RANT!!!! No Coustomer service

maxman400 · Mar 22, 2010

I am trying to learn this craft, so I am always looking for new venders and ways to improve my pen making skills. Well the other day I found this web site www.penkits.com.cn and so I checked them out and they had Jr Gents for $6.00 so ordered 6 of them and some other stuff that came to $46.00. Well at check out they got me for $27.00 shipping, (first slap). I get the stuff in by DHL and I made my first Jr Gent as I press the center band in the tube starts peeling off the clear coat so I stop to clean it off before seating, when I try to seat it the center band crushes (see photo). So I try to beat it out and it pulls out the whole tube. So to finish the pen I rob a tube and center band from another kit, not wanting to take any chances I sand off the finish down to the copper plating(under the gold). When I tried to contact the Company rep, He informed that they ship all over the world and no one else has had any problems. and he sent me the instructions on how to put the kit together (2nd slap). The instructions are the same ones that I had already, the instructions says that the center band has a black plastic piece attached to it and this one don't. So today I put 4 hours in to this pen , I even sanded the center band like I did the second one and during assembly the center band crushed..(3rd slap) I finally took some measurements the center band it 10.9mm od and the tube is 10.5mm id, the cap goes in just fine and it is 10.5 mm id.
SO needless to say I won't go back to them, Tough expensive lessen learned I guess!

Jgrden · Mar 22, 2010

Nice recovery BUT:
'Those dirty rotten no good bushwhackers' Go find a tree, I get a rope.

maxman400 · Mar 22, 2010

Sounds Good to me!!

Glenn McCullough · Mar 22, 2010

fine looking pen, glad you didnt let the slaps beat you. I'll remember the site you mentioned, thanks for sharing.

JerrySambrook · Mar 22, 2010

This is the first time I have heard someone rant against Berea.
This is a new and unpleasant surprise for me
Sorry to hear it, both for you, and about them.

Not to doubt that you got bad parts, but are you sure the site you called out is correct?
I could not find jr gents on their website, as the jr gent is a CSUSA and reseller product.

Of course, I could have not looked it up correctly as well
Jerry

Dalecamino · Mar 22, 2010

Sorry Max

maxman400 · Mar 22, 2010

JerrySambrook said:
This is the first time I have heard someone rant against Berea.
This is a new and unpleasant surprise for me
Sorry to hear it, both for you, and about them.

I don't think these guys are "BEREA" I may be wrong but this is the name I get from the web site
Xiamen Rizheng Industry Co.,Ltd.

bradbn4 · Mar 22, 2010

hmm - those are sort of what PSI I think sells. Not always high end quality from some of the items I have seen on their website.
It does cost an arm / leg to use DHL from overseas....so I would say China is where you picked up those kits.

Sorry you had so much issues with them.

nava1uni · Mar 22, 2010

I used the link and it goes to Berea. If that is the correct site I would call them and tell them what happened. They are really good about customer service.

Padre · Mar 22, 2010

The blank is beautiful. Where did you get it?

jttheclockman · Mar 22, 2010

maxman400 said:
JerrySambrook said:

This is the first time I have heard someone rant against Berea.
This is a new and unpleasant surprise for me
Sorry to hear it, both for you, and about them.

I don't think these guys are "BEREA" I may be wrong but this is the name I get from the web site
Xiamen Rizheng Industry Co.,Ltd.

Click to expand...

That is a China company. That is not Berea.

bitshird · Mar 22, 2010

They have tried to market through here a year or so back, they made some real nice offers, but their stuff while some may look like kits we use they are a lot cheaper all the way around. I'm rather surprised they called their pen a Jr. Gentleman . I thought that was copyright protected. about the only thing Rizheng makes that's worth bothering with are their El Cheapo slim lines.

maxman400 · Mar 22, 2010

Padre said:
The blank is beautiful. Where did you get it?

I made it from PVC Pipe, It is posted in the Show your Pen forum.

Mr Vic · Mar 22, 2010

Folks, add a .cn to the web address and you get www.penkits.com.cn . this site is definately not Berea.... Drop the .cn and you go to Berea's web site...looks like a clone to me! or try .co.uk and you can get a british site...

maxman400 · Mar 22, 2010

Got an e-mail back

Hi Max,

Thank you for your email.
We just remaking the tubes,we would send some for your replacement together with your next order.Sorry to bring your trouble.
Any comment please let me know freely.
Regards,
Jack
Problem is, the minimum shipping is $21.00 (for 5 tubes plus what ever else)

simomatra · Mar 22, 2010

maxman400 said:
JerrySambrook said:

This is the first time I have heard someone rant against Berea.
This is a new and unpleasant surprise for me
Sorry to hear it, both for you, and about them.

