Issues dealing with Wiktor Kuc of WKtools.com

[Bob Betker]

I am not sure if this is the correct forum for this post but since it is hand-tool related I thought it appropriate.

I ordered a couple of items from Wiktor Kuc of wktools.com about 16 months ago and I’m trying to get some advice on how to proceed. Here is a summary of what has transpired.

17 Nov 2021: I placed order for a Millers Falls #2 drill and a Yankee #2100/2101 10-inch brace and paid $586.00 via Paypal. His site said it was taking 36-39 weeks for delivery and his note from the Paypal receipt said 39-42 weeks for delivery.

3 October 2022: I sent the following message,
Wiktor: I was just wondering what was the status on the two braces that I ordered?
Thanks, Bob Betker
(I inadvertently typed two braces instead of two items.)

6 October 2022: His response,
Robert, I am in the middle of a really bad cold.
I will get back to you in a few days.

1 November 2022: No reply so I sent this message
Wiktor: I hope you are feeling better. I was hoping you could provide a status on my order?
Thanks, Bob

1 November 2022: Wiktor’s response,
Robert, Your package is No.2 hand drill and a bit brace. Not two braces as you said in a previous email.
I am planning to ship your package by the end of this month.
Best,
Wiktor A. Kuc

1 November 2023: My reply:
Wiktor; Thanks for the quick reply. You are correct, I mispoke when I stated two braces, I meant to say two items.
I am looking forward to seeing them.
VR, Robert Betker

6 Jan 2023: I sent the following message,
Wiktor: I hope you had a nice holiday season. I was wondering about the status of my order.
Thanks, Robert Betker

No response received.

4 March 2023: I sent another request for status,
Wiktor: I was just wondering what was the status of the drill and brace?
Thanks, Robert Betker

I realize that he is a one man shop and don’t want to be a nag, but it is well over the promised delivery date. I am now at somewhat of a loss to proceed. Should I send emails on a daily basis until he responds, should I contact Paypal and see if I can get a refund or better yet see if they can intervene?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Bob

[mike stenson]

I would have probably contacted PayPal already. If nothing else, every time I've had to do this, the seller suddenly became interested in completing the transaction. It's just business.

With that said, you're well over a year out from the transaction so.. I guess.. good luck?

[Jim Koepke]

17 Nov 2021: I placed order for a Millers Falls #2 drill and a Yankee #2100/2101 10-inch brace and paid $586.00

Were these NOS? (New Old Stock)

For that price I would toss in another brace, an 8" #2101 and some bits + included shipping.

jtk

[Stephen Rosenthal]

You’re not the first person that has had issues with him. I realize he does beautiful restorations, but you must really want pristine shelf queens to pay those prices for tools that are readily available elsewhere for a fraction of the cost, including our very own James Spangler. At this stage I would contact PayPal and if this transaction isn’t settled to your satisfaction within 2 weeks, insist on a full refund.

[Bob Betker]

Thanks for the feedback. I will contact Paypal to see what they can do.

Regarding the other observations/comments, during the pandemic I tried to make a monthly purchase of some hand tool from small businesses like Hamilton Toolworks, BadAxe, Hoch Tools, etc.; my little bit to help them out during a tough time. I had run out of other ideas and always admired Wiktor's craftsmanship and decided to splurge a little. I have a number of worker Yankee braces and M-F drills similar to these that I use regularly, I just wanted something very nice to possibly pass down to my son. At that time, I wasn't aware of the work that James Spangler was doing.
Again, thanks for the feedback.

[Christopher Charles]

Bob, good on you for support things you care about. Hope that PayPal can help shake the tree.

Good luck!

[Brady Lauback]

Bob - I am in the same situation as you. Have you made any progress? I ordered two drills in November of 2021 with a similar email thread. I am hoping Wiktor is simply behind and our orders are just very late, but I am worried something is amiss. Has anyone successfully received a drill from Wiktor since the migration from WKFineTools.com to WKTools.com in 2018?

[Bob Betker]

Brady: I submitted my claim to Paypal late last week (taxes and life intervened since I last posted). They set a deadline for resolution of 3 weeks. I'm now waiting to hear from Mr. Kuc, which has always been the problem (little or no communication). I also hope that he is just behind on finishing orders. I did see a comment (I can't remember on which woodworking site) that another woodworker had recently received their order after about 18 months of waiting. So it does look like he is/was delivering orders since 2018.
I will post again when there is any further information.

[Bob Betker]

Brady: Paypal got back to me and unfortunately they will not refund my money. According to their policy, I had to have filed within 180 days of the transaction. Of course, that doesn't address the issue that delivery wasn't expected until at least 270 days after the transaction. I am going to ask PayPal to reconsider or at least attempt to contract Mr. Kuc and get a response from him.

[Anuj Prateek]

I would have probably contacted PayPal already. If nothing else, every time I've had to do this, the seller suddenly became interested in completing the transaction. It's just business.

With that said, you're well over a year out from the transaction so.. I guess.. good luck?

Same. Start a PayPal dispute and share these recent communications if needed. If you used an Amex, you can dispute through them as well. Item has not shipped, even after multiple weeks after lead time. Most likely will be a straight forward refund.

[Douglas Rose]

I have the same story as the original poster.

