Good afternoon to most of the forum. This last week I put a small order in at Track of the Wolf. This is maybe my 3rd order in as many years. Ive always received “stuff” timely and gotten what I expected. This week marks a poorer outcome than prior orders. I have not received my goods yet, as expected. Nothing is late. All is on schedule. Pricing is closer to full retail than I'd like but since they are a shooting sports dedicated retailer, Im happy to pay more than the dirt cheapest prices for items, if delivered timely, processed timely and the company basically serves me well. Thats what I am paying for. I ordered a number of 43 Spanish specific items including the 43 SP mold from Lyman.All my items were in stock at time of order, all shipped out timely. Again I have yet to receive my order, far too early. I received on day two following the order, an email from Track regarding the marking on the mold. The mold (s), including their entire inventory, were all marked 430186, not 439186. Track sent me a notification of the part being mis-stamped minutes before they sent the package out. I had no opportunity to respond to cancel that part. Problems start now. I received a shipping tracking email. Then I received correspondence they initiated with Lyman detailing Tracks inventory mis-label, Lyman technician indicated they were not satisfied with the mold build quality from inspection of their inventory. Wow. A known bad mold, in the retailers hands and advance communication to Lyman to verify there may likely be significant problems with the product. I let it go, what am I to do. Lyman responds with “have the client send it to us upon receipt, we will repair or replace under warranty". Thats awful nice of them. Considering I haven't even taken possession of the part! Are you all seeing where this is going?
I get a bit frustrated at this point, considering I am paying freight from Minnesota to California for a known bad part (advanced of shipping) and then paying to ship it to Lyman, and waiting a month for the entire process to turn around. Basically I get to pay for Track of the Wolf's inventory issues. Not Lyman's manufacturing issues, Track of the Wolf's issues.
I sent a displeasure email, cordial, but pulling no punches. I didn't take a poke at anyone, it's not a life threatening ordeal. I did mention this will be my 3rd NIB Lyman mold return and that typical replacement time has been 30 days. I wanted to shoot that 43 Spanish next weekend and ordered parts timely. If the mold arrived damaged, so be it. If Track had been forthright and not shipped it, 20 other vendors have it in stock, some at lower prices including shipping (not considering the double ship I get to pay for the needed repairs).
First received email at 2:25 PM:
Track of the Wolf, Inc.
18308 Joplin Street North West
Elk River, MN 55330-1773
Phone: 763-633-2500
Fax: 763-633-2550
Website:
Parts Shipped, here is your tracking number xxxxxxxx Third Email Received, unprompted 3/7/2013:
-----Original Message-----
From: LymanSales
David,
While I do appreciate the watchful eye your keeping on your inventory, it really does me more of a dis-service than help me.
You knew at time of packing the mold was incorrectly cut or stamped, yet you gave me just several minutes to intervene in halting the shipping. I have a life and don't sit at a computer with baited breath waiting for a problem to manifest on a simple order.
Now later TOTW investigation indicates the mold is lackluster quality and mismarked. Its likely DEAD on two occasions.
You did speak into the future of the situation by notifying Lyman of the problem. I appreciate that, but unlikely “JOE” will do anything except process me like all Lyman returns. I've sent two BRAND NEW molds back to Lyman over the years, got replacements a month later. Not the most timely service there. Ultimately Midway, Natchez, Midsouth- the goto companies for my reloading needs, would force the same standard Lyman return policy, but at least I'd have a 50-50 chance on a GOOD mold. On this one, I already know the item is a problem.
Basically you let the cabbage rot on the dock, till you needed to make coleslaw. Then decided since it's rotten you'll just serve it rotten and give me advance notice that “MY” coleslaw will make “ME” ill and your not responsible!
Then you force feed it to me! I can't even say NO to the item.
Somehow that's good service to the client.
I procured the mold from you, as I was ordering several 43 Spanish specific items and figured “Ill pay full retail HERE but Im giving TOTW added business, and why shop for absolute best price for individual items. TOTW has it all and is fairly “reasonable".
Had I been notified of the problem with the mold sooner, not 6 minutes before it was shipped, I'd have cancelled the mold and ordered from 4 other places that are significantly cheaper, even with separate shipping. I would still have patronized you for the rest of the items! And you'd have a happy client.
Suffice to say, Im bummed Ive been “SENT” thru a debacle to get a part, rather than be told “NOT IN STOCK".
I don't believe I am speaking out of turn or from an unrighteous position.
