How long can a customer expect their pen to last?

[KMCloonan]

I just received a notice from an Etsy customer telling me his click pen no longer clicks, and would like a replacement.

Looking at my records, he bought the pen in January 2021, over 17 months ago. This is my first complaint for a pen not working, so I have not had to deal with "warranties". While I do believe pens should last longer than 17 months, I have no control over how the pen is used, how often it is clicked, etc. I wrote back to him, and told him that simply replacing the pen is not a viable option, as I don't specify a lifetime warranty or any kind of warranty.

I offered him two options:
1) Send me the pen and I will replace broken or worn components.

2) Take $20 off any pen I have listed.

Am I off base not simply replacing his pen after almost a year and a half?

Do any of you offer a clear warranty?

Thanks for any feedback

Kevin

 

[axolotl_laserbeam]

Kevin just in my unprofessional opinion I think you handled the situation extremely well. Both options are very reasonable, and for all you know the mechanical issues could be from their mistake.

If I ever sold pens, I would offer the first option of fixing the pen, but on the customer's cost when it comes to shipping.

 

[JohnU]

I think that's a reasonable response also. That's the reason I don't make click pens. I've never had one last very long with my normal use. It's funny, we can get a free plastic click pen at any bank that will last forever and through the wash machine but It's the first thing that seems to not hold up in a component set.

 

[sorcerertd]

I think that's a reasonable response also. That's the reason I don't make click pens. I've never had one last very long with my normal use. It's funny, we can get a free plastic click pen at any bank that will last forever and through the wash machine but It's the first thing that seems to not hold up in a component set.

Wow, that's really sad, isn't it? I hate to jinx it, but I've not had one fail on me yet in a couple years of penmaking. Some people just sit there clicking away all day, though. Who's to say he's not that guy annoying all his coworkers? Maybe one of them broke it? I'm kind of being funny, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

 

[jttheclockman]

I am right there with John. It always amazed me I get free pens from a company I use to buy sales pens from and they are some of the best click pens I ever used. Never had one fail. Smooth and quiet. Why can't these pen makers sell ones that last forever. Does not make sense. I think you gave him good responses but on the other hand It would not kill you to just replace. Especially if it is the first time.

 

[its_virgil]

Most likely a new kit will need purchasing or scavenging from to get the part to repair the pen. Just replace the pen and move on.

BTW, until the new clickers came out using the all metal Schmidt SKM88 clicker I did not offer clickers.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

I sell quite a few pens. I sell mostly (but not exclusively) click pens. In the last 10-15 years I've had 2 issues with clickers. My best customer (40+ pens) has never had a failure. My best seller is the PSI Vertex which goes for around $35. I figure if someone is going to pay that kind of money for a pen they should get good customer care.
ANYHOW - fix or replace at the customer's option. It's not a big deal and shows the customer you care.

 

[KMCloonan]

Thanks everyone for their input and feedback. The customer has chosen to have me repair the pen, which I will do promptly upon receiving it.

KC

 

[TellicoTurning]

I never did click pens as I mostly don't like them. I much prefer the twist pens or a capped pen.... even the freebees I pick up now and then are mostly twist type...
But my very first pen I made was a kit my son gave me with the lathe, so I don't remember the kit name.... it's been over 20 years since I made it and other than I pushed the transmission a little deep so that the nib protrudes slightly, the pen is still working.... I have another that I made a year or so later with antler barrels... the black paint on the pen where the nib/refill comes out has almost completely worn away as I used the pen at work and often loaned it to truckers to sign off bills of ladings etc, then had to chase them down the dock to get it back.... still works.... both are twist pens. I still use the antler almost daily.

I never offered warranties and don't think I've ever had a pen come back .... I did have an oil lamp come back at a show that likely the buyer was swinging around in the bag and banged it against something to break the reservoir that was embedded in the base... I replaced it and took the lamp apart and repurposed it to a lidded box and sold it again... I also replaced a wine glass that a young girl bought that someone else broke for her...

 

[monophoto]

Many years ago, I was given a MontBlanc fountain pen - MontBlanc pens are expensive, costing hundreds of dollars. I found that while writing with the pen was a wonderful experience, over time the pen degraded and eventually required maintenance - it developed leaks, and the nib required periodic tuning. I had to send the pen back to MontBlanc for service every couple of years, but each of those periodic repairs cost me more than the original purchase price of one of the everyday-carry pens in my daily rotation. Eventually, I chose to retire the MontBlanc and use instead one of several less expensive pens that seem to not require frequent service. But the point in this context is that while this very expensive pen may have come with an initial warranty, it didn't cover ordinary wear and tear, and unfortunately, the design of the pen was such that it required frequent maintenance to keep it writing correctly - and that was something I had to pay for.

Pens sold at craft fairs or through on-line craft exchanges present some interesting questions when the notion of warranty is considered.

