This is all the correspondence between Daniel Koster and myself from the time I stated that "I no longer wanted to be a customer of his'" to about 9a.m. this morning I did not wait for his response before I posted this. I am very upset with him and his attitude towards me. I have had a lot of good experiences on this forum and I have trust and respect for the people on here. So, please tell me. Am I in the wrong here? What should do?
I am no longer interested in being a customer of yours. Please send my $350.00 to my paypal.
Thankyou
Paco
Paco - I apologize for any problems. *I don't understand. *I emailed you about the Bushcraft knife and never heard back so I had to let it go to someone else.
I will gladly heat-treat, glue-up and finish your Nessmuk this week. *I usually do my knives in batches and am behind on hundreds of orders, but if it means satisfying you and keeping your business then I will gladly move it to the front. *I appreciate your patience and understanding. *This is a one-man business and am doing the best I can.
Dan
▶ Show quoted text
--
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
You said you were going to send me a picture of the older bushcraft knife so I would know what I was getting, and never sent it. So, it was actually I who never heard back from you. And I was under the understanding you send your blades out to a third party (in Pennsylvania I believe?) So I do not see how you could guarantee my knife would be done in a week.
Paco
▶ Show quoted text
I am headed to a buddy's shop on Mon/Tue who has a heat treat oven. I usually do send off for heat treat to save time/money. But can make exceptions this way now and then. I'm already doing 2 others so its not a problem adding yours.*
I apologize for not sending the pics. I did take them and thought I sent them. Can you give me a chance to finish it for you? *I'll let you know when it's heat-treated. Thanks!
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
▶ Show quoted text
It definitely wont kill me to wait another week to get my money or the the knife. I really dont know what else to do.
▶ Show quoted text
Im sorry, it took a lot to come to the decision to ask for my money back and let go of the nessmuk. Now I cant bring myself to want it anymore. I wont be happy with it even though a couple weeks ago few things would have made me happier than getting that knife. So after it stirring my head up all day, I just want my money back. Please send it to my PayPal account. I really am sorry this didnt work out but to our mutual dipleasure it did not. I will expect a refund by Wednesday.
Good luck
Paco
▶ Show quoted text
Sorry we couldn't work it out. I don't have funds in my Paypal right now. I will refund you as soon as I can. It will likely be a week or 2. Info in my FAQ.*
You would probably have the knife sooner. I will let you know. I'm a one-man shop trying to do my best.*
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
▶ Show quoted text
Id appreciate you at least telling me wbere we are at with things. It is ridiculous for you to say you dont have any money in* your paypal account,* you run a buisness. If cannot give me my money promptly it means one of two things: you simply deign not to for conveniences sake and until some other poor sap pays you you will not pay me, or your accounting practices are as abysmal as your customer services. And seeing as you are still in business and recently re-arranged you shop to accomodate new equipment and I have read of more than several people that were less than impressed with your communication, time management, and buisness practices I can only assume the former. It has been 11 days since I asked for my money back, you said 1-2 weeks, I'd like my money back please.
Paco - there's no need for things to go this way. *I told you I'd heat-treat and finish your knife. *It is nearly completed. *I also said if you still wanted a refund, I would gladly accommodate you but I am not a walking ATM or Wal-Mart. *I am one-man shop - I do not have an accountant or office manager. *I do the best I can. *I did not insist on payment upfront.
That said, *I have never denied anyone a refund. *Please be patient with me and we'll get this taken care of as soon as possible. *
Dan
On Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 8:03 PM, paco labarces <superpaco80@gmail.com> wrote:
Id appreciate you at least telling me wbere we are at with things. It is ridiculous for you to say you dont have any money in* your paypal account,* you run a buisness. If cannot give me my money promptly it means one of two things: you simply deign not to for conveniences sake and until some other poor sap pays you you will not pay me, or your accounting practices are as abysmal as your customer services. And seeing as you are still in business and recently re-arranged you shop to accomodate new equipment and I have read of more than several people that were less than impressed with your communication, time management, and buisness practices I can only assume the former. It has been 11 days since I asked for my money back, you said 1-2 weeks, I'd like my money back please.
--
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
Go what way? Am I saying something untrue or malicious? I do not expect you to be an ATM or a Wal-Mart (or maybe I do, as I dont even know what that is trying to say). But I do expect a person who owns and runs a buisness where the least expensive single item is in the $150-$200 range to be able to take seven buisness days (I am giving you the benefit of the calendar here, as most banks can do your banking on saturday and sunday) and scrape together $360 to make something right instead of sending me a link to your FAQ so I can sell my spot for you instead of you doing what any buisness owner should. You are not living knife sale to knife sale you have a (inexpilcably) profitable business that has an account witb a major distributer. It is not that you dont have the money or its too difficult to fund your paypal. You, for one reason or another, very simply, just won't.* You stated it would likely be 1-2 weeks to get my money to me (insulting in the first place but i went along with it) now that time is almost up and you are asking for my paitence? You stated that the knife would be done by now (BEFORE you could get me my money) and you say its not yet done? Dont you still have to commision the sheath? You are stepping all over your own deadlines and are surprised when I meet that with indignation? Would you not react similarly?
