Stephanie
Major Operational & Communication Issues with Online Orders
I am leaving this review to highlight a major operational issue with North American Herb & Spice's online store. After spending considerable time shopping and placing a $278 order—my first time ordering directly from their website—six days went by without any tracking or order updates. When I called customer service, I was told my entire order was on hold because one item was out of stock. Later, my local vitamin shop called them regarding another item I wanted, only to find out it was also out of stock—meaning customer service wasn't fully transparent about inventory levels. Holding an entire paid order without any notification is unacceptable. They already had my money, and if I hadn't proactively called, my order would have just been sitting there with no telling how long it would take to ship. Life happens, and if a customer forgets to follow up, an order could sit on hold for months while the company keeps their money without sending updates, which feels very scammish. What makes this worse is the complete lack of management follow-up. The representative had to get management approval to process my refund, so leadership was fully aware of this system failure. Instead of reaching out to apologize, explain the oversight, or make an effort to retain a customer, there was total silence. As a loyal customer who has bought their oregano oil from my local store for over six years, I will be discontinuing my use of their products entirely. On a positive note, phone support is answered by a live representative who processed my refund, though I made sure to firmly request an email receipt for confirmation before hanging up. I hope management updates their online inventory system and improves their customer retention practices moving forward.