Very unpleasant experience with Six Moon Design (SMD)

Zorg, your reply is really ….odd? ? I would not want you on my side .

As a human being, who shared the same hobby, I can respect you at the beginning. But you are destroying that respect. While all I am talking about was an internet sale, you started to attack me. Arguing with you just downgrades my status.

******************

Yang Lu wrote – "In my case, I have all communications documented in the emails. Tell me what made you think I am 1/1000 ignorant customers?"

I've read you OP multiple times. 95% of it was whining/complaining/moaning/venting about your own mistakes. Yea, you made multiple mistakes. Ultimately you got told "NO" because you screwed up. The key here is that YOU SCREWED UP. And instead of making a phone call to SMD to clear things up, you continue to bash them on a public forum, obviously enjoying your "victim" status amongst your supporters. So you have created and maintained a "pity thread".

I'm gonna buy some more gear from SMD now, (and I certainly don't need anything), just to show my support. I'm glad I'm not in the retail business.

NO SMD SCREWED UP. Period! An employee promised something and the company didn't deliver on that promise. Simple as that. If you want to did deeper lets talk about QC, SMD should be ashamed sending that net-tent out in the condition it was in. How about the edited post by Ron? He wont stand by his employees words, heck he wont even stand by his own words.

Enjoy shopping at SMD, there is a saying about a "person" and his money being easily separated…

Damn Ron and his corporate greed.

Brandon, your grounded.

**

"Sure. Can I borrow your lawn mower?"

Sure. But Zorg is using it until Saturday after he mows down as much common sense as possible. After that, it is yours.

PLEASE – GIVE IT A REST, GUYS!

Everyone has had their say.

IT IS TIME TO MOVE ON.

Though the points raised by the OP have not been addressed by SMD, Bob has apaprently decided this thread is over. However, I'd say that until the OP is fairly treated by SMD, I'd think it should continue (in a rational manner). (It seems that Ron, Brandon, the OP, etc. might have different definitions of what "fair" is.)

I know we all love to praise and support our local friendly cottage gear makers (in my case, Tarptent and MLD have been nothing but stellar), I don't think they are entitled to a free pass when they don't do right by the customer. It's pretty clear here that they haven't.

The price is wrong *****

Yang- dont defend youself anymore there is no need clearly anyone with a shred of buisness sense or even common sense knows this was not right.

On BPL when this happens normally the majority of the people rush to defend the cottage gear guy. Most people hear, after reading your story and your emails, agree with you so that says something. Just let it go now and let the jokes finish off the thread.

Bob, You knew that wouldn't work didn't you.

I sense two more pages at least.

Stew Leonard’s Success Story

edited to fix link.

Apparently Bob is going to set things straight.

(Crickets)

This whole situation is unfortunate. The OP, in this instance, is in the right. I didn't get to read Ron's responses but based on the flaming he got I'll assume he didn't intend to make the issue right.

I recall back in training for being a sales manager, I was told that a satisfied customer will (on average) tell 3 people. An unsatisfied customer will (on average) tell 20 people. That was before forums, when you could tell 1000 people with one click. I would say the damage to SMD's business far exceeds the $20 in shipping they saved.

I like that BPL allows people to frankly discuss the good and the bad about businesses. I disagree with the fellow earlier who said this type of discussion should not be allowed— unless they also disallow discussions of a positive nature. Many people, like myself, utilize this forum to determine what to buy and from whom. That said, I know Ron and SMD have an overall good reputation and this thread doesn't make me discount them entirely but it does cloud the image I had in my head until today both of their gear quality and of their customer service.

They lost sale of net tent, cuben shelter, customer, and when the new pack line is announced, this concern about customer service, returns, etc will be hanging around.

$20 was how it started, and looks cheaper now I'm sure than four days ago.

The one thing SMD has going for them is they are huge. Since you can buy their gear in pretty much any sporting goods store, people don't need to be concerned with dealing with a mail order company with peculiar shipping habits. REI or similar is willing to take care of the customer on SMDs behalf.

