A Tale of Two Jackets

[JulianK]

A Tale of Two Jackets.

Jacket number 1:

• Poured over Indygear forums learning everything I could about my future Indy Jacket. Really wanted goat.
• Went to tailor to get measured for a custom Indy Jacket.
• Sent custom specification and measurements to manufacturer. No goat available so opted for lamb.
• Shortly afterward, found out about new ‘lambtouch’ leather being offered and inquired about changing leathers.
• Was informed that ‘lambtouch’ was not available as a custom jacket and I’d have to have it ‘off the rack’.
• Said, no thanks. I wanted my custom specs so back to original lamb.
• Waited.
• Waited.
• Received off the rack jacket with nothing I asked for (should’ve opted for lambtouch after all).
• ….oh and paid $90 customs for it.
• Tried on jacket….too small in the arm/shoulders. I had asked for gussets to allow for more movement.
• Sent jacket back (another $65)
• 10 days later, jacket is back at manufacturer. Asked for just a size up to make up for the shoulder room. (You see I’d given up on any extras and just wanted my jacket at this point).
• Waited.
• Waited.
• Got a ring on the doorbell and replacement jacket was finally home.
• Unwrapped jacket and at first look it was the length of a suit blazer.
• Took out measuring tape and went to website….sure enough they’d sent me a long!
• Back on the phone again (should be up to about $50 in phone bill by now). Once again a very curt conversation.
• Back to post office.
• $80 to ship back this time.
• Waited.
• Waited.
• Month and a half later received jacket with most of my original specs.
• Oh yes, jacket was not marked as an ‘exchanged’ item so had to pay another $90 duty that I now have to file for a refund for!



Jacket number 2.

• Sent e-mail inquiring about factory second jacket.
• Receive e-mail about factory second jacket.
• Made a quick phone call to confirm availability (very friendly and helpful on the phone).
• Payment options were a little inconvenient but made my way to local Western Union office.
• Sent payment and sent confirmation e-mail.
• Week and a half later received perfectly fitting jacket!


Is this the end of the story now? Well…no. Having received my jacket from manufacturer number 1 (by now I’m sure you know who that is), I can honestly say that the quality, fit and general drape of this work was definitely worth all the waiting and headaches associated with it! While jacket number 2 if a fine product, jacket number 1 is absolutely amazing!

And yes, I will definitely be going back to them for more torture should they re-introduce their goatskin back in the offering!

Thanks Peter. Dealing with you and Gemma sometime sure was a pain in the butt….but man was it worth it!
Cheers to both of you.
…………

[Castor Dioscuri]

Ouch! That's just bad luck (with regards to duties)... With all three of my Westeds so far, not once was I hit by customs. Still have two more coming though, knock on wood!

But glad to hear that it all worked out for you in the end.

[Technonut]

Just a thought...

If returns to Wested are due to some fault on their end (sent wrong size, specs omitted, etc.), shouldn't they pay for all postage back and forth?

Would be nice huh? Not likely, but nice to think of...

[Technonut]

A Tale of Two Jackets.

Jacket number 1:

• Poured over Indygear forums learning everything I could about my future Indy Jacket. Really wanted goat.
• Went to tailor to get measured for a custom Indy Jacket.
• Sent custom specification and measurements to manufacturer. No goat available so opted for lamb.
• Shortly afterward, found out about new ‘lambtouch’ leather being offered and inquired about changing leathers.
• Was informed that ‘lambtouch’ was not available as a custom jacket and I’d have to have it ‘off the rack’.
• Said, no thanks. I wanted my custom specs so back to original lamb.
• Waited.
• Waited.
• Received off the rack jacket with nothing I asked for (should’ve opted for lambtouch after all).
• ….oh and paid $90 customs for it.
• Tried on jacket….too small in the arm/shoulders. I had asked for gussets to allow for more movement.
• Sent jacket back (another $65)
• 10 days later, jacket is back at manufacturer. Asked for just a size up to make up for the shoulder room. (You see I’d given up on any extras and just wanted my jacket at this point).
• Waited.
• Waited.
• Got a ring on the doorbell and replacement jacket was finally home.
• Unwrapped jacket and at first look it was the length of a suit blazer.
• Took out measuring tape and went to website….sure enough they’d sent me a long!
• Back on the phone again (should be up to about $50 in phone bill by now). Once again a very curt conversation.
• Back to post office.
• $80 to ship back this time.
• Waited.
• Waited.
• Month and a half later received jacket with most of my original specs.
• Oh yes, jacket was not marked as an ‘exchanged’ item so had to pay another $90 duty that I now have to file for a refund for!



And yes, I will definitely be going back to them for more torture should they re-introduce their goatskin back in the offering!

Thanks Peter. Dealing with you and Gemma sometime sure was a pain in the butt….but man was it worth it!
Cheers to both of you.

Please send me some of the stuff you are smoking....

