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The way BCM handled their issue was commendable for sure. Two thumbs up. Not sure if IG has a personal relationship or is a known quantity to them or not, but they handled things well.
IMO, Sun Devil messed up not in wanting to check the lower out before they passed judgement, but in not responding in a timely manner.
Good customer service is a two way street that hinges on honesty. Most of us here have probably been on the receiving end of some shady business by a given manufacturer, but that dishonesty can run both ways. Having dealt with people in my professional life that I know are full of shit and just trying to get something for free, I don't fault a company for wanting to check my claim out before making things right. Hopefully, BCM and other companies like them don't get sunk by being generous and upstanding in dealing with customer complaints.
Being in Canada, I can't return any firearm/part directly to the company.
However, I recently had a little problem with an order from an excellent and very reputable dealer.
I got a call from them, a 14.5" AR-15 barrel assembly I purchased didn't pass the quality inspection test and it was their last barrel, so they couldn't sell it to me (it just goes to show how some dealers go beyond looking at an item to make sure it's right and safe for the customer).
He went to hell and back to find something for me, and finally found me an already assembled 14.5" LMT upper (without the BCG) and took $100 off the price tag, still telling me he hoped I would find the deal acceptable and was very sorry for the inconvenient.
Let's just say I'm a very happy customer.
I have occasionally been guilty of fixing things that were not as they should have been when purchased new. It was easier for me to do it myself than to ship it off. Unfortunately this lets the manufacturer off the hook for the repair and gives them false data about their quality control. I've actually been better about this lately but this post was a good reminder.
I don't know if BCM knew Igunz but they sure don't know me. They swapped out a BCG for me no questions asked. I later found out the problem wasn't even with the BCG. BCM seems to treat everyone well.
I have personal experience with BCM's customer service, and found it to be excellent.
I recently assembled a "featherweight" middy carbine, like the ones gotm4, Sam and others have built.
I decided to shave the FSB, and reuse it under a Troy Extreme rail, so as to have a rock-solid gas block. The problem was, I could not budge the taper pins with two mules and an ape.
One email to Paul later, I was in great shape. He had me ship the upper back, pressed out the pins, disassembled the upper, and shipped it back to me. Turnaround was less than 5 business days, and that included a trip from Texas to Wisconsin and back! The man did his part in a day, and charged a ridiculously modest price.
This was not just ordering parts, but contacting the maker, setting up the service, shipping, etc. All of which happened without a hitch.
I've recommended BCM to a pair of friends at work, both of whom have assembled carbines now with BCM parts. I will keep recommending BCM to others.
You will have to hunt long and hard to find anybody better at customer service than Mr. Buffoni.
IG, thanks for starting this thread. I'm sorry it got derailed by braindonor, but it's definitely a worthwhile topic.
I'd like to say a few things. My intent here was not to bash SunDevil. It was to show different levels of customer service. It was also to impress upon members that they should attempt to have the manufacturer resolve the problem first.
It's hard for anyone to make improvments if they are never told about the problem. How they proceed after that is up to them.
The person with the SunDevil lower is a good friend whom I worked with in Iraq. We trusted each other and watched each others backs while we were in Al Anbar province. I have no doubt that he did it correctly as I have seen his previous work. Also I should have mentioned that he tried to install it not only with a Magpul supplied roll pin, but also a Colt roll pin. Neither one would go in w/o shaving material from inside the hole.
Last edited by Iraqgunz; 07-27-10 at 00:23.
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I couldn't agree more. An informed and thoughtful process ought to be applied when purchasing any firearm purchase.
Short story: I purchased a SigArms P220 back in 2003 from a local dealer. After ~200 rounds it became clear that something wasn't right with the slide. The weapon functioned 100% but the alloy lower receiver was showing unusually heavy wear on one side where the slide should have been burnishing the hardened finish. Visual inspection confirmed a burr on the mating surface of the slide. I called SigArms and spoke with their customer service dept. They concurred that the described wear was abnormal and committed to resolve the issue to my satisfaction. They offered me two choices: send it directly to them and they would send me a new pistol (visually inspected to ensure the new one has no such issues) or shoot the pistol I had in hand for the remainder of the warranty (as the wear posed no threat of short term failure) and then return it for the same exchange. Both options would reset my warranty upon receipt of the new pistol. I chose to keep shooting it and send it back for the exchange when the warranty came to an end. Though the pistol never failed the wear increased as I expected it would (removed the hard anodizing along the worn area down to the softer alloy underneath. SigArms followed through their commitment and the replacement pistol had no such issue.
Ok, well, not so short. I've since sold the P220 - I never really shot well with it even though it felt right and pointed naturally well in my hands. The S&W 4506 I replaced it with has been a better fit for me. Outside of my personal preferences though my experience with SigArms was as good and better than my research before initial purchase indicated it would be if required. As I've personally lost interest in Sigs I have no idea if their service is still at this level but I can say that my efforts to make an informed purchase decision paid off when an unlikely fault required the assistance of the manufacturer. Though seeing excessive wear on my new pistol was disconcerting the overall experience was very positive!
I have a friend whose service experience with Smith & Wesson was at least as positive as mine with Sig - they were very responsive!
Nice to hear about the positive experience with BCM!
Last edited by Deaj; 07-26-10 at 23:05.
Very often we see folks who fail to consult the manufacturer prior to wrenching on their new malfunctioning blaster. Some issues can be diagnosed over the phone and a replacement part dropped into the mail free of charge. Sometimes the entire thing needs to go back. If you're polite to the customer service rep, they will often offer to cover the shipping both ways. If not, consider asking. Yes, some companies do have a better track record than others as far as taking care of their customers, but consider giving them a chance to make it right.
Many issues are user induced and can be addressed by reading the manual ahead of time. I know...what a crazy idea.
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