Don't you love having to fix something, out of the box, that you bought,
new.
I bought a dovetail jig from MLCS.
I open it up and start to assemble it and there are problems, right off
the bat. You can see in the following pictures that half of the six
bolts on it are bent.
http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeadiddle/MLCS8706DovetailJigDefects#
What you can't see is that the template brackets were also bent and the
jig body was out of square. (The jig body holds the stock together at
90degrees)
Of course, they offered to replace it, but I have to ship it back to
them and wait for them to get it, until they send another one back. So,
I have to *pay* to ship something back and wait a couple more weeks.
Not gonna do it. I told MLCS to make a record of our conversation and
that I was going to see if I could bend the parts back without them
breaking. Those pictures are for the before... for the record.
That's what I did, I bent them back and I'll see what happens tomorrow.
Just venting, I guess.
I get frustrated by having to repair or re-engineer things I buy, new,
just to get them to operate properly. This seems to happen a lot lately.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
On Mar 12, 9:09=A0am, blueman <[email protected]> wrote:
> -MIKE- <[email protected]> writes:
> > Don't you love having to fix something, out of the box, that you bought=
,
> > new.
> > I bought a dovetail jig from MLCS.
> > I open it up and start to assemble it and there are problems, right off
> > the bat. =A0You can see in the following pictures that half of the six
> > bolts on it are bent.
>
> >http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeadiddle/MLCS8706DovetailJigDefects#
>
> > What you can't see is that the template brackets were also bent and the
> > jig body was out of square. =A0(The jig body holds the stock together a=
t
> > 90degrees)
>
> > Of course, they offered to replace it, but I have to ship it back to
> > them and wait for them to get it, until they send another one back. So,
> > I have to *pay* to ship something back and wait a couple more weeks.
>
> > Not gonna do it. I told MLCS to make a record of our conversation and
> > that I was going to see if I could bend the parts back without them
> > breaking. Those pictures are for the before... for the record.
>
> > That's what I did, I bent them back and I'll see what happens tomorrow.
>
> > Just venting, I guess.
> > I get frustrated by having to repair or re-engineer things I buy, new,
> > just to get them to operate properly. =A0This seems to happen a lot lat=
ely.
>
> If they sent you something that was defective out-of-the-box, you should
> NOT have to pay for return shipping. I would continue calling & arguing
> (politely) with them until they consent to cover return
> shipping. Ideally, they should be willing to ship a new one right away
> with the option of charging your credit card if you fail to return the
> original in reasonable time. A good company may even offer to expedite
> shipping of the replacement and/or not require you to return the old
> broken one.
>
> On the other hand, If they fail to cover return shipping, I would
> threaten to cancel the payment with your credit card
> company. Personally, I have bought tons of stuff online and have NEVER
> had to pay for return shipping of defective items. YMMV.
I'm with you. They didn't live up to their end of the contract. If
they can't make you whole at the original price (shipping included),
tell them that you're canceling the order (you haven't received what
you ordered) and issue a charge-back. If your credit card company
balks, they're the next to be fired.
On Mar 12, 12:10=A0pm, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 3/12/10 9:09 AM, blueman wrote:
>
> > If they sent you something that was defective out-of-the-box, you shoul=
d
> > NOT have to pay for return shipping. I would continue calling& =A0argui=
ng
> > (politely) with them until they consent to cover return
> > shipping. Ideally, they should be willing to ship a new one right away
> > with the option of charging your credit card if you fail to return the
> > original in reasonable time. A good company may even offer to expedite
> > shipping of the replacement and/or not require you to return the old
> > broken one.
>
> > On the other hand, If they fail to cover return shipping, I would
> > threaten to cancel the payment with your credit card
> > company. Personally, I have bought tons of stuff online and have NEVER
> > had to pay for return shipping of defective items. YMMV.
>
> They did offer to send one and charge the card..... who wouldn't?
> That's called "buying" a new one, right? =A0 :-)
That's fine. Just get them to refund the price of the damaged one,
pending your timely return (on their dime).
> To me, it was more about the time. =A0I was/am ready to get rocking on
> this thing.
>
> And if the repairs I did, yesterday, don't cut it today, I'll be having
> that "return shipping" conversation with them.
Then they'll claim that you damaged it.
> I was hoping they were the kind of company (like Lee Valley seems to be
> and others I've dealt with) who would be shipping out up a new one that
> day and emailing a return shipping label to me before I hung up the
> phone.
> *Anyone* can get every order right all the time. =A0
I think you mean that the other way 'round (anyone can screw up - no
one is perfect...)
> The test of an
> exception company is what happens after they screw up.
Yup. Companies that fix problems with a minimum of fuss get my repeat
business.
On 3/12/2010 1:30 AM, [email protected] wrote:
> Take my word on this.... you won't get it right. I goofed with it for
> a month until I gave up. It got close, but that was it.
Bingo ... and close doesn't count with dovetail jigs under the best of
circumstances.
IME, trying to straighten this thing out is going to be a constant
source of future frustration.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)
I hate fixing anything new, and I don't think I should have to do it.
I usually don't.
I had an old dovetail jig years ago, and it had been dropped or
mishandled in some other way. It was an old steel setup, and was
fairly heavy, and a simple drop would have bent it off true enough for
problems.
Take my word on this.... you won't get it right. I goofed with it for
a month until I gave up. It got close, but that was it.
I took it back (Woodcraft) and got another one as soon as they go them
back in stock.
Robert
On 3/12/10 9:09 AM, blueman wrote:
> If they sent you something that was defective out-of-the-box, you should
> NOT have to pay for return shipping. I would continue calling& arguing
> (politely) with them until they consent to cover return
> shipping. Ideally, they should be willing to ship a new one right away
> with the option of charging your credit card if you fail to return the
> original in reasonable time. A good company may even offer to expedite
> shipping of the replacement and/or not require you to return the old
> broken one.
