Some advice needed please

F

Frazer B

Joined
Feb 14, 2007
Messages
52
Hello

I have just received two custom folders from an online retailer. I live in the UK so i order either 1 higher value or 1+ lower value knives at a time to lower shipping costs. One of the folders has a Premium Fossil Mammoth Ivory handle which has arrived with a chip in it. The website photos on closer inspection show a small opening but the chip has occured prior to posting as the chip was not in the packaging.
Anyway- for those still with me :)
I contacted the retailer with a photo of damage and asked if the maker could create a replacement and forward it to me, i was told the only solution was to send the knife back for a refund.
I asked that if i did this could i have first refusal on the repaired knife and was told no.
This online retailer with which i have had 9 previous transactions this year totaling over $11500 is losing a customer.
I like this little knife, i'd like it fixed.
I wonder would it be OK to post the name of the maker as i can't find any direct contact details for him, maybe somebody can put me in touch directly and he can fix the issue, even though the retailer's photos show it intact.
Many thanks in advance for any advice

Frazer B
 
My condolences. IMHO, I'd ask for this to be moved to the Good Bad and Ugly. I'd add the name of the knifemaker so you can get the information you need. The knifemaker needs to know how his work and his collectors are being treated. I'd also add the name of the dealer so we can all beware. Don't hide the names of the guilty.
 
I agree that it would have been a nice gesture for the retailer to offer you first refusal on the repaired knife, but otherwise I don't find a lot to complain about.

Question: would you have bought the knife knowing the chip was there? If the answer is no, then your recourse is to return it for the full refund offered by the seller.

If the answer is yes - well, your complaint is what, exactly? Now, you say you like he knife and just want it fixed - that's all well and good, but the maker will likely charge you for it. This doesn't sound like a defect in craftsmanship to me. If it's worth it to you to incur that extra expense - fine - but understand that the choice is yours to make.

When you buy from a retailer (as opposed to directly from a maker) generally speaking the most they can do is offer you a full refund if you are unhappy with the knife.

Roger
 
HI Brownshoe
I feel kind of bad putting the Makers name in GBU as it could be seen as a slant against the quality of his work. The online retailer has damaged his work as in there online photo it isn't chipped, i also presume that if the online retailer had believed the work to be of poor quality they would have sent it back for fixing and not shipped it to a different continent.
If the online retailer has a policy of only refunding damaged work thats upto them, i just wish they had a policy of checking for damage before shipping aswell.
I posted to custom and handmade knives as i'm interested in getting it fixed but don't know if it's poor form to name the Maker publicly.
 
Hi Roger
I would not have bought the knife with a chip in it, the picture of the knife had no chip.
Getting a full refund is great if i don't want to see the knife again, but i do.
If the maker wants to charge me for the work it's fine with me, it means i get the knife fixed and complete, the maker has a new customer and the online retailer turned a profit on a damaged knife but lost a customer.
it would have been a nice gesture for the retailer to offer me first refusal on the repaired knife, but they have not and they won't help me fix it either so i am here.
 
frazer....is it possible for you to contat the maker diectly and try and have them fix it......if i was in the same situation that's what i would do if he or she was still actively making knives......ryan
 
Hi Ryan
That is exactly what i would like to do. I have searched for contact details on the web but i only come up with retailers.
Frazer
 
Frazer B said:
Hi Roger
I would not have bought the knife with a chip in it, the picture of the knife had no chip.
Click to expand...

Well, the question wasn't really hypothetical. You can in fact go back to that point in time and decide not to buy the knife. The offer of a full refund puts you in precisely that position.

By the way - how big of a chip are we talking about here? Do you have a pic?

Roger
 
Hello Frazer Nothing wrong with saying the makers name, I wouldn't of thought, you are not really blaming anyone least of all the maker the fact you want the knife still is an advert for his good work;)

www.msknives.co.uk
 
I just set up a photobucket account for the image so if it does not work, sorry, it did seem too easy :)
DSC00870.jpg


Roger - The problem with the time machine idea is that i like the knife, in the condition i bought it but not as received, maybe i'm too sentimental. In your opinion, in a situation such as this, who would pay the UK import duty? and the 2nd knife i bought with this one just cost me more because it didn't share the shipping fees. Never quite so easy with a straight refund. Oh, and if i replace the knife with another knife i have to pay shipping again.

Mick - Nice to hear from another Brit, i think your right, i have emphasized enough that the Maker in my opinion is not responsible.

Does anybody have direct contact details for Wayne Whittaker so that i can arrange for him to repair the knife.
 
Editited to remove Wayne's information from the forums.

Good luck

STR
 
Frazer B. when you get that info I am going to edit it out on Wayne's behave. I don't think Wayne will mind it being here temporarily but I'm not leaving it there.
So store it somewhere if you will.


Mike thats what I was afraid of. Please edit that out later today for Wayne in case he does not want that out on the world wide web forums.
Thanks
STR
 
Thankyou STR, your a lifesaver, if i had not been able to get in contact i would have had to send the knife back for the refund and would not have seen the knife again. I'll give him a call after the weekend, if anybody has an email contact it would be great.
Thanks Mick, i figure with this board being American it's the best place to get the info.
I'm going to post a GBU thread to make people aware of the retailers policies so that people are aware of their stance regarding damaged goods.
I have the details so feel free to edit.
Thank you
 
Ok good deal. I'm yanking the contact info now.

Again good luck working it out. It looks like a beaty other than the chip but its hard to tell what you got there.

STR
 
Looks like somebody dropped that sucker. :mad: Was the package opened by customs? From my point of view, unless stated otherwise, import duties are always the responsibility of the importer.

Roger
 
Personally I feel at the least the seller could have made a call to the maker on your behave and if not that he could at least offer you the contact information to reach him or tell you where to find it. It took me all of five seconds to find him on the members list of the voting members of the knife makers Guild.

Honestly that handle material is known for being problematic like that and many dealers have a disclaimer somewhere about that along with other materials but I have my doubts as to it happening by the mail. The chip should be there somewhere in the bag or box and papers if it happened in transit.

STR
 
If I was you, I'd either fix it myself, or if you don't feel comfortable doing that, visit the britishblades forum and see if you can get one of those guys to fill the hole with superglue or epoxy, or if you prefer, make a new set of scales. There are quite a few very talented makers on that forum.

Considering postage costs, it will probably be cheaper to have a British maker fix it for you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top