Wood Butcher
Local Chapter Leader
A friend who is the financial officer of a local Corvette club asked me to work up some ideas for club pens. I did a few samples and he settled on one for himself in the Designer style and a Apprentice Jr Gent for the "official club pen" he would use for club business only. He indicated he would try to get the members to order pens for themselves but that didn't happen. The Jr Gent turned our really nice made of curly bubinga with the club logo engraved and gold filled. Ken Nelson did the engraving and it was superb. My actual cost in materials and shipping for the bubinga pen alone came to $57 plus or minus some change. I charged him $125, a friend remember, and spent lots of time getting the logo right, turning and finishing the parts and assembly. Now the problem. Today he gave it to me saying the cap wouldn't post. I brought it to the shop and examined it to find the internal threads, that are plastic, were damaged. It looked like it had been cross threaded and the lower part of the threads are actually missing, broken and gone. He said he did nothing to damage it, it just stopped posting. I endeavored to remove the broken section planning on using a new kit to repair it but in the process I damaged the engraved upper part beyond use; the engraved bubinga is trashed. This whole saga took place over the last 13 months. Now the question. What do I do, should I give him all of the money back? Do I ask that he take 50% responsibility and return half the money? Make a new pen at no charge? Tell him it's operator error and he should stick to Bic pens? Ethically, morally what is right in your minds?
Thanks, I just want to do the right thing and not wreck a friendship.
WB
Thanks, I just want to do the right thing and not wreck a friendship.
WB