DefensiveCarry Concealed Carry Forum - View Single Post

RobbW · January 4th, 2008, 09:52 PM

Last week Gary Brommeland cancelled my September, 2005 order with him after I inquired about it's status here. The order was for one MaxCon V and one S&W snubbie holster. Yesterday I received a check from him for the amount of $149.90. That seemed too little, so I looked up the prices on his website. $149.95 for the MaxCon V and $79.95 for the pocket holster. I sent him the following PM:

**************************
Gary,

I received a refund check for the amount of $149.95 in the mail today. I assume this is for the Max-Con V order you cancelled last week. Also outstanding from my original order (9-12-2005) is a pocket holster for a S&W Model 340PD, for which you charged $79.95. I assume this was an honest oversight?

Please advise your understanding and intention on this matter.

Thank you,
Robb White
****************************

Gary offered the following reply:

*****************************
Hi Robb,

You are correct. We made an error in the amount of $10.00 in the amount of your refund check.
At the time you placed your order the prices were as follows: $79.95 for the MaxCon V and $69.95 for the pocket holster for a total of $149.90. These are the prices that we charged to your credit card. We failed to add $10 for shipping, so you are in fact correct - you owe us $10. Please remit it to:

Brommeland Gunleather
PO Box 813
Sneedville, TN 37869.

I assume this was an honest oversight?

Please advise your understanding and intention on this matter.

Thank you.
*****************************

I spent some time considering the entire situation, from beginning to end, and replied with this PM:

*****************************
Gary,

I had no idea your prices were different now. Being told by you in September, 2005, that the order would be filled in 4-6 weeks, I didn't write down the original prices, the order total, or even imagine a scenario where it would become an issue two and a half years later.

The "refund" check you sent was too light. I believe you understand this. You took my money on an unauthorized charge, held it for 2.5 years, put others in front of me for ALL of that time, promised $100, then later $200 worth of additional goods. I also have a hard time believing you didn't originally charge me for shipping, though as I said I didn't write down an itemized total at the time.

Clearly you and I are at an impasse, and have a different sense of obligation and business ethics. By reneging on my order, you conveniently pass on the obligation to produce a Max Con V for $79.95, rather than the current $149.90, and "absolve" yourself of the obligation to add in those two belts I asked for with the $200 you promised. How self-serving.

Based on the integrity you have demonstrated to me in this process, I don't think we will likely agree on a fair solution. I believe you have not held up to your end of the bargain, but to get this behind me and guarantee that I hold myself to the same standards I ask of others, I sent you a PO Money Order for $10 earlier today, on the chance that you really didn't charge me shipping with the original order.

RobbW
*******************************

Not a very satisfying conclusion to my experience of waiting. Here are his two emails to me with the offer of goods:

This one is over one year old.
************************************
I realize that you've waited forever, and I truly appreciate your patience. I give you my word that you'll have your order by month's end - possibly sooner. Furthermore, I am issuing you a credit toward future purchases as away of "making things right" with you. Please let me know if you need anything else, and the first $100 is on me. Thank you again.

Gary Brommeland
************************************

And the second message with a promise of greater remuneration:

This one is nearly a year old.
**************************************
My conscious is killing my over this - you have been a prince of a guy and very patient. But the delays, false starts and various other problems have all been more than I could have ever asked you to endure. I really believe in treating people right and in this case I have failed miserably.
I am going to issue a credit in the amount of $200.00 good toward any future purchases - it is just my way to try and make things right. Thank you again.

Gary Brommeland
************************************

Gary's sure did change his tune in response to the product inquiry I sent him that I posted here. This was the most blunt email I ever sent him, and I was very open about it by posting it here. All of my other PMs were extremely polite, and I have PAGES of saved messages from Gary thanking me for that politeness and patience. I'm now beginning to understand that Gary was motivated to reneg on my order to get out of the $200 obligation and avoid producing a MaxCon V and pocket holster at the old price. That can be the only explanation for why my order, placed on the first day he opened shop, in never got filled. I've watched for years as others have reported receiving their orders, some with the EXACT SAME holster I ordered. Why would their later orders have come before mine?

Finally today, I stopped considering this from the view of Gary's excuses and tales of backlog woes, and for the first time put myself in his situation. Gary had been asking for pity from all of us, and for many different reasons. I was only too happy to oblige. The light suddenly went on in my head. I would have handled my customers and the truth very differently than he has. For too long I was too patient and understanding. I should have been up front long ago and cancelled my order when it became apparent I wasn't being treated fairly.

