Benchmade 556 Mini-Griptilian in M390, S30V, D2, or 154CM

[soapboxpreacher]

Sorry we weren't able to do more for you. Unfortunately we can't always cover the shipping costs ourselves either, especially on aesthetic defects on knives. We do everything we can to inspect knives before they leave the store and make sure they are 100% functional, and offer a comments section before checkout for our customers to fill out if they have any specific requests.

We do everything in our power to make sure things are right the first time, as returns are a hassle for everyone. To be honest this sort of problem happens a lot, someone orders a Buck 110 and wants to return it because the blade grinds are a hair off, maybe a microscopic scratch is on the backspring, machine marks, etc. Its a rock and a hard place for us as a business, we inspect things as thoroughly as possible, however we often have to make a judgement call as to whether the knife is up to typical standards for a manufacturer. A lot of the Benchmade knives we're seeing come through these days have some machine marks on the blades, its part of being a factory made knife. Community input is welcome, please post here, I can start a new thread, or send me an email directly at justin@gpknives.com for your 2 cents. We may end up splitting shipping in the future as that is what I'm reading from several other companies.

Soapbox, if you're still interested in the knife I'll send you a personally inspected model at my cost + shipping, plus free shipping on your next Benchmade order. Just let me know what you want me to look over on this knife or subsequent orders and we'll make it happen. We value our customers and work hard to make sure everyone is happy. My name is Justin, I'm actually "out" on vacation this week but I'll be in next Tuesday. In the meantime if you give the store a call someone there would be more than happy to help you out. I'll make them all aware of this post.

Alright!! I am in! Thanks for the follow up and much better service. I will call you tuesday! I would still like one of those M390 Minis. I am trying to collect one of every style and steel out there. Thank you so much Justin! This is good business!

 

[waynejitsu]

It is a shame it had to come to this. The ONLY reason is there was a "public post". If it was let go, you would be "stuck", as that is obviously their SOP (standard operating procedure).
I can say, as having run my own web site for quite a few years and as a "one man business" that I ALWAYS treated my customers with respect and gave them the benefit of the doubt, even times when I knew they were wrong.
Not every sale was a profit doing business this way, sometimes a lot came out of my pocket to make the customer happy, but that is what I did, it was just the right thing to do as a "business".
For example, a customer makes an order, the customer is expected to pay for shipping, but NOT to pay for return shipping OR for reshipping.
Also, whenever there was a "problem", I always threw in some nice freebies, just to keep them happy. Out of my pocket? Yes, but it is a LOT better than having people post bad things on the internet about you or your business. A happy customer does not say a lot but one unhappy and especially one "Unfairly Treated" will say a lot. In this case, expecting the customer to foot the bill for 3 shipping costs it 100% Unreasonable. I don't know wnen this started, but it is WRONG to expect a customer to pay for anything except for what he/she ordered. "Why" would a customer..., your reason for being in business, the one that pays your bills, the one that keeps you afloat be "Expected" to foot the bill of 3 shipping cost?
Question, you buy something, you expect to pay for the item and shipping. Something is wrong with the item, say, a defect. "Who" should pay for return shipping? The business or the customer?
WHY?
Now, even way out there- WHO should pay to return the item to the customer? The customer that already paid to have it shipped or the "business"?
You have to remember, as a "business", not every sale will make you money and if it does, someone is getting screwed and it is not the business, it is the customer.
Reading what happened here, I was totally in shock the customer was "expected" to pay for-
Shipping to him,
Shipping back to the business because the item was defective and
Shipping back to him and
No return on taxes? Now who get that? nothing was sold at the time?
It just feels 100% "dirty" to me.
Yes, you are "trying" to make it right "now", however, it is ONLY because this problem was made public, not because it was obviously the right thing to do. If you could have gotten away with it, you would have, that was the whole idea, right...

 

[HKBM45]

It is a shame it had to come to this...

I think we are all well aware of the problems and concerns that the poster had and its implications on the business' procedures. I don't think you need to continue to rub it in the face of someone else's small business that didn't do anything wrong to you.

They are making it right now, and that's all that really matters.

 

[waynejitsu]

What matters is what they did,
what they tried to get away with,
how they treat their "own" customers,
Not what I said, but what "they did".
The only reason anything is being done is because it is public, not because they are "good guy's".
If nothing was posted, our friend would have been ripped off- FACT!

 

[RevDevil]

Sorry we weren't able to do more for you. Unfortunately we can't always cover the shipping costs ourselves either, especially on aesthetic defects on knives. We do everything we can to inspect knives before they leave the store and make sure they are 100% functional, and offer a comments section before checkout for our customers to fill out if they have any specific requests.

We do everything in our power to make sure things are right the first time, as returns are a hassle for everyone. To be honest this sort of problem happens a lot, someone orders a Buck 110 and wants to return it because the blade grinds are a hair off, maybe a microscopic scratch is on the backspring, machine marks, etc. Its a rock and a hard place for us as a business, we inspect things as thoroughly as possible, however we often have to make a judgement call as to whether the knife is up to typical standards for a manufacturer. A lot of the Benchmade knives we're seeing come through these days have some machine marks on the blades, its part of being a factory made knife. Community input is welcome, please post here, I can start a new thread, or send me an email directly at justin@gpknives.com for your 2 cents. We may end up splitting shipping in the future as that is what I'm reading from several other companies.

Soapbox, if you're still interested in the knife I'll send you a personally inspected model at my cost + shipping, plus free shipping on your next Benchmade order. Just let me know what you want me to look over on this knife or subsequent orders and we'll make it happen. We value our customers and work hard to make sure everyone is happy. My name is Justin, I'm actually "out" on vacation this week but I'll be in next Tuesday. In the meantime if you give the store a call someone there would be more than happy to help you out. I'll make them all aware of this post.

