Club Obi Wan

I haven't interacted here for quite a while (life got in the way). Here's what I had to send to Wested regarding their customer service:

Hi,

I own a few Wested jackets and had just seen the announcement for your Legacy offerings. This reminded me that I had sent my sister in your direction to order a jacket for my nephew as a Christmas gift. So I called her to find out how he liked it as I would have been thrilled to receive one myself. She said it had been too small and from the pictures she sent the sleeves are too short for the size based on my on one of my off the rack jackets for comparison. I asked if she had sent it back but she told me that you would not accept a return for either an exchange or even a custom order to get the sizing right.

Now, seeing that this was a Christmas gift I would have thought you would extend your return window. I'm appalled that you would ship a jacket so fast during the holidays only to say it it went past the cutoff date to exchange it knowing full well that people might be giving them as gifts which precluded being able to check for sizing until late Dec. The jacket she purchased was not a custom order, it was a standard off the rack size. On top of that she was instructed to sell it on eBay and order another one. I'm severely disappointed at how this was handled and on top of it it makes me look bad for even recommending you.

Suffice it to say, even though I'm interested in picking up a couple Legacy jackets from you I can no longer trust you as a company and plan on taking my business elsewhere. This is no way to treat customers. Shame on you.

Robert

I am just dumbfounded at the way this was handled on their end given the holiday time frame. So even though I was interested in their new Legacy offerings my next jacket will probably be a Steele & Jones Truck jacket. My faith in Wested is gone.

So, the wrong size was ordered, and not sent in time for a return, and it's Wested's fault?
It's alright to be disapointed but come on, they cannot change their policy everytime someone order the wrong size...

Things have changed since Peter passed away.

'Policies' made by companies are guidelines, and can be used or waived as required by the owners. Nothing is 'hard and fast' or set in concrete. THEY made the policy.

Peter would (and did) waive his own policies for situations like this on MANY MANY occasions.

Sure, if it was just someone who didn't measure right, didn't like the color, changed their mind, etc., those policies should be strictly adhered to, but each situation is different. In this case it was an OTR item as a gift for a child where they were guessing at sizing.

If it had been 4 months later, I absolutely agree....but we're only a month past Christmas/Boxing Day!

Peter knew that, and acted accordingly. The crew he left behind apparently just stick to the 'letter of the policy', regardless of reason. That's sad.

During these rocky days right now, the last thing you want to do is tick off your customer base. There are too many other fish in the sea to swim to.

Not a very good situation at all, but times, they are a changing as the old song goes......

Regards! Michaelson

Thank you, Michaelson. I spent hours on the phone with my sister going over a jacket he wore and also using myself and my own jackets for comparison as a guide since he's almost my size. So when his size 44 was too small even in comparison to my 44 I was at a loss (and I'm still bigger than he is). When she asked about the exchange she was told that due to shipping times it would land outside the 30 days getting back to them and would not be accepted. She was still in the 30 day period at the time of contact.

Yes, unfortunately the size ordered was an incorrect fit. But circumstances in regards to the holiday season should be taken into account, especially with an off the rack item. Any vendor can make exceptions to their policy when warranted. It's called good business. Peter would have taken care of it straight away. I miss his email correspondence.

I'm glad you and Michaelson chimed in before I did. I was going say that we need more information before outright condemnation of a known brand. However in both your responses you've filled in what gaps I needed. This is unfortunately a case of what separates a "Good" vendor from a "Great" vendor. Having worked with companies both corporate and private I've had the opportunity to be able to say "#### the Torpedoes!" and get the customer what they need, not just what policy said we were allowed to do. I sincerely hope your future ventures are a more positive experience than what you're currently dealing with.


Cheers, Jordan

From Wested's website:


" We do not Exchange items, but standard items can be returned for a refund and you can then place a new order for the correct size etc, these will be shipped straight out if in stock. This is unfortunately due to shipping costs being too high for exchanges. ".

