What is the deal with the Wright Bros. Commems?

[jtryka]

I ordered one of each about a month ago, and I received the gold, and the silver proof sets, but no silver dollar or half. I checked my order status, and it still says expected to ship 9/29/03, so what is the deal? Have orders been that huge that the coins are delayed? Or is this a production problem? Anyone have any info?

[Hoot]

I called the Mint (about my Wildlife medal) and asked them about the Wright brothers commems. They said that it's a matter of the production schedule. They are about a month behind on the silver dollar uncs. I've received my gold proof and unc., the silver dollar proof, the 50 cent proof and unc. These came in 3 separate orders and two were by FedEx. This is a drag because FedEx will not leave a package for me that's from the Mint (Mint's orders). So, I have to drive 22 miles to pick up my package late during my work day.

 

By the way, I just got my Eagle wildlife medal. Sure enough, it came FedEx!

 

Hoot

[gmarguli]

I called the Mint (about my Wildlife medal) and asked them about the Wright brothers commems. They said that it's a matter of the production schedule. They are about a month behind on the silver dollar uncs. I've received my gold proof and unc., the silver dollar proof, the 50 cent proof and unc. These came in 3 separate orders and two were by FedEx. This is a drag because FedEx will not leave a package for me that's from the Mint (Mint's orders). So, I have to drive 22 miles to pick up my package late during my work day.

 

By the way, I just got my Eagle wildlife medal. Sure enough, it came FedEx!

 

Hoot

 

Get a PMB (personal mail box) and FedEx can deliver packages to it. The PMB clerk will sign for it if you give them permission. The Mail Boxes Etc is owned by UPS are I believe are pretty safe with things like this.

 

 

[LanLord]

The half dollars should be shipping now (I received them last week along with the PROOD dollar and UNC eagle) and the Unc dollar shows scheduled to ship as of yesterday.

[Beijim]

I'm the same situation. I received the gold coins, although the proof version was delayed and shipped separately from the uncirculated. I placed an order for all the other types on September 26 and haven't received thing.

 

What galls me about the United States Mint is their continuing inability to address their gross incompetence in customer service. Thanks to Hoot's update, we know that the Mint consider themselves to be one month behind in their production schedule. Does this information appear in any form whatsoever on their web site? No, of course not. That would actually indicate functioning intellect and a concern for customers. Instead, they continue to leave the original projected ship date unedited. It's ludicrous, it's lazy, it's incompetent, and it's inexcusable. Oh, and it really pisses off customers like myself who purchase a lot of items in a year.

 

Sorry for ranting, but the Mint has been grossly inadequate in this area for several years now, and I've had enough.

 

Beijim

 

[jtryka]

Instead, they continue to leave the original projected ship date unedited.

 

I wholeheartedly agree Beijim, but you know, sometimes I just have to laugh. On my order status, it shows the gold shipped in September sometime, the two other Wright Bros. commems scheduled to ship on 9/29/03, and right below that, my silver proof sets, showing shipped 10/7/03!

[Beijim]

I wholeheartedly agree Beijim, but you know, sometimes I just have to laugh.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. I guess I'd rather split a bottle of wine than a cerebral capillary, when all is said and done. I discussed this "scheduled to ship on" problem with a Mint rep on the phone once. She agreed that it was ludicrous to have an order in which some items show as already shipped, while other items on the same order show that they're scheduled to ship three weeks in the past.

 

I wouldn't mind the delays so much if the Mint just got its collective head out of its buttocks, did a fast forward into the Industrial Age, and integrated some reasonable information systems into their inventory control and web commerce platforms. It isn't that difficult to send automated update emails to customers holding backorders on delayed merchandise. MEMO TO MINT: See Amazon.com for assistance.

 

Then again, why am I wasting my typing? This is the federal government we're talking about.

 

Beijim