Bluerein Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 I've ordered over 300 cd's with Caiman and I believe they are the best price sellers I know. Indeed some cd's were not delivered but always refunded in full and in a timely manner. So I guess I am lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neveronfriday Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Same here. The few that were never delivered were always refunded soon after I complained and a couple of meters worth of CDs arrived here in good shape (sometimes they are a bit slow though). For me Caiman is a good way of getting around European protectionism. Single delivery also means that I don't have any hassle with customs Nazis and other idiots (which we have plenty of). I gladly pay the few bucks extra to avoid having any of those monkeys in my life. Just don't order stuff that's obviously out of print ... you'll be waiting forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron S Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 I've ordered over 300 cd's with Caiman and I believe they are the best price sellers I know. Indeed some cd's were not delivered but always refunded in full and in a timely manner. So I guess I am lucky. My experience has been similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 I've ordered over 300 cd's with Caiman and I believe they are the best price sellers I know. Indeed some cd's were not delivered but always refunded in full and in a timely manner. So I guess I am lucky. My experience has been similar. No. NO! Don't you know you're doing everyone a disservice by plugging for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 I have had trouble with Caiman, too. Same as others; ordering something old, from Amz mktp, CC charged, no disc. Then an e-mail from Caiman to tell me there was a problem. I e-mailed back to ask if they could provide an estimate of how long it might take to fill the order but no reply. After giving them about a month in total, I cancelled with Amz, no problem, and got a refund. But, in between, of course I had to pay my CC bill. And also, when I complained to Amz that Caiman were still offering the disc on their site, even though they obviously couldn't supply it, Amz didn't respond. I reckon the proper answer to the "float" problem - which is a total scam - is for Amz not to hit people's CCs for mktp deals until despatch is confirmed. I would only ever use Caiman for rare things anyway, since Customs charges are somewhat likely shipping to Britain. But now I steer clear of them. Once bitten. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest the mommy Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 yeah i have bad bad experiences with caiman. it is ridiculous that they are allowed to do business in this fashion (listing things they clearly don't have). a lot of albums are in a grey area between OOP and possibly still in stock, so sometimes it is tough to make a judgement call whether caiman could possibly have something (32 jazz albums, for instance). plus, as was said previously, it sucks that your CC is charged before the item is sent which makes the inevitable refund more of a hassle. i am done with these jerks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.D. Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 One thing about Caiman on Amazon, they've established a useful positive feedback benchmark. I've had one rocky experience, and Caiman is the subject of numerous complaints and rants on Internet forums, yet they consistently have 90% positive feedback. Based on this, I only consider buying from sellers with over (preferably well over) 95%. There are a number of large CD sellers on Amazon with feedback ratings, and presumably business practices, similar to Caiman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 One thing about Caiman on Amazon, they've established a useful positive feedback benchmark. I've had one rocky experience, and Caiman is the subject of numerous complaints and rants on Internet forums, yet they consistently have 90% positive feedback. Based on this, I only consider buying from sellers with over (preferably well over) 95%. There are a number of large CD sellers on Amazon with feedback ratings, and presumably business practices, similar to Caiman. I always lie on surveys, feedback and so on. Doesn't everyone? MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Dryden Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 (edited) As a former retailer myself, I find it extremely dishonest for any business to charge one's credit card unless they have the merchandise in stock and ready to ship at the time of the transaction, especially Amazon or half.com sellers, who are supposed to ship promptly after confirmation. This would be different if it involved a special order of merchandise not normally carried (to protect a retailer against getting stuck with merchandise if a customer suddenly had a change of mind). It's like the old ruse many chain retail stores use of offering a great price on a popular item at or below cost, yet have so little inventory that they run out long before the sale is over, or the bogus huge discounts off a ridiculously high "regular" price. I worked for Gordon Jewelry, which had 50% off gold chains for every day of my tenure with them as a manager (which lasted over 4 years). Edited November 7, 2006 by Ken Dryden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 [No. NO! Don't you know you're doing everyone a disservice by plugging for them? No, the disservice would be to not present a complete cross-section of experience with Caimen. Allowing only negative experiences with them to be presented, but not positive experiences, amounts to propaganda. You can get absolute delivery and the best prices imaginable on things like remastered British Import rock CD's from them, and people should know that, as well as knowing that they aren't going to come up with that long OOP gem which hasn't been removed from the catalog. Blame Amazon for the "float" problem (it's their policy to charge the card immediately), but if $10 sitting for a month on a credit card statement creates a fiscal crisis, you shouldn't be buying the CD in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Of all the Amazon sellers, they have been the slowest for me on a regular basis. Almost always a week or more behind other dealers. One time I ordered 2 classical sets on BMG. They hit my card for both and the delivery date kept moving and moving. After 60 days I cancelled and it took a while to get my funds back. I now use damn near anyone else if the price is anywhere near. