Taiko’s customer service has, so far for me, been TERRIBLE, far below an industry leader like Magico. I placed an order with Suncoast, a Taiko dealer in Tampa FL, which may also be part of the problem. Taiko estimated an 8 week wait time, and they shipped out right on time. Then everything fell apart. First Taiko used DHL, which may be carrier of choice overseas, but has less than a third of Fedex’s market share in the USA. Two boxes, an Extreme and an Isolation base, were shipped out from Taiko on the same day, but oddly with the SAME tracking number (two separate piece numbers but that doesn’t seem to matter). Both boxes left Amsterdam Feb 24th. DHL shipped the Extreme through Brussels and was in Atlanta on Feb 25th – where it has been for 14 days (2 weeks – a quarter of the time it took to build the unit). Imagine how many times in two weeks this sensitive piece of equipment has been moved, stacked, and otherwise mishandled. The Isolation base for some unknown reason was shipped through Leipzig Germany and was in Cincinnati on Feb 26th. Why were the two boxes sent to two different locations? Cincinnati is nowhere near Florida.
On Feb 24th (the day the items were shipped from Amsterdam) I received my first text from DHL that estimated a March 1st delivery date and said “Customs clearance status updated. Note - The Customs clearance process may start while the shipment is in transit to the destination”, one text referencing Cincy and one referencing Atlanta. OK fine seems clear enough. Then I get text messages saying there was an Atlanta clearance event and another text that it was processed for clearance. On Feb 27th I received a DHL text indicating Cincy is on hold, but without any reason provided. Two days later I finally get a text from DHL with a link requesting that I (not Taiko, not Suncoast) complete a US Dept of Agriculture form requesting an HTS # (no clue what that is), a plant scientific name, country of harvest, percent recycled etc. Needless to say, I have no idea how to complete this form. I forwarded this text to Suncoast on the same day, and they replied “We’ll get it sorted out. We are on it”. I followed up with a phone call and they (Mike) told me not to worry that Taiko would handle it. Ha! Suncoast also told me the only way they could contact Taiko was by email and that they had sent an email – how strange that the only way a dealer can contact a manufacturer is by email?
On March 3rd I look up an email address on Taiko’s website, explain the problem and get a same day response that they will “dig up the Lacey Act certifications and forward them to me.” It’s March 6th and I still have nothing. Why are they sending these Lacey certifications to me and not DHL or Customs? Why didn’t they provide them before, or with, the shipment? You could say this is my problem because it is a US customs issue, but Taiko accepted my US dollars in payment. Because they didn’t use two different tracking numbers the Extreme has been stuck in Customs for 14 days and counting because of the base? Why did the base go to Cincinatti – which isn’t anywhere near Florida and will probably need to go on another plane. This is a complete customer service fail. I will be traveling, leaving this Friday March 10th, for a week. Is this shipment going to sit on my doorstep for a week – advertising we are not home and susceptible to theft? Unbelievable incompetence. I will never agree to a drop shipment from overseas. Better to have it go to a dealer (but not Suncoast) to avoid this. Is this a harbinger of the support I can expect from Taiko if I ever do receive the unit? Not a promising start for sure.
On Feb 24th (the day the items were shipped from Amsterdam) I received my first text from DHL that estimated a March 1st delivery date and said “Customs clearance status updated. Note - The Customs clearance process may start while the shipment is in transit to the destination”, one text referencing Cincy and one referencing Atlanta. OK fine seems clear enough. Then I get text messages saying there was an Atlanta clearance event and another text that it was processed for clearance. On Feb 27th I received a DHL text indicating Cincy is on hold, but without any reason provided. Two days later I finally get a text from DHL with a link requesting that I (not Taiko, not Suncoast) complete a US Dept of Agriculture form requesting an HTS # (no clue what that is), a plant scientific name, country of harvest, percent recycled etc. Needless to say, I have no idea how to complete this form. I forwarded this text to Suncoast on the same day, and they replied “We’ll get it sorted out. We are on it”. I followed up with a phone call and they (Mike) told me not to worry that Taiko would handle it. Ha! Suncoast also told me the only way they could contact Taiko was by email and that they had sent an email – how strange that the only way a dealer can contact a manufacturer is by email?
On March 3rd I look up an email address on Taiko’s website, explain the problem and get a same day response that they will “dig up the Lacey Act certifications and forward them to me.” It’s March 6th and I still have nothing. Why are they sending these Lacey certifications to me and not DHL or Customs? Why didn’t they provide them before, or with, the shipment? You could say this is my problem because it is a US customs issue, but Taiko accepted my US dollars in payment. Because they didn’t use two different tracking numbers the Extreme has been stuck in Customs for 14 days and counting because of the base? Why did the base go to Cincinatti – which isn’t anywhere near Florida and will probably need to go on another plane. This is a complete customer service fail. I will be traveling, leaving this Friday March 10th, for a week. Is this shipment going to sit on my doorstep for a week – advertising we are not home and susceptible to theft? Unbelievable incompetence. I will never agree to a drop shipment from overseas. Better to have it go to a dealer (but not Suncoast) to avoid this. Is this a harbinger of the support I can expect from Taiko if I ever do receive the unit? Not a promising start for sure.
