What would you have done?

[Mike Cruz]

So, through a long decision process, I decided on the Oneway vacuum chuck adaptor for my lathe. I won't get into the whole story there, but it ended up being my best choice.

Anyway, I ordered it on October 31st, and a package arrived today! Woohoo! All excited, I grabbed the box (whoa, these things are heavy), grabbed a pair of scissors and opened the box. There were two boxes inside...one was the taper lock adaptor and the other was the Stronghold. WHAT?! Hey, who messed up my order?!?! I didn't order a Stronghold chuck, I ordered a vacuum chuck adaptor. I got right on the phone, ready to give someone an earfull when I paused. Waaaaaiiiiiittttttt a minute. Let's do some quick math here... I ordered an $85 vacuum chuck adaptor and was mistakingly sent a $287 Stronghold chuck...hmmmmm decisions...decisions... Not my fault right?

Okay, okay, yeah, I called Oneway and let them know. I'll have a vacuum chuck adaptor next week and I'm sending the Stronghold back. Pains me, but it was the right thing to do. Right Tony?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Would have called and informed them of their mistake - then shipped it back. At least you got to see what the chuck looks like!! I have to order one of those Strongholds sometime soon!

[John Keeton]

Mike, you did the honest thing, and that is always the right answer!! I am proud of you!:)

[Richard Jones]

Mike, you did the honest thing, and that is always the right answer!! I am proud of you!:)

Exactly right. Ditto.

Rich

[Fred Belknap]

You made me proud. The stronghold chuck is heavy, don't sand in reverse with one, it will unscrew. I guess because of the mass.

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks, I'm proud of myself too. The dark side was luring me in...but I resisted. It is hard seeing it on the counter... I... MUST... LOOK... AWAY...

In an odd twist of fate, the Stronghold chuck that I bought from a fellow Creeker showed up in the mail today... :)

[Roger Chandler]

Mike.........

You never go wrong by doing the right thing!!! It is a fact of life.........people [people who work for companies] make mistakes, and if the roles were reversed and you were the one who made a mistake, you would not want someone taking advantage of you just because they could!

Ya' done good Mike............I knew there was something about you that I liked! Honesty! ;):)

[Steve Kubien]

You are too honest for government work. Ya done good.

[Roger Chandler]

Another thing Mike.............if you would have kept it, every time you went to that beautifully restored PM90, your heart and conscience would have twinged...........the joy of all you have accomplished would have been soiled by that moment of weakness.............you really did the right thing, and because you do, things will turn out right! :)

[thomas prusak]

Mike,

You would gained today and paid for it ten times over in the future. Good man Mike.

[Derek Gilmer]

You did good. I'm not a follower of karma so I won't say you'll get paid back for it. But doing the right thing is simply the right thing to do. Regardless of it benefits you tomorrow or not. Kudos to you.

[Jim Slovik]

A true test of character is..." Do you do the right thing when nobody is watching?". You did. I'm proud of you too. Your story gave my day the little boost that it needed. Thanks.

[Rick Markham]

I would have sent it back too, after a careful inspection of course. I've had my eye on those... just don't have the NEED yet... (yet is the keyword :D)

Besides if you didn't send it back, and you ordered another vacuum chuck, you might end up with another stronghold. Who wants that!

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks, everyone, you're making this a LOT easier...believe me.

Funny thing is, this is the SECOND time something like this has happened to me! The first time, I ordered a metal detector from Cabellas...$150 item. When the package arrived, it had 6 of them in there! And yes, I called them and returned them as well. Oddly enough, this was harder. I mean, what I am going to do with 5 extra metal detectors? BUT, what would I do with a Stronghold? That, my friends, was a WHOLE lot easier to answer. (No wise cracks, Tony.)

[Jim Burr]

Good way to avoid Keeton in court!!! Want pic's!!

[David Warkentin]

Wowser. What a mistake on someone's part. You certainly did the right thing. Enjoy your properly gotten stronghold.

[Rick Markham]

Thanks, everyone, you're making this a LOT easier...believe me.

Funny thing is, this is the SECOND time something like this has happened to me! The first time, I ordered a metal detector from Cabellas...$150 item. When the package arrived, it had 6 of them in there! And yes, I called them and returned them as well. Oddly enough, this was harder. I mean, what I am going to do with 5 extra metal detectors? BUT, what would I do with a Stronghold? That, my friends, was a WHOLE lot easier to answer. (No wise cracks, Tony.)

Heck Yeah, you would need at least 5 extra arms to operate all of those metal detectors! But think how much sanding you could get done with extra arms...

