Bookster Customer Service

[rodaman]

They're not great at responding to emails huh?

 

[JLibourel]

Give them time. They really are nice people dedicated to satisfying their customers, but dealing with them does require a measure of patience. At least such was my experience with them.

 

[cassini]

I think I'll wade in here: I am English and live in England. I thought it was about time I had that tweed hacking jacket and pair of moleskin trousers I had been wanting for a while so last year, mid November, I ordered one of each from Bookster. Nothing tricky...

I received confirmations in mid-to-late November by email. The estimated wait was 7-9 weeks at that point. The confirmation included that info.

Come February, nothing no delivery, no communication. I sent an email asking if I might have my order by the first week in March when I was going to Scotland for a skiing and walking holiday. No reply.

I let it go for a while then a few weeks before Easter I 'phoned up as I recalled and asked what was the state of progress with my order. A woman answered. She promised to get back to me. A few days later I received an email saying IIRC that my trousers would be ready the week before Easter, my jacket the week after. Come the appointed weeks, nothing...

I left it a bit longer. About the beginning of May, still nothing was happening so I 'phoned up. A woman replied, said she'd look into it and get back to me. I think she said there had been trouble with the cloth. The next day, there had been no return call so I called again. A woman replied. Possibly the same one. 'Oh, there's no-one around today'. She apologised for the delay, said there had been problems with the tailors, and promised to get back to me.

She didn't. The next week I sent Bookster an email saying I was going to visit their offices in Mitcheldean personally, to 'find the way ahead' on my order. I can do this - I work close enough to them. That was before a holiday weekend and on the Tuesday following I was sent an email by Bookster saying my jacket (no mention of trousers) would be ready at 'the end of next week'.

I duly waited until then: nothing happened. That was the week before last. Last week I sent them a recorded delivery postal message notifying them that I wanted my order completed by next week or my money back.

Let me assure the folks on here, that a delivery time of (now) 27 weeks, or over six months, is not some quaint English quirk needed by artisans to perform their craft properly. It just isn't. Even if it were, I've been told twice my jacket is ready and it isn't. Go figure, as you folks say.

The next stage, if they don't perform the service I engaged them to, or refund my money is...well, I don't need to spell it out do I...?

Half a year is quite enough. I'll be dead before Bookster deliver my clothes at this rate. Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, if goods are not delivered in 'a reasonable time', the contract is considered broken. I don't think any court will tell me I haven't waited long enough.

Had Bookster taken a different line on customer service, and 'fessed up to being well behind the curve, I might have been persuaded to give them some leeway, but given the broken promises, I've now lost confidence in them.

Use them at your own risk...

 

[rodaman]

Cassini> That's very discouraging to say the least. They have been timely with their reply emails in re: to my order. I hope I don't have to wait 6 months to get my order. I don't like in the UK, so i don't have the luxury of just "popping" by to check on the status of my order.

 

[cassini]

rodaman,

I can't say exactly what is happening at Bookster. I like to believe, that if you wait long enough, you do eventually get what you ordered. How long is that though? I mean, over six months just seems entirely unreasonable to me. There are those, on other forums (AskAndyAboutClothes is one) that say (regarding Bookster, where the same concerns have been raised) that patience is what is needed and true craftsmanship takes time etc, but really, I don't believe that's what this is about. This is about quoting an estimated delivery time that is reasonable, but then being so far wide of the mark as to be unreasonable (if Bookster are reading I challenge them to disagree with me on that) and worst of all, the customer relations side which has been appalling.

Six months FFS...

I am putting this on fast track now though. I've waited long enough. I'll try and remember to post what happens. Since I am conveniently closely placed to Bookster, I have the luxury of being able to conveniently use the mechanisms available to resolve this problem one way or another.without considerable time or expense to myself.

 

[rodaman]

So let me get this straight...you still haven't gotten your goods??!!

 

[cassini]

No, haven't received a thing...

 

[rodaman]

Whoas me

 

[ravn]

I ordered some clothes samples this week and I got a conformation that the samples was posted on Thursday but they have not answerd my e-mail regarding size and some other issues with the fit (trousers and waistcoat).

I have never used Bookster before but I have heard they take their time occaisonally, but no delivery and poor customer service! I cant say it is tempting to order anything from Bookster at the moment.

I think I will try to find another store that actually take some pride in their customer service.

By the way, anyone knows another company they can recomend? I live in Oslo an tweed isn`t something you will find in the local stores so an online-store and custom service you can rely on is importent.

And the cloth I was thinking of is Porter & Hardings "Thornproof", so hopefully I will find someone that have this cloth in stock.

cassini: Hope you recive your order or your money back soon.

 

[deelee]



I ordered some clothes samples this week and I got a conformation that the samples was posted on Thursday but they have not answerd my e-mail regarding size and some other issues with the fit (trousers and waistcoat).

