Fabled "kershaw customer service" actually sucks

[mknopfler]

The helpful people I heard about must not work at kershaw anymore. I bought a ZT350 that had 2 nasty nicks in the blade near the tip right out of the wrapping. I immediately contacted cs who said to send it back in on my dime so they can take 4 to 6 weeks to fix it. This is a knife that had just been opened out of the package !! It arrived I opened the box and then opened the blade to check it out, first thing I noticed were the nicks in the blade - talk about anticlimactic. Now I have to pay to send in and wait 4 to 6 weeks to get back the knife I have already paid for and never even used, carried, or enjoyed. They won't even tell me whether they will replace the blade. "Might just grind a new edge" David the supervisor told me. This knife is brand new !! I didn't pay $120 for a chipped bladed knife that needs to be reground before I ever even use it.:banghead: To say I am unsatisfied with kershaw customer service is a gross understatement. I will be contacting my bank to see if the charge can be refunded. Then kershaw can send me a call tag for the knife. I will be sure to have it back to them within 4 to 6 weeks. No problem. Nice doing business with you kershaw. I was actually going to buy another matching ZT350 for my gf and the torxset they sell, now I'll be looking elsewhere. It's a shame an American company will treat you like that. boo!!

 

[Erik M]

You created an account on THR just to bash Kershaw? Why did you not return the knife to the retailer you purchased it from for a refund instead of sending a new product straight to customer service? Highly dubious at best.

 

[hso]

Who did you purchase it from?

Have you contacted the retailer and asked for an exchange?

Keep in mind that the folks at Kershaw don't know if the knife can be fixed by just a moment on the grinder or if it has to be completely replaced so they're actually offering you a little hope that the fix can be easy.

Wait until you send the knife back and 10 days has passed before becoming too disappointed. You may be surprised to know that a lot of customer service operations will quote long turnaround times to avoid not meeting them. They very often are much shorter.

BTW, Kershaw is owned by Kai Corporation out of Japan.

 

[jkulysses]

Where did you buy it from because I just bought the same exact knife a month or so ago and I love it and there's not a flaw on the entire knife. I paid $105 shipped for mine too. Kershaw has an outstanding warranty and customer service. I would talk to ThomasW if you can or hit him up at bladeforums.com and he will get you squared away. Still not sure why you wouldn't just return it to the place you bought it from though unless you got a used knife off of ebay or something. Also Kershawguy on bladeforums has the best prices your going to find on any Kershaw or Zero Tolerance knife. I've gotten all mine through him and couldn't be happier.

 

[mknopfler]

Having a legitimate gripe is bad ? I feel the other side of kershaw cs should be heard. I have been reading this forum for awhile just not created an account because i had nothing to say. Just soaked in the information. That is what helped me pick the ZT350. Now after reading all the glowing tales of kershaw cs, I felt it only fair to share my not so great experience with them.
I did contact the reseller kershaw-knives.net, even sent them pictures of the damaged blade, they have been no help at all. That is why I turned to kershaw cs, in the hope someone involved with that company would take care of me. So count me as one who thinks kershaw cs is not so good.

 

[hso]

kershaw-knives.net, the retailer, is the bad guy here because they offered no exchange or help.

Kershaw may be able to turn your knife around much quicker than they've indicated, but you have to find out first.

Did you also complain about the retailer's refusal to address the problem? Manufacturers don't like retailers that don't serve the end buyer and they could make life for the retailer a little difficult.

 

[mknopfler]

Thanks jkulysses for the info about kershawguy and his prices. I must be honest though, unless this company does me right I'll be buying another brand knife. If they simply overnight me a new knife with a call tag for the damaged one so I can send it back - it would all be good.

 

[bannockburn]

mknopfler

I would have to agree with the others; your immediate complaint should be with the retailer, not with the manufacturer. How do you know that kershaw-knives.net didn't send you a knife that they knew was defective, or perhaps one that had already been returned by another customer? They could have just repackaged it and send it on to you as being NIB.

