Ultra Sabers experience

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Ultra Sabers is even more "customer friendly" at ComiCon... (eyeroll)...I'll pay for a Parks gladly.
 
A little update, the OP and I are making progress towards an amicable resolution. He has been refunded in full (including restocking fees and shipping) and now we are working towards burying the hatchet with some future cooperative efforts. He has some pretty good ideas on how we can better serve the community and I look forward to working with him.

After reading this thread, I would like to clear a couple things up here:

If you are trying to decide between a Parks and an Ultra Saber, then you are not a saber duelist and any decorative saber will do. If you dont need sound effects or dueling durability, a Parks is a fine choice. However, Ultra Sabers are made for dueling and designed to take a beating. Even our soundboards are encased in armor!

They are built like rocks to take hard knocks. Ultra Sabers are not the same type of saber as a Parks or Force FX, so comparing them to one another is not very helpful to the people we cater to. To our primary customer base, a Force FX or a Parks is not even an option for discussion.

And our rating on the BBB is because we are not a member of the BBB, it says that right on their page. It has always been my belief that the BBB is a scam. Give them enough money and you get an A. Don't, get an F. There is a well known modeling scam company that has an A rating, so how helpful are they really?

Dont look superficially at just the rating, look at the actual number of complaints. When you check the actual number BBB of complaints, it's less than 5.... since 2005! So the rating is highly deceptive. 5 BBB disputes in 7 years is a stellar rating.

As for why we are "blacklisted" on FX Sabers, we arent. Blacklisting would infer that the site has taken a stance against Ultra Sabers. That is not whats going on.

Ultra Sabers products can be bought, sold, and traded on their forum in the appropriate section, but all other discussion of Ultra Sabers is not allowed and we agree with that policy.

People like to speculate wildly as to the reason behind it because the owner of FX Sabers and I are long time friends, very very close friends, and we haven't spoken publicly about it. Suffice it to say that FX Sabers is home to many of our competitors and the moderation staff is also composed of many of our competitors which makes a pretty big conflict of interest which tends to disrupt the harmony of that particular site. We BOTH agree that it's just best to not discuss my products there, end of story.
 
I just HAVE to chime in.

So you processed his order in FOUR MINUTES? Really? Is your operation that huge and complex that you can't tell someone in fulfillment "Toss a couple of covertechs into this guys box"? (if you even HAVE a fulfillment department. I am thinking your fullfillment department is probably your kitchen table...which is FINE, just don't act like it isn't. People aren't dumb... )

You sell MILLIONS of dollars in lightsabers a year? Really? I am having a hard time with that one, sorry. :unsure

I am SURE that QMx tops you for sales/year and we had people ask ALL OF THE TIME for extras, change/add to their orders, etc. I just walked across the hall and told the packing department folks to change/add to the order. Not something you want to do constantly, but pretty simple.

You aren't AMAZON, so don't act like it. It pisses the customers off. Having a bad attitude isn't worth losing thousnds of dollars/ year in sales. I should know :lol

NEVER argue with, or insult a customer no matter HOW rude or stupid they are being. As a retailer, you can't win an argument with a customer. EVER.

You might want to re-think this situation and how you respond to people. Even if they threaten to stab your mom...stay professional!!!

I have been doing this for 20+ years (CCG, SD Studios, MR, QMx, etc...) and I have learned that being snotty doesn't work. It will come back to bite you every time. ESPECIALLY in these small communities where EVERYONE talks to each other via the internet.

My $.02 FWIW...
 
Alex, good to see you here. Looks like gears have been put into motion to help prevent the OP's type of complaint from poping up in the future. It is nice when the owner of the forum shows up to address situations of concern.
 
A little update, the OP and I are making progress towards an amicable resolution. He has been refunded in full (including restocking fees and shipping) and now we are working towards burying the hatchet with some future cooperative efforts. He has some pretty good ideas on how we can better serve the community and I look forward to working with him.

