Problem with M&P 10mm + Customer Service Nightmare

[mark_lives_things]

You are headed to Alaska in a few weeks… Just buy a Glock 10mm for your trip and deal with the S&W over time. Regardless of a “fix”, I would be hard pressed to trust it in your situation. When or if the S&W ever gets fixed, just sell or trade it and be done with it.

Nah, if I I get eaten by a bear, S&W customer service is just going to have to explain that to my family!

Kidding. I have a Model 69 in .44 mag that I can bring. It's a fine gun for this purpose, but I have a strong preference for semiautos over revolvers (which is why I bought a 10mm when I already had a .44).

 

[luvsmiths]

Mark, some of these responses boggle the mind and, quite frankly, are an embarrassment.
Like many others I've traded my heavy revolver for a 10mm. My 10mm Springfield Armory XD-M is a good gun, even better with the PRP trigger kit. Finding one might be a trick as SA has discontinued the 10mm XD-M and I suspect will replace it with a gussied up Elite version.
S&W has dropped the ball and you need a replacement. Glock 10mm is easy to find. Can you abide with their goofy grip angle? This is important for quick point shooting.

I don't think the grip angle would be any issue in this case- a Bear is a pretty big target!!

 

[luvsmiths]

If your brand new Ford truck breaks down, you take it back for warranty service and have it fixed for you on Ford's dime. If it keeps having problems despite being repaired under warranty, we even have lemon laws in place to protect the purchaser.

His pistol is also under warranty.

Don't even bother.... watch this instead. Heres to hoping Smith and Wesson comes through on THEIR problem for Mark.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJhvjaTIQ28[/ame]

 

[mark_lives_things]

Called S&W again today. They still can't tell me when they will be able to send me the magazines that they owe me. Ridiculous. I sent my magazines back on the condition that they'd be sending me new ones. It's been about month and they still haven't held up their end of the bargain.

 

[oworthsr]

Called S&W again today. They still can't tell me when they will be able to send me the magazines that they owe me. Ridiculous. I sent my magazines back on the condition that they'd be sending me new ones. It's been about month and they still haven't held up their end of the bargain.

I bought a 4" 10mm a month ago and immediately began shopping for additional magazines (to go with the two that came with the gun). No one has them, and S&W's CS folks said they could not even guestimate when S&W might have them. So I did my own research on S&W.

First, they are in process of relocating much/most of their production facilities to Tennessee. That relocation may explain the really crappy CS you've had to deal with.

Second, according to S&W's SEC filings they outsource the manufacture of their magazines to a third party. Don't know the name of that third party or where (which country) that third party's shop is. IF that third party manufacturer is off-shore (and I'll bet it is, for cost savings purposes if nothing else), then magazines might be (a) caught up in the California in-bound shipping nightmare, (b) backlogged due to raw materials/supplies issues, or (c) both of the above.

This is not an excuse for lousy CS. I can put up with vendor delays so long as the vendor is honest, candid and timely in his/her reply. But if those three attributes are missing, then I get really unhappy (just as the OP is).

I have a similar issue with a 2018 Explorer Sport - bubbling paint on the aluminum hood that, according to the Explorer Forum, is a well-known problem AND covered by Ford's 5-year warranty on aluminum body panels. Even so, the local Ford dealer's CS has been pitiful - not responding to my status reports, then the continual run-around. Fortunately for me, I know the dealer and am ready to unload on him.

In the S&W case, one of my former business partners is a long-time outside advisor to S&W's parent company (the public company). I'm ready to have a general discussion with him about the state of S&W's aftermarket (CS) support (e.g. no magazines for sale) and similar observations. It will be interesting to learn his perspective on these issues.

I will post here any findings from my conversation that may be of interest.

 

[luvsmiths]

First, they are in process of relocating much/most of their production facilities to Tennessee. That relocation may explain the really crappy CS you've had to deal with.

And what is the reason for the last ten years of crappy CS? The future relocation? They've been awful for a long long time.

 

[luvsmiths]

Called S&W again today. They still can't tell me when they will be able to send me the magazines that they owe me. Ridiculous. I sent my magazines back on the condition that they'd be sending me new ones. It's been about month and they still haven't held up their end of the bargain.

I guess they figure with no magazines you can't try to shoot the gun that doesn't work, and make more videos that they can't figure out. They've essentially assured that they stop hearing from you about a non working gun, and switched up the narrative to "where are my magazines", hoping that when you get them you'll be so overjoyed to just have a complete package that you stop bothering them about the fact that it won't work.

 

[mark_lives_things]

Still haven't received magazines or word from S&W. They received the magazines they told me to send in for exchange 38 days ago. At what point is it fair to say that they effectively stole those magazines from me? This sure doesn't feel like much of an "exchange."

 

[dla]

Still haven't received magazines or word from S&W. They received the magazines they told me to send in for exchange 38 days ago. At what point is it fair to say that they effectively stole those magazines from me? This sure doesn't feel like much of an "exchange."

Why are you telling us? Because someone told you to "tell an adult" when you have a problem?

