Aqualabs wants me to call them before they ship to me?

[Mukind]

I find this very strange for many reasons*, number one being either I will have the information to verify my identity or I won't. Calling should not have any bearing on anything they want to confirm/clarify with my order.

It could all be done through email. Now instead at best I am going to wait an extra 24 hours for my 40 dollar down stem

Is this normal? Why the fuck would they do this? Confirming my identity I could understand 100%. But they don't know my voice how would that change anything?

Whole thing is sketchy as fuck, almost through I received some sort of phishing email.

Does anyone else have experience with them asking you to call them? I'm in illinois if that matters.

Just wanted a new downstem and their hours of operation overlap with my hours of work...........

edit - if this is in the wrong place sorry, i considered using their section of the forum. But that seems to be a place they can curate and advertise mostly. This seemed more appropriate

 

[shithawk420]

Oh wow.I'm in Illinois too and was considering getting a downstem from them too.sorry I can't answer your question. Are you looking at the Alex K shower head diffuser?cause that's what I'm gonna get.best down stem out there.good luck buddy

 

[Green Squall]

Is it normal? Well, it's normal for them. This isn't the first thread to complain about their policies. It's one of the reasons I don't use them. Plenty of other places to get a down stem.

 

[shithawk420]

Yeah but where do you get an Alex K shower head though?and yeah this isn't the first thread about this.

 

[Green Squall]

Yeah but where do you get an Alex K shower head though?and yeah this isn't the first thread about this.

Not sure but I would find it surprising that someone would only offer their product to a single vendor. I'm not really a bong guy so I wouldn't know. I've always been partial to bubs myself

 

[krunchbubble]

Yes this is normal with them...

They are trying to reduce CC fraud...

 

[Mukind]

Yes this is normal with them...

They are trying to reduce CC fraud...

I just find it very strange they want me to call...

I work for a very large multi national in tech support and am pretty familiar with verifying people's identity over the phone. Even if a man sounded like a woman in todays day and age you sort of just have to take their word for it if they have all the info.

I'm just confused about how this could be anything but a pointless bluff on their end? Presuambly the only information they have is what I've given them?

IDK, maybe it will be something simple like "you picked the cheap shipping option we want you to know that we don't warranty that" or something

Looking at their selection they're not exactly a vendor that can just be written off. And they haven't charged me yet so no harm done, just a pending on my debit. I'd just like the downstem. Could probably buy a gun with less hassle

 

[Mukind]

Oh wow.I'm in Illinois too and was considering getting a downstem from them too.sorry I can't answer your question. Are you looking at the Alex K shower head diffuser?cause that's what I'm gonna get.best down stem out there.good luck buddy

Yesssir

 

[Mukind]

Is it normal? Well, it's normal for them. This isn't the first thread to complain about their policies. It's one of the reasons I don't use them. Plenty of other places to get a down stem.

This downstem? I'm not so sure, I looked for a bit if there is another vendor they need to step up their search engine manipulation. I'm not seeing it.

Sort of had my heart set on the Alex K after hours of reading...I tilt and run a stright tube no perc...If the internet stoners know anything about downstems is that the Alex K is best for my preferences

 

[haupiapie]

Bought a Sovereignty mini king from them and I never had to do that. If u feel uncomfortable, nvsglassworks in Portland is good too.

 

[stonerpros]

there's plenty of other places to buy from, that just sounds really annoying if not creepy/sketchy.

 

[Lester Beans]

That is just ridiculous. No reason to call. Cc fraud my ass, they must have some other reason. I certainly would not deal with that.

 

[krunchbubble]

You have to understand businesses like these are considered "High Risk" by credit card processing companies. Same category as sex shops, smoke shops, vape shops, online dating sites ect...

They are much more susceptible to conspiracy, fraudulent credit card processing, corruption and embezzlement...

Most of the time its not the business asking for you ID and CC. Its most likely a REQUIREMENT by their credit card processor...

I had to go through all this shit with my businesses, was a real pain...

 

[Vernalization]

the hydro store i use called before. mainly just helping out. making sure everything's ok with my order. discouraging comments about ordering from aqualabs should be discarded. post a pic when you get your stem.

 

[Mukind]

Well the alex K arrived as promised by Aqualabs. I am very pleased with the purchase beyond having to call, so pleased in fact i ended up grabbing a 180 degree SG downstem when their Halloween sale started. So I now have 2 downstems from them both sent with under 5$ shipping options. The Alex K was wrapped by some one who* must be a logistical god and the SG was pretty well tucked away too.

Really have nothing but good things to say about aqualabs after this second purchase, they were true to their word they just shipped me my fucking downstem the second time. No bullshitting around

And there was an email option the first time, it just required me to take a FUCKING PICTURE OF MY ID and send it to them (some other shit to)....I now understand why they don't mention that option.

So the first purchase will be a bitch from them, but after that seems to be legit.

No pics one is sitting in simple green and one is in use.

As to whether or not this is their policy or forced on them by people processing the payments I didn't inquire. That would make sense though because it's fucking ridiculous.

Edit - Also Alex K seems to use pencil to mark his downstems with the length, simple green soaks and acetone + finger have had no effect. Anyone have any experience with removing this? Apparently he does this to almost all his downstems.

edit 2 - all they wanted over the phone was the last 5 of my card, email option was down right intrusive though as I mentioned

 

[Gry]

They sound like decent people to do biz with. Integrity matters.

 

[shithawk420]

Damn,at least it worked out in the end.gonna get an Alex K myself.doesn't his brother,I think his name is Brian,make the slide bowls?

 

[MrBungle]

This must be a reasonably new policy... I've dealt with aqualabs before and not had to do this... it has been a few years though

 

[z-ro]

They have a forum here, why don't you just ask them instead of making a random thread?

 

[Mukind]

They have a forum here, why don't you just ask them instead of making a random thread?

A) read my first fucking post, spells it out clear as day why I did not

B) As a fucking consumer I can make a thread wherever the fuck I want. Notice they didn't come say some shit like that to me/ If I wanted to talk to them as again is in the first post I could and did email/call them.

Fuckwit