Stetson bummer from Miller

[Panamabob]

Geez, try selling custom/commissioned hats. I enjoy our no refund policy as it keeps the jerks awa, well except for a few. Yes, even some FL members have ordered commissioned hats and have returned them and charged back their Credit Cards.

 

[RBH]

I have bought from Millers many times... and will again.

In fact I was in Houston about this time last year and went by the shop... they were closed because of a hurricane that had went through a week or so before.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Sorry about your situation Neil.... I truly understand the frustration, however, I think the Como will be nice choice. I have one I love it......lightweight compared to my Borsalino Diamante. I use it for semi formal suit & tie and musical engagements.

 

[duggap]

I agree, the Como is a good hat. I have one and keep it in a regular rotation.

 

[MCrider]

While I understand some people saying that it isn't Miller Hats fault, if the color is different from what the web site portrayed, then in a way it is. While I've never had to return a hat purchased online, I also look for a dealer that gives a refund if I'm not satisfied. There has been a hat or two that Miller sells that I liked but didn't buy because of the return policy. When its my money, I tend to be a bit more cautious.

 

[jpbales]

Geez, try selling custom/commissioned hats. I enjoy our no refund policy as it keeps the jerks awa, well except for a few. Yes, even some FL members have ordered commissioned hats and have returned them and charged back their Credit Cards.

that a real good reason for a no-returns policy, especially if you're talking about a custom or, even more, a commissioned hat. It takes those people weeks and weeks to weave your hat then you're just going to return it?

 

[marvelgoose]

Yep...what the other Goose guy whose name starts with "Marv" said...
"DANGER!! WILL ROBINSON!!! DANGER!!!"

fftopic: Until you just mentioned it I never realized that my nickname could be rendered as Marv El Goose. And I'm not even Hispanic! (but my icon's hat is)

 

[marvelgoose]

In fact I was in Houston about this time last year and went by the shop...

Ah there is the reason. They are a Bricks and Mortars store first and an online retailer second. LL Bean, LandsEnd, Sears, and etal knew that the real key to success in mail order was to guarantee customer satisfaction.

 

[Woodfluter]

Ah there is the reason. They are a Bricks and Mortars store first and an online retailer second. LL Bean, LandsEnd, Sears, and etal knew that the real key to success in mail order was to guarantee customer satisfaction.

Yes, and in their B&M stores also...in the case of L.L. Bean at least.

Don't hold me to details, this is from memory only, but the story is that young Leon recognized the shortcomings of lace-up leather boots and also vulcanized rubber boots, so he combined the best of the two, using ample stitching and what he thought was good glue. And went into business, selling them to customers he met face to face.

Then came letters from disappointed buyers - they leaked at the glue seal. He quickly found a superior and dependable adhesive, and then wrote every one of his customers telling them he'd exchange what they bought or take them apart and remake them. It sent him into debt and wiped out all his profits, but he did it because it was the only ethical thing to do by his standards. In the long run it paid off because those customers recommended him as a very dependable, stand-up guy. It was far from the norm at the time, but he did what he thought was right.

Yes, you are responsible for reading the fine print. But (apart from the entirely different situation of a custom-made item), I think it's foolish in the long run for vendors to deal with "store credits" - and on a personal note, it wouldn't meet my own ethical standards.

- Bill

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Yes, and in their B&M stores also...in the case of L.L. Bean at least.

- Bill

Apparently I am what is known as a "Beaner"* meaning that I use their store almost exclusively. Of course it is quality, but, more importantly for me it is customer service.


*that is what their corporate offices call me.

 

[besdor]

Treat your customers well and they will always come back. Its worked for us for 61 years. Of course there are some limitations. I had a customer return a hat to us because the feather didnt match! We tried to explain to him that you can remove the feather , but he didnt want to listen.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Neil]

My last word

Custom is obviously a different issue. Custom means it really won't work for anybody else, and will be worth much less to someone else. I wouldn't expect PB or Art or Delk to issue refunds, unless they ship something that doesn't fit, or is far from what was advertised.
But when buying off the rack, I think it's really simple. Buy from vendors who will give you your money back if the product turns out not to be what you wanted.
They are out there. I intend to patronize them exclusively from here on in.
Getting into a situation where you have to buy another hat you might not even have wanted is foolish, and I was a fool for getting into it.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Treat your customers well and they will always come back. Its worked for us for 61 years. Of course there are some limitations. I had a customer return a hat to us because the feather didnt match! We tried to explain to him that you can remove the feather , but he didnt want to listen.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

Incidentally, I purchased my Borsalino Diamante from Bencraft several years ago.

When I received my hat the liner installation was defective. I called the store. A new one was shipped to me immediately without requesting the defective one before hand.

Customer service??? Excellent......In fact, it was due to the way I was treated that I have been a repeat customer.

 

[zetwal]

A new one was shipped to me immediately without requesting the defective one before hand.

That's the way it should be done. What a pleasure it is to get real service!

 

[Neil]

Still waiting

For the Borsalino Como from Miller. They've had the Stetson for a couple of weeks now, and they're just getting around to shipping the replacement.
They advised me I am fortunate, because returns often take four weeks or longer to "process."
So I guess I'm lucky.

 

[carldelo]

For the Borsalino Como from Miller. They've had the Stetson for a couple of weeks now, and they're just getting around to shipping the replacement.
They advised me I am fortunate, because returns often take four weeks or longer to "process."
So I guess I'm lucky.

This is bush-league...

 

[cmalbrecht]

Earlier this year I got a Stetson Saxon from Delmonico. It was around some holidays and they paid the shipping. To me—and I'm no expert—the hand, the weight, color and overall appearance of the hat is great. I have an ancient Dobbs Twenty and they look very similar in all ways. Of course, I won't be here when the Stetson hits fifty to see if it still looks as good as the Dobbs, but for now I'm satisfied with the hat and Delmonico both.

 

[Stern-Hank]

Ordered a Stetson "Murphy" from Miller Hats recently.
Disappointment.
The color in real life is considerably darker than what's displayed on the website. The felt is starched to near-cardboat stiffness, and the size, while marked 61, or 7 5/8, was considerably snugger than my Pinnacle, which is marked as that same size.
Further, Miller does not refund your money. They issue a "store credit," which basically means buy something else from us, or just bugger off.
Defeated, I used the $160 paid toward a Borsalino Como. Which I don't even really want.
You can bet a weeks pay, lads, that Miller will never see another penny of my business.
Village Hats, on the other hand, delivered exactly what I ordered (packable Borsalino Allesandro), and enclosed a nice letter offering a refund or exchange in the event I am not satisfied.
Village Hats, as you can imagine, will get more of my business.

Village Hat Shop is far and away the most customer friendly of the major online hatters..

 

[Neil]

Final word on this

So Miller sent me a Borsalino Como, for another $110 or so. Weirdly, the hat is identical to my foldable Borsalino "Allesandro," and both are 7 5/8, but the Como is smaller. Just the tiniest wee bit small.
Miller, when contacted, told me it doesn't carry the Como model in any bigger size. I told the woman in customer service that other big hatters have it in bigger sizes, and she replied Miller can't order any more till next fall.
She advised me to steam the hat and stretch it with a hat jack. Or, she said, she had one Borsalino in 7 3/4, but she didn't know the model name. It's not a Como, it's something else, and if I want that one, I can swap the 7 5/8 Como for it.
I told her just forget it.
Never, ever, ever again. I was a fool for ordering from Miller in the first place. Lesson learned.