[Mike Cruz]

Derek, funny that you mention karma...

Before arriving home to my Oneway package, I went to the store to pick up some beer. Upon exiting the establishment, I dropped BOTH 12 packs of beer on the concrete sidwalk! OOCH! PARTY FOUL! (The carboard handles tore.) One of them leaked, no drained, quite a bit. 3 of the bottles broke. I calmly walked back into the store to get a box to carry the survivors. I didn't pitch a fit. I didn't ask to be reimbursed by the store for letting me carry out the 12 packs by those shady handle cut out things...and they didn't offfer anything other than a grimmace and a "awe, that sucks". So, when I saw the Stronghold, I kinda thought, "See?!" But realized better....

[Mike Cruz]

And Rick, do the math. I stood to make out a LOT better on the Cabellas screw up (5 times $150, which equals somethign like $3000! :) ) than on the Oneway.

[Mike Cruz]

Funny, David, someone mentioned that I sould think about how the worker that made the mistake felt and how relieved he will be. I certainly hope that's the case, I hope my honesty doesn't get him fired!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Proud of ya Mike. You did the right thing.

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks, Tony. Hey, wait! You're not Tony...

[Alan Trout]

You did the right thing. Those karma paybacks are tough. I would have hated to see what would have happened if you did not call them. My personal motto is "treat others as you wish to be treated" It sure makes life much easier.

Alan

[Jim Underwood]

I had the same sorta thing happen when I made an order from MSC a few years back. I got a whole box of 10 inch Crescent wrenches for the price of one. I sent them all back but the one I ordered... I hafta admit I was sure tempted to keep 'em... :o

[Tony De Masi]

Finally, someone who has asked for my advice, or wisdom as Mike put it, and they actually accepted it. That's a new one for me. Good job Mike. There would have been no living with THE BOSS if you had made a different decision.

[David DeCristoforo]

Well the decision is unanimous. What else could one say? Keep it? Screw em... if they are so stupid, that's their problem? They're a big company, they can afford it? Whose gonna miss it? But the truth is you may have saved someone's job by acting in good conscience. I know many companies in which a mistake like that can be cause for termination or at least is taken out of the paycheck of the person responsible for the error. We can have no idea what the ultimate price of taking advantage of such an "opportunity" could have on others. You may have prevented a string of "unfortunate events" that reaches far beyond your own immediate circle. So, of course, you did the only right thing.

[Jake Helmboldt]

So if I order a vaccum chuck they'll send me a Stronghold? Is there a special code or product combo I need to get that special?

OK, seriously, you did the "right" thing. Honesty and conscience sure can be a kick in the pants. With my luck I'd have launched the first turning right into my kisser.

[Curt Fuller]

Sending it back was undoubtedly the right thing to do. But my dark side would have made me keep it, mail them a check, and figure out how I was going to explain it to my wife.

[ray hampton]

doing the right thing could been sending the company the money for the chuck and avoiding the shipment charges [ this is how the company could see it ]

[Rick Markham]

"hey can I get a discount on this chuck you sent me by accident... it already has shavings on it"

[David E Keller]

Curt and I would have handled it the same way... Keep the chuck and pay the difference! If someone accidentally sends me a tool that I've been coveting, I intend to take that as a sign that I was supposed to have ordered it(and paid for it). So I'll say that you didn't do the right thing, but you did the next best thing!

[Steve Vaughan]

Nothing quite like the peace one has for making wise decisions. Nothing's worse than being without peace because of poor choices.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You did the correct thing Mike!

Question? Did you think to wipe the drool off before you returned it?

You did the right thing.

[Peter Elliott]

I can't believe you dropped the beer.. ug-geesh.. who cares about the darn chuck... You dropped the beer! I hope it wasn't the latest batch of Mad Elf..
Well, if the beer was for your field trip, then KARMA....:p

[Mike Cruz]

The drool just adds to the lube that was already all over it, Ken. :D

[Mike Cruz]

Yeah, the look on my face was probably priceless, Peter. If it hadn't been for the broken glass particles, I probably would have lapped it off the sidewalk...

[Mike Cruz]

You guys really are on to something...IF I hadn't already bought one from a fellow Creeker that HAPPENED to have shown up on the SAME day!

If I hadn't bought that other one, I likely would have called them to see if I could pay for the chuck and get the #3 or #4 jaws at a discount for my honesty. All water under the bridge, though. And no, I really don't need two Strongholds...I already have enough chucks.

