Just send in your problem knives, and fast!

Blerv · #21

People knock the concept of buying from brick n mortar establishments but it solves the problem. Having a dealer who is as nitpicky as the buyer is helpful too.

Anyone can have bad luck. Some have expectations outside the spectrum of QC (its their spectrum to make). Good companies rarely make mistakes. In my experience, with my degree of anal retention, buying online is worth the crapshoot. Between my brother and my buying I have held about 100 Spydies within the last 5 years. Only a few were not impressive or needing help.

I expect excellence for the money, not perfection as that is impossible. I'm guessing people import Spydies because they offer something unique that can't be had domestically or at a reasonable price (like 3v folders). Generally that's why I buy imported goods. After buying high-end Japanese auto performance parts pocket knives are a bargain.

HighDesertSpyder · #22

I herby nominate Blerv ambassador to the country of Reason and Common Sense... thanks Blerv!!!

Blerv · #23

Haha! Thanks. A first for everything

jwh · #24

Blerv wrote: Spyderco, Inc.
Attn.: Warranty and Repair
820 Spyderco Way,
Golden, CO 80403 USA
Phone: 800-525-7770 / 303-279-8383
Fax: 303-278-2229
Email: customerservice@spyderco.com

Plus a check for $5 for return postage if its not deemed a valid W&R problem. If you have questions contact them and ask.
.

The above is extremely helpful.

Now to the heart of the matter. People are different and they are going to post as they wish. Nobody can control what is posted other than the moderators. I have learned over the years trying t change posters behavior only leads to headaches and heartburn. Ignoring a thread or even a user is the best method to handle this issue. Just my opinion of course, your milage may vary.

jnichols2 · #25

I bought a Sage 1 in September that wasn't very sharp and had edge angles that were way off. I knew Spyderco CS would take care of it for me, but it was time for me to learn how to do a reprofile anyway.

I only did a posting here after I had a better than factory edge. I felt no need to complain, but truth be told, I glad for a chance to brag a little. My Post: http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthre ... =reprofile

On another note. I am amazed at how many folks first take their knives apart trying to fix something that CS would take care of. Then they want to know what to do because their warranty is now void.

KardinalSyn · #26

Does the title imply that I should send any knife to Spyderco? Just asking :D

phaust · #27

Blerv wrote:People knock the concept of buying from brick n mortar establishments but it solves the problem. Having a dealer who is as nitpicky as the buyer is helpful too.

Adding to this, I got a (backup) M2XL with a blatant from-the-factory problem, emailed Spyderco a few minutes after receiving it, and had it blamed on me for spinewhacking it (I had only opened it to look it over before storing it with other backup knives). It was from Amazon, and they have a great return policy, even shipping out a new one before the old one was in the mail to them. The moral here is when buying online, using stores with a good return policy also is very helpful.

Blerv wrote: Anyone can have bad luck.

This is a good point. I know I've posted at least once or twice "Once I read a guy who had problem X, so", which is to say, generalized based on a one-off occurrence. It's good to remember that once is not a trend :)

Onionman · #28

Never had a problem with Spyderco Customer Service and never thought to vent my QC problems here before going to Spyderco first. I just don't see the point in venting and complaining until you first contact Customer Service and get the knife checked out. If things go wrong from there, then vent away I say!

xavierdoc · #29

For those of us in the UK, sending a folder back to Spyderco can incur significant expense (not just shipping costs but tax and handling charges) but also the risk of having the knife seized by our over zealous customs agents. The latter can occur irrespective of the legality of owning the knife in the UK (ironically, it has even occurred with the UKPK!)

Buying from a UK dealer costs more than direct import but avoids these issues. You pays your money and takes your choice, I guess. Sadly, many sprints and exclusives can't be obtained through UK dealers.

Luckily, I've never had a problem with a Spyderco knife that has needed CS help.

#30

We do produce a fairly large amount of new models. Anything new will at times have glitches. Difficult to avoid. I guess we could stop making new exotic models, but I don't think that's what our customers would prefer. Best if our customers help us solve the problem.

