[Viktor Asenov]

Hello everyone,

Maybe some of you know that I'm a "mail sick" man.I'm buying,retailoring,weaving from scratch and selling mail(indian one on that stage).
1 month ago I decided to buy from indian company cheaper(compared with those in european websites) mail.
The company was called New Friends Handicrafts.That's their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/historicalproduct/?fref=ts
I'll not bother you with a great details,I'll just say that I've spend a month in waiting,constantly outwited about the final despatching package's date.At the end of the saga,the guy who I negotiate with even starts to hide and read my messages without answering me.
That brokes my "cup of patience" and I decided to take my money back.
With the help of PayPal's Resolution Center I succeeded.
So,what I've learned from my personal experience with the indian exporters.A few advices for begginers:
- check regularly the pages they are posting their products in, for any client problems ;
- check how regularly they are posting products;
- do some research in advance on their feedback among their ex-clients,or people dealed with them once;
- do not allow them to pressure you for payment in advance;
- if you pay in advance,give them 50% of the amount;

All in all these are the points I've learned from my personal experience.And maybe the most important - be careful when they start to daze you with attractive offers.They certanly will try.

Hope this material will help someone not slip like me with New Friends Handicrafts,or someone who wants to deal with known and unknown indian manufacturers.


Viktor

[Luka Borscak]

I know these guys from facebook. They certainly are promoting themselves vigorously. I'm thinking of buying a wedge riveted mail and after this post of yours I think I definitely won't order directly from India/Pakistan.

[Viktor Asenov]

The only indian dealer I'm trusting is Deepeeka.
I've dealed with them twice.The only problem is the tricky communication.Both times I received something different from what I have ordered.After all my explanations about finish,size and grease on the rings.
As for New Friends Handicrafts,well,if someone wants to lose his money,time and nerves that is his own right.My personal responsibility is to share my experience when there is an incorrect dealer on the horizont.Because I don't like to talk without evidences here it is one.Taken from the official FB page of that company.

[Mario M.]

I personally am saving up money to buy a full set of mail on E-bay.

Also Indian production, but the sellers are on E-bay, meaning they have their ratings(hundreds of buyers stating their opinion) which I can check.

The ones I chose have mostly 5 stars so I think I am safe.

That is perhaps the greatest advantage to buying stuff off E-bay in comparison to contacting the craftsmen directly on their pages.

Though, the downside is that there is no customization or other craft requests available, but only finished products.

[Craig Peters]

[Mario M.]

On eBay you can see the reviews and where they come from, since they are eBay accounts you can also see their own ratings.

So fake accounts become obvious since they do not have much stars.

The average voter I see is between 300 and 1000 stars, which makes it very difficult to be orchestrated.

One of the sellers I am currently browsing has several 5 starts from 2000+ star accounts.

It is very difficult to fake reputation on eBay without it being blatantly obvious from what I can see.

Perhaps the first 20-40 stars if you need beginners rep, but after that it becomes rather difficult.

[Dan Howard]

Craig is right. There are plenty of fake ebay sellers with good reviews because they pay other people to create fake accounts to write them. It is an industry in poorer countries.

[Viktor Asenov]

Ebay is not much safer too,especially when it comes to indian sellers.They are using fairly known pictures,taken from Google for their products.Even they send the ordered goods,what you will receive could be quite surprising.
By the way that company - New Friends Handicrafts has also an Ebay account,so be careful.

[Paul Ballantyne]

I have only dealt with the UK, Europe (Poland and Hungary) and contacts in the US.

Responses to e-mails and completion dates may sometimes differ, but generally I have always trusted the companies from these countries. They tend to take their reputation very seriously, and will make great efforts to correct any mistakes asap and maintain their quality. With modern media and social sites, a tradesman with a bad reputation with become known very quickly.

I prefer to keep with the high quality contacts eg Cap-a-pie, Albion, and Peter Regenyei, and have never been disappointed. Such sellers are also famous not only for their products but perhaps for me more important, the after sales service, having trust in a product for the years afterwards. The quality of an item is only tested when it is used for its practical application eg a Feder for sparring, sword for test cutting.

Check out reviews, ask around club members for their experiences, and trust your gut instinct. I find its better to pay a bit extra and have trust in the product. I have heard many people regret paying a bit less for an inferior product, or failing to receive the product at all and having a nightmare trying to reclaim their money.

On the other hand folks that buy quality items are usually very glad they did, and are glad to show off their new Albion or Danelli.

I have never bought from the other countries you mentioned and I don't mean to tar them all with the same brush, some may be good products and trustworthy sellers, but for me its not worth the chance.