Montblanc Service Center - I'm shocked!

Tuesday at 02:27 PM

2months ago I purchased from the Montblanc online store a fountain pen: Meisterstück x Olympic Heritage Paris 1924
with nib F. I received a fontain pen with an M sticker on it and on the box it was marked as F. After 2 weeks of explanations with emails, they "generously" said to return it and refunded me the amount. 10 days later I bought it again with the nib again F...and I received again - on the box - F nib , the sticker on the pen - M nib . Again emails.. they said they can't do anything. They told me to check the serial number and if it's MBF...then the nib is F ( sticker is wrong). I know that the number doesn't tell you the nib size....I went to a Montblanc boutique and they confirmed that the nib is M. Meanwhile, it's no longer available on the online store.. .So far the correspondence is about 30 emails..and there is no solution except to return it again for a refund. Very unpleasant experience!!! Paragraf 22!!! Any ideas would be appreciated!

Tuesday at 05:19 PM

I am not sure about Montblanc Ynap online store, but at least at New York City boutique, the 146/149 pens and boxes are stored separately. Pens come in a tray-like package when they sold me one 146--they let me pick one from the tray. There's a white flag on the clip, they removed the flag and used the code on the flag to locate the box.

Not sure about yours. But it looks like people at Ynap never heard of nib size... check the serial on the clip to see if the number matches the number on the box.

Tuesday at 05:53 PM

3 hours ago, Liksoff said:

2months ago I purchased from the Montblanc online store a fountain pen: Meisterstück x Olympic Heritage Paris 1924
with nib F. I received a fontain pen with an M sticker on it and on the box it was marked as F. After 2 weeks of explanations with emails, they "generously" said to return it and refunded me the amount. 10 days later I bought it again with the nib again F...and I received again - on the box - F nib , the sticker on the pen - M nib . Again emails.. they said they can't do anything. They told me to check the serial number and if it's MBF...then the nib is F ( sticker is wrong). I know that the number doesn't tell you the nib size....I went to a Montblanc boutique and they confirmed that the nib is M. Meanwhile, it's no longer available on the online store.. .So far the correspondence is about 30 emails..and there is no solution except to return it again for a refund. Very unpleasant experience!!! Paragraf 22!!! Any ideas would be appreciated!

Perhaps the nib can be changed by Montblanc to F?

More generally, it is not an unreasonable inference that Montblanc's focus, judging by its actions and customers' experiences, appears to be very much on marketing its products not, unfortunately, on customer service. C'est la vie

Tuesday at 06:27 PM

Thanks! We have already checked , they are the same.

Tuesday at 11:33 PM

Sorry to hear this. Poor show.

I've never dealt with Montblanc online, but I've always found the staff of the boutiques knowledgeable and courteous. You mention that you visited a boutique? I'd go back, explain the situation and ask their advice.

They may have a solution?

Fingers crossed.

Wednesday at 12:00 AM

9 hours ago, Liksoff said:

2months ago I purchased from the Montblanc online store a fountain pen: Meisterstück x Olympic Heritage Paris 1924
with nib F. I received a fontain pen with an M sticker on it and on the box it was marked as F. After 2 weeks of explanations with emails, they "generously" said to return it and refunded me the amount. 10 days later I bought it again with the nib again F...and I received again - on the box - F nib , the sticker on the pen - M nib . Again emails.. they said they can't do anything. They told me to check the serial number and if it's MBF...then the nib is F ( sticker is wrong). I know that the number doesn't tell you the nib size....I went to a Montblanc boutique and they confirmed that the nib is M. Meanwhile, it's no longer available on the online store.. .So far the correspondence is about 30 emails..and there is no solution except to return it again for a refund. Very unpleasant experience!!! Paragraf 22!!! Any ideas would be appreciated!

@Liksoff I just finished speaking over the phone with the sales associate I usually work with at the local Montblanc boutique, to whom I had described in general terms your predicament, and they advised that a consultation with your local Montblanc boutique is warranted, as it may be possible that your local boutique can arrange for a complimentary nib exchange to a F nib, provided that the usual conditions are met:

1. purchased less six weeks ago;

2. printed card (as shown in your photo);

3. nib is in “mint” condition (undamaged; no scratches nor otherwise marked).

