Candlewic is bad!

[chris77]

My Turn To VENT!

Ok, so I've purchased most of my stuff from Candlewic....about $1500 worth. I've had several issues with product not meeting my expectations or the quality it should. I called today since I was overcharged on shipping. She offered to credit my card or apply it to my next order. I said I'd take the credit since I might not order from them anymore due to some product issues. She never commented or asked what was wrong, just processed the credit. I asked her about her lack of concern. She said, "well I'm not going to beg you to buy from us again if that's what you want!" I said no, I'm just looking for a company that will care and ask what's wrong and try to rectify the problem. She didn't care! She didn't want to know what I was unhappy with. I told her that I guess I'll be looking for another company to deal with and she said ok and have a nice day!

Now I'm stuck with all of this product from them that I don't even want to use now thanks to the bad taste left in my mouth from this. It's so frustrating. I was really impressed with them up front, now not so much.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Chris

[tlc26]

Others may get mad but I agree with you. I had a bad time with them. Gave them a second chance and they screwed up again. I hate the fact that I HAVE to get 1 of my oils from them, otherwise I would NEVER order from them again.

oh and be glad you got your order. They sent mine in 3 parts and I still have not gotten the last part. that was over 1 year ago.

[Breanna]

Oh Chris I am so sorry about that bad experience!!:awww: I have only bought from them once for jars. I know once you have had a bad experience its hard to trust again,,,they would not take their products back??? I hoped they credited you your full amount,,,,I always buy from Peaks or BCN if I can unless I need something they do not carry.

you can put what you do not want in the classifieds for sale or trade. HTH,,,

[daniedb]

That really stinks. People work very hard for money, and choosing to spend it somewhere should be greeted with enthusiasm, integrity and loyalty. I don't blame you for feeling like you didn't matter, from what you say, it sounds like you really didn't matter much to them.

That's why I try to stick to BC, MMS, Sweetcakes and I look forward to trying Peak, and I'm still deciding about MC - so far nothing but good, but it's still early in the game.

I'm sorry that happened to you. :embarasse

[chris77]

Thanks for the support guys! I got my $13 credit for shipping. And I have my tins that have mismatched color dented lids, liquid dye that almost all are clogged in the dropper from first attempt to use, some weak FO, one FO that has a ton of solidified whatever in the bottom that broken up into chunks...this list goes on!

Thanks though....it actually does help having sympathy. I think I'll try peaks and BC. I guess cheaper isn't always better!

Chris

[gerrie]

Chris, send them an email. I NEVER had any luck on the phone, I swear, they have people who answer the phone who really could care less on what you have to say. But the boss/owner seems to get the emails, can't remember his name, but he has jumped at every email I sent to help me out. I will never call again, I just email. It's been a few years since I had a problem with them, so I hope he still gets the emails and will give you some satisfaction. It's worth a shot.

[chris77]

Chris, send them an email. I NEVER had any luck on the phone, I swear, they have people who answer the phone who really could care less on what you have to say. But the boss/owner seems to get the emails, can't remember his name, but he has jumped at every email I sent to help me out. I will never call again, I just email. It's been a few years since I had a problem with them, so I hope he still gets the emails and will give you some satisfaction. It's worth a shot.

Thanks Gerrie, was contemplating that very thing. I think I will let him know how I feel. Thanks

[Donita]

WOW......I have been buying from them for several years. I have had a few problems but they always fix it. The girls I talk to on the phone have always been very helpful. I call often. If you care to email them info@candelwic.com it the address. I talk to Ellen Daniels and she has helped me with many of my questions, and the owners are Bill and Dave Binder. I am sorry you had such a terrible experience......I always recommend them because my experiences have been very good. Maybe I just got lucky. Donita

[geekrunner]

I have only dealt with them once, on some closeout scents (which were great deals and smelled great!) and it was not unpleasant. However, I have dealt with Peaks, Mill Creek, Indiana Candle Supply, and Candlemaker's Store, and have had very positive results! MC, CS and Peaks all ship very quickly, kept me informed on status of order, and are very friendly to communicate with. You really cannot go wrong with those four vendors!

[JudyN]

I'm so glad you posted this because I am new to candlemaking. I had been contemplating ordering their palm wax but I'm in Ca and the shipping is double to me so some very nice people on here gave me other alternatives. What I think you might want to say in your e-mail that there is a network of candlemakers and that we stick together. Basically you will tell us all about how terrible your experience has been ... I don't mean to threaten them, but they need to be aware how if they don't treat people in a decent way and have good products it will hurt them. Oh I feel like I'm babbling but I hope you get the idea. Thanks so much for letting us know about your experience, $1500.00 might not be a lot of money in their business world but it is a lot of money to me and if they aren't going to treat you with respect I would definitely not use them. I'm sorry that you had such a terrible experience but thanks so much for sharing with all of us.

