Review Detail

 
Provident Metals
Provident Metals
Gold Dealers

Very Disappointed

Reviewed by Doug Chaney | March 14, 2015

I can't give them horrible marks in buying experience because I actually have so far (orders pending now) received everything that I ordered, My WHOLE problem with this company is that they repeatedly take WAY too long to acknowledge that my payment has been received! And then after they finally do acknowledge they have my check, then they "process" for far longer than they claim they will ...my experience is 3-4 weeks from when I mailed my check rather than the 10 days or maybe 2 weeks one might expect according to their claims. I mail a check the DAY I order unless the post office is closed and then it is ALWAYS ALWAYS the VERY next business day ALWAYS. And yet EVERY SINGLE TIME they do not acknowledge that they receive the payment for over a week! One time it was over two weeks! At first I let it slide, I am an easy going person ...but it got to me finally because it drives me nuts not knowing WHEN I am going to get my shipment! I have to keep checking back over and over again to get some idea! They are just either lazy slow as molasses or they need to hire someone else or SOMETHING! The ONLY reason I might still do business with them is if I can't get as good a deal somewhere else ..other than that they are off the bus and I am getting close to just not caring if I pay a couple more dollars somewhere else because it is THAT frustrating to deal with whoever is in charge of processing mailed in payments! OH By the way I DID pay via credit card one time ...only because the card company gave me $75 if I spent at least a thousand dollars ...so the $75 made up for the FOUR PERCENT extra Provident charges for anything but cash! (I think) Anyway that was the ONE time they showed my order "Processing" immediately...still took about a week as I recall but it was the fastest by far of all the transactions I have made with them. OH and the time they claimed my check did not arrive for two weeks? They changed to free shipping by the time they CLAIM to have received my check ...but would they refund my $10 or so shipping fee that they did not charge by then? NO! They do a lousy job at customer interface...basically they are fully more willing to call the customer a liar rather to admit the slightest possibility SOMEONE at their end is the problem! They would be so far ahead I think, from what I have experienced so far that is, to just come right out in the beginning and say "if you pay by check, you will simply have to be very patient and wait however long it takes which typically might be 3 to 4 weeks" and then not put on their web site "awaiting payment" for the customer to stew over every time he checks online for the status of his order!! Or to keep stewing over every time he sees "processing" day after day after day! Ya know? What they have now I think it a good formula to piss people off! Keeping it that way almost seems demented, like someone enjoys it or something which I know sounds paranoid and ridiculous but it DOES make me that crazy I suppose! Crazy enough to look for places like this to vent hoping I guess that somehow it might help eventually!

Customer's Experience

Did You Receive What You Ordered?
Yes
Would You Purchase From This Dealer Again?
Yes
I can't give them horrible marks in buying experience because I actually have so far (orders pending now) received everything that I ordered, My WHOLE problem with this company is that they repeatedly take WAY too long to acknowledge that my payment has been received! And then after they finally do acknowledge they have my check, then they "process" for far longer than they claim they will ...my experience is 3-4 weeks from when I mailed my check rather than the 10 days or maybe 2 weeks one might expect according to their claims. I mail a check the DAY I order unless the post office is closed and then it is ALWAYS ALWAYS the VERY next business day ALWAYS. And yet EVERY SINGLE TIME they do not acknowledge that they receive the payment for over a week! One time it was over two weeks! At first I let it slide, I am an easy going person ...but it got to me finally because it drives me nuts not knowing WHEN I am going to get my shipment! I have to keep checking back over and over again to get some idea! They are just either lazy slow as molasses or they need to hire someone else or SOMETHING! The ONLY reason I might still do business with them is if I can't get as good a deal somewhere else ..other than that they are off the bus and I am getting close to just not caring if I pay a couple more dollars somewhere else because it is THAT frustrating to deal with whoever is in charge of processing mailed in payments! OH By the way I DID pay via credit card one time ...only because the card company gave me $75 if I spent at least a thousand dollars ...so the $75 made up for the FOUR PERCENT extra Provident charges for anything but cash! (I think) Anyway that was the ONE time they showed my order "Processing" immediately...still took about a week as I recall but it was the fastest by far of all the transactions I have made with them. OH and the time they claimed my check did not arrive for two weeks? They changed to free shipping by the time they CLAIM to have received my check ...but would they refund my $10 or so shipping fee that they did not charge by then? NO! They do a lousy job at customer interface...basically they are fully more willing to call the customer a liar rather to admit the slightest possibility SOMEONE at their end is the problem! They would be so far ahead I think, from what I have experienced so far that is, to just come right out in the beginning and say "if you pay by check, you will simply have to be very patient and wait however long it takes which typically might be 3 to 4 weeks" and then not put on their web site "awaiting payment" for the customer to stew over every time he checks online for the status of his order!! Or to keep stewing over every time he sees "processing" day after day after day! Ya know? What they have now I think it a good formula to piss people off! Keeping it that way almost seems demented, like someone enjoys it or something which I know sounds paranoid and ridiculous but it DOES make me that crazy I suppose! Crazy enough to look for places like this to vent hoping I guess that somehow it might help eventually!
Overall rating 
 
1.7
Shipping Time 
 
1.0
Customer Service 
 
1.0
Buying Experience 
 
3.0
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Written by Provident Metals
April 09, 2015
We are sorry that our service did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your enthusiasm towards precious metals investing, and enjoy doing business with you. Historically, banks provided a payment verification service that allowed us to verify sufficient funds in bank accounts. This allowed us to fulfill orders much more rapidly. The banks no longer provide this service, which requires that we hold all checks for 5 business days to confirm payment. We have reviewed our records of the orders you have placed with us. For the three most recent orders, we did not receive payment for your order for 8 business days after the order was placed. We deposit checks the same day they are received, and our records show that you received an email notification that payment was received, was being processed, and that the verification process generally spans 5 business days. We are pleased to see that on each of these orders, we shipped the same day the payment was confirmed. We understand that this process can be tedious, but given the nature of our products, we are unable to ship orders until payment has been confirmed.

We also understand your confusion regarding credit card orders. The price listed for a credit card order is the price of the item; we offer a discount for all orders paid for with cash, check, or money order.

We are sorry you feel as though we have disparaged your, or any of our customers' integrity, and we wish you to know that we enter all business interactions with measured, mutual trust. Indeed, we take umbrage with the inference that we find onerous processes enjoyable. Nothing could be further from the truth. Again we appreciate your business, and look forward to serving you in the future.
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