After reading this thread, I would like to clear a couple things up here:

If you are trying to decide between a Parks and an Ultra Saber, then you are not a saber duelist and any decorative saber will do. If you dont need sound effects or dueling durability, a Parks is a fine choice. However, Ultra Sabers are made for dueling and designed to take a beating. Even our soundboards are encased in armor!

They are built like rocks to take hard knocks. Ultra Sabers are not the same type of saber as a Parks or Force FX, so comparing them to one another is not very helpful to the people we cater to. To our primary customer base, a Force FX or a Parks is not even an option for discussion.

And our rating on the BBB is because we are not a member of the BBB, it says that right on their page. It has always been my belief that the BBB is a scam. Give them enough money and you get an A. Don't, get an F. There is a well known modeling scam company that has an A rating, so how helpful are they really?

Dont look superficially at just the rating, look at the actual number of complaints. When you check the actual number BBB of complaints, it's less than 5.... since 2005! So the rating is highly deceptive. 5 BBB disputes in 7 years is a stellar rating.

As for why we are "blacklisted" on FX Sabers, we arent. Blacklisting would infer that the site has taken a stance against Ultra Sabers. That is not whats going on.

Ultra Sabers products can be bought, sold, and traded on their forum in the appropriate section, but all other discussion of Ultra Sabers is not allowed and we agree with that policy.

People like to speculate wildly as to the reason behind it because the owner of FX Sabers and I are long time friends, very very close friends, and we haven't spoken publicly about it. Suffice it to say that FX Sabers is home to many of our competitors and the moderation staff is also composed of many of our competitors which makes a pretty big conflict of interest which tends to disrupt the harmony of that particular site. We BOTH agree that it's just best to not discuss my products there, end of story.

Thanks for popping in Alex.

For those that have been keeping up with this thread, Alex has recognized the failures in customer service in regard to our community. They are in the process of revamping some of their policies and practices to better server our community. I look forward to working with Alex further to assist in that endeavor.
 
I've never really had a bad experience with them but this doesn't surprise me.

I get the feeling that they're a little too big for their britches. They act like they're running a billion dollar corporation and don't have the time to deal with you, and it's obnoxious, incredibly fake and off-putting.

Plus those cheesy promo videos of their sabers make my stomach churn. "Here's the new INCREDIBLE AMAZING work of art from our ASTONISHING craftsmen who blah blah blah"... whatever, dude.

On the flip side is Tim from theCustomsaberShop, who is polite, friendly, willing to work with you and feels like a guy I kinda want to help and support with my purchase. He's bent over backwards to help me on more than one occasion and he absolutely didn't have to. Which is why I've spent a fortune at his shop and only bought a couple of things at Ultrasabers.

From what I can tell, Ultra Sabers has some good products. I was there when they launched their Obsidian board and was probably one of the first to order it. I really like the soundboard a lot despite all the drama that surrounded it. They just really, REALLY need to work on their image and customer service.

And though I like my Obsidian, every time I've ever shown it to other Jedi geeks I get heckled at least a little. "Oh, I don't do business with them..." or, "After what they did to Novastar..." or something. I had put it in my girlfriends saber and a guy gave her so much grief about it she cried and made me take it out.

It's to the point where I'm embarrassed to admit what soundboard I use, which is terrible because it's an awesome board.
 
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I ordered Sabers from them for metrocon, received them damaged and it has been a nightmare trying to get this handled. UPS said that the senders (ultrasabers) has ben contacted with no response. Ultrasabers denied it. Emory actually gave me his personal Cell phone number, needless to say i still dont have my sabers...They have the worst customer service i have ever dealt with. He has not responded to my last 2 emails. I'm about to involve a lawyer.
 
There are many websites out there that do amazing lightsaber work. A little research goes a long way. It doesn't take much to time to find a heap of bad stuff about Ultrasabers. Although I have never done business with them I can honestly say that after reading and seeing what I have seen, I never will. Even if my transaction would be flawless I would not feel comfortable supporting such a company that has burned so many people in our lightsaber community.
 
Emory finally responded saying, that UPS claims i never sent the package to them. I call UPS and they say the claim was filed and it was on its way back to him. Hmm...This guy trying to scam me or what?
 
