Buck emails advertising knives back in stock that are actually sold out

[BennyBlade]

I want to also complain. FOMO !

Seriously.

Add the choice of "New" for a search option. Currently you can search by "Featured". The search "Featured" is not equal to "New". This option would make it so much easier to see if there is something I want to buy. For example, in the "Web Exclusives" the "Featured" option is not "New" - the search does not bring up the newest items. The first two knives shown, 112 Lochsa and 102 Woodsman. I don't believe the 102 Woodsman is the newest "Web Exclusives" knife. I believe it is the Kalinga.

Also, is the Lochsa a "Web Exclusives" or a "Limited Editions". It is listed under both categories now. To be specific, Buck says 95 made and Buck sold the knife under Limited Editions. In my mind a "Limited Editions", is just that. A Web Exclusive is an item Buck can always bring back from time to time.

The new site has limited edition, BOTM, web exclusives, Stealth Runs all over the place and intermixed in the categories. There isn't even a category for Stealth Runs. This approach does not create brand recognition or reinforce the exclusivity to anything. IMO.

Thank god, now I feel like I have not missed out ! ! ! ! : )

EDIT: almost forgot - the emails are very 1st world annoying.

This would be huge. Or even if you could search the inventory by release date or date inventory was uploaded. Meaning, if they just got a bunch of cocobolo 117 added to the warehouse inventory, that knife would appear first in the list, and knives that hadn't been manufactured in a while, would appear toward the end. Unfortunately, I like the new website less than the emails.

 

[JD Bear]

I'll preface this by saying that Buck is my favorite brand, but I think they have bigger things to worry about before the website. The website is a pain sometimes and to me, that's a minor inconvenience. The past two knives I got directly from them, including a CS 501, have had some major issues requiring sending the knives back. The one from the custom shop is on it's second visit for repair.

Basically, I really can't care less about how Buck handles their web development team or if they have a glitch in programming. What I think they should concentrate on is getting someone that can sharpen and check for blade play...

 

[jbmonkey]

I'll preface this by saying that Buck is my favorite brand, but I think they have bigger things to worry about before the website. The website is a pain sometimes and to me, that's a minor inconvenience. The past two knives I got directly from them, including a CS 501, have had some major issues requiring sending the knives back. The one from the custom shop is on it's second visit for repair.

Basically, I really can't care less about how Buck handles their web development team or if they have a glitch in programming. What I think they should concentrate on is getting someone that can sharpen and check for blade play...

yep on both points JD. especially on blade play.... the world has changed, and sloppy side to side and up and down blade play isn't acceptable like it was 20 years ago and even further back. the younger crowd isn't going to buy knives and brands with inconsistent blade play. like it or not they're the future of this brands survival. blade play matters to them......I can live with some myself....but there aren't enough of folks like me to keep that company alive.

 

[JD Bear]

yep on both points JD. especially on blade play.... the world has changed, and sloppy side to side and up and down blade play isn't acceptable like it was 20 years ago and even further back. the younger crowd isn't going to buy knives and brands with inconsistent blade play. like it or not they're the future of this brands survival. blade play matters to them......I can live with some myself....but there aren't enough of folks like me to keep that company alive.

agreed JB....the website can be the greatest, easiest to use site on the internet, but if the product isn't up to certain standards they're not gonna sell anyway....

 

[GPyro]

I'll preface this by saying that Buck is my favorite brand, but I think they have bigger things to worry about before the website. The website is a pain sometimes and to me, that's a minor inconvenience. The past two knives I got directly from them, including a CS 501, have had some major issues requiring sending the knives back. The one from the custom shop is on it's second visit for repair.

Basically, I really can't care less about how Buck handles their web development team or if they have a glitch in programming. What I think they should concentrate on is getting someone that can sharpen and check for blade play...

I agree with you, to a point.
I have been receiving email updates for years and have not experienced this level of pointless emails until after they updated and created the new website.

They actually created the problem.
It didn't exist before then.

If they have so many issues to address, maybe they should leave the things that actually work alone and don't change them.

If it's not broke, don't try and fix it.

 

[TimButterfield]

Unfortunately, there are many different ways of being broke. The old site may have prevented them from doing something they needed to do internally. What we can see/experience is only a part of how many of these systems are used.

 

[JD Bear]

I agree with you, to a point.
I have been receiving email updates for years and have not experienced this level of pointless emails until after they updated and created the new website.

They actually created the problem.
It didn't exist before then.

If they have so many issues to address, maybe they should leave the things that actually work alone and don't change them.

If it's not broke, don't try and fix it.

We're kinda making the same point. They have some issues that shouldn't be there in today's market. I reckon it's an old school way to think, but quality control should be a priority over marketing. That may not look good on a prospectus though and I can appreciate the effort to keep up in the cyber realm. Kinda...

I agree the amount of emails can be annoying. No, I don't want to "come back for another look" or whatever it says....if I knew I would get a knife that didn't have an over sharpened blade with uneven bevels and blade play, I would have bought it the first time...

 

[MadnessHC]

I'll preface this by saying that Buck is my favorite brand, but I think they have bigger things to worry about before the website. The website is a pain sometimes and to me, that's a minor inconvenience. The past two knives I got directly from them, including a CS 501, have had some major issues requiring sending the knives back. The one from the custom shop is on it's second visit for repair.

Basically, I really can't care less about how Buck handles their web development team or if they have a glitch in programming. What I think they should concentrate on is getting someone that can sharpen and check for blade play...