The return window of stock items is only for a refund. If the returned item falls outside that window they are not obliged to refund. Hence the advice to sell on ebay.

Like we've said, policies can be adapted for unusual situations, and was done often when Peter Botwright was still alive.

There has been a definite change of thought process regarding customer/vendor relationships at Wested.

Everything is now just black and white, regardless of situation or circumstance.

Nothing wrong with their product, but that part of the business has definitely taken a hit compared to past practice.

Times change, and so has the world of business.

That said, good information to know moving forward.

Regards! Michaelson

antiquity collector wrote: I miss his email correspondence.

and the occasional phone call.

Right before he passed, he'd send me FB messenger notes with links to articles I might find of interest to post here.

Regards! M

Suddenly, my decision to go with S & J instead of the Legacy Hero seems like a really sound decision....

Sorry you had that experience. Wested has the opportunity to be a real partner with their clientele as there are few cosplay fanbases as loyal/dedicated as this one. Instead, they make poor decisions like this and throw away a lot of good will.

One might say that they "chose poorly"...

antiquity collector wrote:I haven't interacted here for quite a while (life got in the way). Here's what I had to send to Wested regarding their customer service:

Hi,

I own a few Wested jackets and had just seen the announcement for your Legacy offerings. This reminded me that I had sent my sister in your direction to order a jacket for my nephew as a Christmas gift. So I called her to find out how he liked it as I would have been thrilled to receive one myself. She said it had been too small and from the pictures she sent the sleeves are too short for the size based on my on one of my off the rack jackets for comparison. I asked if she had sent it back but she told me that you would not accept a return for either an exchange or even a custom order to get the sizing right.

Now, seeing that this was a Christmas gift I would have thought you would extend your return window. I'm appalled that you would ship a jacket so fast during the holidays only to say it it went past the cutoff date to exchange it knowing full well that people might be giving them as gifts which precluded being able to check for sizing until late Dec. The jacket she purchased was not a custom order, it was a standard off the rack size. On top of that she was instructed to sell it on eBay and order another one. I'm severely disappointed at how this was handled and on top of it it makes me look bad for even recommending you.

Suffice it to say, even though I'm interested in picking up a couple Legacy jackets from you I can no longer trust you as a company and plan on taking my business elsewhere. This is no way to treat customers. Shame on you.

Robert

I am just dumbfounded at the way this was handled on their end given the holiday time frame. So even though I was interested in their new Legacy offerings my next jacket will probably be a Steele & Jones Truck jacket. My faith in Wested is gone.

To me this does not warrant the word 'fail' and notions of 'trust' and 'shame' are inappropriate. Wested have taken a back and white view of sales. That's all it is. They are entitled to do this. The worst you can say is their customer service is hard line.

CM wrote:

antiquity collector wrote:I haven't interacted here for quite a while (life got in the way). Here's what I had to send to Wested regarding their customer service:

Hi,

I own a few Wested jackets and had just seen the announcement for your Legacy offerings. This reminded me that I had sent my sister in your direction to order a jacket for my nephew as a Christmas gift. So I called her to find out how he liked it as I would have been thrilled to receive one myself. She said it had been too small and from the pictures she sent the sleeves are too short for the size based on my on one of my off the rack jackets for comparison. I asked if she had sent it back but she told me that you would not accept a return for either an exchange or even a custom order to get the sizing right.

Now, seeing that this was a Christmas gift I would have thought you would extend your return window. I'm appalled that you would ship a jacket so fast during the holidays only to say it it went past the cutoff date to exchange it knowing full well that people might be giving them as gifts which precluded being able to check for sizing until late Dec. The jacket she purchased was not a custom order, it was a standard off the rack size. On top of that she was instructed to sell it on eBay and order another one. I'm severely disappointed at how this was handled and on top of it it makes me look bad for even recommending you.

Suffice it to say, even though I'm interested in picking up a couple Legacy jackets from you I can no longer trust you as a company and plan on taking my business elsewhere. This is no way to treat customers. Shame on you.

