Nakaya "returned to the sender," Nibs.com not writing back, what to do?

[Miss Fountain Pen]

Update (November 10, 2023): Problem solved, the pen is here! Scroll down for the pictures.

Guys, I need some hive-mind help here. Short version: I ordered a Nakaya from Nibs.com. They shipped it to me via UPS (I'm in Europe), except that UPS returned the package to the sender due to incompetence. I sent two e-mails about this to Nibs.com: one on Monday (three days ago), and one yesterday (just a little over 24hrs ago), and they still haven't replied. Basically, I said that I'd still like to get my pen if possible, but if not, I'd like a refund. Crickets. I'm not sure what to do now. This pen costs more than 1000 USD, so it's a pretty big deal.

If anyone wants the gory details, here's a long version of the above. I ordered a Nakaya from Nibs.com. They shipped it to me approximately two weeks ago. The package arrived in my country on Friday, October 20. Tracking claimed that both the sender and the receiver were contacted for clearance information. I received no e-mail and no phone call from them, and so I assumed that they must have sent me a physical letter (this sometimes happens, depending on the carrier), and so I should wait. Apparently, that was a big mistake: the following Thursday, tracking said they were returning the package to the sender. I tried calling UPS, but was unable to reach a human. So, I e-mailed them through their web page, and I also e-mailed Nibs.com. UPS wrote back quickly and said that the sender didn't give them my contact information (I assume this means e-mail address and phone number), but that they'd contact their customs department, so that they'd contact me about customs. That sounded like problem solved. After a few hours, Nibs.com wrote back as well and promised to contact UPS. They said that other customers had similar issues lately, that they had no idea what was going on with UPS, but that they'd contact me once they got an answer. Well, I wrote back to Nibs.com to say that I had already heard from UPS (and I said what UPS said), but basically, at that point, it seemed that I would get my pen. Except that I never heard from UPS about customs, and on Monday (three days ago), tracking said the pen was returned to the sender. I wrote to UPS, of course, and they said that they were very sorry about this, but that the package was sent back to the United States, that they couldn't do anything about it anymore, and that I should contact the sender. Speaking of the sender: tracking shows some sort of "Proof of Delivery" (to the sender), but it looks a bit fishy: there is no signature, no indication of who received the package, and no photo of any kind. Given everything that happened with UPS over the past couple of weeks, I'm a bit concerned that my pen is somewhere with the fish... I wrote to Nibs.com: first on Monday, and again yesterday (a little over 24hrs ago). They haven't written back. It did occur to me that it might make sense to file a claim via PayPal (which is how I paid for the pen). I've never done that before (prior to this, everything I ever paid for via PayPal arrived with no issues), so I'm not sure what to expect. But the other thing is that I'd actually rather get the pen than get a refund (this is a pen I've been lusting after for years and years). I'm not sure how I should interpret the lack of reply from Nibs.com. Maybe I should wait a few more days, but maybe their silence is a bad sign and I should act as quickly as possible to (hopefully) get my money back. What do people think?

[Stands on Feet]

Wow. That has to be frustrating. Have you tried telephoning them? (323) 655-2641

[Chrissy]

A telephone call might work but I can't see why it should work better than two emails. In order to keep a chain of written evidence what I would do would be to send another "high priority" email saying unless you get a satisfactory response within a set time limit you will file a PayPal claim for your money back as you don't have the pen and there seems to be nothing you can do to get it.

[Marsilius]

Or academic admin procedure:
1. [Polite] phone call
2. Email say, "As in our phone call, we discussed . . . you said . . . etc., providing documentation
Good luck!

[Bisquitlips]

Just be aware there is a time limit on filing with PayPal. Read up on it as they change their TOS regularly.

[Miss Fountain Pen]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to try calling them. (I read somewhere - Reddit? - that they aren't very good about answering the phone - we'll see how it goes.) Chrissy's point about leaving a chain of written evidence is a good one, but - they aren't writing back! I'm going to try this:

Or academic admin procedure:
1. [Polite] phone call
2. Email say, "As in our phone call, we discussed . . . you said . . . etc., providing documentation
Good luck!

and we'll see how it goes.

Just be aware there is a time limit on filing with PayPal. Read up on it as they change their TOS regularly.

I believe I have 180 days to file a claim. I placed the order in late September, and so it should be okay.

[Chrissy]

I only meant that you would have a chain of written evidence from your side. If they don't respond then that would be their problem. They won't be able to say "we tried to sort it out" when you file a claim for your money back.

[Miss Fountain Pen]

First of all, I have no idea how UPS is still in business. On Monday, tracking said that the pen had been returned to the sender (and there was some fishy-looking "Proof of Delivery"). And that's what it still said when I checked tracking about an hour ago. And then... I checked again just a little while ago, before calling Nibs.com, and suddenly, it says they're "returning" the package to the sender, and the current location is still that very same warehouse in my country. When on Tuesday, their representative wrote to me that the package was on its way to the US, and they couldn't do anything about it anymore. Unbelievable.

