Bikeguide.org - Bike maintenance for BMX'ers
The Street => The Lounge => Topic started by: Patty on May 23, 2015, 08:15:28 AM
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I've ordered a headset dustcover, it's been about a month and nothing. I emailed him two weeks ago and nothing.
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He put up on his instagram that he was getting going with the BMX stuff since people had been waiting for a while. Its strange he hasn't sent the dust cover though, mine came very quickly.
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I saw on Instagram that he was doing some bmx stuff for Ashley Charles new company.
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insta implies hes more into guns and tools and stuff now
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Ashely Charles lil co seems cool.
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Can't speak directly for Ken or anything, but I know he has been crazy busy. Shoot him a message on facebook/instagram since he seems to check those fairly often.
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His parts take time but the work is precise. He won't rip you off, if that's what you're worried about.
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His parts take time but the work is precise. He won't rip you off, if that's what you're worried about.
i got that, it's just been over a month with no contact, I start to ask questions.
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I like how couch gets a pass for being a shit businessman to the bmx world.
I still like his products tho.. :0
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I like how couch gets a pass for being a shit businessman to the bmx world.
I still like his products tho.. :0
I don't think "shit businessman" is an accurate description. Dude is never not working. Shit falls through the cracks with everyone, especially smaller stuff when you have a ton of big projects you're working on. People cut him slack because they know he is accountable for the products he sells and isn't going to up and disappear after taking your loot like another infamous BMX machinist...
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I know he does great work but more often than not, on smaller jobs he drags them out for a hell of a long time. That's based off of the 6 guys on here worried about their parts never showing so..
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I like how couch gets a pass for being a shit businessman to the bmx world.
I still like his products tho.. :0
I don't think "shit businessman" is an accurate description. Dude is never not working. Shit falls through the cracks with everyone, especially smaller stuff when you have a ton of big projects you're working on. People cut him slack because they know he is accountable for the products he sells and isn't going to up and disappear after taking your loot like another infamous BMX machinist...
I have to agree with Billy here, there are multiple instances of Ken dragging his feet for up to a year on relatively simple bmx jobs. He does great work and he's a cool guy... but that doesn't mean that a paying customer should get the shaft and then just be happy about it.
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What happened to the cyclops stems?
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Contact him on Instagram or send an email. Those usually work the best. As mentioned he is super busy as far as machine work goes.
Not sure on the delay for the dust caps unless he has to make more............
Also, a week or so back there was mention of a batch of stems that has been "long long awaited". I am hoping it was a subtle mention of the Cyclops.
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I like how couch gets a pass for being a shit businessman to the bmx world.
I still like his products tho.. :0
I don't think "shit businessman" is an accurate description. Dude is never not working. Shit falls through the cracks with everyone, especially smaller stuff when you have a ton of big projects you're working on. People cut him slack because they know he is accountable for the products he sells and isn't going to up and disappear after taking your loot like another infamous BMX machinist...
I have to agree with Billy here, there are multiple instances of Ken dragging his feet for up to a year on relatively simple bmx jobs. He does great work and he's a cool guy... but that doesn't mean that a paying customer should get the shaft and then just be happy about it.
Fast. Quality. Cheap. You get to pick two.
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Fast. Quality. Cheap. You get to pick two.
Or one.
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Clearly none of you have worked in engineering or product design/manufacturing. A month is crazy fast turn around for one-off stuff made by a one person shop. I'm sure he has a ridiculously long list of things to do and if there's one thing you can count on it's things being pushed back.
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Then he should let those who order on his online shop know he's slow. Imagine buying gas and then getting told it's going to be a few months until you get to pump.
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Just a regular ole American made headset cap. It came and I like it. All I ask for is communication, I don't mind waiting
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Glad you received it, and like it. Thanks for the follow up email.
BMX is less than 5% of my business, and I often miss emails so if anyone has tried to contact me and doesn't hear back, try again please. Thanks.
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He's on a coke binge with Chuck from B6
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Lol. This is why I still check the site
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Then he should let those who order on his online shop know he's slow. Imagine buying gas and then getting told it's going to be a few months until you get to pump.
That is completely ridiculous and so far off base.
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Bad comparison but solid point. Don't take people's money if you aren't ready to make/send the part. Bad business if you do otherwise.
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Bad comparison but solid point. Don't take people's money if you aren't ready to make/send the part. Bad business if you do otherwise.
yes, and 'often missing emails' is shite.
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You whinging cunts have probably never seen triple figure emails in your life, shit happens and long lead times are common in many industries.
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That's besides the point you twat.
If there's a god damn wait, tell your paying customers there's a god damn wait. Not emailing people back who have payed you is piss poor service. If you disagree you're a moron.
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Alex, I like you but you're a white apprentice at an all black radio station and I'm assuming you have shit all experience in managing a manufacturing business or keeping on top of a giant workload by yourself.
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You whinging cunts have probably never seen triple figure emails in your life, shit happens and long lead times are common in many industries.
