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Newt Livesay

I have recently been added to WKC dealer list and have to say ive always been happy.I am also a friend of NEWTS and talk to him on a regular basis.I am privy to all his trials and tribulations and all are legitimate.right now he has more business than he is equipped for and is doing all he can.yes i am waiting too but thats the custom knife biz.His customer service is decent compared to Emerson and a couple of others but Newt is an extremely honest fellow so no bait and switch is going on.as to the credit card issue,small dealers and makers sometimes have to get your money for the merchandise or materials to fill an order.contractors charge up front to build a deck etc.why not makers?anyway i just wanted to speak out for a guy that has lent me a big hand in getting started.
 
I've been very happy with Newt's customer service in the past. He's bent over backwards to help me out a few times on some small problems, and has even spent some time talking at length with me on the phone, even when I knew he was real busy. Him and his daughter are extremely nice and easy to talk to.

I think this is just a problem of a business growing too quickly to handle the volume of orders.
 
I should have read this thread before I ordered that Air Assault back in early June. I was told shipment was scheduled for the first week of July. When the knife did not arrive I sent an email to inquire about it and was given another shipment date. Again the knife did not arrive.
Now the same thing has happened for the third time.
I don't know the legal definitions of deceptive practices, but I do believe I have been deliberately misled about the delivery time. I don't think it is remotely possible that honest mistakes were made three times in a row. If this is not illegal, then it should be made so. How often does anyone make a purchase without caring when they will recieve the product? Do you want to give your money to someone when there is no telling when they will give you the product you have paid for? And if you cannot determine how long it will take to get the item, how do you know if you will ever get it? When do you give up and contact the authorities? All you have to go on is what the seller TOLD you. If time cannot be considered in the case of fraud, no one would ever be convicted of fraud, because they could always claim they plan to provide the product LATER.
 
Mr. Beck.
If you have a valid complaint, and you haven't been able to get it straightened out by talking to Newt on the phone, then you could have posted a new thread about your particular problem and that would have been reasonable. Posting on the end of a thread discussing a problem that was solved over a year ago and dredging all of this cr*p up from the past is in bad form in my opinion and makes it appear, to me at least, as an attempt at character assassination rather than an attempt to solve a problem.
Newt's company is suffering from growing pains as are many other small businesses and, while Newt has had delays in shipping, due to receiving more work than a man can do at one time. I can tell anyone that whatever problems may come of that, Newt always tries to make the problem right with the customer and is an honest guy.
Nobody is perfect.
 
Um ... in general, not just this time but all the time ... it can be informative to notice the number of posts and date of joining Bladeforums which are listed with every post, under the poster's name. As in this case, I expect if Fudo had noticed Mr. Beck joined the forum this month and has made 13 posts at the moment I'm writing, he would probably not have made the same assumptions about Mr. Beck's motivations. I'm sure we all want to make new members feel welcome; it's just that we have to notice they're new before we can do that....

By the way, the Bladeforums software updates the number of posts retroactively -- so if you go back and look at the first post you made on Bladeforums it'll give your current number of posts. Some forum programs do it differently; on an ez-board forum, for instance, your first post will always be numbered 1.
 
I did not post the complaint for the purpose of character assasination. I simply noticed that others had the same experience I have been having with the Wicked Knife Company - i.e., told the knife was scheduled to be shipped on a certain date, which was repeatedly missed. Earlier problems may have been resolved, but mine has just occured.
I have been a computer programmer for 20 years, and in my work it is not always possible to predict when a project can be finished. This being the case I always tell people something like, "I will try to have it by _____, but there may be unexpected problems and delays."
I try to be as clear and up front about this as possible, and so far no one has ever accused me of misleading them on a completion date. Mr. Livesay mentioned the workload problem after the fact, but did not state in advance in his emails to me that the order MIGHT or COULD be late. This having happened three times in a row, I consider myself to have been misled.
I don't know what Mr. Livesay's motives are in his way of dealing with customers. Maybe he doesn't think it should be necessary to warn people of possible delays. I believe it should be done. Maybe Mr. Livesay and I have an HONEST disagreement over what a customer should be told to constitute an HONEST transaction. How am I to know the situation in a knife shop in Arkansas, unless I am told? I just think people should be given accurate info up front.
By the way, I have recieved an email from Mr. Livesay asking me where to send my refund check, which is fine, as I was intending to purchase a knife this summer.
 
