Galloway Precision - complete disappointment

[Spart]

It sucks that this is my first post on this forum. I am new to Ruger, but in the post-Bill-Ruger-era they're making a lot of fantastic products with good bang for your buck. I own a Ruger LC9, have two buddies that bought LC9's after playing with mine and another buddy that's just ordered a SR9c and LCP after getting his CCW permit based on my recommendations. Unfortunately, my first experience with aftermarket parts for the LC9 was mostly negative.

Let me preface this by saying that I love dealing with small business owners. Generally speaking, 95% of them are going to do everything they can to make you a happy customer, especially if they screw up. My gold standard for this is Rich Schaefer of Concealed Carry Concepts. I had a custom order with Rich. It's hard to get on his waiting list at all, and when you do, you know upfront there's going to be a wait. I got my holster and after a few weeks experienced an issue. Rich dropped whatever he was doing, made me a new holster with a revision designed to address my specific issue, and mailed it to me in short order. That holster has been 100% and my impression of Rich has led me to recommend him to many others despite getting a faulty product initially. When you screw up on a customer, you can make them a customer for life by taking care of them swiftly and effectively. One of my close personal friends is a small business owner and this is his experience as well - the customers that give him the best word of mouth advertising are the ones he's had to rectify things with - the ones he's gone out of his way to do right by after making that initial mistake.

Well, Galloway Precision had the opportunity to make me a customer for life and flat out failed at providing any sort of customer service experience.

I placed an order for everything they make for the Ruger LC9 that amounted to $113, and I will keep a running tally of my disappointments.

Here is my first correspondence:

At this point, I actually wasn't very upset. Still - businesses that list products as being in stock, and only tell you after they have your order and your money that it's going to be a while are a huge pet peeve of mine. I experience this all of the time in my professional life, and I keep a list of businesses that I won't work with anymore due to just this issue. This is 2012, we graduated to the point where websites can easily reflect stock levels at least a decade ago.

Disappointments:

1. Ordered LCI delete and expected it to be in stock, but told after ordering it was out of stock and there would be a wait.

Next up, they failed to meet their original estimate for backorder shipment (Thursday, March 8th) by a whole three weeks.

Disappointments:

1. Ordered LCI delete and expected it to be in stock, but told after ordering it was out of stock and there would be a wait.
2. Backorder shipment date missed by an entire three weeks.

I received no communication from them during this time, but I decided to be patient and when it finally arrived in April, I was excited to get it installed. And that's when I was disappointed again. The LCI delete didn't even fit! I still wasn't mad at this point, and I decided to be as helpful as possible and include a detailed photo showing what was wrong:

Disappointments:

1. Ordered LCI delete and expected it to be in stock, but told after ordering it was out of stock and there would be a wait.
2. Backorder shipment date missed by an entire three weeks.
3. LCI delete finally arrives, but is out-of-spec or the wrong part entirely.

I sent that email on a Monday evening, and received no response on Tuesday. Nor did I receive a response on Wednesday. Now I'm starting to get a little angry. Keep in mind that Eric clearly stated that they work Tuesday-Friday in his email about the LCI delete being out of stock. Well, it was Monday evening when I sent that email, so I should have been near the top of his inbox when he went to work on Tuesday, and then again on Wednesday. Apparently he didn't have time for me.

Disappointments:

1. Ordered LCI delete and expected it to be in stock, but told after ordering it was out of stock and there would be a wait.
2. Backorder shipment date missed by an entire three weeks.
3. LCI delete finally arrives, but is out-of-spec or the wrong part entirely.
4. My email describing an issue I'm having with their part goes 100% ignored.

I sent a second email, just in case my email somehow got read and overlooked:

That evening, I happened to notice that Galloway Precision had the time to update their status on Facebook. I had "liked" them after I heard that they were going to make LC9 trigger parts several months back.

Disappointments:

1. Ordered LCI delete and expected it to be in stock, but told after ordering it was out of stock and there would be a wait.
2. Backorder shipment date missed by an entire three weeks.
3. LCI delete finally arrives, but is out-of-spec or the wrong part entirely.
4. My email describing an issue I'm having with their part goes 100% ignored.
5. Company representatives have time to update their Facebook, but no time to help a customer they've failed to service.

