I'll add to the fun. I just posted my ongoing experience with MonCal on Facebook (sorry for the long post):
Attention current and future 501st members, I feel the need to post this experience with Far Away Creations (AKA MonCal) in hopes that nobody else goes through what I'm currently going through with this armor vendor. It is not my intent to slander a fellow member or armor builder, but I feel that I have no option left other than to publicaly share this situation.
First off, I know first hand and without a doubt that wait times for armor can be exceptionally long, and I know that MonCal is notorious for long waits. I will also state that I have previously purchased two sets of armor from MonCal and they have been top-notch. However, I feel that this situation and lack of communication far exceeds the limits of what is reasonable.
My situation: In January of 2015 I ordered (and paid in full) a set of Snowtrooper armor and was told the wait time was 20-24 weeks (roughy 5 months). I knew the wait time would be much longer, but I accepted that and placed the order. Fast forward almost 29 months... I still do not have any armor. To make the situation worst, they have completely ceased communication. The last contact I received from them was in December 12, 2016. I filed a report with the Better Business Bureau, who has since closed the case due to MonCal never responding to any of their inquiries. I'm currently talking to the Police Department in their town.
At this point, I'm considering this a "lesson learned" (and $900 loss). I post this so anyone considering ordering armor from this vendor is fully aware of what they might encounter. Please feel free to read the entire email thread below:
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
2/3/15
to me
Hi Anthony ,
Payment received
Thank you
Estimated turn around time is about 20 to 24 weeks. Your items will be hand made specifically for you so please keep in mind this is an estimate which means there could be delays or we might even get your order done sooner. We will do our absolute best to beat the estimate but with this business there are almost always unforeseen delays arising from any one of several factors such as manufacturer issues, subcontractors, material or machine problems, weather, real life, etc. Turnaround time also depends on the size of your order and how many "extras" are to be included. Also your order will be put on a "Queue" or "order list". This means that your name will be added to a list of orders and yours will be worked on in the order that it was received. If the estimated ship date comes around and we haven't shipped your item please feel free to email us to check on your order. We will be more than happy to give you a status report to let you know where we are at with your order.
We will send you another email with a tracking number when your order has been shipped.
As always please feel free to contact us with any questions or if you need anything else.
Have a great day,
Jeff
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 09:41:24 -0800
Subject: Anthony Conte sent you $900.00 USD
To:
chance_cal@hotmail.com
From:
member@paypal.com
PayPal
Anthony Conte sent you $900.00 USD
Transaction ID: XXXXX
Hello Cal Pierce,
Just thought you'd like to know Anthony Conte sent you $900.00 USD.
Note from Anthony Conte:
Snowy kit..................... $577.00 -LED's installed............ $62.00 Gloves......................... $4.00 Boot strap belting etc.. $28.00 Duster . Pouches........ $195.00 Shipping....................... $34.00 Total............................. $900.00 . Sent using the PayPal Mobile application.
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Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
2/5/15
to me
Thanks for your payment. Just so you know, there's about a 20 to 25 week wait on Snowy stuff right now. We will send you a tracking number when your order ships out. In the mean time...
These are the measurements we need for the duster.
Note that we have our own calculations for creating the duster so we will be subtracting and / or adding to these measurements you provide.
Also, the duster is designed to be fairly loose and baggy.
**** Please measure from the base of your neck to the floor as this is a more accurate measurement ****
http://www.mg501.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10019/dustermeasure01.jpg
http://www.mg501.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10019/normal_dustermeasure02.jpg
http://www.mg501.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10019/normal_dustermeasure03.jpg
http://www.mg501.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10019/normal_dustermeasure04.jpg
http://www.mg501.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10019/dustermeasure05.jpg
Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.
Thanks!
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
2/7/15
to Cal
Hi Jeff, here are the measurements for the duster:
Measurements in inches:
A: 59.25"
B: 18.75"
C: 37.5"
D: 22"
E: 20.5"
Thanks,
Anthony
Sent from my iPhone
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
2/12/15
to me
Thanks Anthony! I got em down.
Anthony M Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
7/30/15
to Cal
Hi Jeff, I just wanted to check the status of my snowie kit and see how much time was remaining?