I was extremely excited to get my first custom knife, from you. I had done a fair bit of research on patterns and knife steels and I truly liked your designs and still do. I suppose one of the reasons I am so angry is now I dont get my knife. I no longer want to give you my money or buisness. I expect my money by friday the first of November as per your stated timeline.
paco
▶ Show quoted text
Paco - I apologize for any miscommunication. *Your order is #13 on my Nessmuk list. (*http://kosterknives.com/3VNessmuk.htm*) There are 12 others ahead of you. *Sending money in advance doesn't move you to the top of the list. *Others on that list have waited longer and are ok with it. *Because of your concerns, I went ahead and not only moved you to the top of that list, but moved you in front of 400+ other orders on all my lists inclusive so I could get your knife done. *I'm risking upsetting hundreds of patient customers to put you first. *Am I not doing enough? * Please try to be more understanding of the nature of custom knife orders. *I'm not sitting around waiting for these knives to make themselves. *I don't have helpers to do the work for me. *I do all of it myself. *I make hundreds of knives per year. *When I go heat-treat a knife, I take others with me. *Same thing when I glue up. *Usually I do 20-50 at a time. *But for you I did 3 at a time. *I have to travel 50 miles to get the heat-treat done on short notice like this. *I did that on Friday - the earliest I could get out there. *Butch will be by tomorrow or Wed to make a sheath for you. *Why the awful rush? *If you absolutely have to have a refund, then I'll do it on Friday, but I'm going to have to deduct for materials/services lost. **
I'm a craftsman, Paco. *I work on things until I'm satisfied they are my best work. *I don't work by "deadlines". *If I did, I'd go crazy. *If you respect a craftsman's work, then you'll understand that. *Any knifemaker worth his salt wants his "best" work out the door....not his "fastest" work out the door. *
I just paid a number of large bills and am doing my best to get funds back into my Paypal account. *Ranting won't get your money any faster. I've never denied a refund, Paco. *I have thousands of satisfied customers around the entire world. *If you'll be patient, I will make it right and you will get my very best work. *I'd really like you to give me a chance to get this knife to you. *Please think it over.
Respectfully,
Dan
p.s.here are all the other orders I have outstanding:
http://kosterknives.com/2011MUCK.htm
http://kosterknives.com/MonsterNessieOrders.htm
http://kosterknives.com/EDC2011.htm
http://kosterknives.com/BushMaster.htm
http://kosterknives.com/Bushcraft2012.htm
I also have 200 orders I'm doing for KnivesShipFree.com
20 knives headed to a dealer in Malaysia
60 knives headed to a dealer in China
and I haven't yet posted the 178 orders I've taken since last updating those previous lists (moving to a new order tracking system right now).
As you can see....I have a lot on my plate.
I want to keep you as a customer, Paco. *Give me a chance to make that happen. *That's all I ask.
▶ Show quoted text
--
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
Daniel,
As I said in prior emails i do not want to be your customer, Daniel. I want my money back. There was something like a six-hour window where you offered to push the knife to the top of your list and take it to your friends shop and I acquiesced. But in short order I recanted that and asked for my money back. You did not travel 50 miles and do a batch of three knives for me, you "were already doing two knives and it would be no trouble" to add the Nessmuk.
Daniel, I have never asked you to put me at the head of any line. At the beginning of this ridiculous transaction I said i wanted to pay in full because somwhere in one of your rants you said a knife that has been paid in full tends to get finished first, and I wanted to "expedite the process", that is the closest I've come to asking to be put at the head of the line.
The only rush is I dont want you to have my money anymore, I want it. I would like to give it to some other knife maker and get a knife From them, Daniel.
No, you are not doing enough, I want my money back and you are not giving it to me.
There is no way I will pay some "lost materials and time" fee. Not least of all because in seven emails on this tangent this is the first you have mentioned it. You are trying to aasign some arbitrary fee for aggrivation which you wrought upon yourself, Daniel. I expect a full refund ($350 sorry for mis-typing that before) friday November the first (once again, as you stated) and if i dont I will be forced to report you.
* Also, you can't complain someone is rushing you if they are simply going by a timeline YOU laid out, Daniel. If you dont want to be held to a timeline dont put it forth, Daniel.
