Disappointed in Vega Fence - Anyone ever return to them?

[Gabriel Marusic]

Hi - I'm a total newbie just getting started in woodworking wanting to have a hobby that I can do with my now retired dad so we've started upgrading some of his tools, starting with his table saw. Having read generally good reviews we settled on getting the Vega Pro 40 Fence system. After a bit of back and forth with them over the phone we ended up purchasing directly from Vega and had it within a week. Once we unpacked it, the excitement quickly turned to disappointment. This thing is very visibly used. Huge deep scratches running down the rails, the brackets for the tables have the finish chipped off and clearly had a table attached to them, the fence itself has a deep scratch in the aluminum, the measuring tape was peeling and I could go on. I'm not going to touch on my disappointment with the build quality as that is another issue into itself. I hoped the used fence was an honest mistake, so I contacted Vega immediately to see what my options were. No reply via email after a few days, so I tried calling and left a voicemail, also no reply. In the end, I sent 4 emails and left 3 messages over 10 days but never got a response. Wondering if they maybe closed due to covid, I sent an email from a different email account asking a basic product question and got a reply in under an hour. They were simply blowing me off. Now my dad and I are furious that we spent $419 to get this fence system and can't even get a reply from the manufacturer. I ended up opening a dispute on my credit card and am waiting for something on that front.

Has anyone recently returned a fence to them or even gotten them to respond with an issue like this? After this experience I absolutely want nothing to do with this company and don't trust them, their products, and especially not their QC. $419 isn't a cheap sum and we feel cheated.

[glenn bradley]

I can tell by your tone in the post that you are a bit unhappy right now, granted. If I received a used or demo product when I paid for a new one I would return it absolutely. Given these uncertain times, the lack of response may just be poor performance on their part and not intentional neglect. I would use the path that got you a response and ask for direction to customer service. I do not recall any noise on the forums about Vega having poor CS and hope it is just a symptom of the times. I'll assume you have all this info:

9585 Bruce Rd. Decatur, IL 62526
Phone: (217) 963-2232
Fax: (217) 963-2246
email: remvega@aol.com

They also have a Facebook presence. I don't use Facebook so cannot help you directly. I did peek via SWMBO's account and see some other discussion of slow or no response right now. Hope they take care of you.

That being said, I have never really liked round rail fences ever since the 70's Delta saws. The Vega fence is head and shoulders above the old Delta but, i just can't get past it. In their price tier there are Beisemeyer clones that I would rather have. Again, this is a result of my past experiences and none of those are with the Vega product. I'm just tossing out food for thought if your current situation results in a return.

However this works out, at this price point you should be VERY happy. If you feel you have been wronged or had to 'settle' it will haunt you till you rid yourself of the offender . . . oh, that was me talking from my experience again. I don't do well with dissatisfaction ;-)

[Gabriel Marusic]

Thank you, I really appreciate the help and the reply. I am super frustrated, and me getting this with my dad has compounded it. I sold him on this fence being the right choice for us and the added bonus of it being a small American company that still manufactures here was really appealing.

Appreciate the suggestions on the Biesemeyer clones, are there any specifically that you'd recommend?

[glenn bradley]

Flying in the face of the many suggestions I assume you will get . . . The Saw Stop T-Glide fence system is a great fence. Easy and wide range of adjustments, fence faces easy to remove, change out or replace, very heavy and rock solid. That said, most t-square style fences with 2" x 3" fence tubes are rock solid. I think the Saw Stop is pushing $500 so you would want to call Rockler or some other dealer and ask.

Very Super Cool Tools has an interesting offer but, by the time you get all the parts in your shopping cart the price gets up there.The Shop Fox Classic gets good reviews and at the other end of the spectrum the Delta T-3 at around $200 is a good fit for a lot of folks. I have an old Beisemeyer Commercial which is a beast and I love it despite its (now) fundumental features. My Saw Stop T-Glide is more adjustable and has the replaceable / shim-able faces so you would have to weigh what is right for you.

I'm sure you will get more input here. The VSCT offering requires you to make your own rails. The fence tube should be machined to be accurate. Regardless of how easy they make it sound, steel tube stock is about as accurate as the edge of a piece of plywood is straight.