I have never used Bookster before but I have heard they take their time occaisonally, but no delivery and poor customer service! I cant say it is tempting to order anything from Bookster at the moment.

I think I will try to find another store that actually take some pride in their customer service.

By the way, anyone knows another company they can recomend? I live in Oslo an tweed isn`t something you will find in the local stores so an online-store and custom service you can rely on is importent.

And the cloth I was thinking of is Porter & Hardings "Thornproof", so hopefully I will find someone that have this cloth in stock.

cassini: Hope you recive your order or your money back soon.

 

How about contacting Harrison's instead and get the samples direct from them?

 

[cassini]

Rodaman,

I think you mean 'Woe is me', but I understand the sentiments ;0)

Ravn, I can't recommend another online tweed tailor but there is quite a droll magazine (bimonthly) here in the UK called 'The Chap', advising 'chaps' what to wear, how to smoke a pipe, whether to wear a cravat to a wedding or brown shoes in town etc ;0) It's actually a humorous magazine but it does give out 'correct' style information ( as far as I can determine!) I always like the 'Am I chap?' feature where people send their posed photos in, asking if indeed they are a 'chap', only usually to be given a crushing put-down...

It does however carry adverts for tailors of the sort that might be of interest. I'm not sure that the on-line version carries those adverts, but if you subscribe it might be a way to get ideas for tweed tailors, whilst providing an amusing read at the same time ;0)

 

[bookster1uk]

Oh dear, I must visit the forums more often. We have had difficulties this year not least because we are so busy , the reasons are well documented on AAAC and we had already taken steps to improve our response time to enquiries. I cannot tell who you are on here so please contact me direct at [email protected] ( please use the subject line and mark for my attention) and or call me on +44(0)7733281968 . Peter

 

[ravn]

I got answers from Bookster conserning my post her at the forum but also an answer to my questions regarding fit and cloth that I first sent directly to Bookster. So on my behalf I will say I am happy with the customer service so far.
I`m considering to place an order after all, and hope that the problems with delay that other customers have experienced are beeing solved... and it want happen to me

As far as I can tell from other customers, the quality and price at Bookster are very competitive.

If I place an order I will let you know how it all worked out.

 

[cassini]

Well I promised to let folks know how it worked out. At 28 weeks from ordering I received my moleskin trousers. These are fine. A good fit, fairly heavyweight material, just as I imagined really. I liked the diagonal fabric strap with a button at the end that you fasten inside the fly area before you do up the zip and the clasp.

At 32 weeks, after posting on here and after a 'phone call to Peter King, I finally received my tweed hacking jacket in glen tweed. It's a smart looking jacket. I had a button tab placed on one lapel as a sort of practical feature for keeping the wind out if necessary, and opted for twin vents rather than the long equestrian single vent (twin vents are supposedly better if you're not on a horse), plus I deleted the ticket pocket - which maybe I should have kept, but I wanted it understated - but otherwise it looks like this Bookster stock photo:

http://www.tweed-jacket.com/GALLERY...llery/pages/1a GLEN TWEED JACKET_JPG_jpg.htm

I now note that Bookster is quoting 12 weeks delivery - it was being quoted as 7-9 weeks last year and then 9 weeks earlier this year, so it is good to see some semblance of reality creeping into Bookster's quoted delivery times - but bear in mind I waited 32 weeks until my order was fulfilled, and that was after making a fuss. In my conversation with Peter King he mentioned a lot of difficulties Bookster had had last year - but as I pointed out, the website delivery time still showed 9 weeks. Hopefully Bookster have passed through the worst of their backlog, it being summer, but I still would guess that 12 weeks is the very very soonest you would receive anything - so anyone relying on that figure ought to be beware - just my guess...

Initially I was pleased when I tried my jacket on - the length was right in the body, so was the sleeve length, so was the pitch angle of the sleeves, the chest and waist were fine. The tweed was just what I wanted. Hacking jackets have a tailored waist and it's a good look (if you are not too overweight ;0)

Then I noticed a couple of problems. The first is that there are horizontal creases under the arms and at the shoulder bade - to do with the shoulder height I think. It appears to me the jacket is designed for squarer shoulder than mine. The second is collar gape - enough to fit a finger or even a thumb into. You could argue about what causes that but a measurement of the shoulder seam from sleeve seam up to the top of the collar shows 7 and 1/4" - less than on any other jacket I own. I am contacting Bookster about possible remedies to these problems - Peter King assured me they had an alteration service - but the question of just what needs altering and how difficult that is is a bit of a concern...

I don't think this is the thread to go into the fit problems I perceive, but may post on a more appropriate thread (if there is one and anyone is interested ;0)

 

[cassini]

PS: It appears Bookster do have a webpage asking for infornation about posture, shoulder type etc. I don't recall seeing this when I ordered in 2012 so it may be new - but wouldn't have known what sort of shoulders I had anyway (and still don't)!