Are Pensachi And Wancher Businesses Connected?

[Paul-in-SF]

I have two orders outstanding, one from Pensachi, one from the Wancher website. I received the package from Pensachi today via DHL Express. It is clearly from Pensachi, it has their return address on the package, the contents match what I ordered from them, and the waybill number matches the text messages I have been getting from DHL about this package.

 

All good. Except that those text messages have all said that the package was coming from Wancher. All the text messages had the same waybill number, and they all say that the package was from Wancher, when it was in fact from Pensachi.

 

My first conclusion was that they are the same business in some way, and that the store either always uses Wancher as their sender identity (which is very confusing) or else there were careless with this package and used the wrong one when making the DHL waybill.

 

I have read what I could find about the history of both companies and I don't see any connection between them. They are not at the same address (not even close). The founders names are different. If there isn't a connection, then there has apparently been some sort of colossal coincidental snafu at DHL between two packages, and my Wancher pen is out there floating in the wilderness.

 

Any ideas?

[Mr.Rene]

On ebay pen.wing.stationery seller seems to be connection with Wancher too.

[I-am-not-really-here]

AFAIK, Pensachi is a reseller. If Pensachi ran out of inventory they go to Wancher, "send item x to Paul in SF" and Wancher put Pensachi as the return address. DHL picked up from Wancher and records as such.

[brgphilly]

Has anybody communicated with either of the involved companies?

[Paul-in-SF]

Thank you all for helping talk me down this morning, I was getting a little panicky last night.

 

On ebay pen.wing.stationery seller seems to be connection with Wancher too.

 

They carry some Wancher products, as far as I can see that's the only connection.

 

AFAIK, Pensachi is a reseller. If Pensachi ran out of inventory they go to Wancher, "send item x to Paul in SF" and Wancher put Pensachi as the return address. DHL picked up from Wancher and records as such.

 

The pen I ordered from Pensachi is a Pilot, I wouldn't expect Wancher to be supplying Pilot fountain pens to a reseller. I don't see that Pensachi carries any Wancher products.

 

Has anybody communicated with either of the involved companies?

 

I sent both of them emails last night, but since it's the weekend I'm not expecting responses until Monday. I've been trying to get information from Wancher about when my pen would be ready for a while, and they don't respond very often so I'm already a bit peeved at them.

 

I'm realizing my best bet is to talk to DHL themselves directly.

[Intensity]

Pensachi does carry Wancher Products (Sailor x Wancher collaboration pens). Wancher itself does not sell their Sailor collaboration pens outside of Japan—in general most of those LE store collaboration pens are for sale in Japan only. Pensachi is a company selling various limited edition pens that are only available for the Japanese market—not only Wancher collaborations, but also Usugiya, Pen House, Nagasawa Kobe Stationery, etc. They are a bit like a 3rd party buying service like White Rabbit Express, except they specifically focus on fountain pens and only offer the selection they list on their site. They also sell some standard products that are available to customers outside of Japan. Some limited edition pens are ordered by them from a particular store (like from Wancher) after you place your order with Pensachi. Some are already in stock at Pensachi.

Edited September 12, 2020 by Intensity

[I-am-not-really-here]

Which pen did you purchase from Wancher? Their raden pens are quite intriguing but I am always put off by the lead time.

[Paul-in-SF]

Pensachi does carry Wancher Products (Sailor x Wancher collaboration pens). Wancher itself does not sell their Sailor collaboration pens outside of Japan—in general most of those LE store collaboration pens are for sale in Japan only. Pensachi is a company selling various limited edition pens that are only available for the Japanese market—not only Wancher collaborations, but also Usugiya, Pen House, Nagasawa Kobe Stationery, etc. They are a bit like a 3rd party buying service like White Rabbit Express, except they specifically focus on fountain pens and only offer the selection they list on their site. They also sell some standard products that are available to customers outside of Japan. Some limited edition pens are ordered by them from a particular store (like from Wancher) after you place your order with Pensachi. Some are already in stock at Pensachi.

 

It makes sense, then, that I couldn't see those Wancher pens on Pensachi's English language site. So do you think that Pensachi would have had Wancher fulfill an order for a Pilot Custom Heritage 912? Based on this description, I would be surprised by that. (And I wouldn't be so fussed by this if it weren't for the fact that I'm waiting on a pen from Wancher.)

 

Which pen did you purchase from Wancher? Their raden pens are quite intriguing but I am always put off by the lead time.

 

Seven Treasure. It was kind of an impulse buy, and I have been semi-regretting it ever since. I'm hoping the pen itself will convince me I'm wrong to feel that way. I too would have been put off by the lead time if I had known how long it would actually be.

[Intensity]

The complete Wancher pen selection (various collaborations, like Wancher x Platinum, Wancher x Sailor, and the various urushi and ebonite pens) are here:

https://jp.wancherpen.com/

 

I'm not sure if there are any Wancher collaborations with Pilot; I haven't seen any but I usually don't pay attention to Pilot pens beyond the Vanishing Point lines.

