Author Topic: How customer service is supposed to be! (Read 725 times)

doninva · « **on:** October 15, 2003, 07:57:25 AM »

I have been having trouble with my Thompson 209X45 and have been VERY unimpressed with their customer service. I bought a Knight woverine 209 in frustration with the 209X45. I noticed there was some blow back with the Knight and decided to call them for some suggestions. The guy I talked with did not try to blame the problem on me and said lets see if we can get it fixed. He gave me some suggestions to try and (on his own) is sending me a heavy spring and a breech plug. He said if this didn't take care of it, to call back and we would find the problem or I could send the gun in. Now guys, I call this CUSTOMER SERVICE. I also had a small problem with a Knight about 5 years and was treated great then to. I will be getting rid of my Thompson encore with extra barrel and buying a new Knight rifle because I KNOW, if I have a problem, I won't be jerked around like Thompson has. Don

1860 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 15, 2003, 12:18:39 PM »

I guess something has changed at T/C over the years. Back in the mid 90's I bought one of their firehawk inlines and had some blowback concerns. The guy sent me a whole bunch of parts, and some from the newer model Black diamond to try. I then proceeded to break a thimble screw while trying to mount the sling swivel to it, they sent me a bag of screws, some new thimbles, swivels, and for some reason a few flamethrower nipples, all of this came real fast and real free. I'm sorry to hear they have gone down hill.

BTW: That inline makes a dandy groundhog gun with Harris bipods :-)

Doug

mamaflinter · « **Reply #2 on:** October 15, 2003, 03:29:37 PM »

Don I don't know what the mishap is between you and T/C but we've always had wonderful service with them.

My husband has a pair of White Mtn. Carbines. When he began shooting them, he broke the stock on shot #8 on rifle 1, shot #7 on rifle #2. Both rifles were sent back to T/C with no questions asked, updated tang installed, stocks replaced with prettier wood than they had to begin with and no problems since. We've sent several rifles back to them and all but one has been corrected. They don't blame the problem on us (in fact they NEVER blamed the problem on us). The rifle in question is particularly light and we felt like it had a bent barrel on it. We sent it back and they claim it was a bad tang. Sent it back "all fixed" they said. But the problem wasn't fixed to MY satisfaction. That's another story. The rifle is simply too light and kicks me too hard to consider shooting again.

doninva · « **Reply #3 on:** October 15, 2003, 04:22:24 PM »

mamaflinter, you stated it much better than I could. It was not fixed to my satisfaction and it would do no good to bother Thompson again. As they stated to me they are VERY busy with the hugh amout of warranty work coming in. If I sent 100 rifles back to a company and they fixed all but one,to me, that would be bad service as a company should fix all of their bad product. Don

mamaflinter · « **Reply #4 on:** October 16, 2003, 04:23:01 AM »

Quote from: doninva

mamaflinter, you stated it much better than I could. It was not fixed to my satisfaction and it would do no good to bother Thompson again. As they stated to me they are VERY busy with the hugh amout of warranty work coming in. If I sent 100 rifles back to a company and they fixed all but one,to me, that would be bad service as a company should fix all of their bad product. Don

Don you see my husband gave the rifle to me. It was brand new still in the box. I shot it one time and it bruised my shoulder for 2 weeks. It darn well turned me against shooting. It was also a MINIMAL load. I was using 45 gr. pyrodex (this was before we began using straight blackpowder) and a conical.

Now when the rifle was sent back to Thompson, they were well aware of how the rifle kicked me and they were supposed to try to remedy that. But my fear of that rifle is so severe, I will NOT shoot it again. I made hubby shoot it when it came back and although they claim it's fixed mechanically, it's still kicking harder than I could tolerate. So I simply don't shoot it.

May I ask who you talked to when you called T/C? Did you talk to T/C or Fox Ridge outfitters? Fox Ridge does T/C's warranty work and they don't blame the customer (or at least not to me). I'm also curious as to what was wrong with your rifle? You never did say other than it wasn't fixed to your satisfaction.

doninva · « **Reply #5 on:** October 16, 2003, 05:53:58 AM »

mamaflinter, I shot 4 types of bullet and several different charges of 777 with the best group at 9" at 50 yards. I had a 209X50 and it would touch bullet holes at 50 yards but sold the gun because it was stainless and I wanted to put a turkey barrel on it. I bought the 209X45 because a 209X50 was not avabile at the time. I talked to several people in Thompsons repair dept. One guy told me they had 50 barrels ahead of me but 75% were just the customer and not the barrels. One guy was very nice and said he would only send me a barrel that would shoot. The last time I talked to a lady that seemed very busy as she just said it will be a couple more weeks before we look at your barrel(she said this about 4 times). When I got the barrel back, the note said it shot 1 3/4" at 100 yards with 150 grains of Pyrodex and the XTP 180 grain bullet and they changed the breach plug to the stage 3. I can probably handle 150 grains of powder at the bench but 20 feet up a tree may be another story. I am headed to the range in about 5 minutes to check it out. They had the barrel in house for 5 weeks so they must be very busy with repairs.If I have to shoot 150 grains of Pyrodex to get it to group, I might have to hire someone to pull the trigger for me :shock:

mamaflinter · « **Reply #6 on:** October 17, 2003, 03:26:04 AM »

Don it could be that your rifle simply didn't like Triple 7. And just because T/C said that your rifle shoots 150 gr. of Pyrodex doesn't mean that YOU have to shoot that much. Alot of people poo poo at the idea of real blackpowder, but it's a fine powder. It's also less corrosive than pyrodex.

WD45 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 17, 2003, 05:47:47 AM »

HMMM... It kind of makes me wonder about the current quality of the TC products if they are THAT BUSY with warranty work.

Wonder how much warranty work the other companies HAVE to do ??
When a company is not losing tons of money on defective products sending somebody a couple of free bags of parts is not a big deal.

DavidKansas · « **Reply #8 on:** October 17, 2003, 11:18:12 AM »

I am not sure why you are having so many troubles , I only have about 8-10 T/C muzzle loaders and not one reject in any of them. I do work on a pet load for each and every weapon, that is just part of being in muzzle loading for over 38 years. I also own other muzzle loaders but I do not put as much faith in them. It does sound like your best bet is to try a nother brand--I do hope you are able to find one that works for you.

doninva · « **Reply #9 on:** October 17, 2003, 03:03:18 PM »

Hey DavidKansas, I guess I'm just lucky :? . Don

mamaflinter · « **Reply #10 on:** October 18, 2003, 05:24:01 AM »

David Like you we own several of T/C's rifles. Several of our rifles are no longer in production. We've only sent 3 rifles back for warranty work. Two of them T/C knew there was a problem and modified the tang on this rifle to keep the stock from breaking.

I've never had a problem with their customer service. I just don't like how that Cherokee kicks. It's not their fault I can't tolerate the kick.

Don you never stated what the problem was with your Encore rifle. What exactly did T/C say to you?

WD45 Also keep in mind that alot of the warranty work is little stuff and with that lifetime warranty that they have, just about everything is covered (outside of neglect or misuse) in that warranty. I'll tell you something else.

I purchased a USED Patriot Pistol. I called Fox Ridge hoping to find a loading stand for it. Years ago when this pistol was sold, you also received a loading stand with it. Due to the fire, it destroyed alot of their stuff and ended production of alot of their rifles. I was informed that they didn't have anymore and to make certain I took good care of it since it couldn't be replaced if I messed it up. That made me ask, "Since I wasn't the orginial purchaser, does the warranty apply to me?" They said it didn't matter about being original purchaser, since I was current owner I had a warranty.