And it's not like Kershaw has been rude or uninterested in helping you. They gave you what is probably an extended turn-around time just to be on the safe side. It may actually take quite a bit less time than what they quoted you. I'd say give them the opportunity to make the knife right for you, and then if there's a problem with their warranty work or customer service, let us know about it.

 

[TX expat]

Yeah, I'd have to agree that you are blaming the manufacturer when you should be blaming the retailer. It's not really Kershaw the company who is not taking care of you, that's the retailer's job to make it right for you.

If you paid by credit card, I'd politely contact the retailer and let them know that if they don't address the broken product you've received, you will contact your credit card company and dispute the charge.

 

[jkulysses]

Thanks jkulysses for the info about kershawguy and his prices. I must be honest though, unless this company does me right I'll be buying another brand knife. If they simply overnight me a new knife with a call tag for the damaged one so I can send it back - it would all be good.

And don't forget about looking up ThomasW at bladeforums. He's high up on the totem pole with Kershaw and I guarantee he will get this matter nipped in the butt in no time. I'm going to send him a message with a link to this thread just incase you can't find him.

 

[mknopfler]

You guys are probably right. I'm just very frustrated that kershaw-knives.net or kershaw themselves wouldn't offer to make things right for a customer that has already paid in full. It seems like their name should mean something to them, and this retail company is calling itself kershaw-knives.net for goodness sake.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Corporate "Branding"

Kershaw isn't the only outfit out there with online retailers using the "corporate branding" name.

Also, having spent some time close to a knife manufacturer (Buck Knives) while also living near more than a dozen retail outlets that sell their stuff, I can say with some confidence that your problem most likely lies with the retailer.

I have dealt with a local retailer [insert name and cursing here] that had a "defective" knife on display. It had evidently been damaged in a "drop event" of some kind, and not only was there blade damage, but the handle and blade no longer lined up properly, so it opened and closed with difficulty. Detecting the damage and impaired function took mere seconds.

So I pointed out the problem and asked if they had one still in the box. Well, he isn't sure, but the manufacturer has a great warranty, so they'll make this right, so do I want to buy this one and take it to the factory shop?

Seriously? You would sell me a product you know is defective, and suggest that I then see to having it repaired? Holy catfish! I haven't been back.

I've run into other retail sales folk who were happy to leave a damaged unit on display, but would cheerfully sell one still in the box. But I have to wonder how a retailer thinks showing the damaged one will help sales?

On the other hand, I have retailers up here who will exchange a damaged knife -- as long as it's one they sell -- without asking for a receipt.

As for the manufacturer, they've never even blinked. Problem with that knife? Here, let us fix that. Don't you want to know what happened? Nah, we'll have it ready for you by the end of the week.

And it seems that holds true for pretty much all the big names -- Kershaw, Gerber, Buck, Leatherman and so on. These people are really quite aware that quality control and customer service done right can create lifelong repeat customers, while bad QA or CS doesn't just cost them that customer, but his friends as well.

I'm inclined to place the burden of redeeming your defect on the retailer. And if the retailer won't make good, at least you chose a brand whose factory will stand behind the product, regardless of what stupidity the retailer has done.

 

[TX expat]

You guys are probably right. I'm just very frustrated that kershaw-knives.net or kershaw themselves wouldn't offer to make things right for a customer that has already paid in full. It seems like their name should mean something to them, and this retail company is calling itself kershaw-knives.net for goodness sake.

I understand your frustration but just because the reseller calls their website business by a brand name, it doesn't mean that the manufacturer has endorsed them. The only thing Kershaw should do is probably have an attorney send a cease and desist letter to the retailer.

Look at it from a manufacturer point of view. They don't have any way of knowing if you just bought it or chipped it yourself doing something you shouldn't have done. If they picked up the tab for every broken blade due to user abuse, their knives would undoubtedly have to cost more to make up for the loss.

If you buy a video game from Best Buy and you get home and find the disc broken, you don't call the video game manufacturer and ask for a replacement; you take the game back to Best Buy and get it replaced. Knives aren't any different unless you happen to buy them directly from the manufacturer.

