First let me say that I like S&W. I've owned several and never had a problem with any of them. They have a lifetime warranty and have always seemed to stand behind their guns.
Which makes it all the more puzzling to have to report this recent experience with their service group. My 442 j-frame has been dead on reliable for years, but, about a week ago, for an unknown reason, the screw that holds the cylinder release button on.......disappeared. Picked up the gun and ... gone! Of course I search, but it has gone to wherever the elephants go to die. So I called a couple of my local gun shops to see if they might just have the screw. Nope. They want to sell me a whole new latch. Not quite ready to do that, so I went on line and found the S&W service page. There is a phone number for the service and warranty department, so I call them......and the fun starts.
Three times...3 TIMES...I was directed to hit a number for the service department, and each time that number takes me to an operator voice message that tells me to hold for a live person....then it tells me that the live person I am waiting for (wait for it)....IS NOT ON THE SYSTEM I AM USING. Then it recycles me into the que. I wait and the whole process runs again.
Hang up, redial.....same thing again.
Not cool. So I go to the email form and write them a semi-frustrated note briefly detailing the voicemail problem and politely asking for the screw I need. I'll happily pay for the screw, I tell them......I just want the gun to work.
No response from S&W yet, after two days.
I am not about to send the silly gun in, just to get a screw replaced, when I can do it in about 30 seconds at home. I just want the screw. I have never heard of anything like this from Smith and Wesson. Now it's the principle of the thing. I could drive up to a fairly huge gunsmith about 45 miles from me, but that much gas for a $2 screw is also a pain the ......
Any ideas?
Which makes it all the more puzzling to have to report this recent experience with their service group. My 442 j-frame has been dead on reliable for years, but, about a week ago, for an unknown reason, the screw that holds the cylinder release button on.......disappeared. Picked up the gun and ... gone! Of course I search, but it has gone to wherever the elephants go to die. So I called a couple of my local gun shops to see if they might just have the screw. Nope. They want to sell me a whole new latch. Not quite ready to do that, so I went on line and found the S&W service page. There is a phone number for the service and warranty department, so I call them......and the fun starts.
Three times...3 TIMES...I was directed to hit a number for the service department, and each time that number takes me to an operator voice message that tells me to hold for a live person....then it tells me that the live person I am waiting for (wait for it)....IS NOT ON THE SYSTEM I AM USING. Then it recycles me into the que. I wait and the whole process runs again.
Hang up, redial.....same thing again.
Not cool. So I go to the email form and write them a semi-frustrated note briefly detailing the voicemail problem and politely asking for the screw I need. I'll happily pay for the screw, I tell them......I just want the gun to work.
No response from S&W yet, after two days.
I am not about to send the silly gun in, just to get a screw replaced, when I can do it in about 30 seconds at home. I just want the screw. I have never heard of anything like this from Smith and Wesson. Now it's the principle of the thing. I could drive up to a fairly huge gunsmith about 45 miles from me, but that much gas for a $2 screw is also a pain the ......
Any ideas?