Issues with Hardinge Online Store

Wasn't sure what forum to put this in but seems like an shop management type of thing.

<angry rant cause I don't have my collets>
Ordered three metric 16C collets from Hardinge thru their online store. When checking out it asked for payment and allowed me to select On Account or Credit Card. I selected On Account. Received order confirmation and everything looks good. UPS man shows up yesterday to delivery collets and they shipped it COD, sent UPS man on his way! Sent any email to sales per the instructions on the confirmation email. On reply. UPS man again today, still looking for a check. Called Hardinge today. They apologized that their website offered On Account as my account is set as COD (I sent credit references to them previously and assumed I had been approved). They are willing to ship a new order if I pay via credit card (no problem I don't really care that much) but they don't have one of the collets in stock so would have to wait for me to refuse the COD shipment so they can reship that collet. So I can either pay the COD fees and get my collets on Monday or refuse them and wait for them to get back to Hardinge so they can reship, probably take a week. So looks like I'll be stuck paying the COD fees so I can have my collets to run parts next week.

Really isn't that huge of a deal in the grand scheme of things. It's just a PITA. The website was incorrect. No one at Hardinge caught it and just shipped COD. The customer service rep I was talking too didn't really want to help and I had to pry info out of him. It's going to cost me extra $$ that it shouldn't have.

Thank you for listening.
</angry rant cause I don't have my collets>

I sympathize with you...but at least you got collets....my experience with Hardinge on ordering collets is so bad that I have begun to order from different manufacturers......sorry guys but I can not wait 6 weeks.

Hey, it's a perfectly legitimate rant. Back in the days when the HLV was the creme de la creme machine tool, people were accustomed to waiting however long it took to get one. Today Hardinge is just one of a huge crowd of TC builders, but they seem to think it's still 1970 and they don't have to compete for your business.

Once upon a time, I called Bridgeport to order a machine. Their guy said, "The person who handles sales is out to lunch, you'll have to call back." Right. So I called MSC and their BP clone showed up the next day. From what happened to Bridgeport a few years later I guess I must not have been the only one.

Yes, Hardinge collets are better made than just about anybody's but if you need the things to make parts and don't have 'em it wouldn't matter if they were free. At some point you have to move on.

When I saw the thread title I was positive somebody ordered something online thinking it was in stock, and found out later it was a 2-3 week back order. I haven't ordered anything from Hardinge this century, got tired of their lack of stock on the the shelves.

Hardinge should offer to refund you the UPS handling part of the COD charges.

Had something similar happen to me. Different supplier, different shipper. Anyway, I am in a rural area - PO box only. If shipping Purolator/UPS/FedEx/etc, I always tell the person on the phone (or make a comment if it's on-line) to put on the label "Hold and Call for Pickup xxx-yyy-zzzz". Anyway, a few days later, I get home to find a message from the depot that there's a parcel. I called back the next day to arrange pickup and they told me that they had shipped it back to the supplier. (They were suppose to hold it 5 business days - didn't even hold it for 2!) Called the supplier, etc, etc. Supplier ended up crediting me for the entire shipment, then re-ordered and charged $0 shipping....and sent it rush-overnight!!

Andrew

Oldwrench said:

Yes, Hardinge collets are better made than just about anybody's but if you need the things to make parts and don't have 'em it wouldn't matter if they were free. At some point you have to move on.

Click to expand...

I'm almost certain they're the best you can get.

John Welden said:

I'm almost certain they're the best you can get.

Click to expand...

Well, I guess I am too, but that's based on a lot of Hardinge collets in use in our plant that to my certain knowledge are 50 years old. I have to wonder, does that mean I can count on a new Hardinge collet being that good, or could it be another case of "they don't make 'em like they used to?"

In 50 years other dedicated quality-minded manufacturers can catch up. I mean, it's not like reverse engineering a 5C collet is much of a challenge. Seems likely somebody out there would offer the equivalent quality at a more affordable price. Frank Mari, are you reading this?

My experience with Hardinge collets is they are pacticing "continual improvement". The latest one that I have noticed is the radius in the slots next to the bearing area. I never had one crack at the slot but a sharp cornered cut in that area always looked like a potential problem. Over the years I have had them make special 2 step accuracy, special acuracy with grooves to clear cross pins, extra narrow slots, stainless emergency collets, all were reasonably priced and delivered in a timely fashion. If I needed them in a hurry I would not have sent them back over a $9.00 COD charge. Online with no human involved stuff happens. I have always ordered over the phone and an issue like account status would have been figured out before they shipped.

Oldwrench said:

Hey, it's a perfectly legitimate rant. Back in the days when the HLV was the creme de la creme machine tool, people were accustomed to waiting however long it took to get one. Today Hardinge is just one of a huge crowd of TC builders, but they seem to think it's still 1970 and they don't have to compete for your business.

Once upon a time, I called Bridgeport to order a machine. Their guy said, "The person who handles sales is out to lunch, you'll have to call back." Right. So I called MSC and their BP clone showed up the next day. From what happened to Bridgeport a few years later I guess I must not have been the only one.

Yes, Hardinge collets are better made than just about anybody's but if you need the things to make parts and don't have 'em it wouldn't matter if they were free. At some point you have to move on.

Click to expand...

Horrible customer service right there. Asking you to call them back. What nerve! A simple "We'll call you right back when the sales guy is done with lunch" would have resulted in a sold machine.
-Aaron

Andrew_D said:

Hardinge should offer to refund you the UPS handling part of the COD charges.

Had something similar happen to me. Different supplier, different shipper. Anyway, I am in a rural area - PO box only. If shipping Purolator/UPS/FedEx/etc, I always tell the person on the phone (or make a comment if it's on-line) to put on the label "Hold and Call for Pickup xxx-yyy-zzzz". Anyway, a few days later, I get home to find a message from the depot that there's a parcel. I called back the next day to arrange pickup and they told me that they had shipped it back to the supplier. (They were suppose to hold it 5 business days - didn't even hold it for 2!) Called the supplier, etc, etc. Supplier ended up crediting me for the entire shipment, then re-ordered and charged $0 shipping....and sent it rush-overnight!!

Andrew

Click to expand...

Hello Andrew,


We would like to investigate this situation further for you as the item should have been held for five business days. Can you please send the tracking number to [email protected]?

We look forward to hearing from you.


Kind Regards,

Julie Hotton
Customer Care Purolator Inc.
Tel: 1-888-744-7123
Purolator

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