A Heart Felt Shoutout to Alpha Shaving Company

I have to post to acknowledge Steve at Alpha Shaving Company.

Two weeks ago I ordered this Blue Brush from their Etsy Alpha Saving Co site

It was shipped immediately. Arriving at Louisville KY where US Fish and Wildlife quarantined it!!! UPS was helpful and sent a form that needed to be completed.
I forwarded this to the Etsy Alpha email site. Steve replied promptly. It quickly become apparent that attachments did not make it pass the Etsy firewall.

Steve supplied a direct email address. He then supplied the needed info. This all happened in minutes. The UPS agent was cc'ed on these exchanges

Later the UPS agent notified me that US F&W had released the brush. Unfortunately we received an auto email from UPS stating we owed $25 for the US F&W.

ML wrote directly to the agent asking for clarification. We then left our house to travel downstate, so we were out of email contact.

Steve from Alpha had been cc'ed on the last email to the UPS agent. He immediately credited our Etsy account for the US F&W fee plus a little more which I assume is the exchange rate.
This was way beyond our expectations.

I have dealt with US F&W extensively when shipping non human primate samples for analysis. Their declaration that one sample out of thousands shipped was 'suspect' always seemed arbitrary to me. Steve from Alpha said this was a first for him. I can believe it.

But I had to post to let the board know how great Alpha was throughout this. He responded quickly to each email, addressed the issue and then paid a fee that I do not think was his fault. Truly exceptional service.

I first heard of Alpha on DFS and I am glad I did.  They deserve our support.

This sounds like the type of above and beyond service that so many of the wet shaving artisans and vendors do for their customers.  So grateful for people like that.

Where is Alpha located?  I knew there was a problem with natural bristle (ie. animal products) shipping out of the US to international destinations but I didn't think it applied within the US between states.

Marko 
They are in Hong Kong.

But I have purchased badger brushes from the UK, Australia and other countries and never had an issue.

Marko 
They are in Hong Kong.

But I have purchased badger brushes from the UK, Australia and other countries and never had an issue.

Interesting.  I think there's a general up tick in the regulatory oversight in international shipping right now.  I've had product that I've been having shipped from the US to Canada for years without problems that are now being held up and charged duty on.  Its not insignificant - 25% and. nobody is helping me out.  The fine print you know.  Good on Alpha.

Many thanks Phil for the kind words.

I have been shipping brushes - horse, boar and badger to the USA for almost 4 years now and this is the first time one has been inspected. Saying that, it only needed me to tell them the type of badger and its origin for the shipment to be released. I treat all my customers the way I would like to be treated myself and Phil was no exception. Its my service. Guaranteed delivery and guaranteed happiness!!

Shave on and Merry Christmas to all of you.

BTW - 99% of the badger hair in shaving brushes comes from China.