My Smith & Wesson customer service experience

[AndeyHall]

In my situation, nobody at S&W seemed to be talking to each other either.

I'm surprised you even made sense with that. I just read my response in your quote and realized my phone's autocorrect screwed me up big time.

 

[Komondor]

When s&w caved to the clintons,i vowed never to buy one,and i havent

Didn't S&W's ownership change since the Clinton days? I'm pretty sure it changed somewhere along the line; not sure exactly when. Does anyone remember?

 

[CharlesMorrison]

When s&w caved to the clintons,i vowed never to buy one,and i havent

???????
Can you elaborate on that for me? I don't recall the issue.
Thank you for your reply.


Sent from behind Enemy Lines.

 

[Komondor]

Didn't S&W's ownership change since the Clinton days? I'm pretty sure it changed somewhere along the line; not sure exactly when. Does anyone remember?

I guess I shouldn't be lazy. Ref. Smith & Wesson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Assuming this wikipedia entry is correct, I see that S&W was owned by a british company, Tomkins plc who capitulated to the Clinton administration. This is the way I remembered it. They owned S&W from 1987 to 2001 then sold to Saf-T-Hammer. S&W is now S&W Holding Corporation and is publicly traded.

 

[4006]

Knock on wood, but my experience with S&W has been fine. In 1990 I bought a used 4006 and sent S&W a contact card letting them know I was the new owner of the pistol. A couple of years later there was some issue with the magazines for the gun and S&W sent me 2 new mags without being asked. I bought a Bodyguard just after they came out and had a problem with it and returned it to the dealer. Dealer said he would send it back to S&W for repair. Four weeks later still waiting so I call S&W customer service and find out dealer never sent the gun to S&W but was blaming them for the delay. Six months ago I had a firing pin issue with the Bodyguard and contacted S&W. They sent shipping authorization and the gun was picked up at my door two days later. Back delivered to my doorstep 12 days later with new firing pin and a note that they hade replaced the laser also.

I sure hope that I haven't jinxed myself by talking about this but for me S&W customer service has been fine.

 

[phillip69]

4006, S&W was a very different company back in 1990....

Your firing pin and laser issues were similar to what appears to be a majority of bodyguard 380 owners after it came out - and thru most of 2013.

Your quick shipment story is totally different than the majority of bodyguard owner, including me. Their incompetent handling of shipping and 4 returns for same issue is more normal.

Count your blessings and cross your fingers that your laser screw does not back out jamming slide, and that your firing pin lasts longer this time - whatever you do, DO NOT DRY FIRE or it will likely break again.

 

[AndeyHall]

Called again today, no repairs have been made yet, they are waiting on parts, and I am believed to have a few weeks left to get my gun back yet. I'm just not calling back anymore. It's worthless.

 

[phillip69]

I have one of those and the mag does not do what you described. .....

HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

THIS IS SO FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I checked out the demo bodyguard at S&W BIG booth at NRA this weekend - GUESS WHAT???????????

THE MAG WOULD NOT GO BACK IN NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU JAMBED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And this was their one and only DEMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I quietly - no, rather loudly took the mag over to one of the salesman and gave it to him - saying sorry man, but like so many of these in the field, your magazine won't even go back in the gun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He said no problem - YOU JUST HAVE TO PUSH THE LITTLE RELEASE BUTTON WHILE PUTTING IT IN!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY GOD MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AndeyHall]

Got the gun back today. It is being sold tomorrow. I have always like S&W's M&P pistols, but this may have turned me away from S&W for good. Reason I say that is because the issue is still not 100% fixed. Works 4/5 times. Sometimes you still gotta knock the hell out of it. But for what I'm selling it for, I should be able to get me a Glock 42.

 

[telpinaro]

Got the gun back today. It is being sold tomorrow. I have always like S&W's M&P pistols, but this may have turned me away from S&W for good. Reason I say that is because the issue is still not 100% fixed. Works 4/5 times. Sometimes you still gotta knock the hell out of it. But for what I'm selling it for, I should be able to get me a Glock 42.

