experience from PC1(aka Manzman aka Rafael Mendoza)

[Laurent]

I'm sure this won't go over well around here because Rafael is a sponsor, but thought I'd post a review of my experience ordering wood from him . . .

I'll start with the good: the 3 pieces that were delivered are very, very nice. I'll post pictures once I have them in the tank.

And now for the bad: it took over a month to receive anything from Manzman. Even more frustrating were the numerous emails informing me that one or more pieces I had requested suddenly were not available. The biggest frustration was that the first 3 pieces I had ordered were never delivered. Rafael immediately offered to just ship 3 new pieces, but that started the annoying problem of not having all the pieces I requested so I had to find replacement items all over again. Eventually he sent 3 pieces, but honestly, given how many false starts I had with choosing pieces only to later learn that what I had requested was no longer available, I have no way of really knowing if I received what I had requested.

All in all, not a smooth transaction and not the best in keeping the customer informed, but the wood I received is very nice and I don't know if I could have found that level of quality anywhere else for this price. Just be prepared to wait (and wait) and don't fall in love with any individual piece you see pictured on his site -- there's just no way to know if that is what you ultimately will end up with (either because he tells you it has already sold, or because it gets lost by the postal service).

[Matt0matic]

All in all, not a smooth transaction and not the best in keeping the customer informed, but the wood I received is very nice and I don't know if I could have found that level of quality anywhere else for this price. Just be prepared to wait (and wait).

x2
I didn't have as much difficulty as yourself but I had the same experience.

[Laurent]

It's a shame, really, since the wood is so nice.

[jimg]

I have ordered at least 3X from him and never had a problem at all.

[Chad Hughes]

Thread has been relocated to product review section as it is clearly a product review.

[PC1]

I do my best to get your orders out. Pieces also sell quickly and you can't always get the first choice because I can't update the moment a piece sells. I try to stay on top of it as much as possible unless I have things on my end holding me up. I definetly can not control the postal service, if a package is delayed, damaged, or lot I immediately offer replacements and ship at my cost which in most cases is about $30. Other than that there is not much I can do in a situation like that. Parcel post is the postal services lowest priority mail and unfortunately it reflects it sometimes. I wish I could ship everything out priority but $90+ for a box is not realistic. All I can do is offer to replace them if they are lost or damaged which in all honestly neither of those happen that often but on occasion they do happen. I am sorry that you had a bad experience but I tried to fix it the best I could.

[Laurent]

Pontiac_baron:

I think you will find the quality very high, just be prepared that you might have to have many email exchanges with PC1 to finalize your selections and delivery may not happen for many weeks.

[Laurent]

Thread has been relocated to product review section as it is clearly a product review.

I didn't think it was a review of the product so much as sharing my experience ordering from a sponsor. Seemed more likely to me that future customers might find this if it were in PC1's forum section, but I understand the desire/motivation to put this in the product review section instead.

That said, could you amend the title to include a description that this is a review of the ordering experience from PC1(aka Manzman aka Rafael Mendoza)? That might help future customers find this review by running a search on his name.

[PC1]

Be a little fair here in your description of the transaction. You say be prepared for several weeks. I can not help the fact that the 1st order was not delivered. Avg transit time to the east coast is 7-10 days to begin with. Usually a day or 2 before I can ship and an extra couple days to see if the missing package shows up. It didnt show up so I offered to replace and re-ship at my cost. At that point it is another 7-10 days I can't control that. All I can control is how long it is before I pack and ship and how I handle it if there is a problem. Which I believe there is no other way I could of handled your order. Again I am sorry you had a unpleasant experience but majority of the problem was out of my hands.

[Laurent]

Be a little fair here in your description of the transaction. You say be prepared for several weeks. I can not help the fact that the 1st order was not delivered. Avg transit time to the east coast is 7-10 days to begin with. Usually a day or 2 before I can ship and an extra couple days to see if the missing package shows up. It didnt show up so I offered to replace and re-ship at my cost. At that point it is another 7-10 days I can't control that. All I can control is how long it is before I pack and ship and how I handle it if there is a problem. Which I believe there is no other way I could of handled your order. Again I am sorry you had a unpleasant experience but majority of the problem was out of my hands.