Robert

I am just dumbfounded at the way this was handled on their end given the holiday time frame. So even though I was interested in their new Legacy offerings my next jacket will probably be a Steele & Jones Truck jacket. My faith in Wested is gone.

To me this does not warrant the word 'fail' and notions of 'trust' and 'shame' are inappropriate. Wested have taken a back and white view of sales. That's all it is. They are entitled to do this. The worst you can say is their customer service is hard line.

I agree

Yes, a black and white view of sales which means they have turned into a company more focused on money while sacrificing their customer service. That is the definition of a fail. I've been here from the start and Peter would be most displeased.

It seems like a harsh policy, including shipping time for the return window. If a return is initiated and sent within the 30 day window, that should be fine. But saying the item won't be received by the end of the 30 days seems pretty crummy and unfair.

I think the worlds smallest violin has started playing. It's bad luck but always read the T&Cs. Peter's been gone for over three years.

Where else can you buy a custom made Indiana Jones jacket for around £250 and receive it in less than three weeks.

By the way my legacy jacket is great.

xmasters wrote:I think the worlds smallest violin has started playing. It's bad luck but always read the T&Cs. Peter's been gone for over three years.

Where else can you buy a custom made Indiana Jones jacket for around £250 and receive it in less than three weeks.

By the way my legacy jacket is great.

So the fact that a kid got screwed out of a jacket as a Christmas gift because they refused to swap it for the next size up only because it would arrive back to them a couple days outside of their window is ok with you?

And you're wrong about the custom made comment as it was again, off the rack. Fact is, I don't care what you think. What they did was wrong. They never even bothered to reply to me. Says all I need to know about them nowadays as they threw away a sale of 2 more jackets (both Legacy to me) by acting this way.

You think their customer service is acceptable? Then you don't know any better. It doesn't matter how long Peter's been gone. It's not how he ever handled things. I've dealt with people for years at Disney who would say idiotic things just like that (Walt is dead. We'll do what we want.") knowing full well he would not approve. Guess it's a generational thing.

xmasters wrote:Where else can you buy a custom made Indiana Jones jacket for around £250 and receive it in less than three weeks.

£215, shipping included (though it could take a little longer than three weeks): https://www.magnoliclothiers.com/advent ... p-731.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Magnoli, you do a WL Raiders and Crusade, right?

Indy Magnoli wrote:

xmasters wrote:Where else can you buy a custom made Indiana Jones jacket for around £250 and receive it in less than three weeks.

£215, shipping included (though it could take a little longer than three weeks): https://www.magnoliclothiers.com/advent ... p-731.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've been eyeing your LC lately. Saw one posted that looked gorgeous! You might get an order from me shortly.

antiquity collector wrote:

xmasters wrote:I think the worlds smallest violin has started playing. It's bad luck but always read the T&Cs. Peter's been gone for over three years.

Where else can you buy a custom made Indiana Jones jacket for around £250 and receive it in less than three weeks.

By the way my legacy jacket is great.

So the fact that a kid got screwed out of a jacket as a Christmas gift because they refused to swap it for the next size up only because it would arrive back to them a couple days outside of their window is ok with you?

And you're wrong about the custom made comment as it was again, off the rack. Fact is, I don't care what you think. What they did was wrong. They never even bothered to reply to me. Says all I need to know about them nowadays as they threw away a sale of 2 more jackets (both Legacy to me) by acting this way.

You think their customer service is acceptable? Then you don't know any better. It doesn't matter how long Peter's been gone. It's not how he ever handled things. I've dealt with people for years at Disney who would say idiotic things just like that (Walt is dead. We'll do what we want.") knowing full well he would not approve. Guess it's a generational thing.

Just to give you another perspective on this, say they did accept a return for a refund after the cutoff date and you post on COW how great their customer service is and that they took it back for a refund even after the cut off date. Other people will start trying the same thing, they will say "if you made a exception for this person why not for me as well?" And just like that the policy doesn't have much meaning anymore.