I went from angry to incensed at that point, but I still managed to keep my words civil:

"First of all this is Eric's wife that runs the facebook page." - How is that germane to my issue? I couldn't contact your company by email. I reached out by another medium, and the first thing you have for me is excuses? I don't care who runs the Facebook page, if you're not representing the company, then you'd be a fake page, right? That's not the case, so why bring it up?

Ignoring that, I was clearly told that the correct part would be shipped out. Fantastic! I was also politely asked to send my part back, since it wasn't actually out of spec, it was just made for a gun I didn't even own. I decided to wait and see if Galloway would make good on their promise to ship out the correct part - and I also decided to see if they'd send a return label for the incorrect part, like most companies will do. I was again disappointed. I let ten full days elapse, and still nothing came in the mail.

Disappointments:

1. Ordered LCI delete and expected it to be in stock, but told after ordering it was out of stock and there would be a wait.
2. Backorder shipment date missed by an entire three weeks.
3. LCI delete finally arrives, but is out-of-spec or the wrong part entirely.
4. My email describing an issue I'm having with their part goes 100% ignored.
5. Company representatives have time to update their Facebook, but no time to help a customer they've failed to service.
6. Promised a new part in the mail, and this never actually happens.

My emails were being received (albeit ignored) according to the person running the Facebook page, and I didn't feel the need to publicly post on their Facebook page again now that I had their attention, so off to my email I went:

Obviously I'm being quite curt at this point, but I'm feeling out of options. At least I'm not cursing or name-calling. Much to my surprise, I actually got a response a day later - the first ever email response from Eric himself!

Wait, what? Again, the point is brought up that his wife runs the Facebook page and not Eric himself. Is he trying to say she's doing it without his permission or something? Obviously she's part of the company and it shouldn't matter whether she's his wife or his employee or whatever, the Facebook page is an official one, and it was what I resorted to after failing to get Eric's attention by email. Eric's wife clearly told me on Facebook that they'd send me a new part. She politely asked me to send the part I had back, but didn't make that a condition of getting my new part. Eric is telling me otherwise after I've been waiting for something in the mail, and now I'm pissed.

Disappointments:

1. Ordered LCI delete and expected it to be in stock, but told after ordering it was out of stock and there would be a wait.
2. Backorder shipment date missed by an entire three weeks.
3. LCI delete finally arrives, but is out-of-spec or the wrong part entirely.
4. My email describing an issue I'm having with their part goes 100% ignored.
5. Company representatives have time to update their Facebook, but no time to help a customer they've failed to service.
6. Promised a new part in the mail, and this never actually happens.
7. Now told that I'll have to pay even more money to fix a problem they created - I have to pay to send the part I have back before I'll receive a replacement.

I am not about to be forced to pay more money to fix a problem they created. I am - after all - the customer. I didn't order the incorrect part, they made a mistake and sent me the wrong part. Why should I have to pay to fix their mistake? I've already had to wait several weeks to get this part, spent my valuable time attempting to install it only to discover that it wasn't going to fit, and waited for two more weeks for a replacement that wasn't ever going to come.

I gave him a piece of my mind, but still refrained from name-calling:

Eric was now very quick to respond to my email:

This email speaks for itself. Eric Galloway is neither a moral businessman nor a gentleman. He'd rather disown his customers than deliver any sort of satisfaction. His business ethic is to project his mistakes and failures onto his customers, and while he might be making money hand over fist right now, with this sort of attitude his reputation will be ruined in short order.

Disappointments:

1. Ordered LCI delete and expected it to be in stock, but told after ordering it was out of stock and there would be a wait.
2. Backorder shipment date missed by an entire three weeks.
3. LCI delete finally arrives, but is out-of-spec or the wrong part entirely.
4. My email describing an issue I'm having with their part goes 100% ignored.
5. Company representatives have time to update their Facebook, but no time to help a customer they've failed to service.
6. Promised a new part in the mail, and this never actually happens.
7. Now told that I'll have to pay even more money to fix a problem they created - I have to pay to send the part I have back before I'll receive a replacement.
8. I am given up on and called a twelve-year-old and a child. Disappointment level: maximum possible.

