House of Staunton messed it up again and again.

Well I've been patient and don't want to make fuss about it. I gave them the chance to correct the issues I have. 
Today I received the replacement knights and they're still wrong. So I'm gonna write the whole story here for everybody to read.

I bought their Dubrovnik Series Gilded Chess set on Dec 29, 2020 and received the set on Jan 5, 2021. Both black knights are weighing considerably less than their white counterparts, both white knights are weighing around 60g each and the black knights around 40g each. Further one white pawn is has a chunk out of the stem, obviously to see.

I e-mailed the customer service, waited a day still no response. So I raised a RMA and I received a mail in the following hour, stating I need to send the parts within 2 weeks starting from the e-mail date. If they don't receive the parts, the RMA will be rejected. So the next day I sent the parts to them.
Two weeks later out of the blue, I get the same e-mail stating I need to send the parts, within two weeks etc....the same story but with one difference, there is a link where I can download the airway bill they created for the return shipping.

So I tried to contact them and after several e-mails and phone calls which I get only to hear the waiting music for 5 minutes, they finally responded to my mail. I explained them I already got a mail to return them which I did. I send them the first email I received so I want my shipping fee to be reimbursed but they don't do that. It's not their policy but they do offer to give me a gift card 150% of worth the shipping fee instead. Well, I accepted it, it's better than loosing my money. While speaking to them, I told them to double check the weights when sending the replacements. They said dully noted. I even asked them to double check through facebook messenger, they said yes dully noted (again). 

After 4 days I still haven't received my gift card, so again I tried to contact them and after several emails, I tried the facebook messenger and I got to talk to someone. I asked about my gift card and the person doesn't know about it. I asked can't they look up in their mailbox to verify the offer they made? It turned out to be difficult for them so I fowarded those emails. Finally that person will generate the gift card for me, but only for 100%. It took me quite an effort to tell the person, if they made a promise to generate 150% then they should follow up their promise. In the end I do get the promised 150% gift card.

Today I received the replacement parts, and yet they are still wrong. They are weighing still around 40g. The white pawn is good though.

I don't really look forward to start the whole RMA process again and that's an understatement. While I'm writing this, I'm waiting for someone on FB messenger to repond to my messages.

Oh btw, they told me they have received thousands of RMA's from the Christmas period so everything takes longer than usual to correct them. Well, the way they work, they only created more work then they are solving. Bunch of @#$%$#@#!

lol...you and your pictures...coming up. This is when I got them on Jan 6.

This is the replacements just received today. I almost got the feeling they just sent the same pieces if it weren't for the white pawn they did good.

I'm sorry you had issues Michael. I had issues with just about every set I bought from HoS, but the customer service department always took care of it. In most cases, it took them more than one try to get the replacement pieces right. I think one time it took 3 or 4 tries. I know it can be frustrating. Of course my experience was before the QG rush so perhaps it doesn't apply here.

Oh wow, that's even worse. At least you are in the US. For me to get to hold of them, it's not really easy. Calling them and just on hold waiting for 5 minutes every time and I even didn't get to talk to them, that costs money. The time to ship takes some time as well...

Dang. How much was the return shipping from Netherlands to Alabama? When HoS sent that second email 2 weeks later requesting the return of the pieces did tracking show that they received them? Or was it still in transit? I'm guessing +2 weeks may be the norm nowadays. You have every right to be annoyed. They told you to send in the pieces without any mention of a shipping label to come. At least HoS owned up to the delay and told you they were swamped without giving you dubious reasons like another vendor (who shall not be named).

It is a good and bad thing. That's for sure. I use to be a bit peeved when I opened the boxes they sent but in the end I looked at it as a good thing. They at least try to make it right and eventually they get it right. They keep trying until it is right which is a good thing. 

That is true. Me being in the US helps time zone-wise and cost of shipping me pieces as well. I never called them though or contacted them through FB. I always just emailed and they would reply in a timely manner. I would usually get a reply anywhere between the next day to a few days later. The shipment of the replacement pieces were always sent ground so it usually took a week for me to get. The time it took HoS 3 or 4 tries to fix all replacements took over a month for the issue to be corrected. I still felt it was fine. I received the pieces I wanted and was satisfied with the time-frame.