[Roger Chandler]

Y And no, I really don't need two Strongholds...I already have enough chucks.

:eek::eek::eek: Perish the thought!

[Josh Bowman]

The right thing to do is.........always the right thing to do.

[Mike Cruz]

Roger, I never said I had too many, I'm just saying I have enough. :)

[George Guadiane]

The answer (for me) is always in this question:
"If the situation was reversed, what would you want the other party to do?"

Once I answer that question, I take action... It sounds like you did the same. And YES, sometimes doing the right thing leaves a certain emptiness, but I think the empty space for me would be filled with shame if I did what I WANTED to do.

[Hilel Salomon]

I would have kept the chuck, called Oneway and asked them where my stronghold is. That way, together with the one I sold/sent you, you would have had three chucks for the price of 1.6 of them. Of course, if you shave and look at yourself in the mirror you might be a tad ashamed, but here again. Don't shave! See, I've got you growing a beard and a tail. Just kidding of course. I always know that I would be an unforgiving judge of my own character and that shame is one of the worst feelings in the world. Enjoy.

Incidentally, doesn't that prove that I was right to trust you?

Hilel

[Mike Cruz]

I actually had a little fun with the CR rep at Oneway when I called in. This is what I did...

I called in and asked her, "If I return a Stronghold chuck, will I get charged a restocking fee?"
She replied, "Uh, who is this?"
I answered, "Mike. Would you like my customer number?"
She replied, "Yes."
I gave it to her. She typed. Some silence.
She asked, "Where did you get the chuck?"
I said, "From you guys."
She said, "I don't see any order for a Stronghold chuck."
I said, "I know. I ordered a vacuum chuck adaptor, and you guys sent me a Stronghold chuck."
Loooong silence.
I muttered, "And yes, I know the difference between their price." (With a grin on my face that I'm sure she could "hear".)
She realized where this was going, appologized for the mix up, said a vacuum chuck would be shipped right out, and asked if I would mind sending the Stronghold back.
I replied, "Of course I'll send it back, that's why I called."

Hey, if I was going to miss out on this chuck, I was at least going to have a little fun. :D

[Peter Elliott]

People!!! he dropped the BEEEEER.... forget that chuck! :D

"Man Card" suspended for 10days

Good behavior for returning the chuck - 1 day served!

[Mike Cruz]

I have a feeling you are barking up the wrong tee, Peter. This crowd seems more "do the right thing" oriented than "party foul" oriented. But I have to admit, the draining beer reminded me of a horror flick scene were somone hit the floor and blood just pools out and there's nothing you can do to save the beer...I mean the person. I/it felt like that...

[Dave Ogren]

You did the right thing and it will come back to you. Hopefully it will come back soon.

Dave

[ray hampton]

You drop your beer, and now is a good time to give up drinking, as least stay sober

[Mike Cruz]

Let's not go to extremes, Ray! :) I may have killed 3 beers, but I saved 21. Besides, it wasn't so much the I dropped them as that the boxes ripped which caused me to drop them.

[ray hampton]

Let's not go to extremes, Ray! :) I may have killed 3 beers, but I saved 21. Besides, it wasn't so much the I dropped them as that the boxes ripped which caused me to drop them.

Don't feel bad, people do drop their beer after they have 2 or more drinks

[Jon McElwain]

Way to be. Integrity is worth more than a stronghold chuck. And it sounds like yours just got more valuable.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Good job Mike. Oneway is a class act to deal with. I once ordered a vacuum adapter for my 1224 lathe and they sent the wrong one. When I called about returning it, I was told to keep it and the correct one would be sent out right away. As far as Stronghold chucks go, They are like Pringles potatoe chips, you can't have just one. You need one for each set of jaws.

[Ed Morgano]

Mike,
One vote for ..... "you did the right thing"
One vote for ..... " You DROPPED the BEER ?!?!?!?!

This is a great thread...very entertaining. Thanks, I needed some smiles tonight.

[Mike Cruz]

Joe, I didn't get any door prizes for my honesty, but I did get a lot of slaps on the back here...and that certainly counts for something...so I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Ed, I'm sure Peter will appreciate that someone else is appalled at the beer foul. I really don't think it was my fault, though. The cardboard boxes have holes in the side for you to carry them. You would think they would be strong enough to support the weight of the beer... Glad you've enjoyed the thread, too. I know I have.

