Buying Montblanc from Authorized outlets

[hari317]

Hi all, I have a question for the MB experienced. Other than the One year Warranty, is there any other advantage to paying the premium and buying from their Authorized outlets? I am of course assuming that the buyer is knowlegable and can distinguish a fake and can also handle the pen before purchase(e.g. in a B&M store which is not an authorized outlet). What is the montblanc policy, do they service their pens bought without warranty for a service charge?

 

What do we lose if we buy a genuine montblanc from the non authorized channels?

 

Thanks!

Hari

 

 

[Darius]

Hi all, I have a question for the MB experienced. Other than the One year Warranty, is there any other advantage to paying the premium and buying from their Authorized outlets? I am of course assuming that the buyer is knowlegable and can distinguish a fake and can also handle the pen before purchase(e.g. in a B&M store which is not an authorized outlet). What is the montblanc policy, do they service their pens bought without warranty for a service charge?

 

What do we lose if we buy a genuine montblanc from the non authorized channels?

 

Thanks!

Hari

Hard to say. I guess it really depends on your local service centre. It seems that in some places the MB service centre doesn't really ask for documentation for service, and in others they do. Another thing to consider is what kind of pen are you looking for. It depends whether its a regular productin pen or a limited edition, and whether its a current production or discontinued item.

 

But in general, and assuming you're talking about brand new regular production pens, you have the MB boutiques, where you pay full retail and get the warranty plus being on their list as a customer (which may have its benefits I guess); then you have the unautorised sellers, where you get some great deals, but may also lose the warranty. Then you have the authorised dealers, whose price fall in the middle and you still benefit from the warranty. So it depends if on what you think is worth what.

[meiers]

If you are buying a great pen that is working to your liking and satisfaction... and if the unauthorized retailer is one of the good guys I don't think you are losing a lot.

 

 

Darius has raised an important point: you can get amazing deals from authorized dealers: Four years ago I acquired a wonderful MB mechanical pencil at a 75% discount.

 

I really would like to hear more people respond to Hari's question.

 

Matt

[montblancdude]

By authorized outlets, do you mean their boutiques or places like FPH and Joon pens?

 

If you mean FPH and the like, then yeah you can get some great deals. FPH has the 149 for $570... vs. $800+ at the boutique.

[hari317]

Hard to say. I guess it really depends on your local service centre. It seems that in some places the MB service centre doesn't really ask for documentation for service, and in others they do. Another thing to consider is what kind of pen are you looking for. It depends whether its a regular productin pen or a limited edition, and whether its a current production or discontinued item.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I was basically looking for the regular current production pens. From what I have read here, I was under the impression that MB will service a genuine item even if the papers are absent, for a cost. I have no experience with Entrack, the Indian reps of MB.

 

By authorized outlets, do you mean their boutiques or places like FPH and Joon pens?

 

Yes Siddharth, FPH has great deals but they do not (are not allowed to) export MB pens outside USA, so not an option for me. In India we only have either the boutiques or the unauthorized gray market, the stuff is genuine.

 

Pls keep the thoughts coming.

 

Thanks!

Hari

 

[montblancdude]

Yes Siddharth, FPH has great deals but they do not (are not allowed to) export MB pens outside USA, so not an option for me. In India we only have either the boutiques or the unauthorized gray market, the stuff is genuine.

 

Pls keep the thoughts coming.

 

Thanks!

Hari

 

Are you a previous customer of FPH? They will ship Montblanc pens out of the USA to you if you have bought previously from them.

 

If not, I recommend checking out Joon Pens or Worldlux. They are not quite as good as FPH for deals, but a 149 is $615 on Joon Pens - still not a bad price.

 

Pity you don't live in the US though -every so often FPH has a deal on Montblanc pens. A couple months ago they were selling all Montblanc pens 20% off! That would be $456 for a 149... not bad at all!

 

The boutiques are quite overpriced IMHO. But they do have some limited editions you may not be able to find elsewhere. Just something to think about.

[maemae]

Well, Montblanc fixes most problems with the 1 year warranty but everything after that isn't that expensive. My other posts states that if you have a broken barrel you may also have the cap (resin part) replaced at no extra charge.

 

You can always bring your writing instrument in and have them send it in for a quote.

[tfwall]

What do we lose if we buy a genuine montblanc from the non authorized channels?

 

You lose that buy in and control of the company's future, which you get if you buy from the boutiques or authorised resellers.

 

A lot of people complain about the direction that MB is going in as a corporation. However, to shape this direction you need to buy what you like from the corporation and ignore what you don't. Every time you buy a vintage MB or a grey market fp instead of a new one, you demonstrating that you don't care if MB continues to manufacture fountain pens. The proportion of pen sales vs other items (leather goods, watches, fragrances) just dropped a little bit and the customer registry just missed getting a new name on it. You may have gotten a good deal in the short term, but you shot yourself in the foot in the long term. Grey market pens already tagged as "Lost or Liquidated" don't count as sales. Buying a vintage pen from eBay or a FPN member doesn't count as a sale as far as MB is concerned. That pen already got counted back in 1961, 1986, 1999 or whenever.

 

MB looks at the sales figures and sees a trend which doesn't adequately represent the market for their fountain pens because of second and grey market dealings. So, they cut back in their pen department and expand their leather goods line instead. Pen lovers bemoan this terrible trend and continue to swap the same couple thousand vintage MB fp's amongst themselves and watch as MB cuts back further and further in their space and marketing for pens. The downward spiral continues.

