Problems with Dave Canterbury wilderness outfitters

[squantrill]

Has anybody else tried to order anything from Dave Canterbury at wilderness archery ?

for me it started with this email :
21 July 2009 22:44

'I was thinking of ordering a guyet design backpacker bottle from you what would be the total costs to the Netherlands as it is not to clear from you website. As I am a year member and didn't get my hat any chance including it '

I ordered it the next day after receiving a positive email.

25 september after not receiving anything after a few weeks I dropped Dave a mail asking if it had been sent. He said he forgot to send it but would personally get it sorted.

I finally got an email back in response to mine asking where the goods were. Basically telling me to provide the list again of what I ordered which I sent a copy of the paypal invoice. Got email saying it would get sorted.

27 September Got a email saying that they were catching up and thanks for the reminder and the goods will dispatched soon.

20 November I sent another mail asking of the location of the goods I got no reply.

it's now December the 7th almost 4.5 months later and I still haven't got a reply or my goods.. down 50 euros and no bottle!! and no hat!

I will send one more email asking about the goods and then give it up as a lost cause... But I would like to find out if anybody else had the same issue.

I also decided to do the 1 years subscription online course which was not what I was expecting at all it did also included a free hat I never got that either

So I don't usually like blacklisting a company but this seems like daylight robbery to me!!
Simon

 

[EddBamber]

Thats terrible i agree it is daylight robbery how can he have not posted it? Thats 4 and 1/2 months later!!! Thanks for the tip off

 

[Mesquite]

As you paid him through Paypal Simon you've got the recourse to raise a dispute with him for non delivery of the items ordered.

That way at least all you've lost is time but not money (even if the saying goes time is money )

 

[squantrill]

As you paid him through Paypal Simon you've got the recourse to raise a dispute with him for non delivery of the items ordered.

That way at least all you've lost is time but not money (even if the saying goes time is money )

Thanks for the advice, I didn't think of that just raised a dispute with paypal i'll see what happens hopefully it's just an oversite on Daves part !!

 

[tobes01]

You should get your money back, I've had successes with Paypal when problems have arisen in the past.

 

[TeeDee]

If you don't get satisfaction , i would suggest you go and post the same message on Bushcraft U.S.A.
I'm a fan of 'Praise in Public , Criticise in Private' apart from Commercial transactions where i would suggest you tell everyone as loud as you can if a trader is giving fair time and warning to sort out an unhappy customer.

 

[sandbender]

"...i would suggest you go and post the same message on Bushcraft U.S.A....apart from Commercial transactions where i would suggest you tell everyone as loud as you can if a trader is giving fair time and warning to sort out an unhappy customer."

The good folks over on Bushcraft USA have had a word or two to say about Mr. Canterbury already.

His own Facebook page carries a few discussions where customers have been unhappy about a lack of communication regarding outstanding orders so you are not alone.

"...I also decided to do the 1 years subscription online course which was not what I was expecting at all..."

Would you be willing to expand on this? was it simply different from your expectations or do feel that you didn't get value for your money?

 

[squantrill]

Would you be willing to expand on this? was it simply different from your expectations or do feel that you didn't get value for your money?

Yes of course.. it was a little bit of both really.

I decided to take the year subscription as I thought it would be a nice way to pick up lots of new things over the course of 1 year. And to really expand my knowledge, being in the Netherlands and an ex-pat I find it a little restrictive to do extra curricular studies mainly cause I can't read dutch

Anyhow I was expecting a kinda of online learning style course structure some lessons & explanations, homework and then feedback.
I also expected videos explaining things in detail other that the ones that were already available on youtube.

The course starts straight away with you doing homework there are no leassons as such no explanation and there appears to be no information other than the scanned documentation that is available in the Virtual classroom.
You get homework everyweek which was completely self study and I had no possible way of keeping up with research needed to do the work on time, as a lot of the work required being in the woods and its difficult getting to woods every weekend!. I think I managed to keep up for four weeks! then I just gave up and kept checking back for new videos.

The homework requirements kinda bounced around all over the place and there was in my view no real structure, and all the different phases didn't make sense at all. I found this a shame I had high hopes especially from what Dave was promising, and as I thought that the original videos on youtube where quite good. The Extra videos available from the virtual classroom were almost never added to, there was, the last time I looked 3 or 4 which were extensions of the you tube videos.

I was not able to access a number of links on the site and I got the impression that it was never really updated except the homework pages.

