Woodcraft Online ~ Buy At Your Own Risk

[jimmyG]

So I started looking through the 9 pieces of Baltic birch plywood (scroll saw package) I received from Woodcraft and was upset to find warped pieces, some you couldn't tell which was supposed to be the "good" side and a few that had sanding pigtails on the surface.  ?
$13.99 shipping to get it and they want another $13.99 to ship it back.  The retail store wouldn't take it back either.  So I'n now the owner of a $50 box of firewood.  Should have known better to buy wood online..................................

[Gene Howe]

29 minutes ago, jimmyG said:

So I started looking through the 9 pieces of Baltic birch plywood (scroll saw package) I received from Woodcraft and was upset to find warped pieces, some you couldn't tell which was supposed to be the "good" side and a few that had sanding pigtails on the surface.  ?
$13.99 shipping to get it and they want another $13.99 to ship it back.  The retail store wouldn't take it back either.  So I'n now the owner of a $50 box of firewood.  Should have known better to buy wood online..................................

Sorry you had that experience. But, do not despair. Most online wood suppliers are not as arbitrary and obstinate as Woodcraft. 

[OCtoolguy]

3 hours ago, jimmyG said:

So I started looking through the 9 pieces of Baltic birch plywood (scroll saw package) I received from Woodcraft and was upset to find warped pieces, some you couldn't tell which was supposed to be the "good" side and a few that had sanding pigtails on the surface.  ?
$13.99 shipping to get it and they want another $13.99 to ship it back.  The retail store wouldn't take it back either.  So I'n now the owner of a $50 box of firewood.  Should have known better to buy wood online..................................

I might be tempted to go to their Facebook page, if they have one, and let everybody know what has happened and how you are being treated. I did that one time when I was having problems with U.S. Bank and I actually got an email from somebody up the chain that same day and wanted to know how they could rectify the situation. Don't accept what is happening to you. It will never get better if you lay down. Fight them and you will win. They hate bad publicity and letting them know that you have been wronged is where you start. 

Edit: I just checked and they have a presence on FB. Let them have it!

 

Edited August 31, 2023 by OCtoolguy

[Joe W.]

57 minutes ago, OCtoolguy said:

Don't accept what is happening to you. It will never get better if you lay down. Fight them and you will win. They hate bad publicity and letting them know that you have been wronged is where you start. 

I've had the occasion a few times to mention my intention to filing a complaint to the Better Business Bureau and other agencies with success.
And on other times I've found out who the CEO is and sent a letter direct to them about the issue.
The pen is mightier than the sword maybe sometimes.  

[jimmyG]

I started to file a dispute with my bank but the procedure and paperwork involved was just too much B S  to add more insult to injury.  I don't do Facebook but I did write a few reviews.  Since it was through Amazon I have a shipping label to print. Basically I could return the wood and (Subject to their approval) they MIGHT issue a refund LESS shipping costs...

I'm tempted to save up some trinkets from my 3 dogs and ship THAT in the box with their prepaid label.  I'd still be out $50 but a few pounds of turds would make a statement

[Ctutor]

That is why I buy from ooch hardwoods

[Sycamore67]

I think sending biological waste thru the mail might not be avoid idea.

I think you should just return it to Amazon.

I have had very good luck buying wood online.  Ocooch Hardwood is excellent as well as Bell Forest.  

[kmmcrafts]

Sorry to hear of such a bad situation, only time i've ever ordered wood online was during Covid lockdowns and I was very impressed with the plywood I recieved... so much so that I've considered not getting it locally.. Locally i get it in 5ft x 5ft sheets and it's kind of a pain to cut it down to sizes.. I do have the local supplier cut into half sheets but it's still pretty large to finish cutting to size. 

This is the place I ordered it https://www.cherokeewood.com/baltic-birch-plywood/ and I've seen many others reviews of this place.. seems like a good place to deal with. I've been to my local woodcraft store and wasn't ever much impressed with the quality of wood they had in the showroom. I wasn't sure if that was how it always was or if they was waiting on a shipment of fresh supply. What they had looked like slim pickings and had been picked through so I assumed they would be getting a delivery soon.. but maybe this is how they do? 

[OCtoolguy]

2 hours ago, jimmyG said:

I started to file a dispute with my bank but the procedure and paperwork involved was just too much B S  to add more insult to injury.  I don't do Facebook but I did write a few reviews.  Since it was through Amazon I have a shipping label to print. Basically I could return the wood and (Subject to their approval) they MIGHT issue a refund LESS shipping costs...

I'm tempted to save up some trinkets from my 3 dogs and ship THAT in the box with their prepaid label.  I'd still be out $50 but a few pounds of turds would make a statement

If it came through Amazon, you should have no problem returning it to Amazon and let them deal with it.

 

[jimmyG]

The retail store didn't have very much plywood and what they had was rough looking. I thought ordering through Amazon I wouldn't have any problems doing a return but I just didn't see that fine print about the drawbacks dealing with third party sales.  Amazon was no help since they just collect your money.  Trying to learn how to use my new scroll saw and things like this are not helping me want to pursue it.  Live and learn..

[Jim McDonald]

I usually by from Ocooch, but Klingspor in Hickory, NC has had good plywood when I was passing through.

