be sure the items were in stock. The conversation went like this:
Me: hi, do you have x, y & z in stock?
OP: Yes, we have 1 of item "x" and 2 of item "y" in stock. Item "z" is not in stock, but will be in 10 days.
Me: I'll take "x" & "y" - order placed
Well, it's been three days. Their online order status has read as "shipped " since Thursday, but I have not received a shipping notice. I have called & emailed to find out what the actual status is. Both times, I've been told that it would ship in 24 hours.
Do I have a problem here? Or does it always take them several days to ship in stock items? What are the odds that they said an item was in stock and it actually not be in inventory?
SW-Shooter
03-10-12, 14:45
I've ordered from them twice, neither time did they have the gear in stock, and both times they failed to notify me of the back-order status within a week. I will never purchase from them, ever.
I just placed an order Thurs. night from OP and it shipped out this morning. Another smooth transaction.:cool:
I just placed an order Thurs. night from OP and it shipped out this morning. Another smooth transaction.:cool:
Did you actually get a shipping notice? I placed an order via phone on Wednesday, no shipping notice yet. This is in spite of me calling to confirm availability prior to placing my order. Three days in a row and I still can't find anyone there who can tell me where my damn order is. The online status has said "shipped" since Wednesday afternoon.
Yes, I got a shipping notice this morning.
Well, my order placed on 3/7, hasn't shipped. After being told by three separate people last week that it was shipped and on the way, I found out this afternoon that one of the items I ordered was in fact not in stock. Keep in mind, I called in my order specifically so that I could verify in stock status and was told that they had everything I ordered. This is the email I got:
" Greetings from OpticsPlanet.com!
We apologize, but your order for the following item(s) has been temporarily placed on hold:: ============================== ===================================== Safariland Duty Holster Locking Fork, Brown 6004-19-55 $14.99 ============================== ===================================== We have discovered an inventory error in our system and unfortunately, the item mentioned above is currently unavailable. We are actively working to locate and secure this product with an alternative supplier. You will be updated shortly via email as to the status of your order."
They have been sitting on my order since Wednesday. The remaining items will ship out whenever they get around to it. They would not give me a ship-out date. I requested expedited shipping and they refused. As a consolation prize, they offered me 5% off my next order, which I will never use. I'm done with OP.
Well, my order placed on 3/7, hasn't shipped. After being told by three separate people last week that it was shipped and on the way, I found out this afternoon that one of the items I ordered was in fact not in stock. Keep in mind, I called in my order specifically so that I could verify in stock status and was told that they had everything I ordered. This is the email I got:
" Greetings from OpticsPlanet.com!
We apologize, but your order for the following item(s) has been temporarily placed on hold:: ============================== ===================================== Safariland Duty Holster Locking Fork, Brown 6004-19-55 $14.99 ============================== ===================================== We have discovered an inventory error in our system and unfortunately, the item mentioned above is currently unavailable. We are actively working to locate and secure this product with an alternative supplier. You will be updated shortly via email as to the status of your order."
They have been sitting on my order since Wednesday. The remaining items will ship out whenever they get around to it. They would not give me a ship-out date. I requested expedited shipping and they refused. As a consolation prize, they offered me 5% off my next order, which I will never use. I'm done with OP.
Same old sh*t from them. Sorry this happened to you.
There are those who sing their OpticsPlanet praises, but those people are few and quickly becoming even farther between. How these guys stay in business is beyond me.
Also, they can take their 5% consolation discount and stick it. That's a standing discount offer on many gun forums that anyone can get/use. To offer that up for poor customer service is further proof of this sh*t operation.
Also, they can take their 5% consolation discount and stick it. That's a standing discount offer on many gun forums that anyone can get/use. To offer that up for poor customer service is further proof of this sh*t operation.