[John TenEyck]

I hope Vega steps up and makes it right for you. I've had a Vega Pro 50 on my saw for about 10 years now and have nothing but good things to say about it. Easy on/off, very rigid, very straight, the micro adjust is awesome, locks securely without great effort, and I think maybe I've realigned it once in those 10 years. It just does what it's supposed to. Hang in there, you will like it once you get it sorted out.

John

[Bob Potter]

I have had my Vega 52" fence for more than 25 yrs or so. Even after all that time it still performs like new. Sorry agout your problem with Vega. Hope it gets settled soon.
Bob

[glenn bradley]

Judging from John and Bob's experiences I would say you already have the fence you want. The outstanding issue may be a discussion about the "demo" condition. :)

[Bryan Lisowski]

I have the Vega 40 fence and it's great. The cardboard grey piece on mine had a 3/4" crack on arrival, but I didn't try to replace because it doesn't impact anything.

[Gabriel Marusic]

The Very Super Cool Tools seems neat though I'm sure I want to delve into making rails. I was actually looking at Saw Stop fences initially but ended up going with Vega, depending how this pans out I may need to revisit that.

[Gabriel Marusic]

This is one of the reasons I chose to go with them, the reviews have by and large been great, until I look at some recent feedback.

[Doug Garson]

I have had the Delta T2 for 5 or 6 years now (don't know the difference between it and the T3, they look the same), it's a simple solid fence, no issues. Hard to find up here in Canada but down south I think it is sold by Home Depot among others.

[Jack Hovanec]

I bought a Vega around a year ago. I was extremely disappointed in the build quality. The machining looks like it was done by a 12 year old in their garage. The slots on the aluminum mounting brackets looked like someone chewed them out with their teeth. There were sharp burrs on everything. I had to file almost every edge and corner on the unit.
That being said, it functions fine, adjusts well, and seems to hold parallel well. I am just disappointed that it wasn’t a refined product i would expect from and American made unit. It seemed very “thrown together”. I voiced these complaints not expecting a replacement and got zero response despite being respectful in the email.

[Derek Arita]

What a total drag to pay for a new fence that you believed in, only to receive a used unit that may or may not perform as expected. If it all works out that you return your Vega, no pun intended, please consider a Beismeyer. So many fences are compared to the Beis, because of its simplicity, rock solid performance and superior build quality. I got smart and got one more than 10 years ago and have not had to readjust it since I originally set it up on my PM2000.

[Frank Pratt]

Have you tried calling your CC company to have the charges reversed? That would be the thing to do if you're not getting any joy from Vega.

[Derek Arita]

Have you tried calling your CC company to have the charges reversed? That would be the thing to do if you're not getting any joy from Vega.
Great advice! Done it before, myself.

[glenn bradley]

Have you tried calling your CC company to have the charges reversed? That would be the thing to do if you're not getting any joy from Vega.


Great advice! Done it before, myself.


The OP mentions having already contacting the credit card folks in his opening post. I agree that it is our responsibility as consumers to make retailers / makers responsible for their own QC. Sending an obviously not-new product without checking with the buyer first is not a class move. A simple phone call or email is not that much trouble. I make sure I include my email and phone when ordering most items (even here on the Creek) to be sure that contacting me couldn't be easier.

[Gabriel Marusic]

I bought a Vega around a year ago. I was extremely disappointed in the build quality. The machining looks like it was done by a 12 year old in their garage. The slots on the aluminum mounting brackets looked like someone chewed them out with their teeth. There were sharp burrs on everything. I had to file almost every edge and corner on the unit.
That being said, it functions fine, adjusts well, and seems to hold parallel well. I am just disappointed that it wasn’t a refined product i would expect from and American made unit. It seemed very “thrown together”. I voiced these complaints not expecting a replacement and got zero response despite being respectful in the email.

That is consistent with the build quality of the unit I received. My dad also commented that it looked like someone built it in their garage.

[Gabriel Marusic]

Have you tried calling your CC company to have the charges reversed? That would be the thing to do if you're not getting any joy from Vega.

