In article ,
Hoyt Weathers wrote:

I was not looking for sympathy from this experienced group. I simply
told the truth of my situation. I had no time to bitch to Lee Valley
because I needed my project completed. Let the dust settle where it
will. I will not retract one word of what I said because it is true.

Leon, are you the official judge of acceptability of postings to this
group?

You made a WIDE and totally faulty jump when you suggested I was
looking for sympathy. I was only trying to inform the group of the
particulars of a specific order attempt to Lee Valley. Nothing less
and nothing more. You had absolutely no reason to challenge my
posting. You added nothing helpful at all. Go take a flying leap!

Truth stands head and shoulders above uninformed and erroneous static
from the far left bleachers.

I sure hope you have a strong crash helmet and good insurance. You're
going to need both when you fall off your high horse and that chip on
your shoulder hits someone nearby.

Nobody doubts your statement that you placed an order and have not
received it. What people have been trying to tell you is (1) none of us,
not even Lee Valley, is perfect and (2) if you had talked to the
management at Lee Valley as soon as possible, you would now be praising
Lee Valley instead of complaining. By the way, your assumption that on a
telephone order, Lee Valley would use the fastest possible shipping
method was a bad assumption. Most businesses have a regular shipping
method that is used unless the customer specifies otherwise. It was YOUR
responsibility to inquire about shipping when you placed your order.

However, the most important message that people are trying to get
through what seems to be an extraordinarily thick skull is that of ALL
the business entreprises that do mail orders, Lee Valley is near or at
the top of custormer service.

For example, a year or so ago, they had one of their house tools
redesigned because of a problem in the original design. Without any
obligation whatsoever, they shipped a replacement tool to EVERY buyer of
the original design for whom the had an address.

Just last week, someone in this group mentioned that they received a
"surprise" cheque in the mail from Lee Valley to refund them the
difference between that they had paid for a recent order and the new,
lower price that had just come into effect for that item. I know a few
places that do that IF you are aware of the change and ask for an
adjustment but I don't know of any others that send out cheques in such
cases.

By the way, since Lee Valley (and most other dealers) now process Web
orders just as quickly as phone orders (and since I don't have
exaggerated worries about placing an order on-line with a credit card),
I NEVER make phone orders anymore unless I need some special service or
information. With the web order, I get quick confirmation and a tracking
number.

Robin Lee, the President and General Manager of Lee Valley is the kind
of man who, in an emergency, would get in his personal car and hand
deliver you a tool if for some reason his people had screwed up your
order and you were nearby. Otherwise, if you had contacted him at the
earliest moment, he would have rushed your tool to you, probably at HIS
expense.

There are lots of merchants who deserve to be trashed and publicly
villified. Lee Valley is not one of them. That could change, of course,
but is not likely. People of real, proven integrity usually can be
counted on.

If as you say you plan never to order from them again, it is YOUR loss.
By the way, in other aspects of your life, are you the kind of person
who dump on other people whom you think have done you wrong without even
giving them the chance to defend themselves or to make amends? It is a
serious character flaw called "backbiting" (saying mean or malicious
things about someone who is not present).

If there ever is a next time (with Lee Valley or another supplier),
inform the supplier FIRST and then come tell us what you think about the
supplier. As a group, we're not much impressed with idle, gratuitous bad
mouthing of others.

--
Regards,

Benoit Evans