And finally I am submitting our email conversation in its entirety as negative feedback on bladeforums.com.
paco**
I am no longer interested in being a customer of yours. Please send my $350.00 to my paypal.
Thankyou
Paco
Paco - I apologize for any problems. *I don't understand. *I emailed you about the Bushcraft knife and never heard back so I had to let it go to someone else.
I will gladly heat-treat, glue-up and finish your Nessmuk this week. *I usually do my knives in batches and am behind on hundreds of orders, but if it means satisfying you and keeping your business then I will gladly move it to the front. *I appreciate your patience and understanding. *This is a one-man business and am doing the best I can.
Dan
▶ Show quoted text
--
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
You said you were going to send me a picture of the older bushcraft knife so I would know what I was getting, and never sent it. So, it was actually I who never heard back from you. And I was under the understanding you send your blades out to a third party (in Pennsylvania I believe?) So I do not see how you could guarantee my knife would be done in a week.
Paco
▶ Show quoted text
I am headed to a buddy's shop on Mon/Tue who has a heat treat oven. I usually do send off for heat treat to save time/money. But can make exceptions this way now and then. I'm already doing 2 others so its not a problem adding yours.*
I apologize for not sending the pics. I did take them and thought I sent them. Can you give me a chance to finish it for you? *I'll let you know when it's heat-treated. Thanks!
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
▶ Show quoted text
It definitely wont kill me to wait another week to get my money or the the knife. I really dont know what else to do.
▶ Show quoted text
Im sorry, it took a lot to come to the decision to ask for my money back and let go of the nessmuk. Now I cant bring myself to want it anymore. I wont be happy with it even though a couple weeks ago few things would have made me happier than getting that knife. So after it stirring my head up all day, I just want my money back. Please send it to my PayPal account. I really am sorry this didnt work out but to our mutual dipleasure it did not. I will expect a refund by Wednesday.
Good luck
Paco
▶ Show quoted text
Sorry we couldn't work it out. I don't have funds in my Paypal right now. I will refund you as soon as I can. It will likely be a week or 2. Info in my FAQ.*
You would probably have the knife sooner. I will let you know. I'm a one-man shop trying to do my best.*
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
▶ Show quoted text
Id appreciate you at least telling me wbere we are at with things. It is ridiculous for you to say you dont have any money in* your paypal account,* you run a buisness. If cannot give me my money promptly it means one of two things: you simply deign not to for conveniences sake and until some other poor sap pays you you will not pay me, or your accounting practices are as abysmal as your customer services. And seeing as you are still in business and recently re-arranged you shop to accomodate new equipment and I have read of more than several people that were less than impressed with your communication, time management, and buisness practices I can only assume the former. It has been 11 days since I asked for my money back, you said 1-2 weeks, I'd like my money back please.
Paco - there's no need for things to go this way. *I told you I'd heat-treat and finish your knife. *It is nearly completed. *I also said if you still wanted a refund, I would gladly accommodate you but I am not a walking ATM or Wal-Mart. *I am one-man shop - I do not have an accountant or office manager. *I do the best I can. *I did not insist on payment upfront.
That said, *I have never denied anyone a refund. *Please be patient with me and we'll get this taken care of as soon as possible. *
Dan
On Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 8:03 PM, paco labarces <superpaco80@gmail.com> wrote:
Id appreciate you at least telling me wbere we are at with things. It is ridiculous for you to say you dont have any money in* your paypal account,* you run a buisness. If cannot give me my money promptly it means one of two things: you simply deign not to for conveniences sake and until some other poor sap pays you you will not pay me, or your accounting practices are as abysmal as your customer services. And seeing as you are still in business and recently re-arranged you shop to accomodate new equipment and I have read of more than several people that were less than impressed with your communication, time management, and buisness practices I can only assume the former. It has been 11 days since I asked for my money back, you said 1-2 weeks, I'd like my money back please.
--
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
Go what way? Am I saying something untrue or malicious? I do not expect you to be an ATM or a Wal-Mart (or maybe I do, as I dont even know what that is trying to say). But I do expect a person who owns and runs a buisness where the least expensive single item is in the $150-$200 range to be able to take seven buisness days (I am giving you the benefit of the calendar here, as most banks can do your banking on saturday and sunday) and scrape together $360 to make something right instead of sending me a link to your FAQ so I can sell my spot for you instead of you doing what any buisness owner should. You are not living knife sale to knife sale you have a (inexpilcably) profitable business that has an account witb a major distributer. It is not that you dont have the money or its too difficult to fund your paypal. You, for one reason or another, very simply, just won't.* You stated it would likely be 1-2 weeks to get my money to me (insulting in the first place but i went along with it) now that time is almost up and you are asking for my paitence? You stated that the knife would be done by now (BEFORE you could get me my money) and you say its not yet done? Dont you still have to commision the sheath? You are stepping all over your own deadlines and are surprised when I meet that with indignation? Would you not react similarly?
