[2666]

After waiting two months for my UDI Rosewood Offhand Gatewood 10/22 stock to arrive, I come home today to find a box has been delivered by the USPS with the return address of Claude Gatewood. Yippie!! I've been doing all the other typical mods in the meantime, trying to keep busy until the stock arrives.

I open the box and find the stock broken in half!!! Just above the three finger groves it has become splinters. After taking a month to figure out which stock I want, the stock comes ruined. The two pieces look beautiul, I just wish it was still in one piece!

How do you all think this should be handled? I paid $185 for this stock, plus shipping. Don't even mention gluing it - that is out of the question.

 

[ostdc]

Insured?

Do you know if it was insured when shipped? I would think it would be, but I don't know.
Brian

 

[Pinball]

Get in touch with Claude and inform him about it.He is a first-class guy so deal with him with confidence.:t
Mike

 

[2666]

Sorry, forgot to add that. The outside of the box has a "Delivery Confirmation" sticker with a bar code, but nothing designating that it was insured.

 

[George S]

Get to the Post Office

and file a damage claim. There is a form and some information online at this link:
http://www.usps.com/receive/howtofileinsuranceclaims/welcome.htm

You will have to take everything (the stock or the remnants of it and the box ) to your local Post Office. Hopefully there was some insurance on it. The website says that a claim will be paid within 30 days, but it's hard to say whether or not you would be able to get the full value.

Hope it turns out OK!!

 

[2666]

Hopefully there was some insurance on it.

There isn't. On the reciept sent with the broken stock the shipping I was charged was $30.00. The postage tag on the box shows the shipping paid by the sender to be $9.98. I'm wondering where the other $20.02 went. It obviously didn't go to insurance. If that is the "handling" charge, it is way too high.

 

[Plinker]

First thing I would do would be to contact

Claude and tell him the problem.

Then work from there.As Pinball said he's a top notch fellow to deal with and I am sure he will help you with this problem.

 

[2666]

I've sent an email and left a message on CGWs machine. I'll inform as to how it turns out.

 

[106]

Damaged Stock

hebegebes,

First, contact Claude and advise him what has happened.....! !

Many commercial shippers utilize their own private shipping insurance policies, and do not pay the high rates charged by UPS and USPS.....! !

On the reciept sent with the broken stock the shipping I was charged was $30.00. The postage tag on the box shows the shipping paid by the sender to be $9.98.

Don't get your drawers in a knot: consider that the "box" that the stock shipped in cost ~ $5.; it had to be packaged and addressed at a cost of ~ $5.; it had to be taken to the shipper at a cost of ~ $5.; the rest is 'overhead'..... ~ $5.; there is your $20. .....! !

Again, as has been stated above, Claude is a 1st Class Act: it will be made "right" somehow...! !

Let us know how it works out for you.....! !

 

[698]

hebegebes, you're over-reacting!

Before you get your bowels in an uproar, contact Claude Gatewood. I understand your concern, but don't you think you should give him an opportunity to resolve the problem before you broadcast the whole scenario?

Besides, it undoubtedly was broken by the carrier. Please let us know how it is resolved. It's now your obligation to do so since you raised the issue without even giving Claude a chance to respond.

 

[mikey t]

First of all let me say that stock makers are human too!!

Claude posted 2-3 weeks ago that he was going to be shut down for a while because he was moving his shop. If he is in the middle of a move he may not have ph or email service yet. I suggest just being patient. I know Claude, and while he is a competitor in business he is still a fine person.

Mikey T

 

[CWG]

Wow.....I thought I had made it clear in my email a few days ago to you to ship it back to me, I'd make it right....I'll still make it right even tho' I'm a bit steamed about the posting. I happened to be playing with the computer at the time it came in. "thanks for the prompt reply" I believe you said.

