my experience with wilson:
dec of last year I ordered a custom pistol through a master dealer in WV that I got off wilson's website. they later fired the wilson rep i was working with, and the master dealer mysteriously disappeared (his voicemail still works as of august, but he has yet to return any of the messages I've left). Apparently the wilson guy was telling everyone, including myself, that ETA on custom pistols was 3 months or less, when in reality it was 9+ months. Also, my order number apparently changed due to wilson changing computer systems sometime around the beginning of the year (or so I was told.)
neverthless, I was able to keep my order and called and checked the status of the order about every other week until May '04. In May, I walked into another Wilson master dealer's store in Ohio and saw a pistol that was EXACTLY what I ordered: a tactical elite, with stealth slide but full-sized frame like their professional model, but with the tapered cone barrel, and green/black in color. This combo was unique when I ordered it. (esp the color, as nobody else wants the tac elite or supergrades in green)
I asked about the gun, and was told wilson had called this dealer and said a customer flaked, so the dealer bought it to resell.
naturally, I marched straight home and called wilson, and surprise surprise, they no longer had any record of me or my gun. they couldn't even tell me who they sold it to. Now, I could understand a little mixup, but not having any record of a gun is a bad thing (particularly as far as the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms Explosives and Goose-Stepping (BATFEGS) is concerned).
The rep I talked to spoke to the test firer and he remembered the gun and my name (and remarked about the unusual color), but had no idea where it went. Fortunately, I hadn't put any money down so I wasn't out anything more than 6 months of anticipation.
I am a pretty forgiving customer, especially of small businesses, and all the conversations were cordial, but I was upset that they acknowledged the mixup but refused to do anything at all to help me. All I asked for was to be moved to the front of the line, but was told that even though I had already waited 6 months, I would have to wait another 9+ months to get my gun. I declined.
Last month, I decided to buy a tactical supergrade compaq from yet another dealer, and have been very happy with it. I really like their guns and am inclined to believe the quality is worth the admittedly high price. And just today, I had decided to purchase a CQB compaq for xmas for my father, but after reading this thread, I've changed my mind and regret purchasing my supergrade, regardless of how well it shoots (which is pretty dang well).
I hope Bill W. decides to skip a few safaris and salvage his reputation.
