A rant about pen retailers who don't know their stuff.

I guess every now and then, a blog provides a platform to rant. This is mine.

This is not going to be a total rant. I want to be objective. I don't want to just rattle off some rude words and get this off my chest (well I do; but I won't).

Followers of my Instagram posts will have seen me post an image recently of the brand of a well-known American Fountain pen Retailer with a red-cross through it.

The red cross represented my significant disappointment with the service I recently received from them.

My issue is that when a fountain pen retailer of some years standing sells a pen, I believe that it requires that all it's staff are fully informed about the product they sell. In my story this was clearly not the case.

The Company in question had a deal on the Omas Alba (a deal that Goulet Pens recently also announced ). I already have a purple Alba I purchased with no problems from Novelli pens in Rome (thankyou).

- but after reading a number of great reviews on FPGeeks, Ed Jelley and elsewhere, I had been craving the orange. Then I saw an advertisement on my email for a good deal on the Omas Alba. The stars were aligned. I set about making the purchase. 

One of the tyrannies of distance is that fountain pens are very expensive in Australia, so that even after postage (and even considering that the company in question charges more than any other I have dealt with for postage) the Alba was still a deal! So I began my e-order. The only issue was that the "extra flessible"* nib I wanted did not seem to be there *(the spelling is deliberate - don't forget, Omas is Italian :D). 

The "Extra Flessible" nib by Omas is, in my view, one of the best modern attempts at achieving the nib flexibility of vintage nibs. It is not as good as a vintage nib (more delicate) but, with care, it is an outstanding nib that delivers great line variation.

So I wrote to the Company saying: "I am after an Extra flessible nib and not and extra fine nib. Is this what you are inserting?" After no response for 1 week, I wrote again and asked for an answer. I received a response apologising for the delay and saying: "The nib on the Omas Ltd Ed Ogiva Alba Fountain Pen is extremely flexible." 

I hope you are starting to see my issue. If someone not selling Omas pens were to respond this way, I would understand. I would have no expectation that they should know what Omas calls their nibs or what sort of nibs they carry. This Company sells Omas pens. It is a Company that has been selling pens for over 80 years. Is it unreasonable for me to expect that it understood the product it is selling?

I tried, in subsequent emails to explain what I was looking for; only to be advised again that: "Omas confirmed that the nib on the Omas Ltd Ed Ogiva Alba Fountain Pen is extremely flexible. "!!!

I tried again, saying I would not confirm the sale until they would confirm the pen was "extra flessible" - and yes, I included the inverted commas and asked that they check with another salesperson as the one corresponding with me was not answering my question.

I finally received a response saying: "We spoke directly to the manufacturer and the nib is extra flessible (flexible)"; and providing me with a phone number of the distributor in the U.S. if I needed to check.

"Hooray", I thought (still probably too driven by desire for the deal on this pen rather than wary of the nature of the correspondence), and concluded the order.

When it arrived, I received the Orange Alba (as beautiful as I expected) with an Extra Fine nib!

Yes, more emails, an offer that I send it back for refund if unhappy and advice that the extra flessible nib is sold out.

So what is the lesson here? 

There are clearly a broad range of fountain pen dealers that we all deal with. I have found that the service of the overwhelming bulk of those that I have bought from has been excellent. Mostly that excellence has been based in a knowledge and enjoyment of the product they sell. Goulet Pens, Fountainpen Hospital, PenChalet, Chatterley Pens, Fontoplumo, Novelli Pens, Appelboom pennan (love all those extra letters!) are all retailers I have dealt with who, time and time again, have demonstrated their knowledge of their product and care of their customer.

My lessons?:

1. don't always fall for the deal 
2. if in doubt, ask 
3. and ask 
4. and ask

and if they still can't really answer you straight, walk away.