A serious thanks to those who stated the obvious and the kind words , oh, and the custom boxes (odd sized) are only 2.35 each if I get 50 at a time, the peanuts are only 35.00 a 30 gallon bag, and yes I have insurance on all those stocks I ship. FedEx charges 11.00 a week whether or not I ship, yours went via postal as I had missed the FedEx truck that day and didnt want to wait. Now of course thats costing me.

You didnt post you lived in Hawaii. I'm sure the ground apes crushed it. Like I said in the email, send it back in the box I shipped to you, I'll need that to process my claim.
shop phone as always is 440-230-4867.

And I'd like to say in eight years, I've never had a stock break before. I cant imagine what it took to snap that at the wrist, and in laminate no less.

Just for the record, I've donated time and money to various members on this forum, one a 13 year old home schooled lad who is quite a decent kid. After talking with his dad I did free trigger work, bedding, and repaired HIS stock, it came in mangled and I did what I could. He shipped it in a gun case but it was disasembled and each part beat the other parts up- his deluxe stock took some serious hits. Not my fault, but I still stepped to the plate as they say.
Thanks for your patience.
I am moving my shop when they are done building the new one in three or four weeks, moving my residence again in the last three years (bigger and better-thanks to all those who've bought stocks from me so I can afford a nicer home) AND the other things in life that tend to interfere with email, please try the phone, if I dont call back, call me again and yell at me! I will make it right time and time again.

Although I have a better idea, you keep the stock and I'll send a refund check. I'll second day it on Monday.
best regards, Claude Gatewood
p.s. thanks for letting me rant folks, its unlikely I'll visit back here for a month or so, but my phone works and the new address and phone will be posted on my website as soon as I know what the phone # will be:t
God Bless our troops

 

[Educator]

I think I just decided who to buy my next stock from. That's what business is supposed to be about and I will always deal with someone willing to go the extra mile. CWG, you are a class act!!!!

 

[2666]

Claude has been contacted and the broken stock has been sent back to him. I'll admit that I lost my cool when posting the previous posts. It was not to take business away from CGW. I was ranting and I took it too far. Further communication will be handled privately.

Thanks for setting me straight everyone.

 

[Wolf]

I hope a lot of people read this thread and take it to heart. Far too many have just been flying off the handle, lately, without bothering to find out the facts. It's not like we speak this stuff and once we say it we can't take it back.We have to click a button after we have written and hopefully read what we have written.

Just take a little time to think before you post. It's the right thing to do.

 

[2888]

Gatewood ...Claude

I bought a stock from Claude....He sent it... It got lost.. He made it right!!!

He sent me another stock that was mostly sanded and fully inletted and in rosewood no less.He paid the shipping. The original order was for an off the machine unfinished.

Dealing with Claude was my first attempt at ordering online and I only hope that the future attempts are as pleasant.

It is almost finished and I will post some pictures.

Claude at Gatewood is a class act and would suggest that anyone looking for an offhand stock give his a try they are beautiful

Thanks
Cal

 

[JoeCichlid]

Claude, I hope my next stock is one of yours!

I can understand the shipping costs, I used to work in shipping at Simmons Guns in Olathe, KS, one of the biggest gunsmithing shops in the US. Those boxes are not cheap at all and same goes for bubble wrap and peanuts. Is it any wonder we reuse that stuff as much as we can? When I get my next 10/22 project going I plan on using one of your stocks, no idea which one so far but it WILL be yours. You have really done a lot to help the communty here grow and become a better group of people. Thanks for all your help and keep up the great work.

 

[CWG]

update

I told hebegebees (sp?) about the update.
They said the box wasnt damaged enough to warrant insurance replacement.
I emailed and told him as soon as possible I'll ship a new one.
the moral of the story is...if you recieved damaged goods from anyone, set the box on fire and put it out with a hammer, otherwise you wont believe the argument you'll get, and this applies to FedEx, UPS, RPS and USPS
Still have one going to Scotland- that was supposed to take 7 weeks, its been 8......