Without Naming Names

I spread my patronage among several web dealers, stateside and abroad... usually giving due preference to better price, USPS shipping, and packaging care.

I tended to shop at one place because they also sold cobs. I never tried looking much further afield. However, recently I've been made aware of a family business that I'd like to support, and also a major retailer who offered exemplary customer service. I think I'll split my business between a few. I'm happy to pay more if the service is first class.

I do the bulk of my shopping from two suppliers, but also do business with about three or four more companies on occasion. There are two companies that have lost my business due to poor business practices or customer service.

Good thread topic DT!

Mainly its two particular domestic online stores. Product availability, customer service chat or email is responded to in a timely manner, the shipping prep and delivery is above satisfaction for me. I would probably be doing business as well with a couple of U.K. online store too, but apparently there is a rif of some sort with shipping tobacco products to the Colonies

...pipe and tobacco retailers are an endangered species... don't want to burn any bridges, lol...

5 on line stores and also a couple of B&M's. With on line, it's who's got what I'm looking for at the best price + shipping. Service has been fine with all of them. With the B&M's it's access to the kind of unobtainium that I enjoy smoking. As a regular customer who's created a relationship, and who doesn't just cherry pick, they're happy to sell me blends they'll tell others they don't have, blends that others complain they can't get because the major on line stores sell out in a few minutes.
Of course, a lot of this is going to change as on line sales taxes get charged, and internet sales of tobacco eventually get banned. Hopefully the B&M's will survive til then. And if not, I've still built enough of a cellar.

...no, I contend that all of them are potentially endangered (at least in my state.) You, as always, are free to say what you like. I simply don't care to name names myself. 

I have a smoke shop that I go to for a cigar and some BS time with the regulars. The wife and I get to do a road trip and have a nice time. She smokes cigars, so bonus for me! I go there for all my needs first. If he can't get what I am looking for I look about elsewhere. He has an online presance and keeps his prices competitive so I am not getting burned by helping the BM keep going.

I just got back into pipe smoking reciently. As he carrys a lot less pipe blends vs cigar brands I may buy from other sources but I have him a chance to get what I am looking for first.

Z

I don't have a local tobacco shop so, unless I'm travelling, I get all of my tobacco on line. I use the two major sites listed depending on availability and price. I've never had any issues with either.

Couple of large online stores but will be branching out in the future in the pursuit of specific house blends.

I would say the vast majority of my custom is with 2 online and one B&M shop. Partly out of habit I suspect.

He who hath what I want at the right price, getteth my business. Even though I've had "issues" with one or two, it's nothing that can't be sorted out by denying a charge.

Serial farting in a hot loading dock, with my best friends around me. In my youth I knew no honesty. So, you may be right. I do pay for my sins everyday in bad health. The only reason I have a liver is drinking lots of coffee and water during my drinking days. New Packaging at its finest.

DT...thanks for purposely kicking off a civil thread about retailers.  Sure, we can all voice our good experiences and our warnings...but there have been far too many pipe forum threads (especially over the last couple of years) featuring an over-abundance of bitching and tears.  I've heard the same whining over and over again.  On one forum, the admin had to threaten the deletion of any new threads dedicated to trashing a particular retailer.  It's enough already.  


While not completely loyal to any web-tailers, I do check first with one or two frequently visited sites first...primarily because of many past experiences from a customer service as well as price standpoint.  (And yes, even working with an un-named retailer who's messed up an order or two in the past, but has been stellar over the last year).  I typically buy tobacco from those one or two sites before checking elsewhere.  But as for pipes...I'm a pipe refurb/restore guy...so 99% of the time, I'm buying crusty estates (ebay, junk shops, etc), and then repair / refurb them to as pristine as possible...both for myself, as well as to sell and trade.  When it's a new pipe...it'll come from a carver I know, or a factory made pipe from a site I'm familiar with.  Price always comes to bear of course.