Hopefully the refund check is sent out when stated. Otherwise you're going to go through the same thing all over again.
 
Well, as those of you who've been around this forum a while know, I keep telling everybody to just report the facts and leave it to readers to form their own opinions, and I try to practice what I preach -- which means I don't post much. Occasionally I have a fact to contribute, though, and here's another one: I've never seen anyone complain Newt Livesay was slow about sending a refund check.

Digression: See how easy it is? If I had said, "I'm sure the check will arrive promptly," that would have been an opinion....

Really it's not so easy; I shouldn't have said it is. It's hard. It takes some real thinking to separate facts from opinions. It's worth the effort, though, and not just in posting on this forum ... confusing opinions with facts can screw up your whole life.
 
Mr. Beck's check was sent to him today via the U.S. Postal service so you want to worry anymore Hoss.

Newt Livesay
 
Personally, I'm glad WT brought this thread back to the top. Else I wouldn't have had the opportunity to travel back in time to the end of the Nixon days. What was that famous saying? "That statement is no longer operative." Was that it?

I'm glad to know about a vendor who suddenly says to the effect, "All my e-mail messages ought to be disregarded. I will only to be held to what I say on the phone."

I know this: a vendor or maker who charges up front -- except for unusual expensive materials -- is not someone with whom I'll do business. There is nothing wrong with back ordering, if the customer is informed that is what is going on. But charging someone's credit card at the time of an order, while knowing a product won't even be produced/delivered for an extensive period of time is simply not ethical -- by my standards.

IMO, the clearest insight into the attitude towards customer service here comes in the "threat" to stop dealing with individual orders, so that "large" orders can be handled. And, I understand why an e-mail wasn't answered.
 
Cougar, I completely agree with you about only reporting the facts. So out of personal experience or "been there, done that":

I ordered a RTAK from Livesay and was told that he had some on hand and that my knife would be shipped out the following week. He asked for, and I gave him, my credit card info. At no time was I informed that my credit card was going to be charged the next day. When I found out I figured that the knife had either been sent or was going soon. I waited two weeks and........no knife. I called and asked about it and was told it would be sent soon. Needless to say I went through this SEVERAL times (quoted delivery times/no knife/more excuses). My wife was quite angry over the telephone bill I developed calling over this knife. I finally told them (after @ 8 weeks of this) to forget it and refund the money back on my credit card. At that point I was told (again) that the RTAK was being sent out and that they were throwing in a small knife for me troubles. Told them I did not want the knife but was told that the knife had already been mailed and to just put "Refused" on the package. Was also told I might be subject to their restocking charge if I refused the knife. Got the RTAK soon there after, no small knife. Sold (gave) the RTAK to a friend. I'm glad to hear the refund check was sent out as stated.
 
Mr. Thomas Haas aka HOSS;
Sir all I can say about you post is that you have out and out told a totally fabricated story. I would even go as far to say in my opinion you have lied.

Mr. Thomas Haas you were never told there would be a restocking charge for your order. You were not told you would get another knife or a free knife.

Your order was shipped in a timely manner to you Wailuku, HI address.

Every customer who writes, calls, FAXes or e-mail us has a contact sheet made on his account. What you are told is written on this sheet. If you e-mail a copy is attached. If you telephone us any thing such as something "FREE" etc., is recorded. Sometmes we are dealing with over a hundred people weekly. A record has to be kept of conversations.

Mr. Haas I do not know what your problem is unless your just not getting enought attention but your post is false.

Newt Livesay
 
I have to jump into this one! I've ordered a few knives from Newt, and have to say that Newt has always been up front with his information on availability, etc. I've enjoyed the Sandbar Bowie, sn#17, my latest acquisition from WKC, and went threw all of the normal unforseen delays that occur during a new product run. Nothing that is different from what I've seen from Rekat, Microtech, CRKT, Benchmade, etc. The big question is always, "Will you buy from him again?" Yes, in a heartbeat! Newt is a very honorable businessman.