Yeah, I opened a dispute with American Express. They're good about this kind of stuff so I'm sure I'll eventually get contacted by Vega. It's super frustrating that this is the length I have to go to for a reply from them.

[Jay Kepley]

I sent a link to this thread to Vega and suggested it do something about this. Here is the e-mail address: remvega@aol.com.

[Gabriel Marusic]

I sent a link to this thread to Vega and suggested it do something about this. Here is the e-mail address: remvega@aol.com.

Thank you, I hope they reply. That's the same email address I've been contacting and I actually sent another email over last night.

[Frank Pratt]

I sent a link to this thread to Vega and suggested it do something about this. Here is the e-mail address: remvega@aol.com.

In these times extra patience is needed when dealing with suppliers. That being said, it literally takes just a few seconds to reply to a complaint, even if it's just to acknowledge & say it will be dealt with when possible. If they have the staff to sell the product, then there is no excuse at all for treating a customer this way. It's highly unlikely they're not aware that they have QC issues.

A lot of potential customers read this forum & it will not go unnoticed.

[Gabriel Marusic]

I sent a link to this thread to Vega and suggested it do something about this. Here is the e-mail address: remvega@aol.com.

I'm guessing that had some influence. They finally replied to me today and said they're refunding me... and to keep the fence. I feel a bit guilty now.

[Frank Pratt]

I'm guessing that had some influence. They finally replied to me today and said they're refunding me... and to keep the fence. I feel a bit guilty now.

I don't think you need to feel guilty about anything. They messed up, you called them out because they weren't fixing it, and they were motivated to do the right thing. The system worked.

Their offer was certainly generous.

[Tom M King]

They were going to have to eat that one anyway, so this was a fitting end, including publicity. I wonder if it was a try to dump it for profit, or they just overlooked looking at it when it came back in.

[Derek Arita]

As I recall, this is not the first time I've heard that their fences are less than you'd expect in fit and finish. Also, that folks have had issues with customer service contact, after the sale has been made. Seems their CS is on a "Forced To" basis.

[Richard Coers]

As I recall, this is not the first time I've heard that their fences are less than you'd expect in fit and finish. Also, that folks have had issues with customer service contact, after the sale has been made. Seems their CS is on a "Forced To" basis.
Pretty rough that you guys are beating up on a small business in the middle of a pandemic. How do you know a 1/3 of them aren't sick? Vega is a really small business, just a few people working in a small Mom and Pop factory in the middle of some corn fields near Decatur, IL. Actually started by a father and son. And now with people begging for American made product, here we have a forum where people come on and bash them. And to the point that they have to eat the product and shipping. Couldn't there have been some compromise even though they offered to eat it? Wonder why American businesses are in trouble?

[Mike Henderson]

Pretty rough that you guys are beating up on a small business in the middle of a pandemic. How do you know a 1/3 of them aren't sick? Vega is a really small business, just a few people working in a small Mom and Pop factory in the middle of some corn fields near Decatur, IL. Actually started by a father and son. And now with people begging for American made product, here we have a forum where people come on and bash them. And to the point that they have to eat the product and shipping. Couldn't there have been some compromise even though they offered to eat it? Wonder why American businesses are in trouble?

I afraid I can't agree with you. Pandemic or not, they certainly should have shipped an acceptable product. Shipping what the OP described is simply unacceptable.

It's possible that they didn't reply because of the pandemic, but the OP said they replied quickly once he sent a query from a different email address.

Their response to refund his money and keep the fence was generous but it may be that the material cost was less than the cost of shipping it back to them, where they'd have to refurbish it before being able to sell it again.

No, I don't think the OP was rough on them at all.

Mike

[Richard Coers]

I afraid I can't agree with you. Pandemic or not, they certainly should have shipped an acceptable product. Shipping what the OP described is simply unacceptable.

It's possible that they didn't reply because of the pandemic, but the OP said they replied quickly once he sent a query from a different email address.

Their response to refund his money and keep the fence was generous but it may be that the material cost was less than the cost of shipping it back to them, where they'd have to refurbish it before being able to sell it again.

No, I don't think the OP was rough on them at all.