We have set up distributors in 54 countries so our customers can contact local distributors and solve most problems quickly and inexpensively.

To have a problem with a product and not try to solve it is not rational. We make it as simple as possible to take care of our customers.

When someone has a problem and they reach for a microphone before contacting us, I question the priority of the solution verses the attention. If someone has a legitimate problem, it seems that working with us to solve their problem and possibly save others in the future from the same experience is the intelligent and courteous thing to do. We always try to sove problems and we always try to improve our products.

sal

Blerv · #31

Thank you for adding substance to this sal. I didn't realize you had such an extensive network of folks working together to make the customer right.

Another reminder that it never hurts to ask and that you can catch more bees with honey than with turpentine.

JCP1969 · #32

Pretty logical stuff here. Should be a sticky.

James

Cheddarnut · #33

With all due respect, this is ridiculous.
A forum is here to ask questions. Lets say im new to knives and spyderco specifically. I get a knife with something that seems off. I want to know first of all if this is a common problem, i want to calibrate my expectations, so i post a 'got a problem' thread to see if my concerns are legit. I dont want to send a knife back if a) this 'problem' isnt a problem and is within spec, or 2) if it is legitimate problem, is there a helpful solution that the collective experience of the forum could suggest so i dont waste my time/money/risk of confiscation (in my case) sending it in.
Lets not assume everyone asking for help has read the threads we have, there are still people new enough to this game to not fear the retribution of 'complaining'. Ironically, this thread supercedes knives and is complaining about faulty posters. I guess you get what you pay for, and people that donate their time to a community for free because theyre interested in somebody elses buisness have the right to not know what, according to the band-wagonism of this thread, the unwritten rules for posting are. Blerv and Evil, you guys are serious contributors here and i respect you both very much, this just seems...out of character.

Blerv · #34

This isn't Yelp or Amazon. People come here to learn and share with a modicum of community cooperation (ie courtesy).

The threads I'm referring to are usually started by people who are pissed. They don't write a detailed report or take an earnest tone towards resolution; it's an agenda drive. There are rarely pics or video. After pages of hurt feelings the knife doesn't even get sent in. If so, there typicially isn't a conclusion thread.

If its out of character for me to roll my eyes at nonsensically raging posters who have no interest in what this forum offers, sorry. As mentioned I don't want to squelch voices or give respect based on post count. No grudges held across threads either (to anyone). Some folks just really enjoy a good whine with their cheese. I would rather not waste my time or at least see a proper result come from it.

Slash · #35

People would have to actually use their knives to discover a "problem".
If you understand what that means you'll be more than just a collector that only cuts paper or shaves arm hair and need I say spine wacking.

The Deacon · #36

Cheddarnut wrote:With all due respect, this is ridiculous.
A forum is here to ask questions. Lets say im new to knives and spyderco specifically. I get a knife with something that seems off. I want to know first of all if this is a common problem, i want to calibrate my expectations, so i post a 'got a problem' thread to see if my concerns are legit. I dont want to send a knife back if a) this 'problem' isnt a problem and is within spec, or 2) if it is legitimate problem, is there a helpful solution that the collective experience of the forum could suggest so i dont waste my time/money/risk of confiscation (in my case) sending it in.
Lets not assume everyone asking for help has read the threads we have, there are still people new enough to this game to not fear the retribution of 'complaining'. Ironically, this thread supercedes knives and is complaining about faulty posters. I guess you get what you pay for, and people that donate their time to a community for free because theyre interested in somebody elses buisness have the right to not know what, according to the band-wagonism of this thread, the unwritten rules for posting are. Blerv and Evil, you guys are serious contributors here and i respect you both very much, this just seems...out of character.

