Dillon Precision - not what it used to be

.38SuperMan said:

Some of you are missing my point. I’m NOT COMPLAINING about 6 months. Sure I’d like to have them BUT IM COMPLAINING about them giving themselves a free loan with my money. Not huge money, something like $109 but in my book it’s unethical to flood a free loan on something they can’t deliver fairly quickly.

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You're totally complaining about six months. Every time we buy something online with a credit card, the company gets the money and we wait on the product. Sometimes it gets there in a week. Sometimes in a month. Is that too long? What about two months? What's your baseline? It's like setting the minimum wage. The popular number is $15 an hour. But why not $16? Why not $14? There's no science or economics behind it. It's just a number. Like your six months. Would you be good with five? Still mad at seven?

Muss Muggins said:

You're totally complaining about six months. Every time we buy something online with a credit card, the company gets the money and we wait on the product. Sometimes it gets there in a week. Sometimes in a month. Is that too long? What about two months? What's your baseline? It's like setting the minimum wage. The popular number is $15 an hour. But why not $16? Why not $14? There's no science or economics behind it. It's just a number. Like your six months. Would you be good with five? Still mad at seven?

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Did you read all of my comments. NO I am not complaining about 6 months. I’m complaining about using ones money for 6 months without delivering the product. And no most companies do not charge your card the moment you place an order if the item is out of stock. At least that’s the way companies I deal with work.

I think it is unethical of You to expect a free replacement of a thirty year old electronic scale.

Is “unethical” the proper word here? They have a policy and a process and they told you specifically how they will do it.

You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to agree with it. And you don’t have to give them any of your business.

How are their ethics in question?

And if we can agree that ethics are extremely important, I should think we’d agree that it is a very serious charge to question a company’s ethics.

Ok let’s discuss my providing my services for your company. You pay me today and I’ll provide my services in September. Get the picture?

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This is a perfect example.

You stated your terms clearly. If the service that you provide cannot be accomplished as well or at all by anyone else, and I need what you have, then YUP, I’m paying you and I’m waiting six months.

And if I don’t specifically need YOU, maybe I’m shopping elsewhere.

So these dies that you need for a SDB are proprietary (I’m guessing you know that, others may not), so you can ask Hornady, RCBS, Lee and Redding, but none of those guys are going to make your Dillon SDB work for 38/357.

Your option is to accept their “charge now, deliver whenever” or to not buy from them.

But that doesn’t make them unethical.

I bet if you sent them an e mail they would have reversed the charge.
Dillon is one of the best companies I have ever dealt with. Ever.

Read the warranty

Dillon does not have a lifetime warranty on electronic items, like the scale they replaced for you. They replace a 30 year old electronic device that was guaranteed for 1 year and you complain. New level of entitlement.

.38SuperMan said:

I’ve been a business owner for thirty five years and I consider it unethical to charge a client for my services 6 months before I deliver the product. You as the customer are floating them a free 6 month loan. They’re using your money free for six months. In my book that’s unethical. The flip side, how about I get the dies and then pay you in 6 months with no interest? It doesn’t work that way.

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Are pre-paid funeral arrangements unethical?

Sounds like they have a cash flow problem. If they keep that up they'll be out of business in a year. Only a fool would let a company use their money for six months before delivering a product. That's what bank loans are for. I'm not a bank.

ken158 said:

Now that your dies are paid for you won’t get hit for a higher price when the are finally shipped. Makes sense to me.

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Midway does NOT charge you until the item ships. BUT if the card doesn't go through, the order gets cancelled, and you lose your place, and the original pricing you had at the time of the sale. It is only the way it is now because they WANT it to be.

I agree about the not the same with out Mike. I race Buicks, and have gotten lots of stuff from T/A Performance across the street from Dillon down in Scottsdale. Dillon doesn't seem the same anymore according to my inside guy there.

ken158 said:

Are pre-paid funeral arrangements unethical?

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Everyone's going to die.

Not everyone is going to buy a dillion press.

Would you pay in full for a new car and wait 6 months to drive it off the lot?

I didn't think so.

.38SuperMan said:

Did you read all of my comments. NO I am not complaining about 6 months. I’m complaining about using ones money for 6 months without delivering the product. And no most companies do not charge your card the moment you place an order if the item is out of stock. At least that’s the way companies I deal with work.

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You could cancel the order, get a refund. Then, purchase when back in stock. Could be 6 months, could be longer and pay current pricing.

All this angst over $109?

I agree with the op. Don’t mind waiting if I have to but I should not have to pay until delivery. Had the same thing happen to me by another company. Sent them an email and they just ignored me. I bet Dillion won’t wait even 30 days for their money. I would call credit card company and have charges removed because of their attitude.

I certainly understand your concern with being charged now for something you won't get for months, but I don't think it is that rare today. As another mentioned, I think it was great of Dillon to replace your scale, it has been well known that electronic parts only get a one year warranty. Good luck getting your dies and consider lucky on the scale.