 

The way to counteract this transformation of a pen company into a lifestyle company is to show them that their core business is making high quality pens. The way to show them that is to buy from their shops directly or their licensed resellers. Make that "Pen Sales" chunk of the total sales pie chart grow in the quarterly reports!

[Ghost Plane]

hari, check out Pengallery in Malaysia. Got my 149 from them and the FedEx shipping was not only some of the most reasonable out there, but had the package to my door in 3 days from the other side of the world. They wrap their pens better than some gear that's been dropped from airplanes

[varmas]

Non-authourised MB dealers may be sellers to whom MB no longer supplies. Pens bought from such stores have their warranties honoured by MB.

 

Case in point: bought a burgundy 146 FP, last year, from a previously authorised MB dealer. Pen was leaking at the nib assembly. Brought in pen to MB service centre with stamped/dated warranty card and the pen was fixed free of charge.

 

Out of warranty pens are repaired (if parts are available) as long as they are genuine MBs. To date I have sent 7 pens (146s, 149s and a Berstein) for parts replacements with no purchase documents. Charge per time - $70 as no nib work was required.

 

MB service may vary by country but as an international luxury company I doubt it can deviate that much.

 

 

 

Stay well,

Solomon

[Ghost Plane]

There's a tendency to ignore the unwashed masses who don't live near stores. Some of us buy our pens where we can find 'em.

 

And as for the "support your authorized dealer and only buy new" - extrapolate that onto cars. Not all of us can afford a new Mercedes. Should there never be used cars? [And given some pen prices, it's becoming an apt analogy!]

[hari317]

MB service may vary by country but as an international luxury company I doubt it can deviate that much.

 

I visited the nearest MB boutique today(my first visit to any MB boutique), it was a great experience, the whole place is managed and run by a single employee. They accept MBs for service without papers.

 

Regarding the question of the grey market stuff, the market is flooded with them, all the major FP brands including MB. Of course the goods have originated from the mother factory and the original company has sold the pens and made its profit which is a good thing for it. It is pure conjecture on my part that companies might be deliberately selling stuff to the grey market at lower prices since they need not factor in the cost of standing behind their products during warranty period(I feel it should be atleast 5 years, one year warranty will only take care of "infant mortality" type of defects), after that it is anyway paid service.

 

Regards,

Hari

 

[niksch]

Every time you buy a vintage MB or a grey market fp instead of a new one, you demonstrating that you don't care if MB continues to manufacture fountain pens.

 

I can buy into the argument about grey market pens, but not the argument about vintage pens. Please clarify.

[sunnerd]

I've bought from FPH before and I'm in Australia... They do sell overseas for out of production pens (e.g. Writers' series LE) to foreign customers.

Edited July 28, 2009 by sunnerd

[tfwall]

Every time you buy a vintage MB or a grey market fp instead of a new one, you demonstrating that you don't care if MB continues to manufacture fountain pens.

 

I can buy into the argument about grey market pens, but not the argument about vintage pens. Please clarify.

 

Just as a posted above, vintage pen sales don't count as far as corporate cares. They already counted those pen sales years ago when they first sold. LE, POA and some out of production vintage pens help keep the brand mystique alive, but when you buy a used current production MB you are just taking a sale and a data point away from MB marketing. You might get a better price on a MB146 here, but you are not expressing your interest in MB146's to MB's marketing and steering divisions.

 

You can write to MB all the time expressing your love of their pens, but it is the sales figures that speak loudest.

[montblancdude]

I've bought from FPH before and I'm in Australia... They do sell overseas for out of production pens (e.g. Writers' series LE) to foreign customers.

 

But were you a previous customer before buying that LE?

[Ghost Plane]

If MB wants sales points, they can lose some mystique and add some profit by dropping prices. There's sufficient built in when I can buy 2 Visconti LEs for the price of a MB.

[tfwall]

If MB wants sales points, they can lose some mystique and add some profit by dropping prices. There's sufficient built in when I can buy 2 Visconti LEs for the price of a MB.

 

Be that as it may, my point is that you are not effectively telling MB to focus on fountain pens when you don't buy their fountain pens from their distributors.

[Ghost Plane]

It's called "voting with my feet" and customers in assorted trades have been doing it for years. If MB can't be bothered to read boards like this or notice their customers stampeding to a competitor, it's not my job to enlighten them. Nothing against MB, but idiot management can't be propped up into competency. See GM for example...

[tfwall]

It's called "voting with my feet" and customers in assorted trades have been doing it for years..

 

True, I'm assuming that we are talking about people who like MB fountain pens and would like to have them made in the future, but are dismayed by the proliferation of non-pen MB products.

 

If you don't like their pens, then of course you shouldn't buy them.

 

If you do like their pens though, you need to vote with your wallet and buy them from the company.

 

Otherwise, we'll be talking about how great they used to be. It'll be like the Parker forum with their never ending "Why did Parker kill off the 45/51?" threads.

 

If MB can't be bothered to read boards like this or notice their customers stampeding to a competitor, it's not my job to enlighten them. Nothing against MB, but idiot management can't be propped up into competency. See GM for example...

 

It isn't "incompetency" if they are turning a profit and expanding the brand. They are just doing it at the detriment of (or at least syphoning resources from) their pen business. It would be stupid to try to please the pen customers by getting rid of the other product lines, if that would cost the brand money. How many more pens would you buy a year from MB if they solely made pens? Enough to offset the losses from their other lines?

Edited July 28, 2009 by Chemyst