Emergency Essentials

I've purchased from Beprepared for years. Unfortunately the first time I have an issue with their long term food is when I found out they don't really stand behind their products.

I was sorting through my pantry where my 25 year #10 can foods are stored and noticed one bulging to the point that I thought it would explode if I touched it. Concerned there were more, I started to inspect every can. I found a total of 8 cans that were bulging to one degree or another. They were 3-4 years old so obviously not close to the stated 25years. When I contacted them they were quick and courteous but in the end I was offered less than half of what I paid for them in the form of a gift card.

When I stated my disappointment they said "Sorry" but that was all they could do because they don't carry those anymore. From the looks of their website, they don't carry much of anything now. Might be because of their customer service!

I have no idea why the bad ratings, I have have nothing but 100% efficiency and satisfaction from this company. The products are terrific, customer service has answered every question in a polite and professional manner. Helped me make wiser decisions... I had my order within 2 weeks, which is remarkable for my neck of the woods. I really cannot think of one negative.
Thanks you all keep up the fantastic work, I appreciate everything you do.

Bought a few items during COVID pandemic, said it would ship when available. Took my money and sent nothing. I questioned them about the order being fulfilled, response "we do have a policy of 90 days, you would have to dispute it from your financial institution. We do understand the frustration that this has caused." So basically they will take your money, not ship your product and after 90 days will do absolutely nothing about it! I was even fine with receiving store credit for my purchase. Again response was after 90 days they will do nothing for you.

I have been ordering from this company for a few years now. I love their products and prices, however in the last year or so the customer service has hit bottom. Our last order was placed on 4/4/16 and was in a hold. We tried contacting company through email on 4 different dates and never got any response. We called several times and after 3rd call we were told that the item was back ordered. Ok, something they could have communicated in a 30 second email?
On 5/25/16 our credit card was suddenly charged for the item, but when we looked for an email telling us that the item had shipped, Nothing. Our order still posted as on hold.
Then low and behold on 5/31/16; 56 days after placing this order, it shows up on my doorstep.
This company is going through some serious issues that need to be address quickly or they will be left behind. There are several companies that sell the same type of items, that have excellent customer service and more.
We will not be ordering from Be Prepared again, until we see that all of their issues have been resolved.

It seems to be a company run by very nice, caring christian people but is having some issues adapting to the overwhelming demand for their products due to the increasing instability of our national government. They need to work on scaling to meet demand. This may mean a software infrastructure upgrade as I was told by both Scotty and Byron that their order software does not integrate well with the website. I think this company has a great future if it can adapt to market conditions and demand. Failing that hurdle could leave this company in the dust.

I purchased 2 of the gluten free buckets as Christmas gifts for my sons who have severe Celiac disease. Thankfully, one of my sons read the labels on the individuals packages, because the only item that is gluten free is the Tang. Every other food product is packaged in a facility that processes wheat. Buyer beware- if you have Celiac disease, this product is NOT gluten free. They are also refusing to refund my money because the window for returns has closed.

Have ordered several times but the last two have been strangely and extremely delayed with no communication from the company. One time I called to see about the delay and I was told they were backordered but I had to call them to get that information. One time I ordered during their sale of buy $500 and get a $100 gift card but after a couple of weeks the charge had not posted to my account and no email saying it had shipped so I emailed them once a week for 3 weeks and after that I got what appeared to be a computer generated message, because it did not answer my questions, in answer to the first email. I asked that if they could not give a projected ship date to please cancel my order but no response. I tried calling several times but got a message that said the voicemail box was full. I talked to my bank about it and they stopped payment... about a month later they called saying my payment was refused and they were ready to ship... seriously! Do they not read their emails? I recently tried ordering again figuring that the sale may have been more than they could handle, a smaller order this time, and its been a week but the payment has still not posted and again no email saying it has shipped or was delayed. I order online often and this is the worst I have ever come across. Usually if there is going to be a delay the company states as much prior to ordering or informs you by email once they know.

They saved me from a scam water filter out of the uk and He even gave me his cell phone number and said to call him anytime with questions or concerns most helpful company. I've dealt with in a long time.

Placed my order almost five, yes 5 months ago. I purposely ordered they said were "in stock and ready to ship" Have NOT received anything to date. I have been trying to get my money back from these clowns, but they have seem to fallen of of the earth. I wouldn't even give them one star, wish there was a negative (-) star format!

I ordered 5 items and used a promo code for a free MH 72 hr supply. I only got 4 items and had to research my order online to find out 1 item was back ordered. When I contacted them concerning my promo item, I get the run around on why I did not get it.

I value my time, I try to preserve my health, I walk the path of modernity, but on occasion I use essential products in unforeseen circumstances. It is in this online store for the first time and
Last used the purchase of this product of several types. The price is optimal, the quality is mediocre. Here is a proper level of service.

I ordered six cases of blackberries which tasted like burnt chemicals. I contacted the company SIX times before receiving response. They told me to return the cans at my expense, then proceeded to give me a faulty address. The cans were returned as undeliverable and two more attempts to contact customer service have been ignored. Now I am out the $120 purchase price plus s/h plus $17.72 return shipping. I'm not sure this company is legitimate. I cannot recommend. Poor quality, inedible food and worse customer service.