Why am I not surprised? :rolleyes:
My experience with opticsplanet is 50/50. Quite a few times it took weeks if not months to ship, if the items did ship quick took atleast 2-3 weeks to arrive. Sometimes I would get an email 2 weeks later saying my items were back ordered and it wouldn't be another couple of weeks until they get them back in stock and who knows how long after they would ship. The other half they would ship right after I ordered and arrive promptly. It is a hit and miss with them. The only things I would buy from them is tag gear but now I stick to ares armor and optactical.
I know that opinions are mixed, but my experience with OpticsPlanet has been good.
I ordered an Aimpoint PRO on 13 February. It was backordered with an expected shipping time of 3-4 weeks. I received another Email stating that the waiting time for the items would be further delayed. After reading this thread, I was disappointed and expected the worst. On 12 March, I received a notice that the item has been shipped and the UPS tracking number was included. They honored the old price that has since increased.
None of the other vendors often recommended on this site have any in stock either. I agree that it would be nice if OpticsPlanet had a real time inventory system that was transparent to the customer.
I have ordered everything from sunglasses to Leupold scopes from OpticsPlanet and have never had a backorder before, so I wasn't too disappointed in four week delivery. This PRO optic is hard to find. Pelican cases parts are difficult, too. I waited six months just for the foam insert, ordered from another vendor unrelated to OpticsPlanet.
On a related subject, if you want to buy any Scandinavian product (Aimpoint is based is Sweden), order it well before Summer. All of the Scandinavian counties (and Finland) take long summer vacations, beginning in June. The factories and parts departments are basically shut down with college students working in shipping departments. I worked for a company based there and we joked that if you needed repair parts, you better order them no later than March, even if you did not need them. Their mentality is that nothing will break in the Summer because no one is using the items, anyway.
I know that opinions are mixed, but my experience with OpticsPlanet has been good.
I ordered an Aimpoint PRO on 13 February. It was backordered with an expected shipping time of 3-4 weeks. I received another Email stating that the waiting time for the items would be further delayed. After reading this thread, I was disappointed and expected the worst. On 12 March, I received a notice that the item has been shipped and the UPS tracking number was included. They honored the old price that has since increased.
None of the other vendors often recommended on this site have any in stock either. I agree that it would be nice if OpticsPlanet had a real time inventory system that was transparent to the customer.
I have ordered everything from sunglasses to Leupold scopes from OpticsPlanet and have never had a backorder before, so I wasn't too disappointed in four week delivery. This PRO optic is hard to find. Pelican cases parts are difficult, too. I waited six months just for the foam insert, ordered from another vendor unrelated to OpticsPlanet.
On a related subject, if you want to buy any Scandinavian product (Aimpoint is based is Sweden), order it well before Summer. All of the Scandinavian counties (and Finland) take long summer vacations, beginning in June. The factories and parts departments are basically shut down with college students working in shipping departments. I worked for a company based there and we joked that if you needed repair parts, you better order them no later than March, even if you did not need them. Their mentality is that nothing will break in the Summer because no one is using the items, anyway.
If you're OK with someone holding upwards of $400 of your hard earned money for an indefinite period of time and constantly pushing back delivery dates, then more power to you. That's simply unacceptable to me. The PRO is obtainable from numerous sources and I would prefer to wait until a trusted vendor had it in stock. OP can take their constant backorders and deceitful business practices and shove them.
cjnuckols50
03-14-12, 12:00
Every time I've ordered from opticsplanet there was a back order. Mind you I've always received my items but its still just a pain. I stopped ordering from them.
My experience with Optics Planet has been mixed, but for the most part, positive. As others on here obviously do, I always call to verify stock. I actually just recently put in an order for a couple of Surefire products that were out of stock, and was told that they wouldn't be back in stock until March 30th. Turns out they got them sooner, and my purchase is scheduled to be delivered this afternoon. So I'm extremely happy about that. They actually didn't bill me until it was shipped out though. The one negative experience that I did have with them, was when I ordered a set of Trijicon HD Glock sights a few months back, through ebay. I was given a deadline delivery date, and did not get my order by that date. When I called them about it, they apologized, and explained that the reason why the product shipped late was because of some weather related flooding(Bad storm that hit around that time.) that prevented them from sending out orders for about a day or two. I was in no rush, so it wasn't a huge deal, but it was a bummer none the less. Everything else I've ordered from them has always been in stock though, and always shipped in a timely manner. After reading some of the later posts in the thread however, I seem to be in the minority.
