Thompson Bastards

[Oxman]

At least you can even get priority shipping to Alaska now. I lived there for 30 years, and it used to be the ONLY shipping possibility was UPS or FedEx 2nd day air.

The reason they won't do anything other than priority is that's how their automated shipping system is set up. Their systems use weight, dimensions, and destination zip code to calculate postage and Priority Mail is their only option. In order to use Parcel Post, they'd have to schlep your order off to the Post Office and send it manually.

That ain't gonna happen. I know it's frustrating but believe me, I was ECSTATIC when Priority Mail shipping became an option for Alaska.

[PerpetualNoob]

Hey, sometimes I want something ASAFP, and I love having priority as an option, but back when I was growing up in Big Dumb Hillbilly-Land, "option" just sort of implied that there was, well, more than one of them.

I realize that I'm probably making way more of this than it really deserves, but it's just frustrating.

[Brian65]

Over on the CA forum, Thompson's is considered a dirty word. I have never bought anything from them, so I don't have any first hand experience with Thompson's. From what I have read over there, Thompson's seem to have more dissatisfied customers than satisfied ones.

[Old Stogie]

I've never purchased from Thompson and never will. I know too many people who have had a less than stellar experience with them.

[PerpetualNoob]

My first two orders weren't "great", but they were "fine". I didn't know any better, so I had to find out the hard way. I now have enough yard 'gars to last me for a very long time, and I really love the two Diamondback humidors I got from them. My third order was a 3-week PITA that soured me on them. I still get their e-mails and catalogs, and I check out their website once in a while. This was the first time I had even considered doing business with them again. They sell boatloads of "exclusives" and house brands that are very marginal, at prices that aren't very good, and make up for it with customer service that is almost non-existent. It's a business model that's tailored for people who haven't discovered CI.

"Never" is a long time, so I won't say I'll never do business with them, but they would have to have something I really, really want, and be the only ones that have it, and the price would have to be low enough to offset their stupid priority-only policy, all of which makes for a highly unlikely scenario. Now that I know priority is their official policy, that's what it's going to take. There are too many other, better options.