More Vanguard...

...success.

Placed an order for about 15 items including 2 with customization. 

Arrived in about a week, free shipping, and they gave me 2 free nametapes.

Nothing to see here, move along....

Cool story 

Yep, no issues at all. For some.


I finally got my aviator style shirt yesterday (THU, 4MAY17, that I ordered on 11 April) and was charged seven bucks shipping with a final "Thank you for your e-mail.  We apologize for the delay.  Your shirt has been shipped for delivery by tomorrow" reply.

V/r
Spam
PS, something makes me suspect that your two free nametapes were a beneficial error! (grin)

I ordered a bunch of stuff from them a couple of weeks ago, as new promotion rituals dictate, and other than for slow shipping everything was fine. It took about a week before they put the items in the mail. About 3 or 4 days before the order came in, I got a small bubble mailer with a set of plastic flight suit grade. Then another set when the order came in. I only ordered one set, but thanks for the spare set that you sent me separately...I guess? lol.

I wasn't thrilled about the $8 shipping I had to pay on the $8 hat pin I ordered last week, though.

Any Ohio Wing folks out there? Have you seen the new Ohio Wing Patches from VG?  For years, and on their website the background on the OHWG patch has been dark blue. The latest shipment had a light blue, almost a robin's egg blue background.  So, back they go, more shipping charges, etc. Glad some out there are having good luck.

The OHWG patch has been light blue as long as I have had one (2013).

Here's the image from the OHWG site:



Not exactly robin's egg, but pretty close. Nowhere close to dark blue, IMHO.

  For years, and on their website the background on the OHWG patch has been dark blue.

This is the flip side of things being wrong for years without correction, like the seal on the golf shirts which is supposed to be gray and
was light blue for as long as anyone can remember, back through the Bookstore.

VG is kinda [darn]ed either way - when they fix stuff, some people think the "right" is "wrong".

  For years, and on their website the background on the OHWG patch has been dark blue.

This is the flip side of things being wrong for years without correction, like the seal on the golf shirts which is supposed to be gray and
was light blue for as long as anyone can remember, back through the Bookstore.

VG is kinda [darn]ed either way - when they fix stuff, some people think the "right" is "wrong".

Or worse, use the Hock as their guide to "correct"...

This is the flip side of things being wrong for years without correction, like the seal on the golf shirts which is supposed to be gray and
was light blue for as long as anyone can remember, back through the Bookstore.

VG is kinda [darn]ed either way - when they fix stuff, some people think the "right" is "wrong".

You'll remember this thread: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=21802.0

The merrowed chaplain insignia.

That thread prompted an exchange between me and Vanguard (believe it or not, they do listen!), but the answer was "We've started remanufacturing these with the merrowing 1/8" of an inch from the embroidery, like the nurse and medical badges.."   Noooooo.

I suggested that these specific badges, being exactly like the AF badges and worn in a similar wear pattern, shouldn't be merrowed *at*all*.  The short answer was that when Vanguard took over the inventory from the Bookstore (aka "CAP Mart") much of the insignia like chaplain, nurse and medical had merrowing around them, so they assumed that for some strange reason CAP needed those badges to look like that and continued to make them that way. 

Since there is really no written specification, they don't have a lot to fall back on. And I can see how being the "good idea fairy" might not be in your best interest with your customer. We all know CAP can be pretty arcane with uniform things sometimes: who knows, maybe there was a historical precedent for the merrowing. If they start doing it what seems (to them) like the "correct" way, who's to say that someone won't be like "doggone Vanguard changed it again!"?

However, it did crack me up that they said they were going to make the merrowing "closer" to the embroidery more or less based on that thread, but when I said "No, really, there needs to be _no_merrowing_at_all_" they said "We'll have to check with Susie Parker on that!"   

Like you said, sir, the problem with Vanguard is the same as it was with whoever was making the insignia for CAPMart, the Bookstore, the Hock, and so forth: a lack of a defined standard and specification for each insignia. I know Vanguard has the capability of manufacturing the insignia to specs. They do so for every other service.
As I've mentioned here before, I repurpose Vanguard's Navy coverall insignia for my Naval Aircrew wings on my BDUs and ABUs. They come from VG with the 1/8 inch spacing on the top and bottom of the wings, with the fabric folded under and glued (I think..) in place and the leading and running ends of the fabric unfinished to account for pocket sizing on the Navy coveralls. This is all covered in the Navy's specs for the insignia. Conveniently for me, the spacing is the same top and bottom as CAP's requirements. Just trim off excess, fold the ends under with the proper spacing on the edge of the wings and sew in place.
If CAPNHQ gave the manufacturers adequately detailed specifications for each insignia, we would receive a more quality product from VG. Perhaps even to the point that I believe someone else mentioned, that it could come direct from VG with the proper spacing on the edges of each insignia and setting up a uniform would be as easy as sticking it on the uniform properly and sewing it down.
Heck, there are vendors that you can order an entirely assembled USAF ABU/USA ACU/MCCUU/USCG ODU from, with insignia sewn on, various modifications  (AF allows sewing pockets down, etc.), and tailoring from. VG could make a killing offering similar services for CAP.

Well, this evening I kicked off an email to Vanguard support.  Let's see what their customer services does.

On the pro side, the set of SM uniform items I ordered last Monday arrived today.  One week from order to delivery, including customization and free shipping, works for me.  It's not Amazon Prime, but it works.

On the pro side again, quality seems good, from the CAP patch on the golf shirt to spelling my name correctly on the name tags.  Golf shirt embroidery of my name isn't quite precise, but close enough I suppose.

On the con side, one item was missing.  I only ordered the Vanguard-exclusive items, so if they give me a hard time, it's not like I can go somewhere else.

[I considered linking the "Liar Liar" scene regarding "tailpipe" here, but it borders on family appropriateness]

Commo