IJJTM wrote:Magnoli, you do a WL Raiders and Crusade, right?

Yep, we offer both versions.

Do you have images of your wl LC on hand?

antiquity collector wrote:

xmasters wrote:I think the worlds smallest violin has started playing. It's bad luck but always read the T&Cs. Peter's been gone for over three years.

Where else can you buy a custom made Indiana Jones jacket for around £250 and receive it in less than three weeks.

By the way my legacy jacket is great.

So the fact that a kid got screwed out of a jacket as a Christmas gift because they refused to swap it for the next size up only because it would arrive back to them a couple days outside of their window is ok with you?

And you're wrong about the custom made comment as it was again, off the rack. Fact is, I don't care what you think. What they did was wrong. They never even bothered to reply to me. Says all I need to know about them nowadays as they threw away a sale of 2 more jackets (both Legacy to me) by acting this way.

You think their customer service is acceptable? Then you don't know any better. It doesn't matter how long Peter's been gone. It's not how he ever handled things. I've dealt with people for years at Disney who would say idiotic things just like that (Walt is dead. We'll do what we want.") knowing full well he would not approve. Guess it's a generational thing.

Absurd. Your somewhat abusive responses and telling other people here you don't care what they think suggests that you should examine your own conduct. I bought my first jacket from Peter 20 years ago and a new one last year. The products are as good as ever. Peter is dead and the company has evolved. It was bound to happen. Cleary not everyone agrees with your take - those that do can go elsewhere in future. Please don't assume that only your interpretation of proper customer service and Peter's character is the one that counts.

Ok, this is starting to get off the rails.

Let’s not push it to being personal. Let’s keep it between the rails or this one will need to be locked, and we haven’t had to do that for a LONG time.

Thanks!

Regards! Michaelson

CM wrote:

antiquity collector wrote:

xmasters wrote:I think the worlds smallest violin has started playing. It's bad luck but always read the T&Cs. Peter's been gone for over three years.

Where else can you buy a custom made Indiana Jones jacket for around £250 and receive it in less than three weeks.

By the way my legacy jacket is great.

So the fact that a kid got screwed out of a jacket as a Christmas gift because they refused to swap it for the next size up only because it would arrive back to them a couple days outside of their window is ok with you?

And you're wrong about the custom made comment as it was again, off the rack. Fact is, I don't care what you think. What they did was wrong. They never even bothered to reply to me. Says all I need to know about them nowadays as they threw away a sale of 2 more jackets (both Legacy to me) by acting this way.

You think their customer service is acceptable? Then you don't know any better. It doesn't matter how long Peter's been gone. It's not how he ever handled things. I've dealt with people for years at Disney who would say idiotic things just like that (Walt is dead. We'll do what we want.") knowing full well he would not approve. Guess it's a generational thing.

Absurd. Your somewhat abusive responses and telling other people here you don't care what they think suggests that you should examine your own conduct. I bought my first jacket from Peter 20 years ago and a new one last year. The products are as good as ever. Peter is dead and the company has evolved. It was bound to happen. Cleary not everyone agrees with your take - those that do can go elsewhere in future. Please don't assume that only your interpretation of proper customer service and Peter's character is the one that counts.

Im afraid i agree on this .. Its 100% not a Wested fail its an personal expectation fail. All companies large and small have rules regarding when goods can be returned and in what condition. And that is most commonly down to a window of time. As a company you cant just change the rules on the hoof to suit. Several things seem to have gone wrong with your order. Wested in my experience have always been fair regarding returns. Ive had a jacket made that wasn't what i expected and its was refunded against another but overall i think they are as fair as they can be and for the money (a point that keeps coming up). I actually bought my son a Wested Indy jacket last October .. he's six but he's not a slight child so i went to the bother of measuring him, emailing Wested to see if their size guide lined up with my one and ordered the jacket accordingly (off the rack) ... it fit perfectly.

