The good - price (posted here in previous thread) and that they shipped it
the next day, so it arrived today! The free shipping is supposed to be
delayed (to entice you to not choose free), but indeed, the box was on my
doorstep today.

The bad - as reported elsewhere, the packaging is wholly inadequate for
shipping. I was hopeful since the box was undamaged, but inside was another
story. On top was the bottom fire pan, out of round, and with fairly
significant porcelain chipping on 2 opposing sides. Beneath that was the
lid, which was impaled into the middle chamber nearly inseperably, despite
the cardboard between. Again out of round (more slightly than the bottom)
and with the rim of the lid chipped as well.

I guess I'll have to call Weber tomorrow about the top and bottom parts, I
figure I can straighten the middle, but it's still a disappointment. I did
assemble it, and while the out of round parts only go together one way -
they do at least go together. Will replacements be packaged more securely?

- Bo

"Bo Hica" > wrote in message
> Will replacements be packaged more securely?
>

Probably not.

Better protection = higher cost. Most of their products are shipped to
distributors and are handled much differently than a single unit going UPS
or similar. They are probably willing to eat some damage cost to keep
packaging cost down. Better packaging could cost $1 to $2 per unit and add
$4 to $8 to the retail price.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

Have any of you who have been talking about the bad WSM packing for the last 6
months or so, left a review mentioning this on amazon.com? Perhaps if Weber and
Amazon read it enough they might do something.
peace
jeff

"Peder" > wrote in message ...
> "Bo Hica" > wrote in
> om:
>
> > I guess I'll have to call Weber tomorrow about the top and bottom
> > parts, I figure I can straighten the middle, but it's still a
> > disappointment. I did assemble it, and while the out of round parts
> > only go together one way - they do at least go together. Will
> > replacements be packaged more securely?
> >
> > - Bo

>
> FWIW - I'd be talking to Amazon about the replacement, not Weber.
>
> --
> Peder (Please reply to group only, email invalid)

I called Weber today, and specifically asked, given the situation whether I
should be talking to them or Amazon. They were happy to order my
replacements for the damaged parts, and seemed really concerned that I was
able to use it for the holiday weekend. I was really impressed.

I did ask that my rep relay my suggestion, which was that they look
improving the packaging - my experience as a case in point that the existing
pkging isn't sturdy enough to protect this unit when shipped by UPS and the
like. I'd have to assume that they are having a number of these type
problems, since both of my parts were out of stock until next week.

- Bo

Bo Hica wrote:

> I called Weber today, and specifically asked, given the situation
> whether I should be talking to them or Amazon. They were happy to
> order my replacements for the damaged parts, and seemed really
> concerned that I was able to use it for the holiday weekend. I was
> really impressed.
>
> I did ask that my rep relay my suggestion, which was that they look
> improving the packaging - my experience as a case in point that the
> existing pkging isn't sturdy enough to protect this unit when shipped
> by UPS and the like. I'd have to assume that they are having a number
> of these type problems, since both of my parts were out of stock
> until next week.

I'm glad to hear that things are being handled so well by Weber. It sure
helps take the sting out of the initial dissapointment.
Dave

Dave Bugg wrote:

> Bo Hica wrote:

>>I called Weber today, and specifically asked, given the situation
>>whether I should be talking to them or Amazon. They were happy to
>>order my replacements for the damaged parts, and seemed really
>>concerned that I was able to use it for the holiday weekend. I was
>>really impressed.

> I'm glad to hear that things are being handled so well by Weber. It sure
> helps take the sting out of the initial dissapointment.

Years ago, in the midst of an otherwise fairly boring course on
quality process (it was in the midst of the Malcolm Baldridge
award era, 1991 or so), I learned a fairly interesting fact.

Customers that have had some kind of problem that is promptly
resolved by a vendor consistently report higher satisfaction
than customers that never had a problem at all.

I suppose it's semi-obvious when you think about it, but it
wasn't obvious initially.

Dana

In article >, "Bo Hica"
> wrote:

_snip_

Gotta commend you on the fabuloso nom du screen . That's a hoot!


Miranda
The Barbecue Widow

Peder wrote:
> "Bo Hica" > wrote in
> om:
>
>
>>I guess I'll have to call Weber tomorrow about the top and bottom
>>parts, I figure I can straighten the middle, but it's still a
>>disappointment. I did assemble it, and while the out of round parts
>>only go together one way - they do at least go together. Will
>>replacements be packaged more securely?
>>
>>- Bo
>>
>>
>
>
> FWIW - I'd be talking to Amazon about the replacement, not Weber.
>

That is exactly what I did when my WSM arrived unusably damaged from
Amazon. I contacted Weber first and they were willing to replace all of
the damaged pieces. I figured that Amazon and UPS should bear the brunt
of the costs so I asked them for a replacement. Amazon paid the freight
for both the return and the replacement.

The replacement arrived with factory installed damage. I had weber
replace that part (the bottom bowl), which they did quickly. The
packaging on the replacement part was excellent.

Matthew

--
If the war in Iraq was over oil, we lost.