>
> On the other hand, If they fail to cover return shipping, I would
> threaten to cancel the payment with your credit card
> company. Personally, I have bought tons of stuff online and have NEVER
> had to pay for return shipping of defective items. YMMV.
They did offer to send one and charge the card..... who wouldn't?
That's called "buying" a new one, right? :-)
To me, it was more about the time. I was/am ready to get rocking on
this thing.
And if the repairs I did, yesterday, don't cut it today, I'll be having
that "return shipping" conversation with them.
I was hoping they were the kind of company (like Lee Valley seems to be
and others I've dealt with) who would be shipping out up a new one that
day and emailing a return shipping label to me before I hung up the
phone.
*Anyone* can get every order right all the time. The test of an
exception company is what happens after they screw up.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
On 3/12/10 9:18 AM, Swingman wrote:
> On 3/12/2010 1:30 AM, [email protected] wrote:
>
>> Take my word on this.... you won't get it right. I goofed with it for
>> a month until I gave up. It got close, but that was it.
>
>
> Bingo ... and close doesn't count with dovetail jigs under the best of
> circumstances.
>
> IME, trying to straighten this thing out is going to be a constant
> source of future frustration.
>
I suspect you guys may be right. I did the repairs, yesterday.
I'm going to test it out, today, and see what's up.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
On 3/12/10 12:30 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> On Mar 12, 12:10 pm, -MIKE-<[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 3/12/10 9:09 AM, blueman wrote:
>>
>>> If they sent you something that was defective out-of-the-box, you should
>>> NOT have to pay for return shipping. I would continue calling& arguing
>>> (politely) with them until they consent to cover return
>>> shipping. Ideally, they should be willing to ship a new one right away
>>> with the option of charging your credit card if you fail to return the
>>> original in reasonable time. A good company may even offer to expedite
>>> shipping of the replacement and/or not require you to return the old
>>> broken one.
>>
>>> On the other hand, If they fail to cover return shipping, I would
>>> threaten to cancel the payment with your credit card
>>> company. Personally, I have bought tons of stuff online and have NEVER
>>> had to pay for return shipping of defective items. YMMV.
>>
>> They did offer to send one and charge the card..... who wouldn't?
>> That's called "buying" a new one, right? :-)
>
> That's fine. Just get them to refund the price of the damaged one,
> pending your timely return (on their dime).
>
Yeah, understood.
>> To me, it was more about the time. I was/am ready to get rocking on
>> this thing.
>>
>> And if the repairs I did, yesterday, don't cut it today, I'll be having
>> that "return shipping" conversation with them.
>
> Then they'll claim that you damaged it.
>
Nah, when I talked to the guy on the phone, I told him I was doing that.
Only a really terrible company/employee would operate like that. And
this would be the litmus test, meaning they would never see another dime
from me, nor anyone in this group... or lumberjocks.com, etc., etc.
>> I was hoping they were the kind of company (like Lee Valley seems to be
>> and others I've dealt with) who would be shipping out up a new one that
>> day and emailing a return shipping label to me before I hung up the
>> phone.
>
>> *Anyone* can get every order right all the time.
>
> I think you mean that the other way 'round (anyone can screw up - no
> one is perfect...)
>
Nope, that's the way I meant it. With computers and bar codes and all
that, any company can do it right. You find out who really has their
act together when something goes awry.
>> The test of an
>> exception company is what happens after they screw up.
>
> Yup. Companies that fix problems with a minimum of fuss get my repeat
> business.
>
There are still plenty of those around, thankfully.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
On 3/11/10 9:40 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
> Don't you love having to fix something, out of the box, that you bought,
> new.
> I bought a dovetail jig from MLCS.
> I open it up and start to assemble it and there are problems, right off
> the bat. You can see in the following pictures that half of the six
> bolts on it are bent.
>
> http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeadiddle/MLCS8706DovetailJigDefects#
>
Seems to work properly, after my repairs.
However, there are some simple things they could to this to make to much
easier to use.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
-MIKE- <[email protected]> writes:
> Don't you love having to fix something, out of the box, that you bought,
> new.
> I bought a dovetail jig from MLCS.
> I open it up and start to assemble it and there are problems, right off
> the bat. You can see in the following pictures that half of the six
> bolts on it are bent.
>
> http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeadiddle/MLCS8706DovetailJigDefects#
>
> What you can't see is that the template brackets were also bent and the
> jig body was out of square. (The jig body holds the stock together at
> 90degrees)
>
> Of course, they offered to replace it, but I have to ship it back to
> them and wait for them to get it, until they send another one back. So,
> I have to *pay* to ship something back and wait a couple more weeks.
>
> Not gonna do it. I told MLCS to make a record of our conversation and
> that I was going to see if I could bend the parts back without them
> breaking. Those pictures are for the before... for the record.
>
> That's what I did, I bent them back and I'll see what happens tomorrow.
>
> Just venting, I guess.
> I get frustrated by having to repair or re-engineer things I buy, new,
> just to get them to operate properly. This seems to happen a lot lately.
If they sent you something that was defective out-of-the-box, you should
NOT have to pay for return shipping. I would continue calling & arguing
(politely) with them until they consent to cover return
shipping. Ideally, they should be willing to ship a new one right away
with the option of charging your credit card if you fail to return the
original in reasonable time. A good company may even offer to expedite
shipping of the replacement and/or not require you to return the old
broken one.
On the other hand, If they fail to cover return shipping, I would
threaten to cancel the payment with your credit card
company. Personally, I have bought tons of stuff online and have NEVER
had to pay for return shipping of defective items. YMMV.