Disappointed with A.G. Russell Ordering System

D

DMZevchak

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Joined
Jul 12, 2001
Messages
6
I know I am being a little sensitive but it gets to me. I am sure you
guys have had similar experiences.

I ordered a pair of the Bagwell Stealth Bowies from A.G. who had them on the knife collectors club special knowing that they had limited
numbers, but when I ordered it over the internet it didn't stop me
nor did it show that they were sold out. (The next day when I checked
the site again it did show them sold out). I figured I got in on the
order. I have been lusting over getting a Bagwell Bowie for a long
time now and could never "justify" the expense. Why not order two?
One to use and one to collect.

While I was ordering them I decided to give them some more business
and ordered another $100 worth of stuff.

I received my package in the mail a few days later with everything
except my Bowies. I had been wanting them for a long time and when
I saw the good price I ordered them. I guess everyone else did too.
The invoice said it print that the Bowies were sold out. Not back
ordered - sold out.

I gets to me is that I was not notified before hand that they were
sold out. If I had known that I would have cancelled my order for the
other stuff. I was only ordering the other stuff to give them some
more business since they gave me such a good price on the Bowies.

I called their customer service and got a lady on the phone and all
she would tell me was that they were indeed sold out and that
"I should have been called". I guess it is the principle of the thing
that gets me. Being untrusting to begin with I find it hard not to
feel like they took the money and ran. I am not looking for compensation, if I did then my integrity would be compromised. I will keep the stuff I ordered too. I can use it but I really didn't need it. It is too much trouble to send back anyway. It will just be hard for me to order from them again when there are so many others to order from.

What kind of experiences have you guys had?

I guess the internet hasn't developed enough to link ordering with
inventory. A phone call or an internet message would have been nice.
Then I could have decided. Maybe this is too much to ask in our fast
paced, ship-it-out-the-door now world.

Dave Zevchak
 
It's come up in that past that A.G. Russel says his customer servive is top notch. It may be, I've never had to try it.

I could be wrong about this, but I believe it also came up in previous threads that because of his premium customer services his prices may not be the lowest.

For me, given that histroy, I'd give them a call and see if I can return everything.

YMMV,
DaveH
 
This is not limited to AG's site. In fact, I haven't yet found a site that has a consistent and accurate link between inventory and what is on their website. Many (or should I say ALL) of the websites mentioned in these forums list items that are unavailable, discontinued, etc.

We all know it costs money, usually a lot of money, to maintain a top notch web store. I have learned from my own disappointments to email or call the dealer within an hour or the next morning to confirm whether the item is in stock, whether they will be ordering or tracking it down from a distributor or the manufacturer.

So until web authoring becomes easier and cheaper, I would just as soon have the dealer offer me a lower price instead of spending thousands of dollars maintaining the perfect website.

Just a thought.
 
I've always found the service from AG to be really top-notch. On a limited offer like the bowies, it's always best to call and see if they have any left(they have an 800 number). I'm sure if you're unhappy with the items you received, they will take them back. Goldie and Amy are always very pleasant and knowledgeable.
To give you an idea of their business ethics: a few year's ago(about 1995) they had the prices switched in their catalog for Benchmark feathermates in cocobolo and sheephorn. The sheephorn was listed as cheaper than the wood which was obviously an error. When I called to ask about it, they said they would honor the prices that were printed there until the next catalog came out. I was able to buy 2 of them, the price difference was about $40 for the 2 of them. They could have just said it was a typo.
Unfortunately with the internet things do sometimes sell out fast but I think every dealer has this problem.I can understand your dissapointment but don't write them off just because of this, at least not without talking to them about it first.
Just my .02.

Dave
 
I would not let it get you down.

On a hot item like that I would think it next to impossible to keep up to date because the system probably does not remove current supply until the order is touched by a person. Most web based ordering systems are like that.

When buying big ticket or important items I almost always call it in.
 
You SHOULD have been called and this is not the first I have heard about A.G. Russell's "Top Notch"? service.
 