Update us when this is resolved, not before.

 

[waffles]

Why are you telling us? Because someone told you to "tell an adult" when you have a problem?

Update us when this is resolved, not before.

Are you a major shareholder in Smith and Wesson or something? Guy details problems with his pistol, you jump down his throat. Guy details continued awful customer service, same deal. This is a forum for discussing smith and wesson products, and it is useful for those of us still buying guns to know how S&W is treating its customers. It doesn't hurt you, breaks no rules, and helps other consumers make an informed decision.

 

[swsig]

Unlike some on this thread, I do have empathy for your situation, as it took S&W over three months to deliver me a proper replacement for a defective recoil spring assembly that came with my new Shield 9 back in 2015. But at least my Shield was shootable, albeit with numerous failures to eject.

After 38 days, it looks like you will have to go over the heads of the people in the customer service department. I suggest writing a snail mail letter to the top guy:

Mark P. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer
Smith & Wesson
2100 Roosevelt Avenue, Springfield, MA 01104

Be as succinct as possible. CEOs don't have a lot of time. I suggest using a timeline of events. Be cordial and focus on problem-solving, while keeping your emotions in check. Avoid ranting, save that for the Forum .

Will snail mail take a lot of time? You bet! But it looks like S&W customer service is no longer interested in responding to you, so you have nothing to lose by writing to the CEO.

 

[RCL-09]

Why are you telling us? Because someone told you to "tell an adult" when you have a problem?

Update us when this is resolved, not before.

Definition of an internet forum

A website that provides an online exchange of information between people about a particular topic. It provides a venue for questions and answers... . Also called a "discussion board" or "discussion group,"...

 

[RCL-09]

Are you a major shareholder in Smith and Wesson or something? Guy details problems with his pistol, you jump down his throat. Guy details continued awful customer service, same deal. This is a forum for discussing smith and wesson products, and it is useful for those of us still buying guns to know how S&W is treating its customers. It doesn't hurt you, breaks no rules, and helps other consumers make an informed decision.

The hostility is baffling.

 

[RCL-09]

BTW Mark, please do keep the updates coming. They are informative and let us know what is happening with a product we truly like and support.

 

[snw19_357]

Be cordial and focus on problem-solving, while keeping your emotions in check. Avoid ranting,

Here, here; but goes for the forum too.

 

[Frank Black]

Still haven't received magazines or word from S&W. They received the magazines they told me to send in for exchange 38 days ago. At what point is it fair to say that they effectively stole those magazines from me? This sure doesn't feel like much of an "exchange."

Can’t “exchange” something if they “lost” it.

 

[Frank Black]

Unlike some on this thread, I do have empathy for your situation, as it took S&W over three months to deliver me a proper replacement for a defective recoil spring assembly that came with my new Shield 9 back in 2015. But at least my Shield was shootable, albeit with numerous failures to eject.

After 38 days, it looks like you will have to go over the heads of the people in the customer service department. I suggest writing a snail mail letter to the top guy:

Mark P. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer
Smith & Wesson
2100 Roosevelt Avenue, Springfield, MA 01104

Be as succinct as possible. CEOs don't have a lot of time. I suggest using a timeline of events. Be cordial and focus on problem-solving, while keeping your emotions in check. Avoid ranting, save that for the Forum .

Will snail mail take a lot of time? You bet! But it looks like S&W customer service is no longer interested in responding to you, so you have nothing to lose by writing to the CEO.

I like this suggestion.

Do it Old School. Write a letter.

That means actually sitting down at a table and writing out a letter in long-hand, addressed to the company Prez & CEO, like we used to do 100 years ago. Okay, maybe 50, but you know what I mean.

Then type it up like I still do. Often when typing up something first written in long-hand, you can revise what you wrote a bit more. As Hemingway observed 100 years ago: “All first drafts are sh*t.”

It’s still true. There’s no such thing as “writing.” There’s only re-writing.

Be sure to proof it for spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Those things still count in a civilized society and it’s a sign of education, or at least of intelligence, on the sender’s end.

And don’t spell words phonetically the way Millennials today text or Walmart zombies talk - i.e., don’t spell the word “what” like “wut” or “ask” like “axe.” (No, you may not “axe” me a question. I don’t speak Walmart.)

Keep what you have to say brief, polite but firm, and state clearly how the matter can be resolved to your satisfaction. That way the Prez/CEO doesn't have to think or image how to resolve your problem. You’ve done the hard work for him. All he has to do is pick up the phone and give the order.

When your magazines are returned, ... well, you can thank me later.

 

[mark_lives_things]

At this point, yeah, sure, I'll write a letter to the CEO. Can't hurt. They've already sold me a defective pistol and stolen my magazines, what else are they gonna do, send someone to break my legs? ��

 

[dkelly27]

YOU never know. ha ha.

 

[mark_lives_things]

Here's the letter. Hard copy going in the mail shortly.
Open Letter to Smith & Wesson CEO Mark P. Smith | by Mark Houser | Apr, 2022 | Medium