Custom Order Deposits: Refund Seeking

ReForest

Michael Peterson status
Oct 7, 2020
3,071
4,555
113
Surfed with Keanu during the summer. Wade was out with Zeke, Seth, and Gen. They were swapping boards and giving Wade feedback. A drone was following Keanu and he threw a really high spray on a bs snap it almost got the drone. Keanu’s backhand surfing is super solid, his technique, where he positions his turn on a wave and his style is textbook. Plus he throws buckets for a smaller duu.
I was surfing Oside one afternoon and the waves were pretty fun. The tide was dropping and the waves were getting a little bit better shape but racey. I had to take off for work and went in just as Keanu and some of his San Clemente crew paddle out. As I was at the showers looking at the waves, I see these super fast 3 backside snaps in a row with spray shooting to the sky and it was Keanu. His backside games is sooo good. I know its the acher not the arrow, but i've been wanting to try one of his boards for a couple years now.

When i saw him at trestles with Ezra and Josh (Moniz) we talked and thats when he said I could check out some boards and he'd sell me one. I was stoked!
 
  • Like
Reactions: teeroi

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
6,931
17,273
113
San Diego, CA
I was surfing Oside one afternoon and the waves were pretty fun. The tide was dropping and the waves were getting a little bit better shape but racey. I had to take off for work and went in just as Keanu and some of his San Clemente crew paddle out. As I was at the showers looking at the waves, I see these super fast 3 backside snaps in a row with spray shooting to the sky and it was Keanu. His backside games is sooo good. I know its the acher not the arrow, but i've been wanting to try one of his boards for a couple years now.

When i saw him at trestles with Ezra and Josh (Moniz) we talked and thats when he said I could check out some boards and he'd sell me one. I was stoked!
Real missed opportunity to try to convert him to Tomoism. Did you even tell him about the QISC bottom??
:LOL:
 

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,596
3,597
113
California/Hawaii
So what is everyone's opinion on response time when ordering a custom?

Wanted to buy a new custom. Sent a detailed email with what I want and I still have no response a few days later. Nothing complicated. Simple performance shortboard. I get it is the busy season but how hard is responding to an email? Even a simple "I'm running behind right now and can respond to you in xxx...thanks for your patience."

I'm about to just go to the closest store and YOLO it since I am so over dealing with most shapers.
 

rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
11,534
5,832
113
54
So what is everyone's opinion on response time when ordering a custom?

Wanted to buy a new custom. Sent a detailed email with what I want and I still have no response a few days later. Nothing complicated. Simple performance shortboard. I get it is the busy season but how hard is responding to an email? Even a simple "I'm running behind right now and can respond to you in xxx...thanks for your patience."

I'm about to just go to the closest store and YOLO it since I am so over dealing with most shapers.
Week max depends on season but expect within 2 days some response. Pretty sure most dedicate email time before or after shop hours and if they don't I would not order a board.
 

rts265

Phil Edwards status
Oct 19, 2007
6,190
1,307
113
My latest order I gave the shaper a month to reply to my inquiry then I tried one more time and got my order in. To me, it’s worth it. I’m stoked he got me in. Will probably be a good 3 months until it’s done with the glassing delays
 

rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
11,534
5,832
113
54
My latest order I gave the shaper a month to reply to my inquiry then I tried one more time and got my order in. To me, it’s worth it. I’m stoked he got me in. Will probably be a good 3 months until it’s done with the glassing delays
Late last year early this year tried placing order to Malcom and within a day or so got automated response about long line etc etc way behind so I tried stretch and still was able to do in 8-10 weeks but point is a least MC had quick response and did not leave me hanging:shaka:
 

HSY

OTF status
Aug 15, 2011
210
188
43
So what is everyone's opinion on response time when ordering a custom?

Wanted to buy a new custom. Sent a detailed email with what I want and I still have no response a few days later. Nothing complicated. Simple performance shortboard. I get it is the busy season but how hard is responding to an email? Even a simple "I'm running behind right now and can respond to you in xxx...thanks for your patience."

I'm about to just go to the closest store and YOLO it since I am so over dealing with most shapers.
I would call. emails easily get lost and are sometimes handled by someone other than the shaper.
This just happened to me with Roberts the other day. Used his online email form, didn't hear back for a couple days so I called the factory.
Robert answered and after 10 minutes of talk i had a pic of my order form for confirmation and he had my deposit.
Super nice guy and really easy to talk with btw. He told me the guy who handles his online side has been really busy and might have missed my email. I've had a handful of his boards in the past but this is my first custom from him.
 

