I am a relative newbie to pen turning, having done about 200 in the last year. In that time I've also done a ton of key chains, bottle stoppers, pizza cutters, ice cream scoops, game calls, perfume atomizers, you name it and I've made some. And, frankly, I've been pretty successful at it. Before pen turning, I had done 20 years worth of bowls, candle sticks, vases, segmented turning, spindles for furniture repair/cradles etc. etc., and other wood working.
Like many of us, I started my pen turning by using my local Woodcraft store, and I still frequent them for items I have to have today. Ditto for Rockler. Like the availability, quality and service but prices not that great.
So, a few months after I started pen turning, I found Penn State. Fantastic web site in my opinion, good prices, terrific selection, and when I ordered, I liked the merchandise if not the VERY slow delivery. I have read numerous times that others have had the same experience.
In the last year, my adult son and I (we run our sales together, particularly at shows) have done what I would guess would be about $4,000-5,000 of business with PSI. Put it this way-it is enough so that I have purchased from them at least some of every category of items that I've made, and in many cases, the majority of items. I have more of their bushing sets than I can count.
Anyway, I was shorted some parts on a Majestic Jr. kit about two months ago, as well as getting 5-6 defective detachable key chain kits (ball bearings fell out). I had never spoken to them by phone, though I had read both good and bad about their service on IAP. Nonetheless, I was shocked when they said that they wouldn't just send me the parts, but wanted me to send the whole pen kit and all the key chains back, and they would send replacements. What-am I a thief, despite the fact that they gladly accept my debit and credit cards?
After a long time on the phone, I asked for and spoke to a supervisor. He said he'd send me a whole new Majestic Jr. kit, I could use what parts I needed, and I could then send the rest of the kit back. Fair enough. Ditto on the key chains ($5 items), but I still have to send back the defective key chains or we can't help you, which seemed silly because they are such small/cheap items.
I received the stuff from Penn State/PSI in the typical week and half (what the heck is up with that?), but they sent the wrong key chain kits. Sooooo-I sent them back with the parts I didn't need from the Majestic Jr. What happens? They send me a notice that the post office won't deliver to my address (strange-I have never had that problem in 5 years, and they mail packages to my house all the time) and so they have charged my credit card for the Majestic Jr. and all the key chains (weird that they CAN deliver an invoice, but they say that the post office won't deliver to my address). Anyway, remember they have ALREADY RECEIVED BOTH THE PEN KIT AND THE WRONG KEY CHAIN KITS FROM ME, as well as some of the defective key chains.
Soooooo, today I call them once again. I spend an hour on the phone with a nice young man from customer service who loves to talk and interrupt, but doesn't like to listen. I find myself wondering how he ever came to work in customer service. To his credit, after 55 minutes, he agrees to credit my account for the incorrect charge they made. Great, now what about the key chains? No can do-I didn't send back every stinkin' part or the bags from the kits-so no credit, no replacement. I pointed out that they had originally said "just send back the defective part and we will replace them", but as I said, this young man was long on talking, but I seriously doubt he even knew what active listening was. I finally asked to talk to his supervisor.
After about another 5 minutes on hold, Kathy came on the line, identified herself at the head of customer service, and said "I understand you have kept my employee on the line for the last hour". I KEPT HER EMPLOYEE ON THE PHONE ????? In my youth, I would have sworn at her. Instead, at the age of 56, I just stammered that I couldn't believe the head of customer service would take the position that one of her employees helping a customer (actually, keeping me on hold for most of the 55 minutes while he was checking out what I told him) would be an imposition.
Ok, I 've written too much. But suffice to say that I will NEVER, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES order directly from Penn State/PSI. I love Woodturninz, so if I absolutely have to have some proprietary item sold only by PSI, I will let Woodturningz deal with them, and let them make the profit.
I simply can't imagine in this economy that any for-profit company acts like Penn State/PSI does. Horrible, simply horrible. And they know it, because they fairly regularly get these kind of complaints on IAP.
Lest anyone think that I don't like suppliers, ask El Mostro, Indy Pen Dance, Exotic Blanks, Woodturningz, Wood N Whimsies, Arizona Silhouette, Toni Ransfield, Ankrom Blanks, etc. what they think of me. I have done business with all of them, and more, and have had not one dispute.
