A Warning For Montblanc Nib Replacement Service

[Chrissy]

It looks like someone made a mistake and for some reason sent out the pen with the wrong replacement nib. Mistakes happen, people are only human. We may never know why it happened, but Montblanc will put it right once they have the pen back and have been made aware of the error.

 

If you have to go to any additional expense by returning it to them again, they will refund that cost.

 

I wouldn't go so far as to call it a 'Warning' for Montblanc nib replacement service. They do thousands that are correct after all.

 

I've had F nibs fitted to many Montblanc pens and the only mistake that ever occurred on one of my pens was when they damaged the fins of a feed and didn't notice that they had done that. It was immediately noticeable to me, and I complained that no-one could have checked it before returning it. However, it was sorted out very quickly and efficiently at no additional cost to me. I never mentioned it on here as a 'Warning for Montblanc nib replacement service' though. It's more likely that it's a quality control problem. No-one checked the pen against the original request after the nib had been changed by the technician.

 

I would actually quite like a nib like that. A Fine or Medium stub isn't part of the Montblanc nib range, so it looks like a rarity.

[Pendantic]

I have only had very good service from MB regarding nib exchanges, the most recent one was last month. I received an MB Rouge et Noir with an M nib as a gift in early October. I decided to exchange the nib for an OM. The pen was purchased from the Pen Shop in Edinburgh, and they returned it to Hamburg for an exchange. The pen was returned to me in less than two weeks with a lovely OM nib.

 

That was the fourth nib exchange I have requested from MB, and they have all been excellent.

 

They have also refurbished a damaged 146 Vermeil for me, and that was returned like a new pen.

 

I am sorry that you have had a bad experience this time, but I am sure MB will sort it out for you.

[BrandonA]

I think you are a little quick to critise a service and warn others about potentially using it.

 

100s of people get nib work done without issue. Like everything mistakes do occasionally happen - I'm sure you've made some yourself.

 

The way you should judge the company is how they resolve the error. It looks like you have opted to slag them off though before even bothering to contact them.

[ian1964]

  On 11/1/2016 at 11:35 AM, BrandonA said:

I think you are a little quick to critise a service and warn others about potentially using it.

 

100s of people get nib work done without issue. Like everything mistakes do occasionally happen - I'm sure you've made some yourself.

 

The way you should judge the company is how they resolve the error. It looks like you have opted to slag them off though before even bothering to contact them.

 

Lol. Didn't take long.

[Pravda]

  On 11/1/2016 at 11:35 AM, BrandonA said:

I think you are a little quick to critise a service and warn others about potentially using it.

 

100s of people get nib work done without issue. Like everything mistakes do occasionally happen - I'm sure you've made some yourself.

 

The way you should judge the company is how they resolve the error. It looks like you have opted to slag them off though before even bothering to contact them.

 

 

+1

 

I had about 5 nib changes this year alone. Each one took about 2-3 weeks and were perfect upon arrival. I understand your frustration, mistakes do happen it's inevitable; judge them by how willing they are to rectify the error.

[Chrissy]

  On 11/1/2016 at 11:35 AM, BrandonA said:

I think you are a little quick to critise a service and warn others about potentially using it.

 

100s of people get nib work done without issue. Like everything mistakes do occasionally happen - I'm sure you've made some yourself.

 

The way you should judge the company is how they resolve the error. It looks like you have opted to slag them off though before even bothering to contact them.

 

I think I said something similar, but I have to agree with the sentiments here.

[Pen Nut]

When I had an 'issue' with MB it was not so much the issue that got to me more the way two authorised dealers jumped straight in with both feet in total defence of the maker.

 

MB were adamant that their artisans (their words not mine) had not made a mistake and when they finally admitted a glaring alignment error had been made no kind of even semi apology was given. Odd experience from start to finish and only resolved when a very well established MB guru got involved.

 

I find two other manufactures that operate, or operated, like this one being Rolex and the other being Rolls-Royce, pre BMW ownership, they can/could be very frustrating to deal with.

[Tasmith]

10 weeks is a long time for a Montblanc nib exchange. I had my 146 medium nib exchanged for a fine and it took only four weeks.

