Is TubeDepot typically reliable?

[oguinn]

I ordered a pair of 2A3s and a pair of 12AT7s from TubeDepot over a week ago. They said it shipped but USPS doesn't have any tracking updates since the date. They've been responding to emails but not offering to replace or re-send. Does anyone have experience with TubeDepot? Is it a weird situation and they're normally pretty good, or are they sketchy?

In the event they're good and just experiencing a weird situation, I'm happy to rename this thread to "TubeDepot is fine and here's a list of other good tube sources" and update accordingly.

[Doc B.]

We have shipments coming to us by USPS all the time from all sorts of sellers, and one thing that is for sure is that the quality of tracking updates is all over the map. Some items are updated several times a day as they pass thru each town on the truck. Others just disappear after the tracking number is issued and don't show up again in tracking until the package has been delivered.

[oguinn]

Yeah, for sure. Typically it doesn't take over a week for something to get from Memphis to St. Louis, though. I'm generally under the impression TubeDepot is trying to get to the bottom of it, just a little jumpy with a couple hundred bucks unaccounted for. I guess that's what I pay the credit card company to pay for.

[oguinn]

Update on this: I was in contact with TubeDepot for the past week or so. The original shipment hasn't arrived, so they were kind enough to send a second set of tubes Thursday, which arrived today. All good. Seems like a USPS snafu, which isn't surprising.