pistol from Aaron Rabe (Forgotten Seas Trading Co.)

[vitalajzer]

Hi there, Captains
I want to share with you an unpleasant situation that happens to me.
I do not know what to do, and I need your advice!
The fact is that I ordered and paid for the pistol from Aaron Rabe (Forgotten Seas Trading Co.) and still have not received it.
The problem is that I ordered it in the 12 October 2013 (one year and two months ago)
When I ordered it, there was a note "This is a handcrafted item and may require up to 60 days to ship!" Thus, at this point the delay is exactly one year…
Four months later, after purchase, I contacted with Aaron for the first time.
And he answered me:

Aaron Rabe 28.02.2014
- yea that is the only down side is I make everything by hand the stocks I cut down from a 4/6" of hard wood and cast all the metal parts my self so they take quite a while to make but I am almost caught up
- I'll review and give you an estimate
- we had a large value of orders and snow storms that got us off track

Next month, I asked again about my pistol, and he replied:

Aaron Rabe 13.03.2014
- I'm still knocking them out as fast as I can hopefully not too much longer
- I'm sorry that it's been this long mate

Two months later, I asked again ... 10 days there was no answer, I asked once again, and here is the answer:

Aaron Rabe 13.05.2014
- Hey mate sorry I didn't give you an update I have even sending out emails my furnace broke down I have purchased a replacement but it has my been delivered to my shop yet you are in the next batch to go out
- I am really sorry about the wait I hate that you have had to wait this long mate

Another month later, I asked:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 16.06.2014
- hey mate, is there any chance that I get a pistol this summer? )

he replied:

Aaron Rabe 16.06.2014
- Yes you can I just got my new furnace so should be much quicker now to make them
- Thank you so much for your business

next month, when I told him what I heard talk about him, about a similar situation with a delay, he replied:

Aaron Rabe 09.07.2014
- Everyone will get their pistols mate I've told everyone the situation why the set backs came and the delays happened
- Have no fear mate you will get your pistol
- You will be very pleased with your gun mate , I'm working on a bunch of ways to speed up the production, right now it takes me a long long time to make just one pistol because nothing is pre made

I reminded him that I was waiting for nine months already, and he replied:

Aaron Rabe 09.07.2014
- I know mate I'm sorry about your wait i am working non stop to get orders out to people I had a series of set backs that did not let me full orders like I wanted and with my metal furnace going it caused a lot of problems. But I stated before I have something's in the works that will greatly speed up my production time ! So it will not be very long of a wait

A month later, I asked:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 18.08.2014
- mate, can you tell me exactly when my pistol will be ready? the last five months you say that "it will not be very long of a wait"... can you tell me exactly, when?

and again there was no answer, 10 days later I asked:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 27.08.2014
- now you're ignoring me?

to which he replied:

Aaron Rabe 27.08.2014
- Hey mate no not at all my facebook isn't good to reach me email me through my site forgottenseastradingcompany.com

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 27.08.2014
- this is a joke?

Aaron Rabe 27.08.2014
- Is what a joke? Sorry I don't understand
- I've not been getting some messages through facebook I get like 100 emails a day on here it's easer for me to keep track of cuisines through my company email thank you mate

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 27.08.2014
- Can you just answer my question? when my pistol will be ready?

Aaron Rabe 27.08.2014
- I am re working my thimble design so it is 100% screen accurate I'm making sure these are perfect so that my clients don't get one and the see that I've made it even better
- There is so much work that goes into these it is crazy because I am the only one making them at my shop ,
- You will be extremely pleased with your gun mate
- I just need a little more time to make sure everything is working right
- I'll keep you updated
- It will not be very long , I know you've been waiting a whole but trust me it will be worth it

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 27.08.2014
- promisingly, but again you did not say when it will be ready. I've waiting for an impermissible amount of time…

Aaron Rabe 27.08.2014
- Mate you should know in this business of hand made to order items nothing is laying around on a shelf sadly enough , I waited almost two years for some boba fett armor from Star Wars from a sculptor I hate that you have had to wait this long but I am almost fully done with them it will not be a much longer wait I can tell you that I don't want to give you a date because I don't know if it will be right and I don't want to lie to you
I do apologize again for your wait I am working as hard as I can and the pistols are almost done

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 27.08.2014
- I hope it really will not be very long now

Aaron Rabe 27.08.2014
- It won't mate

a month later I wrote again, but again there was no response,
the second month later, I wrote:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 28.10.2014
- I do not know what to say ... one after the other months pass away, and there is no news from you! and I know you will say again: "it will not be very long of a wait now" I utter bewilderment

and there is still no answer ... The next day I wrote:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 29.10.2014
- Mate, I will publish a post in all groups, about this situation, if nothing changes in the near future ... I'm just tired

he replied! :

