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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Am I expecting to much?

Jan. 17, 2011 4:09 p.m. rebelgtp SuperDork

Hey guys I wanted to bounce this off you guys and see what you think.

I ordered two stocks from Boyds a couple weeks ago and they just showed up last Friday, I was very excited as one stock was for me and the other was for my girl friend's step dad for the rifle I'm building for him. Well I open up the box and pull out the first box it contained the black stock for the step dad's rifle and it was perfect. I then pull out the second box (that should be mine) open it up and it is a second black stock not tan like I had ordered, then I notice it isn't even for a 10/22! I check the end of box and it is a stock for a CZ 452, not even a gun I own or plan on buying. I double check my order to make sure it was not an issue of me ordering the wrong thing, nope one black and one tan stock both for the 10/22.

I call them up that afternoon and leave a message for someone to call me back because of the issue with the order. I get a call back this morning which I missed and I called back and got Jason, I explained the problem and gave him the part number off the end of the box and he confirmed with the order that it was the wrong part and said they must have grabbed the wrong part off the shelf. He never really apologized for the fact that they messed up or anything and basically went on to tell me to ship the stock back to them and they would send out the correct stock once that one was received.

I was then kind of struck by the fact they expected me to ship the wrong part back at my expense and I basically would not have the correct part for 2 weeks. He said that oh they would reimburse me for the shipping back, but again not until they received the wrong stock back. At this point I'm getting a little upset and I explain to him that I have a match the beginning of next month and I need the proper stock ASAP and could he not ship the proper stock while this one is shipped back or after the proper stock is received and they provide the return shipping label (normal for just about every company I have done business with). He starts to get a bit rude and states that no the only way I could receive another stock this week is to order it AGAIN then they would reimburse me once the initial wrong stock is returned. I let him know that is unacceptable and that I would like to speak with a manager in which he replies he is a manager and says there is nothing else he can (or will) do for me.

Am I wrong to expect a little extra customer service to rectify and issue that is their fault? Every other company where I have had issues with parts that must be returned they sent me the replacement and most of the time paid shipping label (if not already enclosed in the original package) prior to me sending back the offending product. Is it wrong to expect a company to try and rectify an issue that is clearly their own fault with as little trouble placed on the customer as possible?
Jan. 17, 2011 4:14 p.m. chuckles Reader

No, that's not too much to expect. I think you need to go over Jason's head.
Jan. 17, 2011 4:16 p.m. DILYSI Dave SuperDork

They could have done better, but so could you.

The easy answer would be to place another order for the right piece, ask him to eat the upgrade to 3 day shipping, and then return the bad one and wait for a credit of the price plus your return shipping.

Yeah, it means you've got 2 open orders for a week or so, but it also gives them a level of insurance that they will actually get the bad part back.
Jan. 17, 2011 4:20 p.m. spitfirebill Dork

Sounds like he is going by the book. I love it when sales people get rude when they have made the mistake. Other that trying to go over his head, I don't think you are going to get the stock ASAP.
Jan. 17, 2011 4:36 p.m. Matt B HalfDork

In a perfect world, I would agree with the OP. Unfortunately for us, the human race has scammers.

I'm with Dave on this one. Although it sounds like the guy could have treated you and the situation with a lot more respect.
Jan. 17, 2011 4:50 p.m. Travis_K Dork

IMO, the company sends a return label, you return the wrong part, and order another one, then they refund the money for the wrong one within a day or two of it being received.
Jan. 17, 2011 4:58 p.m. Hasbro HalfDork

DILYSI Dave wrote:

They could have done better, but so could you.

The easy answer would be to place another order for the right piece, ask him to eat the upgrade to 3 day shipping, and then return the bad one and wait for a credit of the price plus your return shipping.

Yeah, it means you've got 2 open orders for a week or so, but it also gives them a level of insurance that they will actually get the bad part back.

+1
Jan. 17, 2011 5:03 p.m. Keith SuperDork

We have the same policy - unless there are special circumstances, replacement parts don't get sent out until the bad/exchange part is sent back, or the customer pays for the new parts and gets refunded when the old ones arrive. We used to do it differently, but people never ever ever returned parts otherwise.
Jan. 17, 2011 5:21 p.m. rebelgtp SuperDork

In reply to Keith:

What about when you ship me the wrong part from the beginning and I have already waited for it for at least 2 weeks?

I guess part of my problem is I worked in customer service for to long and I actually would ship replacements immediately if it was our fault and we would pay for shipping as well, not expect the customer to pay it then us reimburse them.

