Sanitized and Ready to Smoke

[AroEnglish]

Choose to pay offline during the checkout send call with your intent. 20% down with an 8 week limit.

Does the pipe have to be a certain price to be eligible for the layaway?

 

[anotherbob]

If only Karl Wallenda hadn't made that one small mistake in 1978...

With 70 years experience high wire walking you'd think he'd have known better, right?

That's not how physical reality works (in this Universe, anyway). Perfection in performance is physically impossible. It can only be a goal.

And someone's worth on that score---or a company's---is determined by their track record (measured in percentage terms) and their intent.

I once returned an item to SP that had been misrepresented in a small (but important to me) way.

Not only was the situation resolved asap without drama or pushback of any kind, several months later at the Chicago show the person who'd made the mistake tracked me down and apologized personally.

No, I'm not shitting you.

That's the mindset there.

shit happens, it's how a company handles it that makes the difference. And every single company is made up of people, who aren't perfect and have off days.

 

[BarrelProof]

Does the pipe have to be a certain price to be eligible for the layaway?

I don’t think so. They won’t guarantee that tobacco is available for seven days, but I don’t think there’s a limit with the pipes. I’ve only done it once and it was to get a few more photos/details of an estate, so I’m not entirely up to speed on the process.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Does the pipe have to be a certain price to be eligible for the layaway?

Not at all.

 

[didimauw]

Not at all.

Ok I've heard you mention this countless times. But I've never seen it advertised. Who'dya gotta know to get this special treatment??? Lol

 

[Chasing Embers]

Ok I've heard you mention this countless times. But I've never seen it advertised. Who'dya gotta know to get this special treatment??? Lol

Just place an offline order and call them to setup the layaway. It used to be in their FAQ page but I no longer see it.

 

[Heypat]

When it comes to a clean pipe, I always clean it myself regardless of what is advertised. This includes new pipes in the box, everything gets cleaned.

 

[anotherbob]

oh and depending on the size of the order 15% could be a lot more then the cost of that particular pipe.

 

[BarrelProof]

Ok I've heard you mention this countless times. But I've never seen it advertised. Who'dya gotta know to get this special treatment??? Lol

It’s listed as a payment method on the checkout screen.

 

[Chasing Embers]

It’s listed as a payment method on the checkout screen.

Is it? I've only ever seen offline payment there.

 

[BarrelProof]

Is it? I've only ever seen offline payment there.

That’s what I’m talking about. That’s how you get the ball rolling if you do an online order, select “offline payment” as the payment option. Then you have to call and follow up.

 

[badbriar]

Embers is corrrect about 'Not Really". I just received a very nice limited edition estate from the same source, that is in absolutely excellent condition - and was not cleaned at all. A presentation box that was listed in the pipe's description was missing upon arrival as well. That used to be very unusual for them. Seems that as of late, we are hearing more abut fine estates not being cleaned per their statement on the web site.
Personally, I am willing to pay a premium for estates that are in nice condition and expertly cleaned. If estates are not cleaned, just say so and charge accordingly.

 

[BarrelProof]

Embers is corrrect about 'Not Really". I just received a very nice limited edition estate from the same source, that is in absolutely excellent condition - and was not cleaned at all. A presentation box that was listed in the pipe's description was missing upon arrival as well. That used to be very unusual for them. Seems that as of late, we are hearing more abut fine estates not being cleaned per their statement on the web site.
Personally, I am willing to pay a premium for estates that are in nice condition and expertly cleaned. If estates are not cleaned, just say so and charge accordingly.

Let me know if I can help.

 

[mso489]

This thread reminds me of a fine old seafood restaurant in Morehead City, N.C., with the old time promotional name, "Sanitary Fish Market." My first jokey response was, "Oh, thank goodness." But when it was named in maybe the 1930's, it addressed an issue. It's still a sanitary restaurant, but also a pleasant one on the waterfront with excellent seafood, chowder, shrimp salad, and so on. I like their Spanish mackerel when they're running. Another specialty is soft shell crab, again on a seasonal basis.

 

[badbriar]

Let me know if I can help.

It's all good! Gorgeous pipe!!!

 

[Fumatore]

Question. How does one get the cake out of the very bottom of a pipe bowl? I have purchased some estate pipes on eBay that were so clean you would have thought they were new.

 

[mosin1932]

Yeaaaaaah... I would have preferred to see them offer either a 15% Refund OR 15% off your next purchase with free shipping; and, close by asking: "Which remedy would YOU prefer?".

When I had my Fender franchise, I would always ask the less-than-happy customer: "What would like to see happen at this point?".

Yes, I received plenty of outrageous and unreasonable requests of over-the-top compensation - we are talking guitarists and bassists here after all LOL! - from Certain Creatively Opportunistic types - which of course were not met; but, we are talking less than 5% of the former customer base who had issues which needed to be addressed.

95% of customer base who did experience a service issue, were quite reasonable and in the end, very happy.

The point being: When quickly, properly, and serviced in a manner which is satisfactory to all, your customers learn to trust you and they bond deeply with you - rather than having these experiences break the Dealer/Customer relationship.

From the wording and presentation in the email, the way their 'offer to correct' comes across - while serviced - has a slightly bad air of only making good on their earlier failure to you as the customer, IF you insert additional money.

Whatever happened to just taking care of the customer who already gave you their money and trust - without additional conditions?

I am somewhat uneasy with these dictated conditions of their offer to remedy, which hinges on an added expenditure on your part. - Sherm Natman

This seems to be becoming more the norm, I don't know if it's the overall customer service decline/apathy I noticed after COVID, or the businesses trying any way to save money like they got away with during the "shutdown" (AKA one of the largest upward transfers of wealth in history, where the elite were allowed to throw parties while mandating you stay at home). If they send you a defective product and then expect you to pay for shipping to make it right, then you are essentially just paying more for the item you originally purchased and having the privilege of having to wait longer to receive it. I'm tempted to write my congressman it has gotten so bad. Sorry for the rant lol.

 

[AJL67]

Not always....

View attachment 209380

Seems about right. The first estate pipe I bought the seller said sanitized and ready to smoke, i packed a bowl (I was a complete noob then .. .and now) then i thought about it so i wet a pipe cleaner and ran it into the stem, not through the stem that took a bit of work as i pushed a 40 yr old glob of tar out of the stem ... took me a good while and many many pipe cleaners and Qtips to actually pass one cleanly, now i don't care what they say or who i buy it from, no offense, I'm checking it and giving it a cleaning that i call clean.