Thoughts on reviews

[overdriv]

This section of the FALfiles is probably the single most valuable section on the board. And my thanks go out to all that care for this medium.

We all will get great value from the posted reviews if everyone will post detailed honest unbiased facts about the products they have received from vendors.

I know it is hard to be unbiased when you think you just got hosed. But one should probably not post anything to this section until you have contacted the vendor and the vendor has either resolved the problem or you have gone to the end of your resoures.

No one benefits from a rant about a vendor before the vendor has had a chance to resolve the problem. It's only fair. After the transaction has run it's course, then is the time to post a complete review of the parts, product, problems, resolutions, etc. Tell it like you see it. If you think you got hosed so be it, this group needs to know. If you think you got what you payed for, say so.

Everyone here will then get a look at the whole picture, and then will be better informed.

A sane, sensible review will go a lot further then to go into a flame contest with everyone.

Good, honest reviews will better inform the members of this board and make the vendors more aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

Just my two cents on this very important section.

[kotengu]

Amen brother! I'm a little tired of seeing rant sessions about a problem when these people haven't even taken the time to give the vendor a chance to make it right. EVERYBODY makes mistakes sometimes - the good vendors are the ones who make it right.

[1006587]

If something isn't right I want to know about it ASAP. I also want to know what the person is doing to fix the problem and follow up on the outcome. If a part has a problem maybe the vendor can nip in the bud and fix the problem quickly.

What I can't stand however is someone complaining that a $125 kit is missing a small part or has some rust on it etc. and considers that unacceptable. There is a reason the kit is cheap.

Rant, off.

[awp101]

Originally posted by 1006587:
<STRONG>If something isn't right I want to know about it ASAP</STRONG>

Absoulutely, as long as an attempt has been made to get the situation corrected.

[GreenFAL]

I received a product that didn't live up to what expected it to and I read the Fal Files a LOT. The post I missed (small section of a single post) I wish I had read!!!! I'm under time restraints in building 2 (gift) fals for my brothers so I don't really have the gift of time to try new stuff. My mistake! I should have gone with parts that I have proven to myself (first hand experience) that work. Now I need to return and reorder what I know will work the first and every time. I now have even less time to assem. test fire and refinish. I wish there had been a post in Reviews addressing this issue. I for sure would have changed my orginal order.
And NO, I have not talked to the vendor yet. I'm sure they will treat me right. I do feel mislead. The small post I was pointed to states this product will not work with most of the kits out there right now (STG, R1, G1)without non-standard building assembly. The inability of this part to work without non-standard building should have been in BOLD TYPE. I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the fal building shed, But what is left UNsaid can cause the most problems.

[kotengu]

Man I wish I had a brother like GreenFAL :eek:

[Radio]

"...as long as an attempt has been made to get the situation corrected." --awp101

I wish this was stamped on every unhappy customer's forehead. Nobody wants a problem with a product or order, but "stuff happens." I'm seeing a few people jump the gun (sorry) on issues that have NOT been taken up first with the vendor, issues the vendor has NOT yet had a chance to correct.

Under certain circumstances this is acceptable since a learning curve is involved, for example the Austrian/Belgian buttstock line discovered by Penguin, or problems encountered by Beta testers of Olympic or DPMS receivers. But many other negative reporting is actually premature, and in my opinion somewhat immature.

"All We Are Saying, Is Give [these guys] A Chance." THEN nail 'em, if deserved!

--Radio

[Master Blaster]

Ditto!


I have found that the vendors (and individual board members for that matter) that I have done business with, have ALWAYs done right by me.


I think that it is the responsibility of the buyer to say when they are unhappy with a product, and bring it to their attention. In this game there must be the realization that we are dealing with parts that may be 40 or 50 years old. Unless it is listed as new, the expectation should be that some wearwill always be present.


I have only been burned by one vendor since I began dealing with FALs here. This vendor has consistently over rated their merchandise and I think that the general public here, is well aware of this fact and know to whom I am referring. I simply refuse to do business with them now.


All said and done I am a very happy camper with what I have gotten through my dealings with you (the board members and the vendors who advertise here.


Thank you ALL for many fond memories, excellent comraderie, and some great equipment!


Regards,


Jim :D :D :D :D

[ August 27, 2001: Message edited by: Master Blaster ]

[bykerhd]

I think there is nothing wrong with pointing out problems experienced out in the free marketplace. If a gripe is legitimate I believe it will be recognized as such. If it is just a baseless tirade the same will be true. I expect, because we are all human, to see mistakes made and hopefully acknowledged by involved parties. Airing out the issues helps to prevent us from having unreal expectations.
The posts regarding these G1 kits coming into the market are a good example. I don't think anyone here believes they will receive an absolutely pristine kit for a low buck. This will probably end up saving the vendors time and money dealing with unhappy customers.
I don't think it hurts to discuss, discourse or seek advice here. I thought that was the idea of the forum. Most of my purchases(the best ones)were made after reading the forum.
Sorry for the rant.
Ken Wales(bykerhd)
S Burlington,Vt.

[overdriv]

From reading some of the posts on this topic, I feel I should clarify a couple of points in my original post.

The reason I suggest to hold off till the transaction runs it's course, is I beleive it is not really fair to post an angry review about a vendor before the vendor has had a chance to rectify the problem. Then post all information pertaining to the whole transaction as you see it good or bad, and by all means air your opinion.

Then people will know exactly what to expect when they do business with the vendor in question.

This is the place to put the hammer on vendors that mislead buyers, or just out n' out hose them. But it should be done in a manner that indicates one has tryed to work with the vendor toward closure of a transaction satisfactory to both.

If one details the the complete transaction, the folks on this board will then know exactly what to expect if they do business with that vendor or person.

And just because a vendor is a sponsor to this board does not mean that vendor is off limits to unfavorable reviews or comments if they've got it coming. I for one appreciate their sponsorship and will buy from them if they have what I need at a price I want to pay and have a favorable standing among the members of this board, but that's as far as it goes. They still live and die by the products they sell and the service they give, plan and simple.

Two more of my cents.