Problems getting my order

[Banjo]

I just got a Mark V 500 after wanting one for years (my dad always wanted one). I have placed two orders to get the stuff I didn't get with the sale and I'm having a hard time getting any help from ShopSmith. Everyone I talk to says it will ship today, but it never ships. I've been lied to by 4 different people and the will not return email. Is this standard for shopsmith? If so I may have one for sale.

Thanks for your help and I hope it is just a fluke with this order?

[rcplaneguy]

What did you order? Timeline?

[dusty]

Ordering 500 parts from Shopsmith is a shaky proposition to start with. Many (most) of the parts are no longer manufactured.

As has already been requested - what are you trying to order from Shopsmith for your 500?

You say you have been lied to. That is a very strong accusation and it implies that the person you were talking to KNEW that what was being said could not/would not happen. I would suggest that you were ill informed and that you need to take a more proactive approach when attempting to communicate with the folks in Customer Service.

I too have gotten bad information from CS but I do not believe I have ever been lied too. There would be no value in their lying. Misinformed! Try again and be persistent while you have them on the line.

[Banjo]

I ordered 4 items on 6/26
0005 Saw Blade - Combo 1
0001 555204 Sharpening Guide 1
0004 Live Center Set 1
0003 555434 Sandpaper - Conical Assorted 3
I called on 6/29 to see when they would ship. Was told the blade got in that day and it will ship today. Nothing shipped
I called on 7/6 to see what happened. Was told that the blade was on back order and they were waiting on it to ship everything. I ask if they could ship everything else but the blade. Sure, if will go out today. Nothing shipped.
I called on 7/10. Unsure why it hasn't shipped. I ask them to cancel the blade and ship the rest (thinking the back order may be messing up the works). Yes and I will hand deliver it to shipping and call you back. No ship, no call.
I called 7/12. ask to speak to manager. Brian said I will personally deliver the order and express ship at no charge {shipping} to you. Plus he unsold me on a different Live Center because they had sold the one I should have gotten two weeks ago. Two days ago and it still hasn't shipped. After the third call I feel like I have been lied to more than once.

[Banjo]

Don't get me wrong. I think I am going to love the machine. I am just a little flustered and wondering if this is par for the course. I'v been in sales and customer service and people should do what they say, or don't say it. I was also told their system is capable of sending out emails with updates, but they can't seem to get customer service to use it...

I also sent them emails and never received a reply.

[dusty]

Don't get me wrong. I think I am going to love the machine. I am just a little flustered and wondering if this is par for the course. I'v been in sales and customer service and people should do what they say, or don't say it. I was also told their system is capable of sending out emails with updates, but they can't seem to get customer service to use it...

I also sent them emails and never received a reply.

The E-Mail System is broke! I think permanently broke. I have at least six occasions of unanswered e-mail questions including one that is "current".

Call and be persistent. Polite but persistent. Let them know exactly what your complaint is. Hold for a response. Call backs don't work.

[kd6vpe]

I have had the same situation with some very recent orders. Also on some warranty work covered on a different thread. As I was waiting for the backorder parts I continued to order other things I needed against the back order and the shipping was considered already paid for. I was adding to my original order during the wait. Email does not work and I believe due to what I read here they are on the phone all day long fielding calls about orders or taking orders. It seemed that if I was pleasant on the calls I made they tried harder to correct things. I was told several times that they enjoyed my demeanor on the phone compared to a majority of the calls. FyI.

[Beave2012]

I think this is typical. They rarely ship me anything within a few weeks of the order (I'm still waiting on an order from a few weeks ago tobe shipped). Really it's just poor service (most likely compounded by poor logistics). You eventually end up getting better results from ebay. It's sad because we want to get official parts from the manufacturer, but it's unreliable. However if you can wait a few months you can get just about any part for 60 year old machines. So that aspect is impressive. Just keep your expectations low until the next change of ownership.

[thunderbirdbat]

On the other hand, I placed an order on 4 July and it was delivered on 7 July. The only large item in the order was the 3 in casters, a coupler and service parts for a 520 extension table including a rear rail. I wonder if they just do not carry a large quantity of some of the parts and it was never noticed because almost all companies had a shipping disclaimer of 6 to 8 weeks delivery. Now everyone expects to receive products within a week.

[JPG]

A few years back they had a 'clearance' sale to eliminate the need for warehousing so they could (sell the building/lease out space/emerge from bankruptcy/whatever) continue operating under reorganization from SS INC to RLF Brands LLC. Up until recently they were operating with legacy employees, especially in the CS department. For whatever reason those folks have retired and have been replaced with new folks.

I believe the legacy folks understood what it took to get parts from wherever they could be found(vendor/production/wherever). The new folks do not even understand what they are selling(an assumption).

Through all of this I do not think 'management' ever understood how those girls(and an exception) did what they did. They lost decades of experience when the legacy folks retired.

I do think management(some of it also new) has been trying to correct much of this, but are simply overwhelmed by the size and complexity of that task. To promise "all backorders to be shipped within a month or two" was indicative of that good intention but lack of understanding and likely created a frustrating period of time for all involved.

I think some critical path training needs to be added to whatever education management has already.

It is very disconcerting to me that 'we' are reporting being lied to(so as to move on to the next call(daily quota??? )).

I totally agree that being nice goes a long way in creating a cooperative mood.

Adding to internal problems, in this sad day and age when 'everyone?' is trying to ineffectively operate under JIT philosophy, purchasing is likely experiencing the same 'stuff' as is CS.

JMO from this far removed location.