northstar nutritionals northstar vitamins Ordering and Customer Service Nightmare Frederick, Maryland

I should have known better when I saw their Customer Service phone number was a toll call, and their e-mail addresses didn't match the advertised company name. 

I placed several orders between the 20th and 22nd of September, rather happy I had found what I thought to be a reputable company and product line.  Through a membership with Health Sciences Institute (HSI) I was directed to the Northstar Nutririonals Web site and subsequently presented with several strong sales pitches covering the products I desired. 

Interestingly, each presentation provided a separate "Supplement Facts" Web page providing the various product components.  Equally interesting, once that separate page was viewed, the only way to proceed with purchasing the product was to again view the entire sales presentation.

  Once on the order page, the process of placing the order seemed simple enough, with one caveat.  They offered an "optional" service called "Smart Ship" that would, if the original order was placed via a credit card, provide automatic re-supply of the product at the appropriate time ... not too difficult to bypass, so it would seem.

Now, with the order placed, things really started to get interesting.  I had, on average, two separate order numbers for each product ... something that was not readily apparent.  Also, should one desire to contact Customer Service, only a full-toll phone number (average wait time 5-15 minutes) was offered.  And, that number had to be searched for ... it was certainly not prominent on either their Web pages or their e-mail correspondence.

Now it really starts to get interesting.  It seems that any time an order is placed via credit card, they will initially automatically turn on "Smart Ship" (the "automatic" re-ordering process) ... something that would have to be specifically dealt with to turn off.

  OK, so my two orders are now in the USPS shipping system.  I received my second order after 8 business days, and had no idea where my first order was.  So I, as instructed on one oof their e-mails, went to their Web site with the expectation of being able to "track" each of my various orders.  When I got to the site, the tracking option was so cryptically presented that I had to refer back to several e-mails in order to get to my order history Web page.  Trouble was that the page only referenced my second order, and none of the others.  I was sure that I had placed each order because I had received a confirming e-mail covering each, and my credit-card account had also been quickly charged.

This is when I had the thrill of my first Customer Service phone call.  The fact it was a toll call was bad enough ... but I was never given my place in the call queue or my expected wait time either.  Luckily, my first call was answered in just over 5 minutes.  They had no answer as to why all my orders were not showing up, since they were able to successfully view them on their screens.  It ended with the promise they would correct my order display error, and send me a confirming e-mail confirming the action.  Needless to say, neither happened.

Finally, with my first order still lost within the USPS shipping system, I placed my final Customer Service phone call.  This time it took them almost 20 minutes to answer (never call them on a Monday).  I was given to logical answer as to why my order was delayed, particularly since their "tracking" Web application showed no movement of the goooods throu the USPS shipping system after September 22nd (remember now, it is now October 3rd).  Further I was informed they could absolutely not re-ship the order until after the 10th business day.

 At this point, I am so overwhelmed that they felt they needed to follow their own set of arbitrary rules, that I was compelled to immediately cancel the order.  Interestingly, even though my credit card was charged the same day as I placed the order, they (this time a supervisor) informed me it would be 5 to 7 business days before my credit card account was credited.

 These guys operate like money-hungry loosers.  By the way, you should hear their "disclaimer" each time you call them.  It makes it sound as if what they are selling is nothing more than a placebo.