Thedi Leathers- ordering experience help please

[nickv]

Hi Guys,
i was hoping somebody on here who has ordered direcctly with Thedi recently could chime in with their experience.

During this Covid period , i understand that everyone's manufacturing times have been thown into chaos, and delays are inevitable.

But this is my dilema.
During this period i have ordered two new jackets, one from Aero and the second from Thedi.
Firstly the Aero jacket i ordered in May this year and was given updates on their lockdown situation, the Jacket arrived on the 5th of this month(NOV). No dramas there, this is my second Aero jacket ordered directly from Aero and went smoothly as the first order from them.

Now onto Thedi. I was promptly responded to by my initial email by Theodros himself.
I was told that after he receives the funds he requires 60 days to complete the order.
Firstly i asked for leather samples at the end of May to be sent to Australia, with which he complied with. The samples arrived 16th of June. After a few emails back and forth discussing sizing, hardware and sending him photos of my self wearing a t shirt, he requested full payment which i did through PAYPAL on 22nd of June.

At the end of July i ask for an update, with which Theodoros replies, that it is sheduled for production in September,but that they need to rest and will be closed for the summer break in August, and that my order will be "delivered" at the end of september.

He then emails me on the 23rd of Sept, letting me know he is about to work on my jacket and double checks (want confirmation)on my sizing and selections for the jacket,so he doesnt make a mistake.

On the 14th of Oct i email asking for an update, and if he has an estimated time when it will be shipped? Hi response, that they are in the process of producing it, and that this is expected to load around Nov 10th and that they try for their best, and that there have been many delays in materials from Italy.

A month later i email on the 14th of Nov, asking for an update on my order, He says it is in production and that ....." We had a long delay in the skins from Italy due to the situation with the virus, we were also closed for a few days.
All right now, I will let you know soon.
my best"

I dont want email him anymore as i feel in his email tone that i am pestering him.

I have until the 22nd of Dec to put in a refund claim with Pay pals (180 day time frame).

I dont feel like i have been treated properly as a customer. In all my emails i have been polite and concice. 60 days is turning out to be 6 months and forever, why does he keep saying "it is in production"? What does that mean?
I fell like i am going to lose my money if i don't lodge a claim by the 22nd of Dec, but i also would love to have one of his jackets.

Your thoughts much appreciated.

 

[marker2037]

Relax man, he will come through. Just think about the world right now, think about how much worse things could be for you (not that I know your situation, but ordering a custom leather jacket leads me to believe things aren’t so bad), and have a little patience. He’s not going to rip you off.

I ordered directly though him as well and it actually took me 6 months to finally get a reply on my first email as he says he missed it. This is back in 2019 mind you. He’s a busy guy but he came through in the end and he will for you too.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Hi Guys,
i was hoping somebody on here who has ordered direcctly with Thedi recently could chime in with their experience.

During this Covid period , i understand that everyone's manufacturing times have been thown into chaos, and delays are inevitable.

But this is my dilema.
During this period i have ordered two new jackets, one from Aero and the second from Thedi.
Firstly the Aero jacket i ordered in May this year and was given updates on their lockdown situation, the Jacket arrived on the 5th of this month(NOV). No dramas there, this is my second Aero jacket ordered directly from Aero and went smoothly as the first order from them.

Now onto Thedi. I was promptly responded to by my initial email by Theodros himself.
I was told that after he receives the funds he requires 60 days to complete the order.
Firstly i asked for leather samples at the end of May to be sent to Australia, with which he complied with. The samples arrived 16th of June. After a few emails back and forth discussing sizing, hardware and sending him photos of my self wearing a t shirt, he requested full payment which i did through PAYPAL on 22nd of June.

At the end of July i ask for an update, with which Theodoros replies, that it is sheduled for production in September,but that they need to rest and will be closed for the summer break in August, and that my order will be "delivered" at the end of september.

He then emails me on the 23rd of Sept, letting me know he is about to work on my jacket and double checks (want confirmation)on my sizing and selections for the jacket,so he doesnt make a mistake.

On the 14th of Oct i email asking for an update, and if he has an estimated time when it will be shipped? Hi response, that they are in the process of producing it, and that this is expected to load around Nov 10th and that they try for their best, and that there have been many delays in materials from Italy.

A month later i email on the 14th of Nov, asking for an update on my order, He says it is in production and that ....." We had a long delay in the skins from Italy due to the situation with the virus, we were also closed for a few days.
All right now, I will let you know soon.
my best"

I dont want email him anymore as i feel in his email tone that i am pestering him.

