Hmm...a hiccup with Lochcarron

[ScotAtHeart]

Either I have a little bad luck....or things have gotten a bit mixed up there in Selkirk since the company was sold.

Two and a half months ago I ordered a kilt from Lochcarron to pick up while on vacation in Scotland. Anyway...Lochcarron's communication wasn't too great to begin with. I asked the employee who was helping me a few questions and each time, I didn't recieve a response for four or five days, and in one case, I never got a response until I sent the same email for a second time. Also, while I was in the process of answering the employee's questions to make sure the measurements were correct, a different employee took her place and began emailing me, at which point I pretty much had to start over. By the time I had finally had the order put through, it was just about exactly eight weeks out from when I would be in Scotland, and I stated very clearly that I could be there anytime between the 13th and 18th of August to pick it up (I didn't know which day I could make it to Selkirk at that point.) I was told that any of those dates would be fine, and that it would be ready for collection. And so the wait-ehem-jonesing began.

Fast forward to August 18th, when I arrived in Selkirk to pick up my kilt. I walked up to the counter and asked for my order...a lafy went to check for it and couldn't find it, so she called the mill to see where it was. Turns out it wasn't ready yet....and no one had even bothered to contact me. The really stupid part was, I was shown the sheet that detailed my order for the kiltmaker, and the date August 13th was highlighted in blue - the date by which the kilt was to be completed - and yet it was already the 18th and it was still not done. What was even worse was that the reason it wasn't finished was because the kiltmaker had gone on holiday that week! (Uhhh....is it just me, or is it a bit ridiculous that the kiltmaker went on holiday when she had a job to finish first?!) Okay....I wasn't too mad about that....I just figured that I'd have it posted to my house back in the US (although the point was kinda to bring a kilt back from Scotland...sigh), but I was told I then had to pay £30 for postage! For their mistake! Thankfully, the manager overheard us and came over to tell us that they would ship it for free because it was their fault. Now I just hope that the kilt fits well and is made to all of the right specifications....and I hope that it comes to the right house (the lady helping us was not quite with the program...and she was having trouble understanding my address.)

[madmacs]

Did you check it was the right tartan?

[creagdhubh]

Awww mate, what a pain! I hope everything works out in the end. I have never ordered direct from Lochcarron, didn't think one could (guess I'm wrong), but I do have kilts made of Lochcarron Strome tartan. Kinloch-Anderson tailored my kilts.

Best of luck!

[ForresterModern]

Sorry to hear about your tribulations with the ordering and pick up of your kilt. Never fun to have one's expectations/jonesing dashed in such a fashion or for such silly reasons.

Since you were technically buying it in the UK you were likely subject to VAT, which I believe is around 20% now (UK locals verify this for us, please) which was probably included in your "pick it up" price tag. Now that it is being shipped you may be subjected to customs duty, and depending on which shipper they use that could be upwards of $100US in addition to what you have already paid. Kind of a double whammy, since your price would have been less without the VAT if you had originally ordered it to be delivered to the US, and you might have avoided customs duty depending on method of shipping. Good luck with that.

Hoping your kilt arrives soon, fits well with no other problems, meets or exceeds all your expectations, and avoids the customs duty monster upon arrival. You have been through enough already.

[davidlpope]

I have a kilt that was made by Lochcarron (or rather made by whomever they farmed out the actual kiltmaking to...) and kilts made by Barb Tewksbury and Matt Newsome. Barb and Matt's kilts are much better. If you buy other kilts I'd urge you to deal directly with a specific kiltmaker. While it may be more "romantic" to be able to say that your kilt was made in Scotland and that you picked it up while on vacation, I think that you'd be better served to deal directly with the kiltmaker, rather than a middleman like Lochcarron.

[ScotAtHeart]

I think that Lochcarron has their own kiltmakers, if I'm not mistaken....they work right out of the mill. I know there are probably several other (and much better) kiltmakers that I could have chosen, but I thought Lochcarron would at least be acceptable....usually they have good customer service and well-made products....and they've made stuff for people like Ewan McGregor and even The Queen (so I thought, why not?)

Let's hope I don't get charged for customs duties or whatever....if I do, Lochcarron will get one unpleasant call from me.

As for checking the tartan.....yeah...I probably should have done that.

[creagdhubh]

I have a kilt that was made by Lochcarron (or rather made by whomever they farmed out the actual kiltmaking to...) and kilts made by Barb Tewksbury and Matt Newsome. Barb and Matt's kilts are much better. If you buy other kilts I'd urge you to deal directly with a specific kiltmaker. While it may be more "romantic" to be able to say that your kilt was made in Scotland and that you picked it up while on vacation, I think that you'd be better served to deal directly with the kiltmaker, rather than a middleman like Lochcarron.

Sound advice.

[Chas]

VAT is currently at 20%. It does not matter whether the kilt is shipped direct from manufacturer or if it is picked up in person, because ScotAtHeart is not an EU national and is not residing within the EU, VAT is not applicable.

If you pick-up in person there is a declaration to sign as to place of residence. If the goods are shipped, there is no need for a declaration as the seller will do that on his quarterly VAT return.

Regards

Chas

[ScotAtHeart]

Alright...I have an update:

I got the kilt in the mail, but I did end up having to pay some sort of duty that cost me $26. When I tried on the kilt I notice it was really long (it came down way past my knee). I looked at the tag and saw that the measurements were not the same as the ones I had given when I put in my order. The measurements were actually so far off that no matter how high I pulled up the kilt or how tight I buckled it, it was still below my knee and too loose around my waste. As you might imagine, I was pretty angry....especially considering all of the other trouble I've already gone through. So...I sent Lochcarron a big nasty email, essentially telling them to rectify the problem. A couple days later I got a response saying that they were very sorry and explaining what happened (it seems that the communication between staff members was just pretty poor). The manager refunded the entire cost of the kilt as well as the money I payed for the duty, said she sent me a receipt detailing the refund along with a "small gift," and told me if I want to order another kilt, she will deal with my order directly (although I think it's probably a better idea to take the money and go to a different kiltmaker.) So now I have all of my money to invest in a new kilt, a new (albeit incorrectly sized) kilt, and a "small gift" (I guess I'll know what that is when it gets here).

[Dale Seago]

Wow, that is just inexcusable.

Were it me, though, I'd probably want to give them a chance to regain their honor. I think you can be pretty sure that with the manager shepherding it through the process personally you'd end up with, if anything, an even more meticulously made kilt than you would have if your original specs were followed.