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Old-school shaving meets old-school customer service... finally

--> In a hurry? For the take-away just skip ahead to section '3 - Victory'.

Hello fellow wet shaving enthusiasts! I hope this post helps guide you in purchasing your next razor.

1 - Background
I was ready to switch from cartridge shaving to a DE, so I decided on a razor and I went with the first online vendor who offered it... big mistake. If only I had invested a bit more energy in researching razors and vendors, I would have spared myself a good deal of time, energy, and cash.

2 - The Crisis
As it turns out, my first razor of choice (the Merkur Vision) was a poorly crafted failrazor; hardly deserving of its $100 price tag. Furthermore the razor had arrived damaged, and only after several calls was I able to get a minimal refund. I had offered to accept an exchange for a different razor (the far superior Pils 101NE) and of course to pay the difference, but for reasons unclear the vendor wasn't interested in my business and (thankfully) refunded my purchase cost, minus the $100 shipping and handling fee which I had to swallow despite egregious manufacturer defects.

(Please note: I refrain from mentioning the above vendor name for the following reason(s): The owner/lead-manager of said company was in Germany and unavailable when all of this nonsense took place. My first contact was through him, and he was accommodating and pleasant. Thus I don't want to tarnish the business' name based on the actions of an office manager, incompetent though she may be. Suffice to say, the company in question is the predominate online vendor of wet shaving supplies and DE razors. Perhaps they'll clean house and step-up their game, but we'll see.)

3 - Victory!
I decided to buy from a different merchant, and after some digging around I found one who carried the Pils; Lee's Safety Razors (www.leesrazors.com), and I couldn't be more pleased. The level of personal service that Lee provides is outstanding, and you can tell that he truly means it, that he stands behind his business in a very personal way.

Lee is of a rare breed, he's a Master Tradesman; a specialist whose depth-of-knowledge and whose expertise are equaled only by the level of dedication with which he serves a loyal clientele. Suffice to say that I'll absolutely be recommending LeesRazors.com to my friends and family.

4 - Conclusion
The Web has changed everything, from how we discover and share knowledge to how we shop. While this technology affords us certain convenience, the all-too-frequent downside is the lack of genuine, personal service; the kind where relationships matter as much as the sale, and where the quality of service is as important as the quality of product. Fret not though my friends, and take comfort in knowing that service does indeed still matter to some, even in the age of the Web.

4 - Your Thoughts
What's your experience been with online vendors (or with 'brick-and-mortar' vendors)? Wet shavers are, by nature, quality-focused. For us, it's all in the details. Have the vendors from whom you've purchased gear risen to match your expectations of quality-as-a-service? Or do they generally fall short?
We are indeed a picky crowd... perhaps too picky at times? I don't believe so, but I'd like to hear about your experiencel.

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Thanks for taking the time to read and to reply to my post.
And to Lee from leesrazors.com; thank you for the exceptional service!

Happy shaving everyone...
 
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Good customer service is really hard to find. As for online vendors, it's hard to get better than Saddleback Leather Company's customer service. I know they aren't a wet shaving vendor, but I'm consistently impressed with the way they handle customers.
 
$100 shipping and handling fee!! :scared: You would have been better off with Amazon! :wink2:

I've had very good luck with Lee's Safety Razors. Good selection of products so I don't have to pay separate shipping at multiple sites, and even the standard delivery is extremely quick.
 
What a good idea for a thread! I'd like to give a plug to John from Ogallala bay rum - his customer service is first rate. Always includes a little sample and does his very best to keep shipping prices down (when I once ordered one of the larger bottles he informed me the shipping cost would be a lot more due to the size of box needed, after discussion he said he could put it in the smaller sample bottles which kept the postage to a minimum). So not only does he make a fantastic product (OBR AS will always be in my rotation), he offers old school service as well.

From what I have heard around here, Sue of Mama Bears is just as accomodating. It's a surprise, really, that you got such poor customer service. We wet shavers are a finicky, picky bunch, and the last thing a vendor should want to do is get anyone offside!
 
Such bad experiences are what made me search locally for a few weeks before I gave up and purchased items online. I just checked MY favorite online wet shaving vendor to make sure it wasn't them - they don't stock one of the razors you mentioned, whew!
 
I've had nothing but the best customer service from any shaving company I've shopped at. It seems to me that this community, for the most part, understand the value of things like customer service, and i think that attitude is prevalent with the vendors as well. I have not gone to Lee's, but I will probably buy from there next based on this post.
 
1barber.be is fantastic to deal with. I cant remember the guys name, but the service was amazing, he talked me down off the ledge on some expensive gear in favor of getting me the right gear instead of the expensive gear. definate thumbs up for those guys and they have a cool store front in Belgium.

Tyler
 
John at West Coast Shaving is a wonder to deal with. He's the evil genius who has been handling the B&B LE ink order. His customer service is top notch.

David at Razorbladesandmore.com is also great to deal with. Strangely, his shipping is a little slow when he's out of town, however (that's a joke. His shipping time is absolutely fine!), and each time that I've ordered from him, I've discovered hidden gems when I get my package.
 
Lees is truly top shelf in my book.....just wished he carried my stuff. Ive had problems with one of the "big boy" vendors on here as well. Ive had my best luck with geos shave nation and a banned vendor from here anyways. Just sayin, it pays to shop around. And ps, geo wouldve went above and beyond with ur vision problem, because he took EXCELLENT care of a damage product i had received. Jfyi
 
As far as wet shaving products go, for the most part, I've had overwhelmingly positive experiences.

Amazon vendors have been great to deal with and prompt with delivery. My razor arrived just fine, my blades included a little bit of shaving cream and aftershave balm that wasn't included in the description, my knot from TGN came in lightning fast and my razor stand came from West Coast Shaving without a hitch.

Now, on Amazon, there was one product I wasn't happy with, but the seller was more than cordial in working with me and paid for the return shipping on the product. While the product wasn't what I expected, the service was top-notch.

So far, I'm happy with how electronic shopping has treated me as a customer when it comes to most products. I'd like to have a brick and mortar store nearby that sells a variety of wet shaving supplies, but it's just not available here. Until it is, I'll be happy with the web.
 
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