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morganized Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 As a former retailer myself, I find it extremely dishonest for any business to charge one's credit card unless they have the merchandise in stock and ready to ship at the time of the transaction, especially Amazon or half.com sellers, who are supposed to ship promptly after confirmation. ditto This would be different if it involved a special order of merchandise not normally carried (to protect a retailer against getting stuck with merchandise if a customer suddenly had a change of mind). ditto again It's like the old ruse many chain retail stores use of offering a great price on a popular item at or below cost, yet have so little inventory that they run out long before the sale is over, or the bogus huge discounts off a ridiculously high "regular" price. It's called "bait and switch" and it is illegal in virtually every state. Regrettably, it is showing up on even the most legitimate online sites. The next Elliot Spitzer is going to have a field day with these guys one of these days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 It's like the old ruse many chain retail stores use of offering a great price on a popular item at or below cost, yet have so little inventory that they run out long before the sale is over, or the bogus huge discounts off a ridiculously high "regular" price. It's called "bait and switch" and it is illegal in virtually every state. Regrettably, it is showing up on even the most legitimate online sites. The next Elliot Spitzer is going to have a field day with these guys one of these days! Whatever Caiman may be guilty of, its nothing that can be described as 'bait and switch". Do they get you into the store or site by offering discounts on non-existent merchandise, and then try to steer you to what is in stock and they make big bucks on? No. That is the definition of bait and switch, and it has nothing to do with what Caiman does. Furthermmore, no one can accuse them of inflating a "regular" price to make their prices look extra special. Anyone can look at the Amazon page for a particular item and see an Amazon price of, say, $17, and a Caiman price of maybe $12. Even with the fixed per-item shipping cost, that is a better deal, and most importantly, there is no inflation of regular prices. The simple fact is that anyone who wants to believe that an item they know is long gone can be magically had by a retailer offering a big discount deserves the inevitable disappointment. Aside from those situations, Caiman offers excellent pricing and decent communication on the status of your order. The greatest complaint is their per-unit shipping charge and no discount on multiple orders. I figure their only way of offering the discounts that they do is to get some money back on shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 The greatest complaint is their per-unit shipping charge and no discount on multiple orders. I figure their only way of offering the discounts that they do is to get some money back on shipping. That's not what happens when you buy through Amazon UK. The album I ordered had the standard Amazon UK postage charge for a UK delivery, even though it had to come from the US. Perhaps that's the reason Caiman weren't too bothered about filling the order... MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bol Posted November 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 (edited) Whatever Caiman may be guilty of, its nothing that can be described as 'bait and switch". Do they get you into the store or site by offering discounts on non-existent merchandise, and then try to steer you to what is in stock and they make big bucks on? No. That is the definition of bait and switch, and it has nothing to do with what Caiman does. The simple fact is that anyone who wants to believe that an item they know is long gone can be magically had by a retailer offering a big discount deserves the inevitable disappointment. What you are buying is not just a particular item. It is the item plus the particular service -- including the duration of the shipping process -- that the seller is offering. Once we take that into consideration, what Caiman is doing can appropriately be labeled "bait & switch". If a seller charges you extra shipping costs for express shipping, and then sends your item by media mail, you would think that he is practicing bait and switch. What Caiman is doing is often worse than that. As for deserving to be disappointed, that is a very strange idea. I can see that if your benchmark for legitimate merchant behavior is Caiman, then you are not an optimist. But I buy out-of-print, hard-to-find items all the time from Amazon marketplace sellers -- oftentimes at very attractive prices. The bottom line is that if Caiman were as honest and transparent in its business dealings as most other sellers, then there would not be so many complaints about them. Edited November 9, 2006 by Bol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelz777 Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 (edited) It's like the old ruse many chain retail stores use of offering a great price on a popular item at or below cost, yet have so little inventory that they run out long before the sale is over, or the bogus huge discounts off a ridiculously high "regular" price. It's called "bait and switch" and it is illegal in virtually every state. Regrettably, it is showing up on even the most legitimate online sites. The next Elliot Spitzer is going to have a field day with these guys one of these days! Whatever Caiman may be guilty of, its nothing that can be described as 'bait and switch". They were totally guilty of bait and switch pricing with me. I bought a DVD box set at an excellent price and they confirmed the sale. A couple of days later, they cancelled the sale and (amazingly) refunded my money stating, "We are unable to fulfill your order." They were selling the exact same item on both Amazon and Half.com at a much higher price. I went to their storefront via Half.com and was able