Vendor ghosted me for 2 weeks then delivered perfectly

Did you follow up with them about the silence afterward?

So I figured I’d share my recent experience with a vendor who went completely dark for two weeks, then out of nowhere delivered a spot-on order. This is exactly why I always give it a solid three weeks before I start worrying.

Ordering & Timeline
I placed my order on a Tuesday evening, paid via BTC as usual. Got the standard auto-confirmation within an hour with an order number. Then nothing. No updates, no tracking, no replies to my polite check-ins on day 5 and day 10. By day 12 I was honestly starting to mentally write it off as a loss. Then on day 14, a pack lands in my mailbox with zero warning. No shipping notification, no “your item has shipped” email — just the pack. Total time from order to in-hand was exactly 15 days. So that “2 weeks ghosted then delivered perfectly” title is spot-on.

Packaging & Stealth
This is where I was actually impressed despite the radio silence. The exterior was a plain bubble mailer with a return address that matched a small online hobby shop — totally believable. Inside, the IDs were nested between two stiff cardboard inserts, wrapped in a layer of black poly, then vacuum-sealed into what looked like a flattened Mylar juice pouch. No crinkling, no bulge. I didn’t even realize the IDs were in there until I cut the pouch open. For domestic shipping, this level of stealth is pretty much top-tier. No decoy items, which I actually prefer — less to go wrong if customs gets curious.

Communication
Straight up: the worst I’ve experienced from a solid vendor. I sent three messages over the two-week silence — one at day 3 asking for an ETA, one at day 7 asking if the order was even processed, and one at day 10 basically saying “hello?” Not a single reply until day 16 when I got a one-liner: “Sorry for the delay, glad it arrived safely.” That’s it. So if you’re the type who needs hand-holding or daily updates, this vendor will frustrate you. For me, I’ve learned that silence often means they’re focusing on fulfillment, not customer service. Still, not ideal.

VFM (Value for Money)
Considering the quality of the IDs relative to what I paid, I’d rate it a solid 8/10. The price was mid-range — not the cheapest out there, but not premium either. Given the stealth and the final product quality (I’ll get to that), it felt fair. But if I factor in the two-week anxiety, the value drops a point. You’re paying for the product, not for peace of mind during the wait.

Pros & Cons
On the plus side, the IDs themselves are excellent. Raised text is crisp, microprint is legible under a loupe, UV matches the state’s spec, and the laminate feels rigid and well-bonded. The overall feel is noticeably better than some other vendors I’ve tried in this price bracket. Also, the stealth packaging is among the best I’ve seen domestically — you’d have to know exactly what you’re looking for to spot it. As for the cons, the obvious one is communication — or total lack thereof. I get that some vendors operate with low overhead and don’t have a support team, but a single update at day 7 or even a copy-pasted “your order is in progress” would have saved me a lot of stress. Also, the website UI was a bit clunky — no direct order status page, I had to manually paste the order ID into a form to see anything. And the first scan didn’t update until delivery day, so tracking was basically useless.

Final Thoughts
Would I order again from this vendor? Honestly, yes — purely because the product is worth it. But I’d adjust my expectations: I’d order early, assume zero communication, and mentally prepare for a two-week blackout. That’s the trade-off. The IDs work perfectly, the stealth is there, and the price is reasonable. Just don’t expect a pen pal. Three weeks from order to worry — that’s my new rule, and it paid off this time.

Communication is the one thing I wish more vendors prioritized.

Quality over updates I guess. But both would be ideal.