PerformaVending Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 A few days ago I saw that my 2" YoYo's and 27mm BB's were getting kinda low. I figure I'm going to get hosed on BB shipping no matter what I do, so I may as well order a whole bunch at once- so who better to call than A&A I thought. I really don't shop with them much- the only product I run from them on a regular basis is their YoYo mix (List: YOYOC), and at a dollar they usually last a while. My last order was well over a year ago now. However they have a lot of good stuff, and I figured if they had a sales rep who wanted to sell me up on some stuff I just might let them. A little more variety never hurt I figured. So, I called in today, and after getting disconnected once, I finally got to a person. I explained who I was, and she said she would send me over to a sales representative. So, I got ferried over there, and was told by a robot every 30 seconds or so that "You are number two in line! Please hold!" So, hold I did, for about ten minutes. When I finally got to the front of the line, the phone rings. And rings. And rings some more. Finally, it sends me to voice-mail to leave a message. Discouraged, I hung up. So, I called S&B (HERE for those who don't know about them), and after less than five minutes on the phone had a several thousand BB's on their way to me. I was in a shopping mood, but S&B doesn't have a real big catalog of bulk stuff, so in the end they managed to save me hundreds of dollars I didn't wind up spending at A&A today. I don't hate A&A or anything like that, but if I'm buying from you, I expect to be able to actually buy from you. I'm more than happy to give A&A another chance sometime though... whenever I feel my stock is getting low again in about a years time I suppose... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmms250713 Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 aa will NEVER get anymore business from me besides coin mechs or parts for them! after two weeks i finally herd back from my sales rep chris who went on a trip or something and never bothered to mention to me, or tell me two things i ordered were OOS so the order never went thru and I actually lost a location because of the over two week now wait. edit for to add I even msg OTHER sales reps because he wasnt getting back to me and never herd from two of them, and only herd from the other one once and she never actually solved my problem or got back to my email which i replied to within minutes of her sending it to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerformaVending Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 aa will NEVER get anymore business from me besides coin mechs or parts for them! after two weeks i finally herd back from my sales rep chris who went on a trip or something and never bothered to mention to me, or tell me two things i ordered were OOS so the order never went thru and I actually lost a location because of the over two week now wait. edit for to add I even msg OTHER sales reps because he wasnt getting back to me and never herd from two of them, and only herd from the other one once and she never actually solved my problem or got back to my email which i replied to within minutes of her sending it to me. I've actually had similar experiences to be honest with you. Granted, the guy who was the worst offender (in my opinion at least) was booted from the A&A ranks some time ago, so I haven't had nearly the trouble I used to have since he left. They have (or had, to my understanding) a policy that prevents sales reps from "stealing" other reps clients- or that's how it used to be, I'm not sure anymore. I remember calling in while my rep was on vacation, and I got another rep who basically said she couldn't help me- she could for any of her clients, but that she couldn't assist this guys' customers, which meant me. Believe me, this is not the first, nor the last time A&A has lost business from me. It's kinda sad if you think about it- A&A is the biggest vending supplier here in terms of stock, size, and employees (the only one with offices on both coasts that I'm aware of), but they are routinely outmaneuvered by operations a fraction of their size. I don't know, it just seems really sad that they're losing out on business on account of disorganization, laziness, or some mixture of the two. I hope they can recover, and rebuild their image, but they are going nowhere fast at this rate- I know you and I aren't the only vendors who don't or won't use them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmkraz Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I've only ordered from aa about 5 times but all 5 went well. Sales rep Derek did a fine job, steered me towards products that sell well (and they did) calls me right back, and always ships that day or the next. And I'm small potatoes. Prices are a bit higher than I prefer, but no complaints otherwise. I might feel the same as Performa and others if I had their experiences, but I haven't so I don't... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerformaVending Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 I've only ordered from aa about 5 times but all 5 went well. Sales rep Derek did a fine job, steered me towards products that sell well (and they did) calls me right back, and always ships that day or the next. And I'm small potatoes. Prices are a bit higher than I prefer, but no complaints otherwise. I might feel the same as Performa and others if I had their experiences, but I haven't so I don't... I've actually spoken with Derek in the past- he's one of their best without a doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 A few days ago I saw that my 2" YoYo's and 27mm BB's were getting kinda low. I figure I'm going to get hosed on BB shipping no matter what I do, so I may as well order a whole bunch at once- so who better to call than A&A I thought. I really don't shop with them much- the only product I run from them on a regular basis is their YoYo mix (List: YOYOC), and at a dollar they usually