Jump to content

What To Do With Defective Aurora?


QuantumMisa

Recommended Posts

Hello, folks. I would appreciate your input here.

 

After a few years of coveting, I finally bought an Aurora Luna limited edition fountain pen during the holiday shopping season. The pen is thrillingly beautiful, but the one I received had some issues. The two main issues were: 1, there was an extra "cut" on the underside of the nib, and 2, there was some kind of residue (glue?) where the ink window meets the body of the pen. I sent it back to the vendor, who has now determined that it is defective and is asking me whether I want to have it sent to Aurora for repair.

 

Normally, I would just get a replacement pen. But this is a limited edition, and I have not been able to find another reliable source for the pen. I really want to have a Luna--ideally, one with good fit and finish, but I also worry that something would go wrong in sending it for repair.

 

Has anyone here had experience with Aurora warranty/repair work, and how did it go?

Or should I just keep the pen as-is and try to mod the nib later (and just live with the glue residue defect)?

Alternatively, do you know anywhere else where I could buy a Luna?

post-28565-0-77663400-1483758138_thumb.jpg

post-28565-0-55993300-1483758174_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 31
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • QuantumMisa

    8

  • Calabria

    2

  • Chrissy

    2

  • ErrantSmudge

    2

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Contact the seller.

Of course I did and am still corresponding with them. I posted here to see whether people had experience or knowledge with similar issues.

Edited by QuantumMisa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems like you have four choices: The seller needs to either refund your money, replace the pen for an identical one that is perfect, or return it to Aurora to get it fixed. If he doesn't have another one because it's an LE, then refunding you or returning it to Aurora seem like his only two options.

 

Aurora made it, so they should be able to repair it efficiently since they have all of the parts at their fingertips.

 

The fourth option would be that you keep it as it is, But don't count on anyone being able to fix it at a later date as that would be really costly.

 

You need to choose which option is exactly right for you. It may not be the same as mine or anyone else's. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you (and the seller) in the US? Kenro in Mineola NY is the Aurora distributor, so I imagine any warranty repair will go through them. For peace of mind, you might want to call them (800-741-0005), email them pictures, and ask their opinion about the expected outcome of a repair (I'm guessing the nib will just be replaced, but I wonder about the blemish at the window. Ryan there has helped me with Omas and Monty issues and has been very helpful, considerate and honest. I think they operate with a lean staff, so you may be leaving a voicemail.

 

I suppose you should obtain in writing from the seller that if you do elect to send it back and you are then unhappy with the repair, a full refund will be provided.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Contact the seller.

 

According to the OP: "I sent it back to the vendor, who has now determined that it is defective and is asking me whether I want to have it sent to Aurora for repair."

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sent an Aurora that needed repair back to Italy via US Distributor Kenro. Kenro has a link for this purpose on their website.

 

I received confirmation from Kenro that they had received my pen and were sending it to Italy. I waited.

 

After 4 weeks, I hadn't even received a repair estimate, so I contacted Kenro. They said they hadn't heard anything, but would let me know when they did.

 

After 4 more weeks (total 8 weeks) I still hadn't heard anything, so I again contacted Kenro. I asked if this was normal for Aurora. Kenro said they hadn't heard anything, that it was normal, but they would reach out to Aurora.

 

After 4 more weeks (total 12 weeks) I still hadn't hear anything. I was just about to contact Kenro again when the pen arrived back in my mailbox with no prior notice. It was repaired perfectly, although the packaging (shipment came back through Kenro) was terrible. The pen was in a plastic tube which was rattling around loose in the box, completely separate from a small amount of brown paper that had been stuffed in the box to take up some of the extra space. While the pen was protected by the tube, it wasn't what I would expect for a pen that sells for close to $1000.

 

I never received an estimate or an invoice. I emailed Kenro to thank them for handling the repair and pointed out that I would be happy to send payment if they would advise me the amount. I never heard a word.

 

I don't know whether the "no charge" was done as a favor for a good customer (nice), or was a concession due to the length of time (also nice), or was just a ball that someone dropped. I guess I'll thank Brian and Ryan when I next see them at a pen show, though half of me thinks I offered to pay and now I should just keep my mouth shut. Brian and Ryan are great. Kenro's service department? Not so great.

 

Moral of the story? Hope you don't have an Aurora that needs service. But if you do, set your time expectations low.

Edited by whichwatch
Link to comment
Share on other sites

whichwatch makes good points re expectations. Plan on being without it for several weeks, a few months. That just seems to be the norm for Italian service. Also, it's always wise to specify that you wish to be contacted when it's ready to ship to you (I imagine it will come from the seller). Kenro, Yafa (the US Delta distributor) and frankly all watch service centers I've dealt with just send the things out without prior contact.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just sharing my experience, not making any particular recommendations: Kenro Industries are good to work with; they deliver what they say they will. However, as noted by some above, Italian service can be slow, to put it kindly. AND! Don't send anything in mid- to late-summer. Much of Italy, including the Aurora factory, shuts down around mid-July through the end of August.