I to have ordered from the internet from A.G. Russel and waited and waited after about three weeks I called and they had no record of my order but the service was fine after I called I would not trust ordering on the internet from them again I would order only by phone. :(
 
Hi Dave,
I know how you feel. I got a flier in the mail on Saturday. Knowing that his weekend ordering crew didn't know stock availablity (I found that out before) I called first thing Monday morning and lucked out in getting a Gambler and a Stealth (the prices were very good). The lady on the phone told me that they were going really fast.

Like Dave says, order via the 1-800 number on specials. Saves a lot of heartache later.

Stick with AG, trust me, you will find another deal like that from him some day. I think AG and his crew are top notch folks.
 
I know it doesn't make the situation any better but......I would definately "phone" your orders in to A.G.

Internet ordering does seem to have its drawbacks. "Inventory" and "availability" obviously being some of the biggest.

Sorry for your unfortunate experience.
 
Originally posted by DMZevchak
I know I am being a little sensitive but it gets to me. I am sure you
guys have had similar experiences.

I ordered a pair of the Bagwell Stealth Bowies from A.G. who had them on the knife collectors club special knowing that they had limited
numbers, but when I ordered it over the internet it didn't stop me
nor did it show that they were sold out. (The next day when I checked
the site again it did show them sold out). I figured I got in on the
order. I have been lusting over getting a Bagwell Bowie for a long
time now and could never "justify" the expense. Why not order two?
One to use and one to collect.

While I was ordering them I decided to give them some more business
and ordered another $100 worth of stuff.

I received my package in the mail a few days later with everything
except my Bowies. I had been wanting them for a long time and when
I saw the good price I ordered them. I guess everyone else did too.
The invoice said it print that the Bowies were sold out. Not back
ordered - sold out.

I gets to me is that I was not notified before hand that they were
sold out. If I had known that I would have cancelled my order for the
other stuff. I was only ordering the other stuff to give them some
more business since they gave me such a good price on the Bowies.

I called their customer service and got a lady on the phone and all
she would tell me was that they were indeed sold out and that
"I should have been called". I guess it is the principle of the thing
that gets me. Being untrusting to begin with I find it hard not to
feel like they took the money and ran. I am not looking for compensation, if I did then my integrity would be compromised. I will keep the stuff I ordered too. I can use it but I really didn't need it. It is too much trouble to send back anyway. It will just be hard for me to order from them again when there are so many others to order from.

What kind of experiences have you guys had?

I guess the internet hasn't developed enough to link ordering with
inventory. A phone call or an internet message would have been nice.
Then I could have decided. Maybe this is too much to ask in our fast
paced, ship-it-out-the-door now world.

Dave Zevchak
Click to expand...

Dave:

I don't blame you for being disappointed. The lady who talked to you should have told you that, indeed we had finished the close-out of that item but if you would wait we would get what you wanted from the manufactuer and that we would honor the close-out price.

I have a very expensive programer working to improve our virtial cart. If he can tie inventory to on line order we will. HOWEVER we are hacked at least once a week and we will not tie our main computer to our internet server in a way that would allow hackers to shut us down.

I am really sorry for your experince and hope that you and others will be patient while we work to improve our internet service. It is taking much longer than I expected but I will continue if you will work with me.

Thanks to those in this thread who spoke up for us.

all the best,

A. G. Russell
 
Mr. Russell,
Thank you for your reply. I am not personally mad at you or your
company. I am disappointed. I am smart enough to know you can't satisfy everyone. I also realize my foolishness in using the internet and not the telephone. Next time I order a hot knife I won't make that mistake. I am willing to take my share of the blame.

In your reply you suggested that I could still get the knives if I am "willing to wait for them". I wish your customer service representative would have offered to get the knives for me. I think they call that "back ordering". When I opened the box and saw no knives and the printed message that they were sold out I decided to call to make sure I was mistaken and that I was on a back order list. I would hope that it would not take people complaining on a public forum to get put on a back order list. If your company was serious about my business then I would have expected to hear that from your customer service representative when I called to inquire about it. All I was told was that it was "sold out" and they implied by their tone that there was nothing they could do about it. They knew my order was an internet order, because when I told them the invoice number they recoginized it as such.

So I am still not sure about it. I appreciate the offer, but I would rather you work with your callers and customer service people instead so this won't happen to the next guy. I can buy these knives from many other sources. The price I pay may be a little more but I think I will get them this time.

