K
KenHash
@jlauffer @Brummie @Chris_Texas Well, I guess "Your Name Goes Here" was right in saying try to avoid GSM's customer service if you can. I returned a Black Bear Classic because it had a defect I just could not accept. This is my experience. This is kinda detailed, so if you want to skip to the end, do so.
1. I've made 5 calls to GSM customerservice to date, 4-19-21. The wait to get an agent on the line was 10-20 minutes each time with GSM's ads playing in my ear. Lots of ads, not one of them included
one word about cold steel knives. Lots of hunter stuff, no knives.
2. The first agent I spoke to told me what I needed to send to GSM: an-email describing the problems, address it to the attention of the agent I was speaking to, and send relevant pictures. While I was on the phone with him I asked him to
please email me and confirm he received the email and pictures. He agreed. He did not email me.
3. After a couple of days with no response from him, I called again. Same long wait on hold, same hunting related ads. You
never get the same agent twice. The second one I spoke to advised me the first agent was busy etc. He had to put me on hold to find the information I had already sent in (+5 Minutes on hold). When he came back he agreed the BBC (Black Bear Classic) needed to be exchanged and created a return authorization. Gave me the RA# and told me the I also needed to send in a proof of purchase in order to move the process forward
. He, too, did not email me back
4. Repeated all this to a
third agent who could not find the proof of purchase. To his credit he tried a work-around that led to his finding the proof of purchase. Said he would tie it together with all the other info I sent in and put it with the return authorization. No such luck, which led to a 4th call.
5. This call was the longest of all and I was placed on hold 5 -to-6 times for a total of about 30 minutes(in addition to the initial time on hold). I had waited for two days after the BBC was received at GSM to make this call. In that time, GSM's warehouse had not connected the returned item with the item that was supposed to be sent as an exchange. I could sense the agent getting frustated because it seemed one hand was not telling the other hand what it was doing so she had to run around tying all the stuff together between the warehouse and whateever else department. After she tied all things together she said she would e-mail me the next day and give me the results of her efforts. I asked that she insure that the condition of the BBC was appropriate for a knife of that caliber. She assured me she would. True to her word, she e-mailed me the next day and told me the return was on the way and gave me the tracking number. I asked
what was in the package, she told me a BBC and the promotional knife Smokey Mountain Knife Works includes with this purchase. I thanked her.
6. The package arrived today 4-19-21. Oh, joy! until I picked up the package. As soon as I saw the package I knew it was a disaster. First, the name was wrong, I don't know how the package even got to me. Second, the street name was wrong. Third, there was
no BBC in the package just some paper work that indicated 1 Kudu-lite knife was returned to me, and one BBC was placed on backorder. This
after I was told they had
lots of BBCs in stock by the agent who found the proof of purchase. I specifically
asked if they had any. He went to check and came back, said they had lots.
7.As you may have guessed, that led to this last call. I was on hold for 30 minutes before an agent came on the phone. Same ads with no mention of Cold Steel products. I immediately asked for a supervisor, waited another 5 minutes on hold. We discussed the missing BBC, wrong steet name, and wrong first name on package. I was assured all would be rectified. She, too, confirmed they had BBCs in stock and would make sure one was in the mail to me, and gave me a time limit to wait. If I do not hear from her, call back.
That's where the matter lies. I will wait the specified time and if I do not receive a tracking number, well I have a plan. If you have to deal with GSM: 1. Make sure you have all the things they require in order to get an exchange, including a proof of purchase.
Don't expect them to contact you if something you need to turn in has not been received or located by them. Call them to confirm whatever you sent has been received. They do not email you or return your calls even though they say they will (well, 4-out-of-5 did not get back to me). You
have to follow up after each call to make sure the process continues to move forward. This is my experience. Your mileage may vary.
May 4, 2021 UPDATE: Happy to report that the supervisor called
me before the time limit she had set. She informed me that my Black Bear Classic was on the way and gave me a tracking number. As soon as I got off the phone with her I looked up the tracking number at FedEx and kept checking until the package arrived. I cannot put my finger on it, but something substantial changed once I was speaking to the supervisor. Before I started interacting with her, I felt like I was in a "maze" and could make a wrong turn with the result that something essential might get lost or overlooked in the "passing-from-one-agent-to-another" process . The agents were polite, even making helpful suggestions that I had not thought of, but I got the feeling that once they hung up the phone, that was it . Its up to you to keep things moving forward. The supervisor seemed to do the things that needed to be done after the call ended.
Bottom line is that I received the BBC, it has a couple of minor issues in the fit/finish area but nothing that would make me want to replace it. As I examine it, it seems to be a good example of the class, and definitely not something I would want to part with. I have been waiting a long time to acquire a BBC and I was especially anxious about getting a quality replacement because who knows if GSM will ever produce more BBCs once those in stock have been sold. This may have been my last opportunity to acquire one.
My sincere thanks to all of you who helped calm my anxieties, gave me invaluable advice, and made suggestions that were truly helpful. I also thank you for the moral support. This process has ended well for me, (I have what I payed for, the defective one was replaced in a reasonable amount of time). I hope the same for anyone else who may find themselves in the same position. One caveat though. I think that if I ever make a purchase at this price point again, it will be in a situation where I know I can trust the dealer, ( so I don't have to go throught this process again) or I can see and handle the product myself before purchasing it. I guess what I'm struggling with is that I did not get the feeling that Cold Steel products are going to be a major part of GSM Outdoors
focus. I hope I am wrong.