Can't wait for Levy to come on here and deny all, and send his minions to tell us how great they are. A pox on Penn State/PSI's house.
Roger
Like many of us, I started my pen turning by using my local Woodcraft store, and I still frequent them for items I have to have today. Ditto for Rockler. Like the availability, quality and service but prices not that great.
So, a few months after I started pen turning, I found Penn State. Fantastic web site in my opinion, good prices, terrific selection, and when I ordered, I liked the merchandise if not the VERY slow delivery. I have read numerous times that others have had the same experience.
In the last year, my adult son and I (we run our sales together, particularly at shows) have done what I would guess would be about $4,000-5,000 of business with PSI. Put it this way-it is enough so that I have purchased from them at least some of every category of items that I've made, and in many cases, the majority of items. I have more of their bushing sets than I can count.
Anyway, I was shorted some parts on a Majestic Jr. kit about two months ago, as well as getting 5-6 defective detachable key chain kits (ball bearings fell out). I had never spoken to them by phone, though I had read both good and bad about their service on IAP. Nonetheless, I was shocked when they said that they wouldn't just send me the parts, but wanted me to send the whole pen kit and all the key chains back, and they would send replacements. What-am I a thief, despite the fact that they gladly accept my debit and credit cards?
After a long time on the phone, I asked for and spoke to a supervisor. He said he'd send me a whole new Majestic Jr. kit, I could use what parts I needed, and I could then send the rest of the kit back. Fair enough. Ditto on the key chains ($5 items), but I still have to send back the defective key chains or we can't help you, which seemed silly because they are such small/cheap items.
I received the stuff from Penn State/PSI in the typical week and half (what the heck is up with that?), but they sent the wrong key chain kits. Sooooo-I sent them back with the parts I didn't need from the Majestic Jr. What happens? They send me a notice that the post office won't deliver to my address (strange-I have never had that problem in 5 years, and they mail packages to my house all the time) and so they have charged my credit card for the Majestic Jr. and all the key chains (weird that they CAN deliver an invoice, but they say that the post office won't deliver to my address). Anyway, remember they have ALREADY RECEIVED BOTH THE PEN KIT AND THE WRONG KEY CHAIN KITS FROM ME, as well as some of the defective key chains.
Soooooo, today I call them once again. I spend an hour on the phone with a nice young man from customer service who loves to talk and interrupt, but doesn't like to listen. I find myself wondering how he ever came to work in customer service. To his credit, after 55 minutes, he agrees to credit my account for the incorrect charge they made. Great, now what about the key chains? No can do-I didn't send back every stinkin' part or the bags from the kits-so no credit, no replacement. I pointed out that they had originally said "just send back the defective part and we will replace them", but as I said, this young man was long on talking, but I seriously doubt he even knew what active listening was. I finally asked to talk to his supervisor.
After about another 5 minutes on hold, Kathy came on the line, identified herself at the head of customer service, and said "I understand you have kept my employee on the line for the last hour". I KEPT HER EMPLOYEE ON THE PHONE ????? In my youth, I would have sworn at her. Instead, at the age of 56, I just stammered that I couldn't believe the head of customer service would take the position that one of her employees helping a customer (actually, keeping me on hold for most of the 55 minutes while he was checking out what I told him) would be an imposition.
Ok, I 've written too much. But suffice to say that I will NEVER, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES order directly from Penn State/PSI. I love Woodturninz, so if I absolutely have to have some proprietary item sold only by PSI, I will let Woodturningz deal with them, and let them make the profit.
I simply can't imagine in this economy that any for-profit company acts like Penn State/PSI does. Horrible, simply horrible. And they know it, because they fairly regularly get these kind of complaints on IAP.
Lest anyone think that I don't like suppliers, ask El Mostro, Indy Pen Dance, Exotic Blanks, Woodturningz, Wood N Whimsies, Arizona Silhouette, Toni Ransfield, Ankrom Blanks, etc. what they think of me. I have done business with all of them, and more, and have had not one dispute.
Can't wait for Levy to come on here and deny all, and send his minions to tell us how great they are. A pox on Penn State/PSI's house.
Roger