Bestknives.com? * BESTKNIVES.com a SCAM *

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nickE10mm

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I've tried googling for "Bladeforums Bestknives.com" and didn't find much....There are maybe one or two expiriences... one is HORRIBLE and several are good...but they are all from a year or two ago.

Was wondering if anyone has any buying experience with Bestknives. Ordered Tuesday and, aside from a confirmation email and credit card charge, haven't seen a tracking number or any update to my order page. In addition, I haven't had a call back from the message OR email I sent them early this morning. Getting worried.... maybe it's all in my head.

Anyone?
 
It's not in your head. I had a bad experience with them. I ordered an HK Ally months ago and got a confirmation email. I sent multiple emails and got no reply back. The number they have listed doesn't go anywhere. I called over the span of a week during normal business hours and never got an answer or voicemail. I researched them and reading horror stories about scams from them. The forumites posted the guy's address and home phone number and said some laday (his wife) always answers the phone. I called and she answered and was very rude to me. I told her I was a customer of her husband's and I haven't had any of my emails returned and he doesn't answer the "business" phone. I told her to cancel my order and not to charge me or I would take legal action. I would suggest you cancel your order and look elsewhere. It's just not worth the hassle or risk.
 
You read the same story I did apparently.

I'm gonna give them until Friday and if I haven't heard anything I'll dispute the charge with my bank. Bank won't let me dispute it until it's posted anyhow.

Anyone else with experiences?
 
I read the story then lived the story. I just looked up their site and called them to see if what would happen. This has to be some sort of joke. Call the 800 number and listen. As I remembered the 239 number doesn't really go anywhere. Here you go

Toll Free: 1-800-956-5696

Toll: 1-239-214-0655
 
Ordered Tuesday and, aside from a confirmation email and credit card charge
Click to expand...

Bank won't let me dispute it until it's posted anyhow.
Click to expand...

So what is it nickE10mm, did they authorize your card or charge it. I own 3 yahoo websites. This is a yahoo website that apparently takes orders and then has them dropshipped. Not that uncommon really.

This is the number of the store operator, his name is Michael Ingrassia, (718) 755-7987 email BestKnives at AOL.COM

Give him a jingle and find out if your order has shipped or when it's going to. Demand & threaten a dispute if he doesn't return your call and you get an answering machine. This is a very effective tactic.

I highly doubt that you'll get ripped off, they've been in business since 1999 - a very long time for a website and he's listed in some very prestigious directories like DMOZ.

Do what you think best but there's some intel for you. :)
 
Hey thanks for the response, cziv. Hopefully I just receive the order tomorrow as I should and I won't have to call anyone.
 
I found this on another forum:

"Bestknives.com is a garage shop operation that is said to be run by a guy named Michael Ingrassia. The site is a joke. The business's princple address is listed on the website as a P.O. Box, becuase this is a shady operation run out of a guy's garage. After researching the business I found the principle business address to be 3615 S.W. 17th PL., Cape Coral, FL. After checking on Google Maps and using Google Earth you find that this is a residential site. I did not know this information at the time of order. I was ordering a SOG Recon Bowie and it was said, from bestknives.com's, site to ship immediatly and arrive within 2-6 business days. After 3 days of seeing no shipping information I started to call the business numbers listed. I called more than 30 times, and used all three numbers listed on the site. NO AWNSER. I tried for two consecutive days before I started to research the local residential telephone listings for this character. He is listed in the public phone book and I decided to call his house and see if I could reach someone. I finally reached a female that told me to call Mike's business line. After I explained to her that I have called over 30 times with no awnser she hung up. I then tried the business line again and what I found was something next to amazing, it was the same girl that awnsered the phone at the house, but she was using a voice synthisizer, making her voice sound robotic. DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS OUTFIT, IT IS A GARAGE OUTFIT AND YOU WILL BE LUCKY IF YOU EVER RECEIVE A PRODUCT. IF YOU RUN INTO TROUBLE search the local residential listings in Cape Coral, FL for Michael Ingrassia, and you will finally get his home number and be able to get some awnsers.

P.S. He uses this continual excuse that hurricanes are interrupting his communication lines. I checked the forecast in the area and there wasn't a cloud in the sky nor any hurricane problems for a long period of time. If you don't believe me, read his excuses on his website and then check the weather in the area using this link, http://www.capeweather.com/.

Be warned of this irresponsible garage shop operation."
 
Up until around 5 years ago or so, bestknives.com was a really fine knife dealer, and pretty well known.

I bought several knives from them over the course of a few years and everything always went very smoothly.
(BTW, it did not appear to be a drop shipping operation, though it might have been.)


Then, "something happened" with them. I do not know what it was.

I ordered a knife, it didn't arrive promptly, I contacted bestknives and spoke with someone helpful.
A couple of days later the knife arrived.

On my next order something similar happened. Except this time, the knife was water damaged.
I contacted the seller again, sent the knife back, and received a refund.
But the process took longer than it should have. It was a bit like "pulling teeth".

I consequently became leery of doing business with bestknives, especially what with so many good dealers around,
and haven't bought anything from them since that time.

Moreover, I began to see many complaints about bestknives on various forums, including this one.
The complaints lasted for around a year, and then the name "bestknives" just sort of faded away.


The OP in this thread is the first mention I've seen about them in a long while.
Based on my later experiences with them, I'd certainly shop elsewhere.
 
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My experience with Bestknives is exactly as RIFON2 said. Too bad because Mike was a really nice guy. When I received a knife that didn't meet my expectations he shipped me a replacement with a return label to ship back the bad one. I wonder what happened .....
 
thanks guys, the preponderance of experienves shows a company that you not only wish to do no business with but also inform everyone to steer clear of this place.
 
Just to update everyone ... I left a message early this morning at the same number and indicated that I needed a response or call back otherwise I'd be cancelling my order. I just received an email with an update to my order status:

"This item is no longer available" and "The order has been cancelled"

Hopefully they refund me quickly.... but either way, my bank has always been good about crediting me for stuff like this. Lesson learned. .

BTW, just ordered my knife from Knifecenter.com. They not only matched the price from Bestknives but are shipping same day and I've already gotten a personalized email from a rep. Why oh WHY didn't I just use a quality, high class business in the first place?
 
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Alright nickE10mm! :)

See that worked out for you man. Uhmm, I may be missing it but what did your buy anyway?
 
I've been wanting one of these for a long while. My EDC has to also function as a hunting and skinning knife, too, as well as a potential defense piece. I never really believed all the hype about the Axis lock until recently.

Can't wait!! They said I should have a tracking number by this evening... And here's the kicker: I believe them.
 
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