Thanks,
Dave Zevchak
 
I'm not so sure everyone should be tarred with the same brush. I've ordered several knives from Smoky Mountain Knife Works on closeout. One I ordered just a few hours before the Sold Out sign was attached. Some of the models would be temporarily sold out, then available again, then sold out again. I became convinced that their ordering is indeed tied to their inventory. Otherwise I surely would have been burned. All my orders were made online.

I'd never thought about the business of being hacked, as A.G. pointed out. So, must admit it puzzles me how SMKW seems to be able to make it work.

I'm sure it is a real problem for many web vendors. I also feel sure that true customer service would include immediate notification of sold out status to anyone who ordered in the gap time.
 
I am playing catch-up on the forums. I have been so busy that I think I may have missed alomost a month worth of threads. Anyway on to the topic at hand..

First, I want to thank Bugs for the kind words as usual. And I also wanted to mention that tying a website to your master inventory file is not as easy as you would think and though it is certainly the way to go it carrires with it its own set of problems. One, of course, as AG brought up is that you can open yourself up to attack and you have to be extra careful. You also have the issue of learning to stock for another profit center.

As some of you know I worked in our call center when I first started working here and found that the problem of running out of a "hot" item is the number one thing that operators get chewed out for. I always felt bad for customers that really wanted an item but could not get it becuase we moved all of them in two hours or less. I felt bad but I could not do anything about it. Customers have to realize, especially when you have a discontinued item that 'supplies' being 'limited' may mean 30 or it may mean 3000, and that both amounts can sell out in a matter of hours.

In conclusion, Dave give AG Russell another chance they have a great website and a well deserved reputation. The Internet is still in the 2nd inning and we may be looking at overtime already.

Have a great weekend.
 
On any knife purchase that I've made. . .I've "always" either phoned in my request or sent a e-mail asking if "that particular knife was still available." If, they said yes via the phone ~ I'm in there. If, they responsed via e-mail that the knife is still available ~ I'm in there. If I get no response. . .oh well ~ I look else where.

It works. . . In all of my purchases. . .I've yet to experience what DMZevchak has.

I'm really shocked to hear that "sites" are being "hacked !" I thought it was only "Uncle Sugar" that had "hackers" hittin' them. . .
 
Here is an example of how e-commerce should be handled. I recently placed an Internet order with 1 Stop Knife Shop. The next morning I received an email that said the knife I ordered was out of stock. They gave the date they expected to have them available and asked if I still wanted to proceed with the order. I told them to go ahead. When I finally received the knife it had been shipped on the very day they said their new supply would arrive. I have only dealt with them once so far but you can be sure they will be the first place I turn for my next knife order.
 
I did NOT read all the posts...just the top one...but I would say this shouldnt even be here....If you want something that is limited very badly you need to CALL ON THE PHONE and make sure everything is clear......lots of emails dont even get to where they are supposed to. Mr Russell may have a problem....but I think you need to point that out to him so he can resolve it....not tell the whole world. :)
 
Only I called on last saturday after Russell had closed. I got the service that is supposed to take orders for the Russell Co. I got a young woman who not only wouldn't take my order, she laughed! I STILL thought I was talking to AG's people and I got hot! AG himself sent me some e-mails informing me about the service and offering to make things right. Sounded like a great guy, too. By then I had put a post on the board. I'm sorry for that. I didn't know about the service until AG's people told me. I felt like I could sit on a dime and swing my legs!
The knife I wanted was supposed to be on the way today, until the terrorist attack. I just don't know what to say about that. I guess, maybe it's an act of war against us. I saw this on another board--"Whoever has done this has opened up a large, serious can of whoop ass"!

Sadly,
Will
 
I almost always email a dealer to check stock before ordering online.Aleays if there is anything (on sale, limited quantities,etc.) special about it. If it's really a hot deal, I will call on the phone- most have tollfree numbers, otherwise costs me $.50. Once in a while I get a snippy response ("what does our website say, moron?") but usually have good results. In other words, verify first, especially if it's important to you. This has worked well with many different suppliers over the course of many purchases. One note, if they don't answer your email,do you want to order from them? PS: AG Russell has always been great for me to deal with!
 
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