Chill Kiwi NZ isn't actually chill...
I have been a loyal customer of ChillKiwi for five years, but after my latest experience I will not be returning. I purchased a $100 stainless steel piece with a ceramic interior, the quality and customer service have been appalling.
Within three weeks, the supposedly "ceramic" mouthpiece began chipping off after coming into contact with standard 99% isopropyl alcohol, a basic cleaning agent for these products, and a recommended cleaning method on the Chill Steel Pipe website (chill.store). This is a massive health and safety hazard, inhaling ceramic shards or particulate matter is dangerous, yet when I raised this concern the representative’s response was a passive-aggressive: "So how does this affect your usage of the product?". It is incredibly concerning that a business in this industry shows such a blatant lack of care for the physical health and safety of its customers. A product is not "fit for purpose" if it risks the user's health.
Their customer support appears to be a single individual who was rude, dismissive and eventually became verbally aggressive. After I mentioned a potential refund or replacement for this defective item, he told me I would have to pay for return shipping myself, just for them to "assess" the product, then simply hung up on me. This is a direct violation of the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) regarding defective goods, and completely contradicts the "always happy to help" slogan on their website.
Regardless of profit margins on imported stock, New Zealand businesses have a legal obligation to provide products of acceptable quality and safety. He chose to be unprofessional instead of resolving a simple manufacturing defect; as a result, this is now a formal issue and a public warning to others. Dismissing a customer’s health concerns is a bridge too far, I have no interest in further "verbal" encounters with this business. Avoid if you value your health or money.
P.S. It's pretty ironic that they are called "ChillKiwi" when the service is anything but chill and they're not kiwis.