As of right now, I haven't actually received a refund. At this point, I don't really expect to.

 

[Singleshotneeded]

Sorry to hear about your issue...my friends and I were very satisfied with Galloway Precision. I would've called Mr. Galloway when I received the wrong part, and if he'd mentioned my shipping it back prior to being sent the correct one, I would've asked to be reimbursed for it. It's only logical, the mistake was theirs, not yours. I think a quick call would've led to a much faster and more satisfactory conclusion to this issue than a pissing match via email and Facebook. The odd thing is that F250HD's issue with his Galloway SS guide rod being too long was promptly dealt with by Eric, he was sent a prepaid return envelope and a replacement guide rod...the responsible and professional way to deal with the situation.
Confusing...

 

[Spart]

I actually avoided calling specifically because I know it's a very small business. My friend who I mentioned runs a small business works with me at our day job, and handling phone calls is one of his biggest stresses. He gets things done over email with a lot more ease.

 

[Singleshotneeded]

I understand your logic, though I've found that when there's an issue it's best dealt with face to face, or at least over the phone. When one is very very busy, sometimes dealing with a problem can be put off until "later", and then completely forgotten. We're only human. Sometimes the personal touch works far better than yet another impersonal email. As far as normal business goes, I agree, a small business can deal with orders via their website and email far more efficiently than over the phone. I'm sure Mr. Galloway will honour his word to you and refund your money, he has a name for dealing fairly.

 

[Spart]

Honestly I don't think it matters either way. Eric's business card is provided with his products and his email address is right there next to his name. His wife's name and email address are on there too! The phone number is down at the bottom of the card.

Point is:

I was sent the incorrect product.
I informed them of this fact.
I received no response.
When I was able to get a response, I was told that my new part would ship.
They changed their tune and decided they wanted me to front shipping on the old part before they fixed their error.
They acted childishly and blew me off as a customer.
I never wanted or asked for a refund, I wanted the correct LCI delete.

 

[Al James]

Spart, Welcome to the boards!

Poo happens. I know it can be frustrating when things don't go as planned/promised. But.... it looks like you spent about an hour putting together your OP. Next time take 1/10th of that same time and pick up the darn phone!

Crazy things happen via email, your messages could have been lost, junked, etc. Eric works a regular job and offers these products as a side gig of sorts if I am not mistaken. Cut him a little slack. A little diplomacy goes a long way and no diplomacy was ever exercised via email. BTW you could always PM Eric here on the RF too.

 

[Spart]

Crazy things happen via email, your messages could have been lost, junked, etc. Eric works a regular job and offers these products as a side gig of sorts if I am not mistaken. Cut him a little slack. A little diplomacy goes a long way and no diplomacy was ever exercised via email. BTW you could always PM Eric here on the RF too.

"Eric works a regular job" - exactly why I didn't try calling. My friend is in this same situation and handling calls is difficult for him. He gets things done over email, and in my experience I've been able to get things resolved with vendors over email with great consistency. If he's going to publish his email address on his business card, he shouldn't ignore that.

If his wife is going to make a promise to ship out a new part, then let me wait for days on end only to find out that he's going to renege on that promise, his company has effectively lied to my face.

Any company that wants you the customer to pay for return shipping when you receive something they sent you by mistake is a bad apple in my book, ignoring everything else that Eric put on me.

 

[Al James]

I understand wanting to handle things via email. For the ease of both you and Eric. All I am suggesting is that the next time [probably wont be one one] before it escalates to #7 or 8 I would suggest a call. Even if you have to leave a voicemail-usually a real human voice will get action if electronic communications have failed.

I'm not taking sides. I'm simply offering a suggestion as someone who has dealt with issues as both the buyer and the seller. I know that Eric has put a bunch of time and effort into creating innovative aftermarket products for us Ruger owners, and I hate to see him get blasted this way on the very forum where he introduced the same parts. Good luck!