 

[conw]

I guarantee he will get this matter nipped in the butt in no time.

I think he should nip it in the bud, otherwise mknopfler will continue nipping kershaw's butt on internet forums.

 

[zignal_zero]

keep us informed. whether or not fualt lies on the retailer, i will be very surprised if Kershaw doesn't settle this for you. my experience, with them, has been amazing.

 

[denns25]

message from the owner of Kershaw-Knives.net

Hello everybody. I am the owner of Kershaw-Knives.net, and this post came to my attention this morning. I apologize for registering on the board just to respond to this post, but I felt due to the strong language used I needed to weigh in.

I have checked with all of our customer service reps and none of them recall having any confrontation. We can't help but to think that the whole post might be artificial.

Please take a look at our ratings on the internet and one can quickly discover that we are not in the business of making people unhappy, nor do we try to stick people with products they do not want:

http://www.google.com/products/sell...CYK8lQeGjoks&ved=0CFgQqQwwAA&biw=1024&bih=609

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Kershaw_Knives

http://www.rateitall.com/i-3653592-kershaw-knivesnet.aspx

Please, whoever you are that is posting this information about us, call our customer service department at 800.458.1606 and tell them you are the guy that posted on thehighroad.org. Give them your phone number and I personally will call you and fix this problem that you are having.

 

[knivesandguns]

Please listen everyone.

I hope linking to bladeforums is ok here, and here is where this issue was resolved by Thomas.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=811314&page=4

Thomas is sending him a new knife, props to KAI. Kershaw-knives.net, you're still good in my (and everybody else on bladeforums) books. Recommended many buddies to your site, they've always been happy with your excellent service.

Here's the official post from Thomas.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9197542&postcount=93

Hope this clears up the issue. I'll watch this thread in case anything else pops up.

-M

 

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Well, can't say anything about the repair or return or replace policy of theirs. I know that back in the early '80's in Bethel Alaska I bought a new Colt revolver that was on sale. Think it was called something like 'Trooper Mark IV' or something like that. It came in a wooden presentation case with a real nice fixed blade Kershaw. Got rid of that damned ol' revolver but you can bet I held on to that Kershaw. Still have it. It's over there in a drawer right now with some of my other knives. The reason I don't know anything about Kershaw's return, repair or replace policy is because I used that knife pretty hard off and on in Alaska here and there and I never had a problem with it. Of course I understood that it is not a saw, or an axe, or a crowbar, or a screwdiver. or a punch, or a hammer, or a cleaver. I understood that it was a knife and I used it for bleeding out, skinning, (pelting), and slicing and dicing and that baby worked just fine. It hold's an edge real good to....

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Resolved

KnivesAndGuns, thanks for the alert, much appreciated.

Looking like this is resolved, and I'm happy to hear that.

Even more, I'm happy to see that both the retailer and factory guys stepped up to the plate.

Props to ThomasW at Kershaw for a very professional handling in the face of a somewhat-less-than-cheerful customer interaction.

Oh, and denns25, y'all are certainly welcome here. Drop in and chat with us from time to time in the middle of your busy day. We always like to hear news from the retail front.

And, Thomas, if you're reading this, please do join us. After all, you're not doing anything else important with your time, right?

 

[hso]

It appears that the OP picked the wrong folks to be irritated by.

It is inappropriate to expect a manufacturer to take on face value that a knife is damaged and turn over a new one without receiving the damaged one first for inspection and replacement/repair. They'd be subject to endless fraudulent attempts to get something for nothing just based on the idea that a complaint on the internet was sufficient to defraud them with relative impunity.

It is unreasonable to post on a forum claiming that you'll never do business with a company again because of unrealistic expectations that a company would simply give away an expensive knife just on the say so of an anonymous customer.

I hope the OP avails himself of the offer made by both the retailer and the manufacturer and posts on the satisfactory resolution of the issue.

It is gratifying to see other members with a greater depth of knowledge try to help resolve the problem for the OP and facilitate the exchange of the knife.