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Author Topic: Octavia  (Read 4311 times)

AA1BQ

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Octavia
« on: February 06, 2002, 04:06:13 PM »

I tried to post this under product reviews but it was quickly removed? i guess thats just a place for good responses? anyway just want to warn other fellow hams thinking about buying from Octavia that think twice and shop around here in our own states because i ordered qsl cards from Octavia back in mid Oct and to date (feb 07) still no cards and not good excuses from them? 4 months is really too long to wait and i have decided i better buy some here in states as i doubt if i'm ever going to get them from Russia. They are real good at communication and accepting your money right up front but from there on all downhill! good luck and be careful.
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AC0X

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Octavia
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2002, 05:18:38 PM »

Octavia is slow. Painfully slow. But they DO send out product (eventually), the price is *right* and the quality is excellent.
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K4IA

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Octavia
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2002, 12:12:46 AM »

I have ordered from Octavia twice.  Valery and Olga try real hard.  They will knock themselves out to come up with a good card (no matter how bad your design - and my second one was terrible) and the quality is there.  The problem is the timing.  I think it is caused by two issues.  One, they have to send the final product out to produce some sort plate to print the cards from.  Then the time it takes to ship to the USA.  The Russsian postal service is horrible and the plate also seems to take a long time.  

I offer this as an explanation, not an excuse.  We Americans want and are used to instant gratification.  It just doesn't work that way in olde European Russia.  I really feel for Valery and Olga because I know they are doing their best and put 210% into their work.  How many Americans do that?  They are just up against a system that isn't helping.

The mystique of a card printed in Russia, a package with a lead seal covered with Russian postage stamps, raised eyebrows at my local post office, knowing I was helping support free-enterprise capitalism - it was worth the wait.  Other may differ in their opinion.
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AA1BQ

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Octavia
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2002, 09:57:56 AM »

UPDATED POSTING FOR OCTAVIA:tnx for the comments and i would like to say this Val & OLga do fine work cards finally arrived 3 days shy of 4 months from time i ordered.I have no problem with their quality of work for the price and i understand Russian postal service is slow, I just felt 4 months was too long, 3 maybe? others i read on reviews got then in 8 weeks but most 12 weeks. Communications from Octavia rated good ,Val did his best to keep me informed,product fine, but delivery very slow. postmark on package indicated cards mailed on 12 jan 02..arrived 9 feb 02, just about a month to ship but it took 3 months to make? In closing this is just info you do as you see fit when ordering outside US just thought it was good info to have 73 AA1BQ
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K4KAL

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Octavia
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2003, 12:00:47 PM »

I have posted 3 Product Reviews and all were removed by eham's manager.  They wanted items posted here instead.

I also have been waiting 4 months for QSL Cards that I have long paid for, and not QSL Cards.  Octavia has not done anything to help the situation accept tell me they were in the mail to me.  I have exchanged numerous emails with them, and recently they said they would mail me 20 cards they had as samples to me. What I want is my cards or a credit so I can buy them from someone else.  Sure the quality may be good, but this will be my last purchase from any company outside of the US.  I should have known better.
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W6ZO

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Octavia
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2004, 03:26:28 PM »

This is the complaint I just filed with them and their card processor - 2CO.com

Order Placed on 7/28
I asked about the status on 10/13 - no reponse
I asked again on 10/19:

"I will check it and will let you know.

Thanks,

Val"

Two and one-half days later - no answer - so I asked again. No response

The next day - I e-mailed:

"Certainly it doesn't take 3 + days to check - I tried your automatic responder for status and my order doesn't show up. In fact - judging by my order number and the order numbers of what it responded with - I would say it is WAY out of date. My order was placed 12 weeks ago and according to your FAQ section - it should have been received a week ago."

ON 10/25 I received this reply from Olga:


"
The cards are about to ship.
They will go in the mail in a few days.

Again, we apologize for the delay. We typically try to keep our
turnaround time within the indicated frame. Thank you for your patience."

On 11/14, I received and e-mail stating that their server had been down and on 11/21 that it was back running.

"Wonderful - but where is my order?"

No response.

I tried the "auto-responder" I received the same list today as I did when I tried it on October 21. My order does not appear on the list and the order numbers appear to be far older then my order.

Today is December 9. IT has been 19 weeks since I placed my order. The FAQ section on the website says it should take 8 - 9 weeks plus 10 - 14 days transit time. I have no patience left.

Either my cards arrive by December 17 or refund my payment.

Don
W6CZ
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W6ZO

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Octavia
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2005, 02:55:58 PM »

...and I finally gave up - after being told that:

According our records, this order has been split into the QSL cards and Eyeball ones.
QSL cards were posted on November 15th and should be already delivered
by now.
Since this order has been delayed, we printed 1000 eyeball cards
instead of ordered 500.
They are in transit since December 10th. Please allow 10-12 days for
delivery.

On Monday will be a national holiday and we will contact the post
office to trace first shipment on Tuesday or Wednesday.
We will be in touch with Don Melcher.
==================

I have contacted our post office on Tuesday, Dec. 14 to determine if there was any
problems with first shipment. I will notify you and Mr. Melcher once I receive any notification.

Regards,

Valery Kharchenko, RA6YR/1
Octavia Company
http://www.octavia.com/

Here it is a month later (Jan 13) and still nothing. No eyball cards, no QSL cards, No e-mail about what he found out from the post office, no nothing.

Thanks Vallery for wasting my time - thank goodness the paymeny processor 2checkout.com is reliable and they issued a refund.
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KJ6RA

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Octavia
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2005, 05:24:18 PM »

For well over two years now there have been numerous posts about the extremely long delays in shipping. Yet, you people CHOOSE to keep ordering cards. I would say this is a situation of buyer beware and quit your bitching! When I ordered my first photo cards, I checked the reviews and seen the horrible reviews. I went to FDS Graphics and have never regretted it. I have had several orders and have been very pleased, and I have my cards usually within 30 days! So I say to you folks that keep ordering and then complaining about slow delivery, do your homework better. This isn't something that happened overnight.
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