Montblanc's Warranty

[kestrel]

I guess I'm too old-fashioned.  If I buy a writing instrument in the price range of a Montblanc I expect it to work flawlessly out of the box.  Period.  If it doesn't work I expect the manufacturer to fix it and make it right at no cost to me.  That includes shipping when required.

 

I cannot determine how a pen works without putting ink in it unless I am one of those who happens to have a bottle of diluant lying around.  It's like a homebuilder telling me they won't honor the warranty on my brand new home because I didn't know the house had a leaky roof until it rained and wet the shingles.

 

I own a few Montblancs.  All except one are more than 60 years old and all are very nice pens.  Posts like this one are a major reason why I prefer gently used vintage to new.

 

[Karmachanic]

3 hours ago, dbs said:

They didn't offer any solution.

 

On 5/24/2024 at 4:56 PM, DrJohn said:

From MB

"We can assist you with a warranty repair. Warranty repairs will be handled through our repair partners, My Jewelry Repair. They will be able to assist you and they can also assist you with an nib exchange as well. "

 

Can't say for sure, but it looks to me to be a misunderstanding of the meaning of MB's stated policy. Things went downhill from there. 

 

"fan boys" has nothing to do with it. 

[dbs]

16 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

 

 

Can't say for sure, but it looks to me to be a misunderstanding of the meaning of MB's stated policy. Things went downhill from there. 

 

"fan boys" has nothing to do with it. 

 

Forum members reported before that inked nib cannot get free nib exchange at My Jewelry Repair...

You probably didn't realize that Montblanc.com (actually, ynap, a contracted reseller), Montblanc repair (MJR, a contracted repair) and Montblanc are three separate companies. 

 

 

[Karmachanic]

5 hours ago, dbs said:

Montblanc.com (actually, ynap, a contracted reseller), Montblanc repair (MJR, a contracted repair) and Montblanc are three separate companies. 

 

Not to forget that Montblanc is owned by Richemont. 😁

[Beechwood]

9 hours ago, kestrel said:

I guess I'm too old-fashioned.  If I buy a writing instrument in the price range of a Montblanc I expect it to work flawlessly out of the box.  Period.  If it doesn't work I expect the manufacturer to fix it and make it right at no cost to me.  That includes shipping when required.

 

I cannot determine how a pen works without putting ink in it unless I am one of those who happens to have a bottle of diluant lying around.  It's like a homebuilder telling me they won't honor the warranty on my brand new home because I didn't know the house had a leaky roof until it rained and wet the shingles.

 

I own a few Montblancs.  All except one are more than 60 years old and all are very nice pens.  Posts like this one are a major reason why I prefer gently used vintage to new.

 

 

 

Well said.

 

Especially for a premium product.

 

I heard the exact opposite from friend with a 20 year old Pelikan 800, he damaged the pen accidentally, Pelikan repaired it and sent it back, no charge, not even for the postage costs.

 

British Airways did some research on customers reaction to good or bad service, this was pre-internet days.

 

For every perfect flight with perfect customer service people told 4 others of how great BA had been.

 

For every poor flight, late take offs, bad food, bumpy flights, flight attendants who say 'not my aisle' when you tell them that the engine is on fire, the unlucky customer tells 28 people.

 

Dread to think what the reporting of bad flights is like in the internet age.

 

But how many people have now been told about the MB indifferent after sales service and will log that memory when they buy their next premium pen?

[KAC]

In terms of peerless customer service, Patagonia can't be bested: they fix or replace anything, any time, for any reason and without any time limit. And that's on "disposable" clothing items, too. If that company made fountain pens, I'd certainly give them a hard look.

 

Based on recurring complaints and problems I've read on this and other fora, MB seems to be at the antipodes of this important aspect of good business: customer comes first  attitude buys long-term loyalty. (I have nothing whatsoever to do with Patagonia, by the way).

[mulrich]

It's been a while since I bought a new MB but I thought the policy was always once you ink the pen it can't be returned (I can't remember about nib exchanges). They should absolutely still offer a completely free warranty on the pen though, including shipping back and forth. I get that mistakes happen but a good company shouldn't expect the customer to pay anything for warrant repairs. And in the days of online shopping, that means free shipping to and from the warranty center. This can be costly to the company but that's what happens when you don't ensure quality before sending products out. 

 

A major reason I quit buying from a different high-end manufacturer was having to pay for shipping on warranty issues stemming from obvious manufacturing defects. I was previously a very good customer and own ~10 of their pens but I haven't bought a new one in years. The company saved a little money making me pay for shipping but this probably cost them significantly more in lost future sales. 

 

FWIW, I've been successful buying slightly used MBs. You have to make sure you're buying legitimate products from reputable people but I've avoided the types of surprise problems mentioned by the OP. I may still buy a pen with a known defect but at least I know in advance what I'm getting. 

[kestrel]

8 hours ago, mulrich said:

FWIW, I've been successful buying slightly used MBs. You have to make sure you're buying legitimate products from reputable people but I've avoided the types of surprise problems mentioned by the OP. I may still buy a pen with a known defect but at least I know in advance what I'm getting. 

