Woodcraft Bait and switch on black friday chuck deal

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gandsande

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Joined
Sep 9, 2010
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281
Location
Ottawa, Canada
Hello All I wanted to pass along my recent RAW deal with Woodcraft.com

In Nov I along with most of you received an advertisement of Black Friday deal. I needed a chuck and the extra Jaws so i looked at the offer for a MiDI sized Chuck the write up read single one turn tighten and the photo There stock number 150305 showed what looked to be a single Hex key style with 4 additional jaws beside the 2 with the chuck I thought that's a good deal for a Nova Chuck, for 124.99 so I ordered.

The next day I received there email confirming all in route. 4 days later I received the Jaws only and a small print on my invoice that says shipped separately or B/O due date = 1/7/11 - so much for Christmas, oh well I thought I can wait. I really don't like the 2 stick tighten and I want to try the key. I really don't like that they couldn't tell me until my pkg arrives in the mail that it was B/O but I suppose there must have been a lot of orders this was a good deal. I can wait.

A couple weeks go by and last week I recieved the chuck. yippie I rip it open and find they sent me a 2 stick midi, I look at the website and find the writeup says single turn tighten. I figure they made a mistake I send a email to customer support. They reply back OUR mistake the write up was to be changed our web dept missed it. and the photo in our opinion does not indicate a single key. They thank me for pointing out hte conflict and that they have changed the write up now on the web. They then offer if I send both the jaws back and the chuck we will give you just a 147017 single chuck with no spare jaws in exchange. WOW what???? I called them they again offer the same deal. HOLY COW ARE YOU KIDDING ME !

I suggested this Bait and switch is illegal. They promptly point to me the disclaimer that the photo and write up may be different. They tell me there legal says there covered. (USE CAUTION IF ORDERING I SUGGEST)

I am flabbergasted. They retail regular the proper chuck for 144.99 the one they sent for 124.99 for the difference of 20.00 they will not send me what there add showed or described. They tell me SINCE only 1 other person out there complained I have no leg to stand on. BTW that person accepted this offer... AGAIN I WAS FLABBERGASTED who was willing to do that? Give up a midi chuck with 6 jaws for another with just 1 set?

So I ask if any of you had ordered this chuck deal? Did you get what you thought you were buying? Did you complain or return yours? I have a direct contact at woodcraft to send your comments to if you PM me i will share this with you.

I am at a lost. I feel they have screwed me and any of you out there, they have now removed all of the offer and the bad write ups from the web site. I would like to suggest that I will be boycotting them. There Bait and switch advertising. There poor customer support to fix the issue. I told them I was going to post to all boards and clubs I belong to that I will pass the word to deal with them at your own SERIOUS caution.

Please have any of you had similar dealing with them? previously they were willing to fix items or issues but not this time. Since I have projects in use on the multi jaws returning this incorrect Pkg is not possible. So I am stuck keeping it and just WARNING all of you that deal with WOODCRAFT.com

BY the way I have NOVA MIDI Precision NEW sealed in BOX on sale.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS is all they had to say when I hung up.
 
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From time to time every business makes a really stupid marketing mistake like this. Lord knows I've done it in my business. Doesn't look like a purposeful bait and switch tactic though... just a stupid marketing mistake. (I made things right for my customers though!)

It's unfortunate that you started using the jaws and their offer to give you a refund is no longer possible. That's a good thing to remember... don't start using a part of something when the other part is delayed.

I'd like to recommend that you find the name of the president of Woodcraft and send him a well-crafted printed letter in a Fedex envelope requiring his signature as proof of receipt. You'd be surprised how fast he will fix this for you and bypass all the CSR's whose hands are tied.

Just make sure the letter states facts, tells the story of how you bought it and got the wrong thing, and what you'd like him to do about it to make things right. Offer to send back the jaws for a full refund as well, because this will help him see you are willing to do what you need to do on your end if he will bend.

Be sure to let a couple of other people proof the letter to catch typos, poor grammar, remove any venom (or threats of boycotts or postings here) that might have worked its way into the content, and then send it. Threats and typos don't get you anywhere.

This is a small CS issue for Woodcraft to fix, but online bad-mouthing stays around FOREVER and the owner knows $20 of good will goes a loooong way.
 
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I got the same Black friday chuck but since i have never used the two bar system I got it. I havent tried it yet, no time, but is there a big difference in the two?

I bought the chuck thinking it was the keyed style but when I opened the box I saw the two bars? I asked the sales person about them and they said it would "hold" better.
 
I disagree I find the 2 bars more difficult to deal with. Not to mention 2 items to mis lay in the shop and if you have any muscular issues you may find one better. NO accidental open in stead of closing also should you need to re-tighten for some reason. However i think its a preference issue.
 
I bought the nova mindi chuck with the tommy bars when woodcraft ran it on sale for 69.99 with 2 sets of jaws. I love it, I have no problem with using the tommy bars, I have made several christmas tree ornaments and other turnings such as bowls aand lided boxes and no problems. It holds good. If I plan on turning a tennon for the jaws, I always make the tennon about 1/4 inch bigger that the smallest diameter of the jaws as to get as much of the jaws on the wood.
 
I don't know if you paid with a credit card but if you did, you can enlist their help. All you have to do is let them know that you didn't get what you ordered and they are refusing to refund your money. The fact that you used part of it prior to delivery of the wrong item doesn't matter. The error was on their part.

