How NOT to buy an Automatic

[BePrepared]

Okay, so I'm sure this is beyond obvious to most of you, but buying a knockoff Microtech from Bladeplay last year has turned into $60 wasted.

This was their highest priced OTF D/A auto.

It came dull as a rock, which i'm sure you'd expect, but i didn't have time to send it back to them to so i just kept it. A few days back, i tried to sharpen it... i don't know what they make these blades out of (some sort of bargain cardboard maybe?) but this thing just went utterly to CRAP.

Somehow my sharpener (which has NEVER done this to anything before) managed to round the point completely off this knife. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get a sharp edge on this knife.

So i decided to message Bladeplay and ask them for any information on the manufacturer to discuss warranty repairs... this is the reply I got

Chris,
Unfortunately there is nothing we can do at this point as it is well beyond our ten day return policy, and the blade was purposefully altered.

I understand that sharpening a knife is part of owning it. Regardless, you had contacted us a year ago and we offered to replace the knife for you, but you chose not to follow through with the return. Unfortunately the manufacturer is a Chinese company and does not have a warranty on their items.


Thanks,
Tom

Sharpening a knife is constitutes "purposefully altered" REALLY?!

I consider it a lesson learned. It's mostly my fault as I opted not to return it originally, but I'm a bit surprised that a company would sell a product they know carries no warranty without saying as much on their site.

They did offer me an exchange originally, so I am the only one left to blame... You get what you pay for
Oh well... no more cheap crap for me.

Update: Cam made this right, and earned a customer for life... if perhaps a bit of a dramatic one :stupid:

 

[gzb]

Oh well... no more cheap crap for me.

This was a relatively cheap ($60) lesson learned that most all of us had to endure sometime or other in our hobby.

Blame Chinese quality, not the vendor. Though IMO, the latter has no couth to sell knockoffs in the first place...

 

[neuron]

Oh well... no more cheap crap for me.

Yeah, like you and the previous reply said, lesson learned in terms of what to expect if you buy cheap knockoff. I've never bought from BladePlay, but I have purchased many knives from their sister company, BladeHQ, which sells the higher-quality/brand name stuff (while BladePlay sells the lower-quality/knockoff stuff). I've had nothing but excellent experiences with BladeHQ, although I've never bought any autos from them since they're illegal to carry where I live unless you're military/LEO/etc.

 

[BladeHQ]

BePrepared, I have to admit I'm a little surprised at your post (and your email communications w/ us, now that I'm reading them). You were originally unhappy with the knife and we issued a return authorization. Now over a year later you're unhappy that we won't take the knife back (after you sharpened it, at that).

This seems like it's a big deal to you so let's see if we can take care of this. Just send the knife back and we'll refund you. I'd rather eat the cost of the knife than have you think we wronged you somehow.

Oh well... no more cheap crap for me.

This is probably a good idea. Right off the bat people are going to be either happy or unhappy with a low end (cheap) product depending on what their expectations were. You'd probably be much happier with something like an Microtech Ultratech or Scarab.

Cam

 

[Reeek]

I have had nothing but the best service and support from Cam's businesses and will continue to do business with them for as long as I continue to buy knives

 

[neuron]

BePrepared, I have to admit I'm a little surprised at your post (and your email communications w/ us, now that I'm reading them). You were originally unhappy with the knife and we issued a return authorization. Now over a year later you're unhappy that we won't take the knife back (after you sharpened it, at that).

This seems like it's a big deal to you so let's see if we can take care of this. Just send the knife back and we'll refund you. I'd rather eat the cost of the knife that have you think we wronged you somehow.



This is probably a good idea. Right off the bat people are going to be either happy or unhappy with a low end (cheap) product depending on what their expectations were. You'd probably be much happier with something like an Microtech Ultratech or Scarab.

Cam

Exactly. If you buy an imported replica/knockoff and expect it to be the same, or even in the same league, as the name brand knife costing six or seven times as much, there's a very good chance you're going to be disappointed. Same thing goes for expecting a warranty from some overseas manufacturer you've never heard of.