Almost every time I order from them it shows in stock but am emailed shortly after saying its back ordered. I have swore them off. Horrible business practices.
Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk
polymorpheous
03-15-12, 15:21
I've ordered 4 different Safariland holsters from Optics Planet on 4 separate occasions.
I suggest calling with some SKU numbers handy to see what is in stock.
I've ordered 4 different Safariland holsters from Optics Planet on 4 separate occasions.
I suggest calling with some SKU numbers handy to see what is in stock.
They are not 100%, even if you call it in. My order placed last week still has not shipped. I called in the order, was told everything was available and then told that they had been shipped out. I didn't find out until 5 days later that neither was true. Still waiting for the two items that were actually in stock to ship out.
wetidlerjr
07-11-12, 04:56
Sorry about the "Back from the Dead" post but I thought I should add to this thread after doing a "Search".
I have ordered from Optics Planet in the past with no problems but my recent order (last week) has been a pain, to say the least. After sitting on the order (in-stock weapon light) for five days they finally shipped it yesterday. The problem was I used their "free" shipping which means the UPS/USPS combo where UPS ships it to the Post Office which does the end delivery. This meant in my case that the order shipped from the Chicago area, across Indiana (where I live) to Columbus OH which will then ship it back to Indiana which they say will take SIX days! DO NOT use the "FREE Value Shipping" option if you want it in a reasonable amount of time. If I had known, I would have GLADLY paid to have it shipped normally (UPS only). My previous experience with their "Free Shipping" was only two days to Indiana without any five day delay. Of course, they DO NOT explain how the order will be shipped when you choose "FREE Value Shipping". UPS calls this idiocy "UPS Mail Innovations". I have learned a valuable lesson and will not deal with them again. BEWARE
doubletap2211
07-11-12, 13:37
I have ordered a lot from optics planet over the last few years. This is a recent change that I am not a fan of. Previously I would order from them and it would often times ship out same day and if it was over 29 dollars they would ship UPS ground for free. Since I'm located in Indy it would arrive the next day, which was great.
My most recent purchase was not as pleasurable. Took two days to ship and two days for priority mail which I paid for because i checked the details of their new free shipping details.
Oh well. They are just figuring out ways to save money. Still haven't had a negative experience though.
highlighter
07-11-12, 17:59
I just placed an order with them. I hope it works out.
I just placed an order with them. I hope it works out.
Good luck with that.
wetidlerjr
07-13-12, 05:46
...Oh well. They are just figuring out ways to save money. Still haven't had a negative experience though.
That excuses nothing.
I am still not sure, if and when, I will get my order. Tracking last showed it was in Cincinnati after, supposedly, going to some town near Pittsburgh. Total time (from order date) to travel approx. 198 miles will be 12 days if it arrives on Monday.
In the meantime, I have disputed the CC charge and will be refusing the delivery even if it does show up.
FireandFlames
07-15-12, 13:40
I ordered a vortex viper 1-4x scope from them april 17th, my card was charged immediately and I received a email saying the scope was back ordered and I should expect it to ship in 6-10 days. After a couple weeks I decided to give them a ring and they informed me that they would get the scope and ship it the last week of may or the first week of june, that didn't seem too bad so I just decided to wait it out. Well the first week of june ended and I decided to give them another call to check their temperature, now they are telling me the scope wont get to them until JULY 27th! We will see if they make good on that promise. I've also called them several times to discuss why I'm on backorder for a scope that has been shown to be in stock consistently from them on amazon.com, I got a "amazon doesn't keep a accurate stock status, we deal with these call all the time" excuse.