last a while. My last order was well over a year ago now. However they have a lot of good stuff, and I figured if they had a sales rep who wanted to sell me up on some stuff I just might let them. A little more variety never hurt I figured. So, I called in today, and after getting disconnected once, I finally got to a person. I explained who I was, and she said she would send me over to a sales representative. So, I got ferried over there, and was told by a robot every 30 seconds or so that "You are number two in line! Please hold!" So, hold I did, for about ten minutes. When I finally got to the front of the line, the phone rings. And rings. And rings some more. Finally, it sends me to voice-mail to leave a message. Discouraged, I hung up. So, I called S&B (HERE for those who don't know about them), and after less than five minutes on the phone had a several thousand BB's on their way to me. I was in a shopping mood, but S&B doesn't have a real big catalog of bulk stuff, so in the end they managed to save me hundreds of dollars I didn't wind up spending at A&A today. I don't hate A&A or anything like that, but if I'm buying from you, I expect to be able to actually buy from you. I'm more than happy to give A&A another chance sometime though... whenever I feel my stock is getting low again in about a years time I suppose... Last BB I got from s&b had tons of white powder crap all over them. Made a big mess of the machines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BouncyBalls Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 The bb I received from SB the only time I ordered from them were absolutely ugly and cheap looking. All of them had the swirl design with light pastel colors. Hope they have improved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerformaVending Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 Never had a problem with them myself- got a bunch of "brown" ones in the mix once, but that's about the worst I've ever had. I'll post pics when they arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanihotdog Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 if it gets cold enough, the lubricant on the balls will freeze and leave behind a white ill cake it is very gnarly, and will cake up the inside of your machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I have been buying from AA for 20 years and over that time there have been a few issues but never as to extent as some of you. Seeing how many times I order a year and the thousands of orders they process something is bound to happen. But they have always made it right. I have said this before you must build a relationship with your rep esp at AA. If you do many of these issues go away. Take for example when I order My rep has a good idea of what I want and keeps me clear of the not so hot items. AA is a open company every executive has their email and extension right on the site. If your having major issues email them to let them know I'm sure their goal is to fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanihotdog Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I agree that mistakes will happen, but how a company responds is what's important to me. take for instance an amusement supplier named Fiesta toy.last year a 53 foot trailer load full of product showed up at my warehouse with 20 pallets instead of 26. my 6 pallets of Hello Kitty ($15000 worth of product).. did not make it on the trailer. my rep apologize for the mistake, and took ownership even though he wasn't responsible. he offered to ship all 6 pallets on his own dime. it would have been about 2000 dollars out of his pocket. I am very understanding, fair, & I am a nice guy. I was upset, but his response more than made up for the blunder. my problem with aa has nothing to do with my sales rep, he is a great guy. he even goes out to the warehouse himself to check on items for me. he levels with me, and tells me if or when something will ship out.. I'm not going to get into details, but what ha vending suggested as a solution, has been my problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanihotdog Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I just got a Memorial Day email from AAA global. seems like they are aware of their issues, and working to fix them. The email said that any orders placed will receive a confirmation email on Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodney69 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I hear a lot of "email them", I personally don't just email. We've become to impersonal imo. I know some said they called, but for me, if I don't have my stuff when I'm supposed to, I don't stop with my sales rep, I call the manager, but then again, I don't have any of the issues that everyone is having either. When I do though, I call. If that doesn't work, I find out how the manager is going to fix it for me (politely), if they don't, then I call for their manager. Most of the time I buy everything from TNT, no issues. BB's have gone up in quality to, way better than some others. I like a good mix, like AA's old fancy mix. Most have quit doing that though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrCorey Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 that's mold release from production. they are suppost to remove that before packaging Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I hear a lot of "email them", I personally don't just email. We've become to impersonal imo. I know some said they called, but for me, if I don't have my stuff when I'm supposed to, I don't stop with my sales rep, I call the manager, but then again, I don't have any of the issues that everyone is having either. When I do though, I call. If that doesn't work, I find out how the manager is going to fix it for me (politely), if they don't, then I call for their manager. Most of the time I buy everything from TNT, no issues. BB's have gone up in quality to, way better than some others. I like a good mix, like AA's old fancy mix. Most have quit doing that though. Play