Bad Ugly: Böker warranty service

dkb45

dkb45

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I bought a Böker Plus FR S35VN from somebody here. Little lock slip, not a huge deal. Used it and found there's play in the stop pin too. Since I've used the knife I wouldn't want to return it, so I decide to message Böker as this is obviously a warranty issue. After close to a week of waiting, warranty gets back to me, and because I didn't buy it directly the obvious QC issue is not their responsibility. Thanks Böker, there's enough good companies out there that I am more than capable of writing off a bad one.

I understand that I could be charged for repairs if I'm not the original owner, it's not unheard of, but I've never heard of a company basically just saying "Boy, that sure sucks, good luck. We aren't gonna help." Even ZT and Benchmade have warrantied knives for me that have been modified, so long as the mods don't cause the damage then they stand fully behind their products. Böker apparently stands as far back and to the side as they can. I'm actually willing to get rid of my knives of theirs I actually do like now, that's simply laughable customer service.
 
Thats too bad to hear. Maybe you could pick up a bigger stop pin and fix it yourself? They should take care of it but since they won't, I bet you could get the knife working solid.
 
The worst thing a company can do with their image is to tie their product to the chain of ownership. It’s like admitting there’s no way to distinguish between a “genuine Boker” and a copy or counterfeit.
 
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Basically Böker said that it's Massdrop's problem. I'm going to try messaging Massdrop to see if I can get anything done there, but it's unlikely. I don't expect a distributor to give service in lieu of the manufacturer. The fact that Böker said that since it was made for a distributor, even though it carries the Böker branding and name, that I'm SoL frankly pisses me off. I noticed that Böker seems to have slipping QC, but I figured they had a warranty to back you up. Apparently not. It's cool, I only have a few Böker knives and won't be missing anything by getting rid of them.
 
Yonose said:
The worst thing a company can do with their image is to tie their product to the chain of ownership. It’s like admitting there’s no way to distinguish between a “genuine Boker” than a copy or counterfeit.
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No, it's even worse. It's basically them using the distribution chain as an excuse to not have to warranty their own shoddy product. Massdrop doesn't provide the warranty on Böker knives sold through Massdrop, same as I wouldn't expect KnifeCenter to warranty a KC exclusive model. They sell knives, not make them. The maker warranties products they make, tossing the blame on the distributor is very scummy.
 
Boker is the worst brand I've ever tried. Heard there warranty dept is bad too and because of that I never tried it. So I just stopped buying them and I'm happy. Keep trying, maybe they will eventually fix it.
 
dkb45 said:
No, it's even worse. It's basically them using the distribution chain as an excuse to not have to warranty their own shoddy product. Massdrop doesn't provide the warranty on Böker knives sold through Massdrop, same as I wouldn't expect KnifeCenter to warranty a KC exclusive model. They sell knives, not make them. The maker warranties products they make, tossing the blame on the distributor is very scummy.
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Generally, a seller of any consumer product warrants that is fit for its ordinary, intended use unless the seller uses magic language to disclaim that warranty.
 
I hope this will all work out. I used to like Böker a lot. I had a few awesome Bökers when I started collecting, so they have a special place in my heart. But I had a few misses as well, so I am really worried they might be going the way of Gerber.
 
Hope this all gets worked out. Was considering an Exskelibur... but might be reconsidering based on this...
 
dkb45 said:
Basically Böker said that it's Massdrop's problem. I'm going to try messaging Massdrop to see if I can get anything done there, but it's unlikely. I don't expect a distributor to give service in lieu of the manufacturer. The fact that Böker said that since it was made for a distributor, even though it carries the Böker branding and name, that I'm SoL frankly pisses me off. I noticed that Böker seems to have slipping QC, but I figured they had a warranty to back you up. Apparently not. It's cool, I only have a few Böker knives and won't be missing anything by getting rid of them.
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Maybe it's really a Massdrop problem, they pretend to be a manufacturer/designer. When they screwed up their recent Terzuloa run, Massdrop, not the manufacturer, handled refunds and returns, maybe its the same for this product. Handling returns is an expense, their contract with Boker may not include post-sale service, but just replacement/refund at Massdrop's expense.
 
A few months ago I had several back and forth emails with Boker. They seem to be very disorganized. I never did resolve my issue with them, and basically gave up on them. I really am a fan of their product, but dealing with the Mothership is a frustrating experience.
 
dsutton24 said:
A few months ago I had several back and forth emails with Boker. They seem to be very disorganized. I never did resolve my issue with them, and basically gave up on them. I really am a fan of their product, but dealing with the Mothership is a frustrating experience.
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I'm not sure but always thought boker usa was a separate entity from boker the mothership as ya called it in Germany. assuming you are in the usa and dealt with them?

they've done me right in the past for the few issues I've had.
 
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