I did my first custom knife shop order and I received a knife that stopped open at 30 degrees and I had to close. It had damage to the S30V blade, the elk handles were uneven, just very poor and sloppy. Someone at Buck had me send mine back at cost, promised to refund shipping, and then forgot about it. They promised me a new build and yet have sent the same damaged S30V blade back, but with polishing to lessen the damage. When I spoke with someone today, she said there was no record of my calls or emails or that I even sent my custom knife back. Then they didn't even indicate to FedEx it was an RMA/Warranty repair knife coming back so I got slammed with another set of import taxes and fees. These are new and more even Elk handles/scales but just sloppy work by Rich at Buck to send me the same damaged blade back. This wasn't cheap at almost $300 USD with all the extras I did. And now I am out so much more money.

Their website is the least of their worries with their poor customer service and quality control right now. Why would I go Buck or care about forever lifetime warranty if this is the quality or service?

 

[Terds McGerds]

Doubling back to this thread because I visited the Buck site three times today without making a purchase, and got an email EVERY TIME that advertised at least one sold out knife, often multiple.

It's interesting that multiple groups of Buck consumers with different priorities are feeling uneasy. The demographic that wants a clean, functional user interface and experience from the website/digital marketing is dissatisfied, and the demographic that insists quality control and reputation are more important are also voicing mounting concern.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a Buck fan for better or worse, but I'd be curious for a "peek behind the curtain" at the short and long-term vision for the company, and some of the measures of performance/effectiveness used to evaluate progress towards that vision.

 

[GPyro]

I open my tablet and guess what?
Another email for a sold out knife.

Pointless emails, and robocalls will get you blocked from my world everytime..

I'm on here pretty frequently, and the folks here do a pretty good job of keeping each other informed of any new happenings, thankfully.

So I unsubscribed.
I'm done with it!
It's completely pointless, and it really sorta makes me mad.
If I miss out on something, well I guess that's fine as I already have enough knives.

Their effort to draw me in actually drove me away.
We'll see how this goes.

 

[JD Bear]

I did my first custom knife shop order and I received a knife that stopped open at 30 degrees and I had to close. It had damage to the S30V blade, the elk handles were uneven, just very poor and sloppy. Someone at Buck had me send mine back at cost, promised to refund shipping, and then forgot about it. They promised me a new build and yet have sent the same damaged S30V blade back, but with polishing to lessen the damage. When I spoke with someone today, she said there was no record of my calls or emails or that I even sent my custom knife back. Then they didn't even indicate to FedEx it was an RMA/Warranty repair knife coming back so I got slammed with another set of import taxes and fees. These are new and more even Elk handles/scales but just sloppy work by Rich at Buck to send me the same damaged blade back. This wasn't cheap at almost $300 USD with all the extras I did. And now I am out so much more money.

Their website is the least of their worries with their poor customer service and quality control right now. Why would I go Buck or care about forever lifetime warranty if this is the quality or service?

I wouldn't be too happy about that one either. Maybe it's me and I shouldn't have high expectations when I get something from the "custom shop". I just really don't think it's right to pay an additional $70 for ironwood on a junk build with junk blade, but that's what I did. Hopefully it'll be ok after the second trip back. They tried to fix a horrible sharpening job by sharpening it more. It was like a 503 blade on a 501.

I'm going to cut back on the emails since I won't be going to the site for a while. After the CS experience and the over priced BOTM vantage (which ain't all that great) I think I'm done with Buck for a while.

The people I've dealt with at Buck have been fantastic and I I think their customer service is great...I just don't want to be on a first name basis with them. I'm not going to give the Buck moderator the same praise since they never responded to me after I got the knife back the first time. I wasn't going to mention the 501 here, but it kinda went with this thread....

 

[jmh33]

I wouldn't be too happy about that one either. Maybe it's me and I shouldn't have high expectations when I get something from the "custom shop". I just really don't think it's right to pay an additional $70 for ironwood on a junk build with junk blade, but that's what I did. Hopefully it'll be ok after the second trip back. They tried to fix a horrible sharpening job by sharpening it more. It was like a 503 blade on a 501.

I'm going to cut back on the emails since I won't be going to the site for a while. After the CS experience and the over priced BOTM vantage (which ain't all that great) I think I'm done with Buck for a while.

The people I've dealt with at Buck have been fantastic and I I think their customer service is great...I just don't want to be on a first name basis with them. I'm not going to give the Buck moderator the same praise since they never responded to me after I got the knife back the first time. I wasn't going to mention the 501 here, but it kinda went with this thread....

I have found that sometimes we just gotta wash our hands and walk away for a while.. Take a break as long as we feel is nessacery and come back when we are comfortable later!!
I have and it worked for me!!
John

 

[cbach8tw]

It is worrisome after hearing about the quality control issues and the customer service woes, please someone from Buck reassure us these issues are being taken seriously and an effort to address them. I don’t think we are reaching A point of no return yet, too many good people at Buck, but I am seeing troubling signs.

I usually don’t check the Buck site directly, maybe avoiding those emails, but I check other sites for Bucks.

 

[rival22]

On Friday, they posted the 117 Heritage version on their Instagram with a "Get yours with the link in our bio" line, but that version has been out of stock for a pretty good while, and still is.

 

[GPyro]

So I unsubscribed awhile ago.
This morning I get an email from Buck for the 839 Mini Deploy Auto knives.

So I just had to look.
Yep.
Sold out.
Every one of them.

So I unsubscribed again.....

 

[GPyro]

I locked the thread.

I think I've made my point.