Because the retail entity of Montblanc.com is different from the Montblanc boutiques, at least in the U.S., I was a little surprised that the sales associate informed me that you can request a complimentary nib exchange (at no cost to you) at your local Montblanc boutique. But just to be sure, it is advised that you contact your local boutique, apprise them of your situation, and ask them directly if they will be able to arrange a complimentary nib exchange for your pen.

Wednesday at 05:37 AM

The lesson for everyone here is, if you are unlucky and receive a pen with noticeable defects from Montblanc, immediately request return and refund. Never ever try to explain the situation to Montblanc sales for the two reasons:

1) They are just nice looking ladies, not pen enthusiast, and have zero knowledge of fountain pen

2) They are trained not to trust their customers, even you dressed like a millionaire (refer to movie "Catch me if you can!")

Return and refund can save you life (not just money)!

Wednesday at 07:13 AM

1 hour ago, dbs said:

if you are unlucky and receive a pen with noticeable defects from Montblanc, immediately request return and refund.

@dbs To the best of my knowledge, although Montblanc.com and authorised retailers may comply, this strategy does not work with Montblanc boutiques, which I was informed only issue store credit towards another purchase.

Wednesday at 07:20 AM

Thank you very much ! Highly appreciate , it' s good to know you are not alone.

Wednesday at 10:37 AM

4 hours ago, dbs said:

The lesson for everyone here is, if you are unlucky and receive a pen with noticeable defects from Montblanc, immediately request return and refund. Never ever try to explain the situation to Montblanc sales for the two reasons:

1) They are just nice looking ladies, not pen enthusiast, and have zero knowledge of fountain pen

2) They are trained not to trust their customers, even you dressed like a millionaire (refer to movie "Catch me if you can!")

Return and refund can save you life (not just money)!

I avoid boutiques, for a good part because I simply find a guard outside to open the door, and a lady inside by the door to ask what is it that I am looking for (in heaven's name what do you look for in a pen store?) quite offensive. I do use a couple of very friendly and well established authorised dealers, and these people recognise you and do get things done well beyond what the boutiques are capable of.

I did step into a boutique though, the guard let me in with a smile and the smiling lady inside by the door got another fine young man to take care of me (it did cross my mind that that the cost of this theatre was included in the price of the pens we buy). Well, I was looking for three items in particular: a Purdey fountain pen, whether there was a Platinum 149 with a all white gold or that colour finished nib, and a 149 with a silver cap. The answer to the last two was in the negative. In case of the Purdey pen the MB person checked the computer screen and said they had one. Lo and behold, (there was an upstairs and downstairs to this boutique), he eventually turned up with a large box. When opened, the box revealed a Purdey pen and a Backgammon set, with the whole contraption something approaching twice the price of the pen! I asked whether the good fellow knew how to play Backgammon, and he smiled and answered in the negative. Of course, I let that one go- perhaps the most expensive Backgammon set (or perhaps Smythsons sells a more precious one).

But I did spend an hour with the fellow, answering his questions about what pens I had, and I played around with the usual nibs in the store display. He offered to sell some, but I declined as I knew I would do better with my dealer in case I did want one. It wasn't a productive visit but not an unpleasant experience.

Full disclosure: I am not a millionaire, and, not being in finance or drugs, do not harbour such ambitions either. I was of course in half decent conservative clothes but my watch (a possible sign of wealth) was one of those digital Samsungs that go with a Samsung phone.

Now back in 1994, my Montblanc LeGrand seemed to be leaking ink and I happened to be in Washington DC. I mailed it to a postal address in a time before fancy boutiques had sprung up; and I go a letter asking me whether I would like the pen replaced or repaired. I answered that they could replace the barrel, section, etc, but not the nib and the cap. After about 10 days, I received the "repaired" pen along with some MB notepaper in a tin with images from MB's past. There was no charge for all this. (I had a somewhat similar experience with Pelikan 800 at roughly the same time– a free repair of a malfunctioning piston; no questions asked)

How times change

Wednesday at 11:29 AM

5 hours ago, dbs said:

The lesson for everyone here is, if you are unlucky and receive a pen with noticeable defects from Montblanc, immediately request return and refund. Never ever try to explain the situation to Montblanc sales for the two reasons:

1) They are just nice looking ladies, not pen enthusiast, and have zero knowledge of fountain pen

2) They are trained not to trust their customers, even you dressed like a millionaire (refer to movie "Catch me if you can!")

Return and refund can save you life (not just money)!

Wholeheartedly agreed. Unfortunately that's the way business is done nowadays.

Regards,

maia