I have never ordered something from US but made the MISTAKE of telling a friend to when he was looking at buying one. Had multiple issues, their customer services was terrible and I felt like the one to blame for ever telling him to get something.

Oh, and as for the FX-Sabers ban - no official stance? Read 'em and weep.
Conflicts of Interest and other Selling Notices.

Why did they get banned over there? For editing bad reviews on that site to make them look good and deleting posts that went against them.

The fact that the owner is only getting involved AFTER a negative review was posted of their product means you scared him into action. Not a good trait for someone looking to do business with a "company."

There are plenty of negative reviews for US and I know from personal experience about them. Having also dealt with Alex in the past, his attitude and the way he conducts his business were large deterrents in ever doing business with them again.

Stay away from Ultrasabers, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

EDIT: Also, take a look at the last post in that FX-Sabers thread by JANGO FETT. Their own forum reads your PMs and gets mad at you for not liking them or suggesting other products. Should there seriously be any question about doing business with them?
 
I bought one from them and it went flawlessly. I'm happy with it and would never feel bad about telling people what's in it.

But I may have been lucky.
 
I am interested in collecting high quality props and look to the forums to find sources for adding items for my collection as well as sharing the experience with others. I had not seen the Ultra Sabers until I saw this posting. I am now interested in the product - but cautioned about the purchase as the experience with customer service plays out.

Cons:

- Someone had a terrible - and well documented experience that is clearly a RED FLAG for doing business.

- The Company seems to be in a legal "Saber Duel" with other forums over reviews of products and service. Threats and legal notices are a business deal breaker.

- forum reviews and discussions foster good business and match suppliers with customers. It helps keep companies and dealers honest - and offer information so others won't be sucked into a bad deal.



PROS:

- ALEX - the owner - came on the forum and felt it important enough to address personally.

- The original complaint and problem with the order has been addressed.

- Both the customer and the company are working toward a resolution.

- It would be a shame to loose a quality prop source over hard feelings.

Bottom line - I am thinking of placing and order and see what happens. We have all been scammed by bad dealers, recasters, thiefs, and poor quality products. It might be worth a second look - or maybe a carefully made order - carefully checking and rechecking "ADD to CART" - before hitting Buy.

Right now I am on the fence :confused I need to see how this plays out. :cool
 
I have not ordered anything from US in years, back before the "Great Divide". I visit the forum on a semi regular basis just to keep up on current events. There are complaints on the forum about problems with sabers, but there is also an overwhelming amount positive reviews as well.

Oh and trust me, I know all to well the rift that exists between the various saber forums, so I am not being biased in my above comment.
 
ultrasabers products are trash compared to the lightsabers that are made by sabersmiths in FX forum but they do cost way more than US products. If u r looking for a costume display, then US isn't a bad way to go but if u want to "Wow" the crowd and be the center of attention, go with the FX sabersmiths. Some of their sabers are true work of art.
 
That was the deal with me. I wanted one after my favorite movie design with lights and sound. Ultra sabers price fit that bill. It was cheap and close enough for me, other people don't care they just see a lightsaber.
 
ultrasabers products are trash compared to the lightsabers that are made by sabersmiths in FX forum but they do cost way more than US products. If u r looking for a costume display, then US isn't a bad way to go but if u want to "Wow" the crowd and be the center of attention, go with the FX sabersmiths. Some of their sabers are true work of art.

You can't compare a $300 semi-mass produced US saber with a $1,800 (or more) one off custom or a limited run of custom sabers on FX. They have different markets.
 
I've had problems with US also. My first order was two sabers for a wedding gift, and that went fine. My second order, for myself, was delivered with a scratched blade and no retaining screw, making it unusable. They did send a replacement blade, but it took weeks to get a simple screw. I sent pictures and descriptions, and I was told that "any home improvement store has these, you can just go buy one." I shouldn't have to go to the store to buy something that should have come standard. After weeks of back and forth, they finally sent what appeared to be one of every screw in the shop. So while frustrating, it did eventually get fixed.

