Vendor went dark - should I be worried?

Yeah, I've been there too. Honestly, a lot depends on their track record — if they've been a legit vendor with solid feedback before, it's probably just a backlog issue. I'd give it till the two-week mark before really worrying. Keep an eye on the forum for other users saying the same thing, because if vendor communication has been spotty for everyone, that's a pattern. Fingers crossed they come through for you — I've had vendors pull the trigger late and still deliver solid turnaround time.

Did you verify payment actually went through on your end first?

Check if others are reporting the same thing. Could be a volume issue.

Yeah, I've been in this spot before and honestly, 10 days of radio silence is still kind of a grey zone. Not ideal, but not a red flag on its own. A lot of vendors will disappear for a week or two and then come back with a generic "sorry, been swamped" or "family emergency" — and the order still lands. I've had that happen twice now. Once I waited 12 days with no reply, then got a tracking number out of nowhere. Package showed up maybe 8 days after that. So I'd say give it till the two-week mark before you start drafting a chargeback.

Based on what I've seen with similar vendors, here's how the timeline usually plays out when they go dark like this. Order placed, payment confirmed within 24 hours, then nothing. You send a polite follow-up on day 4 or 5, still nothing. By day 10 your gut starts asking questions. If they were a fast shipper you'd normally have QC pics by now. But some vendors batch their orders and only process once a week, so your order might just be sitting in a queue. I'd wait until day 14–15, then send a firmer message asking for an ETA or at least a status update.

As for stealth and packaging — if this is a vendor known for decent stealth, I wouldn't worry too much even if they're offline. The packaging is usually pre-planned, so the delay is probably on the production or shipping side, not the packaging itself. I've opened packs that had Mylar, vacuum sealing, and even a decoy item inside. But without knowing which vendor you're dealing with, I can't say if yours has those layers. That said, if they had good stealth in previous reviews, your pack is likely safe regardless of the communication gap.

Yeah, communication speed is obviously a downside. Most reputable vendors reply within 24–48 hours. Going dark for 10 days without an auto-reply or notice is a yellow flag. Some of the best vendors actually have terrible communication because they're overwhelmed with orders — the product quality makes up for it. So you might still end up with a solid ID. Personally, I'd put the value for money at like a 6 or 7 out of 10 in this scenario. If the ID is great, the silence is forgivable. If it falls apart in UV or the scan doesn't read, then the lack of communication becomes a huge issue because you can't even get a reprint.

On the pro side, the price is usually competitive for the quality, and if the pack lands it's often a solid product. Some vendors even toss in a free duplicate for the wait.

As for cons, there's the anxiety of not knowing if your order even got processed. If you needed it for a specific date, this delay could screw you. And reship policies are murky when the vendor is MIA — you might not get a replacement if the package doesn't show.

Hang in there another week. If by day 17 you've heard nothing, then start naming and shaming on the appropriate board. Good luck.

Try reaching out through a different channel if they have one.