Hey everyone, have you been contacted by Vala Supply for any of your recent orders or past groupbuys? I am part of the Kitsune GMK groupbuy back in March 2023 and per site, that fulfillment was for November 2024, however, there has been zero updates on this groupbuy set. I’ve emailed Vala Supply for updates but no responses. They also have not provided any new updates for over a month on other kits/orders. At this point, I will still try to start a chargeback with my credit card company even though the window for the chargeback is way long gone.
We had a group order a few weeks back, but also back then suspected they may be going exit with our money. As our order got through, I was thinking we were suspecting wrong. Seems not like it though…
Just checked, the order was in August. So at least since then, they were still shipping. Was a bit sus as they had 50% on their whole inventory.
I was holding out hope that they’d turn things around, because I didn’t want to see another big vendor go under. And they seemed to still be (slowly) shipping through the summer, while their outstanding group buy queue was shrinking.
But yeah, the constant flash sales were sus. MKUltra did the same thing before exit scamming.
I feel a bit bad because I was thinking about relating my Vala Supply experience back in July, but didn’t want to completely dismiss them publicly.
As for charge backs, I think there is a reasonable procedure to follow, and if the vendor doesn’t reply, wants to reneg, or blows a lot of smoke and mirrors policy nonsense, then nobody should hesitate about requesting a charge back.
So I reached out to my cc about my chargeback and they cannot proceed with my request due to the fact I paid for this GB back in 2023. Well now I really hate Vala Supply. Took money from us and not deliver… What a scumbag.
I’m sorry to hear that. My risk-reward assessment precludes me from entering a group buy. I don’t think many people really understand the risk. A group buy is not like purchasing from a known vendor even when a known vendor fronts the item. Before the product reaches the vendors, there are designers, manufacturers, and logistic suppliers. Many people who enter a group buy have no idea about these players’ track records, financial situations, or commitments. And for certain these players use the group buy approach because one or all of them have cash flow problems to begin with. Even a known vendor, like Vala Supply, which seems to have over-extended itself, is no sure thing. More players means more possible points of failure, especially in the case of Group Buys where unique pieces are being developed and sold in untested waters on thin financial ice. I think anyone who enters a Group Buy should ask themselves if they are prepared to lose their money, and if not, don’t do it.
One more point that should raise the red flags are some of the refund and return policies, which I don’t think many people read or if they do, they think, I won’t need this. These policies often say no refunds after 6 months (which is the end of your opportunity to get a charge back from your credit card). So you’re screwed if it takes longer than 6 months and they don’t deliver. And before 6 months they often demand a percentage from people who want refunds even for products not supplied long after due dates. Such policies, in my mind, demonstrate a very hard edged approach that is completely unconcerned about establishing long term relationships with enthusiastic customers.
With so many good products that are in-stock or at worst pre-order, there is simply no product that attractive to me to take the risk. And I can’t justify waiting more that 6 months, which is the end of my patience, and the end of the charge back window for most credit cards.
There has been a sign of something happening on one my orders as of this morning. Not really a good sign but it’s the first change I’ve seen in a long time.
I had an order for several things including HSA Toxic back in October. It’s been showing as “fulfilled” since Nov 5 because there was a shipping label created (although tracking says USPS awaiting item)
But today my order shows as “unfulfilled”
So either the shipping label expired and Shopify automatically updated the status or someone at Vala is looking through orders.
Just checked and mine’s now “unfufilled,” too. I checked the old tracking number and it now shows a new date for today. Also, my bank has credited me back the funds but the dispute is still under investigation (presumably waiting some kind of reply from the Vala).
A paranoid part of me wonders if this is CYA behavior to try to hold on to the money, but that’s not likely given it also happened to you, @pixelpusher.
