So I bought a vault door.

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lonegunman

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from a "quality company" or so the interweb and BBB claimed. I spent a small fortune to keep toys secure. I asked for a specific size of door, they normally build it, with a specific set of options that they offer and for a wall of specific thickness. Sounds like a good deal, they build what I want and it is secure.

Well my door arrived, five weeks late. It was made for a wall of unknown thickness and it will take some serious work on my part to get it installed and secure for use, adding a week or two of evenings to the already lagging move I have been waiting to make.

No the door itself is good looking and appears to work as advertized. But the hardware they included is/was only partially useable for the install as the door frame was exactly as wide as the opening.(the opening was built to specifications they recommended and in a shape they asked for on an engineering drawing they provided) This renders the levelers and adjustments useless. No matter they included bolts twice as long as required and useless for the purpose anyway.

I guess I could call or email for a little of the much promised "customer support", but sadly nobody is available anymore,,you see the CC has already been charged so service is a moot point.

My recommendation is to avoid at all costs, Brown Safe Manufactoring. The make 80% of a great product and include 20% of good customer service for 100% of the price. Great door, lousy frame, crummy service. Time for me to let the BBB have a little feedback.

I'm only posting this because I am a little miffed and there is not much to do at this point but fix it myself. I think they are "Sportsman's Steel" under a new name, but that's just me.
 
Are you saying that the door that they sent is exactly the width/height that they told you to make the opening?!? That's really a huge mistake and one that just shouldn't happen. They should have double checked their plans against the 'rough opening' that they sent to you.
I've built 3 of my own homes from scratch so i know that things can be rebuilt and made to fit but, like you say, it's extra work on your part.
 
Too bad.
Sounds like you did your homework and they didn't hold up their end of bargain. I'd be interested what satisfaction you get from the BBB (Better Business Bureau) as I had less than stellar satisfaction with that group...but you never know, for you they might provide some relief.
 
I actually called and actually nobody was suddently available. I actually emailed and got no actual response. It does at the moment appear they do not care.
 
I don't know if it's the same Brown...

We installed a safe made by Brown for a local customer who was rehabbing a very large house. They ordered a custom safe to fit inside of an antique armoire which had been modified to support the weight.

The interior of the safe was very nice.

The rest of the safe was crap, including some paint right across welding spatter and rust. She told me they charged her $6,000 for it. Even if the safe was perfect, this was easily twice what it was worth.

I'm sorry to hear about your purchase, but it may not be a total loss. Try setting the door in your rough opening before making any modifications. If your rough opening is level, you won't need the adjustments anyways.
 
Maybe they sent you a drawing of the actual door side view and not rough out dimensions?
 
Tell ya what... Izza weekend right now (pretty much since yesterday - sigh...), so try calling them again on Monday. Let us know what happens.

Now, nobody else do ANYTHING until we get the report on Monday, okay? Let's give them a chance before everyone and their brother calls about this...
 
anymore,,you see the CC has already been charged so service is a moot point
Click to expand...

wrong wrong wrong.......... call the CC card and dispute the charges for incorrrect goods recieved and tell them how you have tried to contact the co with no reponse..... have your stuff together when you call...co name, #, copy of invoice if the need it faxed to them.
The CC companies have always come thru for me on cases like this. Thats the ONLY good thing I can say about CC's....
 
lonegunman: I actually called and actually nobody was suddently available. I actually emailed and got no actual response. It does at the moment appear they do not care.
Click to expand...

Actually what your original post said:
I guess I could call or email for a little of the much promised "customer support", but sadly nobody is available anymore,,you see the CC has already been charged so service is a moot point.
Click to expand...

How many calls, how many emails? How much time has elapsed since your first call?

I agree with bogie- your original post sound like you had not called AT ALL.

As far as "service is a moot point", have you ever heard of disputing a charge with your credit card company?
 
If you paid for this on a credit card RECENTLY, you can call the credit card company and initiate a chargeback / dispute. IIRC Federal law requires these to be in writing, so sent it out (certified) the same day. I want to say the maximum time for a chargeback is either 60 or 90 days from the date they charged your card. Your complaint would simply be "goods not a described/promised".
 
Lotta companies operate understaffed on summer Fridays.

Call them again on Monday. Then we can call them the rest of the week.

But by golly, if I end up calling them, and I hear that YOU are the one at fault, and they actually persuade me that this is the case...
 
bogie said:
Now, nobody else do ANYTHING until we get the report on Monday, okay?
Click to expand...

And I was just about to not order a vault door from them. Now I'll have to wait until Monday before I not order it. :D:D:D
 
And I was just about to not order a vault door from them. Now I'll have to wait until Monday before I not order it.
Click to expand...

If you're feeling impatient, and simply have to not order a vault door as soon as possible, then you can go ahead and not order one from me today instead.
 
Well it is Monday and everybody is "unavailable" or "on the other line". I left a message on voicemail and sent an email Friday morning early and am just going to keep pressing on and hopefully get some sort of response.

If I have to fix it myself, that is something I can handle. I just happen to think for the price you should get something that is correct the first time. As far as a recommendation, I'm going to have to say no. The door itself is nice, the jamb, slow delivery and lack of hardware were all kind of crappy considering the money spent.

Updates later if anything changes.
 
I'm not in the market for a vault door so perhaps what I think doesn't mean much but...

The service you describe seems to be a problem. You might email them a link to this thread.

As for the fit, maybe the lesson is, especially on something as big, heavy, expensive, and critical, take delivery first and then frame the rough opening. I'm going to try try to remember that one for the future.

Dale
 
If I paid a few thousand for a faulty vault door I would not be NEARLY as nonchalant as you. Grow a pair and beat down their door until they make it right or refund your money.
 
What is their phone number? What is their e-mail?

"To whom it may concern - it looks like one of your customers is a bit miffed about a purchase, and is grouching about it on a forum where 60,000 gun owners are registered - you may want to get in touch with him, or let us hear YOUR side of the story."
 
yes, post a phone number, we'll ring em up and see what's what, and hopefully put the pressure on
 
Well, it has been three days and suddenly their phones are jammed so badly they cannot return a call. Apparently, they cannot even manage an email response.

Sending it back it not really an option. It is easier for them to make it right. The idea of shipping 1800 pounds back and forth because some idiot cannot weld is not appealing. Since they know that, they really could care less.

So just a warning on the company. http://http://www.brownsafe.com/ Avoid them like the plague. They have zero customer service.

The door itself is fine, they delivered it nearly six weeks late and had no excuse. They delivered it to fit the incorrect wall thickness and left it to me to make it fit. So I am out time and money fixing their mistake and they could honestly care less.

So if you are spending money on a vault or secure room project, spend it elsewhere and be happier with the outcome.
 
As others have said, contact the credit card company, which can initiate a charge-back. This will at least get the attention of the company with which you are dealing.
 
I feel for you. It is very frustrating when you cannot get any kind of response to post sale problems. Before the sale, there never seems to be a problem contacting you.
 
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