I can imagine this would not be the same experience for you now with the QG rush as well as being overseas. I would guess it would be hard to contact them via phone with the time difference and I assume HoS would not send you replacement pieces via DHL Express, so it might take a week or two to reach you once the package was dispatched.

Hopefully you will get this resolved sooner rather than later.

@Pawnerai shipping fee was 29.30 euro. The parcel I sent was still in transit when I received the 2nd mail. It took 14 days precisely to get it delivered there. It was waiting somewhere in US for 1 whole week before it moved to Huntsville.

@MCH818 talking about how the package was dispatched, I just realized something. I was so anxious to see if they get the weight right I totally didn't pay attention how it was wrapped.

This is how I sent to them, thick foam carved to exact size, another thick foam on top and sent in a thick Cisco carton box. 

This is how they sent the replacement:

The three pieces in just a plastic bag, no foam wrapped around them no nothing

Tossed them in a thin carton box:

and fill the void with some paper:

That's a reassuring thought, sending the pieces like that overseas with lot of hubs on the way. The least they could do is reuse the packaging I sent to them. I guess they got my money already so who cares about after service.

Ah, just got a response from facebook messenger, nothing yet from e-mail.

This gets better:

No answer since then.

I guess I should have bought the 1000 dollar set. Why didn't I listen them in the first place? Stupid me.

And it continues:

I really regret I joined the member club, that's 100 dollar waisted.

Guess I take it up with VISA tomorrow morning, see what they can do for me as HoS clearly has no intention to make this right.

I know how you feel. I ordered a set of Leeds Luxury pieces from them that arrived on 21 December. These were for use on my Certabo board so I needed to remove the billiard cloth on the bases so that I could attach the RFID chips and then put my own felt on.

The problem was that the more I handled the pieces, the more more varnish came off the boxwood pieces. The ebony ones were OK though. Some areas stayed varnished but others just went back to bare wood:

This wasn't from using any solvents or anything - just holding the pieces in my hand while I worked on them.

I sent HoS an email three weeks ago and they said they would look into it, but that's all I've heard from them despite follow up emails. Fortunately I realised some time ago that I was on my own on this so have set about fixing them myself. Returning them from New Zealand and arguing about the removed cloth, as well as having to remove the chips and felt I had already attached wasn't really an option. My thoughts that the varnish came off with moisture was confirmed when I decided to remove as much as I could before re-varnishing them: about half of it just washed off after 30 seconds under the tap.

It looks like HoS are struggling with demand and shipping out poor quality products, and then don't have the resources to follow up with the inevitable problems. Or they are making loads of money with the current demand and just don't care. Either way, I wouldn't recommend buying from them.

Graham, that's bad business alright. Shipping out poor quality products is one thing, no intention to correct this in any way is really really bad business.

They should mention on their webpage "we give only customer support for products over 250 USD".

I wish!! These are $400 pieces...

This kinds of suck  , Mind you ,  The Dubrovnik set  from CB was way better & cheaper

Wow. I can see issues arising occasionally but this horrible customer support is a deal breaker. Hey HoS... ain't buyin' anything from you ever.  

Two of the main reasons to pay a premium and purchase from HoS is for its quality control and customer service. If they can't get those right, what's left? 

Those points are exactly why I don't mind to pay more.

Lighthouse, I did consider the CB version but the "respectable" reputation of HoS was the decisive edge. Well, it's always what they say..."looking back I should have...". 

They stopped answering me after I point them the link to this thread. So I guess it's the hard way now, trying to get my money back through VISA. The club membership money is not refundable so that's a loss I will take. That's life and I'll move on. 

That sucks. I did buy the chess box of 150 USD, 50 off because I bought the dub set. Still nowhere near 400 USD you bought for that set.

This is a real problem when the company does not have a tight communication with their manufacturer.

They get the sets already packaged.  And they obviously do not inspect them at all, let alone very closely.

If they would actually handle the pieces they would have noticed at least 2 of the above 3 problems.

Also, they have no way to get the weight of those black Knights increased easily or quickly at all.

The piece with the scratch or crack was easily replaced.  The other 2 problems really call for a refund, at best.