Aero Leather is only a Business...

[jpk_NJ]

If the OP's story is all true, then IMO that is just extremely poor taste / lack of class on Aero's behalf. Everyone / every organization is capable of making an exception if they choose to do so. Especially for a repeat customer who politely asks for it. Not just a "buyer's remorse" or "got drunk one night order a car on eBay and ask for deal to be void". Anyway, Hope your overall luck / situation improves Tefouane

 

[mtrlr]

Sorry to learn about the accident, hope you are not hurt physically. Despite whatever others had said, and despite the fact that it is probably perfectly legal for Aero to keep the deposit, but I believe it would have shown class if they did not. Just imagine the free publicity.

Small businesses thrive on personal relationships, and word of mouth. Anyone running a small business would understand, small business owners bend their own rules, all the time, for their loyal and repeat customers. Not saying Aero is at fault, just saying from what I've seen, and from my own previous experience as small business owner.

 

[Hh121]

Stop call Aero is a small business, they have considerable business in U.S, Europe and Asian.
LW and Goodwear are small business, Aero is not.

 

[mtrlr]

True, that's probably why it's business by the rules only now, LOL

 

[Superfluous]

IMHO, there are two different issues at play: legal obligations vs. good will and reasonable customer accommodations. Aero undeniably was permitted to retain the OP's deposit. As others have noted, that is the fundamental purpose of a "deposit." On the other hand, Aero obviously is capable of waiving its legal rights and returning a non-refundable deposit when unique circumstances and/or equitable considerations justify the deviation from traditional practices. Importantly, Aero had not yet commenced production of the jacket (and presumably did not purchase any materials specifically for this jacket); therefore, Aero had not incurred any costs associated with the order. Moreover, Aero has plenty of orders in the que and no doubt moved on to its next order without skipping a beat. Thus, Aero's retention of the OP's deposit was a complete windfall for Aero -- free money for having done nothing more than accepting the order. Yes, Aero was legally entitled to retain this windfall. However, I personally would have preferred if Aero returned the OP's deposit as a benevolent act of good will for a long time customer who encountered an unforeseen hardship.

The fact that Aero returned the entire payment for one of the two jackets weighs in Aero's favor and deserves recognition. Aero did not turn a blind eye to the OP. Rather, Aero did return some of his money.

Lastly, I recognize that there may be more to this story and/or a history that changes the equities and further justifies Aero's decision.

 

[Jejupe]

Lastly, I recognize that there may be more to this story and/or a history that changes the equities and further justifies Aero's decision.

My thoughts exactly. I'm a long time Aero customer, a good one I dare say, having bought around 20 jackets directly from them. Most of them from their sales page, but maybe 7-8 as custom orders. I've never been asked for a deposit or a prepayment. One time I decided to cancel a custom order because I bought similar jacket from sales page during lead time - no problem. Few times I've decided to change my order during lead time - no problem. Many sales pages purchases I had to return, because of poor fit or simply because I didn't like the jacket - no hiccups with refunds.

 

[robrinay]

Now that’s interesting, I’ve never been asked to pay up front or to leave a deposit by Aero Leather either. Has their business practice changed recently or was the order taken by an agent with a different practice to Aero?

 

[zebedee]

Aero now has a non-refundable deposit in place. It's recent- had it on my CR a couple of months ago.

 

[dinomartino1]

I am very sorry for what happened.
But please do not be upset or even mad, not worth it. All the claim from those makers saying they have best customer service, they always stand behind their product or for any reason you are not satisfied you can always return the product are bullxxxx.
The only thing they want is your money, which is why they start this business.
Having said that, I don't think they did anything wrong.
P.S Family business doesn't mean anything, think about Corleone family, just joking.

I feel sorry for you but if you where aware and agreed to the terms and conditions they did nothing wrong.

Some people have blind loyalty to jacket makers, I am not in that category.
I have had disagreements with Ken on the VLJ forum [but in a civil manner] so I am no shill for aero .

Poor customer service, very long wait times, weeks to respond to emails with no phone contacts is one of the reasons why my latest jacket was from aero.
Mine would be classed as a custom jacket as the waistband was made wider than stock and it was cut shorter, the jacket was too short [my fault], they paid the return postage and I received the same model jacket but requested different leather and lining and was not charged a restocking fee or any other cost but the return postage and that was the first time I have bought from them.

 

[Imuricecreamman]

Just seems like a bad business decision on Aero's part. Even if they did nothing wrong here that I can see as they had the opportunity to cement their relation to OP forever if they redunded the deposit as well. Instead OP makes a principle of that relationship being over on the part of Aero's reluctance to yield on one of the principles of their business.

 

[dan_t]

Simple, don’t cancel your order. Rather ask them to leave it on hold & reinvigorate the order within the next 12 months. I’d bet they’d be open to something along these lines.

 

[Tefouane]

Simple, don’t cancel your order. Rather ask them to leave it on hold & reinvigorate the order within the next 12 months. I’d bet they’d be open to something along these lines.