I have until the 22nd of Dec to put in a refund claim with Pay pals (180 day time frame).

I dont feel like i have been treated properly as a customer. In all my emails i have been polite and concice. 60 days is turning out to be 6 months and forever, why does he keep saying "it is in production"? What does that mean?
I fell like i am going to lose my money if i don't lodge a claim by the 22nd of Dec, but i also would love to have one of his jackets.

Your thoughts much appreciated.

Dealing with a maker of hand crafted items can be a journey. Delays are frustrating but can be part of the process - especially in these times. It doesn't sound like he has done anything wrong.

 

[Marc mndt]

There's absolutely nothing to worry about. I also received that '60 days' email, I think that's his standard quotation. My jacket was also delayed several times due to covid. Every now and then Theodoros sent me a status update and after sixt month I received the most beautiful jacket imaginable. Half an hour after it was delivered he sent me an email saying "please let me know about the jacket" .
I think it's cool that theodoros handles all the customer contact himself. But that also means you might not get a quick response, he's a busy guy. I would strongly advice not to put in a refund claim. You will get your jacket, you just have to be a little patient.

 

[Guppy]

Don't feel like you are pestering him. You're a customer, you've paid for a product which is now late, and he owes you timely, truthful responses to inquiries. Period.

As long as you are polite and businesslike in your correspondence, you shouldn't hesitate to contact him. There's no reason to be accusatory or angry with him. Thedi is a legitimate business, he has thousands of satisfied customers the world over, and has earned his business's reputation for good reason.

I would recommend send him a politely worded email that you are concerned about these delays. Point out the date that you paid, quote his message saying delivery within 60 days, point out how many days late delivery is, and point out the date by which you have no choice but to contact your credit card company to open a dispute.

What will happen:

1) If you get no response immediately, give it a reasonable amount of time for him to reply, say 10 business days, and if you have heard nothing by that time, open a dispute with the credit card. Let him know in your message that you are going to do this so that there is no surprise, and be clear that there is not animosity on your part, but that you need to protect your purchase within the guidelines of your credit card company.

2) If he replies with a date of delivery that is outside your window for opening a dispute, ask him to refund the money, and you will pay for it once it is ready to ship, or if he is not able to accommodate that, then cancel the order, and if you still want to do business with him, be clear that it's due to the circumstances behind his control, and that you'll be happy to place an order in the future when things are more normal.

3) If he replies with a date of delivery that is within your window for opening a dispute, hold him to this date, and if you do not at least have a tracking number by that date, open the dispute. Again, if you still want to do business with him, communicate what you are doing with your chargeback, and why, and be clear that when he is able to fulfill your order, you're interested in paying for it.

4) If he replies with additional information, such as photos of the work in progress, or anything else, then you can take that into account.

Despite Thedi's great reputation, it's always possible that a major disaster could force them to cease operations unexpectedly and outside their control. If that happens, many cusotmers and creditors will be clamoring for what they are owed, and in such circumstances unfortunately not everyone gets what is owed to them. I'm sure Theodoros will do everything he can to keep operating, and make good on all orders. But if he can't, you do have the protection of your credit card, or paypal, or whoever, that you can fall back on.

 

[Marc mndt]

I follow a couple of Thedi's stockist on Instagram. I still see them get in new thedi stock regularly and I'm amazed sometimes how quick they sell out. I don't think we have to be worried about Thedi's business continuity.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I would guess that he will come through. At least he is replying to your messages. I can certainly see things being delayed due to COVID. Without that, I would tell you to get the refund, but given the situation, I would be a little more patient.

 

[Harris HTM]

Keep in mind that Greece is in a strict lock-down; you're not allowed to leave your house without an sms-confirmation from the government and all non-essential shops are closed (only super-markets and pharmacies are open). Northern Greece, and especially Thessaloniki, where Thedi is based, is the worst-stricken area by Covid, all the IC-beds are full. I'd be surprised if the machinists where allowed to leave their home and go to work.

 

[MrProper]

I am also careful with prepayment of the full purchase price in combination with a sole proprietorship, which is so tied to a single person. if this person is run over by the car today, then the jacket is history But maybe this thrill is just part of the game. Other people take the risk with stocks lol

 

[Marc mndt]

I am also careful with prepayment of the full purchase price in combination with a sole proprietorship, which is so tied to a single person. if this person is run over by the car today, then the jacket is history But maybe this thrill is just part of the game. Other people take the risk with stocks lol

Seems like he has an heir to the throne. This is his son in law.

