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(02-19-2018, 02:04 PM)AHill Wrote: If you have the original warranty, I'd peruse the warranty language to see if there is any legal-ese about sale of the company voiding the warranty. Usually, whoever buys a company assumes liability for all outstanding warranty claims.
I don't think this is really a warranty issue. This is really an above and beyond service promise that exceeds expectations. If the new owner does not want to honor it, that is understandable. As a consumer it is a reason to not invest in a very expensive tool, I certainly won't be joining the Founder's Club.
I just checked out Bridge City Tools and they have their own forum. If I was the OP I would post your gripes there.
A carpenter's house is never done.
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(02-19-2018, 08:49 AM)iublue Wrote: I purchased several Bridge City tools ~30 years ago. At the time they had a policy that you could send in the tool at any time and they would clean and re-calibrate them for free, only shipping costs applied.
Well, of course, the company was sold. A couple of years ago, I contacted the new company and was informed that the previous policy did not apply BUT I could join their Founders Club (for $75) and then it would only cost me $5 per tool for the same service.
I decided to join the FC and I phone the company to see what the procedure was to submit my tools. First the lady told me the steps to go through and then she proceeded to actively discourage me from sending in my tools. She stated it would be a 14-16 week turn around. That was not an issue with me so I sent them in on 7-31-17. They received them about a week later.
I called on 1-25-18 which was right at 25 weeks. I was told that they were not done and they had at least one tool from 2016 still not done!! That particular tool had been there for over a year!! I tried several times to ask the lady WHY I was told 14-16 weeks when they had a tool for over a year but she continually interrupted me with a response of "That was the lead time when you called". How can that be the lead time when you have had a tool for over a year????? She even said that they only have a part time guy doing this work and he can't keep up. I kept my cool and I have not called since.
Outside of bitching on this forum, does anyone have any suggestions about what I can do? I thought about calling and asking to speak with a manager but who knows, maybe she was the manager!
Time to cut the cord and get your tools back, AND as Mike said, end the frustration. These people are clearly into "customer no-service", bigtime. Any company that hires a single part-time guy to do work they have committed to and charged their customers for, cares little about their customers. First 25 weeks is a ridiculous amount of time to get any tool recalibrated, let alone a year. And for the person to tell you that was the lead time when you called, is just another excuse.
Thanks for posting this note on this forum. I will never buy anything from them based on your experience, since anything they sell, Lee Valley, who sets the bar in customer service IMO, probably has one of the same item or something similar.
Good luck,
Doug
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(02-19-2018, 08:49 AM)iublue Wrote: I purchased several Bridge City tools ~30 years ago. At the time they had a policy that you could send in the tool at any time and they would clean and re-calibrate them for free, only shipping costs applied.
Well, of course, the company was sold.
I thought the current owner was the owner from day 1; I could be wrong.
He seems to be too busy expanding into China with his chopstick and pencil adventures and customer service could be taking a hit.
Glad that you shared your cs (crap service) experience here as I have been pondering two items. The lead time is a joke and they should forget about asking people to join their club. Small businesses are something I try to avoid, unless I can't get what I want from a more established source. I know a fellow who ordered a Wenzloff saw five or six years ago, but the saw never got done because the seller could not catch up with his back orders (he kept taking orders even though he knew he could not deliver).
Simon
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(02-19-2018, 03:36 PM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: I thought the current owner was the owner from day 1; I could be wrong.
I was never even tempted to buy any BC tools. More art than anything else, and priced accordingly. To each his own.
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there was a time in the '80s when you could buy every tool they made for some reasonable amount, less than a thousand anyway. But they didn't make that many tools. I really wanted to do that, but I never got around to pulling the trigger.
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I’ve got a pretty good assortment of their older layout tools...from the brass and rosewood (whatever type it was) phase. Those tools appealed to me aesthetically and still do. The newer (IMO) weird metal looking stuff they’re making just doesn’t crank my tractor. Hate to hear that their customer service has declined to match the usefulness of their tools.
At this point I’d count my blessing if you can even recover your tools!
-Marc
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(02-19-2018, 08:49 AM)iublue Wrote: I purchased several Bridge City tools ~30 years ago. At the time they had a policy that you could send in the tool at any time and they would clean and re-calibrate them for free, only shipping costs applied.
Well, of course, the company was sold. A couple of years ago, I contacted the new company and was informed that the previous policy did not apply BUT I could join their Founders Club (for $75) and then it would only cost me $5 per tool for the same service.
I decided to join the FC and I phone the company to see what the procedure was to submit my tools. First the lady told me the steps to go through and then she proceeded to actively discourage me from sending in my tools. She stated it would be a 14-16 week turn around. That was not an issue with me so I sent them in on 7-31-17. They received them about a week later.
I called on 1-25-18 which was right at 25 weeks. I was told that they were not done and they had at least one tool from 2016 still not done!! That particular tool had been there for over a year!! I tried several times to ask the lady WHY I was told 14-16 weeks when they had a tool for over a year but she continually interrupted me with a response of "That was the lead time when you called". How can that be the lead time when you have had a tool for over a year????? She even said that they only have a part time guy doing this work and he can't keep up. I kept my cool and I have not called since.
Outside of bitching on this forum, does anyone have any suggestions about what I can do? I thought about calling and asking to speak with a manager but who knows, maybe she was the manager!
Not sure if you have contacted the BBB but I might along with whatever Consumer protection TV station help you can find. First they buy a company and don't honor the contract you were sold. Then go further and market a service they have no intention of providing, looks like fraud to me you should ask someone who knows about the law
Phydeaux said "Loving your enemy and doing good for those that hurt you does not preclude killing them if they make that necessary."
Phil Thien
women have trouble understanding Trump's MAGA theme because they had so little involvement in making America great the first time around.
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I don't have anything to offer that will help the OP resolve his situation, but I am pretty certain that Bridge City Tools is under the same ownership as always, founded by John Economaki about 35 years ago.
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(02-20-2018, 07:44 AM)Greg Jones Wrote: I don't have anything to offer that will help the OP resolve his situation, but I am pretty certain that Bridge City Tools is under the same ownership as always, founded by John Economaki about 35 years ago.
I think you're correct. There's no indication on their website that ownership has changed. One interesting quote from their "About Us" page that might shed some light on how long it's taking to get the squares back. (Admitted taken slightly out of context, because it refers to manufacturing runs vs. warranty service.)
"If “when” is more important than “what” we are likely not the company for you."
https://www.bridgecitytools.com/about
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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(02-20-2018, 07:44 AM)Greg Jones Wrote: I don't have anything to offer that will help the OP resolve his situation, but I am pretty certain that Bridge City Tools is under the same ownership as always, founded by John Economaki about 35 years ago.
All I know is what they told me when I called about sending in my tools.
Maybe a portion of the company has been sold??
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