Adventure pack!!!

[chimaysmommy]

Plink it's funny you mention that because I had looked at their Pak O'Bird yesterday and had emailed them asking about the best size for our Chimay. He's on the larger side (495 grams) and they did recommend the more expensive pack "custom designed" for an African Grey. They'd said that if he were a little smaller I could probably get away with the medium size pack.

 

I had also emailed Flying South yesterday asking them if my Adventure Pack has shipped. As expected they have yet to respond...whereas Celltei responded almost immediately to me, and I haven't even given them my business yet! That prompt response in itself already has me sold on their Pak O'Bird They even recommended that I visit some African Grey forums to get some consumer feedback on their product before making my decision Ha ha! I think that even if I wind up with my Adventure Pack I may just give it away or sell it to someone else and purchase the Pak O'Bird

[Plink]

Lisa,

 

Really sorry about your "adventures" with Flying South. I was a little surprised to hear about their sale as I was under the impression they had had supply problems. I hoped things had turned around and they had more stock as it seems the people who have received them like it very much.

 

Being as I'm so new to having a Grey (the baby is not even here yet!), I've found it really helps me to read about other's experiences.On at least one other forum I read some excellent feedback on Celltei so I decided to try them out for myself;) From everything I've read, customers are very happy with the overall construction and planning that has gone into the design.

 

I'm hoping to use this to take him/her out into the world more than I'd be able w/out it. They recommended a small size for me but I'm getting a TAG. I, too, had excellent response from them with email and with phone. Should it get here in time we should be able to bring our new baby home in it. :cheer: Oh my gosh - I just realized I think we are going to be parronts in less than a week now....{Communicate-0002011B}

 

Plink

[rbpittman]

So sorry to hear about the problems with the Adventure Pack! My local bird shop carries them in stock and I was looking to purchase one until Bob (owner) told me of the quality problems he has had with them. He recommended the Pack o Bird. He can't carry them in the shop, but would like to.

 

I looked at them since I will need to have something to carry Dixie and Sterling in should we have to evacuate (hurricane season you know and it's been 20 years since Hugo - I'm afraid we're due). I contacted the company and got the same response you did, very fast, recommended the right size for the birds based on their weight and head to tail lengths. Specifically mentioning that the different cage requirements for the grey and the u2 would be matched to the birds.

 

If you do have to cancel your order (and I would, if I were you) you can send another strongly worded e-mail, giving them a specific time to respond as well as the threat of the Better Business Bureau and the states Attorney General for where you live. This usually gets a quick response and both of these will act quickly on web-sites who don't deliver after accepting money and orders.

 

--

Robin (wanna be attorney)

[chimaysmommy]

Thanks for the advice! If I've predicted them correctly, I'm expecting that my next email from Flying South will tell me that my Pack hasn't shipped yet. That is when I'll ask them to cancel my order and refund my money. I don't want to send them the cancellation request until they've confirmed that my Pack hasn't shipped....don't want to give them the opportunity to tell me that it's too late to cancel b/c my package is already on its way

[chimaysmommy]

Just sent this email to Flying South:

 

Hello,

 

I would like to respectfully request that my order for the Adventure Pack and the subsequent upsell for an additional canvas + mosquito netting be cancelled, and the purchase price refunded to me.

 

This order was placed on Wednesday, August 5th 2009 and as of today's date August 18th, 2009 I have yet to even receive a tracking number for my Adventure Pack shipment. The billing was prompt for the product, however it is clear that the statement on your website of products shipping within 48 hours is not a promise or guarantee of any kind. I have been told on at least 3 occasions that my product is "packed and ready to ship" and yet I have received nothing.

 

In addition, my email requests for status are not returned in any kind of prompt manner. I absolutely understand that you must balance the needs of your business and volume, however I also have to consider and balance my own needs as your customer. Given the poor customer service that I have received from your company I no longer want to give you my business. I also find it unsettling that any phone number I have found for your company, on Google or on your website, is disconnected.

 

It is my intention to report my experience with your company to the Better Business Bureau upon confirmation of my cancelled order and refunded purchase price.

 

Respectfully,

 

 

 

Cindy Giannamore

[Medic3709]

I have to apologize for my late post, I did not read all the others between the start and mine, it is a great deal that you got and I am sorry to hear that they are not living up to their end of the bargain. I had ordered mine and then found the post about their substandard service, needless to say I was worried, I take the information I get from this site with a lot of confidence, so I was prepared for a fight to get my adventure pack, however shipping and delivery was within about a week of the purchase. I too have read good things about the pack o bird and had them as a backup in case the pack did not get here. Good luck with canceling your order and getting your pack o bird.

[Luvparrots]

I hope the problems with receiving your Adventure Pack are worked out Cindy. Personally when I have to cancel a credit card payment I contact my credit card company directly. I believe that is much faster than trying to get money back from a provider.