HSY

OTF status
Aug 15, 2011
210
188
43
I would call. emails easily get lost and are sometimes handled by someone other than the shaper.
This just happened to me with Roberts the other day. Used his online email form, didn't hear back for a couple days so I called the factory.
Robert answered and after 10 minutes of talk i had a pic of my order form for confirmation and he had my deposit.
Super nice guy and really easy to talk with btw. He told me the guy who handles his online side has been really busy and might have missed my email. I've had a handful of his boards in the past but this is my first custom from him.
Also just to add to positive shaper stoke, I've had customs from Larry Mabile (ghostbuster twinzer), Barry Snyder (WPF wide tail version), and Guy Okazaki. All were good, Larry and Barry experiences were above and beyond.
Mabile's assistant Mica (I think that's her name) was so on top of things through the whole process and even ended up driving my board up to LA for me for whatever I wanted to pay her (she said she could visit a friend to make it worth it).
Barry Snyder is just exactly who he presents himself as and is the most fair and down to earth hand shaper you'll ever meet. He actually drove my board up himself because it was done and he felt bad that I couldn't surf it (I was waiting on a trip down to SD to pick it up). He just made a surf trip out of it. Only problem with the whole thing was that he refused to use google or apple maps at the time (he used paper maps) and got a bit lost trying to find my house. ha!
 

casa_mugrienta

Duke status
Apr 13, 2008
43,209
17,640
113
Petak Island
So what is everyone's opinion on response time when ordering a custom?

Wanted to buy a new custom. Sent a detailed email with what I want and I still have no response a few days later. Nothing complicated. Simple performance shortboard. I get it is the busy season but how hard is responding to an email? Even a simple "I'm running behind right now and can respond to you in xxx...thanks for your patience."

I'm about to just go to the closest store and YOLO it since I am so over dealing with most shapers.
Go in person.

Can you imagine how much utter crap a shaper has to sift through via email?

I mean, on top of the emails he can read and actually make sense of, can you imagine how many other stupid fvckin inquiries he must get especially since corona? Not to mention tirekickers,

Meanwhile blanks are being delivered, customers are coming by to pick up boards, he's trying to deal with general business stuff, plus shape boards, and also design files...
 

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,596
3,597
113
California/Hawaii
Go in person.

Can you imagine how much utter crap a shaper has to sift through via email?

I mean, on top of the emails he can read and actually make sense of, can you imagine how many other stupid fvckin inquiries he must get especially since corona? Not to mention tirekickers,

Meanwhile blanks are being delivered, customers are coming by to pick up boards, he's trying to deal with general business stuff, plus shape boards, and also design files...
I couldn't imagine the amount of tire kickers a shaper gets everyday.

People asking for something stupid like "can you shape me a 7 ft asym based off a wavestorm rocker?" when you know they have no intention of actually ordering anything from you.
 
Last edited:

teeroi

Miki Dora status
Oct 21, 2007
5,107
9,269
113
eastside oahu
I couldn't imagine the amount of tire kickers a shaper gets everyday.

People asking for something stupid like "can you shape me a 7 ft asym based off a wavestorm rocker?" when you know they have no intention of actually ordering anything from you.
Support Daniel Jones. He took over a factory in the Sugar Mill. In house glassing. Saw Jared Daniel’s friend. Jared did some electrical work at the shop and said it’s up and running.

Arakawa is right in the same area as is Pyzel if you really need to YOLO an otr boar.

If you want to order a Tokoro from Wade or a Vesso from Kerry I suggest calling and making an appointment for in person meeting. Ordering a boar from them in November is an exercise in patience. Tons of visiting pros are getting their winter quivers done and team riders are dialing in last minute contest boars. Lucky to get it done by late January. Kerry’s wife Yukiko has been airbrushing boars 7 days a week.

A couple winters ago I went to order some boars and Steve the glasser who does the majority of the Tokoro and Vesso boars was dropping off finished boars and picking up shaped blanks. I told him thanks for putting my boars in the front of the line. He goes no problem I’ll just bump Medina’s boars. His title hopes will just have to wait. Haha. Glassers are probably sick of those kind of jokes like are you working hard or hardly working jokes.
 

grg

Phil Edwards status
Mar 11, 2006
5,882
1,199
113
Tuna Town/Baja
Alright I'll vent, as I am starting to get a wee bit frustrated.
Put an order in on Nov. 3rd, shaper we all know and love. Got the auto response of order received and credit card charged. So I waited a week, hoping to hear feedback on dims, which is the process. Later called and left a VM, no response, emailed earlier this week, just hoping to get an ETA/set my expectations on final dims, not delivery.

No response, really don't want cancel the order, but jeez...
your in line with all the others.

The process is you choose Dims and then the shaper is suppose to follow up? So glad I order boards Face to Face with the maker.
 
  • Love
Reactions: casa_mugrienta