Thanks,
Anthony
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
8/6/15
to me
HI Anthony,
Your snowy is #44 on the queue. Sorry for the long wait. Your patience is appreciated.
Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.
Thanks,
Jeff
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
Subject: Re: Anthony Conte sent you $900.00 USD~Payment Received
From:
anthonymconte@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2015 23:11:36 -0400
To:
chance_cal@hotmail.com
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
8/6/15
to Cal
Thanks for the info? Could you give me an estimated time frame for 44?
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
8/10/15
to me
Hi ,
I wish I could be more help, but there's no was I can predict how long it's going to take. The queue moves at it's own pace and some weeks the guys finish 10 orders, and other weeks they finish 1. So I can't really give a good prediction. But you're more than welcome to check in every couple of weeks or so to see where you're at.
Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.
Thanks,
Jeff
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From:
anthonymconte@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Anthony Conte sent you $900.00 USD~Payment Received
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2015 16:18:54 -0400
To:
chance_cal@hotmail.com
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
10/9/15
to Cal
Hello, can I get an update please? Original estimate was 20-25 weeks, we are currently at 35 weeks.
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
10/12/15
to me
Hi Anthony,
Your order is #31
I'm sorry about the ridiculous wait. But we are doing everything we can to fill everyone's orders as soon as possible.
Thanks for your patience.
Jeff
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From:
anthonymconte@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Anthony Conte sent you $900.00 USD~Payment Received
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 12:09:24 -0400
To:
chance_cal@hotmail.com
Anthony M. Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
12/23/15
to Cal
Hello, can I get another update on the status?
Thank you,
Anthony
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
12/29/15
to me
Hi Anthony,
Your order is #13 The shop has been consumed by a special project, but should be speeding back up in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience!
Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.
Thanks,
Jeff
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:31:05 -0500
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
2/8/16
to Cal
Hi Jeff, can I get an update on the order?
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
2/12/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for checking in on your order.
We are running a little behind because of some big contract work and lost our workers ☹ We are working super hard on getting orders out the door. However we do have some large orders ahead of yours. Please give us a few weeks and then check back with us on the status of your order.
Thank you,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 8, 2016 8:06 PM
To: Cal pierce
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
2/12/16
to Cal
Please keep me posted. Upon payment, I was told 20-24 weeks. This is currently week 53. I understand that you're busy, and I don't mind waiting for a quality product, but more than double the quoted time is very misleading.
Thanks,
Anthony
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 12, 2016, at 8:30 PM, Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for checking in on your order.
We are running a little behind because of some big contract work and lost our workers <OutlookEmoji-&#X02639.png> We are working super hard on getting orders out the door. However we do have some large orders ahead of yours. Please give us a few weeks and then check back with us on the status of your order.
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
2/16/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
I fully understand the disappointment.
We will do our best to update you as to when we get started with your order.
Thank you,
Kathy
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 12, 2016 6:37 PM
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
3/15/16
to Cal
Good evening, can I please get a status update?
Thank you,
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
3/18/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for checking in on your order.
I just checked the work queue and you are #16 on it. There's still a couple big orders ahead of yours. Good news is that Cal is currently training 3 guys to help him out in the shop. This does take some time but we are making progress 😊
Please give us 4 to 6 weeks. If you haven't heard from us please contact us to for an update.
Have a great day,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 5:58 PM
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
3/18/16
to Cal
Unbelievable. Please see your email pasted below. I was #12 in December, so how is it even possible that I'm now #16?! This is the 3rd set of armor that I've purchased from you, and sadly, the last. Once I receive this set, I'll never do business with you again, nor will I recommend you.
Here's what you sent me 12/29/2015:
On Dec 29, 2015, at 3:27 PM, Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi Anthony,
Your order is #13 The shop has been consumed by a special project, but should be speeding back up in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience!
Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.
Thanks,
Jeff
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 18, 2016, at 4:36 PM, Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for checking in on your order.
I just checked the work queue and you are #16 on it. There's still a couple big orders ahead of yours. Good news is that Cal is currently training 3 guys to help him out in the shop. This does take some time but we are making progress <OutlookEmoji-&#X1f60a.png>
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
3/25/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
I fully understand your frustration.
We are finding that Jeff has miss quoted all of our customers who were inquiring about status of orders. He is no longer working for us for many reasons.
