ShipRelay Fulfillment

We hired ShipRelay as AXK's 3PL after a strong reference from MARION, another maternity brand we were acquainted with and later went into partnership with. At first, things ran smoothly. Unfortunately, we began running into customer quality complaints, inbound inventory and supply shipments marked “delivered” and signed for by warehouse staff that we were later told were not received and were not reflected in inventory, and processing delays. We also struggled with communication from one of the founders, which often felt dismissive and made working through issues more difficult. When we decided to move on, it was weeks before our inventory shipped, and we were also billed for preparation and exit fees that were substantially higher than we expected based on prior rates. Despite repeated requests, we did not receive clear documentation explaining those amounts. We also were told we would be billed for onboarding charges that had not been agreed to or invoiced at the time of onboarding months previously. As founders, the entire exit process felt like a worst-case scenario and created significant stress and disruption for our business.

Serious Risk to Inventory and Brand; Proceed with Extreme Caution.

We had a deeply damaging experience working with ShipRelay as our 3PL over about 18 months. I’m sharing this so other founders can make an informed decision.

Inventory we sent to ShipRelay in clean, sellable condition was later returned to us dirty, damaged, and in many cases unsellable. Packaging was torn or destroyed, garments arrived soiled, and basic quality-control steps appeared not to be followed. These issues weren’t isolated. We documented them through customer complaints, internal test orders, and extensive photos.

When we raised concerns, we were given multiple, changing explanations for the same damage, without documentation provided at the time that clearly supported those explanations. When we decided we had no choice but to exit and retrieve our inventory, the process became extremely difficult: shipments were delayed, transfer orders were canceled and re-created without our request, and billing became confusing to reconcile, including charges for labor that we did not request, storage fees that appeared after inventory had already been moved out, and other costs that were applied without clear explanation or itemization, only general charges listed on the customer portal. We repeatedly requested clear, itemized explanations in writing and did not receive them.

We were also surprised to be presented with several thousand dollars in onboarding-related charges more than a year after onboarding, and only once we were trying to leave. These fees had never been invoiced or itemized during our time working together.

In the end, we were forced to bring fulfillment back in-house at significant cost to protect our customers and our brand. Because of delays (for which we were given shifting explanations), a large portion of our inventory was unavailable for sale through BFCM and the peak holiday season. This is something no small business can afford.

When we did finally receive the last bulk shipment of our inventory nearly two months after initiating the transfer, significant inventory was missing, and we documented substantial additional inventory damage. Packing slips we received reflected higher inventory quantities than what actually arrived.

The financial and operational impact on our business was severe. Based on our internal records, we estimate the total impact exceeded $100,000, including damaged/unsellable inventory, lost sales during peak season, emergency fulfillment transition costs, time spent correcting issues that arose while our inventory was in their care, and return inventory that we were told would not be released until additional, disputed charges were paid (this inventory has not been returned to date).

To date, we have not been able to reach a resolution or accountability with ShipRelay despite providing extensive documentation. It has been genuinely disheartening.

The good news is that once we took fulfillment back in-house, the quality issues stopped and our customer satisfaction feedback has recovered quickly.

A 3PL has enormous control over your inventory, customer experience, and cash flow. Based on our experience, ShipRelay did not operate with the level of transparency and accountability we believe is required when serious issues arise. We strongly recommend other brands proceed with extreme caution.

ShipRelay is the best partner we could ask for. Their customer service is superb. Everybody in the company, including the CEO, Mike Weber, is helpful, flexible, and responds within hours to resolve any issues we may have. Their software is easy to use, and Mike is a pleasure to work with! We have been working with them for more than a year, and when we started, they made it clear that our success was their success, Every day since, they worked hard at it, and kept their promise. When we launched, we needed a strong shipping partner to help us navigate intricate logistics and to ensure success. ShipRelay has superseded expectations, and we cannot recommend them enough. If you need a strong shipping partner to make your business successful, too, ShipRelay is the best of the best.