Do you give a warranty/guaratee with your pens?

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joek30296

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Sep 19, 2011
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Newnan, GA
I'm pretty much of a newbie at pen making and have only given away what I've made to family and friends. Not really good enough to sell any yet. Folks comment on how nice my pens look and say they're not gonna use them because they're so pretty. I tell them to "use it, lose it or whatever". It comes with a lifetime warranty. If it breaks or you lose it, I'll make another one.

Soooo....all that said, what kind of warranty/guarantee do you give with your pens?

Joe
 
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I haven't sold a pen yet that I wouldn't take back in 100% trade in value if the person broke it or ended up not liking it.

As my sales become more expensive and/or custom, they may be a bit harder to take back.

I don't give a specific written guarantee, but every pen comes with a card and an invite to "let me know if you have any issues with the pen". That usually satisfies them, just knowing that i care enough to offer.

Penn state does not even warranty their cheap ones, so that tells you what they think of the finishes they apply to those pens. personally, i have not had one flake off finish on me. who knows.
 
Exactly, I don't have a detailed policy, but every pen I sell has my card attached to the velvet pouch and basically says that if there is any problem with the pen they can contact me and I will make it right.

At the end of the day, this is more of a hobby for me that *somewhat* funds itself (yeah right) so I am not stressing over the profit/loss margin of each pen. I would much rather know that all of my customers are completely satisfied than pi$$ somebody off over a few dollars or minutes of time it would take to correct a problem.
 
Every once in a while I will sell a pen and that pen has a lifetime guarantee to function. Most pens I give away and those pens have a "maybe" guarantee provided it has not been run over, thrown against the wall, chewed on, or is the victim of other negligent abuse. This is because a lot of the people I know think I am their personal pen provider.:cool:
 
I have a sign in my booth:

I warrant all pens for repair or replacement due to manufacturing defects.
I do not warrant any pens due to mishandling or abuse!
 
My certificates that go with the pens have a lifetime warranty for everything except obvious misuse/abuse and refills.

Kits, blanks and craftsmanship are covered for repair if possible or replacement if not.
 
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I don't have anything in writing and I don't tell people anything. I've also never had anyone ask. However, if there is ever a problem due to defect I'll fix it. I won't replace a lost or abused pen and I don't know why you would tell people that. If someone loses it that is their problem.
 
So far I think people are right on where I am. I warrant against defects in craftsmanship and materials. Not against loss or misuse. My warrant is based on a business card with details of each pen sold on the written on the back.
 
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I let the customer know that if they have a problem with the pen to just let me know and I will fix it. I've only had to fix one but it wasn't the pens fault. Her dog got it off the coffee table and chewed the end off of it and it was her favorite pen. I just felt like I should help her out and re-made her a new pen. She only had the first one about 2 weeks. She is happy so I am happy.
Donny
 
joek30296 said:
I'm pretty much of a newbie at pen making and have only given away what I've made to family and friends. Not really good enough to sell any yet. Folks comment on how nice my pens look and say they're not gonna use them because they're so pretty. I tell them to "use it, lose it or whatever". It comes with a lifetime warranty. If it breaks or you lose it, I'll make another one.

Soooo....all that said, what kind of warranty/guarantee do you give with your pens?

Joe
Click to expand...

Ofering a lifetime warranty may sound nice but I'd like to hear your thoughts a year from now when you sell a pen that you used a high end $60 kit, a $30 blank and you supplied a $100 gold nib with it. Then get a phone call from the customer who said his dog grabbed it from the coffee table and chewed it up or that he just lost it. At that time I wonder if you would regret telling them... "If it breaks or you lose it, I'll make another one"!

Even as lenient as Walmart is, even they won't replace that 52" plasma TV because you say you lost it! :smile:

To me, a lifetime warranty is a hollow phrase which has been diluted over the years to the point that everything is touted as having a lifetime warranty, even the junk that isn't designed to last a year! If asked, I simply tell my customers that I will replace or repair any defect but I don't use that as a ploy to get them to buy a pen.
 
Wildman said:
If you check high-end pen seller web sitess, their warranties often involve time limits and modest cost.
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That is because they are not desperate to make a pen sale!

At some pen shows I've attended, some of the big name reps act as if one pen sale won't make or break the company and could care less if you don't want to pay full MSRP since there is always the next show! I tried at two shows with different reps to give me a discount (deal) on a Visconti Black Divina and no one would budge. I often wonder why they even attend the shows other than to stand there talking to the other reps planning dinner that night!
 
I do not have a written policy. Obviously, you lose the pen, that's not my problem. If the pen breaks and the person contacts me, I have them ship me the pen and I fix it and return it no charge. If the dog eats it, tough luck. I can only do so much to help. I recently had a customer lose a nib, a custom made aluminum nib for a ballpoint pen. I replaced the nib no charge..just had him send me the pen and couldn't guarantee the same exact nib of course since they are custom made. He keeps coming back and buying more pens and would have paid for the nib, but I think with a good customer you can benefit more in doing a good deed. There has been times customer had issues with kit parts. I charged them for the new parts, but not for any labor. They were not defective parts though, just worn out parts, like the plating getting worn from tons of use. You know, what comes around goes around..it pays to be kind, but not over kind.
 
