Great products, but SERIOUS inventory and customer service problems
I have spent close to $10,000 with Tapstitch, so I am not writing this after one bad order. I use them regularly for my business, place larger orders, pay for express shipping when needed, and genuinely wanted them to be a long-term production partner. I actually really like their products. My issue is inventory and customer service. I have dealt with stock problems well over 15 times. Most of my current orders are only around 10–25 pieces, yet I repeatedly run into products, sizes, or colors becoming unavailable after the order has already been placed. At the same time, I have customers asking me for 100+ pieces, and I have had to turn down larger opportunities because I cannot confidently tell them the inventory will actually be available. If I cannot reliably fulfill 10–25 pieces, how am I supposed to accept an order for 100 or several hundred? The biggest problem is that the website allows you to place and pay for an order as if the products are available. The order then waits to be reviewed, and apparently the stock is not necessarily secured. I have even been told that inventory can be handled on a “first come, first served” basis. If something is unavailable, show it as unavailable. If stock is low, show that it is low. Limit the quantity that can be ordered. I do not expect unlimited inventory. I expect accurate inventory before I accept an order from my own customer. Express orders make this even more frustrating. On my larger orders, express shipping can cost $200–$300. Before placing time-sensitive orders, I specifically contact support, explain the deadline, and confirm that the items are in stock. Yet several times I have waited 3–4 days while production barely moved, contacted support again myself, and then been told, “We’re sorry, the items are out of stock. Restock takes one to two weeks. You can wait or cancel.” By then, valuable days have already been lost and the entire reason for paying hundreds of dollars for express shipping has been compromised. I am dealing with this exact situation right now. On August 12, I placed two orders that need to be delivered by August 20 and paid for express shipping. One order was printed quickly and has already shipped. The second order contains 25 pieces and, as of August 15, only ONE item has been printed. I noticed that production was not moving and contacted support myself. For three days straight I have been assured that the products are in stock, everything is fine, and the order will be printed and shipped as soon as possible. It is now August 15 and 24 pieces still have not progressed. I genuinely do not understand how those pieces are supposed to be printed, shipped, and delivered by August 20. I also currently have several other orders sitting partially completed, and based on dealing with this exact situation repeatedly, I am concerned that some of those items are also out of stock. Nobody has contacted me. That is another major problem: you often have to discover the issue yourself. Production stops moving, you contact support, wait for a response, and only then find out what happened. Customer service can take several days to respond. I currently have an escalated case where I was told I would receive a response within 1–2 days. It has now been four days without a proper response. The worst part is that these problems affect MY business reputation. My customers do not know that I checked inventory, contacted Tapstitch, or was assured their items were available. They ordered from me. If an order is delayed, I am the one who looks unreliable and has to apologize. With the busy season approaching, this is extremely concerning. Tapstitch is being promoted heavily across social media, but inventory and customer support need to grow along with the number of customers being attracted to the platform. I like Tapstitch’s products and I genuinely want to continue using them. But after spending close to $10,000, I need to be able to trust the inventory shown on the website and receive timely communication when something goes wrong. Accurate inventory, adequate stock, responsive support, and proper handling of urgent express orders are basic requirements for a fulfillment company.