Although... I did BRIEFLY entertain the notion of ordering another when I saw PLATON'S recent custom jacket. I quickly came to my senses though and ordered one of Todd's... Life is too short to be a glutton for punishment IMO..

[JulianK]

With all three of my Westeds so far, not once was I hit by customs.

You obviously don't live in Canada! We even have the queen on our money! WTH is the point of that if I still get hit with duty from the UK!?!?

[St. Dumas]

Based on my own experience, JulianK's recent experience with Wested is an exception rather than the norm. I've placed four orders with Wested over the past six years and they've all come off without a hitch.

I too submitted tailor taken measurements for the two of those Westeds that I had ordered for myself. With the second jacket, however, I submitted a diagram chart that showed exactly how the measurements were taken (tape measure shown from back of neck to arm etc.). Given that I live in Canada, I have no idea if "arm length", "sleeve length" etc. are measured the same way in England, which is why I did that. The result is that the second jacket fit even better than the first.

SD

[Ripper]

You obviously don't live in Canada! We even have the queen on our money!

Thats OK, Here in America we have a Government who TAKES our money.

[PLATON]

I have a similar tale to tell about 3 jackets (not only Westeds) but I won't because it's very similar to the above, except the back and forth.

All the torturing make us appreciate and love our jackets more upto the point that if anyone touches them can easily kill him perhaps.

[Indiana G]

here's a tale of no jackets:

i e-mailed flightsuits to ask if i can get an expedition with a customized strap installation for my buckles with the bonus of paying a premium for the services.

flightsuits replied and said no.

the end.

the moral of the story, indiana g will not be wearing an expo.

[agent5]

As I've said for years and years, if Wested would simply check the jackets against the order forms with the requested moderations BEFORE they ship it out, it would cut down these stories to almost nil. Sadly, it seems they do not. How easy it seems to do too. In the end we lose money, they lose money AND potential customers in the future.

Maybe they should hire KT to do this on weekends or something.

[Indiana G]

maybe we should hire kt to expedite our orders


you know, the thought has crossed my mind of asking someone over the pond (preferabley kt as he is quite familiar with wested) to expedite a jacket order for me. provide the individual the funds for the jacket with some $$$ for their time.

then i figured that i'm enjoying my current jacket enough so i do not have to go to these extremes....maybe in a while though.........

[Chewbacca Jones]

I will definitely be going back to them for more torture should they re-introduce their goatskin back in the offering!

Thanks Peter. Dealing with you and Gemma sometime sure was a pain in the butt….but man was it worth it!
Cheers to both of you.
…………

Now, I have to say, I just don't get this. I mean, I have one Wested, and a flawlessly good experience, so I personally don't have a problem with them. But I read so many post about the problems with Wested (and in some cases the excessive expense of dealing with them) with ever greater frequency... followed by praise and a vow to do business with them again. If you have a real gripe here, you should tell them and back it up by not giving them your business, shouldn't you? Otherwise the lesson they really learn is that they don't have anything to loose by screwing up, so why fix it.

And I'm not just pointing at Wested (especially since I have no personal complaint). I'm pointing at any vendor or service provider that might do a shabby job. They need to be held accountable for a job poorly done, just as much as praised for a job well done. The only thing we can do is deny them business (our own and that of the people we influence). We pay them, not the other way around, and if we just keep paying them, words become empty. I really think that if this were ebay or amazon, there are a few vendors we "love" that would never get business because of very bad ratings. Imagine bumping into a one-star rating for a vendor with the written comment "Bravo! I recommend them highly! A++++" It seems like that happens around here a little too much, and it also sounds like the vendors are starting to learn....

OK, sorry about the soap box, but sometimes I can't resist.


Note to Peter and Gemma; Again, I don't have a complaint against you. I am totally satisfied with the product and the service! I just want people to think before they type.

[JulianK]

I understand where you're coming from Chewy. I guess the point I wanted to make was that in my opinion the Wested Jacket is far superior to the clearance USW that I got for less than half the price. Of course I still like the USW but there is a definite quality difference in the two.

Therefore I think it was worth the extra hassle involved in getting it. Personally I think that the British are a quirky lot but I suppose that's what gives them their charm. Yes, I have owned a British car and yes it was a love/hate relationship also!

Just MHO.

[Indiana Jerry]

I guess the point I wanted to make was that in my opinion the Wested Jacket is far superior to the clearance USW that I got for less than half the price. Of course I still like the USW but there is a definite quality difference in the two.

If that was your point, it was lost in the barrage of your story. The little twist at the bottom was confusing enough - to many of us, apparently - that I even thought it was either complete sarcasm or a typo.

It took a couple minutes to read your whole scathing post (hey, I move my lips), and most people stopped reading exact details by the bottom, or weren't going to catch the little tip of the hat to them. If you want to make that point clearer, I'd START with that, and point out that your true complaint with them were the wait and order check...but that you still apparently find them worth it over an easy quick order from someone else.

Sorry, but convincing people of things is one of the things I do for a living...and if you NEEDED to convince them that was your point, your story wouldn't have done it. Instead, it threatened to start excessive Wested-bashing.

