1100 reasons to hate S&W customer service.

[CALREB]

Done,, if you will PM me your address I will be glad to send you a couple NOS, mainsprings, I will tweak one to add a couple oz of force, Also send a couple new strain screws, with a thinner head, will allow you to add some tension if you need to. Glad to do it , to welcome you to the forum.
I had some of the same issues with a 986 when they first came out. take care Bob

 

[slabside2]

It’s funny when someone post about a bad experience with their firearm some people post stop crying suck it up send the gun back they’ll fix it and they’ll make it right. That’s all fine and well until it happens to you when you spend your hard earned money and you’re disappointed when you have to play the send it back game. With that being said I did send my revolver back to be repaired it took 30 days to get back they did fix it properly and I’m happy with it but it’s still very frustrating especially for a new Smith and Wesson owner. It leaves a very bad taste in your mouth. Yes all companies have issues with their firearms that’s just the way it is but it still doesn’t make it any easier to accept. Sometimes it just makes you feel better to get it off your chest.

 

[sigp220.45]

I love my S&Ws but I’ve never found their customer service to be particularly good.

They’ve already had two chances at this gun: when they made it and when the OP sent it back the first time. I hope the third time is the charm.

 

[Sevens]

The fact that you can't have immediate satisfaction is the standard for everyone right now, so there really isn't much reason to write a novel about how you were done wrong.

Also, most members here really like S&W... obviously... and most members here think S&W customer service is pretty good. Between these two facts, I don't think you came to the right place for sympathy.

^^^^ DRECK

He showed extreme patience and sent it back, S&W did nothing to fix the problem and all evidence points to ...they did nothing to even test and experience the problem before failing to fix the problem.

Patience?! Nonsense. He’s welcome here and he has contemporaries here.. S&W makes a lot of shoddy products and we needn’t worry about offshore labor— their QC department is the end buyer these days.

 

[GaryS]

Funny, just posted about really good customer service. I'll just add that my initial phone call was handled very well. No squawk from S&W, they didn't even ask if I was the original owner.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/140852247-post171.html

 

[Tom_R]

If the gun went to S&W with the issue being ignition failure, and S&W made some changes, said it was in spec, and did NOT test fire it, I would be Furious too.

That is straight up BS.

A $450 M&P will work flawlessly right out of the box. A gun from the same company costing more than 2 times also should.

If it doesn’t work right out of the box when it comes back in, they need to ensure that it does work correctly by eliminating the issues.

A mistake happens? Correct it.
A bad one gets out there? Fix it.

What you cannot do under any circumstance is send the same problem right back to a paying customer.

That is bad business, it is inexcusable and illustrates a much larger problem.

 

[BB4XL]

1&done
I had similar problems with a 625PC. Immediately got light hits. Sent it back, it also looked unfired when I got it back. I had cleaned it in an ultra sound tank before sending it in. Still light hits would not fire half the time. First it was bad re loads so I tried 8 different factory loads. I even try Federal primers, they are softer. Long story short sent it back 5 times and it still was not right. Last time I get a note that states it is good as it gets. I call and am told the same thing by the Performance center manger.
I tried the C&S firing pin, it broke. Finally I shimmed the strain screw. I have a few different custom guns worked on by different smiths. I shot USPSA for years and saw and shot a lot of custom guns also. This was a custom Revolver, I bet Jerry Mclick’s works. He probably had to fix it himself. The Performance center did not impress me one bit. I have stronger language to describe them but I will refrain. It was funny because a few members on here flamed me and defended S&W. I was told wait and see. When nothing was fixed I was told I am a complainer and that the “Company was right”. I love S&W revolvers. I will never buy a new one. As far as I am concerned they can keep their guns.
Good luck with your problems. Figure you are on your own. Try a shim. I made 2 kept filing the first till the light hits started again. Made the second .010 thicker and it has worked fine,

 

[Echo40]

So my summation of that incredibly long speech is you had an issue with your gun, S&W took it back and replaced a bunch of stuff on their dime. It still had an issue but since S&W isn't accepting guns right now and refused to give you a refund on your say so, which they don't do BTW, you decided that the entire company and all their products are bad and you wanted everyone else to know it...I'd say they have done well by you so far, and that when their shop reopens for service again they would pay for shipping a second time and try again to solve the issue. Nobody likes having to have something new repaired, but it happens. S&W doesn't give refunds, if they can't repair a gun they will give you another gun. So either wait for the shop to reopen like everyone else is having to or sell it and go buy a Ruger if they're infallible. I didn't read one thing in that diatribe that they refused to do for you other than give you a refund because you don't want to wait...

