RasurPur Brush -- any info?

[Rasorface]

Dear Evan,

first, I am very sorry that this happened to your brush.
Secondly I do not understand why you didn't write me an email that you are not satisfied with the solution I offered you. Instead you are telling half truths here in the forum.
That makes me sad.

When you wrote me that your brush handle broke, I was ill for over three weeks. After that you were gone for a week. You asked me in your email if you can glue it yourself. (That is the reason I gave you the information about the glue later on.)

I asked you if you could do a picture so I could check with the manufacturer if you have to send the brush back or if it will be replaced without sending it back.

So I did not tell you that I need pictures. It was just a try to keep you from the hassle to send in the brush. I never had this case before and I always try something new in the hope to find the best and fastest solution.

When I got your pictures on the first of April I sent them immediately to Master Baier. He got back to me on the 9th of April while I was in France (until the 13th of April), which I told you and told me it can be repaired.

I answered you on the 14th (or 15th) of April. So I clearly see no month of replying time here but I am sorry that it took so long anyway.

The law in Germany says that you first repair a product if it is repairable. If this doesn't work out you are entiteled for a new product.
If you send the brush to Master Baier so he can check it and repair it, he will preplace it if it is not repairable and will send you a new one.
And he needs your brush in order to find out what went wrong so he can prevent this for future production.

This is the first brush with a broken handle Master Baier has seen in his brush making life. I do not really understand what the problem is if the brush will be repaired?
If you buy a straight razor from me and the scales would have broken, the scales would be replaced and not the whole razor.
Everybody will agree with that; why not with a brush?

I hope this brings a bit light into this matter.

Martin

[joshmpdx]

Thanks for posting here Martin, im sorry the circumstances couldn't be better and hope you'll continue to post here more often.

your quality of product is on par with the best of B&B!

[huracan]

I have also dealt with Martin and even though my products have performed fine, I did get the distinct impression that he wants to have nothing less than a satisfied customer. The fact that he is here giving his side shows that he cares what people think about his business, in other words, is not a hit and run operation.

These types of situations though, always have the potential of tempers flaring simply due to the lack of face to face. Hopefully this can all be resolved without the need for a public pistol draw here in the forum.

Do let us know how it turns out by the way

[tony mack]

Martin’s emails have always been quite friendly in tone. My problem is I purchased a brush from him for 88 euros plus shipping and handling that broke.

Then, in my initial email to Martin I did ask how I could epoxy the brush handle. He replied that he did not know how, and offered instead to replace it. I took him up on this offer, since as I wrote him at the time: on examining the broken brush in brighter light, it was clear other layers of the sandwiched bone (which make up the handle) had separated, or were improperly glued.

I then sent Martin the photos as he asked:

He replied as follows:

Good morning Evan,

thank you for the photos. I sent them to my brushmaker and will wait for his reply if I shall send you a new one or if he will do it.

I will in Thiers the whole next week, so there will be some delay here.
I appologize for the inconvenience and hassle you may have and hope you still have another brush to shave with. :-)

Thank you for your patience, understanding and help.

Warm regards,
Martin

Later he sent this:

Dear Evan,

I spoke to the manufacturer and he says this is the first time he acutally sees this.
There a two options.

First you glue it with a non water-soluble contact adhesive (like he told me). So not an epoxy one!
Usually you can find them in hardware stores.

Or you send the brush to him directly and he is gluing it and sends it back to you.
Here is his address:

Hans Baier e.K.
Hans Baier
Baumberger Str. 17
40764 Langenfeld (Rheinland)
Germany

If you send it, please declare it as "returning merchandise" and set the value to 5 US.
Please put a piece of paper with you name and address to the brush, so he knows where to send it.

If you have any question, please let me know.

Warm regards,
Martin

I think it is clear that between the two emails Martin changed his position—from offering to replace the brush to telling me how to glue it or having me send it back (at my expense) to Germany for repair.

In his post Martin writes that my initial account presented “half truths.” This is simply my perspective and experience: Martin operates an online company. He offers new products which are presumably in good working order. When one of the products he sold me broke, I tried to resolve it speedily by offering to repair it myself at my own cost. It was Martin who told me not to, that I should send photos and wait for replacement. Then later, he changed his mind about replacing it. Whether he has had the flu, or has been traveling on business--as he writes—the fact stands he hasn’t handled this in a straightforward manner. My intention here is not to disrespect other members who hold high opinions of Martin and his business. My opinion is simply different.

I am not interested in attacking Martin's character. I only wrote in a public forum in the first place because in this thread a B&B member asked for member advice regarding the brushes Martin sells. This has been my experience. I have purchased other products from Martin which arrived in good working order. But I will not do business with him again based on his handling of the broken brush.

I have also done business with other merchants familiar to B&B members. One sold me a scuttle that arrived in shards. Another sold me a “sharpened” blade that seemed to arrive not so sharp. In both cases the merchants resolved the matter within a week or two. Solutions involved some goodwill and compromise on both our parts, but they were satisfactory and earned my repeat business.

My six or seven weeks of Martin’s shifting responses have been enough. I wish Martin and other members who choose to buy his products good luck.

[huntmol]

I think the rest of this should be resolved privately, not publicly on the forum.

[tony mack]

The above is the resolution. I never heard anything from the merchant after my initial posting. As I said above, my intent wasn't to slam the merchant's character, but to share my experience with a Rasurpur brush in a thread soliciting such information. Obviously, my experience is just one person's. My resolution of the matter is simply to avoid doing business with the merchant in the future. In other posts people have written positively of the merchant, and the merchant has even defended himself. It's not up to me what conclusions people draw from these divergent views.