BUYER BEWARE. Company has multiple unreasonable policies.
I was quite intrigued by the product selection at Ramble and Roam, and I ordered a birthday gift from them. The gift arrived very late but was well packed and was exactly as pictured.
However, the experience of dealing with Ramble and Roam was highly unsatisfactory and was not at all what I expected from a company so obviously committed to quality.
My dissatisfaction began with the checkout experience. I was only given one option for shipping, and I found it to be quite expensive. I have copied the single option from my receipt and pasted it below.
US Flat Rate Shipping $15.00
I purchased a very small item (about the size of fist), so this rate is much higher than I pay elsewhere.
Then, I created a problem and Ramble and Roam was unwilling to assist in any way. I learned a lot of things that I wish I had known before ordering. All of the interactions with Ramble and Roam were cordial and professional, but I found their policies extremely unreasonable.
The problem occurred because I paid with Apple Pay and I didn't notice that for some reason, it suddenly picked up an old address (which luckily is only a mile from where I currently live). I contacted Ramble and Roam who said that they could do nothing and that the vendor (who was in China) could maybe do something if the package was returned, but this was unlikely. This is the first time I learned that Ramble and Roam wasn't maintaining its own inventory of products or accepting any responsibility for products but was simply acting as a pass through for a Chinese vendor. Given this, I felt that the use of US Flat Shipping Rate was quite deceptive.
If I had known that Ramble and Roam was just a pass through for a Chinese vendor (at least for this item) and really took no responsibliity at all for the transaction after it was made, I would never have made the purchase. I would have considered this far too risky.
Also, there was no disclosure up front that the delivery time would be extremely long because the item was originating in China. My experience with other companies is that they attempt to provide a reasonable delivery window. Ramble and Roam did not provide a delivery window and was not transparent about the long shipping time so the item (which I was able to intercept) arrived way too late.
I then said that I thought I could intercept the package but, due to timing issues, I wanted to reorder the item and then, if I intercepted the original package, I could send it back. If I couldn't intercept it, I would just accept the consequences of not noticing the incorrect address in Apple Pay.
This is when I learned about Ramble and Roam's incredibly restrictive return policy. They indicated that they would not accept the original package back because they only took returns if the item was incorrect or damaged. So, buyer beware, if you purchase something and you don't like it, you will be stuck with it.
Despite the fact that I communicated clearly and in writing that I did not want to place the second order, Ramble and Roam charged my credit card for the order. They never sent anything to me (as we agreed), but they charged my credit card an even higher price than the original item and did not tell me. To charge my card, not tell me it had been done, not send anything, and charge a price we had not agreed on are all violations of multiple consumer protection statues. I discovered the charge on a credit card bill, and they did refund me when I asked about it.
So I did not place a second order, and I was able to intercept the original package (which came in the flimsiest box imaginable but with lots of bubble wrap around the box). So, the moment has passed when I wanted to give the gift. I can't returned an item I have never opened or touched, and I will just have to hope I can find someone else who wants it.
If these policies are acceptable to you, then go ahead and order from Ramble and Roam. But, if, like me, you find these policies unacceptable and bordering on deceptive, then stay away.
Roam and Ramble needs to much clearer about the fact that they are only a pass through, that they will charge your card without shipping anything, that the delivery times will be long, and that you can't return anything except if it's incorrect or broken.