[Castor Dioscuri]

No need to be so harsh on Julian... The title of the thread was 'A Tale of Two Jackets', and that's exactly what it was. If you wanted the cliff notes, you should have just skipped to the end:

Is this the end of the story now? Well…no. Having received my jacket from manufacturer number 1 (by now I’m sure you know who that is), I can honestly say that the quality, fit and general drape of this work was definitely worth all the waiting and headaches associated with it! While jacket number 2 if a fine product, jacket number 1 is absolutely amazing!

And yes, I will definitely be going back to them for more torture should they re-introduce their goatskin back in the offering!

Thanks Peter. Dealing with you and Gemma sometime sure was a pain in the butt….but man was it worth it!

It wasn't all that confusing, just a story with a moral: the jacket is worth the wait.

[Indiana Jerry]

Harsh? No, honest. I waited to see if that confused everyone else, too, and it did. I'm sure Peter wouldn't find it such a flattering post, either.

[Indiana G]

i did think the ending had a big twist....just like in all of the IJ movies....i thought for sure indy was dead at the end. go figure

[Indiana Jerry]

heeheehee...I think Peter would like THAT analogy, thanks G. Peter makes a great escape at the end!

[PETER]

Although... I did BRIEFLY entertain the notion of ordering another when I saw PLATON'S recent custom jacket. I quickly came to my senses though and ordered one of Todd's... Life is too short to be a glutton for punishment IMO..

Having seen the Todd jacket pictures I think you are out of your senses to pay an extra $100 for a jacket made from calfskin with dodgy side straps & buckles and still only a copy of a Wested and life's to short to wait for a Todd an even longer waiting time than a Wested.

[JulianK]

I didn't mean to be confusing at all Jerry. As a matter of fact, I wrote the beginning about a month ago chronicling my experiences. It was only when I received the jacket that my attitude changed. In retrospect I suppose it was a little harsh at the time of writing but I left it as such so it would reflect my frustration at the time.

But I guess in the end Peter did make a miraculous escape!

[PETER]

By the skin of my teeth I think.
When it goes wrong it really goes wrong and then it really goes wrong and the whole world knows its gone wrong and even when its right it was still wrong because it went wrong in the first place and thats wrong and I am still do it wrong sometimes which is wrong.
Cheers
Peter

[Michaelson]

Humm. Something 'wrong' with that statement.

Regards! Michaelson

[JulianK]

Interestingly enough in the end it came out right. I guess that sometimes 4 wrongs DO make a right!

[Indiana G]

By the skin of my teeth I think.
When it goes wrong it really goes wrong and then it really goes wrong and the whole world knows its gone wrong and even when its right it was still wrong because it went wrong in the first place and thats wrong and I am still do it wrong sometimes which is wrong.
Cheers
Peter

but according to peter, 7 wrongs is still a wrong....which makes it 8, but that encompasses the entire batch of things being incorrect. the octopus monster of inconsistency, the octagonal perimeter encompassing all that strays from the righteous, the inevitable dark path of the 8 headed beast, the alignment of 8 planets in an alternate universe, the.........oh would you look at that......time for my meds...........

[Michaelson]

My head hurts now.....

Regard! Michaelson

[Technonut]

Although... I did BRIEFLY entertain the notion of ordering another when I saw PLATON'S recent custom jacket. I quickly came to my senses though and ordered one of Todd's... Life is too short to be a glutton for punishment IMO..

Having seen the Todd jacket pictures I think you are out of your senses to pay an extra $100 for a jacket made from calfskin with dodgy side straps & buckles and still only a copy of a Wested and life's to short to wait for a Todd an even longer waiting time than a Wested.

Well.... My decision MAY have been swayed if I would have received a reply for ANY of the three custom order pricing requests I put in awhile back.... I used both email AND the online cart for the requests....

I think you are out of your senses to pay an extra $100 for a jacket made from calfskin with dodgy side straps & buckles and still only a copy of a Wested

PLATON's custom Wested cost ALMOST the same as what I paid for Todd's jacket. I actually did not wait that long for it compared to how long it took to get the Wested.




OK PETER.... Are you saying that you will make a PLATON specs jacket for me? Please post if you will, how much it will be, and then take my order for it. I would be HAPPY to have one. I need whatever size equates to an outer jacket chest circumference of 48 inches with 25 inch sleeves. Simple order with PLATON's complete specs.. I would be a happy man indeed, but somehow do not think it will happen...

[Indiana G]

TN, i'm waiting for a response as well from the neighbouring thread. wanna play deuling westeds?

time and money. thats usually the factors that you have to take into account in the equation for a custom order. both variables i am flexible in as the means justify the ends. todd coyle of todd's costumes and shaul dover at flightjacket treated me like i was harrison ford himself....i do not know why i cannot get effective communications from wested. it would be less harrowing if wested just followed flightsuits' suit and told me that they don't want my business.