149 O3B Coming My Way

[meiers]

Not acceptable.

[mulrich]

Here is a somewhat decent picture. Starting at the apex of the silver portion of the nib and looking to about 11 o'clock on the edge you can see the gouge. The photo minimizes it, however it was the only angle I could successfully capture it in focus. If you run the edge of your nail along the nib it will catch on the gouge. At about the 8 o'clock position relative to the apex of the silver portion you can see the three parallel marks.

 

I am really stunned that this would pass any sort of quality check. It was evident to me immediately upon opening and removing the cap. Zaddick, by above and beyond I am thinking an extremely rapid turn around, a partial refund, and perhaps a couple bottles of ink and/or some Montblanc swag.

 

 

Holy smokes; that's awful. Obviously this is a used nib, I'm betting from someone who exchanged an O3B. I'm sure MB will eventually get this sorted out. I'm more curious about what they do to make up for their mistake.

 

Does the nib at least write well?

[pwsuba]

I just sent my ultra black 146 out to get changed to an OM, reading this I'm starting to stress about the decision. I will be following the resolution of your issues, but that is definitely unacceptable condition.

[Dcharles]

 

 

Holy smokes; that's awful. Obviously this is a used nib, I'm betting from someone who exchanged an O3B. I'm sure MB will eventually get this sorted out. I'm more curious about what they do to make up for their mistake.

 

Does the nib at least write well?

I don't know how it writes, I haven't inked it because I don't want to give them any ability to claim that I did this. When I hear from them today I'll ask if I can use it until my new nib comes in.

[dubhe]

I sent a 149 platinum in for exchange to OB in June and received it back in one month. This was UK to Hamburg but it shows there is no delay in the actual fitting of nibs on this side of the pond.

[Dcharles]

I just spoke with a concierge, I had to call them, they hadn't bothered to get back to me. They will not order the new nib until I return the pen to them. They have offered me a whopping 25% refund on what I was charged for the exchange, a massive $95. I got excuses instead of ownership. I'll send this back for the exchange, but I will never send anything else to them for repair, nor will I ever purchase anything new from them that would profit the company.

 

My wife is a business owner, and while it is a completely different line of work, if a customer had a valid, serious complaint there would have definitely been ownership of the issue, likely followed by a full refund and some swag sent their way to keep them happy. Instead I was told that my $95 credit was, "quite generous" and upon voicing concern that the, "technicians", and I use that word loosely, in Fort Worth have no idea what they are doing I was told that that was my opinion.

 

I suppose us lowly customers who only drop $1,000 on a pen aren't worth their time.

Edited August 2, 2017 by Dcharles

[horationelson]

I sent a 149 platinum in for exchange to OB in June and received it back in one month. This was UK to Hamburg but it shows there is no delay in the actual fitting of nibs on this side of the pond.

I sent a 146 for a nib exchange from M to OM in around February/March this year. It was sent from the Canary Wharf boutique, supposedly to Hamburg, and came back in less than 10 days. From memory, I took it in on a Monday and received the phonecall the following Tuesday or Wednesday. I was very surprised (but cannot fault the service).

[Dcharles]

zaddick, right about now I'm wishing I would have picked up that lapis blue W/E superflex I chatted with you about!

[zaddick]

It is a frustrating situation indeed. Now I am half expecting to see that O3B nib on my pen when it comes back to me.

[Tom Kellie]

~ The travails of obtaining an OBBB...

Such a pleasant nib to use, yet apparently a nightmare to obtain.

Montblanc USA Customer Care, are you listening?

Tom K.

[BlkWhiteFilmPix]

My pens arrived today. I wish I could say I am pleased, but instead I am angry. In the past five months I have sent three pens in to Montblanc for nib exchanges. Two of the three have been returned with obvious damage. Montblanc USA has ZERO quality control. I posted in another thread how the ring above the section fell off of my Tolstoy upon return. This time upon unboxing my 149 I immediately noticed that the nib was damaged in two separate areas. First, there are three small marks on the left of the nib that are parallel to each other. I'm not quite sure what would have caused this. I have attached a picture below, sorry for the poor quality. Additionally on the same side of the nib on the outer edge there is a gouge deep enough that it feels rough to touch. I'll try to get a decent picture of it tomorrow.

