Outdoor code
- Thread starter geertjan
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I placed an order two or three weeks ago and have neither heard nor recieved anything. Calls go unanswered - it seems that there is communication shut-down. Although what I ordered is not essential, I feel mightily hacked off that the lemons at Outdoor Code seem to have scarpered with my cash.
I'd better stop now - I can feel the first tingle of real wrath...
I'd better stop now - I can feel the first tingle of real wrath...
Tiley said:
I am still waiting for an order that I placed on Friday 15 June, the only contact that I have had was a phone call about a month ago promising that the goods would be despatched by mid Aug.
Apart from the automated reply from placing the order and one phone call I have heard nothing, Emails go unanswered as do PM's on this board.
I am seriously contacting his local considering trading standards bods right now :-(.
Andy
Scots_Charles_River
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Methinks that they were being a tad economical with the truth. My order is still outstanding and I'm under the impression that it will remain so for some weeks to come. They appear to stock some good kit but they are a truly dreadful company. Never again!
Ive always stuck up for Andrew but i have to say i am considering not doing this now.
the truth is i ordered something a couple of months ago contacted him via e-mail, no reply so pm'd him on BB he said he had sent it and someone in postal service probably nicked it.
i am not going to condemn you andrew and i am not really worried about the 70 pounds because its only money, but i have promised to but a handle on the said falky blade for greenman. the promise means more to me?
have i got to tell Greenman that i cant make it?
the truth is i ordered something a couple of months ago contacted him via e-mail, no reply so pm'd him on BB he said he had sent it and someone in postal service probably nicked it.
i am not going to condemn you andrew and i am not really worried about the 70 pounds because its only money, but i have promised to but a handle on the said falky blade for greenman. the promise means more to me?
have i got to tell Greenman that i cant make it?
People seem to think Outdoorcode is a big company.
In truth it is a one man operation. Andrew who is a member here, started a small business to supply the sort of things bushcrafters try hard to find.
He has now left his regular employment to run this business and I worry that he is obviously having problems.
I know he has had supplier problems. He works directly with manufacturers in many cases and that can be a real pain. Distributers are easier to work with but they have a limited range and that pushes the prices up. Lets face it that is one reason we choose our suppliers isn't it.
Many of the recent problems seem to be communication related and for some time Andrew did have serious IT issues that took time to resolve.
During this time some disputes were raised with paypal resulting in some finances being frozen which can be disastrous for a small business.
As if this wasn't bad enough, on the 13th of August Andrew had a high speed blow-out and put his van into the central crash barrier of the M6. I know he was not seriously hurt but his partner was injured and I have not heard much since then.
I've defended Andrew a few times on this forum, not because I have any connection to his business but because I consider him a friend and above all an honourable man.
I can fully understand the frustration of anyone waiting for extended times for orders, especially when there seems to be so little communication.
I myself have an order with him but cannot get through on the phone either.
I notice Andrew hasn't been on the forum to read these comments for a while, if he had, I'm sure he would do his very best to resolve them.
At the end of the day as customers we all expect a good level of service but it is often very easy on the internet to forget that we are dealing with real people with real life problems.
I for one will continue to use his business for as long as I can because he is, in my opinion one of the good guys.
In truth it is a one man operation. Andrew who is a member here, started a small business to supply the sort of things bushcrafters try hard to find.
He has now left his regular employment to run this business and I worry that he is obviously having problems.
I know he has had supplier problems. He works directly with manufacturers in many cases and that can be a real pain. Distributers are easier to work with but they have a limited range and that pushes the prices up. Lets face it that is one reason we choose our suppliers isn't it.
Many of the recent problems seem to be communication related and for some time Andrew did have serious IT issues that took time to resolve.
During this time some disputes were raised with paypal resulting in some finances being frozen which can be disastrous for a small business.
As if this wasn't bad enough, on the 13th of August Andrew had a high speed blow-out and put his van into the central crash barrier of the M6. I know he was not seriously hurt but his partner was injured and I have not heard much since then.
I've defended Andrew a few times on this forum, not because I have any connection to his business but because I consider him a friend and above all an honourable man.
I can fully understand the frustration of anyone waiting for extended times for orders, especially when there seems to be so little communication.
I myself have an order with him but cannot get through on the phone either.
I notice Andrew hasn't been on the forum to read these comments for a while, if he had, I'm sure he would do his very best to resolve them.
At the end of the day as customers we all expect a good level of service but it is often very easy on the internet to forget that we are dealing with real people with real life problems.
I for one will continue to use his business for as long as I can because he is, in my opinion one of the good guys.
i echo Waylands thoughts
maybe a mod can look at this thread before it becomes another outdoorcode lynchmob?
maybe a mod can look at this thread before it becomes another outdoorcode lynchmob?
If you undertake to provide a service for a client base, in any field of business, then that is what you should do to the very best of your ability.
Customers, in putting business his way, are supporting him: they invest cash and trust in him in return for the goods and service that he has chosen to offer. If some disaster befalls, then any reasonable human being can forgive the delay assuming that they are informed of it. When there is a vacuum of information, the paying client has every reason to complain, assuming that it is indeed possible to register that complaint, about the service which has fallen short of the company's stated aim. The size of the outfit has little or nothing to do with it: if one man sets himself up as a company, that, regrettably, is his affair.
I remain patiently waiting for the goods that I ordered. I have complimented Outdoor Code on the goods that they, or he stocks. But, unless I hear of an improvement in the speed of service from others, I remain reluctant to use the company as a supplier.