I'm not sure why people have had the experiences they've had in their orders and in dealing with customer service. While I do order from several companies, the bulk of my purchases have been from Be Prepared. I love them! Over the years I've ordered at least a couple thousand dollars of product from them, and yes... at times there has been issues. 3 actually. One was a damaged product. Not their fault maybe. Could have been damaged during shipping. A call to their customer service and replacement item arrived in a few days. Another was my everyday can of tomato powder "gassed up", meaning the structural integrity of the can was bad. A call to customer service and a # 10 can of tomato powder arrived to replace it. On my latest order, I recieved an email notification that some money had been refunded back to my account. A call to customer service and a wonderful lady advised me that the product I wanted was out of stock, and might be a couple months till available. No problem. I'll wait. Not a big deal.
I use what I store. Meats, chicken, fruits, vegetables, and more. All taste great, and I love creating meals using their variety of ingredients.
So I'm really confused by the negative reviews.

One month after placing a large order, I checked with emergency essential about the status of my order, because it was in a HOLD. I found out all items were in stock, but my order had been in a HOLD status for a month for no reason. If I had not checked on it, it still would be held by Emergency Essentials Beprepared.com.

The phone service has been horrible, waiting for as long as 20 minutes and then giving up on an answer.

Finally my order was shipped out by R & L Carrier. They have told me it was going to be delivered on 2 separate days, and I had to wait at home to sign for the delivery. R & L Carrier never showed. I still do not have my packages, which cost over $500.00.

I primarily buy MRE entrees. During our annual restocking our regular supplier of more than 15 years was currently out of stock of one of our favorite entrees. I heard about beprepared.com having a low price guarantee so decided to give them a look. They boast having the lowest prices available. Well. Not entirely. Their single entree price was $2.95. If you buy more than 18 that price drops to $2.75. Hmm... Our regular suppliers regular price is $2.60/ea. Purchasing by the case that price drops to $2.35/ea. They also offer sales quite regularly which can get you down to $1.95/ea. For a single case we are talking a $30-$55 difference.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt I contacted CS via their website. "Do you offer any additional discounts when purchasing by the case?" Their reply, "No. 18+ for $2.75 is our only discount offer."

I reply and explain the price differences between them and our regular supplier and ask if they will at least match their regular price of $2.60/ea. Never heard from them again so I called. Confirmed that they do in fact price match. So I explained the price break down and ask if they would at least honor our regular suppliers regular price. "Sure! We can do that. I just need to run it by the manager who isn't here at the moment." Took down my contact info and promised a return call in the morning. NOT a word. I call back a few days later. "The manager has your information, but currently isn't available." Again. Not a word. A few days later I called again. "The manager isn't available." Took my information again with the promise of a return call. Two weeks later and I still haven't heard a word either voice or email. I guess I got my answer. "Low price guarantee" is nothing but lip service and false advertising.

I love these guys. I order online and take advantage of their monthly sales. You can get some killer discounts on backpacking and off-grid stuff as well as preparedness supplies. I have used a lot of their freeze dried and dehydrated foods and they are high quality. They also have a blog that allows you to win free stuff or earn gift cards, which is another plus. I have had 2 problems (out of MANY orders) with a damaged or dented can (obvious transporter boo-boos) and they have made it right immediately -- no return and wait for them to verify that it's dented, etc.

I placed an order for MREs to have as a supplemental food source in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. While most of the MREs had manufacture dates that were within the last two years, a few of the items were three or four years old. I consider that to be pushing it for an item that is supposed to last five years (yes, I understand they can last longer, but that depends on a lot of factors). If the item description had mentioned they were that old, I definitely would not have bought them, and certainly not at the prices they charge. I contacted customer service and they asked for photos to confirm the dates (odd, considering I would think they could just look it up in their computer), which I sent. They acknowledged the items were from an "old batch" and offered a tiny store credit. Really, that's it? Send me an item you know is close dated, don't mention that on your website, and then you offer me a measly little store credit when I notice you're trying to pass off an old product? Wow, that's integrity.

I love this site! I will admit that I haven't ordered from them online, but I have made several purchases through the mail. I have nothing but good to say about their products, and their selections are great! Their prices are also very reasonable and the products are for survival, preparation or everyday use. As far as the food goes... hey, not everyone has the same taste buds but their prices are good enough that you can pick and choose to try them one at a time and not have to buy in bulk. First aid supplies, freeze dried foods and MRE's, you name it. If you like the outdoors, I would highly recomend you at least check it out.

REVIEW FOR:
EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS or beprepared.com

Pros: EZ to shop store.

Cons:
Customer service phone line: difficult to get thru -- busy signal
Little email shipping updates.
Slow shipping or shipping update: Each time I order, it seems I have to try to get in contact to find when they are going to ship.

OVERALL COMMENT: Plenty of Emergency Food storage online internet stores - you would think they would try to keep customers updated about order shipment or ship items faster.