 

Odd about the waybill thing. You could just ask Pensachi about it directly. It could be they collaborate for international shipping using the same DHL account and quite possibly know each other being part of the same fountain pen community. It used to be Pensachi used EMS for fast shipping and Japan Post for regular shipping. The DHL shipping option is newer, starting a couple months into the pandemic due to shipping time and cost restrictions.

Edited September 12, 2020 by Intensity

[Paul-in-SF]

Thanks, Intensity. I sent an email to Pensachi last night, but am not expecting an instant answer due to the weekend. I sincerely hope you are right. A harmless coincidence would be a welcome outcome.

[Intensity]

What's the problem if they collaborate anyway?

[jekostas]

Thanks, Intensity. I sent an email to Pensachi last night, but am not expecting an instant answer due to the weekend. I sincerely hope you are right. A harmless coincidence would be a welcome outcome.

 

Why exactly is this so important? You got the product you paid for, did you not?

[Paul-in-SF]

It only worried me because I am also expecting a package (maybe now, maybe later, they won't tell me) from actual Wancher, a pen I have been waiting for 6 months now. They are two separate packages for two unrelated orders from two unrelated (I thought) companies. I was afraid that the two packages had become conflated somehow in DHL records and my actual Wancher package would be wandering the earth like the Flying Dutchman. I now realize that is an unlikely outcome. Blame the lateness of the evening when I realized the issue, and my slowly growing distrust of Wancher because of their failure to answer my recent emails.

[Intensity]

Wow 6 months! That sounds like something went very wrong. Unless it's a preorder that still hasn't shipped. Are you talking to Wancher about it?

[Honeybadgers]

Has anybody communicated with either of the involved companies?

 

I've purchased from Pensachi and Wancher, and my communications with Wancher in particular have been extensive, to say the least.

 

Wancher restored a vintage japanese eyedropper that my mother recovered off a WWII sunken japanese transport vessel. They wouldn't even let me pay for shipping, did the whole thing probono. I've since ordered two vintage pens from them and the kanazawa leaf dragon maki-e dream pen from them. Had a problem with one of the old eyedroppers, they didn't hesitate to send me a prepaid shipping label and fixed the pen immediately. All of the pens are flat out superb, I have the kanazawa and one eyedropper inked right now.

 

My experience with Pensachi was just buying a sailor pen that they had a good deal on. Service was fine, no complaints. I didn't need to contact them any further.

 

Wancher, on the other hand, is a company with service that every other penmaker should aspire to be.

 

They don't work super fast, but their products are made by japanese artisans all over the country, and many of them are quite elderly. My old restoration project took the better part of a year, partly because the one penmaker they entrusted the job to was in his eighties and had to take a break for cancer treatment.

 

In the end, I couldn't have been happier with their work, however.

Edited September 13, 2020 by Honeybadgers

[Paul-in-SF]

Wow 6 months! That sounds like something went very wrong. Unless it's a preorder that still hasn't shipped. Are you talking to Wancher about it?

 

This was a pre-order, that I ordered in March that was supposed to be delivered in July. In July they said (only after I asked them) that due to Covid-19 it would be delayed until September. A week ago I sent them another email asking for a progress report and/or a target date for shipping, and I have not heard anything from them.

 

I have no wish to tarnish Wancher's reputation unfairly, but whatever other customer service they may shine at, they don't seem to be shining at communication with me. If they are further delayed, I understand, but I just wish they would give me a realistic estimate, and be pro-active in providing updates when something is delayed.

[JosephKing]

Edit:

If you haven't already, try the live chat.

 

I wish you luck with your pen.

Edited September 13, 2020 by JosephKing

[Paul-in-SF]

Since I figure it's after Noon on Monday over there, I'm trying live chat now. They confirmed that they have not shipped my pen yet, in fact they have delayed it again until at least December, and they can't even guarantee that. While I understand their problems, I asked them to cancel the order, which they did without any fuss. Thank you Wancher, and maybe I'll try to find something in-stock to order.

 

So, no mix-up in packages, just the remaining mystery of why Pensachi sent their shipment to me under the name of Wancher, about which I no longer am worried. Perhaps they will answer my email about it, perhaps they won't.

[Intensity]

My guess is Pensachi shares Wancher’s DHL account for international shipping.

 

Sorry about your order mishap.

[Paul-in-SF]

I got the answer from Pensachi, to wit:

 

"I would like to answer your questions as follows:

1. Wancher is one of our fountain pen suppliers in Japan. However, we do not ship any orders through them.
2. After confirm with DHL Japan, we were confirmed that this was a DHL's mistake when labeling the parcel.
Since we and Wancher are a few fountain pen companies that use DHL for order deliveries during this time, mistake like this could happen.

We have consulted and work with DHL to prevent this from happening again."

I'm grateful to Pensachi for going to this much trouble to research the question and putting it to rest.