[OCtoolguy]

If you are on the Western side of the US Cherokee Wood Products has great wood and their customer SVC is also great. The guy who runs their online website is named Chris. They even have a "scroll saw wood" category on their site. I buy all of my wood from them. Chris tries very hard to keep shipping costs down and they are happy to get custom milling requests. Cherokeewood.com.

 

[kmmcrafts]

Speaking of return hassles...

A lot of companies including big box store chains are going to the "not purchased here locally no returns here" policy.. 

A story that happen to me back in June. 

I bought my wife a Apple watch for her birthday as she expressed that she'd like one because of her new job didn't allow her to have her phone on her and she wanted to know if I or one of the kids sent a message. It's not that she couldn't have it with her but that she had no pockets or anyway to have it with her. 

Anyway I bought a watch from BestBuy online as my car had a issue and road construction had the main / short way to get to the local BestBuy and I was also busy with a big order. When the package was shipped I was here out in the shop working and I also live in the boonies so typically don't have porch thieves. Regardless I was here and the package couldn't have sat on the porch more than 15 minutes. Box was rough looking but contents was in the box ( or so I thought ). Fast forward a few days I give the box to my wife for her birthday and she opens up the box to find the Apple watch box inside and opens that up.. nothing in it but a charge cable.. closer inspection you can see where the bottom of the box had been opened and taped back shut with clear tape over the brown paper type tape. 

We immediately take the whole thing into the local BestBuy and they refused to do anything about it because I bought it online and shipped to my house. They said if I had shipped to store and picked up they get a bounceback of profit for the sale.. They did set me up with a number to call and a case number or something but they refuse to get involved because it wasn't purchased through their store. SO just FYI if you buy from a box store.. have it shipped or do the pick-up at store rather than ship to home.. I've been hearing of many other stores doing this very same thing. 

Needless to say the online customer support was great, no questions asked they replaced the watch. They asked me if I wanted the watch shipped to me or the store. I chose the store but then the store didn't have any in stock and I got a run around with the store about that.. was supposed to be ready for pick-up on a given date and it wasn't they pushed it out another week, I got online and found the next town had one in stock so I go to online chat and give my case number asking if I could just go pick that one up and they switch it to that store so I could. Boy what a run around for trying to do it all online the easy way. 

Anyway, just wanted to bring this point up that I think many local stores are refusing any customer service if you didn't get it in store. We have heard about delivery workers stealing stuff out of boxes.. I suspect this is what happen, whether is was a dock worker loading a truck or the driver making the delivery.. somewhere down the line the watch was stolen.. BestBuy said it's happening a lot too. They've had boxes come in off the trucks for ship to store the same way.. opened up and just a empty box inside the package, LOL Crazy times.. 

   

[jimmyG]

4 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

Speaking of return hassles...

A lot of companies including big box store chains are going to the "not purchased here locally no returns here" policy.. 

A story that happen to me back in June. 

I bought my wife a Apple watch for her birthday as she expressed that she'd like one because of her new job didn't allow her to have her phone on her and she wanted to know if I or one of the kids sent a message. It's not that she couldn't have it with her but that she had no pockets or anyway to have it with her. 

Anyway I bought a watch from BestBuy online as my car had a issue and road construction had the main / short way to get to the local BestBuy and I was also busy with a big order. When the package was shipped I was here out in the shop working and I also live in the boonies so typically don't have porch thieves. Regardless I was here and the package couldn't have sat on the porch more than 15 minutes. Box was rough looking but contents was in the box ( or so I thought ). Fast forward a few days I give the box to my wife for her birthday and she opens up the box to find the Apple watch box inside and opens that up.. nothing in it but a charge cable.. closer inspection you can see where the bottom of the box had been opened and taped back shut with clear tape over the brown paper type tape. 

We immediately take the whole thing into the local BestBuy and they refused to do anything about it because I bought it online and shipped to my house. They said if I had shipped to store and picked up they get a bounceback of profit for the sale.. They did set me up with a number to call and a case number or something but they refuse to get involved because it wasn't purchased through their store. SO just FYI if you buy from a box store.. have it shipped or do the pick-up at store rather than ship to home.. I've been hearing of many other stores doing this very same thing. 

Needless to say the online customer support was great, no questions asked they replaced the watch. They asked me if I wanted the watch shipped to me or the store. I chose the store but then the store didn't have any in stock and I got a run around with the store about that.. was supposed to be ready for pick-up on a given date and it wasn't they pushed it out another week, I got online and found the next town had one in stock so I go to online chat and give my case number asking if I could just go pick that one up and they switch it to that store so I could. Boy what a run around for trying to do it all online the easy way. 

Anyway, just wanted to bring this point up that I think many local stores are refusing any customer service if you didn't get it in store. We have heard about delivery workers stealing stuff out of boxes.. I suspect this is what happen, whether is was a dock worker loading a truck or the driver making the delivery.. somewhere down the line the watch was stolen.. BestBuy said it's happening a lot too. They've had boxes come in off the trucks for ship to store the same way.. opened up and just a empty box inside the package, LOL Crazy times.. 

   

Luckily Home Depot and Lowe's are good about taking online orders back at their retail locations.  Replaced two table saws, a bench and spindle sander without any hassle.

Although I don't like spending big money on tools, I've decided it's not worth the time and agravation trying to work with inferior ones.  My last two purchases were Dewalt and super happy with the quality and ease of use. 

I worked in retail management for "many" years and today's so called customer service is pathetic!