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Post by Bel-Den Shaw on Jun 23, 2005 3:36:45 GMT -5
i am a member of another forum and i have read some interesting things about jeff parks. it did not paint him in a positive light either (not by a long shot) any opinions?
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Post by Plo Strax-Avix on Jun 23, 2005 7:16:19 GMT -5
I've never dealt with Jeff directly, (well I can't deal with him since I'm not in the US and he doesn't deal through email) but did ask someone else to buy me a set of his activator boxes. It arrived waaay past the promised delivery period of 2 weeks, but they did finally arrive.
For the life of me I can't understand why someone have a website and sells stuff online wouldn't want to deal through email but insist on only using the phone....
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Post by Starkindler (The Naked Jedi) on Jun 23, 2005 9:06:28 GMT -5
I haven't dealt with Park Saber either, but his website does offer a fax-in order form and state that due to volume expected delivery times are 12-14 weeks.
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Post by kivaanzion on Jun 23, 2005 10:12:23 GMT -5
Emails can sometimes be lost due to spam filters, computer or service provider problems. There is also the possibility of the email being read incorrectly and misunderstood, sometimes resulting in having to play "email tag"- you email me, I email you back, etc.
With the phone, you can have a direct conversation to describe exactly what you want. Jeff can then ask and answer questions and receive/provide answers on the spot rather than having to wait a day or two for an email response.
He might also be receiving far too many emails, some of which might not be serious inquiries. Most people who aren't serious about buying won't take the time (or want to pay long distance charges) to call him.
However I have noticed that you can now buy his stuff online through what seems to be an independent website that has an email contact address. You can even pay with Paypal.
I haven't purchased anything from Jeff either, but I am interested in doing so, and would also like to hear from someone who has.
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Post by Plo Strax-Avix on Jun 23, 2005 10:46:16 GMT -5
Please note that my replies are only meant to express my opinion regarding the points you made, and is in no way a rebuttal. Please do not take it as such Emails can sometimes be lost due to spam filters, computer or service provider problems. There is also the possibility of the email being read incorrectly and misunderstood, sometimes resulting in having to play "email tag"- you email me, I email you back, etc. Point noted, but shouldn't that be treated as part and parcel of operating an online business?Most people who aren't serious about buying won't take the time (or want to pay long distance charges) to call him. Would someone from the USA call China in the middle of the night(coz USA's night is China's day) to ask about the finer details of a $30 product he's interested in? And he may have to call a few times, and at the end of it find out its totally not what he's looking for. By then he would have spent a small fortune on his phone bill...However I have noticed that you can now buy his stuff online through what seems to be an independent website that has an email contact address. You can even pay with Paypal. Before you can buy, you need to know what you're buying. For example the page for the activation boxes show 3 different activator boxes, and one price. There's no way to tell if the price is for either one of those or for all 3. There's just not enough info there.
I sent an email to that independant website but they were not very helpfull.
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Post by Plo Strax-Avix on Jun 23, 2005 10:54:20 GMT -5
I haven't dealt with Park Saber either, but his website does offer a fax-in order form and state that due to volume expected delivery times are 12-14 weeks. The delivery period of 2 weeks was promised by Jeff, or someone from his company, when my friend called up to order the activation boxes on my behalf. Not a big deal for me since I don't need it urgently, but their estimate was off by quite a few weeks...
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Post by Bel-Den Shaw on Jun 23, 2005 10:55:44 GMT -5
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Post by kivaanzion on Jun 23, 2005 11:27:30 GMT -5
ACK!! I just read the first couple of pages from that RPF thread! That really is a horrible situation and Jeff's reaction is as unprofessional as it gets. No offense taken whatsoever Plo Strax-Avix. You make an excellent point about having to call in the middle of the night, and the fact that the long distance charges could cost as much as the part itself you want to talk about.
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Post by LoreenShadowchaser on Jun 23, 2005 13:41:56 GMT -5
I have only dealt with Jeff Parks on an in person basis. I bought my first saber from him, the M2, at the San Diego ComiCon in 2002.
Then last year, at the same convention, several groups had a deal worked out with him that we would work for him, showing off his sabers at the con and sending people to his booth. For doing this for 4 days, we would get a free saber.
True, we didn't get our sabers till Feb., the con was last July, but we understood that he had to take care of paying costumers first.
I had read the above linked thread a couple of months ago and I was apalled by Jeff's actions. He seemed like a nice and easy-going guy to deal with on a personal basis, but now my opinion of him has been altered because of this.
I'm not sure I would want to order a saber from him, (I hate waiting that long for stuff anyway) but I would continue to do business with him at conventions.
I guess I just like the "instant gratification" thing.
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Post by Syru on Jun 23, 2005 17:34:34 GMT -5
I ordered a saber from Parks last week....The man on the phone was nice and I was off the phone in 3 and a half minutes...they say 12 to 14 weeks for delivery...let's see how it goes....*crossing fingers*
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Post by ceejay928 on Jun 23, 2005 18:54:01 GMT -5
I heard about this long ago, where they were petitioning to ban Parks. They got a lot of people supporting. Its terrible. Even now, things are not resolved and I don't think he cares. Sad..... His work is great. I guess he fell down the path of the dark side where money, greed, and the ability to take a rare original mpp flashgun.
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Post by Starkindler (The Naked Jedi) on Jun 23, 2005 20:12:34 GMT -5
If he sent the original overseas to China for examination and use in the production process then his options would be quite limited if they did not return it intact and decided to keep some of the parts. He could be caught in the middle and feeling frustrated and helpless.....not that it excuses his responses....because it does not. It seems to me that the guys in China either decided to keep certian parts or destroyed them in the process - replaced them - and figured either no one would notice or be able to do anything about it. A bad situation that Parks should make good on by paying you for the MPP and also returning the parts if he ever gets them back.
A crying shame too....since from what I've seen surfing around his sabers are up at the top in looks, value/price, and quality....and now I have to re-think ordering from him.
BTW; MODS doesn't this thread realy belong in the feedback area??
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Post by Bel-Den Shaw on Jun 23, 2005 20:24:04 GMT -5
its not really feedback because i never bought anything from him just asking a question about it?
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Jun 23, 2005 21:45:35 GMT -5
BTW; MODS doesn't this thread realy belong in the feedback area?? No, it's a question about a vendor, but I do think it belongs in the lightsaber forum.
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Post by Ani-Chay Pinn on Jun 23, 2005 22:39:57 GMT -5
I ordered an EL saber from Parks last Feb. He promised 12 weeks delivery, probably in time for the Ep III premiere. It arrived in 6 weeks. If I could have figured out how to get it in my luggage I could have taken it to CIII. I have no idea why I got it so soon. My assumption is that someone who had ordered the same thing (it was just one of his standard light sabers from his web site, nothing customized) cancelled.
So, my transaction with Parks was good. The lightsaber did go over well at the Ep III premiere... ;D... even though the stormtroopers and Sith still got all the photo ops.
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