Smartpak Shipping

[LadyNeon01]

After 4 months of shipping delays on my SmartPaks, this month was back to normal. I contacted customer service last month because I was very disappointed that they were late yet again. SP was nice enough to upgrade my shipping to overnight just so my horses wouldn’t go without their supplements. They also told me that they had just hired more people and were hopeful that the shipping issues would be resolved in the next few weeks. This month was a good surprise that they shipped out on time.

I’m still a bit leery that the shipping issues will return but I’m willing keep going with SP at this point.

[islgrl]

I feel like things are getting back to normal with their shipping times

[Tiramit]

Missed this thread earlier… Count me in with the delayed orders. This has happened repeatedly for both auto ship (a month for supplements for multiple horses) and individual orders. I’ve received the discount code, which was nice, but I’d much rather have everything on time.

What has irked me with all of the delays is that I was somehow charged on time. As in, not charged when the order was shipped, but the month earlier and then forced to wait for it to arrive ridiculously late and after my horses had been without their supplements for too long. It’s nice that they had my money to use for their business. I wish I’d had the products I’d paid for…

SmartPak can be a great product resource. This hasn’t been their year. If it happens again, I’m going to have to look for another, more reliable option.

[atr]

I was notified of a delay on my September shipping. Normally I’m far enough ahead of myself that it isn’t an issue as I have enough to tide me over for a couple of weeks. But this time, I was going out of town and needed the supps to make up an extended period of time’s feed baggies for the barn and I was going to be a few days short of supps. Not the end of the world, I can work around it. But more importantly, I didn’t want the box sitting on the porch for 3 weeks, out in the weather and signaling our absence to the world.

I called them to ask them if nothing else to hold the shipment for a couple of weeks. They actually shipped it out overnight so I had it before I left.

[Libby2563]

I was just looking at a supplement that only SP carries, and it costs almost 50% more per day in bulk than in SmartPaks! Seems totally backwards to me. I don’t use SmartPaks and don’t want to, especially given the experiences on this thread. But what the heck?

[skipollo]

Incentive to have something on auto ship. It makes customers more likely to spend time on the site/order other things from them because of the perks (free shipping, discounts on some things, etc.) which are only available with an auto ship order. Can you put a bucket or bag on auto ship? Sure, but in general customers are probably far more likely to just do the Smartpaks on auto ship than a bag or bucket.

There are no mistakes or oversights with that stuff, it’s all calculated down to the penny to maximize $$$ just like any other business.

[Training_Cupid]

Anyone else notice a “fulfillment fee” they now add on to each order?? I haven’t seen that from any other horse supply site…yet

[trubandloki]

@Training_Cupid

Anyone else notice a “fulfillment fee” they now add on to each order?? I haven’t seen that from any other horse supply site…yet

I ordered something last week and I did not see a fulfillment fee.

[skipollo]

I didn’t have a fulfillment fee on my last order, but since this fiasco has started with them, I’ve intentionally avoided SmartPak and have only placed one order with them.

I’m choosing to pay for shipping with other vendors vs getting free shipping from SP with the risk of my stuff just not showing up.

[Garythesquirrel]

@Training_Cupid

Anyone else notice a “fulfillment fee” they now add on to each order?? I haven’t seen that from any other horse supply site…yet

Yes! I just set up an autoship a couple of weeks ago and was charged a $1.95 fulfillment fee. Mine was for a gallon of EO-3 and I was wondering if it was because of the weight. The price per gallon and free shipping is still cheaper than any other place I’ve found.

[Training_Cupid]

No I was charged the fee for a girth!

[Garythesquirrel]

@Training_Cupid

No I was charged the fee for a girth!

Interesting. Hmm…

[trubandloki]

I just looked thru a whole bunch of orders and I do not see a fulfillment fee.

Edit to add - I get a monthly smartpaks, so maybe that is why?

[Training_Cupid]

I do have an autoship already

[skipollo]

Okay so I almost just ordered something from SmartPak, and when I got to the final checkout window, yes they did add a $1.95 “fulfillment fee.” If you mouse over it, it says for “increased labor/fuel costs etc.”

I ended up ordering my item from another vendor because with Black Friday discounts, it literally cost me $1 more elsewhere even INCLUDING shipping. SP would’ve been free shipping (barn saver), but this same item wasn’t eligible for SP’s Black Friday sale code, plus the fulfillment fee, I’d rather my $ go to a small locally owned tack shop vs Big Box SmartPak. I also know it’ll actually show up by Christmas

[Bogey2]

Smartpak is having trouble with staffing in the warehouse (Plymouth MA)…they also had a reduction in workforce in the corporate office. Business is also down. A lot of retailers in general are offering 20-30 percent off sales for the past couple of weeks. It’s the state of the economy right now.

[cheektwocheek]

Ordered a halter on Monday, the extra fee was added. They never mention it until checkout, sneaky.

[trubandloki]

There better not be an extra fee on my monthly smartpak.

[bugsynskeeter1]

I’d rather just an increase in the shipping fee than a fulfillment fee. I wanted to order some customer halters using the Black Friday deals, but the ones I want are on backorder so don’t qualify

[skipollo]

Okay here’s something crazy, I’m just killing time browsing Black Friday sales, not really looking for anything in particular, just looking for funsies. The bellboots I use are on sale for $12/pair at SmartPak, and I don’t need them ASAP, so I figured I’d give it a shot and order a pair.

NO FULFILLMENT FEE.

I’m wondering if maybe fulfillment fees only apply to items they don’t stock in the warehouse and have to be shipped directly from the brand? I have no idea, just a theory, but I got a pair of black Arma bellboots for under $14 including tax.