It's a personal choice and a difficult one for anyone who is caught up in the unsympathetic beast of his own creation. I feel sorry for the individual concerned - it must be a complete nightmare to have to cope with technology AND mardy clients - but his business manager (all banks have 'em) should have advised him rather better...
And stll I wait...
Customers, in putting business his way, are supporting him: they invest cash and trust in him in return for the goods and service that he has chosen to offer. If some disaster befalls, then any reasonable human being can forgive the delay assuming that they are informed of it. When there is a vacuum of information, the paying client has every reason to complain, assuming that it is indeed possible to register that complaint, about the service which has fallen short of the company's stated aim. The size of the outfit has little or nothing to do with it: if one man sets himself up as a company, that, regrettably, is his affair.
I remain patiently waiting for the goods that I ordered. I have complimented Outdoor Code on the goods that they, or he stocks. But, unless I hear of an improvement in the speed of service from others, I remain reluctant to use the company as a supplier.
It's a personal choice and a difficult one for anyone who is caught up in the unsympathetic beast of his own creation. I feel sorry for the individual concerned - it must be a complete nightmare to have to cope with technology AND mardy clients - but his business manager (all banks have 'em) should have advised him rather better...
And stll I wait...
Apologies! I forgot that, behind every business, large or small, is a human being trying his or her hardest to help people.
I had forgotten my humanity in my previous rant. I think it's something to do with the coffee ... or early mornings ... or late nights...
I had forgotten my humanity in my previous rant. I think it's something to do with the coffee ... or early mornings ... or late nights...
Im not going to get into the whole Outdoor Code debate (there have been several of late, and the thread usually gets locked at some point), other than to say this; Ive only ever place one order with ODC and it arrived at the height of the last ODC bun fight of a thread. So, I was a happy camper.
As far as our project is concerned, Shinken, as Ive stated to you in private, this is a chilled, no hurry thing, so having told me that you were ordering the blade from ODC the prospect of any delay due to ODCs current business problems caused me no worry. I dont need this knife (I have plenty for my needs), but I would have liked it.
What does now worry me is that you have lost money on my behalf. If the blade is well overdue in arriving, we have several options.
Im not sure of the legalities of this situation in respect to goods going missing in transit, and I dont really want to go down that path. Can Andrew make a claim against the couriers insurance for the missing item, and/or can he send a replacement item at no further cost to you? If he cant/wont, then I will give you half the value of the missing item, and I will source a blade from an alternative retailer and post it on to you, so that the project can continue.
By all the accounts of those who know Andrew personally, he a great guy whos having some lousy problems which are largely not of his own making, and I really dont want to add to the stress he must be feeling. I must have made dozens and dozens of online orders over the years, and as far as I can remember only two have gone missing in transit, and both retailers sent a replacement with no quibbles. So in terms of those percentages, and the fact that until quite recently Andrew was held in high regard by all who had dealings with him, Im prepared to take a financial hit on this one, if needs be.
No need to respond to this on the open forum, in regard to our project, Shinken, as well just be hi-jacking the thread. We can discuss it further via PM.
Cheers,
Paul.
I cant send Pm's at work mate(for some reason), what i said wasnt a dig to Andrew.
What is the moral thing for me to do? keep quiet and let others have the same problems as me or say something?
I dont want to mare andrew and i dont want others to lose moneys either.
I am not sure mate, cant phone him, get no response from e-mails and no responce from pms on BB even though he has logged on after i sent the pm.
Dont worry about the money Greenman it dosnt bother me, but some people save for a long while to buy something. i feel i need to say something for them
I really really hope i am not causing problems for anyone, just trying to do the right thing
What is the moral thing for me to do? keep quiet and let others have the same problems as me or say something?
I dont want to mare andrew and i dont want others to lose moneys either.
I am not sure mate, cant phone him, get no response from e-mails and no responce from pms on BB even though he has logged on after i sent the pm.
Dont worry about the money Greenman it dosnt bother me, but some people save for a long while to buy something. i feel i need to say something for them
I really really hope i am not causing problems for anyone, just trying to do the right thing
...what i said wasnt a dig to Andrew.
No problem, I understand
Well, that is the moral dilemma that many of us in. What complicates it is that Andrew is a member. I dare say, if he wasn't he would be on the receiving end of more 'hard-nosed' ways at resolving the outstanding issues, via PayPal and credit card companies.
I know, mate.
Well, I'll leave-off buying another blade for now. Let's give it a few more weeks in light of the communication problems with Andrew. If you can't contact him or he doesn't contact you, and after a few weeks you decide that it's pointless waiting any longer, PM me to let me know that you've had it with the waiting, and I'll get another blade.
That's very generous of you, Shinken, I haven't got a great deal of money to throw around, but I don't mind sharing the finacial loss with you, if that's how it turns out.
I'm sure that's how most of us feel, too.
Anyway, 'enough said' from me on this in an open forum.
Cheers,
Paul.
Right guys, for the moment I am going to close this thread, last time Andrew was good enough to get in contact and let people know what was going on, he'll probably do so again.
What I will say is that if anyone knows Andrew and has been in touch with him recently, could speak to him, if they could please do so. When either they or he gets back to me I will re-open the thread so that Andrew can explain.
What I will say is that if anyone knows Andrew and has been in touch with him recently, could speak to him, if they could please do so. When either they or he gets back to me I will re-open the thread so that Andrew can explain.
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