[Storm_2007]

cindy, same thing is happening to me. i ordered it one day after you did. got a email with a tracking number saying it was shipped! i to cannot find a phone number that scares me. i emailed them on the 17th and got a prompt response. "sorry. with the huge sale it's been hectic around here. please be patient while i'm shipping orders in the order they were placed. thanks."

 

here was my reply to which i havent received a reply yet:

I'm sorry but this is not an update. All i got from this email was that on 10 aug the item was shipped. And now i should be patient due to the huge sale. So your telling me the email was a mistake and i should expect another email from you telling me when it was shipped? I have no problems being patient and waiting because of the huge sale. Its to be expected because it was a great sale. What i cant tolerate is being told that the product shipped when indeed it hadnt been shipped or were you too busy to look it up? Has it been shipped or not? will i get another notification when it really ships? Honestly if i hadnt been told such great things about your product i wouldnt be hanging on. It unaccepable to told that it had shipped when indeed it hand not been.

 

 

Could one of the recipients of this mail please pass this email on to the president? end of message

 

if i dont hear anything in a few days i will contract my credit card company for a refund.

I cant believe they treat their customers this way! life is life and things happen but keep me in the loop!

[ranaz]

suckers...seems like its a scam or something... I hate when they do this....u guys gotta complain somewhere...

All the best and I hope you nail them and get back your money

 

{Nature-00020095}{Nature-00020095}

[chimaysmommy]

Thanks for the well wishes guys...after I sent that email I hadn't gotten a response from them (surprise surprise), but I did contact Fed Ex to see if by any chance the Pack had been shipped. To my surprise it had! However, Fed Ex has no record of the company name FlyingSouth because their packages apparantly are shipped from a local Kinkos :blink: I emailed them again letting them know that I'd be accepting the delivery but my intentions to complain to the BBB have not changed. Given that I and others have had such difficulty getting a straight answer out of these people, I really don't want to get into a "back and forth" with them over a refund.

 

Storm, my guess is that if you ordered yours the day after I did yours might be on its way too. Call 1-800-GO-FEDEX and choose the option to speak with a representative. Tell them you've been having problems with the company you've been dealing with and you have no tracking number...they'll ask your name and the shipping address to search for any packages coming your way. Not trying to recruit anyone to rise against them or anything, but if you want to complain to the BBB just simply google them and their website will take you through the process of filing a complaint.

 

I am very concerned about the quality of the product I'm about to receive...I sincerely hope that the poor customer service handed out by these people is no reflection on the product as well <br><br>Post edited by: chimaysmommy, at: 2009/08/19 13:31

[lovethatgrey]

Regarding the packobird carrier that a few of you have written about. I'm curious about whether there is a tray at the bottom to collect droppings and about how big the mesh openings really are and how much space the parrot really has to move around in. It seems to me that it might be a little crowded in there with 2 stainless steel bowls but I really don't know for sure. I've read Scotty's review but I also wonder about the above. Flying South may be crappy about customer service but the adventure pack is a very decent product and I'm wondering whether the packobird carrier really is a better carrier. If it really is.. then perhaps I'd like to purchase one for my parrots.

[chimaysmommy]

Thanks for that reassurance about the quality of the Adventure Pack...that really does make me feel a little bit better about this whole ordeal. It sounds like the Pak O'Bird is still a good product and from what feedback I did get from my emails to them about it, they have a good idea as to what size to recommend based on the size of your grey. I had kind of hoped that the medium size would suffice for Chimay because of the lower price, but they did say that the medium would definitely be too small for him. If you're considering the Pak O'Bird, I'd email them with your grey's weight and length from head to tail and they'll be able to better advise as to the space in the Pak.

[danmcq]

lovethatgrey wrote:

I'm curious about whether there is a tray at the bottom to collect droppings and about how big the mesh openings really are and how much space the parrot really has to move around in. It seems to me that it might be a little crowded in there with 2 stainless steel bowls but I really don't know for sure <snip>

and I'm wondering whether the packobird carrier really is a better carrier. If it really is.. then perhaps I'd like to purchase one for my parrots.

 

Janet,

 

There is no tray at the bottom. We place paper towels as a liner.

 

The opening in the front is plently big to get the bird in and out.

 

There is plenty of space for them to turn around, walk sideways a little to get to the bowls or view outside. You just need to order the correct size for your bird. One thought, most do not purchase this as a small play cage. I purchased it to simply transport Dayo in safety to the vets, car rides to friends or outtings. Anyout "Out Time" for play or interaction is done on the leash.

 

For those that want a roomier cage for travel and outdoor jaunts, just buy a small cage that has more room, like a 2 foot by 2 foot 2 foot cage.

 

I think both the Adventure Pack and the Packo-O-Bird are excellent products. It is simply what each individual prefers and how they are going to use it. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/08/19 15:31

[rbpittman]

I inquired about the Pack-o-bird for the purposes of carrying the fids back and forth to the vet, or in the instance that I really have to get the heck out of dodge quickly - hurricanes, etc. (Charleston, SC). For more than that - a cage would be more preferable, but for a quick evacuation I'll be carrying 3 dogs, 3 birds and kid. VW Beetle will only hold so much...lol.

