Author Topic: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?  (Read 3556 times)

Hemo

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Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« on: December 17, 2016, 09:11:22 PM »
I sent an order to Blackley and Son in England for castings of a trigger guard and ramrod pipes at about the beginning of September, 2016. They did respond to me by email and said they were casting one of these parts "in about three weeks". They charged my account at that time.  Almost four months later, I don't have the parts and have heard nothing from them. I've emailed them several times with no response. I've also been unable to reach them on their phone number in the UK posted on their website. Does anyone know of another way to get hold of them?

Gregg

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2016, 11:55:06 PM »
Two paper cups and a REALLY long string? :o
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Smoketown

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2016, 11:59:35 PM »
If'n yer stretchen yer string that fer, you'd best be usin' tin cans so's not to rip out the bottoms.   ;)

Cheers,
Smoketown

Offline Rolf

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2016, 12:40:24 PM »
I orderd several times from Blackley and never gotten anything on time. Expect 6-12 months delay.
To contact him, use the contact form https://www.blackleyandson.com/cgi-bin/mf000001.pl?ACTION=SHOWFORM
Other emails tend to be Block by their spam filter.

Best regards
Roolf

Offline smart dog

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2016, 04:03:47 PM »
Hi Gregg,
What Rolf said.  They can be as frustrating to deal with as TRS for the last few years.  When I first ordered from Kevin Blackley in 2008, the service was excellent but that has declined.  They have moved their business twice since I first did business with them, which caused more delays and even trouble contacting them because their phone changed.  It is doubly frustrating at times because Kevin sells far more parts sets than you see on his web site or in his catalog.  The only way to know about a lot of what he has is to contact them and ask.  I think the internet has expanded sales potential for TRS and Blackley's beyond their capacity to cope given their small operations and adding employees may not be an option for them.  Gregg, it might help expedite things if you tell them you are Jerry Huddleston ;)
"The main accomplishment of modern economics is to make astrology look good."

Offline Captchee

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2016, 06:35:00 PM »
LMAO
 that might do it  SAmart dog LOL

 we been waiting for a set of Snaphence  castings now for near 5 months .

Hemo

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2016, 08:23:00 PM »
Thanks, guys, I'll try that web address. I suspect my pistol project will be long finished before I see these parts.

Gregg

Hemo

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2016, 05:07:44 PM »
I orderd several times from Blackley and never gotten anything on time. Expect 6-12 months delay.
To contact him, use the contact form https://www.blackleyandson.com/cgi-bin/mf000001.pl?ACTION=SHOWFORM
Other emails tend to be Block by their spam filter.

Best regards
Roolf

An update on the Blackley situation--I sent an email through the site noted above, using a second g-mail account that I have instead of my usual AOL account. I got a response from Kevin within the day, saying that, despite a search of his email files, he had not received most of the emails I sent. He sounded quite concerned that he had not been getting my emails. He also said that one of the castings I ordered had just been cast the preceding day and had not been cleaned up yet. It does appear that they have some problems getting emails (sending through my usual AOL account doesn't appear to work, but G-mail did, at least once). Anyway, it appears my castings (Andrew Dolep pistol trigger guard and ramrod pipes) will get delivered about four months after ordered. I'll plan accordingly next time.

Gregg

Offline FlintFan

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2016, 06:18:06 PM »
Sounds like the same old story.  Do not relax until you have parts in hand.  Them telling you the parts are about to go out, means nothing.  Last lock set I ordered took 18 months to get, and that was when I was told it would ship 3-4 weeks after the initial order.  Finally had to threaten to take the issue up with my credit card company.   Parts were shipped within a week of that exchange. 

Blackley is the UK version of TRS, along with everything that implies.  I don't have a problem with any of the delays and long wait times, it's the dishonesty related to them that is so aggravating.  If I'm told the parts won't arrive for 12-18 months, I would be absolutely fine with that, and adjust my schedule accordingly. However, please don't tell me I will have them in a few weeks, and then almost two years later I am still waiting on them, with work backed up because of it. 

Like you said though, once you deal with them, you quickly learn how to schedule around what they tell you.  Once the parts finally do arrive, you should be happy with them.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2016, 06:20:34 PM by FlintFan »

eddillon

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2016, 09:49:52 PM »
I have great service from Peter and Wendy Dyson.  A little slow at times.  Delays measured in weeks not months or years.  Worst case scenario is buy the parts from them when they are in Las Vegs for the Antique Arms Show.  They display at other shows before and after Las Vegas.  Email them for their USA schedule.  Use this link for an email contact form:  https://www.peterdyson.co.uk/cgi-bin/mf000001.pl?ACTION=SHOWFORM

Offline conquerordie

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2016, 11:57:22 PM »
I've had good luck with Blackley and Dyson. No complaints with either. Both have quality parts.
Greg

Offline Mattox Forge

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Re: Anyone know how to contact Blackley and Son?
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2016, 08:45:56 PM »
I found the best way is through the web site. Emails do not seem to be looked at. Always reference a previous message title. They are nice enough people, but swamped. I do wish they would get some sort of order tracking system going. It seems a lot of the problem is an over reliance on memory.

It took from April until October for me to get a lock kit, which is apparently pretty fast. Have had better luck with TRS.

Mike