CHALLENGE FOR MONT BLANC - need advice and help

[Ranes]

Here's a problem I'm going to throw at the "legendary" Mont Blanc
customer service folks. Any bets on what their answer is going to be?

I recently, enthusiastically but not too wisely, bought a black
Mont Blanc "document marker" While I pondered ever so shortly the wisdom
of purchasing a highlight holder whose refills cost about the same as a
package of throwaway versions, I was overcome by the spirit and walked
out the door holding my new status symbol, anxiously awaiting the next
review session where I could whip out my precious resin highlighter and
astound my co-workers with my new toy.

But in the light of day, the following facts have come back to haunt me.
First, the refills are lousy, dry out too quickly, only come in yellow
and a sickly orange (oh, where is the fabled lime green and pink?) and
they are expensive. But worse, the local office supply stores have quit
carrying them and the only way to get them is to special order by the
box. I'm afraid by the time I would get to the fourth one the rest of
the box would have dried out.

Now for my challenge. I want to buy a "rollerball conversion kit" for
my document marker. I believe the LeGrande rollerball is the same size,
and therefore that I should be able to buy just the screw-in rollerball
adapter piece and be rid of my mistake forever. I would think that the
part is a "normal" Mont Blanc repair part (?) - and that the service
department would be able to supply one. Now we'll see....
Will they sell it?
How much $$$$? (appreciate some reasonable guesses on what the price
will be here)
How many levels of customer service will I have to talk to to accomplish
the switch (if it can be done... anyone out there with both items that
could do a quick thread check?)?
Anyone want to start a pool on how many responses this message will
generate from the Mont Blanc faithful and others?
For the board faithful....care to vote "yes" it can be done or "no" no
way at all?
Thanks
Dick

[MelbaToes2]

I personally wouldn't bother with dealing with Montblanc directly. I'd just
order the highligher refills! (I'm lazy, I guess.) Levenger carries yellow and
green refills--can't recall how much they are but I'd say it would be easier
than your alternative.

Just my two cents. :)

-Melba

[Eric Diamond]

Hmmm. I actualy like my MB Document marker. I use it every day.

Eric

Ranes wrote in message <3710C9A4...@home.com>...

[Ranes]

Read the post...I don't expect Mont Blanc or my dealer to "give" me
anything. I am perfectly willing to purchase the appropriate adapter
piece and am not trying to make a "case" of anything. I am not
counterfeiting in volumes, I am not attempting to re-sell, I am not
mis-representing anything: I am merely trying to make the best of an
honest mistake (my judgement, agree or disagree) and make an adjustment
to allow some salvage of a (again my judgement) a relatively useless and
certainly expensive item into something useable.

I modify products everyday, albeit more expense and probably more
useable products - personal computer systems. I add, exchange, subtract
components to provide personalized custom systems which keep my clients
happpy. I don't re-engineer or invent components, just use existing
"parts" to modify the end product for customer satisfaction.

I would suggest that Mont Blanc
(a) stocks the "roller ball" screw in part as a repair item
(b) if my rollerball needed that part, and it was out of warranty, they
would repair it for a given charge.
(c) it's their decision as to whether or not to sell it - and that was
my question.
(d) by the way, it may or may not work - given thread configurations,
internal diameters, lengths or other design factors. I don't know...but
I assume the fabled "German engineering" gurus at Mont Blanc or other
pen knowledgeable people can rather easily tell me (read the previous
post from Eric Diamond for example.)

By the way - suppose I did want to purchase a "Doue" metal top - OK so
the metal is gold or silver thinplate - to convert my plain old Mont
Blanc black plastic to a more "status" accoutrement. According to my
catalog, Mont Blanc only packages them one way, black with silver and
burgundy with gold (or maybe it's the other way around). Suppose I
wanted black with gold...I shouldn't be able to get it because some
fashioned impaired German designer decided black only went with silver?
There might be a price difference between gold and silver, I might pay
more for the metal cap than a whole new pen, I might offend the
sensibilities of some German executive in Hamburg...but the choice and
the option would be there if the company cared about it's clients. I
don't need to get into a discussion of "mass customization"
manufacturing techniques as the trend for corporate survival in the
millenium, but ....

Simpl...@webtv.net wrote:
>
> Montblanc probably won't sell the part to convert your pen, and they
> should not be expected to either, if you wanted a rollerball you should
> of bought one. If they start to sell parts to covert pens then what if
> a person wanted to convert their 163RB to a 144FP? Or what if someone
> wanted to convert a Classique pen to a Doué? All they need is a
> silver cap, should MB be expected to convert a pen you bought into a
> pen you did not buy? Will Pelikan convert my Pelikan rollerball into a
> fountain pen?
>
> MB customer service is not as bad as people make them out to be! If the
> people who contact MB service use the same "You owe me something I did
> not buy" tone of voice that is used in these news-groups then I'd say
> you probably will not get the nicest service.
> I see no one expecting this kind of service from Pelikan or anyother pen
> company. It's not fair to hold MB responsible for your mistake in
> purchase when the item you purchased is working as it was promissed to
> work. High-lighter pens are magic markers and felt tips dry out
> quicker.
>
> Why not take the pen back to the store you bought it from? Do you
> expect them to give you the part needed to convert your pen? If you
> don't expect them to then why do you expect MB to? Take it back and get
> a refund and buy something else... It's that simple.
>
> Regards.

[XIV KARATS LTD]

If there is any way to do it...I don't think that MB will be THAT bad. If
you would like, I will be happy to get you refills, we are a MB retailer,
pick a color, free shipping. OR if you would like, I will be happy to guide
your request through the MB customer service maze.

Jamie Hayes
XIV KARATS Beverly Hills
visit us @ http://www.xivkarats.com
ja...@xivkarats.com