With all due respect, while I agree that someone posting a report or a question about an issue they've had with a knife is a valid use of the forum, the responses such posts receive are almost always going to be dependent on the tone of the OP's post and, in many cases, the way the thread is titled. Reasonable or not, thread titles containing sad or angry smilies, words like "junk" and "trash", and/or long stings of exclamation points, will generally generate more negative responses than threads that simply pose a question or state an issue. I'm pretty sure that's true on most forums and probably more so on manufacturer's forums since the majority of the regulars there are going to be folks who like the brand and are familiar with both its strong points and its quirks. Put as politely as possible, some things pass the sniff test, some don't. So while there can be genuinely faulty knives, there can also be questionable problem posts. It also should be noted that even the most absurd sounding "issue" reports often receive at least some reasonable answers. But, human nature being what it is, "I have six of those and they all look exactly like that" or "best thing you can do is return it, ether to the dealer or Spyderco" are not what the OP wants to hear.

Evil D · #37

sal wrote:We do produce a fairly large amount of new models. Anything new will at times have glitches. Difficult to avoid. I guess we could stop making new exotic models, but I don't think that's what our customers would prefer. Best if our customers help us solve the problem.

We have set up distributors in 54 countries so our customers can contact local distributors and solve most problems quickly and inexpensively.

To have a problem with a product and not try to solve it is not rational. We make it as simple as possible to take care of our customers.

When someone has a problem and they reach for a microphone before contacting us, I question the priority of the solution verses the attention. If someone has a legitimate problem, it seems that working with us to solve their problem and possibly save others in the future from the same experience is the intelligent and courteous thing to do. We always try to sove problems and we always try to improve our products.

sal

Pretty much sums up what i've tried to say in these two related threads. If you care enough to come here to complain about it, then take the next step and try to solve the problem. As they say, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Evil D · #38

Cheddarnut wrote:With all due respect, this is ridiculous.
A forum is here to ask questions. Lets say im new to knives and spyderco specifically. I get a knife with something that seems off. I want to know first of all if this is a common problem, i want to calibrate my expectations, so i post a 'got a problem' thread to see if my concerns are legit. I dont want to send a knife back if a) this 'problem' isnt a problem and is within spec, or 2) if it is legitimate problem, is there a helpful solution that the collective experience of the forum could suggest so i dont waste my time/money/risk of confiscation (in my case) sending it in.
Lets not assume everyone asking for help has read the threads we have, there are still people new enough to this game to not fear the retribution of 'complaining'. Ironically, this thread supercedes knives and is complaining about faulty posters. I guess you get what you pay for, and people that donate their time to a community for free because theyre interested in somebody elses buisness have the right to not know what, according to the band-wagonism of this thread, the unwritten rules for posting are. Blerv and Evil, you guys are serious contributors here and i respect you both very much, this just seems...out of character.

I get everything you're saying and I mostly agree. If you have a knife that has a blade that isn't centered, by all means ask about it here before you waste your time sending it in to Spyderco. A defeated lock is completely different though isn't it? Besides, the original poster made his thread, got his answer that the knife needed to be inspected, and i guess did nothing about it. Then another person comes in saying pretty much the same thing but that he chose to just throw that knife away instead of helping to find the problem. If you have chipping around the screws of some carbon fiber, or maybe your bevel grind is wrong, those are normal questions to ask about on the forum. If i had a real serious problem like a lock that failed, i would probably keep it to myself and speak with Spyderco over the phone before i posted anything, because of the mess it creates just like this has. It's sort of like a negative hype reaction, putting fear and concern into everyone when it can all be avoided by taking the right steps. What really set me off was the guy saying he just threw it in the trash, after having wasted Ed's time through PM's. Just seems like a waste of time for all of us.

dbcad · #39

Thanks for the thread Blake :) Also appreciate the simple common sense of the majority of replies

I can't write anything that says it better than the replies I've read. I've lost count of how many Spydercos have been thru my hands and in my pockets, somewhere arouind 70 I think?? Never have I felt the need to return a Spyderco to the dealer or contact W&R.

Blerv · #40

Delivery is a very important part of communication. The more potentially volatile the more accurate the delivery has to be.

I should take my own advice. :)