The quote of #16 is correct. Please give us 4 to 6 weeks. If you don't hear from us please feel free to contact us for an update.
Thank you,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2016 2:51 PM
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
4/28/16
to Cal
Hello, can I please get an update on the status of this order?
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
5/10/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for checking in on your commissioned Snowtrooper order.
I just checked the work queue and you are #13 on it. I know it doesn't seem like a big move up but we had a couple big commissioned armor orders (one guy had 10 kits and that took some time to get done) ahead of yours. Please give us 4 to 6 weeks to get to your order.
Thank you,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2016 9:14 PM
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
5/10/16
to Cal
Why is that I'm told "4 to 6 weeks" every 4 to 6 weeks when I check the status? This is unbelievable. Please read the email history, this is absurd. This has gone from a reasonable delay to an outright scam. You have had $900 of mine since 1/31/2015. I expect my order or a full refund by the end of May or I'll be contacting the Better Business Bureau.
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
6/20/16
to Cal
It has been another 4-6 weeks, can I get an update please?
Sent from my iPhone
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
7/5/16
to Cal
I have not heard anything since 5/10/2016, can I please get an update?
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
7/11/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for checking in on your order.
I just checked the shop queue and you are #7 on it for the armor. You are #9 on the sewing queue.
We are doing our best to get the orders done as fast as we can without sacrificing quality.
Thank you,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 5, 2016 12:28 PM
To: Cal pierce
Cc: Anthony M Conte
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
8/7/16
to Cal
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
8/8/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for checking in.
Your armor is done
I will have to check with the seamstress to see when she will be getting to your duster and pouches.
Thank you,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 7, 2016 7:31 PM
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
8/8/16
to Cal
Excellent, thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
10/7/16
to Cal
Hello, can I get an update please?
Sent from my iPhone
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
10/11/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
The seamstress has not been able to get to your duster and pouches yet.
I'm going to see if I can get the supplies back and work on the sewing orders again.
We will let you know once we've shipped out your commissioned snowtrooper.
Thank you,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2016 3:54 PM
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
11/12/16
to Cal
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
11/21/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for checking in on your commissioned Snowtrooper.
I've checked the work queue and the commissioned armor is done. I've got a message out to our seamstress for an update on where she is at with the Duster and Pouches. I will update you when she gets back to me.
Thank you,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2016 9:01 PM
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
12/8/16
to Cal
Can I get an update please? You notified me on 8/8/2016 that my armor was finished, that was 4 months ago. This is month 23 of waiting in total. If the seamstress is unable to do the work, then please ship me the armor and refund me for the soft goods.
Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
12/12/16
to me
Hi Anthony,
I am currently waiting for the seamstress to drop off your finished soft parts
Once we've received them we can get your full commission packaged up and shipped out to you.
We'll send you the shipping information once we've shipped it out.
Thank you,
Kathy
________________________________
Check out our website at
www.FarAwayCreations.com
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 8, 2016 2:52 PM
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
12/12/16
to Cal
Excellent news, thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 12, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi Anthony,
I am currently waiting for the seamstress to drop off your finished soft parts <OutlookEmoji-.png>
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Jan 6
to Cal
Update please? This is currently month 24.
Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 12, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi Anthony,
I am currently waiting for the seamstress to drop off your finished soft parts <OutlookEmoji-.png>
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Feb 15
to Cal
Can I please get an update?? It has been 25 months since I submitted payment. 5 months ago you told me my armor was complete and you were waiting on the seamstress. I asked for an update on January 6th and you never responded, this is far beyond reasonable. If my armor is complete, PLEASE ship it and reimburse me for the soft parts. I'll gladly source those elsewhere.
Thank you,
Anthony
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Date: January 6, 2017 at 9:52:37 PM EST
To: Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com>
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
Apr 2
to Cal
Can I please get an update?
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 12, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Cal pierce <chance_cal@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi Anthony,
I am currently waiting for the seamstress to drop off your finished soft parts <OutlookEmoji-.png>
Anthony Conte <anthonymconte@gmail.com>
May 19
to Cal
I have not heard anything in several months, can I please get an update? You have not responded since December and this is now month 28 of waiting for my armor.
Sent from my iPhone