I was extremely excited to get my first custom knife, from you. I had done a fair bit of research on patterns and knife steels and I truly liked your designs and still do. I suppose one of the reasons I am so angry is now I dont get my knife. I no longer want to give you my money or buisness. I expect my money by friday the first of November as per your stated timeline.
paco
▶ Show quoted text
Paco - I apologize for any miscommunication. *Your order is #13 on my Nessmuk list. (*http://kosterknives.com/3VNessmuk.htm*) There are 12 others ahead of you. *Sending money in advance doesn't move you to the top of the list. *Others on that list have waited longer and are ok with it. *Because of your concerns, I went ahead and not only moved you to the top of that list, but moved you in front of 400+ other orders on all my lists inclusive so I could get your knife done. *I'm risking upsetting hundreds of patient customers to put you first. *Am I not doing enough? * Please try to be more understanding of the nature of custom knife orders. *I'm not sitting around waiting for these knives to make themselves. *I don't have helpers to do the work for me. *I do all of it myself. *I make hundreds of knives per year. *When I go heat-treat a knife, I take others with me. *Same thing when I glue up. *Usually I do 20-50 at a time. *But for you I did 3 at a time. *I have to travel 50 miles to get the heat-treat done on short notice like this. *I did that on Friday - the earliest I could get out there. *Butch will be by tomorrow or Wed to make a sheath for you. *Why the awful rush? *If you absolutely have to have a refund, then I'll do it on Friday, but I'm going to have to deduct for materials/services lost. **
I'm a craftsman, Paco. *I work on things until I'm satisfied they are my best work. *I don't work by "deadlines". *If I did, I'd go crazy. *If you respect a craftsman's work, then you'll understand that. *Any knifemaker worth his salt wants his "best" work out the door....not his "fastest" work out the door. *
I just paid a number of large bills and am doing my best to get funds back into my Paypal account. *Ranting won't get your money any faster. I've never denied a refund, Paco. *I have thousands of satisfied customers around the entire world. *If you'll be patient, I will make it right and you will get my very best work. *I'd really like you to give me a chance to get this knife to you. *Please think it over.
Respectfully,
Dan
p.s.here are all the other orders I have outstanding:
http://kosterknives.com/2011MUCK.htm
http://kosterknives.com/MonsterNessieOrders.htm
http://kosterknives.com/EDC2011.htm
http://kosterknives.com/BushMaster.htm
http://kosterknives.com/Bushcraft2012.htm
I also have 200 orders I'm doing for KnivesShipFree.com
20 knives headed to a dealer in Malaysia
60 knives headed to a dealer in China
and I haven't yet posted the 178 orders I've taken since last updating those previous lists (moving to a new order tracking system right now).
As you can see....I have a lot on my plate.
I want to keep you as a customer, Paco. *Give me a chance to make that happen. *That's all I ask.
▶ Show quoted text
--
Daniel Koster
479-366-7794
Daniel,
As I said in prior emails i do not want to be your customer, Daniel. I want my money back. There was something like a six-hour window where you offered to push the knife to the top of your list and take it to your friends shop and I acquiesced. But in short order I recanted that and asked for my money back. You did not travel 50 miles and do a batch of three knives for me, you "were already doing two knives and it would be no trouble" to add the Nessmuk.
Daniel, I have never asked you to put me at the head of any line. At the beginning of this ridiculous transaction I said i wanted to pay in full because somwhere in one of your rants you said a knife that has been paid in full tends to get finished first, and I wanted to "expedite the process", that is the closest I've come to asking to be put at the head of the line.
The only rush is I dont want you to have my money anymore, I want it. I would like to give it to some other knife maker and get a knife From them, Daniel.
No, you are not doing enough, I want my money back and you are not giving it to me.
There is no way I will pay some "lost materials and time" fee. Not least of all because in seven emails on this tangent this is the first you have mentioned it. You are trying to aasign some arbitrary fee for aggrivation which you wrought upon yourself, Daniel. I expect a full refund ($350 sorry for mis-typing that before) friday November the first (once again, as you stated) and if i dont I will be forced to report you.
* Also, you can't complain someone is rushing you if they are simply going by a timeline YOU laid out, Daniel. If you dont want to be held to a timeline dont put it forth, Daniel.
And finally I am submitting our email conversation in its entirety as negative feedback on bladeforums.com.
paco**
