Caution: Cast Your Anchor Business

[Thistle17]

I do not know if any of you folk have attempted to do business with this company. I recently tried and am now suspicious, at best, about this operation. I placed an order recently after being vectored to their web site. I placed a small order and paid through Pay Pal. I did receive an invoice but I suspect it was computer generated. There was no indication that parts were out of stock. The invoice only said "Shipment Pending". I tried e-mail contact and received no reply. I then went to a Google Search and discovered that "Business is Permanently Closed". Several Google reviews mirrored my complaint. If one goes to the web site directly it is still active. I now have Pay Pal interceding.

 

If this is a valid business it certainly doesn't know how to treat customers! Either that or I am spoiled by the reputable businesses I deal with state side!

 

 

[ccoyle]

Using the search feature here at MSW I obtained 31 results on the phrase "cast your anchor". Seems they have a hit-or-miss sort of track record and respond best to phone calls rather than email.

[Haliburton]

I had a bad experience a couple of years ago. I tired calling, emailing about my order repeatedly over many days with no response. I ended up calling my credit card company to tell them I was going to dispute the charge. After I emailed cast your anchor with that news they credited back my account.   Scott

[BillLib]

I've never had an issue with them.  I've placed 4 orders in the last 3 years and they've always come through.  When I did have an inquiry about my order, my email was answered.  Mind you, my last order was in February of 2017.  If something has happened with the business since then I wouldn't know.  I've been a happy customer of theirs to this point.  And their close by to me as well.  Keeps the shipping cost reasonable.

 

Bill

[Thistle17]

To my surprise and dismay the order I placed showed up in our post today. The surprise I never heard from them after 2 e-mail attempts. The order status was never updated after the order acknowledgement. What showed up was 2 of the 6 identical items assembled and the other 4 needing assembly. The web site catalog was quite vague about "assembly required". In total the order took 14 days from Canada to my home just across the border. I will make this my last purchase from this company.

Joe

[Thistle17]

Oops I just received an e-mail and they apologized for the delay and the lack of answers. They stated they were having computer problems at their site. Also they have refunded my payment through Pay Pal. In this case I have to cut them some slack. Hmmmmm!

Joe

[druxey]

Cross-border mail can be notoriously slow at times, I've found. It's probably the Canadian and U.S. postal systems, not the vendor.

[trippwj]

Indeed, as a border resident and having some personal knowledge of the postal system (i.e., I work for the USPS), there can be a lengthy delay, particularly with the Canadian postal service (amazing how many Canadian residents will rent a US Post Office Box because it is quicker and cheaper than delivery across the border - even with the drive and customs each way).

 

Also, though not likely a major issue, is the customs clearance inbound (not generally a big delay unless the value, size or description raises a red flag).

 

Keep in mind that mail doesn't move office to office, but rather post office to processing plant to international departure plant to international arrival plant to processing plant (maybe more than one) to destination post office. 

Edited April 21, 2018 by trippwj

[kurtvd19]

We have some Canadian members who report that their Journals take up to 90 days to arrive.  They start to look for their Journal when the see the next issue posted to the NRG web site.

 

The Journals are sent to a consolidator in NY who ships them across the boarder and they are then put in the Canadian mail system.  This is the way all non USA periodic Journal mailings are done.  Some members in Australia routinely report less than 30 days from our shipping to NY until they get them down under.  I get a confirmation (and the bill) from the NY consolidator when they are shipped out so the delay isn't at that end.  Canada is by far the worst when it comes to delivery times.  About 1/2 of our Canadian members pay for first class mailing to avoid the delay.

Kurt

[Thistle17]

Thank you all for your information. I just didn't understand the transition time. And as I said Cast Your Anchor came through beyond my expectations. I withdraw negative comments.

Joe

[David Lester]

I don't believe Cast Your Anchor deserves to have any slack cut for them. I placed an order with them a few weeks ago for about $70 cdn. They charged my visa instantly, yet the order has never arrived. I only live 70 miles from their location in Toronto and I would have expected it to arrive long before now. There is no current mail strike and no cross border/customs issues. They do not respond to emails and they do not answer their phone. In fact their voice mailbox is full, so it's impossible to leave a message. It's impossible to be in contact with them.

 

This morning I googled "complaints about Cast Your Anchor" and a very long list of hits came up, mostly in various consumer forums. If the comments I'm reading are correct, then they have not been a legitimate business for some time - they leave their website in place, accept orders, make the visa charge instantly and then do nothing. I don't know if that is exactly the case or not, but my experience certainly leads me to believe that it might be.

 

I contacted visa this morning and have set the wheels in motion to have my charge reversed.

 

Even if they are still a legitimate company, I would advise everyone to avoid them like the plague. It isn't worth the aggravation. We have so many good suppliers to deal with, there is just no need to get involved with this outfit.

 

David

 

[Thistle17]

I stand corrected then. Can,t stay in business with that reputation. They are unreliable at the least and fraudulent at the worst. I will never use them again.

Joe