 

I called MB immediately and the response was that they will send me a label and I can mail it back in. I'm sorry but that's not good enough at this point. I told the concierge that given the fact this pen sat for months in "parts delay" I want them to order the nib first and once it is in I will send it for the swap. She said she will see if that is possible and someone will get back to me tomorrow.

 

I attempted to email Nicolas Baretzki however it was undeliverable. If the company does not go above and beyond to make this right then I am done with the brand, at least with modern MBs.

 

EDIT: I forgot I am unable to post images from my phone. I'll get them up tomorrow when I'm at a computer.

 

 

I am sorry to learn of your awful experience with MB North America. What they did is unsat.

 

May I respectfully suggest you send Mr. Baretzki a handwritten letter? When I send then MB NA CEO Jan-Patrick Schmitz a handwritten letter, he saw to it that the issue was resolved in a couple of days.

 

Sending good thoughts your way for a prompt resolution of the unsatisfactory work.

[thygreyt]

This makes me happy i sent my pen to Hamburg...

 

You sir, have gone through quite an ordeal... a nightmare with opened eyes.

[Dcharles]

 

 

I am sorry to learn of your awful experience with MB North America. What they did is unsat.

 

May I respectfully suggest you send Mr. Baretzki a handwritten letter? When I send then MB NA CEO Jan-Patrick Schmitz a handwritten letter, he saw to it that the issue was resolved in a couple of days.

 

Sending good thoughts your way for a prompt resolution of the unsatisfactory work.

Would you be willing to PM me the address that you sent it to? I would be happy to write a letter.

[meiers]

That's a brilliant idea.

[meiers]

 

 

~ The travails of obtaining an OBBB...

Such a pleasant nib to use, yet apparently a nightmare to obtain.

Montblanc USA Customer Care, are you listening?

Tom K.

I hope they are.

[Kalessin]

So far as I know, Montblanc (and Montblanc North America) doesn't monitor this forum in any official way, so to get them to listen, I suspect that one has to write, call or email.

 

This is frustrating, and I agree that what looks like tool marks on the nib are unacceptable.

 

Dcharles, if writing, I recommend using polite and businesslike language, and good business manners (avoid expressing anger, etc). State the issues you're having, and suggest how to resolve the problem and make you happy again as a customer. I wish you the best of luck.

[BlkWhiteFilmPix]

So far as I know, Montblanc (and Montblanc North America) doesn't monitor this forum in any official way, so to get them to listen, I suspect that one has to write, call or email.

 

This is frustrating, and I agree that what looks like tool marks on the nib are unacceptable.

 

Dcharles, if writing, I recommend using polite and businesslike language, and good business manners (avoid expressing anger, etc). State the issues you're having, and suggest how to resolve the problem and make you happy again as a customer. I wish you the best of luck.

 

 

 

Excellent suggestions:

 

Start with

 

May I invite your attention to the following? Keep it to a page.

 

Best wishes

 

- from someone who wrote responses to Congressional inquiries for my Commanding Officer.

[jmccarty3]

Based on these and other experiences, I would not deal with MB USA at all, except perhaps to buy something in stock at their boutique that I could inspect.

 

OTOH, I have had very good luck with three special order pens (a Heritage 1914 OBB, an ebonite R&N OB, and a platinum 149 OBBB) obtained for me by Dennis at La Couronne du Comte. The level of customer service at LCDC is excellent, and I have not had to wait months and months for my pens. All are absolutely perfect, and the price I paid for each was far less than I would have paid at a US boutique. It's almost embarrassing to go into the boutique--I think they are used to selling limited editions to collectors who do not plan to write with their pens.

[Tom Kellie]

It's almost embarrassing to go into the boutique--I think they are used to selling limited editions to collectors who do not plan to write with their pens.

 

 

~ jmccarty3:

 

Fascinating, if so.

Thank you for this insight.

Tom K.

[BlkWhiteFilmPix]

Based on these and other experiences, I would not deal with MB USA at all, except perhaps to buy something in stock at their boutique that I could inspect.

 

OTOH, I have had very good luck with three special order pens (a Heritage 1914 OBB, an ebonite R&N OB, and a platinum 149 OBBB) obtained for me by Dennis at La Couronne du Comte. The level of customer service at LCDC is excellent, and I have not had to wait months and months for my pens. All are absolutely perfect, and the price I paid for each was far less than I would have paid at a US boutique. It's almost embarrassing to go into the boutique--I think they are used to selling limited editions to collectors who do not plan to write with their pens.

 

 

 

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