The last time I looked at my bank statement the annual interest on my checking account and money market account was a small fraction of 1%. I prepay my electricity by about a year and my propane by about a year. I pay my car and home insurance a year in advance. The loss of interest on these amounts is pathetically little for a much larger dollar amount and a longer time than a set of dies. I guess I am just a generous guy. It seems like we are living in uncharted times with supplies and materials being very uncertain.

I guess I'm happy for you that you have components to load 38/357.
You could get a refund and then buy a Lee Loader kit for $50-$75; if you can find a set. The Dillon SDB dies are only made and sold by Dillon, most of us know that. So, unless you can find a set on the used market, what else can you do?

I've ordered from different vendors and have been charged/not been charged when the order was placed; depending if item was in stock or back ordered. I wanted it, I ordered it and eventually I received my item and was happy. The past year has been hard on individuals and for businesses-especially businesses! Some didn't survive. Be glad that Dillon is still in business and can supply you with what you need. I'd loan a friend a $109 to get him buy for 6 months; they are replacing a 30 year old electronic scale for free, but all you see is Dillon using your $109 for 6 months until you get your dies? I really have mellowed out over the years! LOL

rh73 said:

Dillon does not have a lifetime warranty on electronic items, like the scale they replaced for you. They replace a 30 year old electronic device that was guaranteed for 1 year and you complain. New level of entitlement.

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Go back and read my post. I commended them for replacing my scale. When I bought the scale 30 years ago it was covered by their no BS replacement policy. Dillon replaced the scale I had with no issue. I believe that’s very commendable that they stood behind their warranty.

The scale isn’t even what this is about. I’m afraid I clouded the issue when I mentioned the scale. By the way they replaced the scale a few years ago and it’s still working great.

By the way, I have an RCBS Rock Chucker with 38/357 dies. I load with it but it’s slooooow and wanted to speed up the process because I’m shooting more 38’s right now.

This was all about a company, let’s say xyz company that bills your credit card even though they don’t have the product. I’m not hard up for money and I can load on my other press. That’s it, nothing more. Its about a company using customers money free of charge for months. Multiply my order by 500 or 1000 other customers back orders. Quite a sum of money, right.

As I mentioned I’ve owned a business for quite a long time. A few years ago I started seeing a trend from large corporations to simply not pay their bills. I spoke to a corporate attorney and she said companies do this knowing you won’t file suit because of the cost. She sad they might do it to 10% of their vendors and for a large company it amounted to tens of millions of dollars. Dillon isn’t that large but they’re taking advantage of their customers and overall they’re using a pretty sizable sum, I’d guess, of customers money free of interest.

I can’t imagine Dillon is hurting for money. If any industry is doing well it’s the shooting industry. If you look at suppliers no one has loading presses, dies, and rarely components. They simply can’t keep up with demand. I understand this and back orders aren’t the issue.

Interesting how things get turned around.

I don’t think it’s gotten turned around. All is well if you don’t like the practice but you are hammering again and again that they are doing this with evil intent.

I don’t agree that there is an ounce of malice in their policy. And bravo to a company that will do what they say and say what they do.

It’s ludicrous that you agreed to it if you are so upset with the policy.

Positive Dillon Experience too...

Funny the timing on this thread. I haves 1993 vintage 650 that I inherited from my cousin in 2014. He used it to feed a couple machine guns, so I have no idea how many rounds it processed. Since 2014, I have reloaded about 25,000 rounds on it.

In any event, Thursday night the indexing ring broke. Somehow while taking things apart I lost the index pawl spring. I called Dillon on Friday. After waiting on the line for about 5 minutes, a very knowledgeable gentleman answered. He was able to identify me through my phone number. I explained to him what I needed. In addition, he suggested that I should replace a couple of additions parts. Also, he said I would need an alignment tool to get everything back together. He said that everything was in stock and would ship right out. I offered my credit card number, he told me “nope, all covered under warranty, thanks for being a Dillon customer.”

Every business may occasionally stumble, I presume Dillon is no different. But for the most part the really shine.

You violated Rule #1
Never get rid of reloading stuff .
You never know when you will need it .
You will regret getting rid of it .
... once you get any reloading stuff or bullet moulds ... let the heir's figure out what to do with it after your gone ... only then will you not need it again .
I wrote in my will that all my reloading and bullet casting stuff goes in the box with me ... I'm going to see if the Lord will let me take it with me !
Gary

gwpercle said:

You violated Rule #1
Never get rid of reloading stuff .
You never know when you will need it .
You will regret getting rid of it .
... once you get any reloading stuff or bullet moulds ... let the heir's figure out what to do with it after your gone ... only then will you not need it again .
I wrote in my will that all my reloading and bullet casting stuff goes in the box with me ... I'm going to see if the Lord will let me take it with me !
Gary

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I can never understand why people sell reloading presses or associated bric-a-brac.

I paid for a thousand dollars worth of coated bullets from a well known bullet maker, have been waiting 18 weeks no bullets. I have been a loyal customer for years. The dies for a SDB being exclusive to that particular press is one thing but there are many coated lead bullet makers out there. There seems to be no sense of shame in the firearms industry right now.