But anyway, I called Nibs.com. They said that what I saw in tracking was different from what they were seeing, but that they've been watching tracking this whole time, and that their plan was to resend the pen to me via FedEx once UPS returned it to them. They also said that UPS managed to lose a couple of other Nakayas recently. As I said, I have no idea how UPS is still in business. Now let's hope this whole thing ends with me receiving the pen in the end.

[Miss Fountain Pen]

Update: UPS returned my pen to Nibs.com, and Nibs.com immediately reshipped it to me via DHL. Now fingers crossed that everything goes well! In my experience, DHL is pretty reliable, so presumably everything will be fine. Still, I'll be watching tracking like a hawk, and at the smallest sign that there might possibly be a problem, I'll contact DHL.

Also, I just checked Nibs.com, and it now says that they're using USPS Priority and USPS Priority International. Haha! I guess they've had enough of UPS. (As have I: I'm never ordering anything again if UPS is the only shipping option. Ugh.) But for some reason, they shipped my pen via DHL Express. Perhaps they thought I've waited long enough, and this is a little bit faster (although I don't really care if I wait a few days longer, as long as the pen arrives safely).

[Ron Z]

When I was working as a radio engineer I had a critical package that had to be sent to me and delivered the next day out at the tip of Long Island. I had someone from the station in Syracuse ship it to me UPS red. UPS delivered it back to the station 5 1/2 miles up the hill the next morning. Resent, and they lost it in their Long Island terminal for a week. Thereafter I used FedEx, who picked up the package, didn't argue about insuring the item, and delivered it on time.

UPS used to say, "We run the tightest ship in the shipping business," but never defined the word "tight."

[Miss Fountain Pen]

Update: There was again a problem, and so I wrote to DHL. They wrote back within an hour or so and said that the sender didn't give them my e-mail address and phone number and so they couldn't contact me. Well, that's the same thing that happened with UPS: when I contacted them, they wrote back that the sender didn't provide them with my contact information, but that they'd contact me about customs (and then they didn't and sent the pen back a few days later - ugh). At the time, I wrote to Nibs.com that this was what UPS said, but it appears that they again shipped without my contact info. If they keep doing this sort of thing, they'll keep getting packages returned to them...

The good news is that DHL e-mailed me a link to their customs form, which I have filled out. For some weird reason, Nibs.com declared a value of 248 USD for my pen, when I actually paid over 1000 USD. (They never did this sort of thing back when Mottishaw was running the business. It was always clear and correct.) Anyway, I want no trouble with the law, and so I wrote that the information was incorrect, and I submitted the actual receipt. Now I wait. Fingers crossed that they sent me the correct pen and that I actually get it!! (Worst case scenario: they sent me some pen that costs 248 USD. That would mightily suck. But I'm hoping for the best.)

[Sailor Kenshin]

Same here. It seems UPS has been getting worse lately.

[calamus]

Considering that my first (but not last) nightmare situation with UPS was 30 years ago, I'd say it looks like incompetence is built into their DNA.

[724Seney]

Considering that my first (but not last) nightmare situation with UPS was 30 years ago, I'd say it looks like incompetence is built into their DNA.

I have more than my fair share of UPS horror stories but, considering the OP's update of today (see post # 11), I'm thinking this is all on Nibs.com (aka The Pen Family)

Shocking!

[Miss Fountain Pen]

Considering that my first (but not last) nightmare situation with UPS was 30 years ago, I'd say it looks like incompetence is built into their DNA.

I have more than my fair share of UPS horror stories but, considering the OP's update of today (see post # 11), I'm thinking this is all on Nibs.com (aka The Pen Family)

Shocking!

I'd say this was a joint Nibs.com and UPS effort. Nibs.com for failing to provide my contact info, and UPS for having messed up tracking and for their various departments failing to communicate to each other after promising to do so.

But anyway! VAT and customs paid, and DHL tracking says that the package is out for delivery. So, barring last-minute surprises (the bad kind), I should have the pen today.

[Miss Fountain Pen]

The pen is here!! I'm very happy, except for one thing: I wanted to upload a picture for all of you to see, but for some reason, the forum won't let me (and it won't say why). It's a JPG file, so it should be possible to upload. Any ideas what might be wrong?

[Miss Fountain Pen]

Aha! I've figured it out: the files were too big and I needed to compress them. Here's the Grail.

(I know I'm not the best photographer in the world, and you can find much better pictures of this pen on the Internet, but this is what I've got.)

DSC00047-min.JPG
DSC00043-min.JPG

[724Seney]

Aha! I've figured it out: the files were too big and I needed to compress them. Here's the Grail.

(I know I'm not the best photographer in the world, and you can find much better pictures of this pen on the Internet, but this is what I've got.)

DSC00047-min.JPG
DSC00043-min.JPG

Hooray! I'm so very happy for you!!
Especially, because after all the hassle, you do love the pen!
Hope it brings you many years of enjoyment.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Oooo, shinyyyy! Glad you got it at last.

[Chrissy]

I'm so pleased you got it at last and that you're happy. All of the bad things about it's travels will soon be forgotten. Nice pen.