rippsnorter
New in Town
- Messages
- 45
- Location
- Olympia, WA, USA
Since I was basically called a troll in another thread for saying anything bad about Aero, here's my experience. I believe people should have the ability to make an informed judgement about a company they are going to do business with, and should see the bad as well as the good. I originally purchased from Aero based solely on all the many good threads and posts here, and because I could not find anything bad about them. I wish I would have found anyone with the courage to say they had any problems with them.
This is only my experience. I cannot speak for anyone else. There are a lot of good threads about great customer service with them. I strongly encourage people to make up their own mind, and not to discount them simply from my experience or someone elses good experience.
Here's the short version. I ordered a jacket from Mark Moye in June/July of 2011. After nearly a year I barely managed to get my money back after Mark's fiasco. I started over with Aero Leather in Scotland in April of 2012, and finally, around the first of August, 2013, I received my coats. During this period I was forgotten multiple times, and among other things, Aero accidentally charged my card and took 5 months to refund it, amid multiple reminders and requests at my end. The last coat still is not right, but I am too tired of dealing with it all to pursue it further, since they are usable.
This is an excerpt from one of the final emails I sent to Ken at Aero detailing most of my history of problems.
In June and July of 2011 I ordered a jacket from Mark Moye at AeroleatherUSA, your distributor. After nearly a year of excuses and lies, he finally closed his shop down, supposedly without ever contacting you with my order. It took me another 3 to 4 months before I finally got my money back from the credit card company.
Aero leather Scotland offered a 20% discount to those of us who had been burned by Mark. I accepted this, and ended up ordering 2 jackets.
In April of 2012 (14 months ago) I contacted Amanda and Ken and got my order placed for the 2 jackets. I was assured of a 3 month turn around time and that my jacket would be placed in priority.
In November of 2012 I was told that there had been another big crisis and that Amanda along with some others had made quite a mess and Ken would be taking over full time. Apparently my order had been lost and finally found. I was assured my jackets would be given highest priority and would be here as quick as possible, hopefully before Christmas. I was told that Aero would work on overtime to get them done. I said no, just make the Bootlegger first and ship me the second jacket separately so that no one had to work overtime. I was told that the second jacket would have free shipping since I was gracious enough to wait for it.
On December 20th I received an email that the Bootlegger had been shipped. I obviously did not get it in time for Christmas, but did receive it on Dec. 28th, and despite the long delays I was very happy with the quality and fit. My second jacket was supposed to be along very quickly as well.
On February 1st, 2013, well over a month after the Bootlegger, I finally received a shipping notification of my second jacket. For some reason my credit card info was saved and was billed, as well as billing me for shipping. I did not want to use that credit card for that order, and was told my credit card info was destroyed prior to this. I was very disappointed that it took so long to ship since it was supposed to be right behind the Bootlegger, as well as upset about the credit card billing.
On February 10th, 2013 I contacted Ken with a list of problems with my 1930s Half-belt. Incorrect hardware, sleeves shorter than ordered, as well as a bad fit.
On February 13th, 2013 Holly contacted me and said:
"Ken said there’s a problem with your jacket and that the front has been made incorrectly… he said he’s investigated and found an error on the pattern!"
and asked to return the jacket, and that Aero would reimburse me for return shipping as well as the original shipping fee that was supposed to be free. I was told I would be contacted as soon as the jacket was received at the factory. After some more emails it was shipped out on Feb. 27th, 2013.
I waited for an email that the returned jacket had been received. Nothing. I finally emailed April 4th, 2013 asking if the jacket had gotten there. Yes it had. I finally ran the tracking number and it had been received by the factory on March 12th, 2013. Almost a month earlier. Nothing was done about it however.
After numerous emails asking about my refunds, asking about my jacket, and nothing being done, I was told to supply my Credit Card info for a refund as the info had been destroyed. I called, since I did not want to give it over email. Nothing happened. I sent emails over a few weeks, and finally Christine called me and got my CC info again (said she had destroyed the other one again accidentally) and finally, on May 22nd 2013, 5 months after the initial refund was supposed to be processed, I was refunded my shipping costs. 5 months to wait for a refund seems extreme.
Christine informed me that Ken wanted to call me before the week was over and asked if 8 to 9 am my time would work. Yes it would. Ken never called me that week. The next week I went back to work on different schedule and Ken called me. This was a bad time for me as I was at work then. After a discussion about the sleeves, Ken said he would send me a picture of the jacket in question (keep in mind this is 3 months after I received an improperly made jacket and it was just now being discussed seriously) and said he would call me back right away after the pictures had been sent.
It is now June 16th. I have never heard anything more from anyone at Aero about my jacket, and it has been 3 weeks. It has been 5 and a half months ago that I was charged in full for the second jacket. I had to pay with a credit card so I had some protection from fraud. I've been paying interest on a jacket I do not have for nearly 6 months.
I have now been dealing with Aero Scotland and Ken himself for longer than I dealt with Mark Moyes fraud in the first place.