If SMD refinds reason, hopefully it can repair the damage directly with Yang.

The SMD stain left by this thread will take sometime to fade. Ironically, its not Yang's posts which most damaged SMD's reputation – it was Ron's.

For those who have previously dealt with Ron this event can be minimized in the context of other favourable dealings. For those who have never dealt with him or SMD, I expect this early summer posting frenzy will tarnish both for some time.

Its all very regrettable. Refunding the shipping and being done with it will put it to bed sooner rather than later. Not doing so will give this a longer life, even after the posting stops, as newcomers search SMD, this is what they will inevitably find.

Its unbelievable how SMD have martyred the principle of fair dealing for $20. What would they do for $200?

Crazy!

Derrick

**

First of all this… this thread is better than anything I can find on TV. But in trying to keep up with this Soap Opera… who's Bob?

The players as I can tell:

Ron is the owner.
Brandon is the SMD son/employee gone rogue
Yang is the customer
Zorg is the motivational speaker
John is my new favorite Dr. Seuss character

But who is Bob? I'm assuming we're not talking about Bob Bankhead who asked a few responses ago for everyone to politely stfu (paraphrasing of course).

Is he a secret agent from a Borat inspired terror group on a mission here in the U.S. to disrupt the harmony between OCD BPLers and the cottage industry? Is he here to reveal the truth that not one of these people even own a cottage?

LET'S DO THIS PEOPLE. Grab those energy drinks and dig in! Certainly we can get another few pages from this!

Read Ron – will edit

BOB is actually a recursive acronym for the BOB owns backpacking, where BOB is actually a reverse recursive acronym for Bankers of BOB, where BOB is an acronym for Bags or bivies.

Put together, BOB is the Bankers of Bags or Bivies owns backpacking.

They are a black ops wing of the UPS, acting in partnership with the cottage industry to reap maximum shipping profits from minimal weight packages. They have been know to pal around with the USPS, the NCAA, and the LGPA.

Hope this helps,
–G.B.–

Many have dinged Yang on communication. Considering his name and writing style, I think it's clear that English is not his first language. You guys need to cut some slack based on that item alone. He's communicated pretty well in light of that.

>"But in the end we're talking about $20 which in my opinion doesn't even remotely >warrant the giant dogpile in this thread – hasn't everyone got better things to do??"

The harm to Yang wasn't just $20 it was also the kink in his trip planning caused by the defective merchandise not to mention the hassle of dealing with Six Moon.

Forums like this are the perfect place to air this stuff. If everyone has better things to do, why operate the site at all?

Six Moon had their chance to keep this from snowballing into a PR disaster dogpile. They chose instead to attack the customer. They are reaping the consequences.

Six Moon has enjoyed the internet's benefits of instant communication and widespread sharing of info to build up their business, nobody complained then of having better things to do. Now Six Moon must endure the other side of the internet coin. Tough.

"They are a black ops wing of the UPS.."

Sweet! This gets better by the minute. Beer. Flip flops. Robe. Beer. Hand in pants Al Bundy style…. let the circus continue!

**

$20 is a pretty cheap tuition payment to the School of Life. I've made many that are 10 or 100 times that amount. Thanks to Yang, that $20 provided a free class for all of us. What you learn from the class is up to you.

There are more satisfied customers here than there are dissatisfied ones. Those of you who write the company off, were probably never going to buy from them anyway.
Now what I'm reading and many others will as well is…
"I wanted a Cuban tarp for my trip. They didn't have one so I ordered what they had. It got a bit roughed up on my trip and I really wanted cuben anyway. It's their fault for not having it in stock and I shouldn't suffer for their oversight."
This may be the exception, but I read the same thing over and over down rating good products. I just ignore it. Put it off as some hothead…
If you're serious, e-mails are disingenuous, pick up the phone and call.