to purchase up to six of the box sets if I desired. Through multiple emails I provided proof that they actually were able to fulfill my order and I asked them to honor their commitment. They ignored my proof, stone-walled me and then invited me to re-place the order for the same item at the higher/inflated cost!!!! They couldn't care less about me or the crappy thing they did to me which shows an incredible lack of honesty and integrity. Lest I give the impression that I'm putting myself on a pedestal and looking down on them, I have to confess that I am such a bargain whore that I ended up ordering several items from them after brooding and feeling sorry for myself for several months. Edited November 9, 2006 by mikelz777 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 well, it's time to add me to the list of dissatisfied caiman customers. same old story - ordered a title. received confirmation of the order, then nothing. after a few weeks, they responded to my email saying that it was "backordered," and i could cancel the order if i wished. i did, and i noticed they removed the listing a few days later. a couple of weeks pass and they relist the cd. i email them, asking if they have it now. no reply. there's a seller whom i had previously tried to get this cd from, but it was out of stock. she just emailed me to let me know she has it now. i ordered it, and i'll share with you the two emails i got from her: #1 Robbo - Thank you for the vote of confidence. Just out of curiosity.. did you try ordering it from Caiman on amazon.com? They buy from me and re-sell on amazon.com... I haven't shipped them that product in weeks because I haven't had it. I was just wondering if you bought it from them and were unsuccessful. Anyway, enjoy the CD! It's very rare, as you know. I'm glad we got you a copy. #2 Rob - I hate Caiman with every bone in my body. What a sleezy, lying, disrespectful company. If it were up to me, we would not have them as a customer. I hope they rot in hell. I think that sums it up nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Maybe I've just been lucky, but so far everything I've bought from Caiman (through Amazon) has arrived as quickly and cleanly as anything ever does. On the other hand, most of what I've bought from Caiman happens to have been Lone Hill type stuff; perhaps it's like buying stolen goods from an outfit that steals from thieves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Man Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Maybe I've just been lucky, but so far everything I've bought from Caiman (through Amazon) has arrived as quickly and cleanly as anything ever does. On the other hand, most of what I've bought from Caiman happens to have been Lone Hill type stuff; perhaps it's like buying stolen goods from an outfit that steals from thieves. I'd just like to say that I've bought dozens & dozens of CDs from Caiman through Amazon.co.uk and have had virtually no problems at all. OK there have been some delays but they do respond to e-mails and on the odd occasion when there has been a problem I have managed to sort it out satisfactorily. I think we have to accept that dealing with a large 'virtual' retail organisation is not like dealing with a small on-line shop. If you want personal service and are prepared to pay for it, then this is probably the way to go. However I must say that I have had more problems with smaller retailers, particularly about postal charges and delivery times, than I have with Caiman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.A.W. Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 (edited) I've had some problems with Caiman, but they were all solved at the end of the day. It's not my favorite seller, though, on the contrary. (...) However I must say that I have had more problems with smaller retailers, particularly about postal charges and delivery times, than I have with Caiman. Postal charges are fixed when you order from Amazon sellers and they are not supposed/allowed to charge more. What happened? Delivery times are indeed a problem. Some of the sellers I've done business with didn't ship the items until days or even weeks after I had ordered them. Edited February 10, 2007 by J.A.W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 i'd rather pay $1-2 more & support the 'good guys.' Newbury Comics for example, who often have excellent prices on jazz & classical stuff & are completely legit How do you tell the good guys? I know about Newbury Comics, but don't know who else I can really trust out there. I've had much bigger problems with the mom and pops (especially on grossly misgraded used discs, but also on non-delivery of new ones) than I've ever had with Caimen or the biggies. If Caimen doesnt' deliver and I request a refund from them, they give it to me. That's not been my experience with a lot of the smaller sellers on Amazon and Half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Caiman is one of those 'drop ship' operations. they have NO STOCK per se. they get orders filled as they're taken- Not true. I have ordered from Caiman and had items ship within 24 hours. Could that be if they had "NO STOCK"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 elder don clementine gritsville departments of weights & measures Metric? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 where did it ship from? does it ALL come out of Fla? i don't know (or care) the details but the principle is exactly the same-- whether they're doing some drop ship & managing some inventory-- which i highly doubt but sure it is possible... in other words, they have a relationship w/distributors & if they in turn have it, yah, they could get it to you "lickety-split." I have ordered an enormous amount from Caiman. Everything has had the same Miami address. Some took several weeks to ship - it still came from Miami. Stick to what you think you know something about. And thanks for the heads up on the Fulson - I was recently looking at that since its got like two discs of unissued or alternate tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Wood Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 I've ordered lots of things from Caiman -- imports and domestic, rare and not so rare. Never had a problem, and quick shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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