Yep.  I own 5 MBs.  All except one are 60+ years old, bought used from reputable sellers.  There are some cosmetic problems but the nibs are magnificent.  The sixth is a very gently used 146 bought from another FPN member at a steep discount because there is a tiny (very tiny) chip in the cap lip.  It also has a great nib.  I don't see myself buying a new MB given the prices and the problems with service.

 

Sort of reminds me of Visconti.

[langere]

MB's policy is a mystery to me.  How can you know if a pen works unless you ink it up and use it?

 

Erick

[Centurion]

It seems high end retailers have the strictest return policy. I think Hermès doesn’t even allow returns.

[Michael R.]

I was under the impression that taking back an item „because you don‘t like“ is a voluntary thing (in the EU some exceptions exist for online purchases). 
 

If an item is not working properly and repair is covered by the guarantee the seller has the right to attempt two repairs before needing to eventually having to replace it with a new on. But local laws may vary.

 

Of course voluntary action based on customer service would be possible in addition.

[dbs]

1 hour ago, Michael R. said:

I was under the impression that taking back an item „because you don‘t like“ is a voluntary thing (in the EU some exceptions exist for online purchases). 
 

If an item is not working properly and repair is covered by the guarantee the seller has the right to attempt two repairs before needing to eventually having to replace it with a new on. But local laws may vary.

 

Of course voluntary action based on customer service would be possible in addition.

 

plain English interpretation: Guys Montblanc is right!

Street English interpretation: Even if Montblanc sent you a fountain pen without a nib, your only choice is to send it to MJR for maximum two repairs...

 

Anyone can try it in Steve Jobs English?

 

 

 

[Beechwood]

It is important to remember that Consumer Legislation takes precedence over any specific manufacturers Warranty terms and conditions.

 

For example USA legislation says safeguard purchasers of goods and services against defective products. If that defect was only apparent during use, for example the pen leaked ink, then any restriction on the MB Warranty was irrelevant.

 

UK consumer legislation is revamped every periodically but the essence of the Law is that the product must be fit for its intended purpose, in this case I would suggest a pen should be capable of writing smoothly and consistently  and doesn't leak.

 

A reasonable person might say to the retailer, you have one opportunity to sort out the pen so that it is fit for purpose otherwise I want my money back, and I do not care what your warranty says, the Law prevails.

 

For example, I bought a pair of gloves in January, I removed the tags and went for a walk. By the time I came back I saw a hole in the stitching. Took them back, the retailer tried to tell me that they did not have to take them back because I had removed the tags, they couldn't resell even though they could see the defect. I stood my ground.

[DrJohn]

I sent it in for a nib exchange today. It will take 1 week to get from NY to CA. They charged me $30 for UPS ground shipping.

 

John

[NoType]

35 minutes ago, DrJohn said:

They charged me $30 for UPS ground shipping.

@DrJohn Since you were charged for shipping, may I presume that you didn’t opt to make a 4-hr round trip drive to the nearest boutique?  Factoring in fuel costs and vehicle wear and tear, however, to say nothing of non-billable hours, paying for shipping was probably the less expensive option.  Let us hope that this effort yields good results.

[DrJohn]

4 minutes ago, NoType said:

@DrJohn Since you were charged for shipping, may I presume that you didn’t opt to make a 4-hr round trip drive to the nearest boutique?  Factoring in fuel costs and vehicle wear and tear, however, to say nothing of non-billable hours, paying for shipping was probably the less expensive option.  Let us hope that this effort yields good results.

After driving into NYC for 2 hours there is also the possibility of not finding a parking garage with a space. Then, I would need to turn around and go home. So, $30 was worth it for me.

 

Another option would be the railroad and several subways. Then, walking to the store. 

 

John

[Seney724]

2 minutes ago, DrJohn said:

After driving into NYC for 2 hours there is also the possibility of not finding a parking garage with a space. Then, I would need to turn around and go home. So, $30 was worth it for me.

 

Another option would be the railroad and several subways. Then, walking to the store. 

 

John

NYC??  

According to several sources that's where MB's USA headquarters is located!

645 5TH Ave FL 6 New York, NY, 10022-5944

 

With all your angst over this matter why didn't you make the trip there and speak with someone about it?

[NoType]

7 minutes ago, DrJohn said:

Another option would be the railroad and several subways. Then, walking to the store.

@DrJohn I had wondered about mass transit options, in which time gains significance.

[dbs]

56 minutes ago, Seney724 said:

NYC??  

According to several sources that's where MB's USA headquarters is located!

645 5TH Ave FL 6 New York, NY, 10022-5944

 

With all your angst over this matter why didn't you make the trip there and speak with someone about it?

 

Manhattan parking is about $80 per hour and you can only find spot before 7am. If you are late, maybe Chinatown is the only place you can find spare parking garage. Take train might cost him similar money plus 1 day time.

 

[Seney724]

13 minutes ago, dbs said:

 

Manhattan parking is about $80 per hour and you can only find spot before 7am. If you are late, maybe Chinatown is the only place you can find spare parking garage. Take train might cost him similar money plus 1 day time.

 

Agree, I would not make the drive.

The train from his area on Long Island would be much easier and is not very expensive.

Once in the City, that area of 5th Avenue is a short, easy & rather pleasant walk from both Grand Central and Penn Station.