What's up at Carousel Designs?

[offroute]

Anybody had any communication with Jeff B. or Carousel?

My custom pack is well overdue and not getting any response from them after trying a couple of times in the last two weeks.

Thanks for any info.

Mike

[mattyp]

I got bags from him this summer and he was having some problems then.  I guess he had his office manager leave and his two seamstresses also left in the space of a few weeks.  sorry to hear he's still having problems.  when i got in touch with him he was really professional, offered a refund but then said he'd get me my bags shipped out the next day, which he did.  He even added a lot of touches to my frame bag that would've been extra and sent out a free ditty bag.

It's really frustrating because his products are incredible.

[offroute]

Thanks for the scoop, matty. I did get the gist of some transitions there, so I've tried to be patient. It's been several months since I ordered.

I have no issue with small businesses having problems. It happens. That said, there is no excuse for being out of touch for weeks regarding an item that's months behind delivery schedule. Quality product aside, this kind of inaction hurts businesses.

Hoping...

[mattyp]

i agree for business it's not good.  just that there aren't too many people making these type of bags yet. i just think it's too bad because his products i think are second to none and should be the standard to all others are compared to for the quality and attention to detail.
for the custom bags i know he says 12 weeks is the max and i had all my stuff right at the 12th week.  makes it very nerve wracking when planning for a trip.

did you try calling?

[Solrider]

I have no issue with small businesses having problems. It happens. That said, there is no excuse for being out of touch for weeks regarding an item that's months behind delivery schedule. Quality product aside, this kind of inaction hurts businesses.

Hoping...

To me this is the main reason I went with Eric at Revelate for my bag.  I'd sent an email to Jeff to inquire about pricing, materials etc because his website is a bit lacking and never heard back.  I was patient, but then started reading some of the stories around the interwebs about people waiting close to a year to get their stuff from him.  When I went to Eric's webpage, everything was laid out very well, so when I did contact him my questions were minimal....and he responded very quickly.  It was for these reasons that I now own two Revelate bags and I'm VERY happy with the quality.  Looking to purchase more products from him in the future. 

Good luck!!!

[paxton coyote]

my son ordered 2 Revelate bags the other day & I couldn't believe how fast they made it from Alaska to Nebraska, the quality is AMAZING on them as well, very well thought out & made, new fans here for sure!

[flyboy]

my son ordered 2 Revelate bags the other day & I couldn't believe how fast they made it from Alaska to Nebraska, the quality is AMAZING on them as well, very well thought out & made, new fans here for sure!

I ordered a custom bag from Revelate and waited 2 months or so, but this was as expected. This and several other bags arrived in Australia just one week after payment was made! Great service and I am very impressed with the quality of the bags. I can't recommend Eric enough.

Edit: Sorry, this doesn't help much with your Carousel question.

[loki_racer]

For what it's worth I've had great luck getting Jeff from Carousel to communicate via email.  I've had about a dozen questions.  All were answered relatively promptly.

I just ordered two items from him, so we'll see how delivery goes.

================================================

Yes, this is my first post.  No I'm not a troll.  Just a internet user that was researching Carousel Designs before buying from them, found this thread, and figured I should post my story.

[offroute]

Hey, guys,

A sad note to report on my experience at Carousel. After seven months of patience, my custom order still sat untouched at Carousel. I cancelled the order.

The frustration mainly is/was communication. There was no return of emails or phone messages during this time. I had to catch the owner live on the phone to find out the status of my months-overdue order. When I did he confessed that he "didn't even return any phone calls" during whatever snafu the company went through. To my mind, when things get behind schedule, that's when you most need to communicate with your clientele.

Add to that, my deposit, which was paid for via PayPal, was not refunded via PayPal, but instead I was promised a paper check in the mail, which has yet to arrive, now many weeks after my cancellation.

Great products, abominable service. I want to have small-biz sympathy, but the ball dropping was so blatant that I can't muster it. Just sad. All it would have taken is a phone call or email to get things right. Not to be.

Mike

[mattyp]

sorry to hear about that horrible experience. time to go spend some money on companies that want to build you stuff.

[loki_racer]

I hate having to say this, and I'm extremely disappointed that I have to make a post like this.  I called Carousel in mid January to check if they would be able to have my order delivered by Feb. 14.  I had a 400km, multiday ride planned from Lucca to Rome.

Jeff assured me that he would have them delivered before my ride.  I even made sure he was aware that shipping would take about 8 days to arrive.  He guaranteed the order would arrive.

Feb. 21st, still with no package, I emailed Jeff to ask the status.  No reply.  Around the 26th, I emailed him again.  Still no reply.  The package arrived today.  It was shipped on the 21st, a week after it was supposed to be delivered.

Needless to say, the time I took off from work, got dog sitters, cleared up my entire schedule to make this ride, it was all put on hold.