 

I sent Kenro my Afrika fp for a simple repair, which they forwarded to Aurora. They (Kenro) were good about keeping me informed and answering inquiries, but my pen went to Italy just about the beginning of summer holiday. It took - I don't recall how long, at least two months. But it got back to me eventually, and it is good.

 

And I love all my Auroras!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had good luck with repair of a shattered Aurora Mare through Kenro, but it did take some time.

Rationalizing pen and ink purchases since 1967.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had two Aurora Optima limited editions repaired by the factory. Neither was new when I bought them. Both went through Kenro. Turn around on both was 3 to 4 months. Repairs were done perfectly. My cost was Kenro's flat $35 processing fee and shipping costs.

 

I would strongly recommend you ask the vendor to send the pen to the factory, unless you want to take possession of it and eliminate one of the intermediaries. Just be prepared to wait. Hmmm ... It's not Summer, so your turn around time may be shorter than mine.

 

Good luck, and give us a review when you get the pen back!

 

David

 

P.S. Looking at your photos, I wonder if the "defects" are due to attempted repairs that failed. I hope that doesn't change Aurora's response.

Edited by dms525
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for weighing in with your experiences and input! This is exactly the kind of information I hoped to be aware of. Still haven't heard back from the seller (Fahrney's) about next steps so we will see...

Considering everyone's feedback, I'm now leaning towards sending it in for repair.

 

And thank you for the heads-up about long turn-around times. No matter--a chance to practice patience and declutter my desk to make room for the Aurora... :P

 


P.S. Looking at your photos, I wonder if the "defects" are due to attempted repairs that failed. I hope that doesn't change Aurora's response.

 

Before buying the pen, I double-checked with the seller that this is a new pen. Oh the disappointment when I opened the box and saw the "defects," not to mention how the interior of the box was falling apart...

The Fahrneys rep on the phone also told me that their repair techs inspect the pens to see whether the damage is due to user abuse, so I would hope that they would have caught a used/repaired pen sneaking in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've send a non LE, standard black Aurora Talentum via Kenro to Aurora for repair about two years ago, was about 3.5month turn around but it came back fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I have sent one or two pens back to Aurora. My experience was not so bad but I would allow a bit of time. Aurora don't make too many production mistakes but they always provide perfect aftermarket service. I would echo the above feedback, Aurora's service is top notch but Kenro's is a bit lacking. I don't understand because Brian is such a nice guy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have sent one or two pens back to Aurora. My experience was not so bad but I would allow a bit of time. Aurora don't make too many production mistakes but they always provide perfect aftermarket service. I would echo the above feedback, Aurora's service is top notch but Kenro's is a bit lacking. I don't understand because Brian is such a nice guy.

 

I would agree 100%. You talk to Brian and he's such a kind and approachable person during Pen Shows ... then you try to follow up via emails, and nothing ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

So...I haven't forgotten about this thread. I sent in the pen back in January and was told a repair lead time of 6-10 weeks. It has now been 6 months. :wacko: I've emailed Fahrney's a few times for updates and so far the ETA keeps getting pushed back...

 

Trying to stay mellow through this. Let's hope I get it back before I move houses this summer!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Good news: The pen came back this week! It has been almost a year since I originally ordered the pen and about 10 months after I sent it back for repair.

 

Bad news: The factory did not repair all the defects and actually added new problems...Now the body has defects in the auroloide....

 

Ugh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good news: The pen came back this week! It has been almost a year since I originally ordered the pen and about 10 months after I sent it back for repair.

 

Bad news: The factory did not repair all the defects and actually added new problems...Now the body has defects in the auroloide....

 

Ugh.

 

Oh dear. :( That's very annoying. :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

After speaking with the seller again, the options were 1, return for a partial store credit or gift card (no refund), and 2, send it back to Aurora again for repair.

 

I didn't feel confident that the factory would repair it to satisfaction or within a reasonable timeframe. And at this point I think I'd rather be done with the stress and walk away with the partial loss. Who knew pen anxiety could get so bad?!

 

Quite disappointed with this, especially as this was my "Holy Grail" pen and luxury splurge to celebrate multiple life milestones. Oh well. Lessons learned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With another possible 10-month turnaround ahead of you, in your situation I'd call it quits and return it for store credit. That is, assuming you want to do business with that store again.

 

Nobody has mentioned it before, but you could take it to a professional pen restorer and see if it can be repaired, and the price quote for the work. But, that does open up a whole new world of uncertainty, stress and cost.

Edited by ErrantSmudge
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...