Soup to nuts, my experience with you went from 10/26 through 12/3 delivery. In between we had many, many, MANY PM and email exchanges as you informed me pieces were not available, first package must have been lost by the USPS, etc. From my personal experience, I think it only fair to warn people it may take many weeks to get things done with you.

Now that you tweaked me a bit, I'll also state that I'm 99.9% sure the first package wasn't lost: you just didn't send anything until late November. My first clue is that the tracking number you sent for the first package was generated on 10/31 and the USPS now shows that package as having been delivered on 12/3. How is possible that both packages had the same tracking number? Also explains why you never sent me a tracking number for the second package. Oh, and it also explains why the service you use to track packages does not show when the USPS received the package from you -- you might consider upgrading to the tracking that shows that level of detail. The second clue is that other members of this forum have now contacted me to tell me the EXACT same thing happened to them: the first package is somehow "lost" but they ultimately get their second, replacement order. The USPS does not have a 100% track record, but it is just too coincidental all our first packages are somehow lost by the USPS.

[PC1]

Why on earth would I not want to send the first package out? I don't want the headache of angry and upset customers. Once again all I can do is apologize for the frustrating experience you had. I am not going to spend my time arguing with you back and forwarth. Once again I am sorry and I am glad the replacement pieces made it out to you.

[Laurent]

Why on earth would I not want to send the first package out? I don't want the headache of angry and upset customers. Once again all I can do is apologize for the frustrating experience you had. I am not going to spend my time arguing with you back and forwarth. Once again I am sorry and I am glad the replacement pieces made it out to you.

I do appreciate the apology. And as stated many times above, I'm very pleased with the quality of the pieces received. I was not looking to argue at all with you -- I just wanted to share my full experience with other forum members.

[Bud Smith]

I'm sure this won't go over well around here because Rafael is a sponsor, but thought I'd post a review of my experience ordering wood from him . . .

I'll start with the good: the 3 pieces that were delivered are very, very nice. I'll post pictures once I have them in the tank.

And now for the bad: it took over a month to receive anything from Manzman. Even more frustrating were the numerous emails informing me that one or more pieces I had requested suddenly were not available. The biggest frustration was that the first 3 pieces I had ordered were never delivered. Rafael immediately offered to just ship 3 new pieces, but that started the annoying problem of not having all the pieces I requested so I had to find replacement items all over again. Eventually he sent 3 pieces, but honestly, given how many false starts I had with choosing pieces only to later learn that what I had requested was no longer available, I have no way of really knowing if I received what I had requested.

All in all, not a smooth transaction and not the best in keeping the customer informed, but the wood I received is very nice and I don't know if I could have found that level of quality anywhere else for this price. Just be prepared to wait (and wait) and don't fall in love with any individual piece you see pictured on his site -- there's just no way to know if that is what you ultimately will end up with (either because he tells you it has already sold, or because it gets lost by the postal service).

I have ordered 2 times from PC1 and the quaility of the wood and price is excellent but I also learned living in Ohio and purchasing from someone in California (fish the exception w/ next day delivery) that with just regular ground it will take awhile. Communication could be alittle better but both times I recieved exactly what I ordered. The last two pieces of wood I recieved were unique in size and shape and I don't know where I could have found them else where.
Its worth the wait in my opinion

[PC1]

I'm glad you like the ones you did get. I'm sorry for coming out the gates swinging. It's been a loong day already and my brain to fingers filter malfunctioned. @pepper thanks!

[Second Hand Pat]

I have ordered from PC1 many, many times and have always received the pieces I asked and confirmed they were available. I have learned when PC1 updates the list you have to be quick to get your requests in. A few times it has taken a couple of weeks to get the pieces ordered but they have always arrived in good condition. You can not beat the wood or the price.