Nothing frustrates me more than when a company, usually small companies, don't have a grasp on their turn around times.  Be honest with me, over estimate, over deliver, and I will be happy.  Under estimate, under deliver, and you'll secure a random internet voice that will have a very hard time recommending your company.

[offroute]

Really sorry to hear you got treated that way and had to go through that hassle and stress. As if big rides aren't enough work.

It's been over three months since I was told by Carousel I'd get my deposit back. It's now coming up on one year since I submitted the deposit.

Conversely, Scott at Porcelain Rocket has been fantastic with communication. We're excited to be having a few bags made by him for our tandem. I originally intended to have Carousel make them.

Caveat emptor.

[annoying crack]

We're excited to be having a few bags made by him for our tandem.

When you get the bags, can you please post some pics of the tandem with the bags on it? I'd love to see that, as a fellow tandem-rider.

[loki_racer]

I reread my post and I came off a little harsh.  I am pissed about the delivery times.

I didn't speak at all to the quality of the products.  They are amazing looking bags.  I haven't had a chance to test them out, but I own enough backcountry gear and have put more than a few miles on rough trails, and I think these Carousel bags are exactly what I was looking for.

The main thing to take away is don't order these under a deadline.

[offroute]

Harsh? It reads to me like you documented the events that happened, and also your (justified) frustration about them.

There has never been a question as to the quality of Carousel gear. The couple of pieces I own are great. That's why I attempted to buy more. The issue is lack of service.

I had no hard deadline for the Carousel bag that was supposed to be made for me. It was to be used for a 2011 autumn tour after I got it, based on the turnaround Carousel gave me that was subsequently bungled with no attempt by them to communicate.

Loki, like you, I have dealt with fringe activity gear suppliers for decades. The vast majority are able to provide exemplary service, and they have for me with extremely rare exception. If a company can't communicate with its clientele, that company should re-think the tenets of running a business. A good product is not enough when we're talking custom manufacturing (read: service).

[dgjessee]

For what it's worth I set myself up for a slow turn around when I ordered my seatbag from Jeremy Cleaveland (Cleaveland Mountaineering) and I had my bag within a week of giving him $100. It's very well made and I could not be happier. He also does custom bags and is easy to get in touch with (on occasion I even chatted with him over Gchat).

Sorry to hear of all the trouble you guys have had with other guys. Give Jeremy a chance if you need anything awesome quickly!

[groundedkiwi]

I've had a similar experience.  I think two emails to Carousel, expressing my interest in purchasing four to five custom pieces.  No reply whatsoever.
Emailed Scott @ Porcelain Rocket, brilliant customer service!  Lengthy, detailed replies to all of my queries and ideas, with a healthy does of his expertise and advice thrown in.  ALL emails answered in less than 24 hours, often way less!  (Hopefully I haven't set him up for many late nights answering emails!!).
Don't have the bags yet, but he was waiting on my frame pattern, so hopefully real soon!
I can't recommend him enough from a Customer Service point of view.

[sanjuanrider]

In 2010 I had the same problems with Carousel.  I ordered my bags 11 months before doing the CTR in order to have them in time for training in May.  After not getting any response and delivery I quickly called Revelant Designs (known as EPIC designs at that time).  They had all my bags within 6 weeks so that I could test them well ahead of the ride.  I highly suggest getting your bags many months before a big ride to test loading, strapping, and weight distribution.  Revelent communicates well and delivers an excellent product.

[tanslacks]

I guess I am lone voice here that had a really good experience with Jeff,

I was very short on time and could not order any custom frame bags. I was considering racks and panniers when I thought I will just email Jeff and see if he had anything lying around that would fit my Fargo. I shot him an email and he responded right away. He had a custom bag made for someone that bailed. We we not sure if it was for a Fargo 1 or 2 So Jeff said he would send it off right away, if it didn't fit I could return it and he even offered to fast track a frame bag. We'll it fit good enough for rock and roll and since i am tight for time I kept it. It's a beauty, lots of dividers, pockets, light weight and bomber .... oh and expensive.

He always answered my emails and phone calls. I'd call him a good guy and I am sorry to hear others have had bad experiences. I might also add that I was in the market for a Revelate harness. So I emailed Eric because there were no harnesses for sale. He answered right away and said had some seconds he would sell me ( I noticed since my call, he is now selling seconds on his site ) I bought the second and I can't find a problem at all and it was a great price.

Big props to Eric and Jeff. I can leave on my tour fully bagged!

[Flounder]

I guess I am lone voice here that had a really good experience with Jeff,

Not the only one. It's been some time since I ordered my bags. I think it was '08 when I ordered my first set. '10 for my second few items. Both times he was super. His replies were quick, informative and I received my bags on time if not a week or two early. I even bumped into him at Interbike and he remembered me from our exchanges and was very nice in person.

He's probably a victim of his own success, and that's a bummer. Fantastic bags, by the way.