I ordered two drills from Wiktor in February, 2020. After payment I got the order confirmation from him.

Next time I heard from him was in March, 2021 claiming health problems delayed my order. At that time he told me "I have to catch up with all orders that are before yours and I hope that I will be able to ship your drills and a brace by the end of July. I apologize for the delay and ask for patience. You order will be complete and delivered."

I didn't receive the items. In January, 2022 I again contacted Wiktor and he replied, telling me I would get my order by March, 2022 with his email including the following gem: "Don’t despair – you will get your tools and guarantee, you will be very happy camper."

That was the last time I ever heard from Wiktor. Never got the tools I paid for, never heard from him again despite repeated attempts to contact him over the next several years.

However, Wiktor still has a website up and running to accept orders and even has a section on his front page of "recent emails I received" that purports to have received the following email:


"December 21, 2023

Wiktor,

I wanted to let you know that I received the drill yesterday and the quality of your work is exceptional. All I can say is… … it was worth the wait

Mark"

It appears, given the remarkable similarity of my story and that of the original poster and another poster in this thread, that Wiktor has actively maintained his fancy website over the past few years. However, it seems his real business is living off his prior reputation, taking orders and money for tools he will never deliver.

[Bob Jones 5443]

It’s time for a respectful but direct email (can’t reach him by phone, always a bad sign at the outset!). Tell him you and others are discussing his shoddy service on Sawmill Creek, and unless your tools arrive by ________, you’re going to make sure that the SMC community knows to avoid him. Throw in a report to the Better Business Bureau.

Never heard of the man, but my guess is that he’s fallen on hard times or is beyond the point in life when he can maintain the service. He deserves our compassion, but not our six hundred dollars. For his sake and everyone else’s, he should fold up the tent.

Four years? Absurd.

[Rafael Herrera]

In PA you can complain to the attorney general's office. If the state where you or wktools do business have a similar office, you can complaint there and see if they can help you.

https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/

A few weeks ago, on reddit, there was a thread where a person was complaining about not getting the saws he paid for two years ago. He was advised to file a complaint with the PA AG, the saw maker's business is in PA. After threatening to do so, he got a refund. He tried to resolve this amicably before, but like the guys in this thread, he was ghosted by the saw maker.

[Lee Schierer]

In PA you can complain to the attorney general's office. If the state where you or wktools do business have a similar office, you can complaint there and see if they can help you.

https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/

A few weeks ago, on reddit, there was a thread where a person was complaining about not getting the saws he paid for two years ago. He was advised to file a complaint with the PA AG, the saw maker's business is in PA. After threatening to do so, he got a refund. He tried to resolve this amicably before, but like the guys in this thread, he was ghosted by the saw maker.

In a similar situation, I contacted the PA attorney generals office about a local PA trash company that went out of business right after we had just paid for the next quarter of service. No one answered the phone at the business and no one was ever there. The AG responded and told us we were out of luck since the company was out of business.

[Douglas Rose]

An update:

After posting last night, I emailed Wiktor again and noted he still seemed to be in business judging by his ongoing website and 2023 "review." To my surprise, he responded (first response from him in two years) saying he was in the hospital, but that I would get the drills as soon as he could make them. I told him I didn't want the drills, but wanted my money back.

I also contacted the New Mexico Attorney General's Office, Consumer Fraud Division, and filed a complaint as it appears I am not the only one who has had the same experience with Wiktor. I included my emails to/from Witktor, and a printout of this thread through last night.

The Attorney General's Office responded this morning (very efficient!) and said they would be sending Wiktor a letter today, with a 10 day response deadline for him, asking him to refund my money.

I would suggest those who have paid Wiktor and also not received their items while getting the run around or ignored for months/years also contact the New Mexico Attorney General and file their complaint.

[Derek Cohen]

While it is entirely possible that Wiktor is genuinely in the hospital, I have known him about 20 years, and his track record would argue otherwise. Don't hold your breath.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bob Betker]

Doug: Did you ever get resolution through the NM Attorney Generals office?

Thanks, Bob

[Haitham Jaber]

Wiktor is a thief. Don't buy from him. I've received a couple of drills from him that where well reconditioned. Even though he removed too much metal on the jaws to make them shine that they couldn't hold well smaller bits. I've known him from Chris Schwarz. So I trusted him. Well something happened. I think he's changed. He replied badly to my requests after six month after the expected delivery date. He told me he was in the hospital but then I used a secondary mail to ask for products that he continued to put online even if in the hospital and he replied to me within minutes. I posted him a screenshot of his conversation and never replied to me. As I have time I will go forward and denounce him.
Hope this helps.

[Eric Brown]

I prefer to have benefit-of-doubt. Anytime you are dealing with an old person, even myself, things can happen beyond their control. So you pay your money and take a chance. Also consider that if the person dies, the people they left behind may not even know anything about their side business, other than it exists. Passwords and customer commitments might not even be known. I have no need to deal with Wiktor, but if I did and he died, I would just consider the money as a donation to his family. Really, it's not worth getting bothered about.

[Tony Zaffuto]

FYI: way back when Wiktor started his drill reconditioning, he actually used several guys from the "old tool list", to do certain tasks. I bought a MF egg beater from him, and it was nice, but I honestly should have seeked out a NOS drill from a guy like Patrick Leach.