Hank
 
Commenting only on my own experiences ordering from Newt/WKC, I've had nothing but positive dealings with them. I would not hesitate to order from them again...which I did just last week.
Stay Safe,
Clyde
 
Newt, its not even worth it getting into some p*ssing contest with you over this. I stand by my statement as fact. As far as I know I only lie to my priest ;)
I will say this: Newt was always a gentleman on the phone every time I talked to him and I always enjoyed the conversations. The problems seemed to stem from the lack of communication between girls in the office and (maybe?) Newt. They were the ones that kept telling me different delivery dates, etc. I was told that one girl was terminated due to her "inabilities" in the office. Obviously you keep better records than I do and I do not want to go digging through my credit card/phone records from last year to make a point.
My apologies to Newt and others whom I may have offended, businesses have their ebbs and flows just like anything. Mine was just a bad experience and I'm glad its the exception and not the rule.
Best of luck Newt!
Thomas Haas
Maui, HI
 
They should change this site to the,"lets pick on newt site".I myself have bought only one knife from Newt,and everything went very well.I tell ya I was shocked as hell to order my Air Assault and speak to the man himself instead of an office person.Livesay seemed like a great guy and very honest ,I would buy from him again with no reservations at all.I realize the xcitement of receiving a new knife after doing the research and reading,but cmon guys they are knives not a new kidney.When you take your fun to seriously it just aint fun no more!
 
i bought a couple of knives from newt in 1997 or 1998 and when i called to make the order the lady that answered the phone asked if i wanted to talk to the maker himself....i said sure....newt gets on the phone and not only takes my order for two of his neck knives but is very friendly and informative...he patiently answered all of my questions and my package arrived in less than one week when he said it may take up to two or three weeks....i cant argue with that....since then i have picked up several of newt's knives on the secondary market and have been quite pleased with the work he sells.....thanks....feverdoc
 
I have ordered quite a few knives & other things from Newt over the past couple of years & my dealings w/ him have been nothing but favourable. Some of my orders have been filled immediately, some I've had to wait for. He has done a "true custom" for me to my specs to replace an order & although the knife wasn't there overnight, I was extremely pleased with the results. He runs a small shop & produces a product that is more than worth the modest price. I have been treated very well by Newt and his staff, and he has handled my questions with professionalism and respect, and I do not know of anyone who has been treated otherwise. His ethics in his business dealings should not be called into question.
 
I have no less than 5 of Newt's knives. Each bought at a different time. I called and asked if they had any in stock. Most they did a couple they did not. The ones he had in stock shipped the next business day. The others were shipped close to the date he spec'ed. I was always treated well. I do not believe he charged my credit card until the knife shipped. If he did, it would be in technical violation of the agreement between merchants and the credit card companies. I have never ever been charged on my card for something not shipped by anyone. Of course i suppose if a deposit were required, that could be charged. But Newt does not charge deposits that I know of.

Also what kind of gets me about these complaints is this. Obviously Newt wants to ship knives as soon as they are done. Then he gets paid. If you want his knife you wait for it. If you order by credit card, your always covered no matter how long it takes. If you never get it, the card company refunds your bucks. That's why people use the darn thing. I would never send a check unless it was money I could loose. Heck the maker could die, then what.

If your just moaning about delays or it was supposed to be done sooner I don't have much sympathy. Cancel the order. Newt will sell it to the next guy in line. He does most of the work himself, he is busy, he doesn't make every knife every day, so if something comes up or somebody gets sick or hardware breaks or he gets a bad batch, it could put him weeks behind. He then does not have time to call everybody and let them know. Nobody is perfect, but Newt is honest and does his best. With any maker you just have to wait. When he is done, you will get it and not a day before. Most makers try too hard to give solid delivery times in a semi custom business, and sometimes just are way off in their estimates. -mike
 
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