Issues getting a MidTech/Custom knife repaired. What would you do?

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Rattler32

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Need some advice please. Last several months i've been trying to get a farily well-known maker to resolve a breakage.

I'm getting nowhere with it.

- Bought the knife in question towards the end of last year, it was supplied by the maker himself.

- End of January, a mechanism key to the operation of the knife broke. Under very light usage.

- A few days later I sent the maker a polite message on Instagram, asking for help. He replied a few days later and said he could send me a replacement part.

- I replied promptly, said thank you, supplied my address, and asked him to let me know if i owed him anything.

- Message was marked seen, but after 6-7 weeks i heard nothing more.

- Middle of March, i sent the maker another message on Instragram, asking (politely) where things are at.

- Message was marked seen, didn't hear back from him.

- I know for a fact he attended Blade Show West, and was selling knives there.

- Going by his recent Instragram posts, he is in the process of manufaturing items for Blade Show in Atlanta too.

- Early May, i sent another (polite) message on Instagram recapping the issue, and asking if he could please get in touch and advise on a timeframe
for resolving the issue. Again, Message marked seen. No reply.

- On the off chance there was some issue with his Instragram account, i copied the May 3rd Message to two different email addresses i found for him.
This was also done May 3rd. One address bounced. One did not. No reply.

- A week later, i sent him a message on Facebook. At the same time i also sent him a message via the "contact" from on a page that is linked
From his instagram page. Once again, no reply.

- The contact form listed a third email address, so at the same time i sent the contact form message, i forward the previously sen email to that email adress as well.
And yes, no reply to that either.

Over the last several months he's been on Instagram multiple times a day, pretty much every day.

Even if there is an issue with his Instragram account, i am presuming that between the multiple other ways i've tried to contact him,
he is capable of replying to me?

So why have i heard nothing more from him since the end of January?

Seems like my options are about exhausted, and that i am very definitely just plain being ignored?

Some of you might say "phone him".?

At this stage however, i'm inclined to say i've made a reasonable effort to remind him to get back to me.

Am i wrong?

So, if you were in this situaton, what would you do?
 
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I’d try to contact him some way other than Instagram. If he’s fairly well known I’m sure he has a website and possibly a phone number. Put your detective hat on. 😉
 
Rattler32 said:
Need some advice please. Last couple of months i've been trying to get a farily well-regarded/Well-known maker to resolve a breakage.

I'm getting nowhere with it.

- Bought the knife in question towards the end of last year, from the maker himself.

- End of January, a mechanism key to the operation of the knife broke. Under very light usage.

- I sent the maker a polite message on Instagram, asking for help. He replied a few days later and said he could send me a replacement part.

- I said thank you, supplied my address, and asked him to let me know if i owed him anything.

- Message was marked seen, but after 6-7 weeks i heard nothing more.

- Middle of March, i sent the maker another message, asking (politely) where things are at.

- Again, Message was marked seen, didn't hear back from him.

What am i to do here?

He's on Instagram multiple times a day , msot days.

He was exhibiting at Blade Show Texas too.

So why has he not replied to me?

Can't help but wonder if i'm just being ignored / avoided.

If you were in this situation, what would you do?
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See if he is on twitter. I have had good luck tweeting people and companies that i could not otherwise reach. Also, on one occasion I tweeted the problem company and infoed the BBB. It worked. The company immediately solved my issue. Because they know lots of people read tweets.
 
I would maybe give it one more try using feedback above, and if that didn't work I would update this thread with his name. While BF is not magic, it has on occasion helped some folks get satisfaction in their knife-related challenges. Now I may be the most impatient and least understanding person you are likely to encounter when you run a business, have my money, and somehow your product and/or customer-service is faulty, so anything I suggest should be viewed with that in mind.
 
Thanks to everyone for the above feedback.,

Made a few more attempts, and have edited the first post accrodingly.

If anyone has further advice, woudl appreciate it.
 
Unfortunately I don’t see custom knives as a “warranty-supported” purchase. My mentality when buying a custom is that it’s a one way purchase and using it and breaking it is a risk I’d have to be willing to accept. There may be custom makers that bend over backwards to help, there may be some that shrug their shoulders, and some in between that.. but I personally view the custom maker as “off the hook” if you accept the knife, inspect it, and it functions. Bonus points if they help fix an issue that arrises later, but not something I’d bash them for ignoring.
 
You would help future customers by disclosing who he is so others don't run into the same problem.
 
The maker has been clearly purposely ignoring the OP and some of you advise him to try other ways of communication? Disclosing the maker name might get their attention, as the above poster suggested. Frankly it's stories like this that keep me from buying custom knives.
 
While you may feel that naming the maker is bashing them, it could lead to your answer of the best way to contact them, or if this is their pattern. There are members here that know these guys.
 
Written communication is great as it creates a record that can easily be referred to. It is however much harder to ignore a person on the phone if he picks up. I would call and politely point out you have been patiently trying to contact him electronically ;) but thought it best now to call. At the very least you will either get action or it will be clear to you that it is not going to be resolved easily. You can then choose an appropriate course of action after.
 
If you can find out his address, you can send him a registered letter, return receipt requested. This provides both a chain of correspondence and evidence. I worked in a PO many moons ago.

If you do decide to write him, do not let the post office try to persuade you to send it certified. Registered is the strongest chain of custody, which is why the government sends classified docs via registered mail.
 
I hate when people start threads talking about a bad experience yet fail to name anybody. This is the place to name them, you’re not bashing them. You’re sharing your genuine experience which should include whom the maker is.
 
Sounds like this maker has chosen not to respond to you. Any custom maker worth anything should help a customer out in this type of situation. Especially just a part. I would appreciate knowing who this is, I am sure everyone else here would as well. You've given him every opportunity to follow through and been more than patient. He has earth's right to be called out.
 
Thank you again everyone

There might be a breakthrough, so i'm holding off on further comments for now..
 
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Rattler32 said:
Thank you again everyone

There might be a breakthrough, so i'm holding off on further comments for now..
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If they make it right are you going to let us know who the maker is or has this thread been essentially useless? I understand you don’t want to “bash” the maker but you could be helping others in the future avoid the same 4 month headache.
 
Locutus D'Borg said:
If you can find out his address, you can send him a registered letter, return receipt requested. This provides both a chain of correspondence and evidence. I worked in a PO many moons ago.

If you do decide to write him, do not let the post office try to persuade you to send it certified. Registered is the strongest chain of custody, which is why the government sends classified docs via registered mail.
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Honestly, not sure what this would do. The maker has already ignored multiple forms of communication. Its not like there is any reason or reality of legal action. Sending a registered letter would probably cost more than the part he needs. Its a pointless endeavor that is just going to take the op's time and money.
I wish the ops would just name the guy. What's the Real point of this post without that? How does it help any other members?
 
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