1. Does the make have confidence in the quality of the components that went into the pen? The answer to this may vary between kit pens and kitless pens. There are many different pen kits to choose from, and some are clearly better than others. Was the pen made using components from a high quality kit or from a budget kit intended mainly for beginners? (And here, the issue of the longevity of various platings is also a factor.)
2. Will the purchaser have a means to return the pen for repairs if something goes wrong? If not, the warranty may actually have little value. The expectations of a purchaser who buys a pen from a known vendor via an identifiable web site should be different from the expectations of a purchaser who buys from an anonymous vendor at a craft sale.
3. Is there a defined period for the warranty? How can the pen maker protect himself from having to repair damage due to ordinary wear and tear?
4. An option that might be worth considering is offering a paid repair service for pens that have survived a defined warranty period. However, this also relates to question 2 - offering such a service only makes sense if the purchaser has a way to contact the vendor at some point in the future.
5. Many of us in this community have achieved the state of geezerdom. Sadly, this means that there is a point in time when we will no longer be around, so this raises the question of what value either a warranty or paid repair service would have to a potential purchaser if we aren't here to provide the service.

 

[jttheclockman]

Louie brings up many good points but I must counter some with some common sense answers that I live by. First and foremost I am not into the hobby thing to become rich and or famous. I started doing it over 40 years ago to pass some time and to scratch the itch I have to make things with my hand and show off my talents. I get satisfaction of seeing people's faces when they pick up a piece I made and actually purchase it. I will warranty anything I make for basically free with some exceptions. I feel it is good business sense for word of mouth advertising. Now as far as death goes all warranties go away. I will not be able to fix the problem from the beyond so like most businesses that go out of business the customer is out of luck. Now if you are a top selling business than your warranties are different because you have a business platform. Craft show sellers have no business platform to that extent. They may think so but not really. The one stipulation I abide by is the customer is responsible for shipping to me. I will ship back free. All these rules can change if the customer becomes one that tries to use me and take advantage. You learn real quick.

 

[SteveG]

I was selling pens in years past. These were a range of different kit pens, all of higher quality kits and using higher-end barrel materials. I included a business card with each pen that proclaimed a long lasting warranty and gave refill info. I would cover repair of any pen that had a defect, but charge for damage repair. These repair events (there were few), often led to new pen purchases from customers satisfied with my product and warranty efforts. I will add that I was selling at a resort in Hawaii, and my price structure was such that my typical or averege pen price was about $130 or so, thus it was easy to justify the occasional covered warranty coverage.

 

[sbwertz]

I never did click pens as I mostly don't like them. I much prefer the twist pens or a capped pen.... even the freebees I pick up now and then are mostly twist type...
But my very first pen I made was a kit my son gave me with the lathe, so I don't remember the kit name.... it's been over 20 years since I made it and other than I pushed the transmission a little deep so that the nib protrudes slightly, the pen is still working.... I have another that I made a year or so later with antler barrels... the black paint on the pen where the nib/refill comes out has almost completely worn away as I used the pen at work and often loaned it to truckers to sign off bills of ladings etc, then had to chase them down the dock to get it back.... still works.... both are twist pens. I still use the antler almost daily.

I never offered warranties and don't think I've ever had a pen come back .... I did have an oil lamp come back at a show that likely the buyer was swinging around in the bag and banged it against something to break the reservoir that was embedded in the base... I replaced it and took the lamp apart and repurposed it to a lidded box and sold it again... I also replaced a wine glass that a young girl bought that someone else broke for her...

My purse pen is a slimline, one of the first I made...olive with turquoise inlay. It's been my carry pen for seven years and have never had any problem with it. The finish is getting dull after running around in my purse for seven years, but only if you look closely.

 

[KMCloonan]

I noticed this thread is still going, so I thought I would provide an update.

The customer mailed the pen back to me. I clicked it as soon as I opened it, and it seemed to click ok, but I did notice the nib got hung up when retracting. I disassembled it, and observed that the customer had installed a new Parker refill (I know the original pen had a "Parker Style" refill, but not an actual Parker). To me this is a good indication that the pen was used frequently enough to require a refill. Customer did tell me this was his favorite pen, so I'm guessing it's his everyday carry.

The other thing I noticed was that the refill spring was distorted/bent. My guess is that when the customer removed the original refill the spring stayed inside the pen. When he inserted the new refill, it must not have gone through the ID of the spring, and instead damaged the spring. I played with the pen a bit and did notice the clicker getting hung up on the bent spring. So, I swapped out the spring for a new one, and the pen worked fine. I cleaned/buffed the pen and shipped it back to him and explained what I did, so that the next time he needs to replace the refill he will know to take out the spring too.

Customer paid for shipping the pen to me, and I paid the return shipping. I have not heard back from him, so I hope all is well. I'll send him a note checking to make sure he is happy.

 

[randyrls]

Word of mouth advertising is the best thing there is!

PS. Sometimes the plating on the nib will build up on the inside of the hole. It may be enough to cause the point to "hang up" when extended or retracted. The tolerances of the ink fill and nib are pretty close and can conflict.