Anyone who has worked retail or has a work related email has. Fuck, even dudes with game probably have haha. Delays are common in heaps of industries - for sure. Understandable and acceptable (but not good) for wholesale. Not good practice in retail though.
It is not uncommon for retailers to put lead times for products on their ordering page, especially if it is more than a week. When people are ordering something that is made to order or is from a small shop they tend to be pretty understanding - if they are told in advance. Some guitar builders have a wait list over a year, that is all made clear on their site. If it isn't clear (or even said at all) it is unreasonable to treat customers like that.
In my experience with Couch there was a delay in one instance but he let me know and kept me in the loop, which is fine in my books.
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Most places don't charge the card until the order is ready to be fulfilled. Have no idea whether that occurred in this situation but you can be sure as shit I'd be annoyed with bankrolling someone's business until they get around to producing it on a retail product.
Putting down a deposit on custom or one-off work is whole different thing.
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Most places don't charge the card until the order is ready to be fulfilled. Have no idea whether that occurred in this situation but you can be sure as shit I'd be annoyed with bankrolling someone's business until they get around to producing it on a retail product.
Putting down a deposit on custom or one-off work is whole different thing.
i didn't order anything custom, just a headset cap right off the site, and was charged immediately. I just wanted some communication. I'll wait for some quality American parts.
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Most places don't charge the card until the order is ready to be fulfilled. Have no idea whether that occurred in this situation but you can be sure as shit I'd be annoyed with bankrolling someone's business until they get around to producing it on a retail product.
Putting down a deposit on custom or one-off work is whole different thing.
i didn't order anything custom, just a headset cap right off the site, and was charged immediately. I just wanted some communication. I'll wait for some quality American parts.
That's what I was figuring. For what it's worth I'd be annoyed as well.
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Alex, I like you but you're a white apprentice at an all black radio station and I'm assuming you have shit all experience in managing a manufacturing business or keeping on top of a giant workload by yourself.
Yeah, I have no problem with you either but your points here are bogus. I don't have to have experience in a manufacturing business to know better. And the fact you bring my personal life into it just kind of shows that you know your wrong but don't want to admit it.
I went through a Somewhat similar situation myself, actually, and have seen other small companies go belly up because they couldn't keep up with orders already paid for. It's a slippery slope. You already spent the money people paid you on other things and when it comes time to make their part, those funds have already been spent. It's just bad business practice, simple as that.
I paid $300 for a few car parts from a small builder that made them as orders came in. When I ordered, there was no wait time listed on his site or between the emails we exchanged. 6 months and many unanswered emails later, I got an email saying he had a wait on parts because he couldn't keep up with orders.
3 months later, for a total of 9 months after I paid him, he makes an announcment saying the metal supplier up and left and robbed him of $15,000. Which is super made up but that's besides the point. The point is simple and stands. Let your customers know if there's a wait and don't take their money until you are ready to either make their part or send it out.
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Long story short, I'm out a few hundred bucks and his buisnees no longer exsists. Comunication is key.
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Love how couch gets a pass because everyone on this site is either on his dick, or "totally understand how manufacturing works, bro"
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Behold, the bikeguide curmudgeon.
Dudes in mid twenties to thirties groaning and bitching. All of you will make fantastic specimens at the coffee shop in 30 something more years.
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Long story short, I'm out a few hundred bucks and his buisnees no longer exsists. Comunication is key.
Fair call in your situation, but this seems a bit different. Having a proven track record in a community and not answering your emails is different to some guy who can't keep up with orders because he's a dunce.
As for bringing up your personal life, I just think your situation is funny and like to bring it up whenever I can. How are you surviving as the token guy?
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Long story short, I'm out a few hundred bucks and his buisnees no longer exsists. Comunication is key.
Fair call in your situation, but this seems a bit different. Having a proven track record in a community and not answering your emails is different to some guy who can't keep up with orders because he's a dunce.
As for bringing up your personal life, I just think your situation is funny and like to bring it up whenever I can. How are you surviving as the token guy?
It's following a very similar path. The guy I'm referencing was a reputable seller/builder for years in the community. Only until he couldn't keep up with orders and spending customers money on personal finances rather than the parts themselves was when he started to go under.
Not saying that what couch is doing or anything but it follows the same path. Make good parts > sell small amount > be good seller. More orders come in > begin getting over loaded > miss email and ship dates > complaining customers.
As far as the radio stuff, it's going well. I have my own show Monday mornings now!
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he's already spelled it out for you, bmx is less than 5% of his business
in other words he doesn't give a shit, that 5% doesn't even equate to answering messages/updating on progress. someone who actually gave a shit would've chipped away at bmx jobs in his spare time, then let everyone know he won't be taking any more work on
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I can definitely sympathize with Couch, when I was doing little bits and bobs for people, female axles, recessing stems etc, it was just a ballache, having to mess about going to post offices etc and waste my lunch break for the odd ten / twenty quid. Plus when you bear in mind most BMXers can't spell or use Paypal it becomes a nightmare.
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im guessing hes more into guns and tools than bikes these days anyway, not like back when his whole bike was dialled in with custom bits and pieces
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You guys are putting way too much thought into this