[jar]

  On 11/1/2016 at 1:41 PM, Pen Nut said:

When I had an 'issue' with MB it was not so much the issue that got to me more the way two authorised dealers jumped straight in with both feet in total defence of the maker.

 

MB were adamant that their artisans (their words not mine) had not made a mistake and when they finally admitted a glaring alignment error had been made no kind of even semi apology was given. Odd experience from start to finish and only resolved when a very well established MB guru got involved.

 

I find two other manufactures that operate, or operated, like this one being Rolex and the other being Rolls-Royce, pre BMW ownership, they can/could be very frustrating to deal with.

Montblanc (the company) has little control before the fact over the behavior of even authorized dealers.

[torstar]

  On 11/1/2016 at 2:52 AM, bleair said:

jhsd1124013561

Be careful, on FPN the rules are clear, you aren't allowed to post topics here that are critical of brands or sellers.

Likely the admins will just delete your post, though they might leave it to critique the claim of whether your description of the nib type is correct.

 

 

Oh please, Montblanc and Moleskine are RIPPED APART ALL THE TIME on FPN...

[Kalessin]

  On 11/1/2016 at 2:52 AM, bleair said:

jhsd1124013561

Be careful, on FPN the rules are clear, you aren't allowed to post topics here that are critical of brands or sellers.

Likely the admins will just delete your post, though they might leave it to critique the claim of whether your description of the nib type is correct.

 

 

While bringing buyer-seller disputes onto FPN isn't allowed (under "naming and shaming" in the FPN Rules & Guidelines), criticism of brands is allowed, and is even specifically mentioned as being allowed in the Montblanc Forum rules.

[Pen Nut]

  On 11/1/2016 at 2:08 PM, jar said:

Montblanc (the company) has little control before the fact over the behavior of even authorized dealers.

 

I was dealing with MB direct as the pen was in their custody & control when the 'artisans' overlooked something. I think the power went off and they were working in the dark............

[lapis]

I once sent a 146 (together with my papers and receipt for it) back to MB via a boutique here to Hamburg, the MB headquarters for a nib repair (or whatever, because it skipped) and it came back unrepaired, although it (the whole pen including of course the nib) came back in a repair case together with papers saying "what they had done" and what parts were implemented free of cost. They wrote that the nib was "reset". But it wasn't fixed so I sent it back again this time personally, not via the boutique and it came back again unfixed. No, we should not unruly criticize brands here on the forum, I am just telling a true story which I myself experienced about the service of one brand. If that brand is well-known or not is their property and/or responsibility, not mine, and I was not trying to get disappointed on purpose.

[ian1964]

  On 11/1/2016 at 3:58 PM, Pen Nut said:

 

I was dealing with MB direct as the pen was in their custody & control when the 'artisans' overlooked something. I think the power went off and they were working in the dark............

 

seriously....only unadulterated praise for Mb will be tolerated on this site...it's too funny.

[jhsd1124013561]

While some member mention that I jumped to the conclusion too quickly, there are some points that I have to make clear:

 

1. When I first sent the original request to do the nib exchange, I also asked them to put EF nib label on the pen, if they don't have it, just keep the nib label which was originally on the pen. When I got the pen back, there was no label on the barrel.

 

2.The nib is not perfectly aligned with the feed, actually is mis-aligned. Some may argue this is not an issue as long as the flow is good, well, please check the picture below to see how mis-aligned it was.

 

And also, if the nib is not straight aligned with the feed, this means the nib is not straight aligned with pen's body. If you hold the pen, you can tell the nib is not straight and is sliding to the side.

 

 

3. And of course, the whole process took 10 weeks, I think these is plenty to time to do it right. Given lots of members mention that they got their nib done in 2-3 weeks. This may depends on different places. I would like some US member who had experiences put some insight in.

 

Well, to be fair, the nib part probably is from Germany, they have to order one, probably the repair service in Texas did not check the nib.

 

And yes, mistake sometime happens, but when these 3 mistakes (1. wrong nib 2. misaligned nib 3.no label) happens together, I don't want to send my nib next time.

