Concerns About Survive! Business and Misleading Lead Time Estimates

We are now up to 56 pages of people expressing their concerns.
I check this thread periodically to see if anything new is going on.
It became obvious in February of this year that the delivery schedule was exceedingly optimistic.
I have received three knives since October (a 5.1, a 4.7, and a 2.7) but I still have a number of outstanding orders.
I expect to get a knife or two before the end of the year, but I don't anticipate getting the remainder of those orders filled very quickly.
For example I placed an order for a GSO-10, and that knife is pretty well buried in the backlog.
In fact it is scheduled next to last of the 2015 production models, and I'm not really expecting to get it until sometime in 2017.
The honest truth is that I'm disappointed that things are taking so long, but there really isn't anything that I can do speed up the process and I still want the knife.
My solution is to cultivate an attitude of patience, but I understand that other folks aren't satisfied with accepting the delays.

 

The delays are not really the issue as I see it. On that issue, you either wait, or ask for a refund. The issue for me, and many others is that S!K continues to lie about delivery times and fails to ever address that issue, in spite of hundreds of complaints. And what compounds that issue is that they continue to do so and have adopted the head in the sand, rainbows and unicorns, attitude about it with us here on BF.
I was mislead in a sales ad that stated "a couple months" back in July on the 2.7 presale. Then, when I called on November 7th, I was told a "couple weeks". That was almost a month ago. The latest production update says that all the 2.7's will be done by the end of the year. I'd call tomorrow but why? There is no reason to believe anything they say anymore. Credibility at this point is long gone. If I were lied to again, that might be the last of my patience and good will and I DON'T want to be that guy.
I'm well beyond disappointed but like many others, I still want the knife.

 

Ey Hale Storm ... You are Survivor #20 ... I am #46 ... So are we Survivors or what ?

 

while i agree with you on this, why are you complaining if i remember correctly they gave you a free knife to test.

 

You're heart is definitely in the right place. Hale is a great guy, but I think he's had his patience tested a little more than the average customer. There are a number of guys around who want to support the company, but also grow weary of them not doing what they'll say they'll do.

He did, but there wasn't any intent from the giver or getter to "buy" silence or falsely positive reviews. I don't think he's out of line in voicing his concern.

 

Honestly, part of the problem stems from customers that know that there are going to be really lengthy and annoying production delays, and that know that Survive really can't manage to hold themselves to a delivery time frame, that still insist on asking for delivery time frames. If you know that Survive is going to blow a deadline and you know that this is going to upset you, why are you still asking when your knife will be delivered?
It is a known problem with the company, it has been a known problem for a really long time, it is arguably the only really egregious known problem with the company, and yet...
Why borrow the trouble and heartache by letting this upset you?

 

Maybe S!K should add a disclaimer to their disclaimer about their estimated delivery times

 

:thumbup:

 

Ive been following Survive since their days in Gettysburg and it seems many of the issues they experienced there still plague them now. Hopefully they right the ship soon, they offer one of the finest production knives on the planet but it has become too cumbersome dealing with their business practices. I will keep and enjoy the three Gso blades I currently own.

After some effort, I did receive my refund and purchased a Fiddleback and Adventure Sworn that I am could not be happier with. Survive needs to understand that customer service show the maturity of a company and there is not an infinite line of customers out there. While I will never purchase another knife from them, I still come to this forum in hopes that they make the correct changes and thrive. As I said before, they need to remove the "few months" verbiage from any future presale ads, unless it is achievable. New customers not familiar with Survive, may indeed think that they will get their knife fairly quickly (the 7.7 pre sale as an example). Seeing anyone fail, truly bothers me and I wish them the best.

 

While this bugs most does anyone feel that their knives are more alluring because of this ? Just curious , as bad as this page is for business there is no way it can help right ?

 

A very closed-minded comment. Not to go to bat for anyone in particular, but he also paid in full for a knife, waited patiently for the ship date to arrive and is now questioning where that knife is.

Imagine if Survive! provided a test knife and the recipient kept promising to test and review it within the next week and a year goes by with no progress. S!K would still have a right to question where the results are, even if the reviewer had purchased a knife from them in the past.

