The Lab Depot Inc

Let me start by saying i tried ordering some supplies online, since the closest lab supply is an hour drive. I thought by ordering online i would save some time.
Customer service is pretty bad. They charged the order within seconds. Then, we went back and forth with them for a week about not being able to ship to my address. It seems they drop-​ship everything from the manufacturers, yet don’t know their manufacturers/​wholesalers policies regarding shipping.
I had ordered from them a while back, and had a much better experience. At that time, I had ordered only some glassware. This time, I ordered some solvents. The problem seems to be with the regulatory issues surrounding chemicals, which I understand are necessary. However, they should request documentation up front instead of using google searches to verify addresses, as they apparently did with me.
Lab Depot needs to communicate better with their intended customers before orders are placed, so customers know what is required and is to be expected to expedite shipment. Until they figure out how to do so, the confusion around their paperwork needs make delivery take so long as to take the benefit out of ordering online.
To further complicate things, tracking information was not provided up front. This was especially a problem for me since we do not open until 11am, and UPS comes by around 9:30. This means if I know an order like this is coming I need to pay an employee to be at work early to accept the package. If I don’t know what day or time the packages arrive, I can’t easily have somebody there to receive the package, and could end up paying $ 100 or more to have somebody stand around waiting for a package that may or may not show up.

Questionable customer service. They acted like I was asking too much when I asked for tracking info and although they did finally send me one UPS tracking number, the difficulty in obtaining it left me a little wary of this company. When I received that shipment it was only half of the order and three of the items weren’t even correct — they were a less expensive alternative to what I’d ordered. When I called to inquire about this and the whereabouts of the rest of my shipment I was told that one item I hadn’t received was backordered (first I’d heard this — I’d been told when I placed order that I’d receive items in 5 – 7 days), and that the other was en route in another package (they never gave me this tracking info so I assumed all items would arrive in one package). In regards to the items I received that were incorrect they said that it may have been because what I’d ordered was discontinued. That’s fine, but I should’ve been notified of that so I could decide for myself how I’d proceed rather than them deciding to send me a less expensive, inferior product as a replacement, without offering a refund for the price difference, and hope that I don’t notice. Their incompetence has caused me major delays and I wouldn’t ever consider doing business with them again.
EDIT:
I upgraded them to two stars from one because they did refund the cost of the items they’d sent a less expensive replacement for.

Great website offering virtually any lab supply I can imagine. Customer service is top notch. Highly recommended web store!