Universal Radio

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mike_s104

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I had a little bit of a bad experience with them recently. I odered 2 antennas and an adapter...just planning ahead for vacation. I ordered online and after about 5 days of no emails, I emailed them to see what the status was. They never replied but I received an email that it was shipped and included a shipping number. I got the package and noticed 1 antenna was missing so I chekced the packing slip. The other was back ordered and it had an expected date for stock to be delivered. I called to see what the issue was and talked to someone that said it was an accident and it will ship with no extra shipping cost by 04/22. I asked why it showed as in stock online. I was told they are not that big of a store and their website does not have the exact status of stock. Last night, 04/29, I emailed again to get a status. I received a reply today that they had not received them from the supplier yet. I replied soon after asking why they didn't let me know until after I asked about my order. I also asked if I could cancel the order so I could order it from somewhere else (Scanner Master comes to mind). I have yet to receive any reply. I called before 5:30PM EST (closing time listed on their site) and no one answered.

All I want to know is why is it so hard to email or call customers of issues with their orders? Their site still shows the item in stock.
 

af5rn

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While generally knowledgeable and reliable, Universal is consistently $10 to $50 bucks more expensive on radios than the competition, even accounting for shipping. My one and only experience with them was quite good, and I'm a cat lover, but I wouldn't buy from them again without shopping around first. They have the highest scanner prices on the Internet.

BTW, Cathy is a cutie. I wonder if she knows about this thread, lol.
 

mike_s104

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af5rn said:
While generally knowledgeable and reliable, Universal is consistently $10 to $50 bucks more expensive on radios than the competition, even accounting for shipping. My one and only experience with them was quite good, and I'm a cat lover, but I wouldn't buy from them again without shopping around first. They have the highest scanner prices on the Internet.

BTW, Cathy is a cutie. I wonder if she knows about this thread, lol.


I'm not going to order from them because they cannot show what is and is not in stock, can't ship what I order, and their communication and customer service is awful.
 

N1BHH

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Telephone works better than email. So many businesses say to email them with questions, but nobody is sitting at the computer 24 hours a day to answer customer questions. It would be best to call them. I ordered from them 3 years ago in the afternoon one day (by telephone) and the item arrived the next day before I woke up. You have to double check with them. I always do that with whomever I deal. I call HRO ahead of time and go pick it up. They even email me with the quote. I never rely solely on one means or another.
 

W8TUZ

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Nice folks

I've been going there for years and often stop in during lunch. (I work right down the street, so temptation is never far)

What a great bunch of folks, they take the time to answer questions, explain and work with you to make sure you are taken care off.

Yup they may be a tad higher priced and sometimes they are out of stock, but they make up for it by treating you as a friend...
 

af5rn

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I always wondered, are the cats wandering all around the store, or do they stay hidden back in the warehouse? I might go in there just to see the cats! :lol:
 

ki4rvh

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af5rn said:
While generally knowledgeable and reliable, Universal is consistently $10 to $50 bucks more expensive on radios than the competition, even accounting for shipping.

I agree. All ham equipment I have ever priced there is much more than HRO or Gigaparts. Never priced scanners there.

73

Chris
 

mike_s104

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N1BHH said:
Telephone works better than email. So many businesses say to email them with questions, but nobody is sitting at the computer 24 hours a day to answer customer questions. It would be best to call them. I ordered from them 3 years ago in the afternoon one day (by telephone) and the item arrived the next day before I woke up. You have to double check with them. I always do that with whomever I deal. I call HRO ahead of time and go pick it up. They even email me with the quote. I never rely solely on one means or another.


I know what you're saying, but if you offer to sell online, then do support online as well. I waited and gave them plenty of time to respond just like they had in the past. I called this morning and canceled the item.
 

af5rn

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mike_s104 said:
Yeah, I guess it has. We all should collect some money to send her flowers and some Midol.
ROFL! That's beauty. I'd be willing to pay half of that just to see the look on her face! :lol:
 

n8emr

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af5rn said:
I always wondered, are the cats wandering all around the store, or do they stay hidden back in the warehouse? I might go in there just to see the cats! :lol:

There are cats roaming the store, but mostly they lay in the office and avoid people like most cats do.
 

DPD1

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N1BHH said:
Telephone works better than email. So many businesses say to email them with questions, but nobody is sitting at the computer 24 hours a day to answer customer questions.

I think sometimes businesses don't have anybody at the computer at all. I get responses from B to B vendors and manufactures maybe 1 out of 7 times on first attempted contact. And often times these are businesses that actually ask you to contact them through their site for quotes or other questions. I think what happens is somebody either sells them on a site, then the business ignores it after it's done... Or, they assign an employee to take care of it, and they blow it off because the owners aren't computer savvy enough to check up on them.

The businesses are often fine people to deal with otherwise... They just can't get it together on the web.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist
 

StaticLine

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Samething with me Mike on a pre vacation order.Placed order on line.Got the order e-mail.I called back 2 days later to so if the antenna was shipped.Was told tomorrow.Waited a couple of days still nothing.Called back and was told tomorrow again.I cancelled.Yes these are not life and death urgency items.When your looking to get something your looking for it.While in Orlando on vacation, I checked out A.E.S.Nice folks and they had the antenna.
 

bee

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E-mail "universal" wednesday at approx. 10:00 am, 4-30-08, it is now sat. evening, still not a reply!
 

bee

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When I have a question, it is always important! And, I am aware of the telephone "option"!
My point is "they do not answer their E-mail, promptly!
 
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Why not just call, E-mail does get lost sometimes, if you don't want to call, just send another E-mail. we get your point, they didn't reply to your FIRST E-mail.

/Bet you the spam filter got it
//I sent an E-mail asking about a radio, got a reply in no time at all
 
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af5rn

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WisconsinRailfan said:
/Bet you the spam filter got it
Ya know, that's a really good point, and a very real possibility. Too many people never check their spam filters for mail that shouldn't be there. At least once a week I find something in there that was not spam.
 

W8RW

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bee said:
When I have a question, it is always important! And, I am aware of the telephone "option"!
My point is "they do not answer their E-mail, promptly!

So you made your point...now call them on the phone. If your email to them was anything like you are behaving here, I can understand why they haven't answered.
 
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