Transatlantic 146 Repair

[Remedial penmanship]

In June 2015 I executed my second transaction on penboard.de, perfectly happy with a celluloid 144 OBBB, and stepped up to a same era 146 OBB (but really on the narrower OB side). The 144 was and is bliss (and perhaps there is my lesson - from what desire do I hope to improve on bliss??). Whenever I wrote with the 146 I would have dripping ink from the base of the feed/section junction. Not in a continuous flow but with even gentle wrist motion about the page I'd get drip, drip in fat blue splotches. Entirely useless for documents that require signature. I emailed the penboard seller in August. He received it in September and while I had complained about the drip drip I made a brief expression of a desire for a wider nib. He found a reason for the leak, a problem with the section, and would replace with an original section. After he let me know that on 22 Sep I didn't hear anything. On 16 Nov I emailed and asked if he had made any progress and he replied within an hour he had found a replacement nib, too.

 

And that's the last I've heard of the pen, "I hope this is worth the wait"

 

I sent inquiries of when he might send the pen back on 18 Dec, 5 Jan. On 21 Jan 2016 I bothered another penboard retailer asking if anything bad had happened to the nonresponsive retailer, and he immediately assured me of the other's health, couldn't explain the lack of response. So I sent another email on 14 Feb (yes...how romantic).

 

It's my impression I've been quite cordial in my emails - I recognize the perils of email etiquette, but are my inquiries impolite? Are my expectations completely out of whack? I'm aware that when I send pens to John Mottishaw it can be up to a 6 month wait - but I'm expecting that, it's well advertised, and that's usually for nib replacement or service on pens he didn't just sell me.

 

I'm sure it will be worth the wait - but can the wait be quantified? Is a 5+ month fix on a pen by the seller a reasonable wait?

[meiers]

The main problem is the absence or the lack of communication.

It suggests lack of courtesy and consideration for you as a customer.

Edited February 25, 2016 by meiers

[Dreamliner]

Wonder how much that guy charged. Why didn't u send the nib to MB? I would not be that confident with a non MB guy, working on an OBB nib.

Edited March 6, 2016 by Dreamliner

[Remedial penmanship]

Dreamliner - you should read more about old Montblanc repair. One simply does not send an old pen back to Montblanc if one wishes to keep said old pen in original shape inasmuch as that is possible. Montblanc has a reputation of replacing old or defunct parts and pieces with modern ones. Since it's been roughly 66 years since they produced celluloid 146 pens, and the size has evolved since the manufacture of celluloid 146 pens, one must rely on specialists, the kind that penboard.de advertises. The trouble is the individual vendors don't communicate equally.

[fuchsiaprincess]

Based on what you have written, I don't think that your expectation of better communication is unwarranted. Unfortunately, specialty pen repairers, especially those in Europe, march according to their own drumbeat.

 

All I can suggest is for you to continue to politely enquire about the progress of your pen repair/nib swap.

 

Good luck!

[storyteller]

Based on what you have written, I don't think that your expectation of better communication is unwarranted.

 

I totally agree.

 

Have you (Remedial penmanship) received any reply?

[jar]

Emails sometimes don't; don't get to the destination, don't get noticed, don't get past spam filters ...

 

At this time I'd consider secondary lines of communications; a phone call, asking the second responder to nudge him, a wink wink, other pathways.

[Remedial penmanship]

Thanks. Just sent another email yesterday asking for the courtesy of a reply: it's been 6 months. A written letter and phone call are only remaining steps.

[storyteller]

Emails sometimes don't; don't get to the destination, don't get noticed, don't get past spam filters ...

 

While the above is perfectly true, one would expect any normal 'pen specialist' to be contacting the customer, on his own initiative, well before a six month period had elapsed, even if only to inform the customer of unexpected eventualities like difficulty in obtaining parts, other work in progress, unexpected delays, additional costs etc.

 

This affair is unusual to say the least.

[jar]

 

While the above is perfectly true, one would expect any normal 'pen specialist' to be contacting the customer, on his own initiative, well before a six month period had elapsed, even if only to inform the customer of unexpected eventualities like difficulty in obtaining parts, other work in progress, unexpected delays, additional costs etc.

 

This affair is unusual to say the least.

Absolutely unusual and so alternative answers should be investigated. We had a similar thread here not too long ago where communications had seemed to have broken down and it turned out that it was the customers spam filter that was intercepting the emails from the dealer. The dealer had been replying but the customer had not seen the replies and feared the dealer was just not responding when it was actually the customer not checking his own junk/spam/bulk mail file.

 

Fortunately these days there are often many possible ways to reach someone, email, texts, phone calls, social media even something called a letter.

[Remedial penmanship]

I've done due diligence and carefully checked my junk mail. I had previously received email successfully from the dealer and he never got marked as spam. Another visitor to this forum sent me a separate PM and guessed the exact dealer - so it would seem mine is not the first instance.

[jar]

I've done due diligence and carefully checked my junk mail. I had previously received email successfully from the dealer and he never got marked as spam. Another visitor to this forum sent me a separate PM and guessed the exact dealer - so it would seem mine is not the first instance.

Good; then it is definitely time to explore alternate route, mail, phone call, social media, contact another person at the site ...

[storyteller]

Another visitor to this forum sent me a separate PM and guessed the exact dealer - so it would seem mine is not the first instance.

 

Thank you for this information.

[Remedial penmanship]

An update: I am not here to slander, it seems there may be palpable and valid reasons for the communications deficit. Doesn't make it any easier as a customer, but sometimes sensitivity is key.

[jar]

An update: I am not here to slander, it seems there may be palpable and valid reasons for the communications deficit. Doesn't make it any easier as a customer, but sometimes sensitivity is key.

Understood just as the frustration is understood. Understand that often it is similar when viewed from the other end as well. Over the years I have given away quite a few pens and you would be amazed how seldom the recipient ever gets back to even acknowledge getting the pens. I've learned to just live with it.

[fuchsiaprincess]

An update: I am not here to slander, it seems there may be palpable and valid reasons for the communications deficit. Doesn't make it any easier as a customer, but sometimes sensitivity is key.

 

Does that mean you have finally made contact after all this while?

[Remedial penmanship]

Nope. Just an explanation of what might be going on. Forum moderators are extremely supportive.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Remedial penmanship

[fuchsiaprincess]

Hope you hear about your pen soon....

[storyteller]

Hmm...

I was never under the impression you were here to slander.

It's great to hear you are getting support.

 

I hope this affair reaches a rapid and fair conclusion i.e. better than an acrimonious settlement.

[storyteller]

If and when this affair is sorted out it would be a good idea to let members know.

 

Otherwise and as is customary with human nature, everyone is likely to imagine the worst...