 

[Guppy]

I am also careful with prepayment of the full purchase price in combination with a sole proprietorship, which is so tied to a single person. if this person is run over by the car today, then the jacket is history But maybe this thrill is just part of the game. Other people take the risk with stocks lol

I don't think they are that small, their volume of production seems to be more than one person could possibly do.

 

[Marc mndt]

I don't think they are that small, their volume of production seems to be more than one person could possibly do.

Thedi has a workshop with several machinists.

 

[MrProper]

I honestly have to admit that I didn't see how Thedi works beforehand. My impression was that the brand is very attached to one person. But all the better if it's different (which is actually logical given the amount of jackets)

 

[red devil]

Thedi is an experienced maker who has been doing it for decades, I wouldn't worry about not getting your jacket. I have the same delays with my red one, but I know it is going to be fantastic.

Yes, he has a workshop with several machinists.

 

[l0fielectronic]

You could always email him with your concerns about this issue. I suppose a simple solution would be for him to refund you the June payment and for you to make a new payment giving you another six months cover or whatever?

Can understand your frustration with this more so if promised dates are repeatedly missed but as mentioned these are unprecedented times. If you do put in a claim do they not get some time to respond?

 

[58panheadfan]

If you check Thedis Insta Stories e.g. https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17861956519276568/
then you realize that this output cannot be a one-man operation.

 

[Mandarin]

As most others have said, I think you shouldn't worry. Theodoros is 100% reliable. I ordered 2 jackets from Thedi. The first one took about 10 weeks to be delivered. The second one twice as much. Based on my first experience, I placed my order last fall expecting the jacket to be delivered around Christmas. That time came and passed, and by february of this year, I emailed Theodoros asking when i could expect the jacket. He answered it would be ready to ship about a week later, and indeed, I received it shortly after. I suppose he must have been busy creating new models, attending trade fairs, fulfilling other orders, etc, and that was before COVID. I understand what @Guppy says about securing your investment, it makes total sense from a strictly business point of view. But again, given the scale of Theodoros' company and the exceptional circumstances, I recommend patience.

 

[Tom71]

Stomach-feeling is: Don´t worry.

I believe, Theodoros is a victim of his own success. Yes, he has a few employees, but all admin stuff is down to him and his daughter to a very large extent. Add the slowdown in supplies and you have a very good explanation for the overlong delays. It happend and happens with Aero and Greg Field as well.

As to "perstering" Thedi: I would think he himself is most unhappy with the delays (that at least for a large part are outside his Control). He is certainly a proud man, and he will not be too happy about not being able to deliver.
I had the pleasure of meeting him and his family a while ago and was MOST impressed by his personality and the way he (they!) go about things. He even took the effort of opening his business outside business hours and came over from his shop to meet me in person and then took all the time in the world with me.
I too had more or less radio-silence between order and receipt of my jacket (which was delayed by a few weeks before Covid-times), but apart from that all went very.

 

[Colin G]

First world problems. You will get your jacket and it will be nice but in the age of instant gratification people get impatient so I get that but in these pandemic times patience is key.

My experience with Thedi is e-mail communication is ok at first, then spotty at best then fizzles out. Their delivery dates are never firm and always a month or two overdue. Everytime a jacket showed up something was wrong with it whether it was too small, details I asked for missed like button colour or zipper type and was told tough luck that is the way they made it (Thurston Bros response here).

All that said, I sold my Thedis and will probably never buy another one although I do like their canvass stuff but with my negative experiences with that company and one of their resellers, that will be highly unlikely.

 

[Marc mndt]

First world problems. You will get your jacket and it will be nice but in the age of instant gratification people get impatient so I get that but in these pandemic times patience is key.

My experience with Thedi is e-mail communication is ok at first, then spotty at best then fizzles out. Their delivery dates are never firm and always a month or two overdue. Everytime a jacket showed up something was wrong with it whether it was too small, details I asked for missed like button colour or zipper type and was told tough luck that is the way they made it (Thurston Bros response here).

All that said, I sold my Thedis and will probably never buy another one although I do like their canvass stuff but with my negative experiences with that company and one of their resellers, that will be highly unlikely.

So if I get you right, you bought your jackets from Thurston Bros right? Not directly from Thedi. That means imo that when the sizing is off or as a matter of fact if anything is off, its on Thurston Bros right? You're not doing business with Thedi.