# Communities > Modern-era Swords and Collecting Community > Modern Production Katanas >  Question about Bogubag.com?

## Brion Pool

Does anyone know if they are going out of business or anything of that nature?  The reason I ask is that back during the summer I ordered a bare blade iaito from them.  I had a link to that page and it wasn't till later that I went to their main page and noticed that they weren't taking orders from them so I don't know if that page was there at the time.  Well they took my order, everything seemed fine.  

About the time it should be getting in I e-mailed them to see how it was being sent.  They told me they would have to refund my money, because Koei had sent them a list of the swords they would be finishing or not finishing and they seemed to think mine wouldn't be.  I was okay with that.  A little bummed, but I understood and told them it was fine and maybe when Koei got things straightened out down the line I would try again.

A month went by and never heard anything, saw a check, or a deposit into my account.  I wasn't being pushy.  I figured something might have changed and my blade was coming.  Before leaving town to see family, I e-mailed them once again to see how they were sending the money, as a friend would be checking the mail for me if they were sending a check while we were gone, or if something had changed and my blade was coming. They e-mailed me back saying they were sorry for being behind, and it was due to a couple of deaths in the family, and they would get a check out to me.  I can understand family issues, so I left it at that and didn't push.

It has now been over a month since that last response from them, and nothing.  I was just wondering if anyone else was having any problems with orders from them?  I went with them because I had heard nothing but good reviews, and when I was ordering back in the summer they were helpful and everything was great.  I'm not implying anything by this, but I just remember reading great reviews of whiteheron.com I think it was back when I was considering a last legend a year ago, and then reading how they had just disappeared.  I'm not saying that bogubag.com is doing that or is going to.  I'm just trying to see if anyone else has had issues, as I have read no posts saying anything to that nature.

----------


## Kent Enfield

Obivously, I don't know anything about your specific order, but Stroud sensei has explained what's going on over at Kendo World.

Koei, the Japanese supplier for BoguBag, has decided to change how they handle international orders.  And apparently rather than get that all figured out while still using the old system, they have pretty much cut off all foreign purchases for the time being.

----------


## Brion Pool

Well, given the lack of responses and the fact I have not seen any other threads like this, I just have to assume I am the exception to the rule in dealing with Bogubag.  I suppose writing off a nearly $200 loss would have been easier to stomach if I knew I was not the only customer I knew doing so.  My wife is not thrilled about it either way.  You know, I understand changes in suppliers requirements and so forth, I grew up with a father who was self-employed and ran a small gun shop.  I know how market forces can be sometimes.  But I also know that when you tell someone that due to those forces they will not be receiving their item, and that you will be refunding their money, you don't leave them hanging afterwards for 2 1/2 months.  

After I was told about Koei's changes in policy, that my order in all likelihood would not be coming, and they would just refund my money, I found a bare blade by a manufacturer that I had always wanted back in the day, but is no longer made.  They still had one buried down somewhere and were going to sell it to me at a reduced price.  I was just going to use the refund to buy it, but that has never materialized, and with my wife saying she would prefer me not to buy the second blade until I get the refund on the first, I'm left in limbo on it.

I have never in all my years of buying things had anything like this happen.  I don't like the idea of bad mouthing a company, but I kind of needed to vent.  I would say after this experience I would be loathe to deal with this company again.  I can only hope that in the near future I will be able to report that I have received my refund.

----------


## Brion Pool

Well, 5 months and 4 days after being told that I would be receiving a refund on a custom iaito bare blade, I still have nothing, money or blade.  I am tonight sending my final e-mail to them regarding it.  There's not much else I can do.  I think they are in Idaho?   Hundreds of miles from me.  The cost of gas, court costs for small claims court, and lost wages from time taken off to pursue it would cost me far more than the amount they owe me.  All I can do is say this:

I would never again do business with these people, and, furthermore, I would recommend to anyone that asks me to avoid dealings with them as well.  I heard nothing but rave reviews before dealing with them, and that is the reason I did so.  Regardless though of changes in suppliers or other market factors, honesty will your customers is the core of quality small business.  If they did not plan on refunding my money, I should never have been told they would.  If they realized they could not fiscally do so immediately, or ever even, I should have been so informed.  If I am in line behind other people they owe refunds to, again I should be informed.  Five months and four days is simply unacceptable for any business to hold on to someone's money after offering a refund, and at the same time only addressing them about it when the customer contacts them.  If even by some chance that they did send a check, if I have not deposited it in the months involving this, they should notice that and perhaps e-mail to see if I ever received it.  As it stands, I have been quietly brushed under the rug.  I asked people on here if they were out of business, which might help explain such behavior, but I cannot find a single mention of such.  Perhaps hearing that other people were in my boat, such as what happened to the Last Legend purchasers over at White Heron, or that they were filing bankruptcy would have made it easier to swallow.

That's pretty much all I have to say on the subject.  If by some miracle, I suddenly do get my money, I will mention it.

----------


## Mikey G

I know it's been a while since you completed the transaction, but if you paid with a credit card you should call card company and see if they can do a charge back.  You might get your money back.

----------