Woodcraft has always made good on any business I've done with them. I would like to believe this is an isolated event.

John
 
I missed this sale!

If woodcraft doesn't refund you (hard for me to imagine), I'll gladly buy this chuck with the 2 jaw set for $125. I much prefer the Tommy bars to the keyed system and the Midi is the best chuck that I own in that all Teknal accessories work with this chuck (unlike some other brands).

If Woodcraft fails to satisfy you, please PM me as I would like to have another of these chucks before they all go away.
 
The Nova midi is a tommy bar style chuck, the G3 is the keyed chuck. My guess is that they put the wrong style of chuck in the picture...i.e. the G3 instead of the Midi.

Every time I go to a local tire store, they have a retraction posted in the door saying that they made a mistake in the flyer - I guess it happens online too...

I think the G3 looks like a better chuck, so if they offered to switch, I'd take the trade and get the jaws as you need them. In all honesty, I haven't used a single jaw set other than the standard 2" on my chuck yet...
 
I have the chuck style and the bars. I have no preference. I just keep different jaws on both. I know what you mean about changing thing around. It just doesn't make GOOD business sense. It would not cost them that much to make YOU a happy shopper. Russell
 
tommy bar chucks are used by many pro turners and in my opinion the best of the best. i have three styles of nova chucks and the tommy bar chucks are my favorites. if your lathe has a spindle lock you have one bar operating capabilities. when you look at the chuck the movable bar is on the left. if you want to tighten the chuck the movable hole should be below the stationary hole. if you want to loosen the chuck the movable hole should be ahead of the stationary hole. if the holes appear to be in the wrong position merely rotate the chuck 180 degrees. if you learn to use the chuck i am sure that you will indeed love it. also the G3 uses a geared type wrench while the hex shaped wrench is used on the super novas. woodcraft did not bait and switch as the ad said it was a "midi" chuck. they only had the wrong picture which the disclaimer covers.
 
I agree with Parson, write or email the President of Woodcraft and politely ask for his/her help. Or sell it to Andy! :)
 
The description has been changed on the 150305. the proof of this I have already from them that as of this past monday and my email they changed it. I regret that all of you can not compare that description and write up. I think you would agree with me that they discribed the features of the G3 and the showed a more
similar photo to the G3 then the 2 tommy.

Additionally I had no intent for this Conversation to be a debate on the difference only a caution to others making orders and hoping to find others that felt wronged by there poor advertisement.
 
There was an error on the back page of the catalog with the wrong picture posted. I checked and the chuck described was the tommy bar model. I went ahead and ordered it and got exactly what was described -- not what was pictured.

Yup they made an error in the picture, and they are trying to resolve it -- but it is not likely that they are going to swap out a light duty midi chuck for the higher grade one.

I found it to be a well machined chuck with low runout and a nice set of jaws for small work. Pin jaws and 25 mm (1 inch) jaws are handy.

Sorry you got surprised, but I do not think this is bait and switch -- just a photo error.
 
I used the web site I read there descrption they admited it was a mistake they missed but that they did not notice it before charging me and swapping me or even until I pointed it out.

The point is purely the web order/site.

- I wanted to find if any others fell into this situation.

Please call them tell them you read the add and agree it was a bad add
 
KenV said:
There was an error on the back page of the catalog with the wrong picture posted. I checked and the chuck described was the tommy bar model. I went ahead and ordered it and got exactly what was described -- not what was pictured.

Yup they made an error in the picture, and they are trying to resolve it -- but it is not likely that they are going to swap out a light duty midi chuck for the higher grade one.

I found it to be a well machined chuck with low runout and a nice set of jaws for small work. Pin jaws and 25 mm (1 inch) jaws are handy.

Sorry you got surprised, but I do not think this is bait and switch -- just a photo error.
Click to expand...


Happens with CUSA, too. The problem may very well be that Nova has the wrong chuck pictured in the advertising photos that they send to their distributors.

I do agree with others, in that I have a index lock on my lathe and find the "1 bar" technique preferable to the keyed system.
 
I started with the tommy bar midi chuck, and I like it as well as any chuck I've bought so far. I also have the original Nova Chuck with tommy bars, the G3 with geared T-handle, and like them also. The other chuck I have is a Oneway Talon- more on that in a minute.

The midi has a smaller capacity which limits it quite a bit whereas the original Nova Chuck seems like it has miles of room.

The G3 has a bit more capacity than the midi, but I find the geared T-handle a bit troublesome because it sometimes doesn't want to seat until you fiddle with it. Other than that I found it was a pretty good chuck.

In comparison, the Oneway Talon's T-handle is wonderful and you don't have to fiddle with it at all to get it to seat, it just slides right in place. (The jaws for it weren't all that.. but that's another story.)

The difference between the tommy bar system and the T-handle system is that you can get a lot more pressure with the tommy bars than the T-handles. On the other hand the tommy bar system is a little more troublesome as it seems to need three hands, but I didn't find it as annoying as the T-handle that wouldn't seat...
 
The problem was wrong description and wrong picture then once I pointed out the problem they admited yup I was right, they then admit they changed the discription....

But still refuse to give me the chuck they photo and discribe with the jaws that made it the black friday deal.

MY point is use caution when dealing with WOODCRAFT.COM They may not send you what they describe or photo and if you ask for what you ordered they quote there disclaimer that the items may not be exact.

Anyhow I am closing this conversation and my account with WOODCRAFT.COM

Thanks to all for the advise and coments.
 
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