From: M21605@mwvm.mitre.org
Subject: Re: mail order saw problems
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean VA 22102
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 13:32:09 GMT

In article <1992Oct5.185337.13861@ichips.intel.com>
pmeyer@.intel.com (Paul Meyer) writes:
 
>
>
>        I just wanted to relate a little tale about Williams Tool &
>Hardware Supply.  I have to say to begin, they have good prices and I
>have no reason to believe they generally have problems.  But they had
>problems with me.
>        At all stages they were reasonable and helpful on the phone.
>They never tried to dodge responsibility for their mistakes.
>
>9/14/92
>        I ordered a Delta Tilting Arbor Saw (220v, 2hp, one up from the
>contractor's saw) from Williams.  They had the best price I found, $870,
>with Jetlock fence.
>        The salesman told me it was in stock, and would take about 2
>weeks to get here to Arizona.  He assured me that they shipped to
>ground.  (He was also convinced that this 300lb saw was going UPS, which
>should have been a hint of incompetence.  Their limit is 70lbs)
>
>9/28/92
>        I glanced at a copy of their catalog from a friend.  It clearly
>stated they did not ship to ground, so I called back to check.  They do
>NOT ship to ground.  No big deal, I can get some friends together.  But
>now I found out that it wasn't going to be in stock until 10/12, so I
>wouldn't get it until a full month after they had told me I'd get it,
>and I'd still have to unload it myself.  I was upset, and talked to a
>supervisor.  They were all very nice and helpful, and they threw in a
>$40 wobble dado blade to soften the blow, and said that they would talk
>to the sales manager about the man who took my original order.
>
>        The $870 charge showed up on my Discover, though, dated the day
>I placed the order.
>
>10/2/92
>
>        I get a letter in the mail from Williams Tool stating that my
>credit card charge hadn't cleared.  Considering the charge was on my
>last statement, I doubted that.  So I called them today (10/5).  It
>turns out they lost the paperwork on the first charge, so they tried to
>charge it to my credit card again.  This is a low limit card, so the
>second $870 charge didn't clear.  Hence the letter.  They apologized.
>
>        They then told me that they wouldn't have the saw until 10/26.
>I told them to cancel the order and transfer me to the same supervisor I
>had talked to before.  I let her know politely that they had lost not
>only a sale, but also a customer.  She understood and apologized again.
>
>
>
>
>        If they had told me it was not in stock, they might have lost a
>sale, but I would still have used the company in the future.  They have
>good prices and they were very polite and helpful on the phone.
>
>        But with the combination of the error in the shipping info, the
>two changes in the availability date, and the attempted double charge to
>my credit card, they have lost a customer.
>
>        The original guy who took my order was incompetent, giving me
>wrong shipping info and not checking (or lying about) the availability.
>The second change in the shipping date was Delta's fault, not theirs.
>The credit card double charge was their mistake.  If the second charge
>had not bounced, it would have been even more of a pain.
>
>        I just place an order with WoodWorker's Supply in New Mexico.
>It's $70 more, and no free dado blade, but they have 9 in stock and
>they'll ship (to ground) in 3-4 days.
>
>        This is not meant to be a total slam of Williams Tool.  Gauging
>from their helpful positive attitude on the phone, I would suspect this
>to be a glitch.  But I thought my experience would be useful.
>
>--
>Paul Meyer
>
>Intel, Corp.
>5000 W. Chandler Blvd.
>Chandler, AZ  85226
  I have had equally an horrendous experience with Woodworkers Supply of New Me
xico.  I reccomend Tar Heel Filingin the future.  They are both reliable and re
asonable.
From: rer@hpfcdc.fc.hp.com (Rob Robason)
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 22:51:47 GMT
Subject: Miscellaneous Questions...
Organization: HP Fort Collins, Co.