Vendor response times this week
I’ve definitely noticed the same thing this week. My experience with these shops is usually a pretty tight turnaround time, but I had to wait a solid day and a half on a question about stealth packaging before I got a useful answer. Honestly, it's a bit frustrating when vendor communication lags like that, but it hasn't made me question their legitimacy yet. I almost pulled the trigger on an order from one of them, but I'm holding off until they answer my last question about the order process.
Honestly, I've noticed the same slowdown this week. I think a lot of these shops are just swamped, especially with the holiday rush. It does make you wonder about their order process when communication is this quiet. The customer service responsiveness usually bounces back though—I've had vendors go silent for a day, then get a reply with tracking and a turnaround time. As long as they've got a reputation as a legit vendor and actually ship, I'm not too annoyed yet. I'll give them until tomorrow before I bug them again.
Yeah, I feel you on the quiet inbox this week. I reached out to both SignalPrints and NWIdShop around the same time earlier this week, and the read receipts hit within the first hour on both, so I know they saw the message. But it's been over 18 hours now with no word from either of them, which is a bit unusual—earlier this month I was getting replies in like 4–6 hours, typically.
Just to give you some context from my past orders: I've placed orders with both before. With SignalPrints, from initial contact to payment confirmation was usually under 12 hours, and they'd ship within 2–3 business days. NWIdShop was similar, maybe a day or two slower on the turnaround but still consistent. This time around, I'm just at the inquiry stage—asking about stock availability and turnaround times for a specific state ID I need—so I haven't even gotten far enough to talk about packaging or stealth yet. But from previous orders, I can give some background. SignalPrints packs in a priority flat rate box with a decoy inside (usually a cheap piece of clothing or a small book), and the label's always sent to a clean return address matching your region. NWIdShop uses a bubble mailer with the card sandwiched between cardboard and wrapped in foil as standard—pretty effective against casual shaking. Both have been solid on that front.
Communication speed is the main thing bugging me right now. I noticed earlier this month both vendors were replying within a few hours, even on weekends. This week, it's like they dropped off the map. I'm guessing they're clearing a backlog from the holiday run—early December is always busy with people wanting things before Christmas. Or maybe they're traveling, like you said. I've seen posts in other forums mentioning NWIdShop sometimes goes dark for 24–48 hours when the owner's at the post office or doing batch runs. Not as sure about SignalPrints, but their socials have been quiet too.
Value for money-wise, I'd give both an 8/10 based on past orders. SignalPrints charges a bit more but the microprint and color matching are really good. NWIdShop is more budget-friendly and the UV holds up well under light testing, though the lamination can peel if you're rough with it. But right now, the slow response is a downside for both—I'm holding off on sending payment until I get a reply with updated timelines. On the plus side, at least they're not ignoring the messages entirely—read receipts show they're active—so they'll likely get back when they have bandwidth. On the downside, the 18+ hour silence makes me wonder if they're overwhelmed or dealing with something personal. Either way, I'm giving it another 12 hours before I follow up again.