But the more recent problem has come on their Facebook page. They started posting "Deal of the Day," a highly discounted saber. For one, it said "Dark Liberator v3 with Sound, $60." However, despite the title, sound was an additional $95, and the battery pack was another $25 on top of that. There were no options to not include sound or lithium battery, which means the $60 sale could not be purchased for less than $180. Horrible misleading and dishonest advertising.

When anyone pointed out, politely, that this should probably be re-worded to avoid confusion, they just delete the posts, and block from commenting. In fact, they delete any post that isn't 100% positive, including those having problems with their sabers.

Emailing only gets me Emory Harris, who is incredibly rude. At one point he told me "We don't care what you think." The more I've read about them, the more bad experiences I'm seeing. I wish I had done more research before ordering from them, a mistake I won't repeat. We've since started using Custom Saber Shop, and they've been nothing but awesome.

I doubt anything will change, just wanted to add my experience for anyone looking to shop, so they know what terrible customer service US has.
 
A little update, the OP and I are making progress towards an amicable resolution. He has been refunded in full (including restocking fees and shipping) and now we are working towards burying the hatchet with some future cooperative efforts. He has some pretty good ideas on how we can better serve the community and I look forward to working with him.

After reading this thread, I would like to clear a couple things up here:

If you are trying to decide between a Parks and an Ultra Saber, then you are not a saber duelist and any decorative saber will do. If you dont need sound effects or dueling durability, a Parks is a fine choice. However, Ultra Sabers are made for dueling and designed to take a beating. Even our soundboards are encased in armor!

They are built like rocks to take hard knocks. Ultra Sabers are not the same type of saber as a Parks or Force FX, so comparing them to one another is not very helpful to the people we cater to. To our primary customer base, a Force FX or a Parks is not even an option for discussion.

And our rating on the BBB is because we are not a member of the BBB, it says that right on their page. It has always been my belief that the BBB is a scam. Give them enough money and you get an A. Don't, get an F. There is a well known modeling scam company that has an A rating, so how helpful are they really?

Dont look superficially at just the rating, look at the actual number of complaints. When you check the actual number BBB of complaints, it's less than 5.... since 2005! So the rating is highly deceptive. 5 BBB disputes in 7 years is a stellar rating.

As for why we are "blacklisted" on FX Sabers, we arent. Blacklisting would infer that the site has taken a stance against Ultra Sabers. That is not whats going on.

Ultra Sabers products can be bought, sold, and traded on their forum in the appropriate section, but all other discussion of Ultra Sabers is not allowed and we agree with that policy.

People like to speculate wildly as to the reason behind it because the owner of FX Sabers and I are long time friends, very very close friends, and we haven't spoken publicly about it. Suffice it to say that FX Sabers is home to many of our competitors and the moderation staff is also composed of many of our competitors which makes a pretty big conflict of interest which tends to disrupt the harmony of that particular site. We BOTH agree that it's just best to not discuss my products there, end of story.


Alex is a liar. There are GOOD reasons why ultrasabers have problems. First, their quality is BELOW par. The sabers break easily and have even come to people broken, and Alex's partner has a thing for treating customers like crap. There are pictures all over the place of what they used to and in some cases still use as a heatsink (A hex nut with hotglue all over it tied to the LED). As well, every sound they provide with their Obsidian board is STOLEN. They had a contract with someone and violated it to steal the sounds. AS well, they also ship unprotected lithium ions with their sabers, one of which I had explode in front of me shortly after removing it to repair the saber.

Alex also has no problem violating copyright laws. Their new thundercats saber? Yeah, they don't have the licensing for that. The Malgus saber? Yeah, I just actually sent the links to that over to Bioware. I'm tired of watching this guy get away with it.

Here's a link to the facebook group where everyone who has been treated badly by this company as well as people who have taken these sabers apart and shown what's actually INSIDE THEM have documented pictures and evidence.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ultra-Sabers-Lies-and-Deceit/239240936130636
 
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