That sucks. Love my Shield, but this is kind of the thing you want to work every time! Good luck with the Glock! :smile:

 

[RLampinen]

I'm currently having a bad experience with SW Service as well. I bought a new MP M2.0 5" 10-14-2017 and have fired about 5K rounds through it, loving the gun. Then the slide lock assemble broke just ahead of the left side thumb tab. I called SW Service 6 times, using both the toll free number and the direct number the phone rang for 10 min each time with no option for voice mail. Finally I got them by going through the receptionist transferring me to service but it still was a long slow process. The fella who answered sounded disturbed that he had to take phone call. I did get the RGA & shipping label and sent the gun back. They received the gun on 5-16-18 and I called to check on it about a week later. I was told it was in the Service Department waiting to be looked at. Then I was told the normal turn around for repairs is 4-6 WEEKS! Either they are severely under staffed or have so many warranty problems they can't keep up!
I'm very disappointed in what I thought was a good American Made company.

 

[since9]

Classic example of arrogant American manufacturer resting on their laurels instead of continuously improving.

This is precisely how Honda, Toyota, and Nissan derailed Detroit. American car manufacturers thought they had it made, that no significant percentage of the market would ever buy a car made overseas.

They were wrong. S&W is wrong, too.

The Six Sigma approach aims to have just 1 defect out of 1,000,000. To old-school American manufacturers, that can't be done. But to both American and foreign manufacturers who've been achieving that goal for decades, it's simply the way to do things right.

When I bought my first firearm, I spent a LOT of time looking at pretty much everything on the market, not merely how it felt in my hand, but how it was put together, the company's reputation, examining negative reports -- the whole nine yards.

I discovered a foreign manufacturer whose firearms had a reputation for handling 100,000 rounds before any component of the firearm failed.

That, the company's reputation for outstanding customer service, and the way it felt in my hand and it's action is what convinced me I was making a good buy. Turned out to be an outstanding buy.

 

[since9]

Hope for American Corporations

After reading through list thread, it appears as if Smith & Wesson actually wants to go out of business. They sure are trying hard to get there!

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[spirit4earth]

Classic example of arrogant American manufacturer resting on their laurels instead of continuously improving.

This is precisely how Honda, Toyota, and Nissan derailed Detroit. American car manufacturers thought they had it made, that no significant percentage of the market would ever buy a car made overseas.

They were wrong. S&W is wrong, too.

The Six Sigma approach aims to have just 1 defect out of 1,000,000. To old-school American manufacturers, that can't be done. But to both American and foreign manufacturers who've been achieving that goal for decades, it's simply the way to do things right.

When I bought my first firearm, I spent a LOT of time looking at pretty much everything on the market, not merely how it felt in my hand, but how it was put together, the company's reputation, examining negative reports -- the whole nine yards.

I discovered a foreign manufacturer whose firearms had a reputation for handling 100,000 rounds before any component of the firearm failed.

That, the company's reputation for outstanding customer service, and the way it felt in my hand and it's action is what convinced me I was making a good buy. Turned out to be an outstanding buy.

And the foreign manufacturer is...?

 

[Pandaz3]

I have only one S&W Pistol, a Sigma 380. After all these years of being discontinued (bought New in '87), they still had a new magazine for it and when I finally learned to take it down and clean and lube the thing it seems okay. I had a issue with PARA Ordinance (they were in the process of being sold and moved) and it eventually got resolved by Remington. So while Para failed, their new owner (Remington) made it right. My Glock experience was expensive as I was a few months beyond the one year warranty, but service was good other than cost. Ruger was quick to fix, easy peasey. FMK had my back, at my request just sent me a new RSA which did the trick.
I have never had a revolver problem, old or new.

 

[spirit4earth]

I have only one S&W Pistol, a Sigma 380. After all these years of being discontinued (bought New in '87), they still had a new magazine for it and when I finally learned to take it down and clean and lube the thing it seems okay. I had a issue with PARA Ordinance (they were in the process of being sold and moved) and it eventually got resolved by Remington. So while Para failed, their new owner (Remington) made it right. My Glock experience was expensive as I was a few months beyond the one year warranty, but service was good other than cost. Ruger was quick to fix, easy peasey. FMK had my back, at my request just sent me a new RSA which did the trick.
I have never had a revolver problem, old or new.

Wow, so you have to pay for repairs with Glock if it’s after a year?

 

[Pandaz3]

Wow, so you have to pay for repairs with Glock if it’s after a year?

Yes and no, Glock just won't accept it unless it comes FEDEX Air which is $80. The fixing is free,but the shipping isn't.

 

[spirit4earth]

I’ll find out tomorrow whether S&W fixed my 2.0. It comes back to me after just 2 1/2 weeks.

 

[driz]

I know someone who had one 20 years old fixed . It cost right around $11 back in 2013-14. It wasn’t necessary then to air freight it , just ground.


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