RESOLVED: I was trying to avoid posting this - General jointer damaged by ???

[Jim McCarty]

I just sent the email below to General International generalint@aol.com and Redmond Machinery mail@redmondmachinery.com .

Dear Sirs,

Reference: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=59207

I am part of Sawmill Creek, an internet community of woodworkers who have followed the attempts of one of our members to purchase a General 8" jointer through Redmond Machinery. Having read the thread referenced above, you can see why your reputations have plummeted in the opinions of many people. The thread has been "hit" almost 20,000 times.

Please do what you can to compensate our fellow woodworker and save your reputations. Action needs to take place NOW. I am not involved personally in this situation, but I would recommend that a principle of General and/or Redmond personally deliver and setup the equipment which was originally ordered. At this point additional compensation, in whatever form meets the needs of the customer, seems to me to be entirely appropriate.

I would suggest that you also directly address the issue by posting on Sawmill Creek. It is not too late to change this from a damaging mistake into a learning experience.

Thank you.

Well done, John.

[Bruce Page]

Gary, I think it's time to punt.
I would contact whoever you purchased the head from and explain the situation, even point him to this post. He may just be happy to refund your money. He would certainly make a lot of points with the membership here. You will probably be able to use the mobile base with a different jointer.

[Steve Clardy]

I have a hard time trying to understand why a company cannot built a crate to hold anything anymore.

[Bruce Page]

I have a hard time trying to understand why a company cannot built a crate to hold anything anymore.

Every jointer that I have ever seen shipped was shipped with the bed seperate from the base. These two from Redmond are the ONLY two that I have seen shipped like that.

[Gary Herrmann]

Every jointer that I have ever seen shipped was shipped with the bed seperate from the base. These two from Redmond are the ONLY two that I have seen shipped like that.

The second one didn't come from Redmond.

[Tim Morton]

If it helps....a few months ago I ordered a samsung 56" DLP TV from amazon. It arrived and within 5 days it stopped working. Samsung was TERRIBLE about the whole thing, but amazon was great and sent me out a replacement set. This one was defective as well out of the box....but like you i REALLY wanted this TV....and i decided rather than go for a third set I would make samsung send out a repair tech to fix the problem by replacing the entire light engine. This also was a nightmare in that it took 3 visits and by the time I was done I had 5 days off from work to wait for delivery and or repair.

BUT...i now emjoy the heck out of my TV and the nightmare is a distant memory.

FWIW.

[Bruce Page]

The second one didn't come from Redmond.

Yeah, I knew that...
But still...

[Peter Pedisich]

I have a hard time trying to understand why a company cannot built a crate to hold anything anymore.

Steve,

That is an excellent question.

Where I work we have struggled to get one of our suppliers to ship a casework component to us crated in such a way so that the product we paid for arrives at our factory in the condition it left their factory.

Why the resistance???

Why can't the companies involved, or at least one of them, do what's required???

I could build a crate in an afternoon that would do the job here, and if it was my company I would make sure it was done properly and PUT BEHIND ME.

Where is common sense here??

What is happening to the USA?

Gary, I admire your patience.

[Steve Clardy]

Steve,

That is an excellent question.

Where I work we have struggled to get one of our suppliers to ship a casework component to us crated in such a way so that the product we paid for arrives at our factory in the condition it left their factory.

Why the resistance???

Why can't the companies involved, or at least one of them, do what's required???

I could build a crate in an afternoon that would do the job here, and if it was my company I would make sure it was done properly and PUT BEHIND ME.

Where is common sense here??

What is happening to the USA?

Gary, I admire your patience.

Yes. Exactly. I cannot understand it.

I order in a lot of lazy susans.
You ought to see the shape the boxes are when they get here.
3/4's of them are tore open, and the hardware has fell out somewhere down the line. I have to call and get the hardware replaced.

I realize this isn't machinery, but I get so disgusted with co's that cannot pack anything. Laminate. Try ordering that. My success rate at receiving undamaged lamanite is about 50%

[Kim Spence]

Gary - Sorry to see this happening to you.

I'd be willing to bet that your Shelix cutter head will fit a number of different 8" Jointers. According to Grizzly's cross reference table for the Byrd Shelix heads, the same 8" head will fit the General, General International, Grizzly, Powermatic, Jet, Sunhill, and Bridgewood jointers.

If it was me I'd tell General to come pick up their junk and order from a company that will treat you right. You could order a Grizzly tomorrow and probably have it by middle of next week, shipped in 2 separate crates. I have one and I think its top notch.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Kim

[Don Bullock]

Gary,I'm very sorry about your dissapointment. I can't believe what I'm reading. After this is all over we should nominate you for sainthood. You have been far more patient and kind to deserve such poor service.I sure it finally works out for you in the end because you certainly deserve better.

[Aaron Mills]

I decided to screw it back in. It wouldn't. Something got sheared off, or whatever it screws into was damaged or not present. Definitely not taking delivery of this one, I thought.

The locking screw won't engage because you're probably missing part no. 481-13 (General calls it a nut, but it's not a basic nut, its threaded for the locking screw and interfaces with the gibs). The part is $9 CDN (although I suspect General will rectify the situation).

Hope that helps.

[Gary Herrmann]

The locking screw won't engage because you're probably missing part no. 481-13 (General calls it a nut, but it's not a basic nut, its threaded for the locking screw and interfaces with the gibs). The part is $9 CDN (although I suspect General will rectify the situation).

Hope that helps.

Thanks Aaron. I still would have been concerned about accepting that joitner given that the crate it was packaged in was in pieces and lying in a pile inside the truck.

[Chuck Wintle]

Gary,
So where does it stand now? Did you keep the second jointer and ship the first one back? Or have both been shipped back?

[Brad Townsend]

Perhaps slightly off-topic, but this gets me to wondering; What are the records for most views and most replies for a single thread on SMC? If such records are kept and there is a moderator reading, where does this thread stack up?