Mongoose Customer Service?

[Dad3*3]

Let me start by saying that I actually like the shave that I get from the Mongoose Razor and that I have owned all 3 versions of their stainless heads. Batch 1, 2 and 3. All 3 delivered a smooth shave. As for my experience with their customer service, not so smooth.

Batch 1, no major issues. I ended up selling that one when I had the chance to buy a few vintage Gillette razors to add to my collection.

When the Batch 2 came out I purchased one. Unfortunately the head I got had the alignment issue which left the blade exposure more on one side than the other. Quick email to Mongoose and they had me send it back for an exchange. New one arrived and to my surprise, same alignment issue, guess they didn’t check. Another email and another return. New Batch 2 arrived and it was fine but like many of us, I sold that one also. Mongoose offered to reimburse my shipping but I never got anything. Wrote it off as it was only 2 Priority Mail boxes, Maybe $12 bucks.

Batch 3 came out with the newly designed pins which I liked. Bought a Brushed finished head only to trade it for a Polished Head. Now I’ve always left the blade in between shaves, I get 7 to 10 shaves out of a Feather blade. Has never been a problem until I got the Polished head.

New blade in the polished head on Monday, shaved for a week. Following Monday, change the blade and was shocked at what I saw. The amount of rust was unbelievable. (See Pictures at bottom) This is supposed to be Stainless Steel, 316 stainless no less. Now I know a little about stainless but only as it applies to the medical field. But I knew this shouldn’t happen.

May 4, 2016 Email with pictures to Mongoose. Immediate response from them saying “Yikes”, we’ve never seen anything like that. They recommended Flitz or Toothpaste which I knew wouldn’t work. They agreed to take a look.

May 11[SUP]th [/SUP]sent it back.

May 14[SUP]th[/SUP] Tracking says it was delivered.

June 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] inquired on the status which Mongoose responded that they sent it to a lab and would have it back that week.

June 27[SUP]th[/SUP] 3 weeks later, inquired again on the status since I didn’t hear back. Mongoose responded that Lab had quarantine issue?

July 12[SUP]th[/SUP] Now 2 Months, inquired again. Mongoose responded, they just got the razor back, will clean and return “ASAP” They thanked me for my patience to which I responded that I had lost patience but just being polite. And I speculated to what the issue with the metal might be from my experience with Stainless Steel. This grade of stainless shouldn’t rust or scale to this degree. Mongoose didn’t answer.

August 1[SUP]st[/SUP], another 2 weeks so I inquired again. Waited a week, Mongoose didn’t answer. Finally had to post through my Wife’s Facebook page to Mongoose to get a response. They removed the post even though it was very polite.

August 10[SUP]th[/SUP], Mongoose responded that they’d get to it in the next week or two. That they were doing me a favor.

August 30[SUP]th[/SUP] Mongoose sent me a tracking number – Finally it’s on the way.

September 1[SUP]st[/SUP] – Received my Mongoose head back after 3 ½ months.

Now that’s Mongoose’s idea of Customer Service. 3 and a Half Months! Never got an explanation of the issue. Just a reminder that they were doing me a “favor”.

At this point I’ll do Mongoose the favor of never doing business with them in the future. I’ll sell this head with full disclosure and be happy to take the loss. There are plenty of companies that would be happy to take my future business.

 

[ackvil]

Boy, that's pathetic.

 

[Dad3*3]

Here's a picture of what they returned to me.

 

[FarmerTan]

Here's a picture of what they returned to me.

Until I saw what they returned to you I thought maybe you were a little bit overreacting. Wow. No way is that acceptable. You definitely have me convinced I'll be taking my business elsewhere.

 

[spaceboy2001]

Here's a picture of what they returned to me.

3 1/2 months for that!!!!! Oh boy is that bad customer service.

 

[Nicholas]

This is totally unacceptable. How that happened to a stainless steel razor?

I have the B3 but not the polished version.

 

[matwho]

I'll scratch Mongoose off of my list. I don't need favors like that.

 

[Dad3*3]

This is totally unacceptable. How that happened to a stainless steel razor?

I have the B3 but not the polished version.

I have to question the material. 316 Stainless shouldn't react like this under these conditions. We have soft water and I didn't do anything differently than with the brushed version I had. That was what was so surprising. I did ask that very question of Mongoose however they did not respond.