Mike
You don't have to agree with me. I've had a slow response from many companies during this. People have been put on furlough. Could be an untrained person grabbed the wrong box and shipped it. My intention was to suggest more patience with these little American businesses. If we aren't, everything we buy will come in a sea container and everyone will be working at some place that serves food out a drive up window. I guess I was brought up differently, I would have insisted on paying for some part of that fence system. If I didn't, I'd feel the regret every time I stood at the saw.

[Derek Arita]

Pretty rough that you guys are beating up on a small business in the middle of a pandemic. How do you know a 1/3 of them aren't sick? Vega is a really small business, just a few people working in a small Mom and Pop factory in the middle of some corn fields near Decatur, IL. Actually started by a father and son. And now with people begging for American made product, here we have a forum where people come on and bash them. And to the point that they have to eat the product and shipping. Couldn't there have been some compromise even though they offered to eat it? Wonder why American businesses are in trouble?
Richard, since you quoted me, I'll respond. I hear what you're saying and agree that these are tough times for small businesses. What I should have said was, that over the years, I read of issues with Vega CS and their fences. Were I referring to issues since the pandemic began, I wouldn't have chimed in. Right now I'm doing business with a very small US company that is having issues with CS to the point that they are no longer responding to phone calls or emails. Still, I know they put out a decent product and are doing their best to deliver. It took me 6 weeks to receive my order from them, but I did receive it and it was as advertised. Considering their past record and the current situation's effect on them, I endured the long wait and even placed a second order from them.
I'll always pass the word when a company does it right, however I'll also pass the word when they don't, current situation excluded.

[Jay Kepley]

Pretty rough that you guys are beating up on a small business in the middle of a pandemic. How do you know a 1/3 of them aren't sick? Vega is a really small business, just a few people working in a small Mom and Pop factory in the middle of some corn fields near Decatur, IL. Actually started by a father and son. And now with people begging for American made product, here we have a forum where people come on and bash them. And to the point that they have to eat the product and shipping. Couldn't there have been some compromise even though they offered to eat it? Wonder why American businesses are in trouble?

I thought I was doing Vega a favor. I let it know about a forum thread where it was being criticized and suggested that it respond. Isn't that looking out for the small company?

[Dave Sabo]

My main issue is they were able to respond lickity split when the possibility of taking new money was on the horizon - but all of a sudden the pandemic is responsible when it's time to service an existing customer ? This simply doesn't wash with me. Either you're impacted or you're not. You can't have it both ways. By all means, shut down if you need/have to.

Everything pretty much starts out as a mom and pop. I know of none that would deliberately send out inferior product like this seems to be. If they did, this is very telling about who you're dealing with. Mom & pop or BORG supplier; doesn't matter.

Beating up , no. When you get ignored you avail yourself of any remedy at your disposal. Even the sole proprietors I know that were shuttered recently had signs, voicemails, websites and email responses that got the word out that business was impacted and you would not get immediate response.

[Gabriel Marusic]

Pretty rough that you guys are beating up on a small business in the middle of a pandemic. How do you know a 1/3 of them aren't sick? Vega is a really small business, just a few people working in a small Mom and Pop factory in the middle of some corn fields near Decatur, IL. Actually started by a father and son. And now with people begging for American made product, here we have a forum where people come on and bash them. And to the point that they have to eat the product and shipping. Couldn't there have been some compromise even though they offered to eat it? Wonder why American businesses are in trouble?

My intent here wasn't to beat up a small company but rather see if anyone had gotten their attention over a similar issue. Before posting I did some research on the forums and saw that other people had trouble getting follow up customer support after purchase as well. I am completely aware they are a small American business and one of the tipping points for me in choosing them was that they started in Wisconsin. My mom was born in Surgeon Bay, WI., my parents met in Milwaukee and I used to go there as a kid so I really liked the story.

I realize we're in uncharted territory as far as the pandemic is concerned and if that was the cause of a non-reply, I'd certainly be understanding. However, being able to get an email reply within an hour from an alternate email address after I've been frustratingly emailing and calling for over a week proved that false.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I feel guilty about how this has panned out and I'm still giving it further thought as to what I should do. I haven't installed the fence yet because I wasn't sure what the outcome of this whole ordeal will be. I'm also leery of a used fence because that makes me question why it was returned in the first place, and whether or not there is an issue with it that my newbie self won't see.

