Steebar ?

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G

gawdelpus

Passed Away May 11, 2015
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Gold coast AU
A few years ago when I first started penmaking ,I purchased some odds and ends from Steebar, at that time I had some problems ,no communication etc. Eventually my orders arrived ,took a long time I might add, I did some research at that time and the general consensus on forums I checked was to stay clear of them. I am just wondering if they have improved over the last few years, or still stay clear ,they may be fine ,and just international customers have long delays ,just wondering how they stand these days ,
cheers ~ John
 
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Too many great, customer focused places to get items these days.

Customer satisfaction
Quality
Selection
Price
Shipping cost and times

These are the things I look for in making a purchase.
 
Steebar is still not doing what they should be doing , such as shipping out a paid order or communicating with a customer if there is a problem. I would go elsewhere.

This is just my opinion and it is based on personal experience and from what I have heard from other customers of theirs.
 
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I made a purchase from them about a year ago. No problem - merchandise was as described and was delivered in a timely fashion.

Just an observation - in wood turning, as well as many other areas, vendors generally want to to the right thing by their customers. And it is true that some are more successful in accomplishing that goal than others. But all vendors occasionally have problems - orders that get screwed up, paperwork lost, etc. Unfortunately, the 'reviews' that are posted on web sites are more likely to be complaints about the problems, than they are compliments about things being done right. And anecdotal stories posted on forums aren't indicators of the likelihood that an encounter with a vendor will result in an unhappy outcome..
 
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I recently ordered from them (last month) stuff sent in multiple packages back ordered if not for my calls no communication but everything did arrive just slow
 
monophoto said:
I made a purchase from them about a year ago. No problem - merchandise was as described and was delivered in a timely fashion.
. . . anecdotal stories posted on forums aren't indicators of the likelihood that an encounter with a vendor will result in an unhappy outcome..
Click to expand...

When it turns into multiple anecdotal comments in the same direction, it is time to listen to reason. I am all for giving the benefit of the doubt, even if I happen to be the one with a bad experience. However, to remain silent and refuse to post because it might be perceived as "anecdotal" is to allow others to fall into the same trap. Sometimes, it takes getting a person's attention to get them to improve their services, and I am for it if it happens this way. But for Steebar, his practice of not communicating, delayed shipping and not so good rapport over several years still speaks volumes.

A 50/50 customer service satisfaction rate is not good enough, 70/30 is not good enough. Anecdotal comments add up and are important. "Good" is the enemy of "Best." And "Good enough" is settling for a lower standard. "Good" for a few is the same. The problem with each good response is that it often gives the perception that it may be the customer, and we all know that we each, individually, are "good customers." We tend to rely on our "feelings" in trusting an unknown in this kind of situation, and our feelings are far more accurate than others, therefore . . . :wink: Don't trust feelings and ads, without looking for some data or reputation of the vendor to back the decision (to use them). Even doing this, sometimes we get taken.
 
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They still owe me a package from 3 years ago. It was written off as a done deal and other businesses have received 10 of thousands of dollars since then from me. Steebar will never receive a dime from me again.
 
I used steebar when I first started turning, about a year ago. I had an order where they sent me the wrong kits...five of them. I emailed them and told them they had sent me the wrong kits, and they immediately sent me the correct kits, AND free bushings necessary to turn the ones they sent by mistake.

I know everyone badmouths them, but my own personal experience was very good.

I no longer use them simply because now I buy almost all my kits from Smitty.
 
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Long before I found the IAP I made orders with a bunch of online vendors. Steebar had a sale going on slimline kits and I made a relative large order. The kits came but quite a bit slower than what I had ordered from other vendors. the second order had a couple wrong items and I never even got a response back from inquiries. They got crossed off the list. Then I found Woodnwhimsies and bought most of my supplies from them for a while. They had great service and when I got a couple kits that had bad pieces they sent new ones plus a little bit more. No questions asked. I don't use PSI kits much anymore but when I do Woodnwhimsies is the first place I go. Steebar is the last.
 
I had a kiit that was back ordered it's like a blackhole for status dealing with these folks it came in last week out of the blue.....the order was in feb.,,,,I think in that I never got an email of my online order if they where giving away product I wouldn't waste a stamp
 
with all the bad things i hear of them, and with the bad dealing i had with them it amazes me there still in business. people need to be careful and be willing to put up cash and wait a long time wondering if they got screwed or not.
 
They operate under several different web names.

This alone makes me suspicious of them--each is a separate site---so if you get a bad review of one site, just try another---certainly not "looking to build a great reputation"!
 
Thanks for the responses ,seems that nothing much has changed with them since my first dealings , luckily we do have many good vendors to serve our needs :) Cheers ~ John
 
Well I guess I should have read this forum before ordering from Steebar. I can report that they still suck at communication and ignore my pleas for a refund. It has now been a month since I've placed my order. I guess it's now time to call the CC company to see about reversing the charges.
 
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