We use cookies to give users the best content and online experience. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to allow us to use all cookies. Visit our Privacy Policy to learn more.

Manage Cookies
Resources for Businesses My BBB
Share
Business Profile

Pipes and Smokers Articles

Smoke Cartel

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Pipes and Smokers Articles.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Smoke Cartel's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Find a Location

Smoke Cartel has 4 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

    Please enter a valid location.

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 48 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 14 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

    Sort by

    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/18/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I ordered a new heavy duty bong and ash catcher from Smoke Cartel. I received the wrong type of ash catcher and have repeatedly reached out to them about fixing their mistake. They have showed zero effort, and I don't think they care for their customers. Looking at all these complaints makes me wish I never ordered from them. Would like a refund for the ash catcher, the bong is a beauty though. Hopefully they'll improve the customer service, I have a feeling they won't.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/16/2024

      [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]


      Better Business Bureau:


      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 





      Regards,



      ******* ******




       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/18/2024

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      So I’ve received *y order and it ca*e da*aged. I’ve been trying to reach the* every day since. I’ve e*ailed and texted and called and left voice*ail *essages. I could never actually speak to anyone and I’ve never gotten a response back. Very disappointing when you’re spending your *oney to receive da*aged goods and no one will reach out to you. I hate it had to co*e to this but so*ething needs to be done. It’s very frustrating and unprofessional.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/01/2024

      They e-*ailed *e back on ***** **** about *y order.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/06/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Purchased Jane West Mint Spoon on Feb, **** for ****** Order #******
      Arrived on Feb, **. I noticed it was made in China. I thought it was made in USA, so I wanted to return pipe. I tried to return online, but the return portal kept timing out. After about 30 mins of frustration, I called Smoke Cartel (SC). Voicemail. I logged on and got a live chat. On live chat they advised me to try the return portal at they said they had no problem loading the portal. I tried this for abou* ** minutes with no luck. Then for the next ** minutes the SC rep had me send photos of the pipe and packaging and assured me the return would be handled. After a week or so, I had not heard back. I logged back onto the SC site and checked the return portal and saw that it was now operational. I then initiated my return again (?). I received a return USPS shipping label the cost of which was taken out of my credit which I printed, attached to the package and dropped off at the post office. I received a confirmation from the USPS on Monday, March * that the package had been delivered. I have not received any communication from SC. I reached out via live chat and was summarily rejected again from customer service.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/01/2024

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      The company collected their money and never delivered the product.They are also impossible to contact by any means. They never respond to email or messages.I do have their email confirmation of my order.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/22/2024

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Ordered 02/08/24. received small portion of order. Large portion of order has no tracking or been received. No response after multiple attempts, email, texts, and phone calls. absolutely no customer service response. Absolutely terrible way to be treated as a customer.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 03/08/2024

      order was received. not happy with the customer service but my shipment finally arrived.  

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/14/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I received a piece that was ordered from Smoke Cartel on Wednesday 02/07/2024. As soon as it was picked up out of the box, still in the bubble wrap, you could hear little glass pieces moving around as if they were loose. After unwrapping it, the piece was broken and completely unusable. I have called 2 times, texted with pictures, and emailed with pictures with absolutely no response for the past week. I would like a refund as I cannot use the item broken.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/14/2024

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I placed an order online that I had returned. I was in clear communication with the support team about the return heading back to the warehouse.
      The package was listed delivered on 2/8/24. I sent two messages relating to my return and no response. My order number is ******* Id like the total of ***** to be returned back to my original card

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/12/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I ordered an vlab halo v2 smart e-rig for $116 on December 31st, on January 3rd **** it shipped supposedly, no shipping updates have came as of Jan 11 ****. **************** is a joke, they escalate the concern to management and then a generic email gets sent to you about how they are sorry and send the same tracking number back and say good luck practically. I want my money back this is unacceptable and seems to be very scammish

      Business Response

      Date: 01/23/2024

      Hi there,

      Thank you for your patience and understanding during the holiday season. It seems that the high volume of packages resulted in order getting delayed or lost in transit by shipping carriers.