 

[jstr2112]

Damn, the Mongoose was on my dream list #1. I so wanted that razor.

 

[q345]

I don't doubt the facts, since it's impossible to argue with photos.

It's very strange and uncharacteristic for them. I ordered from Mongoose directly Satin SS Mongoose few months ago, it come with small defect, sent it back and they fixed it within very reasonable time and refunded shipping. Every email of mine was answered so far.

I am most surprised they didn't sent back a totally new head

 

[Mischief]

I never leave the blade in after a shave with any razor. I remove the blade and dry my Mongoose everytime.
That rust looks like a reaction between the blade and the razor.

My Mongoose is one of the best shaves I can get.

People shouldn't write off something so fast. But, this is today's society. Not everyone has a great day. I bet some of y'alls bosses or customers have had similar thoughts. I'm glad people are patient with me on my off days?

 

[shave/brush]

If everything happen as the OP said, then that is very bad customer service. My only complaint with the Mongoose team is when they were in the process of making the B2 razors they kind of left everyone in the dark with very few updates. They could have posted something as least once a week as to how they were doing.

 

[justino_14]

I would definitely expect more especially for the price. There are a lot of other razor companies out there with great customer service. Unless that razor shaves like a dream I think it is smart to no longer do business with them. I personally work in sales and customer service is big on my list, something that isn't easy to find nowadays. I've never been that interested in Mongoose razors for whatever razor, for the price you are probably better off getting an ATT razor as Stan has top notch customer service. I even dealt with Colonial Razors lately in which they also make a single edge razor, and their customer service is also top notch.

What people don't always realize is, customer service is one thing when everything goes to plan, but to truly know a companies true colors is when you have an issue with something. When you have a problem with a product and a company is willing to make it right, and is prompt and honest with you, that is when you have truly have great customer service. I have felt the same as you do with a few companies so I feel your pain. 3-4 months is a long time...it's a safety razor at the end of the day. I would expect that sort of delay with a high-end computer component, not something as simple as a razor.

 

[dundak]

From the rusted picture looks like it was gunked up with hair and old soap. That's why they probably had a "quarantine" issue. Stainless is just that..not stainPROOF, especially if left in prolonged contact with stuff like that.

 

[Dad3*3]

From the rusted picture looks like it was gunked up with hair and old soap. That's why they probably had a "quarantine" issue. Stainless is just that..not stainPROOF, especially if left in prolonged contact with stuff like that.

Take a closer look at a cropped portion. If it was hair and old soap I would have cleaned it myself. This was hard scale rust. I've had other Stainless Razors, both from Mongoose and ATT. And I've been wet shaving for more than 40 years so I think I'd know.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Wow. I won't be buying any of their razors.

 

[Nicholas]

Is there a logical explanation?

 

[dundak]

I have seen the same pattern in Gilletes from gunked up hair and soap except it's green tarnish. I have seen the same on stainless blades left in razors with inadequate rinsing over time. Where the blade rests there is no rust. In the Mongoose lather, whiskers, and dead skin cells get jammed up behind the blade in the head gap. Just saying what I'm seeing. That and the fact that you said they had to quarantine it during analysis means biological debris. We'll just have to disagree on this one.

PS. To add you said you traded for it so who knows how the previous owner treated or cleaned it leaving it prone to this issue.

 

[Dad3*3]

I have seen the same pattern in Gilletes from gunked up hair and soap except it's green tarnish. I have seen the same on stainless blades left in razors with inadequate rinsing over time. Where the blade rests there is no rust. In the Mongoose lather, whiskers, and dead skin cells get jammed up behind the blade in the head gap. Just saying what I'm seeing. That and the fact that you said they had to quarantine it during analysis means biological debris. We'll just have to disagree on this one.

PS. To add you said you traded for it so who knows how the previous owner treated or cleaned it leaving it prone to this issue.

In reverse order, It was a brand new head from Mongoose, I just traded my new Brushed finish head for his Polished head. If you reread I wrote that they told me that the lab had a quarantine issue, not this razor.

 

[shave/brush]

Every razor I've ever owned I just rinse after each shave. I do not take it apart. I don't see the need for it. I've never had a problem with any of my razors.