Importing Dslr Camera Lenses (any Idea What The Tax/duty Etc Costs?)

[Saturn]

Currently I'm working with them, yes.

No prob, that's cool. Always room to improve.

I guess you are employed at K'ruka ? Sorry about the bashing

tracking system is pure junk. Once they updated it after blasting them with a call to US office and an email. It's forgivable when the item is outside SL. But even after delivering the item to me it still says "Ready for Pickup/Delivery" WTF!

[Saturn]

Sorry about that. I vaguely remember this. From time to time we have issues importing items with batteries from USA (airline regulations and whatnot). This happens even if there is a tiny button battery in the item.

This causes delays from time to time but we are working in it

Aggravation seems to be part of the package with the K*pr*k* operation, Ordered a fuji instax camera and film off amazon through them some time ago as two separate orders placed within a minute of each other, the film arrived in just under two weeks the camera was MIA for nearly two month s and I heard every excuse including that it had been sent back to the US by mistake "because it had been misidentified as a dangerous item sir" and "we seem to have misplaced the item sir". I had basically given up on it altogether and was about to demand a refund when it finally turned up.

It appears that their tracking system for orders is totally non-functional.

[Supra_Natural]

Sorry about that. I vaguely remember this. From time to time we have issues importing items with batteries from USA (airline regulations and whatnot). This happens even if there is a tiny button battery in the item. This causes delays from time to time but we are working in it

The delay i can understand machan, these things happen. What pissed me off was the fact that nobody seemed to be able to give me a straight answer as to what exactly had happened and when I could expect the item to actually arrive. One guy said "it'll be here in two days", the next day another guy said "ohh, ummm, it could take upto 3 weeks" (both of these was after almost a month had passed from ordering, on a promised delivery time of 5-7 working days)... No one likes being handed bullshit after all

I will probably still continue to buy stuff with the Global Shop because it's convenient , but with other options like Aramex shop and ship becoming available even that factor is called into question.

[The Don]

Sorry about this Saturn, but I'm done working with Kapruka myself.

My complaint relates to their local food delivery side of the business, what they started off with.

A couple of times I've had issues with orders, but I could not get hold of anybody to speak to, particularly through their London number or their US offices. I've once or twice got hold of people in SL, who rudely cut me out. I was waiting on the phone for 15 odd minutes so might have been a bit late to respond but that was ridiculous.

But the one which broke the camels back is as follows.

I ordered a Christmas hamper for an associate of mine which included a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label. This is as advertised on the web site and I made no special requests. The day after the delivery, of which I get confirmation, I check with the chap whether he is happy with the gift. He tells me while the food got delivered, they told him they could not deliver alchohol in Sri Lanka due to government regulations.

I had to spend another 3 days to get these guys to give me a refund, and they wrote to me they are refunding the value of the bottle of black "on my request". It is probably at that point that I decided never to deal with the company again.

It is entirely possible that I've gotten used to good customer service in the UK but this was ridiculous.

I think the following are fair expectations in any country.

1. If they could not source or deliver something that was ordered and paid for, they should have contacted me, not the receiver.

2. They should have offered me a refund automatically and apologised. It is they who are in breach of contract. Instead I had to go after them and waste my time to get a refund but no apology.

3. If I had not contacted the receiver, which is not something I usually do, I would not have known about the missing item. Now I have no confidence over all my other orders via them either, and whether what was delivered was what I ordered (as I am overseas and these are gifts to friends and family).

I'm sure you are regretting anouncing you work for Kapruka now

Please note this is not personal. But from a consumers perspective, I'm sure you will recognise my concerns.

[Hoonigan]

Oh believe me Don, I'm used to terrible customer service where I live but Kapruka takes it to a whole new level. I've used both their hamper delivery service and the Reshipping service for the tyres I bought for the Capri. The tyre delivery was consistent with everyone else's experience. No one seemed to know where the item was at any given point of time, no clue as to a possible delivery date and false promise after false promise!

I had several deliveries made to my wife over the years and I have noticed a steady decline of the quality of service and the products. Deliveries were getting late and their excuse was "it will be delivered before 4pm", a fact not mentioned on the website and unacceptable to a location within Colombo. And when the delivery is finally made, flowers are dried out and crushed in many cases. I've stopped using their services a while back and unlikely to do so again!

[The Don]

Oh believe me Don, I'm used to terrible customer service where I live but Kapruka takes it to a whole new level. I've used both their hamper delivery service and the Reshipping service for the tyres I bought for the Capri. The tyre delivery was consistent with everyone else's experience. No one seemed to know where the item was at any given point of time, no clue as to a possible delivery date and false promise after false promise!

I had several deliveries made to my wife over the years and I have noticed a steady decline of the quality of service and the products. Deliveries were getting late and their excuse was "it will be delivered before 4pm", a fact not mentioned on the website and unacceptable to a location within Colombo. And when the delivery is finally made, flowers are dried out and crushed in many cases. I've stopped using their services a while back and unlikely to do so again!

Clearly the issue is their tracking system and process for these collect and forward type orders.

Funny thing is if I had the time and the space, I should do this myself for a living, as already do a lot of it for friends, and unlike Kapruka, I know exactly where stuff is

I think their issue is probably margins, as its difficult to make a profit unless they do it at a grand scale and they probably don't have the personel or the infrastructure to do this properly. I'm surprised how the food delivery service has faded because thats something they have had for years!

But credit where credit is due. I've used Trico to collect and deliver stuff for me from Australia and the United States, and except for one occasion, things have always gone smoothly. On that one occasion, Trico split my shipment (probably ran out of container space, and wasn't enough for another container) and failed to inform me, but they did not charge me for the second half of the shipment. They haven't lost anything to date either, and gave me a detailed inventory of things in their care, particularly the US office where most stuff originated from.