      We have fully refunded your order as it seems the package got lost in transit. We know how frustrating this experience has been, we were having constant communication with ********** DHL and ***** during this period in efforts to resolve the up-rise in shipping issues and ensure products get safely into our lovely customers' hands.

      We're sorry that you package was not delivered, we would have hoped you would accept a replacement package to show you how amazing the Halo V2 is.

      Again, I am so sorry. I know we were not meeting our own standards for customer care or shipping at that time.
      We hope to have the chance to see you again and prove to you that this is an outlier compared to our high Smoke Cartel experience.

      We are very sad to see you go, and again, I apologize that this happened. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/12/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On 1/3/2024 I ordered something from Smoke Cartel. At that time, I was informed that I would have my order delivered by 1/5/2024.. I received a tracking fairly quickly, but that was it and no updates at all presently! No ETA still.. Only 2 emails stating that if I didn't receive the package by Friday the 12th, to inform them and MAYBE they could send me another package!... Maybe??!! Their customer service is close to non-existent!! They are very uncoordinated and unprofessional!! So much so, that I don't want to deal with them anymore, I just want a refund..Thank you for your time.Sincerely,***********************

      Business Response

      Date: 01/14/2024

      Hi there,

      We greatly appreciate your patience during the slower than normal shipping time.

      Your order was delivered on the 11th of January according to the tracking number provided.
      Here's a quick timeline of your order and our interactions, let us know if we got all your messages: (dates may be different due to time zone differences, we're in EST)

      4th of January: You placed the order at 2:32 am - you later reach out to amend a typo in the shipping address which we respond to right away.
      5th of January: Your package is sent out and a tracking number is provided. You reach out in 2 separate emails asking about your package as you expected it to be delivered today. We are unsure how that estimate was given to you as our processing time is 1-3 business days while our shipping speeds range between 2-5 business days.
      6th of January: You reach out again, in an understandably frustrated tone given that you expected to receive the package on the 5th. We start escalating your concern and reaching out with **** as the tracking does not show any updates.
      8th of January: We received a response from **** informing us that they are facing delays, and we relay that information to you.
      11th of January: Your tracking number get several updates all at once and shows the package as delivered.

      You submitted this complaint on the 12th of January, have you not received your package? Please reach out to us through any of the email threads informing us of this issue and we'll get it resolved for you right away. We have responded to all your inquiries within hours, apart from the final update that took some time communicating with **** first.

      Your package is insured, so don't worry, you're protected from any pesky delivery problems.
      We're always here to help and we aim to provide the best service to our lovely customers. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/21/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I ordered and paid for the shipping insurance. When my package didn't arrive instead of assisting me they simply issued a refund and refuse to answer the phone. Their customer service was disrespectful and made choices for my order without ever consulting me. They claim international shipping but won't stand behind the claim.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/23/2023

      Hi there,

      We appreciate you taking the time to communicate your concerns with us.

      It seems you placed an order to ****** and the package got lost in transit.
      While trying to file a claim, you encountered some technical issues. Our support team wanted to get this resolved for you as quickly as possible given how, reasonably, frustrated you were. Unfortunately, it seem that our resolution of instantly issuing you a full refund was not satisfactory for you. We receive a high volume of calls, therefore our phone support is difficult to reach. Seeing how you requested phone support we were able to schedule a callback to better understand your issue.

      At the moment, we are trying to coordinate our shipping method to ensure our ability to have a package sent to you as requested. Once we confirm our ability to fulfill our service for you, we will invite you to place a new order at a discount.

      We know that this was not the ideal experience, and we assure you that we are doing everything we can to optimize our service to guarantee a smooth experience for all customers regardless of location.
      If there's anything else we can assist you with in the meantime, please don't hesitate to reach out.
      We hope your day only gets better from here :)

    Smoke Cartel is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

    To become accredited, a business must agree to BBB Standards for Trust and pass BBB's vetting process.

    Why choose a BBB Accredited Business?

    BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

    BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

    When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

    BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

    As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.