Great items but poor customer service
I’m leaving this review from the perspective of an international buyer using their online service. I’ve ordered hundreds of items and have been a loyal customer for four years now. Unfortunately, my recent experience with Nobuyoshi has put me off buying from them in the future. I had recently ordered a MKS (PT-1) pedal wrench and Steve Potts Chinook CRMO saddle amongst other things. However, when I received the pedal wrench, it was dirty with scratches all over. The saddle was not as described. The listing for the saddle had mentioned the following: “There may be some small scratches and blemishes on the saddle caused during the transportation.” However, when I received the saddle, this was an understatement and not accurate. The marks and blemishes were not small, neither were they caused during transportation. The marks and blemishes were in the cowhide before it was manufactured in the first place. There was scar tissue, fat wrinkles, and pinholes caused by enlarged pores in the leather of the saddle. I wouldn’t have had any problems if these were mentioned in the product description, but unfortunately, they were not. I contacted Blue Lug to return them, and Nobuyoshi responded. He admitted that the pedal wrench was damaged and offered a 5% discount but refused to take accountability for the saddle. He stated that he would not consider the saddle defect because it’s made of genuine leather. I still don’t understand the logic behind that reasoning. I argued back and he unwillingly sent a return label and also left a backhanded comment.
Nobuyoshi mentioned that upon checking our email history, he noticed that they have shipped some items which haven’t met my expectations before, and they could send pictures of every item before they are shipped. I found that comment very backhanded and disappointing. I’ve ordered hundreds of items from them, and I’ve had some issues with a very small amount of items in my orders in the past. I’ve had items arrive defective, not as described, or damaged. To not take accountability for those issues and suggest those problems were due to ‘my expectations’ is very disappointing and insulting. If my expectations were to receive what was as described and without any damage/defects, I could understand that comment, but that should be the bare minimum standard for any purchase, not an unrealistic expectation. The issue could have been easily avoided if the product listing had more accurate photos and descriptions from the start. Nobuyoshi’s resolution for their poor quality control and inaccurate description is that I ask for photos of every item I order before it is shipped, which seems highly inefficient and shifts the burden of quality control onto the buyer. I find the lack of responsibility and accountability disappointing.
Additionally, I’ve had an issue where I was charged import fees for one order when I shouldn’t have been. For my country (UK), any order exceeding £135 is liable for customs fees. I have always ensured my order is below that amount, but in this case, I charged around £55 in fees. I understood that Blue Lug settles in USD, so it may have slightly over during the conversion, but I wanted to get some clarification for the future. I never had this issue when they shipped with DHL, but they had switched to FedEx for their international orders. I reached out to FedEx, who delivered my order, and they couldn’t give me a straight answer as to why I was charged and gave me three different reasons for the charge. Eventually, they told me to contact Blue Lug. I contacted Blue Lug and explained the situation. I was hoping they would contact FedEx on their end so I could get a definitive answer. Instead, I received a reply from Nobuyoshi telling me he thinks it is due to the conversion rate and to contact FedEx. I was hoping to get a more definitive answer rather than an assumption. It was clear he just chose to ignore my email and the issue. They stock really amazing items, but they are let down by their poor customer service. They have a few listings where they mention it has been damaged during shipping/transportation, but from my experience, that’s not accurate, and it’s more likely they are factory seconds.