 

After watching this thread for a while I just have to put my 2 cents in about the disappointment of these knife delivery. Honestly, would anyone who bought a starter knife have bought that knife if Survive said upfront hey "you will not see your knife, that you paid for, for 19+ months"? I highly doubt it. When I paid for my 4.1 in April of 2015 the wording was they did not guarantee the delivery time but they also stated that 6-8 month production time was not unusual, they have since changed that verbiage on the starter program. I thought hummm I should get that by Christmas 2015, nope.. Looks like I wont even get it by Christmas 2016 at this rate...

Hub

 

For those of you who may want a refund and are still within the 180-day PayPal dispute time limit, I would suggest simply starting a PayPal dispute. I got my refund in 14 hours going that route. I know that not everyone has been that lucky...I certainly would not be waiting two weeks for a refund. It is interesting that they can refund a PayPal dispute in hours, but a direct request for a refund takes more like two weeks. Not a good sign.

Normally I wouldn't jump directly to the PayPal resolution center, but desperate times...

I know many of you are simply stuck because you ordered several knives during the Starter campaign and you are clearly well past 180 days...and I truly feel for you guys. Hope you get the knife soon or your money back.

 

We are doing our best to get better with delivery estimates. Language has been updated on our website and we are always looking out for better ways to communicate through there. The GSO-4 Limited time frame was purposely extended quite a bit to account for delays. Our November 1st Friday update was accurate. The December 1st Friday update is on schedule. We are a little behind on some of the weekly Factory 2nds sales because we decided to put more emphasis on the older orders as we get close to Christmas. We are working on the GSO-2.7 orders right now and they going much more smoothly than the GSO-4.7s. I have mentioned to folks that the GSO-2.7 presales would take a few weeks to get through and that we would be working on them as soon as we got more of the GSO-4.7s out of the way. The goal is to have all GSO-2.7 preorders and presales shipped by the new year. I can't promise that every single one will be out because sometimes things happen that are beyond our control, but we are doing everything in our power to make it happen.

We had absolutely no idea the SURVIVE! Starter orders would be taking so long to fulfill, but there were a lot of things that got worked through with the GSO-5.1 and GSO-4.7 runs. With those runs completed, production will be picking up speed.

Our customer service is also improving tremendously with Jordyn on the team. She typically answers emails the same day, unless it is a weekend or holiday. Please call or email us any time, we are happy to answer any questions or talk over concerns.

 

The fact that this thread is the fourth highest viewed thread in the subforum really bugs me. Its only topped by the picture thread the Chat thread and the Trophy Room. That should really speak volumes to people.


Ellie, keep working hard and adjusting. Hopefully you guys will strike the balance.

 

Thanks, Ellie. There's been a lot of criticism here and I hope at least some of it comes off as constructive. Despite some of the voices there are definitely those of us here who really want you to succeed. The communication and the changing to realistic lead times will go a long way. Keep doing what you're doing to speed things up in the shop.

Yeah, Riz, that is quite a saddening thought. Our forum has gotten it's share of negative attention lately. If our favorite company keeps working to make things right with customers I'm sure things will even out.

 

Picture a Supermodel, a cool supermodel that loves to talk about knives and gear and hunt, fish, shoot guns, drink beer and hang out at bonfires... that is our subforum. Fun to look at and be around and makes you come back for more! She is the most beatiful and cool girl at the party!

This thread is like the giant hairy mole that the supermodel has on her face! It started off as a freckle but quickly grew. Its hideous, but everyone cant help but look. If you look at the supermodel in general, DAMN! She is hot! But if you look close... Oh! The humanity!

Why doesnt somebody surgically remove that hairy mole????


Cuz its who she is and we love her even with her flaws

 

That was poetic.

 

Probably the best poem you'll see on a knife forum!!!

There was actually some minor surgery done to this hairy mole Riz!
Ben had to perform the operation because of first alchemy's cancerous posts.

 

Bad news, biopsy came back and it looks like Carcinoma.