I don't think these guys are "BEREA" I may be wrong but this is the name I get from the web site
Xiamen Rizheng Industry Co.,Ltd.

Click to expand...

www.penkits.com.cn will get you the Xiamen Rzheng Industry site, I think somehow you have got them mixed up with Berea www.bereahardwoods.com The link you gave goes to what looks like the Berea site, not sure though.

Never had any problems with Berea but the other site is something else.

Yu ended up with a nice pen in the end, like the blank.

maxman400 · Mar 23, 2010

simomatra said:
maxman400 said:

www.penkits.com.cn will get you the Xiamen Rzheng Industry site, I think somehow you have got them mixed up with Berea www.bereahardwoods.com The link you gave goes to what looks like the Berea site, not sure though.

Never had any problems with Berea but the other site is something else.

Yu ended up with a nice pen in the end, like the blank.

Click to expand...

These Guys are defiantly not Berea I have used Berea and have had no issues with them at all.

JerrySambrook · Mar 23, 2010

The ORIGINAL POST had the following as the website: "www.penkits.com"
That points you to Berea.
Max editted the address to what it should be.
So, what he ORIGINALLY posted would point to what was later stated.
Now he has editted it to .cn, which points to Rizheng.
These are also not the makers of the kits that CSUSA sells. CSUSA uses Dayacom.

Max,
The shipping is high, because it is coming from China.

Jerry

CWA · Mar 23, 2010

It's a CHINA site

nava1uni said:
I used the link and it goes to Berea. If that is the correct site I would call them and tell them what happened. They are really good about customer service.

That is not berea it goes to to some company out of CHINA...

Address：501- D，Rihua Industry Building,No.16,Xingfeng 3rd Road,Xiamen,China.

闽ICP备07502578号 | 站长统计

Tel：86-592-5592652、 5713780 Fax：86-592-5592835

Email：info@rizheng-stationery.com

技术支持：厦门百酷互动设计

Sales-1

Sales-2

Sales-3

After service

The ".CN" on the end is the difference....

dexter0606 · Mar 23, 2010

I definitely isn't Berea. The don't sell Jr. Gents. And they have great service that I can attest to personally.

It's a Chinese site

Jeff

dexter0606 · Mar 23, 2010

I can tell you that I did have a problem with the center band in a Churchill (actually a few of the kits I had on hand). The small diameter of the black plastic insert wasn't turned small enough to accept the metal ring of the center band. Seems the manufacturer had a quality control issue. Pieces got exchanged no problem. Guess it all depends on the supplier.

Jeff

stolicky · Mar 23, 2010

dexter0606 said:
I definitely isn't Berea. The[y] don't sell Jr. Gents. And they have great service that I can attest to personally.

It's a Chinese site

Jeff

True. Berea makes the Barons (and the like) and Sedonas. Aren't the Jr.'s made by Dayacom?

JerrySambrook · Mar 23, 2010

Looking at the pen in the first post, it is not a Jr Gent either, as the Jr Gent has metal threads in the lower and the hidden threads in the cap are the plastic ones.
The pen actually looks like a Baron, and not a Jr Gent.

workinforwood · Mar 23, 2010

I was thinking it was like a Baron kit because of the metal threads in the cap. Dayacom uses a plastic threaded sleeve for Gent kits. I don't have a set of tubes on me, but 10.5 ID on a Jr Gent cap tube sounds a little small, more like the baron size upper tube would be, but maybe not. It's a bummer no matter how you look at it.

Russianwolf · Mar 23, 2010

workinforwood said:
I was thinking it was like a Baron kit because of the metal threads in the cap. Dayacom uses a plastic threaded sleeve for Gent kits. I don't have a set of tubes on me, but 10.5 ID on a Jr Gent cap tube sounds a little small, more like the baron size upper tube would be, but maybe not. It's a bummer no matter how you look at it.

Even the Baron uses plastic threads in the cap. So, nope, not a Baron either.

whatever that pen is, it's junk.

wolftat · Mar 23, 2010

workinforwood said:
I was thinking it was like a Baron kit because of the metal threads in the cap. Dayacom uses a plastic threaded sleeve for Gent kits. I don't have a set of tubes on me, but 10.5 ID on a Jr Gent cap tube sounds a little small, more like the baron size upper tube would be, but maybe not. It's a bummer no matter how you look at it.