That is awesome, you da man Justin! That is what I call above and beyond the call right there. :thumbup: You just earned more of my business for sure.

 

[JNewell]

If we're telling about customer service, I should point out that I got really outstanding service from GPK on my order. This was my first time dealing with GPK, by the way. While my pre-order was outstanding, the credit card was stolen. They were cheerful and efficient straightening that out. I was then able to locate one of the M390 710s and asked if they could match that number - no problem, they said (and they did). Still later, I needed to change the shipping address and method on the order. They were cheerful and efficient taking care of that, too, though it probably was a PITA. Maybe nothing heroic, but plenty of PITA for a single sale and a customer they'd never dealt with before.

So, consider the range of experiences. I'm not a fanboy, I have never dealt with GPK before, and I don't have any connection with them at all other than this transaction, but it was a good one and I'd certainly consider buying from them again. :thumbup:

 

[noway]

What matters is what they did,
what they tried to get away with,
how they treat their "own" customers,
Not what I said, but what "they did".
The only reason anything is being done is because it is public, not because they are "good guy's".
If nothing was posted, our friend would have been ripped off- FACT!

Sometimes the reason something goes wrong is not because of "they" but because of "him". "Him" might be a new employee, an employee who is having a bad day, family problems, a temp employee, etc. Not every company has 100% perfect employees 100% of the time. And the boss is not usually aware of what every employee is doing/saying 100% of the time, unless he sits in his office all day wiretapping phone calls. Good to see they are making things right.

 

[gpknives]

Wayne, just to clarify, soapboxpreacher was given a full refund for the knife and shipping when we couldn't agree on an exchange. I don't know where the tax thing came in. No one was "stuck" with anything.

Again, we always check the knives we send out for function (opening and closing, functional lock, no nicks in the blade), and will gladly check cosmetics up front for those concerned. If we don't have a knife that suits we notify the purchaser. We want our customers to be happy with the knife they receive the first time. There is an account or two of that on the forums here that I'm aware of.

Our business is ran as honest and open as possible, its not like we hide our policy or modify it according to the situation. I realize you may not agree with our current policy, but thats why its posted upfront on our website to begin with. That said we'll almost definately be splitting shipping on these situations in the future.

 

[RevDevil]

If we're telling about customer service, I should point out that I got really outstanding service from GPK on my order. This was my first time dealing with GPK, by the way. While my pre-order was outstanding, the credit card was stolen. They were cheerful and efficient straightening that out. I was then able to locate one of the M390 710s and asked if they could match that number - no problem, they said (and they did). Still later, I needed to change the shipping address and method on the order. They were cheerful and efficient taking care of that, too, though it probably was a PITA. Maybe nothing heroic, but plenty of PITA for a single sale and a customer they'd never dealt with before.

So, consider the range of experiences. I'm not a fanboy, I have never dealt with GPK before, and I don't have any connection with them at all other than this transaction, but it was a good one and I'd certainly consider buying from them again. :thumbup:

Great to hear J. For me, it makes all the difference in the world. When I call a place if I am greeted with a "What do you want?" versus a "Good Morning, Thanks for calling XYZ". I've had 1 previous experience with GPK and it was smooth as silk, an XHP Manix2. The order for this knife was an easy choice given previous experience. I don't believe for a second that GPK would have ripped anyone off. The only thing I am a fanboy of is quality.
C

 

[soapboxpreacher]

I hear you wayne but as someone else stated it could be one new person or what not however it is bad business but is being taken care of. I am not trying to make excuses for them but I think Justin might have learn a little about his procedure and policies. Every person and every company does things different. Service in this economy is more than critical. I also run my own business for now 9 years with a 100% client retention so service is a cornerstone for success...not to mention microsoft's crappy products..HAHA! But anyway, I was critical of the condition of the knife and in my eyes as well as others it was a blemish. Furthermore a blemish in a limited edition making this a collectors piece. My expectations were high and they should be based on once again on the fact that this is a limited edition piece.

I have bought my fair share of knives online. Many from KW, New Graham, and Rocknational, Knifecenter. I have had issues with a less than a handful. I had a mora 2000 (a cheap 35 dollar knife) come with a small nick in the blade from New Graham, one phone call and they handled it as smooth as it gets, I had a replacement and a follow up call by weeks end and never paid a dime for shipping. I had a similar experience with powder coating issues on a cold steel from knifecenter...one email and it was handled well without a question or a lot of back and forth. Sometimes you run into an issue as I did and lucky I decided to share my experience here merely to make you guys aware but apparently it got to Justin, which seems to be a not only the right guy but a great guy more than willing to rectify this situation...a situation he might not have known of. One in which he has already taken steps to improve his customer service over. I am happy it is getting resolved and will trust going forward things for not just me but many to follow will be of greater care. I am more than glad this is being resolved for I really want that knife and will certainly give GPK a second chance. Justin has proven to me that they are willing to make this better. But as you mention wayne I didnt want it to come to this. I had no intention of gaining from my post. I was more concerned about the members here and making them aware of my experience so they wouldn't fall to the same fate. Anyone can sell you something its those who deal with the unexpected well that succeed!

 

[Steven Andrews]

GPK don't do international sales, but I was helped out by DJ, a kind guy from the Benchmade Forum, who offered to forward the knife to me if I had it shipped to him. :thumbup:

Thanks also to GPK who let me have knife numbered 148 to match several of my other LE Benchmades.

Here's the knife with some of my other Mini Grip variants..



and my LE M390 710..