You cant just gun Wested on a forum for holding to their policy .. it just comes across as trying to curry favour with other members. its a little unfair. I can understand the disappointment but id argue that Wested as a company are finally getting their ducks in a row and becoming more commercially aware than Peter ever was .. art the end of the day its a business and in these times businesses cant afford to just chug along .. costs go up products evolve. Im not saying you're not wrong to moan .. its just personally not the way to do it by gaslighting the membership with a thread title like that.

Sorry Michaelson .. i was typing mine as you posted yours ...

The Character wrote:Sorry Michaelson .. i was typing mine as you posted yours ...

Indy Magnoli wrote: £215, shipping included (though it could take a little longer than three weeks): https://www.magnoliclothiers.com/advent ... p-731.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Currently wearing my brand new White Label Adventure Jacket (Raiders). I'm thoroughly impressed with it! Review and pictures will be posted on another thread soon. For the record I received it in less than three weeks!

Looking forward to it.

I also think we can all agree that the state of things in the world warrants a degree of understanding, especially where small independent businesses are concerned. All the vendors of Indy gear have had massive issues with supplies and manufacturing and shipping the past year. It's entirely possible that under different circumstances Wested would have been more lenient but adhering strictly to the T&C makes it simpler for them in a year when they've had nothing but major problems largely out of their control. It ***** as the buyer, but they delivered the product you ordered. However, and I've brought this up several times with Wested personally and even offered my services gratis, Wested does need more comprehensive and accurate sizing guides. But it's been the experience of MANY of us here that Indy jacket buying is very much trial and error. It's practically a rite of passage around here.

And personally I've had only good experiences with Wested. But there was one time, after Peter passed, I ordered a jacket as a gift and they shipped the wrong jacket. Right size, wrong model. I was super disappointed and they told me to keep the jacket and gave me a full refund. But the error was entirely on their end and I've been a long time customer.

"Just to give you another perspective on this, say they did accept a return for a refund after the cutoff date and you post on COW how great their customer service is and that they took it back for a refund even after the cut off date. Other people will start trying the same thing, they will say "if you made a exception for this person why not for me as well?" And just like that the policy doesn't have much meaning anymore."

If I were to post that I would have said that "Their customer service was great since they were nice enough to make an exception and made an exchange due to this being a Christmas gift giving the way the holiday fell in their return window and have made another lifelong customer. Be on the lookout for my pics of their new Legacy offering I'm waiting to receive."

See how that works? That's how you maintain customer loyalty and grow your name. Yes, they do have every right to hardline their policy. They also have every right to make an exception.

Illinois_Jones wrote:I also think we can all agree that the state of things in the world warrants a degree of understanding, especially where small independent businesses are concerned.

That's a two way street. Businesses need to be understanding as well that when someone goes out of their way to support you with their money in these times, it's a good policy to keep them coming back.

Absurd. Your somewhat abusive responses and telling other people here you don't care what they think suggests that you should examine your own conduct.

Please note, 1 response due to it appearing he only came in here to try and insult me by making the snarky "smallest violin" comment which is why I said I didn't care what he thought, not all members.

I bought my first jacket from Peter 20 years ago and a new one last year. The products are as good as ever. Peter is dead and the company has evolved. It was bound to happen. Cleary not everyone agrees with your take - those that do can go elsewhere in future. Please don't assume that only your interpretation of proper customer service and Peter's character is the one that counts.

That's great! I still wear the 1st one I got from Peter to this day. It's aged very well. I also never said anything detrimental regarding the quality of their product.

antiquity collector wrote:

Absurd. Your somewhat abusive responses and telling other people here you don't care what they think suggests that you should examine your own conduct.

Please note, 1 response due to it appearing he only came in here to try and insult me by making the snarky "smallest violin" comment which is why I said I didn't care what he thought, not all members.

I bought my first jacket from Peter 20 years ago and a new one last year. The products are as good as ever. Peter is dead and the company has evolved. It was bound to happen. Cleary not everyone agrees with your take - those that do can go elsewhere in future. Please don't assume that only your interpretation of proper customer service and Peter's character is the one that counts.

