I just received a new green laquer Townsend with 14kt nib purchased from a retailer and discovered there was no converter (or cartridges) included . So of course I'm highly frustrated that I can't ink up my new pen. There was nothing on the retailer's website about the converter, I assumed it was included so I didn't order one. The pen and packaging look brand new. What has been the experience of others? .

My Townsend came with cartridges and converter but that was in 1990. Maybe they package the pens differently now.

They come with a converter and two cartridges. They should all be located under the tray in which the pen sits in the box.

Yep, did you look under the foam tray?

Thanks for the responses. Yes, I looked under the tray, and in the shipping box which had a ton of packing paper since I had also ordered ink. I called the retailer and they apologized for the mistake and will send one right out to me. So now I've got to be patient. BTW, the retailer was Altman Luggage, I've had a few pretty good transactions with them, they seem responsive.
Bob

I got the same pen from the same place I am sure the converter must have been missing from the factory or someone at Altman took it out for whatever reason and forgot about it.

I just bought one as well, and it came with 3 cartridges and no converter. I think that Cross has just gotten sloppy about packaging their pens. I contacted the place I bought it from and they said they would ship me a converter, though I don't think that's been done yet. I would have thought maybe it doesn't come with one but it seems from this thread that some don't have cartridges even, so my gues is sloppy packing ... any other thoughts?

None of the Cross pens sold through T.J. Maxx last year (big box store packaging) had converters with them. Lamy has made the same move. Either the cost is too high, or they really want to push you towards using their cartridges.

You are right Ron. I noticed that when I worked for Cross.
We did not include the extra refills and convertors in the pens
sold to big box stores in order to keep the margins more profitable.

I'm glad to say that I've received the converter promptly from Altman. I noticed that the box that the pen came in was really for a Cross ballpoint (and the outer sleeve was for a Waterman Hemisphere!). So it looks like there was some repackaging here, perhaps at the retailer, and the converter (and cartridges) never made it from the original box to the one they sent me.

I just received my converter as well at no charge from where I bought my pen; from what they told me it should have been included.

I just today purchased a Cross Townsend. Came with piston converter and two cartridges. There was a "sub"-tray fitted to hold exactly those shapes.