Jeff, you are correct on that, the Jr. series uses tubes recommending drill bit sizes of 10.5mm and 12.5mm.

maxman400 · Mar 23, 2010

Here is some photos of the the kit before I crush them.

:devil:

maxman400 · Mar 23, 2010

workinforwood said:
I was thinking it was like a Baron kit because of the metal threads in the cap. Dayacom uses a plastic threaded sleeve for Gent kits. I don't have a set of tubes on me, but 10.5 ID on a Jr Gent cap tube sounds a little small, more like the baron size upper tube would be, but maybe not. It's a bummer no matter how you look at it.

Jeff I just took some measurements::: The directions call for 12.5 mm drill bit, I used a 31/64 /// 12.0mm which is a hair too big, the 12.5 was way too big. The tube it's self is 11.5 od

maxman400 · Mar 23, 2010

Apparently They monitor the IAP, I just received an e-mail from Richard Che who is the general manager of RIZHENG, informing me that they had a meeting and found that the tubes are too small and are going to remake them to the correct size and that they would send me the correct size. He does mention the IAP by name in his e-mail so I will let you know how it turns out.

Russianwolf · Mar 23, 2010

maxman400 said:
Apparently They monitor the IAP, I just received an e-mail from Richard Che who is the general manager of RIZHENG, informing me that they had a meeting and found that the tubes are too small and are going to remake them to the correct size and that they would send me the correct size. He does mention the IAP by name in his e-mail so I will let you know how it turns out.

Be that as it may, metal on metal threads are a big no-no. They cause excessive wear and can come loose much easier in someone's pocket. This is why all the quality kits (Baron, Jr's, Etc.) have moved to the threaded plastic sleeve in the cap.

Lesson - you get what you pay for.

maxman400 · Mar 23, 2010

Russianwolf said:
Be that as it may, metal on metal threads are a big no-no. They cause excessive wear and can come loose much easier in someone's pocket. This is why all the quality kits (Baron, Jr's, Etc.) have moved to the threaded plastic sleeve in the cap.

These have plastic threads on the nib and the back to post the cap. the metal threads are only in the cap, I see this as a down fall because now you see the wear and tear on the threads any time you remove the cap as opposed to the plastic being inside the cap.

sbell111 · Mar 26, 2010

First, Rizheng has been frequently discussed on this board. Some people refuse to buy from them. Others happily buy some stuff from them and not others. Still others buy anything they offer. There have even been group buys run for their stuff.

I buy some stuff from them and not others. I always order more than I need because I know that a small percentage of their parts will be bad. In the rare case that I find a higher percentage of badness, I've documented the problem, contacted them, and they have sent me replacement parts.

Second, as the OP noticed, Rizheng has recently started selling Ultra Cigars, Gatsbys, and Jr Gents. However, the Jr Gents being sold are not the Jr Gent IIs being offered by CS USA. According to their website, they are Jr Gent Is. I've never built a Jr Gent I, but I assume that these kits are the same as the ones that CS USA used to sell so they shouldn't be assumed to have the improvements that have been incorporated into the current Jr Gent IIs.

Daniel · Mar 27, 2010

That site is Rizheng. They have been banned twice from this group. It is now a permanent ban for spamming, robing the site of the forum structure, right down to using the very same titles for separate forums. I originally bought pen mills for group buys from them but would not have anything else to do with there products due to poor quality. Well it turns out you can have a really bad pen mill as well. I found another supplier for mills and no longer do any business with them. there was recently someone here on the group reselling their slimline kits at really good prices. I did buy a bunch of those. But will not longer do business with Rizheng directly and highly recommend others do not either. As this thread says. No customer service. shipping is through the roof unless you are ordering about 20 lbs of goods. You will not get what you order because they will substitute as they please. If you have a legitimate complaint they may give you credit toward your next order at best (big time shady practice) They rob not only this group but anyone that has working to gain a reputation and basically hang there entire business success on the hook of deception.
And that is the list of good things I can say about them. I would get nasty but I like to promote an atmosphere of tolerance. Sorry Max that you have had to learn once again the expensive way not to do business with this (Low Priced) Company. Nothing low priced about a 60 some dollar box of crap.

RANT!!!! No Coustomer service

Member

Attachments

Member

Member

Member

Member

Local Chapter Leader

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Product Reviews Manager

Member

Attachments

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member