I would like a lot but I really need this money...

 

[Carlos840]

Sorry to learn about the accident, hope you are not hurt physically. Despite whatever others had said, and despite the fact that it is probably perfectly legal for Aero to keep the deposit, but I believe it would have shown class if they did not. Just imagine the free publicity.

Small businesses thrive on personal relationships, and word of mouth. Anyone running a small business would understand, small business owners bend their own rules, all the time, for their loyal and repeat customers. Not saying Aero is at fault, just saying from what I've seen, and from my own previous experience as small business owner.

Problem with that logic is "when do you stop expecting a small business to bend the rules for you?"
My brother runs an online instrument shop, he has had a guy ask to return an instrument after three months, his excuse "my wife found out i bought it and didn't want me to, please can i return it for a full refund? She is a nightmare to live with." He refused, the guy started slandering him online.
Everyone will always feel that their excuse is different and warrents special treatment!
Had Aero given the OP his deposit back, the only publicity they would have had was the fact that a non refundable deposit can be refunded with the right excuse and more people would have tried to do it.
I'm sorry that the OP had an accident, but IMO if you don't have enough savings to deal with a potential car break down/crash you don't have enough savings to spend £1250 on two jackets!

 

[Seb Lucas]

There are plenty of examples of Aero being gracious and generous too - many more than this one disgruntled contribution. I would get things in perspective before breaking out the torches and pitchforks and describing Aero as bad business people or lacking class.

Yes, they are a business and, as a business they have often, very often gone above and beyond for their customers. It's also the case that we only have a part of this story and a rush to judgment on that basis is unwarranted.

 

[Tefouane]

Problem with that logic is "when do you stop expecting a small business to bend the rules for you?"
My brother runs an online instrument shop, he has had a guy ask to return an instrument after three months, his excuse "my wife found out i bought it and didn't want me to, please can i return it for a full refund? She is a nightmare to live with." He refused, the guy started slandering him online.
Everyone will always feel that their excuse is different and warrents special treatment!
Had Aero given the OP his deposit back, the only publicity they would have had was the fact that a non refundable deposit can be refunded with the right excuse and more people would have tried to do it.
I'm sorry that the OP had an accident, but IMO if you don't have enough savings to deal with a potential car break down/crash you don't have enough savings to spend £1250 on two jackets!

totally absurd! I actually had this money available for the purchase of these jackets but it is far from the price of a car! I do not know many people in my entourage able to pay cash a car ....

 

[Mich486]

Well I guess the point is that €230 will be barely enough to pay for 2 new tyres so how this amount of money is going to change the situation in the context of getting a seriously damaged (?) car fixed/replaced is difficult to understand. If you really are that stretched maybe then it wasn’t the wisest decision to purchase 2 high end jackets in rapid succession. Anyway I hope you’ll get it sorted sooner rather than later.

Yes Aero are a business with a good customer service nothing more nothing less (not a charity like someone sometimes seems to imply)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Monitor]

Problem with that logic is "when do you stop expecting a small business to bend the rules for you?"
Everyone will always feel that their excuse is different and warrents special treatment!
Had Aero given the OP his deposit back, the only publicity they would have had was the fact that a non refundable deposit can be refunded with the right excuse and more people would have tried to do it.
I

This, a hundred times.

Was just typing the same thing.

I feel for the OP but how should the next person who didn't get the deposit back feel just because they didn't take the matter public?

I'd sure feel like an idiot. Worse, I'd feel like Aero's taking me for an idiot.

And that would be truly classless and in a poor taste on Aero's behalf.

It's just something you agree upon when doing business with Aero. Or any other company with the same rules, for that matter.
"But we're gonna keep the deposit if you give up on your order, is that okay?"
"Sure, sounds good to me."
So what's the problem?

 

[Tefouane]

This, a hundred times.

Was just typing the same thing.

I feel for the OP but how should the next person who didn't get the deposit back feel just because they didn't take the matter public?

I'd sure feel like and idiot. Worse, I'd feel like Aero's taking me for an idiot.

And that would be truly classless and in a poor taste on Aero's behalf.

It's just something you agree upon when doing business with Aero. Or any other company with the same rules, for that matter.
"But we're gonna keep the deposit if you give up on your order, is that okay?"
"Sure, sounds good to me."
So what's the problem?

I would have been ok if the jacket was made...here it's not the case. Not even started....

 

[Peter Bowden]

If a precedent is established of refunding a deposit it would apply to every customer new or old

 

[Jejupe]

What’s the point of deposit, if you can get it back when you tell that you really need it back?

Everybody and their cousin would come up with a sad story why they should be the exception and get their money back.

If this deposit indeed is a new standard for Aero, I’m pretty sure that the reason for this are people who make their orders without full commitment to pay for them no matter what. Aero has in the past probably heard their fair share of stories about wrecked cars, sick cats and surprise electric bills which have made the customers unable to pay for the jackets they have ordered.