egafd.com

To prepare for the imminent launch of my web store I placed my first two orders (fairly small, about ?2k total) on Friday past with two major distributors of R18 DVDs in the UK.

Both told me cos of the late time of the order (3pm is not late but lets leave that for now!) they wouldnt ship till Monday but then they would be out for next day delivery so I would get them Tuesday (i.e. today) - its now 5pm and neither have been delivered so I call the two companies in question.

First one claims never to have received the order. They then find the order and claim they couldnt process it cos I hadnt paid - I bring their attention to the part about on the email about calling me for my switch card number (I dont want credit accounts and all that shit, I want to pay up front and still they dont want my money!) but now cos its late in the afternoon it wont be picked till tomorrow so I dont get it till Thursday! So thats 4 working days when Im paying for next day delivery - hmmmmmm, nice business if u can get it.

So to the second company! Just called them and there is no one in sales available and they havent replied to emails so I dont even know whats happening with that one but ultimately it hasnt been delivered when it should have been no matter what the reason why may be! I have now been promised a call back so lets see what happens!

Its a sorry state of affairs when companies dont want my money - I am expecting lots of challenges in running this web store BUT I didnt think that parting with money would be one of them!

I hasten to add that neither the companies are regular posters on this board (indeed if they ever have!) and I have no intention of naming them but Im just pissed off as its another example of how amateur this industry is in general in the UK. That sort of service wouldnt be acceptable in any other industry so why should it be in this one?

Jay

Well company 2 did call me back and, shock horror, the ordered hasnt been picked yet - its gonna go down to the warehouse tomorrow to be picked and shipped for delivery on Thursday. Their excuse? They have been at a show and needed to get the warehouse restocked or get stuff left over from the show checked back in or some crap like that - fucking unbelievable, I can tell Im really gonna enjoy running this website........

Jay

Just curious - why are you focusing on R18 DVD's when the world is your oyster? Why constrain yourself?

Officer Dibble

well for three reasons mainly:

1) I want to specialise in brit content and the majority of mainstream brit stuff is available on R18 now anyway - Im not interested in selling the American crap that a lot of other suppliers seem to have bucket loads of;

2) I want to be able to buy easily in the UK and not have to bring anything thru customs;

3) If I get caught and done for selling them over the net then Im only committing one offence - not selling from a licenced sex shop as opposed to selling uncertified and therefore potentially "illegal" and "obscene" material

Jay

This industry does seem to need to catch up. When I worked for HMV I regularly ordered from wholesalers and suppliers after 5pm even 6pm and the stock arrived next day. This isn't just because HMV are a big company, small shops get the same service. It isn't difficult for companies to achieve, couriers will pick up deliveries and deliver first thing next morning. But of course it costs more , I am sure the companies R18 DVD mentions don't want to pay the extra.

NeilUK

The most frustrating thing is a complete lack of communication - everyone makes mistakes, everyone forgets, everyone makes screw ups but the difference between a crap company and a good one is the good one is proactive and dont wait for me to call them and they then admit they have made a balls up and they put it right whatever that takes. To me that is the sort of service that I am going to guarantee to my customers and its the sort of service that would make me go back to a distributor again and again but, in this case. as there are such a small number of distributors they have an almost monopoly on the market and I have to go to them or buy from a middle man and pay his cut which just doesnt make financial or business sense

Jay

Thanks Terry, we did talk about this on email a few weeks back and its actually some of your content among others that I have been trying to buy so the sooner you can supply me the better!

Jay

I suspect your problems are symptomatic of a number of suppliers in that sector. Basically, a lot of R18 companies have grown far too quickly; they haven't kept staff recruitment in line with profits, some of them have tried to diversify and taken their eye of their core business as a result.

I think a lot of people underestimated just how much business R18s would actually do in what was previously seen as a market tied up by one very successful retail player.

People like El Tel, Ben, Marino and Omar will probably do better on their own, because ultimately no-one understands their product (or key market) as well as they do.

Sadly what you suffered from is a common problem, not just within the UK, but worldwide. I deal with some of the biggest studios in America, and are they any better? No.

You think it is frustrating now, just wait till you have a couple of hundred customers waiting for you to deliver their order to them, but you can't because you are waiting to be supplied!!! No wonder I am losing my hair.

It amazes me how badly run the adult industry is. Business is business, no matter what you supply or sell, good business practices make for well run businesses, and more money, which at the end of the day is what it is all about.

Good luck with your site.