If you don't know already, Tanga.com is a website where you can shop for items that are cheaply priced and are a fairly good quality -- at least in my experience so far.
I've ordered five times since 2011 from Tanga. The items I've purchased range from apparel to audio/video to PPE. I usually have come across an email promoting a deal or landed on some website I frequent promoting a deal on Tanga. The first time ordering I was kind of hesitant because it didn't seem like a really legit website. I did some research and it was referenced quite a few times from other websites I 'follow' so I figured it had to be 'legit enough,' right?
For the most part, it's been pretty smooth sailing. That is up until my most recent order.
I purchased three items on the same day, May 27, 2020. I purchased insurance at a nominal cost, although a little hesitant, to cover my products because I had this nagging feeling I may or may not receive my items due to the nature of what they were: PPE. The expected delivery dates were given up front and two items would be delivered before the third. Not a big deal as I was not in any dire need of these products.
Two packages delivered pretty much when expected. However, there was some extended delay in packaging and then shipping of the third. Again, not a huge deal as I know they don't have Amazon or other retail stores' shipping times.
Tracking the shipment almost daily via the Tanga website, I finally saw that it was out for delivery on June 8, 2020 arriving by 8 PM. Cool.
The entire evening I'm watching TV in my living room which my couch faces directly to my front door with frosted glass. I make this point because I can tell when someone comes to my door at all times because they ALWAYS create a shadow on the window. Anyway, I get up to check the porch (they're really three steps) around 6:30 PM just in case someone came by while I was away from the couch. Nothing there. I check the porch again around 7:30 PM and still nothing there. I once again check the porch at 8:30 PM thinking that 8 PM was an approximation so I'd give it a half hour. Nothing there.
I decide to check the tracking on Tanga to see if the status had changed. It did. It said, "Delivered, Front Door/Porch" as of 6:31 PM. I'd have to say that this was incorrect. But to be doubly sure, I opened my front door, looked around carefully and I found no delivered item.
This wouldn't be the first time the USPS has fucked up a delivery or posted false information because they couldn't/didn't actually make the delivery. It usually is delivered the next day. However, my item was not delivered on the 9th nor was it delivered on the 10th. Being a generous and positive thinker, I figured it would come on the 11th, 12th or 13th but alas it did not.
On June 14, 2020 I emailed Tanga customer service via their website form stating there was a "Problem with an order" (one of their default subject line choices) as in I NEVER RECEIVED IT even though the status says delivered. The confirmation page after submitting says something about them being a small company of eight employees so give them 24 to 48 hours to respond. Cool, no worries, right.
I get busy in my work week and figured they were too so gave them A LOT of latitude for responding. Finally on June 22, 2020 around 11:30 PM, I submitted an email again on their website with the subject line choice of "Where's my order?" explaining my issue, noting I had previously submitted an email with no response and what were they going to do to correct the issue.
In fact you can see my email conversation below:
So, yeah. Is that quality customer service or what? {{sarcasm in case you missed it}}
After the email exchange around noon on June 23, 2020, I followed the link to submit a claim with Route Insurance. I got an immediate auto-response stating my claim had been received and to be patient while they gather information to resolve my problem.
At 4:02 PM on June 23, 2020, I got an email notification from PayPal (which is how I paid for my purchase) stating Route has sent you $##.##. NOW THAT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE! I spent $0.98 for insurance and the way they responded is way better than Tanga where I spent $81.00!
So, now Tanga.com has become suspect to me. I would have purchase more if the need arose and they had a good deal. But I'm not sure I will anymore. I try not to get 'burned' by people, places and things more than once.
I've ordered five times since 2011 from Tanga. The items I've purchased range from apparel to audio/video to PPE. I usually have come across an email promoting a deal or landed on some website I frequent promoting a deal on Tanga. The first time ordering I was kind of hesitant because it didn't seem like a really legit website. I did some research and it was referenced quite a few times from other websites I 'follow' so I figured it had to be 'legit enough,' right?
For the most part, it's been pretty smooth sailing. That is up until my most recent order.
I purchased three items on the same day, May 27, 2020. I purchased insurance at a nominal cost, although a little hesitant, to cover my products because I had this nagging feeling I may or may not receive my items due to the nature of what they were: PPE. The expected delivery dates were given up front and two items would be delivered before the third. Not a big deal as I was not in any dire need of these products.
Two packages delivered pretty much when expected. However, there was some extended delay in packaging and then shipping of the third. Again, not a huge deal as I know they don't have Amazon or other retail stores' shipping times.