That's great! I still wear the 1st one I got from Peter to this day. It's aged very well. I also never said anything detrimental regarding the quality of their product.

I think we've found some common ground. I accept your qualification and I hope we can move on in a positive way. I'll never forget speaking with Peter 20 years ago and just savouring the fact that this man had built the jacket I first saw in 1982. Before the internet, I got every photo I could of the jacket hoping to find one like it somewhere. I had no idea it was made for the movie by an Englishman of all things. I hope Wested can survive - there are so few relics of the old days left and I am beginning to feel old....

I can say that my own experience with wested is less than stellar, emailed them several times about indy boots trying to figure out correct size, didnt get any answer first couple of mails and after emailing them again got nothing other than their size was listed online

Bought my boots elsewhere with great customer service instead

Hello,

I just registered and this is my first post and also the first thread I read on the forums. I am glad I read this. I was in the market for a Indy Jacket (Hence coming to this group) and I am certainly glad you related this story. I will not be considering Wested in my choices. Thank you for sharing this.

The email response thing has been an issue at Wested for years. And there does seem to be a bias in favor of past customers whose email is already in their list -- which is strange and counterproductive considering most emails are likely from prospective customers with sizing inquiries, an issue compounded by the poor sizing guides.

In some ways that's what the forums have become: a pseudo customer service for the vendors.

They get hundreds of emails a day often from people who haven't even decided to buy asking random sizing questions that could easily be figured out if they bought a tape measure and measured themselves. Almost everything you need to know is on the website.

I've emailed Wested a couple of times myself with questions that couldn't be answered by looking on the website and I've always had replies within 24 hours.

Agreed ... ive never had Sandy issues on communication .. always friendly and always replied ...

I have never had communications issues with them and I did ask them quite a few questions when I ordered my last jacket 2 years ago, they were helpful, responsive and quite patient! My last order was ‘05 before that and as far as I remember it was as smooth and pleasant, enough to make me go back 14 years later.

I don’t really understand where the confusion comes from with their sizing.

Best

Gerry

I wonder if that success rate is due to the fact the last three of you posting are located in the UK?

Regards! Michaelson

Possibly, but my communications have either been by email or phone so not sure how much impact where I’m based would have on that.

Although I can see how location would effect postage and their returns policy, as we’ve seen here. II’m only an hours drive from their shop, and an hour from HJ, bit crazy I haven’t visited either!

Best

Gerry

The Aviator wrote:Possibly, but my communications have either been by email or phone so not sure how much impact where I’m based would have on that.

Although I can see how location would effect postage and their returns policy, as we’ve seen here. II’m only an hours drive from their shop, and an hour from HJ, bit crazy I haven’t visited either!

Best

Gerry

I think the idea here is that if you are a 'local' you are probably more likely to be a paying customer as there are fewer barriers to a purchase.

On the first purchase I wasn’t living in England, and I’m not British so my accent wouldn’t suggest I’m local. I’m pretty sure my emails didn’t give away my location. I’d have to check but it would be weird for me to tell them where I’m from when enquiring about jacket specs, and I emailed from a gmail address with questions so I can’t say they got my location from that.

All I can say is that my experiences with them have been positive.

Best

Gerry

The Aviator wrote:On the first purchase I wasn’t living in England, and I’m not British so my accent wouldn’t suggest I’m local. I’m pretty sure my emails didn’t give away my location. I’d have to check but it would be weird for me to tell them where I’m from when enquiring about jacket specs, and I emailed from a gmail address with questions so I can’t say they got my location from that.

All I can say is that my experiences with them have been positive.

Best

Gerry

That's fair. When I send emails people know where I am from because my emails all end in my country letters. My experiences have been positive too.

I'm here in the States and I've had nothing but good experiences with them. All my emails are answered promptly and they have always been incredibly nice and helpful.

Unfortunate you had the bad experience. I’ve had really great communication and service from Mick and Sally so far. Will see bow it goes this year. Located in the US.