 

[Spart]

The whole reason I actually decided to post all this is that I went looking for what there is of Galloway's internet reputation before I decided to send him $113. I didn't find much, and given that he's new to the scene, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. I've never had a problem like this before with any sort of small business that sells to the gun owner crowd. Most small-time guys are willing to go well out of their way in order to satisfy a customer they've wronged, precisely because they're trying to build a positive reputation for good customer service.

Eric does not seem to subscribe to that philosophy in the slightest. I'm sure he must believe that because he currently is the only option for performance parts for some of these pistols, that he'll always have a stack of orders waiting to be filled.

But if my experience with him is an indicator of anything, it's that he'll consistently lose potential customers who care about how someone they're willing to spend their hard-earned money with has treated prior customers.

I don't care one way or another how it works out. Maybe this will be a wakeup call and he'll turn things around with how he services people. Good for him. But I still ended up getting terrible service, and reputations are hard-won.

 

[wixedmords]

It is true Spart that it is never good to not respond to a customer, imo. By your posting, which is of course one side of the picture, you were left up in the air, hanging. You have the right to be angry about that.

I'm not a subsubscriber to the part time job thing on the internet, if you sell a product you have a duty to respond in a timely manner. That timely manner needs to be reasonable. The response doesn't need to come that day, but soon. Many times people get on their high horse after one day and start trying to communicate every day or many times daily thinking the squeaky wheel gets the oil. But, being that aggressive doesn't usually work. I am not saying that happened here, but it happens a lot. Letting the issue ride for too long doesn't help either. There is a balance.

Where your communication took a bad turn was when you inserted the "Iraqi" comment in your Facebook messages. I think the whole relationship was pretty much done at that point. I imagine that Eric wanted to get away from you as fast as possible.

If the part doesn't fit, and no errors on your part happened, you shouldn't have to pay to send it back. But, demanding a second part be sent isn't fair either. You would be asking for a good faith gesture that would be a roll of the dice at this point. I don't think the comfort level is there for that. I'd ask Eric to send you a label for prepaid shipping for the one part and then the two of you can decide if you want to do further business on a second part.

I think if you both step back and cool down for a bit, you will resolve the issue. I'm sure you both are pretty good fellas in your own right.

 

[Spart]

Where your communication took a bad turn was when you inserted the "Iraqi" comment in your Facebook messages. I think the whole relationship was pretty much done at that point. I imagine that Eric wanted to get away from you as fast as possible.

I disagree. I think it all took a bad turn when his wife said they would ship out the correct part (which is what I expected to happen) and 12 days later, Eric reneged on that commitment.

That was the straw that broke my tolerance level.

 

[rodfarva]

In my line of work, I deal with lots of people who are impossible to please. They think that the world revolves around them and they don't care that I may be tending to other's needs at any given time that may take precedence over their needs. They want what they want when they want it, and I'd they don't get it immediately, they are dissatisfied. I am convinced that the OP is one of these people.

I have had nothing but great customer service for Eric at Galloway. His reply to questions via email are timely (but not immediately as you apparently expect). I've too ordered items that have been backordered, and they have shipped within a reasonable amount of time.

Perhaps the OP could spend more time making some sort of useful contribution to society instead of constructing elaborate internet rants worthy of OJ Simpson's murder trial with pointless exhibit after exhibit. I'm curious as to just how much time you spent constructing the original post in this thread. I also find it convenient that you include many of Mr. Galloway's responses in their entirety and you leave out much of your own.

 

[Spart]

In your line of work, your paycheck must not rely on the service you provide. There are plenty of ways to make a living in this country, and not all of them are merit-based. Congratulations, you've got it easy!

I also find it convenient that you include many of Mr. Galloway's responses in their entirety and you leave out much of your own.

I did no such thing. This is specifically why I used screen shots rather than copying and pasting. The ellipsis you see on the emails is Google's way of hiding the text I'm replying to, not something that I've left out, as you say. Try using Gmail and learning about how it works before you make baseless accusations.

Also, If I hadn't provided so much detail, you yourself would be here shouting "where's the proof!" You're an apologist for Galloway: you'll always find something to complain about.