Your Shipment of Vanguard Fail has been delayed...

[Eclipse]

How about "no ribbons"?

Done.

[DBlair]

Show me one single drill team that won NCC inspection without fresh ribbons.

Argh.  A "cross-over" thread!

Don't get me started on NCC.

I'm gonna crack that nut just as soon as we are done rebalancing corporate governance.   

(But suffice it to say that we will restructure NCC in a way that does not require teams to buy and tailor new uniforms,new ribbons and insignia, and matching track suits to win.  That is simply too much money down the drain and reduces the ability of the average unit to compete and gain the advantages of the NCC experience.)

Ned Lee

Very interesting. ...I must admit that I'm curious about the changes being considered. What is the expected timeline before these changes will be put in place?

[JeffDG]

I'm gonna crack that nut just as soon as we are done rebalancing corporate governance.   

So....2037ish?   
J/K

[Gung Ho]

This very thing happened to me. I ordered one item that was in stock and it took almost 3 weeks to receive it. Too bad I needed it in 2 weeks. It is my goal to never order from them again because I got the same run around when I contacted them. Sad part was they could charge my card for the purchase the same day order was placed but can't ship for over 2 weeks? And nothing from them even say hey we are sorry it was messed up.

[RADIOMAN015]

Sad part was they could charge my card for the purchase the same day order was placed but can't ship for over 2 weeks? And nothing from them even say hey we are sorry it was messed up.

You might want to check with your credit card company as well as the consumer division of your state Attorney General's office regarding your credit card being charged and having to wait so long before shipment is actually made and merchandise received.
Don't hold your breathe on apologies.

I know our squadron tries to have the common ribbons, ranks etc on hand in the supply room so this helps our squadron members. 

Frankly Vanguard is inconsistent in customer service and it shouldn't be that difficult for their managers to figure out what is wrong
RM     

[a2capt]

A couple years ago, now- I wanted solo wings for a cadet who had solo'ed on the last day of NGA, and our awards banquet would have been the next meeting point we had, I called the big V to see about getting it overnight, or two day, as three day would have been too late.

I got a similar run around in that it was suggested that I call back a half hour later to verify that the shipping option would be possible, and if the item was in stock as the person on the phone said "we don't trust our inventory system".

Then I still couldn't get a confirmation as to if it would actually ship or not. I ended up getting solo wings from the Hock, and since it was a metal device I figured if it wasn't shiny enough, I'd just use the plating machine I have and fix it.

I can call Jameco Electronics at 12PM and get something UPS next day, some lame simple little item, and I bet the electronics place takes way more orders and has multitudes more SKU's than Vanguard.

Yes, something is wrong and it sounds like it's still about the same. Some people report great results, others report not so great. it's like a crap shoot.

[Patterson]

I actually dislike Vanguard for reasons other than those discussed.  Last year I received an empty box, that was to contain almost $190.00 of merchandise.  I called them to find out what was going on.  They called me a liar and thief, and said they would never screw up that bad. 

I had Chase (Mastercard) on the phone minutes later filing a fraudulent sale report.  I then contacted my State BBB and filed a complaint.  I take every opportunity to put down Vanguard. 

The customer service woman was terrible to me, and I spoke to her very respectfully and had a legitimate concern.  If this "Corporate Vanguard Guy" or NED wants my order info, please PM me. 

I would never treat a customer the way I was treated.  If I had this many order problems in my business (selling to the FED) I would no longer be a Prime Contractor.   

[HGjunkie]

Whoa, an empty box? That's pretty bad... 

[JohnKachenmeister]

At least they didn't send the WRONG stuff!

[a2capt]

I've received empty boxes in the past on occasion from UPS. It usually has been along the lines of the box got "squashed" and the item(s) escaped it somewhere in automation.

In the thick of it all, the box may get re-taped by UPS, and sent on it's destination anyway as the receiver and shipper will determine what was actually there and file the claim. The box usually shows some signs of trauma, though. Like one time an Apple II networking card was just plain missing and the box was about an inch shorter than it should have been.


Chopped right off, and the card in it's bubbled antistatic package obviously slid right out of the thing. Corvus Systems promptly replaced it the following Monday when they were notified that the box that came Saturday Delivery was .. shorter and missing it's contents.

[Eclipse]

Unless VG provided all of their products for free, and delivered them personally at no charge there will always be someone who attributes
every mistake as a part of the anti-membership conspiracy and every success as a random accident.

[Al Sayre]

My last couple of orders from Vanguard have arrived in full and in a timely manner, but for some reason they seem to need to put small items in a huge box.  The last thing I ordered was about 20 cloth grade swatches and a GT badge for some of my members.  It all fit in a 4x6 plastic bag which was placed in a large priority mail box.  I recently bought a used laptop from ebay that came in a smaller box... 

[HGjunkie]

Yeah, Vanguard has an issue with eco-friendly packing. The last order I got (some grade insignia, ribbons, a patch, and some ribbon bars) had a ton of plastic and cardboard in it. Just sayin'...

[SarDragon]

Wow, they can't win.

First there are complaints because the packaging was too skimpy, and stuff (pins, especially) was getting broken in transit. Now y'all (used very broadly) are complaining because the packaging is too robust.

[Hawk200]

Wow, they can't win.

First there are complaints because the packaging was too skimpy, and stuff (pins, especially) was getting broken in transit. Now y'all (used very broadly) are complaining because the packaging is too robust.

It's not exactly "robust" to throw a few small items into a box that's too large for what it's holding.

[a2capt]

They use the "free" packaging to the extreme. ... and charge a pretty premium for shipping..

[JohnKachenmeister]

Now I feel bad.

I was all ready to engage in some cool "Vanguard-Bashing" when I placed a large order.  I ordered a new golf shirt, some nametags for un it members, a bunch of ribbons and some mini-medals.  22 separate categories of items in varying amounts, some with personalization.

I KNEW they'd screw it up.

But yesterday I was surprised to find the UPS man dropping off my package in less than two weeks with a complete order and everything right.  It was even a fairly small box.

Now I can't join with all the other CAPTalkers in whining about VG.  I feel like such an outcast!

[davidsinn]

My wife made an order on the 28th of Nov. Badges and ribbons, all stock items. We used paypal as the funding source and it charged us on the 29th. Vanguard says the order is processing. We'll see when it actually gets here.

[Major Carrales]

Now I can't join with all the other CAPTalkers in whining about VG.  I feel like such an outcast!

Be ever vigilant in defense of good customer service.  There is a good chance that the horrible stories mentioned in this thread and those discussion NED had with the powers that be had a positive effect.

They know they are being watched and their customer service being recorded.  That is the importance of "speaking up."

As I said before, if Vanguard wants to be "The One and ONLY" they are going to have to earn it.  When a CAP order is placed it had better be sent out proper, and if the situation causes otherwise there had better be honestly and transparency about it.  There had better be no "run around" excuses, lies, half-truths or any other such.  Honesty, if its out of stock, say so.  If its gonna take weeks or months or "I don't know" just say so.

Treat all CAP personnel as "someone special" because, if we have no CHOICE, then THEY have no CHOICE (yes, all caps because those are concepts worth stressing)

[davidsinn]

Treat all CAP personnel as "someone special" because, if we have no CHOICE, then THEY have no CHOICE (yes, all caps because those are concepts work stressing)

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