time has bout the best 47 mm mix I have seen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 They have (or had, to my understanding) a policy that prevents sales reps from "stealing" other reps clients- or that's how it used to be, I'm not sure anymore. I remember calling in while my rep was on vacation, and I got another rep who basically said she couldn't help me- she could for any of her clients, but that she couldn't assist this guys' customers Believe me, this is not the first, nor the last time A&A has lost business from me. It's kinda sad if you think about it- A&A is the biggest vending supplier here in terms of stock, size, and employees (the only one with offices on both coasts that I'm aware of), but they are routinely outmaneuvered by operations a fraction of their size. In response to your top comment, if ever there was such a policy at A&A, it is no longer. Been helped by other sales reps on more than one occasion when my assigned rep was not available. My assigned sales rep explained long ago that the assigned sales rep gets credit for the sale no matter WHO the rep was that took the order. And so sales reps cover each others back whenever one is out of pocket...since the favor will eventually be returned. Maybe the issue you had was more about a crappy sales rep than bad company policy. As far as your second point quoted...The practice of a smaller company outmaneuvering a larger company is just the way of the business world. Your comment applies to almost any service industry. I'm sure many of us on this forum have outmaneuvered bigger vending companies on a regular basis by being able to provide locations better service. I know I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerformaVending Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 As requested, here's what the S& B Mix looks like: No question where S&B is sourcing them from. Quality is exactly what I expected. I ordered on the 20th, it arrived on the 22nd. Total cost was just under $150 for 3456 27mm BB's delivered, which will keep me in BB's for the rest of the year unless I get really lucky. I did raise my "concerns" to A&A, but have yet to hear back from them. As I said before, I don't dislike them or anything, but if they're not available to work with me, I won't be waiting for them. I hope they can rebound in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodney69 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I'll take a pic of TNT's next time I order, which will be soon. Their mix has been great lately! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Cities Vending Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I've been ordering my bb from Rhode Island withe my plush. That's the same be I get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toad Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Cardnial and vsi for me. I had a billing dispute with A&A over just a few hundred dollars difference. One item of disagreement was a flat item price. They gave me a flat item with just 270 in a box, 10% less than the 300 normal quanity, i didnt know that and my rep didnt tell me. I felt they owed me 10% off that item. They refused to budge and so did I. I emailed both the kovens, my rep, everybody. They actually ended up taking legal action! After 15/20 years buying from them. I had to get a lawyer, pay it off in full before court, plus leagal fees and no discount and it was filled as a collection against my credit. Cost me thousands. Then i tried to by a house, i had over 2/3 of the cost of the house as a down payment and they wanted a much higher loan rate and ended up denying my loan! I had to come up with all of it cash. What ever happened to the customer is alway right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerformaVending Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 Cardnial and vsi for me. I had a billing dispute with A&A over just a few hundred dollars difference. One item of disagreement was a flat item price. They gave me a flat item with just 270 in a box, 10% less than the 300 normal quanity, i didnt know that and my rep didnt tell me. I felt they owed me 10% off that item. They refused to budge and so did I. I emailed both the kovens, my rep, everybody. They actually ended up taking legal action! After 15/20 years buying from them. I had to get a lawyer, pay it off in full before court, plus leagal fees and no discount and it was filled as a collection against my credit. Cost me thousands. Then i tried to by a house, i had over 2/3 of the cost of the house as a down payment and they wanted a much higher loan rate and ended up denying my loan! I had to come up with all of it cash. What ever happened to the customer is alway right? WOAH, that's terrible sir! Disgusting to think what these guys have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayouvending Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I haven't had any issues with AA that haven't been fixed. The only thing I find is that their shipping is high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I haven't had any issues with AA that haven't been fixed. The only thing I find is that their shipping is high. Shipping times and cost relative to distance weight packaging. I have heard people say AA shipping cost are high but they are really just Relative to the conditions. I have spot checked AA before. Contacted a buddy at ups gave them tracking and he checked actual cost to AA. It was spot on near the penny. I also ordered similar weight at Cardinal it runs close. Best way to off set freight cost is a pallet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrCorey Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 have to be carefull who handles your balls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BouncyBalls Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Performa, that is a nice mix!!!! I will be ordering my next batch from SB. Price is good too!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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