At this point I'd prefer if this post was deleted; though, I think a mod would need to do that. What I'd hoped to get from it was an alternate way of getting through to them, and while that has happened, it has turned into far more than I had intended.

[ray grundhoefer]

Pretty rough that you guys are beating up on a small business in the middle of a pandemic. How do you know a 1/3 of them aren't sick? Vega is a really small business, just a few people working in a small Mom and Pop factory in the middle of some corn fields near Decatur, IL. Actually started by a father and son. And now with people begging for American made product, here we have a forum where people come on and bash them. And to the point that they have to eat the product and shipping. Couldn't there have been some compromise even though they offered to eat it? Wonder why American businesses are in trouble?


Does it seem odd to anyone else that they did not bother to respond until after they found out it might be impacting future sales. Then they responded with an offer.
While these are trying times there are people all over the world working from home using a laptop just like I am now.The fact that they did nothing until they found out about this post speaks volumes about their nonexistent customer, at least thats how I see it

[Jebediah Eckert]

There has to be a better way?

[Frederick Skelly]

My intent here wasn't to beat up a small company but rather see if anyone had gotten their attention over a similar issue. Before posting I did some research on the forums and saw that other people had trouble getting follow up customer support after purchase as well. I am completely aware they are a small American business and one of the tipping points for me in choosing them was that they started in Wisconsin. My mom was born in Surgeon Bay, WI., my parents met in Milwaukee and I used to go there as a kid so I really liked the story.

I realize we're in uncharted territory as far as the pandemic is concerned and if that was the cause of a non-reply, I'd certainly be understanding. However, being able to get an email reply within an hour from an alternate email address after I've been frustratingly emailing and calling for over a week proved that false.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I feel guilty about how this has panned out and I'm still giving it further thought as to what I should do. I haven't installed the fence yet because I wasn't sure what the outcome of this whole ordeal will be. I'm also leery of a used fence because that makes me question why it was returned in the first place, and whether or not there is an issue with it that my newbie self won't see.

At this point I'd prefer if this post was deleted; though, I think a mod would need to do that. What I'd hoped to get from it was an alternate way of getting through to them, and while that has happened, it has turned into far more than I had intended.

Gabriel,
One man's opinion, FWIW. I'm usually pretty vocal if I think someone is using the internet as a weapon against a business. It can be vengeful and do real damage (which is often the intent, IMO). But when I read your post, I thought you'd done things fairly and reasonably. You didnt do anything I felt was harsh. And I really liked the way you came back and told us how it was resolved - you didnt leave any doubt that the company took care of things. IMO, you shouldn't feel a bit bad Sir - you played this reasonably.

Fred

[glenn bradley]

I'm guessing that had some influence. They finally replied to me today and said they're refunding me... and to keep the fence. I feel a bit guilty now.


We can speculate till the cows come home. I would not feel guilty; they are resolving the issue in the way they have available to them under the given circumstances of which we are ignorant. Kudos to Vega. Obviously something is out of their control in our current dilemma. Being a small company maybe their "I.T. Guy" (and I know of larger companies that have only one) is unavailable. Whatever the situation, the word got through and they tried to make you happy at through their own sacrifice. I say again, kudos to them and may we all come out the other end OK and get to re-establish relationships.

[Ty wayne]

Don't feel bad, it's on them for sending that fence in the first place and then failing to respond. As said, even in these times it would only take someone a few seconds to ask you for patience in resolving the matter. I always try to give a company the benefit of the doubt but if you burn me, it will be a long time before I buy your product again.

I had a recent experience with some highly recommended lump charcoal for my smoker that had a satisfaction guarantee. I was thoroughly disappointed in the product. I emailed the manufacturer just to get their opinions on the issue I was having to see if it was normal. They immediately responded and assured me it was not and my product was defective. They asked for my address and stated they're sending a check for refund. I would have been fine without a refund and even said I would give them another chance in the future as long as the bag I got appeared to be an anomaly. They still said they'd send me a refund. Customer service is key.

Glad it all worked out for you.