January 4th, 2008, 09:52 PM	#84
RobbW Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 119	Last week Gary Brommeland cancelled my September, 2005 order with him after I inquired about it's status here. The order was for one MaxCon V and one S&W snubbie holster. Yesterday I received a check from him for the amount of $149.90. That seemed too little, so I looked up the prices on his website. $149.95 for the MaxCon V and $79.95 for the pocket holster. I sent him the following PM: ************************ Gary, I received a refund check for the amount of $149.95 in the mail today. I assume this is for the Max-Con V order you cancelled last week. Also outstanding from my original order (9-12-2005) is a pocket holster for a S&W Model 340PD, for which you charged $79.95. I assume this was an honest oversight? Please advise your understanding and intention on this matter. Thank you, Robb White ************************ Gary offered the following reply: ************************* Hi Robb, You are correct. We made an error in the amount of $10.00 in the amount of your refund check. At the time you placed your order the prices were as follows: $79.95 for the MaxCon V and $69.95 for the pocket holster for a total of $149.90. These are the prices that we charged to your credit card. We failed to add $10 for shipping, so you are in fact correct - you owe us $10. Please remit it to: Brommeland Gunleather PO Box 813 Sneedville, TN 37869. I assume this was an honest oversight? Please advise your understanding and intention on this matter. Thank you. ************************* I spent some time considering the entire situation, from beginning to end, and replied with this PM: ************************* Gary, I had no idea your prices were different now. Being told by you in September, 2005, that the order would be filled in 4-6 weeks, I didn't write down the original prices, the order total, or even imagine a scenario where it would become an issue two and a half years later. The "refund" check you sent was too light. I believe you understand this. You took my money on an unauthorized charge, held it for 2.5 years, put others in front of me for ALL of that time, promised $100, then later $200 worth of additional goods. I also have a hard time believing you didn't originally charge me for shipping, though as I said I didn't write down an itemized total at the time. Clearly you and I are at an impasse, and have a different sense of obligation and business ethics. By reneging on my order, you conveniently pass on the obligation to produce a Max Con V for $79.95, rather than the current $149.90, and "absolve" yourself of the obligation to add in those two belts I asked for with the $200 you promised. How self-serving. Based on the integrity you have demonstrated to me in this process, I don't think we will likely agree on a fair solution. I believe you have not held up to your end of the bargain, but to get this behind me and guarantee that I hold myself to the same standards I ask of others, I sent you a PO Money Order for $10 earlier today, on the chance that you really didn't charge me shipping with the original order. RobbW *************************** Not a very satisfying conclusion to my experience of waiting. Here are his two emails to me with the offer of goods: This one is over one year old. ******************************** I realize that you've waited forever, and I truly appreciate your patience. I give you my word that you'll have your order by month's end - possibly sooner. Furthermore, I am issuing you a credit toward future purchases as away of "making things right" with you. Please let me know if you need anything else, and the first $100 is on me. Thank you again. Gary Brommeland ******************************** And the second message with a promise of greater remuneration: This one is nearly a year old. ********************************** My conscious is killing my over this - you have been a prince of a guy and very patient. But the delays, false starts and various other problems have all been more than I could have ever asked you to endure. I really believe in treating people right and in this case I have failed miserably. I am going to issue a credit in the amount of $200.00 good toward any future purchases - it is just my way to try and make things right. Thank you again. Gary Brommeland ********************************** Gary's sure did change his tune in response to the product inquiry I sent him that I posted here. This was the most blunt email I ever sent him, and I was very open about it by posting it here. All of my other PMs were extremely polite, and I have PAGES of saved messages from Gary thanking me for that politeness and patience. I'm now beginning to understand that Gary was motivated to reneg on my order to get out of the $200 obligation and avoid producing a MaxCon V and pocket holster at the old price. That can be the only explanation for why my order, placed on the first day he opened shop, in never got filled. I've watched for years as others have reported receiving their orders, some with the EXACT SAME holster I ordered. Why would their later orders have come before mine? Finally today, I stopped considering this from the view of Gary's excuses and tales of backlog woes, and for the first time put myself in his situation. Gary had been asking for pity from all of us, and for many different reasons. I was only too happy to oblige. The light suddenly went on in my head. I would have handled my customers and the truth very differently than he has. For too long I was too patient and understanding. I should have been up front long ago and cancelled my order when it became apparent I wasn't being treated fairly.