My personnel view is that you are better off saving your money getting and working through mors 'bushcraft' and ask questions on this forum than you are from this virtual classroom. If you like watching the vids then do it on youtube you don't appear to get any extra by paying. (except a hat and we all know about that )

This is completely my own view and experiences; and what with the incident with the order maybe this a a bit biased .

Hope that kinda explains things a little.. ?

 

[sandbender]

"....I decided to take the year subscription as I thought it would be a nice way to pick up lots of new things over the course of 1 year......I had high hopes especially from what Dave was promising, and as I thought that the original videos on youtube where quite good. The Extra videos available from the virtual classroom were almost never added to.....This is completely my own view and experiences....Hope that kinda explains things a little.. ?..."

Thanks for this and I hope you get your order sorted out or a quick and speedy refund. Mr Canterbury's popularity has grown exponentially over the past year and perhaps he has simply lost control of the 'project'.

His earlier video work was more entertaining then most of the Youtube fodder out there, however I lost interest when he branched off into government conspiracies and combative firearm use.

 

[Elines]

Yes - thanks Squantrill - I had thought about working through the Dave Canterbutry stuff as part of my retirement plan but will try something else now

 

[squantrill]

Yes - thanks Squantrill - I had thought about working through the Dave Canterbutry stuff as part of my retirement plan but will try something else now

Your better spending your money on some good books and practicing in the garden Then if you have questions ask on here.

Or maybe tryout one of the many good courses available unfortunately there are no courses in this neck of the woods.....

Good luck in your retirement..

Simon

 

[Shewie]

Still no bottle yet Simon ?

 

[BOD]

Yes of course.. it was a little bit of both really.

I decided to take the year subscription as I thought it would be a nice way to pick up lots of new things over the course of 1 year. And to really expand my knowledge, being in the Netherlands and an ex-pat I find it a little restrictive to do extra curricular studies mainly cause I can't read dutch

Why don't you join the Dutch bush moots? They do great stuff and many of them are on this forum?

And of course being Dutch they speak proper English, unlike many people from the British Isles

 

[Mesquite]

And of course being Dutch they speak proper English, unlike many people from the British Isles

The English speak proper English .... it's just the English don't do foreign lingo's very well

 

[Elines]

Your better spending your money on some good books and practicing in the garden Then if you have questions ask on here.

Or maybe try out one of the many good courses available unfortunately there are no courses in this neck of the woods.....

Good luck in your retirement..

Simon

Thanks for your good wishes Simon.

As it happens my daughter has bought me - for my birthday - Ray Mears 'Outdoor survival handbook'. It's now about 17 years since first published but looks good enough for me as it is organised by things to do/learn season by season, starting with Spring - so timing is about spot on for me

 

[squantrill]

Thanks for your good wishes Simon.

As it happens my daughter has bought me - for my birthday - Ray Mears 'Outdoor survival handbook'. It's now about 17 years since first published but looks good enough for me as it is organised by things to do/learn season by season, starting with Spring - so timing is about spot on for me

Dont know the book myself but the extreme survival book I think is the same I have read that its ok..

News on the bottle..

I got on Dave's facebook site and just asked where my stuff was

He said that Rob at canteen shop was dealing with everything, so I contacted Rob he apologised and said he would send out my stuff..

A few days ago it arrived and two items where missing but.. the bottle I was waiting for was in there so I think i'll just cut my loses and lessons learned

I'm glad things have finally worked out as far as the order went, I would probably never order anything there again though..

Just an update wish you all happy new year...

Simon

 

[squantrill]

Why don't you join the Dutch bush moots? They do great stuff and many of them are on this forum?

And of course being Dutch they speak proper English, unlike many people from the British Isles

I organise one of them and i'm from the british isles

The Dutch or most of them learned English from TV which is mainly american english and strange as it might sound if I watch a US movie I have to put the subtitles on as I don't hear all the words but joking aside I do understand and speak dutch to a certain degree but to learn things I prefer English.

Simon

 

[Noddy]

...............

 

[kizzer35]

I too have had problems ordering from this site. It's been over a year since I handed over my money and I'm still yet to receive everything I ordered. I like this guys vids on youtube but I would advise against buying anything from him. I must have sent around 40 emails, keep getting the run around, told it's been sent, will be sent soon etc. The bottom line, I think, is that he's a good guy but not a business person.

Place your orders elsewhere.

 

[bigant]

i have been pondering the pathfinder system thing for a while then i saw its coming to the uk so i am very tempted but hearing this post... more looking is needed i think
http://www.freewebs.com/seanthesilverfox/ukpathfinderschool.htm