Edited November 2, 2016 by jhsd1124013561

[Pravda]

  On 11/2/2016 at 1:01 AM, jhsd1124013561 said:

While some member mention that I jumped to the conclusion too quickly, there are some points that I have to make clear:

 

1. When I first sent the original request to do the nib exchange, I also asked them to put EF nib label on the pen, if they don't have it, just keep the nib label which was originally on the pen. When I got the pen back, there was no label on the barrel.

 

2.The nib is not perfectly aligned with the feed, actually is mis-aligned. Some may argue this is not an issue as long as the flow is good, well, please check the picture below to see how mis-aligned it was.

 

And also, if the nib is not straight aligned with the feed, this means the nib is not straight aligned with pen's body. If you hold the pen, you can tell the nib is not straight and is sliding to the side.

 

 

3. And of course, the whole process took 10 weeks, I think these is plenty to time to do it right. Given lots of members mention that they got their nib done in 2-3 weeks. This may depends on different places. I would like some US member who had experiences put some insight in.

 

Well, to be fair, the nib part probably is from Germany, they have to order one, probably the repair service in Texas did not check the nib.

 

And yes, mistake sometime happens, but when these 3 mistakes (1. wrong nib 2. misaligned nib 3.no label) happens together, I don't want to send my nib next time.

The process lengths depends largely on your geo-location and the size or type of your boutique. If I had ordered a nib, say from my home country's boutique I would expect it to take no less than several months. From a flagship boutique in one of the worlds biggest cities, a few weeks. From an authorized seller? Maybe a very long time.

 

The nib misalignment you are referring to is actually a non-issue because the feed (black plastic) is quite flexible and using your nail you can carefully push it back to the center in less than 2 seconds. Doesn't even need a store visit to correct.

 

I understand that one expects 'perfect' when dealing with a Montblanc pen. I am sorry this wasn't your experience. But give them a chance with the nib size and I am sure they'll be happy to help you.

[awl1688]

  On 11/1/2016 at 8:45 AM, EclecticCollector said:

I'm currently on week 17 for my Ultra Black nib exchange. Also through the boutique that I purchased from, also no updates. Very disappointing.

Interesting. Mine was also an Ultra Black. Mine is a very long story which I have documented and sent to service@montblanc.com. So far, no response from Montblanc.

 

As to the original poster, I can understand what you're going through and empathize. When a company can make 3 mistakes on the same service order, it's difficult not to get frustrated and want to share the experience.

 

I hope Montblanc comes through for you by addressing all your issues.

Edited November 2, 2016 by awl1688

[meiers]

  On 11/2/2016 at 5:49 AM, awl1688 said:

I hope Montblanc comes through for you by addressing all your issues.

They have always come through for me.

The feed does not have to be centred. Usually they are not.

Edited November 2, 2016 by meiers

[Kalessin]

  On 11/1/2016 at 11:22 PM, ian1964 said:

 

seriously....only unadulterated praise for Mb will be tolerated on this site...it's too funny.

 

Being critical of the Montblanc brand has been allowed since the start of FPN's Montblanc forum in 2006, and continued when I took over running it in 2008.

 

Personal attacks are not allowed, nor is rudeness and crudeness or incendiary posting. However, there is no policy, official or unofficial, that only unadulterated praise of Montblanc will be tolerated.

 

This isn't to say that other FPN users won't get upset about someone being critical of the brand, but threads, posts, and users haven't been getting removed for it.

[ian1964]

  On 11/2/2016 at 8:41 PM, Kalessin said:

 

Being critical of the Montblanc brand has been allowed since the start of FPN's Montblanc forum in 2006, and continued when I took over running it in 2008.

 

Personal attacks are not allowed, nor is rudeness and crudeness or incendiary posting. However, there is no policy, official or unofficial, that only unadulterated praise of Montblanc will be tolerated.

 

This isn't to say that other FPN users won't get upset about someone being critical of the brand, but threads, posts, and users haven't been getting removed for it.

Fair enough.I was not being critical of the moderation team.....I was just being facetious