[Kaybee23]

I have only bought from them once, because they are so far away from me (I am in Texas) and shipping was outrageous. I had ordered their granular palm wax and a couple of molds. They didn’t wrap the molds or put any packing in the box to keep it all separate and everything was bouncing around in the box. One of the molds split open the bag of palm wax. When UPS delivered it, it was leaking out one of the corners, like sand. I am not sure how much I lost, but what was in the box, I was able to pour into a Ziploc with the remainder of the bag. First I blamed UPS, but it really was poor packing on their part.

[topofmurrayhill]

Candlewic is a mixed bag.

The owners know wax. No other supplier of "house brand" wax offers such a stupendous selection of every candlemaking material one might need. Not only that, but it's very reasonably priced and they don't rip you off on shipping. Even though they're one of my closer suppliers, I'm often surprised by how low the shipping total is.

True to their name, they are THE supplier for wicking once you get serious about buying it. Other places may be better for small quantities of certain wicks, but once you get to needing 500 or more assemblies Candlewic can custom make anything under the sun down to the smallest detail for a reasonable price.

They are the only supplier ever, anywhere, to offer certain professional items such as an angle plate leveler and heater.

One the other hand, they're not on top of the FO game and I think you'd be pretty lucky to accidentally buy something outstanding. Their customer service is also hit and miss. I think it depends on how overwhelmed they are at any given time and who's dealing with it. At times it I got attention from the proprietors or the more sophisticated staff and they made a major effort. Also when I bought the closeout FO to use for testing, they persisted in trying to reach me by phone for 2 days in a row to find out what I'd like to substitute for something that had gotten sold out. On the other hand, my last 2 e-mail enquiries went completely unanswered.

So yeah, they could probably be a little better organized, but they're a big player in the business and I'm sure it's a challenging thing to run and be responsive to customers of all sizes. They seem to try, yet often fail.

I'm not defending any way in which they've failed, just kinda trying to give an overall perspective. For me, they're still valuable to have on my supplier list despite their faults. I've just learned to adjust my expectations and use them for what they're best at.

[dcroome2005]

I agree so much with this. I did love them and would buy all my waxes from them. Don't recommend the fragrances or the color blocks, but the waxes I love. I am kinda on strike with them. I didnt have a great experience with Ellen or Susan. In the beginning I did , but as soon as I go to them about a complaint, they turn it to its my fault and they do nothing wrong. I didn't like that. I don't always expect to be right in every situation , but I know on the certain situation, I was ... and it was my fault anyways ( not going into it :-) ) My partner has had problems as well. I also like to use AMEX and they dont take it :-(

Their palm wax is the best. Are they the only ones that carry it? I also liked the fact that they are about 1 1/2 hours away from me :-)

I really have mix feelings on this company, but I guess if I want to continue to buy my favorite waxes and I dont see anything else that touches theirs.. then I need to swallow my pride and just order wax from them.

I like their wicks too , but that is the part where I had the argument with them.. hmmmm

Christina

[cindym]

The owners name is Bob really nice guy.

[Donita]

I emailed them and told them that customers aren't happy. Bill Binder and Ellen emailed me. They are concerned. I have always had great service with them. I don't buy a lot of FO's but do like their wick selection and waxes. Whenever I have had a problem, and it has been a rare thing, they always do what it takes to make me happy. Just my experience. I am so used to using their wax that I would have to make many adjustments to use another supplier. Donita

[Donita]

By the way I stick up for them you would think that I own stock in the company.....LOL ......I don't. I just am grateful that Bill and Ellyn have spent hours and hours on the phone helping me. I don't think that they are such a large company that us "little guys" aren't important. If someone were complaining about my company, I would like to know and FIX IT!!!!!!! Donita

[annegit]

I have ordered from them a few times but it's been a while due to a combination of outrageous shipping cost (I'm in San Antonio Tx.) and very poor customer service. My last order was for the palm waxes and molds. When I received it the box had a big hole in the side and more than half my wax was gone. There was a trail of wax all the way to my front door where the UPS guy left it (I wasn't home when they delivered it). I can imagine what the inside of the UPS truck looked like. When I got ahold of them they refused to replace it or accept any responsibility for the box being busted open. My argument to them was, had it been packaged right in the first place this wouldn't have happened because the hole in the bottom of the box isn't what tore the bag of wax it was the molds just being thrown in there and not packaged correctly. They said I had to take it up with UPS and it was basically my problem. Needless to say I haven't ordered from them since then. But I do have to agree that they really have good waxes.

[TeddyB]

I buy my wax from them because they are close and the shipping is reasonable. I had some problems with them early on over packing issues and though they said they would give me credit and gave me a code to use on my next order the credit was never issued. After several calls and a few emails I just gave up and chalked it up to experience. Like top said earlier when it comes to buying lots of wick assemblies they are the best I've found. I've had problems at one time or another from everyone but Peaks but they are so far awy from me shipping is a killer. I expressed to CANDLEWIC once that though they had fine products their shipping dept was severely lacking. The girl on the phone told me that was really their business and that I should go elsewhere if I didn't like it! I thought WOW! that's a great way to keep a customer. So I don't get anything from them can can break, rip, or leak. Slab wax and wicks only for me. Just thought I'd put my 2 cents in here.