BTW: David, I get to pay shipping twice on that mold. Once to my door, known defective, then to Lyman for “repair!". And I get to wait a month or longer for an item that is 4 days away from 10 other retailers.
Truly, this stinks and speaks poorly of TOTW customer service. I own an electrical contracting firm here in California. I service the Rose Bowl and the UCLA campus as a sole provider for a discrete systems. If I ever handed the Rose Bowl “bad cabbage” with a note that said this is not worthy, but YOU can deal with the outcome...... Well that would end my 27 years in successful business.
Thank you for the fair warning regarding the situation.
Sincerely,
Mike Crain
Please allow me to clarify a few statements you have made and to reiterate them, for your edification.
I didn't alert anyone. This is only the second email from me. The first was my displeasure email written to you. A response to roughly four consecutive emails from your company regarding a problem your shipping dept found with the Lyman mold.
Track of the Wolf emailed me that the mold was wrong. How could I have notified you regarding a mold that I have yet to receive? My “stuff” is in transit. I don't have esp. The notification came at shipping, not following my inspection.
I believe your confused as to the information trail.
Also I'm not sure who you serve, but I remember being the client. Serve was your word, not mine. Lyman is your vendor, you pay them, they serve you. Your their client waving cash in the air trying to buy their goods and services. The mold is my money being spent, not theirs, making me your client (person requesting goods and services). I am taken back that you would offer a vendor as the most important entity in a business transaction, not the client merely offering money in exchange for your goods. I could care less how long they have been in business, it doesn't make your company any less responsible or culpable or theirs any more important. Lyman, yeah, their great. Track, ah,.. Not so much. The manufacturer is not even worthy of mention in this email. In order to blame shift though, they have to be mentioned.
If in fact this is where the shooting industry is going, or has already declined to, Dear God help us all in this country survive the backwards business practices now being applied.
I am truly not sure why you have taken an email directed at Track of the Wolf and turned it into a need to defend Lyman. They buggered a part, big deal. That's ok, they ARE HUMAN.... Agreed. But you checked the part, said it was broke, shipped it after saying its broke, then notified me I get to fix it. Because “it's easier that way". Just tell me it has a sunset guarantee, that's even easier for Track of the Wolf. Why bother even reading my email, that is even better for Track. Let's find the least intrusive way for Track to sidestep notifying a client they sent a known bad part out the door and resolve the subsequent financial and material issues.
Track of the Wolf hosed me, Lyman just made a machining error.
Again, I did NOT alert you of anything. You alerted me my parts are wrong and I need to jump through a hoop to fix an issue with YOUR inventory. Inventory from your vendor, not mine. If this was a car part with a defect, I'll bet the possibility of a lawsuit following an accident would preempt this sort of response. It's just a bullet mold, won't kill me so known defective parts are ok to pass onto the client.
That is the crux of my first email. And you have yet to even offer a condolence; not restitution, just a condolence...... Toward Track of the Wolfs error. Selling and shipping known defective material and passing the problem to the end user rather than doing the right thing and forwarding your defective inventory back to Lyman for correction is a travesty. Again, I get to pay shipping on a broken part, twice! Thank you for that generosity. I wanted to send the mold all over the country on my tab. I have nothing better to spend my money on but shipping defective parts, known defective parts, in for repair for the part retailer. I'm more than happy to offer my funding for any other known defective parts you have in inventory. That will make it easier and faster for everyone here to get their brand new broken parts fixed.
I have not asked for compensatory action, merely an apology for obvious and blatant buck passing.
I have repeatedly used your words and your shipping dept. words so that you can read how truly Heinous these statements are.
Lyman is the hero, not the villain. I'm glad your happy with their service, I'm sure I will be too.
This indeed will likely mark my last transaction with Track of the Wolf. I'm am an ASSRA member, a Cast Bullet Association dues paying member for many years and a 32 year veteran shooter. My sentiments will surely be relayed to a multitude of forums and associations. Respectfully in all cases, but also bearing full truth. It's not my job to change your business practices, it is my job to inform others when a retailer takes great latitude with the client base. It's not malice, it's just benevolence. Others should not have to deal with such matters as I will.
God forbid Larry Potterfield ever respond to a client like this. He has set the industry standard for service and response to the shooting sports. He is a model business owner to pattern after. His unparalleled business success is evidence enough to convince any human being of how to treat a client. Maybe read his bio.
I understand the problem with Track of the Wolf, it's relationship with Lyman and to me the client. I have been given a solution. I'll follow the way I have been given. I'm sure that in time, all issues with materials will be resolved.
In time!
Best regards
Mike Crain