Tracking the shipment almost daily via the Tanga website, I finally saw that it was out for delivery on June 8, 2020 arriving by 8 PM. Cool.
The entire evening I'm watching TV in my living room which my couch faces directly to my front door with frosted glass. I make this point because I can tell when someone comes to my door at all times because they ALWAYS create a shadow on the window. Anyway, I get up to check the porch (they're really three steps) around 6:30 PM just in case someone came by while I was away from the couch. Nothing there. I check the porch again around 7:30 PM and still nothing there. I once again check the porch at 8:30 PM thinking that 8 PM was an approximation so I'd give it a half hour. Nothing there.
I decide to check the tracking on Tanga to see if the status had changed. It did. It said, "Delivered, Front Door/Porch" as of 6:31 PM. I'd have to say that this was incorrect. But to be doubly sure, I opened my front door, looked around carefully and I found no delivered item.
This wouldn't be the first time the USPS has fucked up a delivery or posted false information because they couldn't/didn't actually make the delivery. It usually is delivered the next day. However, my item was not delivered on the 9th nor was it delivered on the 10th. Being a generous and positive thinker, I figured it would come on the 11th, 12th or 13th but alas it did not.
On June 14, 2020 I emailed Tanga customer service via their website form stating there was a "Problem with an order" (one of their default subject line choices) as in I NEVER RECEIVED IT even though the status says delivered. The confirmation page after submitting says something about them being a small company of eight employees so give them 24 to 48 hours to respond. Cool, no worries, right.
I get busy in my work week and figured they were too so gave them A LOT of latitude for responding. Finally on June 22, 2020 around 11:30 PM, I submitted an email again on their website with the subject line choice of "Where's my order?" explaining my issue, noting I had previously submitted an email with no response and what were they going to do to correct the issue.
In fact you can see my email conversation below:
ME TO THEM
Jun 22, 2020, 9:54 PM MST
Part of my order has never been delivered. Order number is ########. I received 2 out of the 3 items I ordered. Item under tracking number ########## have NOT been delivered to my front porch as is stated in the tracking information.
This is the second question/email I've sent. Your auto response stated to give you up to 48 hours to respond. It's been 8 days since I submitted my first inquiry on 6/14/20. I also read something about not submitting more than one help ticket but since it's been EIGHT DAYS, I feel like my first one may have gotten lost in cyberspace.
Please let me know what you are going to do to correct the issue--non receipt of item ordered.
THEM TO ME
Kim Bell (Tanga Customer Support)
Jun 23, 2020, 9:14 AM MST
Confirmed with USPS they they were. You will need to file a claim with the insurance you purchased
Good new, you're covered with Route Insurance. You can file a claim for your package here:
https://help.route.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360001458373
YOU HAVE 15 DAYS AFTER THE DELIVERY DATE TO FILE A CLAIM WITH ROUTE INSURANCE
Let us know if you have any issues, thanks for shipping with us.
ME TO THEM
Jun 23, 2020, 11:57 AM CST
I appreciate that you take USPS word over your customer's because they have such a great track record these days! USPS has no way to positively and completely prove my product was ever delivered. As I too have no way to prove that it wasn't other than I DO NOT HAVE THE PRODUCT!
Weirdly, I did purchase Route Insurance because I had a feeling and did not trust that any of my products would be delivered as have read articles regarding USPS employees snagging PPE products while in transit. Had I not purchased insurance, would your response have been, "Oops, sorry!"? Well, I guess that's what your response essentially already is.
While my past purchases with Tanga are few and far between, they have been positive because I've always received my product. However, it only takes one bad customer service interaction to greatly diminish the positive. Yes, I am a small, wayward purchasing customer but I'd expect some respect and loyalty as a returning customer. Pushing me off to an insurance claim is truly poor customer service and extreme laziness. I'm sure I'm just a drop in the bucket of customers but I don't think I'll be returning.
Regards...
So, yeah. Is that quality customer service or what? {{sarcasm in case you missed it}}
After the email exchange around noon on June 23, 2020, I followed the link to submit a claim with Route Insurance. I got an immediate auto-response stating my claim had been received and to be patient while they gather information to resolve my problem.
At 4:02 PM on June 23, 2020, I got an email notification from PayPal (which is how I paid for my purchase) stating Route has sent you $##.##. NOW THAT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE! I spent $0.98 for insurance and the way they responded is way better than Tanga where I spent $81.00!
So, now Tanga.com has become suspect to me. I would have purchase more if the need arose and they had a good deal. But I'm not sure I will anymore. I try not to get 'burned' by people, places and things more than once.
