Adventurebilt order - slipped through the cracks?

[pdxvintagette]

Hey fellas,

Back in March, my fiancee and I ordered a hat for his dad's birthday. We weren't aware of exactly HOW long the wait for the hats was, but when we hadn't heard anything or received responses to emails (we didn't get an order confirmation) we checked here and saw that the wait time was months out. Okay, we decided it would be a Christmas present.

Unfortunately, we still haven't received even a confirmation of the order, and I'm wondering if it is possible that the order slipped through the cracks. Do you suppose that he's unaware of the order? I know he's received a lot of attention recently and is flooded with orders.

What should I do to confirm that the order was received and that he has the needed information to fulfill it? I've read enough to understand that he likes his space and doesn't wish to be bothered for deadlines. But we would very much like to get the hat in time for the holiday season. Should be about the best Christmas present ever. Advice?

Thanks much guys!
Julie

 

[John in Covina]

Try calling on the phone: 662-327-4644 then they can check your info against their files.

 

[analogist]

I'm with you, pdxvintagette

I too have received no response from Steve Delk. He does not respond to e-mails, phone calls, etc. It amazes me he is too busy to do business or to extend common courtesy.

There are some spectacular hatters mentioned on the Lounge who will deliver without having to make you grovel.

I own a ton of hats and never had to go through changes to get them.

I am not making any accusation or generalization but merely report on my own personal experiences.

analogist

 

[rcinlv]

Try this...

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=23999


I own a couple of AB's, and in both cases the wait time was over a year.

Hope that helps. What a great gift!

RC

 

[scotrace]

I've never ordered a hat from Steve. I can only say that over my time here, I believe that ordering an Adventurebilt hat requires an acceptance of the fact that A. You will be getting exactly what you expect and will be very pleased and B. It will take an unknowable and lengthy period of time. It'll show when it shows. That's part of the deal.

But you get something that can't be had from anywhere else.

 

[pdxvintagette]

Thank you, analogist. My fiancee made the decision to purchase, and actually found him otherwhere than the Lounge. At the time, since ladies wear is all I know, I didn't know much about it, except that the hats sounded phenomenal.

I will try one more time via phone just to try to confirm that the order was indeed received. And then I guess play the waiting game. However great it is to receive something that can't be had anywhere else... I think I'd prefer to also get something I CAN get elsewhere ... customer service.

(To be frank, my fiancee has emailed twice and called four times.) This is my turn to try to figure out if and when ... although I fear that the attempt might just set us back to the end of the list.

 

[AlanC]

Steve has answered various emails of mine, I've never tried to call him. I think scotrace summarized the situation best above. If you paid via Paypal you have record of the order being made. You just need to hang tight.

I'm currently at one year and about ten days waiting on mine. With AB the wait is simply part of it.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Your Paypal is your confirmation. At least that is what I have been told. My order went in June 16th 2007. I have not got my hat yet. (if you look on COW June 10 are getting them now so it should not be much longer) Last word I got from Steve was my hat should be ready for Christmas.....Last Christmas. Whatever, The Lounge waits months for Panama bob hats why not AB hats?

That being said, the only custom hats I will be getting in the future, and recomending, will be from our own Art http://www.vintagesilhouettes.com/, and Smithbilt www.smithbilthats.com Both because of great service and products. My opinion at least.

Johnny

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Johnny is 100% correct about the PayPal thing. Basically, if you paid, your order is in. If not, you are waiting on nothing.

It is true that Steve misses many emails, but considering that his average weekly volume is in the hundreds, and the hat orders he received last June numbered in the 3-digit zone, he misses a bit. Patience and persistence will get though.

Updates mostly come in the form of general public posts on COW, rather than sending messages to every customer he has. He can't do that here because he's not here anymore. A story that is simply not discussed, as I understand it.

I am in Johnny's exact position. I ordered June 17 of last year. Still waiting... confidently.

 

[MattJH]

Updates mostly come in the form of general public posts on COW, rather than sending messages to every customer he has. He can't do that here because he's not here anymore. A story that is simply not discussed, as I understand it.

If anybody wants to tell me about this in PM, I'm interested in hearing the story.

 

[Panamabob]

Whatever, The Lounge waits months for Panama bob hats why not AB hats?

Leave me out of this. I answer my telephone and emails.

 

[pdxvintagette]

Panama Bob, consider yourself left out of it. =) A good friend ordered a hat from you and was very pleased. It isn't the about wait - it is the lack of notification regarding the expected wait, the lack of follow-up or any acknowledgement at all of the order. From all reports, it sounds like since we have the PayPal receipt, our order has most likely been received. It just kinda sucks not to know for sure.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Panama Bob, I do apologize for bringing you up in this thread. I meant no disrespect.

Johnny

 

[Mike in Seattle]

But federal consumer laws require you to contact anyone and everyone who've you've accepted money from every 30 days, via US mail and with a post paid response card, inquiring if you wish to continue to wait or want a refund. I know because a company I worked for a number of years ago got zinged on that point. I'm not suggesting anyone pursue that option, but it one complaint can get very nasty very quickly, and potentially run someone out of business. IMHO, the least you can or should do is answer phone calls and emails, and if you're THAT busy, perhaps it's time to consider employing someone to help you out. And the original poster has a valid question - how do you know if the order was received? What if something happens to it in shipping if you don't know when it should be expected? And, heaven forbid, if that were to happen...are you then going to have to wait another 12, 18, 24 months for one to replace the first one you waited all that time on that never arrived due to no fault of your own?

 

[Panamabob]

On commissioned pieces, too?

 

[handlebar bart]

Well, I'm glad we'll be working under our SA RUC in Ecuador rather than our USA EIN. This is backwards thinking, because when I'm in Ecuador it breaks the wait time to 7-10 days generally. You just can't get these Ecuadorians to do anything with any sense of dignity nor respect for others. There, I've slapped their faces again, but prove to me otherwise. There are reasons the Panama Hat dealers travel down themselves to Ecuador. You can't even trust your own family.

what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Panamabob]

I'm glad we'll be working in Ecuador so I don't break federal guidelines (are these guidelines for commissioned pieces of art?). Also, I won't have to depend on someone (silly brother-in-law) from another culture to pick up hats anymore.

 

[Colby Jack]

Good luck on the move Robert!...

 

[MK]

?

He can't do that here because he's not here anymore. A story that is simply not discussed, as I understand it.

If so that is news to me. Steve and I spoke on the phone a few months ago.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I think he's referring to this thread from late 2006, the last to which Delk ever posted here: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=14119

Yep. Since all of that happened, I haven't seen a post from Steve on this site...