 

PS (Hubby will drive the suburban)

 

--

Robin

[Storm_2007]

sounds like they are both great products and that flying south is understaff for the sales they made.and or supply issues. Either case its poor customer services.

[lovethatgrey]

Thanks Dan for the additional info. I am thinking of purchasing the Pakobird carrier too however I'm wondering if there is adequate air circulation while travelling. This is a very important factor for me.

 

Regards,

Adina:)

[ScottY]

lovethatgrey wrote:

I'm wondering if there is adequate air circulation while traveling. This is a very important factor for me.Regards,

Adina:)

 

Hi Adina, This was my initial concern as well, as I recently purchased the Pak O'Bird for my grey "Alexander" and use it nearly everyday to take him on day trip car rides, train, walking, hiking, and just about anywhere I go . That said, I found that there's plenty of adequate flow thru ventilation on all 4 sides thru the mesh as long as the outside temperature doesn't get extremely hot. When walking around with Alexander in the carrier, the outside breeze flows in and around him to keep him comfortable yet without creating a chilling draft.Both Alexander and I love this carrier because it's so convenient to take him everywhere and discover new places (beach, outside cafes, mountains, etc).

 

This said, I wouldn't recommend the Pak O'Bird if your bird's a heavy duty chewer. Luckily (so far) Alexander prefers to play and chew the toy I hang inside it, but in spite of the great lengths Pak O'Bird has put into its carrier to prevent chewing (stainless mesh, panels to hide zippers) the carrier still could become chewed up eventually, as there are admittedly a couple of spots that Alexander attempted to chew, but i subsequently applied bitter apple to that area and he's not chewed that area since. Fingers crossed. The other issue is that the carrier doesn't include a debris tray, but simply a vinyl sheet of which you need to lay paper towels over to catch the droppings & debris. Problem is that the paper towel can't lay flat because of an aluminum carrier support bar which sits across that location. I suppose you could situate it under the bar, but then the bar would become soiled with poop. a minor inconvience. In spite of these minor reservations, I highly recommend the Pak O' Bird Carrier. See my full in depth review HERE.

[Tigerlily]

i too had a nightmare with flying south i think my order took around 6 months to get to me

 

but i do like the adventure pack, we've just had our 1st holiday with it and tigerlily had the time of her life

 

[lovethatgrey]

I have often found businesses to be quickest at responding in the beginning in order to have your business. It is the after purchase experience that is not so great. I believe customer service should be seamless and easy from beginning to end as well as afterwards.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/21 15:13

[judygram]

lovethatgrey wrote:

I have often found businesses to be quickest at responding in the beginning in order to have your business. It is the after purchase experience that is not so great. I believe customer service should be seamless and easy from beginning to end as well as afterwards.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/21 15:13

 

Exactly, they want that initial sale then you are not top priority after the sale is made.

[chimaysmommy]

Well our Adventure Pack arrived FINALLY! I wasn't all to impressed with the construction, seems like a rather flimsy cage honestly and they shorted me one mosquito net. Not to mention the canvas was ripped near one of the buttons on the removable dome top. Since this isn't within reach of his beak and not really a safety issue I'm not worried. Chimay is a bit apprehensive about the new big blue "thingie" but we're letting him take his time in getting used to it. It's a bit smaller than I'd pictured and I'm none too happy with the plastic perch that came with the Pack, it's too small for his feeties. But that's easily fixed I'm really hoping that he will become happy with it and we can start taking him out on "adventures" soon!<br><br>Post edited by: chimaysmommy, at: 2009/08/21 22:11

[ScottY]

chimaysmommy wrote:

Well our Adventure Pack arrived FINALLY!

 

Chimaysmommy: I've been following this thread closely so glad to hear your pack finally arrived especially after all the hoops that 'flyin' south' put you thru. It's really a shame to hear about it's under whelming quality, workmanship, and being short changed the mosquito netting to boot. Anyway, now that you have it, I'm really looking forward to seeing pics of Chimay riding around in it.

 

btw: love the shot of 'Tigerlilly' riding in her adventure pak. B)

[lovethatgrey]

The cage itself is fine but the canvas is very cheap quality. I replaced all the snap buttons with high quality ones and had the interior lined with leather. Now my adventure pack is truly a GREAT product.

[chimaysmommy]

Ha ha! Love the modification lovethatgrey!

 

Thanks ScottY!! I really do hope he takes to it quickly so we can enjoy some of the outdoors before summer's over. My first priority is to go through my perch stash when I get home to see which will work and fit inside the Pack

[chimaysmommy]

Well we replaced the small plastic perch inside of the Pack with a grapevine perch and took Chimay out to the pond by our apartment complex this morning! He got to watch his daddy do some fishing and listen to all of the other birds outside. Here's a couple of pics of his first Adventure!