Finally, Denny (not Ken) replied to me and managed to (with some delays) get my final coat to me, albeit with an extra pocket and some small problems in fit, but which I did finally accept.
This is only my experience. I cannot speak for anyone else. There are a lot of good threads about great customer service with them. I strongly encourage people to make up their own mind, and not to discount them simply from my experience or someone elses good experience.
Here's the short version. I ordered a jacket from Mark Moye in June/July of 2011. After nearly a year I barely managed to get my money back after Mark's fiasco. I started over with Aero Leather in Scotland in April of 2012, and finally, around the first of August, 2013, I received my coats. During this period I was forgotten multiple times, and among other things, Aero accidentally charged my card and took 5 months to refund it, amid multiple reminders and requests at my end. The last coat still is not right, but I am too tired of dealing with it all to pursue it further, since they are usable.
This is an excerpt from one of the final emails I sent to Ken at Aero detailing most of my history of problems.
In June and July of 2011 I ordered a jacket from Mark Moye at AeroleatherUSA, your distributor. After nearly a year of excuses and lies, he finally closed his shop down, supposedly without ever contacting you with my order. It took me another 3 to 4 months before I finally got my money back from the credit card company.
Aero leather Scotland offered a 20% discount to those of us who had been burned by Mark. I accepted this, and ended up ordering 2 jackets.
In April of 2012 (14 months ago) I contacted Amanda and Ken and got my order placed for the 2 jackets. I was assured of a 3 month turn around time and that my jacket would be placed in priority.
In November of 2012 I was told that there had been another big crisis and that Amanda along with some others had made quite a mess and Ken would be taking over full time. Apparently my order had been lost and finally found. I was assured my jackets would be given highest priority and would be here as quick as possible, hopefully before Christmas. I was told that Aero would work on overtime to get them done. I said no, just make the Bootlegger first and ship me the second jacket separately so that no one had to work overtime. I was told that the second jacket would have free shipping since I was gracious enough to wait for it.
On December 20th I received an email that the Bootlegger had been shipped. I obviously did not get it in time for Christmas, but did receive it on Dec. 28th, and despite the long delays I was very happy with the quality and fit. My second jacket was supposed to be along very quickly as well.
On February 1st, 2013, well over a month after the Bootlegger, I finally received a shipping notification of my second jacket. For some reason my credit card info was saved and was billed, as well as billing me for shipping. I did not want to use that credit card for that order, and was told my credit card info was destroyed prior to this. I was very disappointed that it took so long to ship since it was supposed to be right behind the Bootlegger, as well as upset about the credit card billing.
On February 10th, 2013 I contacted Ken with a list of problems with my 1930s Half-belt. Incorrect hardware, sleeves shorter than ordered, as well as a bad fit.
On February 13th, 2013 Holly contacted me and said:
"Ken said there’s a problem with your jacket and that the front has been made incorrectly… he said he’s investigated and found an error on the pattern!"
and asked to return the jacket, and that Aero would reimburse me for return shipping as well as the original shipping fee that was supposed to be free. I was told I would be contacted as soon as the jacket was received at the factory. After some more emails it was shipped out on Feb. 27th, 2013.
I waited for an email that the returned jacket had been received. Nothing. I finally emailed April 4th, 2013 asking if the jacket had gotten there. Yes it had. I finally ran the tracking number and it had been received by the factory on March 12th, 2013. Almost a month earlier. Nothing was done about it however.
After numerous emails asking about my refunds, asking about my jacket, and nothing being done, I was told to supply my Credit Card info for a refund as the info had been destroyed. I called, since I did not want to give it over email. Nothing happened. I sent emails over a few weeks, and finally Christine called me and got my CC info again (said she had destroyed the other one again accidentally) and finally, on May 22nd 2013, 5 months after the initial refund was supposed to be processed, I was refunded my shipping costs. 5 months to wait for a refund seems extreme.
Christine informed me that Ken wanted to call me before the week was over and asked if 8 to 9 am my time would work. Yes it would. Ken never called me that week. The next week I went back to work on different schedule and Ken called me. This was a bad time for me as I was at work then. After a discussion about the sleeves, Ken said he would send me a picture of the jacket in question (keep in mind this is 3 months after I received an improperly made jacket and it was just now being discussed seriously) and said he would call me back right away after the pictures had been sent.
It is now June 16th. I have never heard anything more from anyone at Aero about my jacket, and it has been 3 weeks. It has been 5 and a half months ago that I was charged in full for the second jacket. I had to pay with a credit card so I had some protection from fraud. I've been paying interest on a jacket I do not have for nearly 6 months.
I have now been dealing with Aero Scotland and Ken himself for longer than I dealt with Mark Moyes fraud in the first place.
Finally, Denny (not Ken) replied to me and managed to (with some delays) get my final coat to me, albeit with an extra pocket and some small problems in fit, but which I did finally accept.
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