The customer service has been decent enough, despite subtly insulting my intelligence frequently when I called. They seem way too good at making excuses for themselves. I understand that its a popular scope and its backordered almost everywhere, but I do not appreciate the run around or having them take my money and work it, these people seem to enjoy taking out interest free loans from their customers.
I had plans to shoot this recce build of mine all summer long.
Why people continue to give BackOrder Planet their business when there are so many recent stories like this is beyond me.
Wow...I didn't know there were so many complaints about OP.
I recently ordered a Eotech from them and it shipped the very next day. Absolutely no hassles. Then again, I have only dealt with them once...
Lone_Ranger
07-15-12, 15:59
What Optics Planet isn't saying is that they only keep holsters in stock, for the more popular pistols. Glock, M&P, etc. If you have a funky HK, or something that police departments don't issue by the hundreds, it's a special order. If you want OD or FDE it's a special order. If you want it to take a weapon light, special order. Special orders take 6-8 weeks, because they actually have to make it at the factory, in Mexico. Safariland & Bianchi are both made at the same factory.
A customer service person from Code3 Tactical actually explained it to me one time. Optics Planet has the best price a lot of the time. The way they do inventory, they will tell you it's back ordered, when it's actually a special order. I don't think the person talking to you on the phone even knows why it's taking so long. They are just reading what the computer is telling them
I've had both good and bad experiences with them. What I don't like is ordering something listed as in-stock and finding out 3-5 days later that it's backordered. That's just BS. I even called once to check and they said they would be happy to place my order, but could not guarantee that the item would be in-stock when the order was processed. That's just shoddy business practice to me.. Same with Botach. They normally kick everyones butt on prices, but it's the same deal on backordering stuff.. JMO.. Ron
highlighter
07-15-12, 16:09
Wow...I didn't know there were so many complaints about OP.
I recently ordered a Eotech from them and it shipped the very next day. Absolutely no hassles. Then again, I have only dealt with them once...
Me too. Just ordered a OPMOD and a SF x300, lowest prices and it got here in under a week. I'm happy!
I've dealt with them a few times and had no issues, even when I had to return something (because it didn't work for me).
Richard Belott
08-01-12, 21:03
I have made alot of orders with Optics never had a problem.
Hey guys,
Since this thread was created, we did actually deal with the issue of not showing the availability of items on the website. Every orderable item on the website now has a "Check Availability" button which will give you our best approximation of when the item will be ready to ship. We've been running it for a few months now, and we either meet or beat that estimate over 95% of the time. We're already working on an update to try and get it even higher.
The overwhelming majority of popular products are in-stock at all times. Some products (like AimPoints, EOTechs, and Vortex scopes) we bring in as fast as the manufacturer can make them, but still can't get ahead. If we could have millions of dollars in inventory of products like that, we would - but we only get them as fast as they ship them to us.
Other products (specifically holsters) are a mixed bag. Some are completely made to order by the manufacturer, and if we run out we have to wait for an entire production cycle. Other brands offer so many models, styles and fits that we'd need another 250,000 sq. ft of warehouse space to stock them, but they can ship them to us from their warehouse relatively fast. As opposed to just telling customers that aren't looking for a holster for a Glock or XD too bad, we list the products and have the "Check Availability" option so you can see how long it will take to get the holster. If you find your holster somewhere else in stock, I can't fault you for getting it from them.
Finally, I hear your feedback on the new Value Shipping. We were faced with a choice - nix free shipping all together, go up to $75/$100 like everyone else, or switch to a cheaper shipping method. We tried to put ourselves in our customers' shoes and thought they'd appreciate keeping the threshold at $30. We are still watching all the feedback, and I made sure the right decision makers saw your posts.
And with us, your feedback makes a difference. This thread originally was a critique of finding out the availability of items on our website, and being surprised by backorders. Now you can find out the availability of an item before you add it to your cart. So please keep giving us your feedback, and do give us a second chance - we're doing what we can to fix every issue you have with our store.