I have a written warranty. It is for 3 years. After that it is on a per pen basis. I have had to replace 3 pens in five years. One do to be dropped. The other two due to coupler problems.
 
After reading Jeff and Alans posts I got to thinking.........

I think it would be best to have a limited written policy posted someplace but leave it very simple THEN base the warranty by the individual or as stated, by the circumstance.

That way you can deal with a good repeat customer who has purchased several pens differently than that one customer who bought one pen and has complained about everything ever since and thinks he deserves a brand new pen every year or so because he wears them out!
 
Texatdurango said:
Wildman said:
If you check high-end pen seller web sitess, their warranties often involve time limits and modest cost.
Click to expand...

That is because they are not desperate to make a pen sale!

At some pen shows I've attended, some of the big name reps act as if one pen sale won't make or break the company and could care less if you don't want to pay full MSRP since there is always the next show! I tried at two shows with different reps to give me a discount (deal) on a Visconti Black Divina and no one would budge. I often wonder why they even attend the shows other than to stand there talking to the other reps planning dinner that night!
Click to expand...

It's part of their Brand. They do not want to do any discounting because it can dilute their Brand image. Apple does this. They don't have sales or discounts. Even when you buy their product from another retailer you will pay the same price everywhere.
 
I offer a life time warrantee for as long I live. Certainly not a hallow phrase since I mean it and will honor the offer. Pen making is more of a passion for me than a business since I was taught by my Dad and want to keep the legacy alive. I've given out over 300 pens and other products to family, friends and people who have worked for me and with me on work projects. I offer the warrantee more as a way to gather feedback about how I can improve and it has been invaluable.

If I was selling pens to people I didn't know and making them from expensive kits like Tex mentioned then I would have clearly stated warrantee terms and conditions.

All up to you which path you want to choose.
 
Texatdurango said:
joek30296 said:
I'm pretty much of a newbie at pen making and have only given away what I've made to family and friends. Not really good enough to sell any yet. Folks comment on how nice my pens look and say they're not gonna use them because they're so pretty. I tell them to "use it, lose it or whatever". It comes with a lifetime warranty. If it breaks or you lose it, I'll make another one.

Soooo....all that said, what kind of warranty/guarantee do you give with your pens?

Joe
Click to expand...

Ofering a lifetime warranty may sound nice but I'd like to hear your thoughts a year from now when you sell a pen that you used a high end $60 kit, a $30 blank and you supplied a $100 gold nib with it. Then get a phone call from the customer who said his dog grabbed it from the coffee table and chewed it up or that he just lost it. At that time I wonder if you would regret telling them... "If it breaks or you lose it, I'll make another one"!

Even as lenient as Walmart is, even they won't replace that 52" plasma TV because you say you lost it! :smile:

To me, a lifetime warranty is a hollow phrase which has been diluted over the years to the point that everything is touted as having a lifetime warranty, even the junk that isn't designed to last a year! If asked, I simply tell my customers that I will replace or repair any defect but I don't use that as a ploy to get them to buy a pen.
Click to expand...

I agree George. I offer a defect repair or replace guarantee but its always as an "oh..and by the way" after they have bought a pen.

As an aside. The winder on my wife's $5000 Hermes watch fell off a while back. We went to get an appraisal for getting it fixed. No lifetime guarantee there......$700 to get it fixed..:eek: I guess I gotta sell some more pens..:rolleyes:
 
We don't have an official policy. We tell people to contact us if they have any problems. A few people have gotten back with us about their pens. We've repaired each of these at our cost with no hesitation. One of these was a sierra that was so abused that most of the black finish at both ends of the pen had been removed. I replaced it with a new kit and refinished the blank. Another was a pen that the person's dog attacked. A plastic fitting was broken and the blank had a couple of tooth marks. I replaced the broken part and overcast the blank so when it was finished, it was smooth like glass, but the tooth marks were still visible. The customer loved it and bought more pens for gifts.

I suppose that someone may bring back a pen that is abused and would require a costly repair. I suppose that I would handle these requests the same as I would if someone brought a broken pen to us that me hadn't made. I would repair the pen at cost or cost plus.

The beauty of not having an official policy is that we can give good service, but remain flexible.
 
I tell folks that if there's something wrong, I'll fix/replace it.

I don't warranty against gravity, cooking in the car, and four year olds.
 
I have a written one year warranty and also a lifetime warranty on the platings I use and I only use platings that are warranteed by the supplier for life. After one year I have had customers over the years break, misuse,and sundry other things happen and I've repaired each one on a customer by customer basis either for free or at cost plus. I have one customer in Tulsa that has shipped his pen to me 3 times to replace his ink cartridge, after the third time I was about to charge him when along with the pen was a check for a pen like his from his partner. His partner now changes his cartridge for him.. I sometimes wonder how some people get dressed by them self.
 
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