To the OP: it says a lot about the folks at BladePlay/BladeHQ that they're willing to offer you a refund even though, by any reasonable standard/policy, they don't have to do so.

 

[BePrepared]

BePrepared, I have to admit I'm a little surprised at your post (and your email communications w/ us, now that I'm reading them). You were originally unhappy with the knife and we issued a return authorization. Now over a year later you're unhappy that we won't take the knife back (after you sharpened it, at that).

This seems like it's a big deal to you so let's see if we can take care of this. Just send the knife back and we'll refund you. I'd rather eat the cost of the knife than have you think we wronged you somehow.



This is probably a good idea. Right off the bat people are going to be either happy or unhappy with a low end (cheap) product depending on what their expectations were. You'd probably be much happier with something like an Microtech Ultratech or Scarab.

Cam

To be honest, i'm not really ticked at you guys, although the snide way that i was replied to when i asked about the manufacturer was annoying. I didn't expect a refund or an exchange from you. I kept the knife when offered an exchange originally because i never had time to ship it back.

A year later, I wouldn't expect you to refund me, and i never asked for a refund. Rather I asked if I could be connected with the manufacturer to see if this problem was covered under the warranty. My problem was with the general attitude of the reply. This, along with the fact that I bought a knife without a warranty and had no way of knowing at the time of purpose combined to make me a bit... grumpy

My original message to your customer service department asked for help with a problem, not a refund. My second message clarified that as seen in the text of my clarifying message

Can you direct me to the manufacturer of this item? this is clearly a result of poor manufacture. I have dozens of blades that my sharpener don't destroy, so it is something to do with the blade.

Please let me know where i need to take my warranty concern

It's a cheap knife, and i probably should have known that at the time i bought it... as mentioned, i have learned my lession. I'm not looking for something for nothing here, but I guess I expected a bit more of a cordial or helpful response.

 

[BladeHQ]

although the snide way that i was replied to when i asked about the manufacturer was annoying

I don't think the reply was intended to be snide at all. Tom - the rep who replied - doesn't have a snide bone is his body (for real). I suppose it's hard to know with written text- I think that's why they invented emoticons.

fact that I bought a knife without a warranty and had no way of knowing at the time of purpose combined to make me a bit... grumpy

I can understand this. But anything that doesn't have its own warranty we really try to stand behind (within a reasonable time frame).

I do appreciate the alteration to your original post so let me do you a favor in return: I'll go ahead and refund you for the knife (no need to even send it back). We live, we learn!

Cam

 

[BePrepared]

Cam, i really appreciate that you're such an upstanding guy... please email me at Chris_p_porter1@yahoo.com before doing any refunding

I think, your surprising offer is one of the more impressive acts of customer service i've ever seen... i really didn't expect a refund.

You're a credit to your industry

 

[gzb]

I do appreciate the alteration to your original post so let me do you a favor in return: I'll go ahead and refund you for the knife (no need to even send it back). We live, we learn!

Cam

Impressive Customer Service gesture Cam.

Not many vendors would give you anything of the sort BP...

 

[Planterz]

I was unaware that bladeplay and bladehq were the same company. Bladehq has an amazing selection of automatics. Bladeplay has an amazing selection of knockoffs. I cannot and will not support a dealer that sells fakes, no matter how good their CS is.

 

[cziv]

Heck I sold self defense products of all kinds on 2 of my websites before retiring and I know one thing. I'd have told you to "push off" if I was Cam. Good show man! :thumbup:

I just bought a large Sebenza 21 from you 2 mos. ago and loved it!

A BladeHQ customer

 

[BePrepared]

Just an update folks

As of yesterday, Cam issued me a credit for the full purchase price of my knife.

Talk about going above and beyond... this is one of the more impressive customer service gestures I've ever seen.

You can feel more than safe doing business with Bladeplay or BladeHQ... i certainly do, and will continue to look to them first when knife shopping in the future

Thanks Cam!