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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2008 7:50:32 GMT
So it's been a while since I bought a sword, and since things are looking up for me economically, I figured that now was as good a time as any to scratch that itch that I've been putting off for almost a year. I visited Arms of Valor, and found a sword that just kept my attention-the Windlass Steelcrafts Medieval Court Sword. It was a truly beautiful sword that the company was selling on clearance for a measley 150 clams!
Naturally enough, I placed an order for the sword, as well as for a leather fighter's belt and a sword frog. Supremely satisfied with myself, I turned in for bed.
The next day, I received an e-mail notifying me that the sword that I had ordered had been sold out!
Arms of Valor put my transaction on hold and offered me a 10% discount off of any of their swords that I wanted. They also answered, promptly and courteously, my questions regarding the other items I'd ordered, and even answered a rather sneaky question that I'd asked regarding if I could pile on the discount with the SBG coupon on a Gen2 sword.
I know. I'm a jerk. Don't tell me that the thought never crossed your mind!
At any rate, the answer was "no." It was worth a shot, though I didn't really expect to get away with it.
I changed my order to the Darksword Armory Tower of London Sword, and I'm waiting to see how it all comes out.
Overall, AoV's Customer Service was as adaptable, responsive, and professional as a company can be expected to be when faced with an unfortunate issue such as this. I'd recommend them to anyone interested in sword collecting.
I'll keep you all updated as the story resolves itself.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2008 20:46:56 GMT
My wife ordered me a stocking stuffer Windlass War Sword from AoV last year due to their being on sale for $149ish. This was about 3 weeks before Christmas. She heard nothing from them. It got to be a little hectic as the holiday drew nearer, so she kind of forgot about it until it did not show up.
So, 2 days before Christmas, she called them to ask them what was going on. At this point she was told it was on backorder until mid-January. A second option of the German Falchion was asked about, but it too was on backorder. She asked to just be left on the waiting list and for Christmas, I got a picture of the sword in a box. No biggie, my big present, some new Schmitthenner armor arrived in time and was more than enough without having the Windlass in hand.
Well, we trudged along a few weeks after Christmas and still heard nothing. Eventually, I called them with the transaction number and asked what was going on. They said that the War Sword was still on back order, but if I wanted I could have one that had been returned by a customer. I asked if anything was wrong with it and they told me that it was in perfect condition and that the customer has just not wanted it.
Well, a week later, it shows up. I unwrap it and promptly one of the decorative silver Turk's heads falls off the grip. The poly coating on the blade had cut marks and tree sap on it and the scabbard hardware was loose. There was also a wicked rattle in the furniture, but I was able to remedy this easily. Lastly, my wife paid for the sharpening service and the weapon arrived dull as it was when it was made.
I never made a complaint with them, but it did make me a little apprehensive about purchasing something in the future from them. I've not bought from them since, but may in the future making damn sure that my past concerns are mentioned before I give a credit card number out.
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Post by shadowhowler on Oct 30, 2008 21:55:33 GMT
I can't belive you did not contact them with a complaint... *I* certainly would have gone bonkers.
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Post by kidcasanova on Oct 30, 2008 22:26:07 GMT
My wife ordered me a stocking stuffer Windlass War Sword from AoV last year due to their being on sale for $149ish. This was about 3 weeks before Christmas. She heard nothing from them. It got to be a little hectic as the holiday drew nearer, so she kind of forgot about it until it did not show up. So, 2 days before Christmas, she called them to ask them what was going on. At this point she was told it was on backorder until mid-January. A second option of the German Falchion was asked about, but it too was on backorder. She asked to just be left on the waiting list and for Christmas, I got a picture of the sword in a box. No biggie, my big present, some new Schmitthenner armor arrived in time and was more than enough without having the Windlass in hand. Well, we trudged along a few weeks after Christmas and still heard nothing. Eventually, I called them with the transaction number and asked what was going on. They said that the War Sword was still on back order, but if I wanted I could have one that had been returned by a customer. I asked if anything was wrong with it and they told me that it was in perfect condition and that the customer has just not wanted it. Well, a week later, it shows up. I unwrap it and promptly one of the decorative silver Turk's heads falls off the grip. The poly coating on the blade had cut marks and tree sap on it and the scabbard hardware was loose. There was also a wicked rattle in the furniture, but I was able to remedy this easily. Lastly, my wife paid for the sharpening service and the weapon arrived dull as it was when it was made. I never made a complaint with them, but it did make me a little apprehensive about purchasing something in the future from them. I've not bought from them since, but may in the future making damn sure that my past concerns are mentioned before I give a credit card number out. I sympathize with what happened to you, mate. Getting the short end of the stick ALWAYS hurts. But I think the bold part of your post is pretty crucial. Jason is human, and (especially around christmas, I mean that's a hectic time for everyone) sometimes stuff gets buggered up. But from my experience (and the experience of many here who order from AOV), Jason has always been patient and downright adamant about customer service. If you did not lodge a complaint, he can not help sort out your problem. Customer service has to go both ways in the event of something like this. Again, an unfortunate situation, but I feel you are at least partially at fault for not bringing it to Jason's attention.
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Marc Ridgeway
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"The best cost less when you buy it the first time." - Papabear
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on Oct 30, 2008 22:47:42 GMT
Again, an unfortunate situation, but I feel you are at least partially at fault for not bringing it to Jason's attention. Got to disagree with this statement. It is likely that had he complained he might have gotten satisfaction, but to have asked if anything was wrong with the sword, been told no, and then recieve a sword in that condition speaks of horrible QC or even downright dishonesty... I do agree that it should have been sent back
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Post by kidcasanova on Oct 30, 2008 23:23:45 GMT
I did not say Jason was not equally at fault, but to place all of the blame on the retailer when it is the duty of the consumer to report such misgivings is simply not truthful. As I said, customer service goes both ways. Jason cannot fix the problem if Odingaard does not report dissatisfaction first. All it would have taken was an email or a phone call.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2008 1:46:00 GMT
One of the primary reasons that I did not make a complaint is that the sword was a token gift from my wife and intended for an eventual customization project. The things actually wrong with the sword were all easily corrected within a day.
To be honest, it was not a big deal. Had it been an Albion or an A&A there would have been hell to pay. But, it was a Windlass, and to be quite honest, I have learned to expect these problems with their product's QC (I was a vendor for them for a few years and trust me when I say that Windlass QC should be rated a negative ISO 9000, LOL).
I was disgruntled by the seemingly dishonest statement about the sword being in new condition. I guessed that this could have been a mistake on their part or perhaps the part of Windlass (they have more than their share of returns which they re-condition in-house of the they can).
Rather than argue, I decided not to waste my time. I spend an obscene amount of money on period armor, weapons, and clothing yearly, so I naturally figured when I went back to AoV for an odd or end, I would make mention of it.
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