At this point I'm basically thinking of returning the incorrect stock, get the refund and not even have them send a replacement. Even though the stock is what I wanted and it balances the rifle out beautifully (the bull barrel and Hogue stock make it nose heavy) it just honestly has soured on me. I will try calling them again tomorrow and see what we come up with.
Jan. 17, 2011 9:34 p.m. Chebbie_SB HalfDork

Does your method of payment offer any recourse ie: "This is Mastercard, stop screwing the poodle and give this customer what is right Jason !!!"
Jan. 17, 2011 10:40 p.m. Ranger50 HalfDork

I don't think either of them is right or wrong. Both sides could chill a bit to get what they both want, their products.

I think the return policy of that company sucks when it is their problem that started it. To require product returned OK. But to force a duplicate order to get their mix up fixed in time is BS. What happens when it isn't "just" a gun stock valued at what, $200? It is a part/complete order valued at $500 instead? So now I have to float $1k until you deem it necessary to return the money up to 30 days later (most SOP langauge for returns)?
Jan. 17, 2011 10:41 p.m. orphancars Reader

There is a plan C.........

You need the stock for your upcoming match -- call them tomorrow and have them send it and charge your card, see if you can negotiate expedited shipping into the deal. Get a tracking number.

Send back the wrong stock once you get a tracking number -- and include a very nice, very polite letter informing them of the situation and how you will not be using them again.
Jan. 17, 2011 11:07 p.m. rebelgtp SuperDork

I do have to say I was quite polite when I called them and kept my rising temper in check while speaking to the sales rep. I worked in customer service for far to long to call up and be a prick from the get go. Heck most of the time when I ask for a sup or manager its because I know the guy answering the phone normally will have his hands tied by "the book" and if he can't do a work around to help sometimes a higher up can.

I did also ask about expedited shipping and was told they only ship UPS ground
Jan. 18, 2011 9:03 a.m. Strizzo SuperDork

15 years ago, you might could have expected what you did. today, and more and more in the shooting sports business, not at all. most companies are already on pretty thin profits due to everyone looking for the cheapest way possible to get something that "looks the same" as the more expensive one. thats too bad they won't help you out, at least you have the other stock from the FIL's gun to use if you have to, unless he's planning on shooting his gun in that match too.
Jan. 18, 2011 10:37 a.m. slantvaliant Dork

I've never dealt with Boyds, but I have been buying gun-related stuff for decades. I've had good service from many different companies. Typically the suppliers are a lot smaller operations than customers think. And they usually don't support just-in-time logistics well.

Often, stocks are machined when orders come in, or in small batches in the case of popular models. IOW, they may not have had a stock on the shelf right when you called.

You might be expecting a bit much. What they offered isn't unusual or bad.

Sooo ... Tacticool? What kind of match?
Jan. 18, 2011 10:55 a.m. nickel_dime Dork

I feel your pain. I recently ordered a wheel stud kit for my MINI, studs and nuts. A week or so later a package arives with 32 nuts and no studs. I called them and he appologized for the mistake and would send the studs out along with a paid label to return half the nuts. A week later sure enough I get a package with 15 studs in it.
Jan. 18, 2011 11:22 a.m. rebelgtp SuperDork

slantvaliant wrote:

Sooo ... Tacticool? What kind of match?

The match is a winter time .22 silhouette match that is held up here. You have to shoot off hand with no support at all, not even a strap. The ranges go from 40-150 yards, the target out at 150 is no larger than a Fosters beer can. I could shoot it with my Hogue but when I saw the Boyds stock back in stock I ordered those because it will give the rifle a better balance because of the wood stock. Right now I'm barrel heavy with the combination of bull barrel and nylon stock. That is no problem shooting from a bench or prone but when trying to steady a shot off hand it starts to cause issues.
Jan. 18, 2011 12:10 p.m. Don49 Reader

This may be a silly question, but why not add weight to the nylon stock to balance it?
Jan. 18, 2011 1:26 p.m. rebelgtp SuperDork

Don49 wrote:

This may be a silly question, but why not add weight to the nylon stock to balance it?

The weight would have to be at the butt end which would be hard without some sort of pouch or the like, say on a cheek pad. Unfortunately they won't even let us use those.
Jan. 18, 2011 1:37 p.m. pilotbraden Reader

rebelgtp wrote:

Don49 wrote:

This may be a silly question, but why not add weight to the nylon stock to balance it?

The weight would have to be at the butt end which would be hard without some sort of pouch or the like, say on a cheek pad. Unfortunately they won't even let us use those.

Drill a hole under the butt plate, fill with eoxy and lead shot?
Jan. 18, 2011 2:37 p.m. rebelgtp SuperDork

In reply to pilotbraden:

I have thought about that
Jan. 18, 2011 4:28 p.m. rebelgtp SuperDork

I called back again today and was spoken to in a much more polite tone that yesterday I must say. They are sending out the replacement stock and eating the shipping charge (should have gone out today). Once I receive the replacement and ensure it is proper I will ship back the original screw up so if there is another problem I only have to ship back on package not two.

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