Y'all have a great day!!

[DanaE]

I'm sorry about your problems. I love Candlewic and haven't had a problem, but there's no way for a company to have 100% satisfaction all the time I guess:tiptoe: The only company I ever had a 'problem' with was Candlesandsupplies.com and I can't really call it a problem, since I called, they fixed it immediately and had the missing items on my doorstep the next day. (Well, other than that Angie lady and her company, but that's another story).

Candlewic is very close to me, so I order one day and get the box the next day. The shipping is incredibly cheap, the waxes are great quality and I can get virtually any type wick I want. (plus some of their accessories are the cheapest I can find). The few oils I've tried have been subpar so I don't order them, but I'm hooked on them for my mottling waxes, coloring, wicks and pour pots.

I'd never recommend ordering wax or heavy items from a company that is very far away. The shipping can be killer. Even just a couple of states away can make a huge difference in shipping. I'd love to order from Peaks, but everytime I put items in the shopping cart to check on the shipping I go "ouch" and back out. They are so far away from me that the shipping is just killer. But if they were closer I'd definitely use them!

DanaE

[candlesprite7]

I have only dealt with them once, on some closeout scents (which were great deals and smelled great!) and it was not unpleasant. However, I have dealt with Peaks, Mill Creek, Indiana Candle Supply, and Candlemaker's Store, and have had very positive results! MC, CS and Peaks all ship very quickly, kept me informed on status of order, and are very friendly to communicate with. You really cannot go wrong with those four vendors!

Wow it is cool to hear great things about the Candlemaker's Store, i live near them and go there atleast once a month...lol...if not more. Those Ladies are absolutely awesome!

Kim

[faerydust]

I agree that candlewic is a mixed bag. I have had several problems with them packing my 2 cases of jars in paper not bubble wrap so when i got them smashed into a million pieces i was not a happy camper. i emailed them twice no response....called and i was told that somehow it was me...because they never send out shipments without bubble wrap:mad: ...i took pictures to email it to them...LOL anyhoo after ALOT of pushing on my part i was sent 2 more cases and then received a bill for them in the mail a week later!!! next order was missing 4 items....emailed 3 times no response called and was told it would be fixed and sent out....never sent....called back again and was told well we can't send them because it says here its was in your box....ughhhh i finally got ellen on the phone & it was fixed and my items sent out. I use their wax and really like it but that is ALL i will be ordering from them in the future. its the only thing that doesn't get messed up & when you call they act as if they could care less. Its VERY poor customer service. Everyone says the owner is a nice guy and that is great but he needs to fix his CS problem before he doesn't own anything anymore. I really don't feel like i should have to call 3 or 4 times to get something fixed and get an attitude to boot. oh and i got an oil that had chunks floating in it as well...threw it away...waste of money they told me that is normal but of the 100's i have in my home its the first time i saw that!

[VickiB in CA]

I hear ya on the Candlewic issue. I went through a problem like that a couple of Christmases ago. The sent some funky oils and I communicated with Bill Binder and he sent a duplicate order out for free (it wasn't a small order either). I still order from them as there are a few they have that I can't replace and haven't had a problem since that I can remember.

I use their -

Fall Woods (Ultimate)

White Tea (Ultimate)

Cinnamon (Regular)

Sweet Sandalwood (Ultimate)

Red Apple Peel (Ultimate)

Sweet Apple Crisp (Ultimate)

Haven't found comparisons so I stick it out. Well, at least until they tick me off again!

[Scented]

I basically stick to buying wicks by the bulk with them. I agree that Ellen is usually quite helpful.

I hate their customer service, but then when you get spoiled by companies that are better at it then it sticks out like a sore thumb.

I used to get a lot of FOs from them moons ago, but I think something is missing in the quality of them between then and now. Really, I just don't have a need for their FOs.

There are a handful of other products I get from them and I would try out their wax if I were closer, but I'm not.

[VickiB in CA]

waxnwic@candlewic.com

That is Bill's email address. He is always right on any problem you might have and like I said, after my problem 2 years ago, I haven't had one since. Not that I never will, but they have always been timely about getting their orders out to me and the oils that I use are of superior quality. You would mainly want to stay with the Ultimate line. Not trying to give you a sales pitch, just sharing my own experiences with them.

[katinka]

Hi,

I agree with your comment re: bad service. I am in South Africa, which means we don't have alot of options here, so I end up importing most from your country. I have ordered from both Candlewic and Candlescience at the same time and wow, there was a huge difference. Candlescience sent my stuff within 10 days whereas I waited from Candlewic for almost 5 weeks!!! Also, they sent everything in this massive box, but when I opened it there was only a few items at the bottom, with plastic on top. I was really upset, becuase it added alot to my courier charges (which just about doubles the order total). I definitely won't be using them again!!