Terrible Experience with Charles May knives

[Troutfrenzy]

Earlier this year, I ordered a custom bird and trout knife from Charles. He shipped it out in September via USPS Priority Mail, but the package was lost and never arrived. Here’s where things went downhill:

• Charles failed to take initiative to deal with USPS. I was the one who had to file the missing package search and insurance claim (which only covered $100). Charles denied any responsibility, and put the onus on me; since I had never requested additional insurance.
  
  
• He requested I pay via PayPal Friends & Family. I was a repeat buyer and at the time, trusted him. That meant I had no buyer protection when things went wrong.
  
  
• In the end, he didn't provide any refund or offer to remake the knife. I received only the $100 USPS insurance payout (losing $265)
  

Lesson learned: always use a protected payment method, and be careful ordering from this maker. Once things went wrong, I was on my own.

 

[MattWRog]

I’ve understood that currency in exchange for goods, in the broadest sense is a contract between the two parties. Fail to deliver the goods and that’s a breach of the contract. Either deliver the goods or make the buyer whole.

It’s the shippers responsibility to ensure the goods are delivered as promised and insurance is always to protect the shipper and not the buyer. It’s also the shippers burden to initiate a claim for loss.

Pretty poor form from a long standing maker like Charlie.