Alessandro M.
OpticsPlanet
wetidlerjr
08-02-12, 12:26
Up to my most recent order, I had no complaints with Optics Planet. Now, after an order that took nine days to go less than two hundred miles (IL to IN) I am done with them. Caveat Emptor
I had excessive shipping times the one time I dealed with them.
Voodoo_Man
08-02-12, 17:23
bought some stuff from dvor...was slightly cheaper than other places and took 3x the time to arrive.
highlighter
08-02-12, 20:29
Hey guys,
Since this thread was created, we did actually deal with the issue of not showing the availability of items on the website. Every orderable item on the website now has a "Check Availability" button which will give you our best approximation of when the item will be ready to ship. We've been running it for a few months now, and we either meet or beat that estimate over 95% of the time. We're already working on an update to try and get it even higher.
The overwhelming majority of popular products are in-stock at all times. Some products (like AimPoints, EOTechs, and Vortex scopes) we bring in as fast as the manufacturer can make them, but still can't get ahead. If we could have millions of dollars in inventory of products like that, we would - but we only get them as fast as they ship them to us.
Other products (specifically holsters) are a mixed bag. Some are completely made to order by the manufacturer, and if we run out we have to wait for an entire production cycle. Other brands offer so many models, styles and fits that we'd need another 250,000 sq. ft of warehouse space to stock them, but they can ship them to us from their warehouse relatively fast. As opposed to just telling customers that aren't looking for a holster for a Glock or XD too bad, we list the products and have the "Check Availability" option so you can see how long it will take to get the holster. If you find your holster somewhere else in stock, I can't fault you for getting it from them.
Finally, I hear your feedback on the new Value Shipping. We were faced with a choice - nix free shipping all together, go up to $75/$100 like everyone else, or switch to a cheaper shipping method. We tried to put ourselves in our customers' shoes and thought they'd appreciate keeping the threshold at $30. We are still watching all the feedback, and I made sure the right decision makers saw your posts.
And with us, your feedback makes a difference. This thread originally was a critique of finding out the availability of items on our website, and being surprised by backorders. Now you can find out the availability of an item before you add it to your cart. So please keep giving us your feedback, and do give us a second chance - we're doing what we can to fix every issue you have with our store.
Alessandro M.
OpticsPlanet
I recently ordered from you guys, lowest price and fast shipping. Great job!
My experience this year with OP for two orders has been quite good. First was an EOTech OPMOD EXPS2 and cover with standard shipping. In stock, shipped promptly and arrived in 9 days counting weekends. I actually took the time to do a review and post it as the system to do so was simple and I found prior product reviews to be somewhat helpful for my own purchase.
Most recent order was for a Nikon 1-4x20. In stock, and arrived in 10 days using value shipping ($00). The price was already competitive and I used a promotion code that saved another 10%.
My prior experience, along with the info/tone of SandroM's post above suggests I'll be using OP in the future.
kiwi57
Up to my most recent order, I had no complaints with Optics Planet. Now, after an order that took nine days to go less than two hundred miles (IL to IN) I am done with them. Caveat Emptor
Well, most big businesses ship through a major processing facility. So, even if you live next door to the warehouse, your order will still go through a package processing facility (in Kentucky for example) and then ship back to you. It's stupid but that is the way they do it.
I myself didn't know that and was complaining of the same thing until it was explained to me why my item took as long as it did.
wetidlerjr
08-03-12, 11:46
Well, most big businesses ship through a major processing facility. So, even if you live next door to the warehouse, your order will still go through a package processing facility (in Kentucky for example) and then ship back to you. It's stupid but that is the way they do it.
I myself didn't know that and was complaining of the same thing until it was explained to me why my item took as long as it did.
Well, being that this isn't my first rodeo, I'm aware of how things are shipped. It just so happened that my order shipped from Illinois and I had the tracking info to prove it.
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