Aaron Rabe 29.10.2014
- I know mate the wait has been very long ! I cannot apologize enough for the delays

the next day:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 30.10.2014
- So when there will be a good news?

and there was no answer ...
the next day:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 31.10.2014
- WHEN my pistol is gonna be ready? i see you keep selling them so these people gonna received the pistol in a year?

and again there was no answer ...
20 days later I asked:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 19.11.2014
- what is happening?

and there is still no answer ... The next day I wrote:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 20.11.2014
- you ignore me again?

still no answer ...
The next day I asked again and he replied! :

Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- No I told you why yours and a few others got delayed
- I need you to hang in there with me mate
- I thank you for your business and your patience

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 21.11.2014
- you said about the reasons for the delay a long time ago!!!

Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- I'm still catching up from that
- I had tons of orders from ppl
- I am sorry again for the delay

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 21.11.2014
- "I'm still catching up from that" - it does not ring true, do not you understand?
- Then why, WHY you continue to take orders?

Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- Because I don't make any money doing his mate I don't make enough to pay for supplies and shipping so I had to take some orders so I could keep making them
- But you will have your pistol soon

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 21.11.2014
- I do not believe your words ...
- you repeat this every month, the same thing.

Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- Mate I am working as hard as I can im not hut sitting around doing nothing I'm working a lot trying to take care of everyone's items

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 21.11.2014
- I do not believe you. I'm waiting for more than a year already, and nothing changes

Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- Well you will get your pistol

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 21.11.2014
- it is inconceivable
- more than a year already!

Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- I know but In the hand made world it's not , I never wanted it to take this long but I've waited over a year for items I've bought before
- It's not good but I want everything to be perfect

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 21.11.2014
- this occurs so long because you have to wait for your order?
- or waiting for over a year - is the perfect thing?
- Just tell me exactly WHEN my pistol will be ready?

Ten hours later:

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 21.11.2014
- Tomorrow I will share this situation with everybody…

Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- That you are waiting ? You've already told everyone
- Why are you threatening me? I'm making your order you just have to be patient
- Ok it will be fully done soon thank you mate

Vitaly Capt'n V Sparrow 21.11.2014
- I was very patient! VERY patient !!!

Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- Well just hang in there a little longer
- Thank you I will give you an update this next week


two weeks later, I asked him how it's going, but there was no answer.
Since then, I write to him every day, but it still does not answer ...


that's the whole situation ...
Well, what do you think?
Am I too impatient?
Am I doing something wrong?

[iJackSparrow]

Hi there,

One year and two months is a long time to wait for an item that says, "may require up to 60 days to ship!"

You pretty much covered what I was going to say. Like, why keep taking orders when one can not deliver within quoted time frame. Why also
keep producing these pistols when he's not making any profit off them?

You should find out how many pistols are currently delayed and where you stand in that line. For example: If he's behind on 4 pistols and your #5 in line, that's approximately 240 more days of waiting.
I think this way you get a better understand of where your order stands. He says he doesn't want to give you a specific date just in case he can't deliver by stated date
and that's cool, but with this method, you'll at least know just about how much longer you'll have to wait.

I know a few members here have ordered and received their pistol. I know you've waited long enough and paid a lot for the prop, but
my advice is to hang in there. Patience is truly a virtue, though I honestly think it shouldn't have taken this long. Makes me not want to do business with him.

In the end, it's really up to you what you want to do, you spent your hard earned money.

[Bilge Rat]

Herein lies the entire problem of this situation and I have seen it happen time and time again not only with some Jack Sparrow item suppliers but fan made prop makers and sellers in general and it was stated
   Aaron Rabe 21.11.2014
- Because I don't make any money doing his mate I don't make enough to pay for supplies and shipping so I had to take some orders so I could keep making them

  This is the problem, especially with hard to make, time consuming, very popular items......   funds are paid for item , the supplier then spends said funds either on supplies to make said items, of other things such as problems as they arrive.  Now the funds needed to make the items in a timely manner have been used up.  More orders are taken to get more money to continue to buy supplies and hopefully finish up out standing orders,  but now that money for new orders  has  been  used to make past orders and the orders now taken have no funding for their completion, ( Robbing Peter to pay Paul) This is a viscous cycle and very hard to get out from under because you now will always be behind in funding and are relying on new orders to complete old orders.  
   That being said, I waited a good long time to get my pistol from Aaron, and I did finally get it,  it is a thing of beauty and is well worth the wait!  I do believe that he will eventually come through for you and get caught up on all orders.

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

There were lots of big word in that explanation....we are but humble pirates!

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