[Peter Elliott]

"A Bad Carpenter always blames his tools" :cool:

"A Bad Beer drinker always blames the other guy" :D

I don't think your a bad carpenter at alll but the 2nd line.....hmmm :rolleyes:

[Ron Bontz]

My compliments. I have and continue to work with a few that would have kept it and then bragged about how they shafted someone. Someone once asked me a question in a promotional interview about what to do in a given situation. My answer was/is simply, "doing the right thing is not always what is best for you, but still the right thing to do". Kudos to those who do the right thing.:)

[Rick Markham]

And Rick, do the math. I stood to make out a LOT better on the Cabellas screw up (5 times $150, which equals somethign like $3000! :) ) than on the Oneway.

Ok, we will go with that... You must be a fisherman! The real travesty in this is the guy who put the stronghold in the box made a terrible mistake, he should have included a calculator too :p:D

[Rick Markham]

Mike didn't anyone teach you: "Don't fumble"

[Mike Cruz]

Well, when I called in to tell them about the mix up, they said they would send out the vacuum chuck adaptor on Tuesday (their shipping day to the US). They told me to mail back the Stronghold upon receipt of the vacuum chuck adaptor. I got impatient seeing it sitting in plain view all weekend. Packaged it up today (when they are supposed to be mailing my vacuum chuck adaptor out) and went to the Post Office (their request) to send it back. Didn't want to see it hanging around here until next week. Went to the Post Office and it was going to be $35 to ship it back! Even though I wouldn't be the one to pay for the return shipping, I had a feeling that it would be more than they wanted to spend, too. I called them back and asked if they had some sort of return shipping label method that would be less expensive.

Guess karma came back to me. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse on the Stronghold. Actually, I really didn't want it. I just didn't want their poor little company to have bare such a burdon. :rolleyes: ;) So, while I didn't need another Stronghold, I suppose I'll suffer by having two... Dan, look out. It looks like I'm hot on your trail collecting Strongholds! :D

[Jon McElwain]

Guess karma came back to me. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse on the Stronghold.

I take back all the nice things I said about you. You suck. I REALLY need another stronghold or 5.

[Peter Elliott]

You know the cool thing. Mike offered it up at our next Creeker meet for a door prize. I mean this guy is a such a stand up dude! :p

Way to go Oneway for doing the right thing. It actually kind of tick me off that they wanted Mike to go out of his way to box it, drive to the post office, ship it, pay for it and then get reimbursed. It's not like Mike lives right down the street from the Post Office either. That wasn't cool at all and once he told them how much the shipping was, oh then you can keep it.. Nice but a little late to the party I think..

Good for Mike! Can't wait to see which BFF get's it....:rolleyes:



ps. I'm kidding btw about the door prize...

[Dan Hintz]

Dan, look out. It looks like I'm hot on your trail collecting Strongholds! :D
I now have four Strongholds, every jaw set they sell, and a Talon with a couple different jaw ... you have a ways to go there, newbie ;)

[Mike Cruz]

Yeah, behind you on the Strongholds, and I HOPE I never catch up to you either. I do however have the two Strongholds and two of the Grizzly Vicmarc knock offs...so 4 and happy to stop collecting them!

Peter, I know what you mean. But for some reason, I have a feeling they were going to give me a little thank you anyway. Not sure why. But just had a feeling. Something to do with the fact that they asked me to send it once I had gotten the vacuum chuck adaptor. Not to mention, the first time I spoke to that one rep, I think the whole thing caught her off guard. When I spoke with her today, she quite promptly was looking for "something" to do. And she not only remembered me, but also remembered how shocked she was. It's all good...

[Kevin W Johnson]

And Rick, do the math. I stood to make out a LOT better on the Cabellas screw up (5 times $150, which equals somethign like $3000! :) ) than on the Oneway.

Do math? LOL. 5 times $150 is $750..... :p

[Sid Matheny]

I guess you did the right thing but I would have held it for ransom!:cool:

Sid

[Dan Hintz]

Do math? LOL. 5 times $150 is $750..... :p
We never said we loved him for his math skills... ;)

[Mike Cruz]

OMG, did I really need to put a smiley after that? At first I typed $2000. Then thought, hmmmm, someone might think I miscalulated...let me inflate it a bit more juuuuust to be sure it is obvious that I'm joking. I have to say, Kevin, thanks for catching it, though. I'm sure that 85% of those that read it didn't pay enough attention to realize it didn't add up. The other 25% of people are so poor in math that it made sense...

[Mike Cruz]

Oh, and Peter, they didn't give it away to me. It was just too good to say no to...

[Dan Hintz]

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, Mike... those that understand binary, and those that don't. :D

[Mike Cruz]

11011010101111000010101010100110!!!!!