The sad part is, folks do this with Taurus brand firearms all the time and nobody questions it. In fact, the closest thing to criticism they receive in response is for ever bothering to give Taurus a chance in the first place, complete with a "you could have spent a bit more and got a [insert approved brand name here] instead" thrown in for good measure.

 

[Squarebutt]

S&W may be on their summer shutdown now. They always close down for two weeks in July for maintenance and machinery upgrades.

 

[6string]

OP? Are you there?

I wonder if the OP has read any of this?
He layed out his gripe.
A lot of folks have written some good advice.
He's even been offered some free parts from a most generous member!
(see post by CALREB above)

Yet, not a word of reply....
I wonder how he treated the S&W folks in customer service???

 

[BONDOBOB]

So my summation of that incredibly long speech is you had an issue with your gun, S&W took it back and replaced a bunch of stuff on their dime. It still had an issue but since S&W isn't accepting guns right now and refused to give you a refund on your say so, which they don't do BTW, you decided that the entire company and all their products are bad and you wanted everyone else to know it...I'd say they have done well by you so far, and that when their shop reopens for service again they would pay for shipping a second time and try again to solve the issue. Nobody likes having to have something new repaired, but it happens. S&W doesn't give refunds, if they can't repair a gun they will give you another gun. So either wait for the shop to reopen like everyone else is having to or sell it and go buy a Ruger if they're infallible. I didn't read one thing in that diatribe that they refused to do for you other than give you a refund because you don't want to wait...

I don't know, my summation is that he got a S**t gun from a MFG that should be able to have new gun quality control and if not a above average repair dept to offset the 1st dept or charge 50% lower price for that gun or!!!!! replace it, that's how I figure and YES buy a superior product, Ruger

 

[lhump1961]

I'm not encouraged by the way people behave nowadays...

 

[anoblefox]

Bashing, Crying, & Whining

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

Just a little tip: Very few forum members are going to read your 3 LONG posts.

I was hoping all the replies would summarize the concerns without reading the first 3 posts.
It started out with a whine and I rapidly lost interest

 

[1&done]

I wonder if the OP has read any of this?
He layed out his gripe.
A lot of folks have written some good advice.
He's even been offered some free parts from a most generous member!

Thank you all for the replies!!

You gents at least have me laughing here and I needed that.

 

[1&done]

First thing I would have done is check the headspace.
Maybe I missed that part of the account? If so, please excuse the rendundancy of my post....

Hi 6string

I did check it, but I did not include in my original War&Peace posting.

Gap between back of cylinder and frame when gun is empty was ~0.077". With a cartridge in place gap was ~0.020". With my Super Redhawk it was ~0.062" and 0.004" using the same cartridge.

After the gun was serviced by S&W the gaps were essentially the same so I expected that this was normal for their firearms.

 

[1&done]

I'd say they have done well by you so far

Would you might clarifying the exact parts where they did well by me?

 

[Dougaz]

I'm surprised the thought police would allow any bashing or whining of any S&W product or CS.

 

[THEmodelof1989]

^^^^ DRECK

He showed extreme patience and sent it back, S&W did nothing to fix the problem and all evidence points to ...they did nothing to even test and experience the problem before failing to fix the problem.

Patience?! Nonsense. He’s welcome here and he has contemporaries here.. S&W makes a lot of shoddy products and we needn’t worry about offshore labor— their QC department is the end buyer these days.

Dreck eh? Negative sir.

Bottom line is, we are all in the same boat. The shop is literally closed right now. C-L-O-S-E-D. You can't send a gun in, I can't send a gun in, and your god may have created you, but not even he/she can send a gun back to the factory for repair work or warranty work of any kind at the moment. Why you ask? They are closed.

Him having contemporaries just means we have more than one vocal minority in the forum. Doesn't make him, or you right, but outliers are expected. We actually have a word for humans that don't understand delayed satisfaction, we call them children. They are cute when they are little.

 

[rubiranch]

TLDR: Smith & Wesson light primer strikes, followed up by poor customer service leaves me with an expensive gun suitable only for wall hanging.

I'm still waiting for the other 1098 reasons to hate S&W customer service.