I liked my first X-ray 736 I built so I purchased another one. But the blank diameters on the new one are way bigger and the blank definitely has more power to it. The butt is .632” vs the listed .490” and the tip is 2.18mm vs the listed 1.7mm. I did contact nfc and the reply was these are just “normal variations in the materials” and I could send it back but it “may not be quick” to receive my replacement . This is the second time ,as last time I bought a x-ray sj 703 that was way out of spec so I bought a second one that came as it was supposed to be and made the rod I wanted. I like these blanks and when they are on sale , they are good deals but it seems to be a gamble on what I order vs what receive. I live in Canada and already pay a premium for shipping and do t really want to fork out the cost of returning blanks for the gamble that who knows what I’ll get. Anybody else having issues like this and what replies have you got from nfc?

Thanks.

Ross, how much is your time worth., your really don,t saving money when you deal with companies that have poor customer service..

I’ve never had the poor service others have mentioned.. My orders are always shipped promptly and my inquiries are answered timely. But with this happening twice now, my loyalty is waning.

Thanks for sharing, I’m in Canada as well waiting for a sale to place my first order. I wonder if people in the US have to ship the blanks back for replacement, on some posts it sounds like they are just sent the replacement blanks. Maybe it depends how off from spec they are? After paying $75 USD for shipping I would be frustrated to have to pay the same amount to ship it back with no guarantee you’d get one any better.

I don't purchase blanks as a production shop might. I need the exact blank I order, therefor I stopped purchasing from them. The sale price looses it's luster when extra shipping costs and time are equated. All of the other vendors that I have tried, (believe I've bought from all on left of page) have met or exceeded their specs.

Ross,

Let my guy know and they will take care of you - info@northforkcomposites.com

We are happy to take care of the shipping cost, and most of the time will ask you to hang on to the blank, while sending a replacement.

Thanks for letting us know.

Aleks

Ben,

I looked at our records (purchase/warranty/email) for your first name and last name, and I cannot find ANY record of you making a purchase or having a concern.

If you have not had any business dealings with us, why are you stating that we have poor customer service? Or is this "I have heard this from a buddy of mine?"

This message is brought to you by 38 hard working folks in Washington state building blanks in the USA.

Thanks,
Aleks

Aleks,

I did email and discussed it with Ashlynn. I did tell her I’d keep the blanks. But if you are willing to correct this timely, maybe you could let her know.

Thanks a bunch,

Ross

Aleks, Ross was requesting advice..i just suggested he deal with companies that had good customer service..i was talking about companies not a particular company...Ross was talking about a particular company..there are many companies of all kinds and some of them do not have good customer service, no?

Alex,

I would like to pile on if I could, you sent blemished blanks to me I returned them and never received
Blanks in return. The two where x-ray 732 .
I never got a refund or new blanks and no one their would return emails or voicemails!
It was just my bad luck but it won’t happen again.

I've also had some issues with my first MB736 blank back around March - April, 2020. Mine was warped in two different places. The measurements were off from the provided numbers on the site, because both blanks I received were different butt diameter and tiptop size. Ashlynn corrected my first blank for me by sending me a new blank the next day, free of charge. Still took an additional few days for it to get here, so it delayed the build, but thankfully, the new one was straight and without any defects.

Ashlynn told me to keep the blank and I ended up building it into a nice spinning rod for a friend, free of charge. The warps were in two different directions, 180 degrees apart. So I built the spine along that axis and it wasn't very noticeable.

I've had a pretty good customer experience with NFC, although limited to that one exchange with them. I'll go back to them for my next few builds because I like the X-Ray blanks, and I'm thinking of building a few Delta blanks for non-bottom contact presentations soon.

I'll be honest, I haven't had the greatest service from any other company. I got into rod building just as the pandemic was affecting the stocks for a lot of retailers. I've had great phone calls with Rainshadow while trying to pick out a blank, but had a horrible time ordering through one of the retailers. The way NFC handled my case was the best in my interaction with a handful of other companies, but your experience may vary.

Completely understandable that ordering from Canada may be a different case though. Sounds like Aleks is gonna take care of you, but you shouldn't have to come here to get attention of Aleks to get the service you need.

Hope you get your new blank soon.
Paul