ComplaintsforQueen Right Colonies, LTD.

• Initial Complaint

  12/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered 4 packages of honeybees, which arrived dead; **** carrier confirmed. Total purchase price with shipping and insurance $887.26 Upon arrival, **** carrier and I noticed the bees dead. I called QRC whom instructed me to file an insurance claim. **** was found not at fault, and denied payout to the claim, stating on the phone that QRC at fault for improperly shipping bees. *QRC Owner said "I'm sorry, a snowstorm shut down The Mtn. Pass, it held up the bees on the truck, other customers were affected too, we'll make lemonade out of lemons" I called (and emailed) QRC, to request a refund to no avail. Months of repeated email and phone attempts to get refund, QRC said they wouldn't refund my money. QRC finally owned blame, offered to ship the order again the following year (2023), with a caveat. QRC stated that if they ship me bees, it would be shipped exactly as before and that it's a terminal offer. Regardless of how the bees arrive, dead or alive, they want to be done. Due to the risk to me, and the record of their current failure and attitude, I couldn't accept the terms. What prevents QRC from, again, shipping me dead/weak bees in 2023 just to be 'off the hook'? The **** has already stated they do not pay out on insurance claims for bees shipped improperly. Imagine if I were to accept QRC's initial offer and the bees arrived dead, I'd be out $887.26, bee equipment, and two years of beekeeping with no recourse. I already can't get my lost time back for last year. This offer is not acceptable. It's ridiculous and unacceptable that I should suffer their inept honeybee handling and shipping method. I want to be done with them and get my money back for failure to receive what I paid for: 4 pkg LIVE Honeybees. I am demanding a full refund of the original USD I paid. If received in full in a timely manner, then I'll ignore the damages/losses for bee equipment, interest/expenses accruing during this process to-date, and losses in time and enjoyment.

  

  Business response

  12/16/2022

  Please see attached documentation dated September 12, 2022, regarding the last correspondence with Mr. ********. Although the post office refused his claim, we still attempted to work with him as you can see in the email by shipping him FREE replacements next spring but this was not acceptable because he was insisting that we guarantee their condition upon arrival, which we simply cannot because we do not work for the ****** ****** ****** system. Although it is against our policy to issue replacements, we were willing to do this for Mr. ******** and he declined this offer.  

  Customer response

  12/26/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  As you can see in my previous attachment, my frustration is not with the service provided by the ****, it is with QRC for knowingly shipping weak bees. 

  
  

  It has been determined by the **** that QRC shipped the bees incorrectly for the insurance option they offered.     

  
  

  As a customer, I insist on receiving a product as advertised. The bees were advertised as high-quality and healthy, which is not the product I received. Without protection against a repeated incident, resolution is a refund of the original payment. 

  

  Business response

  01/09/2023

  [BBB transcription via email, see attachments]

  Mr. ********'s frustration should be with the **** as his bees were shipped via Priority Mail 2 to 3 day delivery and additional insurance was purchased on his behalf. His bees had to have been handled in such a way to compromise the condition of the package. As you can see in the images attached, these packages are labeled with yellow stickers instructing the carrier to not put these live packages in areas with fumes and to keep out of direct sunlight. You can also see in the images that these packages are inspected before going to the post office. Once they arrive at the post office, the postal employees handle and scan each package individually. If these packages were compromised, they would not receive them as they do with any other package. 
  
  If Mr. ******** felt that his package was compromised or in bad condition, he should not have received it from the postal carrier. The package should have been marked "Return to Sender."  Because the package was handed over to him or someone else, it was probably felt that he accepted the condition they were in, which CAN be seen through the packaging - see pictures attached. Mr. ********'s packages were hand delivered. They were not left at a location, so someone accepted them.
  
  I feel Mr. ******** is experiencing buyer's remorse. Prior to evening receiving his bees Mr. ******** was frustrated because of a mishap he experienced while ordering. Mr. ******** called QRC and stated we had double charged him. The matter was looked into and we reached back out to Mr. ********. It was learned that an order was placed online (see image) and that he had called into the store and placed an order (see image). He stated that he did not know that the online order had went through successfully. We have a policy that states orders cannot be cancelled after March 1st (see image or click on terms and conditions). You can see according to his invoices that he placed them after March 1st. I shared this information with him, and explained he could not cancel two packages because of the cutoff date defined in terms and conditions. He stated that this was a mistake and that he didn't mean to duplicate the order but he'd just keep them. 
  
  Just a couple of days after this conversation, I had a customer call and beg for us to ship him two packages. I told this customer that we were no longer accepting shipping orders, but that I had another customer (Mr. ********) who accidentally ordered four packages when he only wanted two. I told this customer that I would reach out to Mr. ******** and see if he'd be willing to allow me to refund him two packages (which is what he originally wanted to do in the first place) in an effort to help this other individual out. I called Mr. ******** and he was extremely frustrated with me. He said he would not allow me to refund him and that he was keeping his packages but that he would never do business with Queen Right Colonies again.  After this interaction, I felt that we had not heard the last from Mr. ********. 
  
  As shown in the initial response, we have offered to send him replacements, although this is completely against policy but he has declined this offer. 
  
  During the spring of 2022, we dispersed thousands of packages with no other complaints of "weak bees" or any complaints for that matter. We have been in business for over 25 years and understand the importance of honey bee health. Our business could not have survived this long if we did things so haphazardly.  
  
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  Terms and Conditions - Queen Right Colonies
  Privacy Policy The following Terms and Conditions apply to the use of this Web site as well as all transactions conducted through the site. Legal Notice
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  Customer response

  01/21/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:

   Ms. ****** K *** ****** owner at Queen Right Colonies, and Ms. ************ have worked harder at laying blame on others, than simply owning their mistakes and working toward  providing customer satisfaction and ethical order fulfillment.  I'm saddened by the spin on reality from the last reply and the attempts at customer character attacks, to which I will not dignify a further reply.  In a good faith effort to move forward in a positive way, I am willing to overlook the inaccuracies that exist in QRC's immaterial  statements, and in a good faith effort to resolve this issue I will accept their offer of  fulfillment of my original order for this Spring Season, provided QRC fully understands their business obligation to ship live, healthy, well fed bees.  The **** has been in business longer than any of us has been around, and I have every confidence in their ability to deliver bees properly.  I am willing to give QRC another opportunity to live up to their 25 year customer satisfaction namesake, so here's QRC's chance to prove they have the integrity to do what's right.  

  
  

  

  Business response

  01/24/2023

  All customers for the 2023 season are required to read and agree to the terms and conditions set forth in the document attached. Please respond that you have read and agree to these terms. Package bees are selling out for the 2023 season. The availability of packages is time sensitive. ******/*****

  Customer response

  01/25/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I have made a good faith effort to resolve this issue by accepting their desire to send me 4 new packages of bees, when I desire a refund.  QRC is making a new demand that I adhere to their new updated terms of service, to which they'll need to violate in order to ship me my replacement order.  Their new policy states changes that nullify my previous insurance premium for shipment, and prevents them from now shipping to **.  I made the original purchase under their previous terms, and I will gladly help this issue be completely resolved under that agreement to which I paid them 100% in advance.  If QRC would consider ending this back and forth, then please honor the agreement we have, since I am not a new customer.  They have rejected my offer to receive replacement packages.  My good faith offer to resolve the issue stands.  I await QRC's response.

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