Headwind Mfg Co - Apology

[Skyhawk]

I am very sorry for the negative feelings that I have caused for my customers and the forum members over the past few years. I regret the fact that I have probably lost friends here, having been a forum member since 2005. I realize that my jackets have taken a lot longer to produce than promised at times. Also I apologize for the lack of communication. I will not make excuses for these shortcomings. It has taken a long time to get all the jackets completed and issue the requested refunds. Far too long in some cases.

I did not come back on the forum to promote my business or sell jackets. Some who know me well will know that I have a deep passion for vintage flight jackets. I have loved the new discoveries and amazing conversations that I have read here over the years. I don't expect anyone here to purchase my jackets. I just hope that I can eventually prove myself trustworthy and my intentions honorable moving forward. I promise to do my very best to accomplish this.

 

[bseal]

Acknowledgement, check.

Apology, check.

Atonement . . .

How about a 40% discount on top of 2018 prices with free shipping and a 21 day turnaround time?

 

[Brettafett]

Thank you.

Edit: I received my refund. I cant speak for anyone else.

 

[Smithy]

As I've made pretty clear here I don't agree with what you did by any means and to say I'm less than impressed by what you have done, how you treated fellow VLJ members and friends, and how you went about it would be the understatement of the century.

You would have been better to have done this a long time ago but with that said, for once you've done the right thing Jay by doing this. I hope that from now on your actions mirror what you said in your words above.

 

[mulceber]

Agreed. I'm sure your customers appreciate this apology (and I do too, although I wasn't directly impacted by the problems at Headwind), but it would be good to hear what steps you intend to take in order to avoid these kinds of situations going forward. A couple of ideas:

• At bare minimum, 4 weeks should not be listed as the production time on ebay ads.
• John Chapman and Dave Sheeley both take down payments and only expect the customer to pay the full cost of the item when it's done. Headwind could do something similar.
• The HW website could inform customers that there are occasional severe delays, and if they are approaching the deadline for challenging the purchase through their credit card company, you will happily refund their purchase and let them re-order (within a reasonably short time-frame -- say 3 days?) without losing their place in line. Platon has done something similar on occasion when customers were getting worried.

 

[bseal]

I’d like to see a six month walk of shame with severe discounts and no money down until day of shipping.

If deemed economically untenable, please offer the details of your proposed atonement. Words should be paired with action, no?

 

[Otter]

https://img.gifglobe.com/grabs/fatherted/S03E06/gif/VCh7z8tnv54u.gif

 

[petermack09]

I’d like to see a six month walk of shame with severe discounts and no money down until day of shipping.

If deemed economically untenable, please offer the details of your proposed atonement. Words should be paired with action, no?

Count me in for a size 44 goatskin A1,, my size 46 is a fantastic jacket just slightly big on me

 

[Lord Flashheart]

The reputational background is all here to read. I have in the past considered a Headwind jacket but I would want to see that this chapter is very much in the past if I were I now to consider one. I'd want to see proof of that new chapter with customers getting jackets they happily post about. Rebuilding a reputation will not happen easily or overnight.

So I agree with this:

... I'm sure your customers appreciate this apology (and I do too, although I wasn't directly impacted by the problems at Headwind), but it would be good to hear what steps you intend to take in order to avoid these kinds of situations going forward. A couple of ideas:

• At bare minimum, 4 weeks should not be listed as the production time on ebay ads.
• John Chapman and Dave Sheeley both take down payments and only expect the customer to pay the full cost of the item when it's done. Headwind could do something similar.
• The HW website could inform customers that there are occasional severe delays, and if they are approaching the deadline for challenging the purchase through their credit card company, you will happily refund their purchase and let them re-order (within a reasonably short time-frame -- say 3 days?) without losing their place in line. Platon has done something similar on occasion when customers were getting worried.

 

[B-Man2]

Count me in for a size 44 goatskin A1,, my size 46 is a fantastic jacket just slightly big on me View attachment 82396

What are the measurements on your 46?
And who made it ? If it’s too large would you consider moving it on ?
Just asking

 

[Skyhawk]

Thank you all for the suggestions and I am working hard to make big changes with how production works. Now that we are wrapping up the last of the backlog, we can make some changes to how we process our orders. Also I have made immediate changes to communications with customers and I promise that we will answer any messages within 48 hours. Also we will reach out to customers if there will be delays. I will keep you all updated on how our new process is going, and how our order production times are trending as we move forward.

 

[Saint-ex]

Agreed. I'm sure your customers appreciate this apology (and I do too, although I wasn't directly impacted by the problems at Headwind), but it would be good to hear what steps you intend to take in order to avoid these kinds of situations going forward. A couple of ideas:

• At bare minimum, 4 weeks should not be listed as the production time on ebay ads.
• John Chapman and Dave Sheeley both take down payments and only expect the customer to pay the full cost of the item when it's done. Headwind could do something similar.
• The HW website could inform customers that there are occasional severe delays, and if they are approaching the deadline for challenging the purchase through their credit card company, you will happily refund their purchase and let them re-order (within a reasonably short time-frame -- say 3 days?) without losing their place in line. Platon has done something similar on occasion when customers were getting worried.

Constructive and realistic proposal.

 

[petermack09]

What are the measurements on your 46?
And who made it ? If it’s too large would you consider moving it on ?
Just asking

Hi Burt, it's a Headwind jacket, it's the one on their Facebook page,,there's a ton of pics there and it shows every angle. I love it and if it was a 44 it would have been perfect. I thought it would be ok as the A1 is normally quite closer fitting, but hasn't worked out so. It's head and shoulders better than the capeskin Eastman I sold to a forum member about 7years ago. This one looks completely unmarked.£350 delivered worldwide, will put it in the classifieds when I get a bit of time,

 

[B-Man2]

Thanks for the info PM09.

 

[petermack09]

I am very sorry for the negative feelings that I have caused for my customers and the forum members over the past few years. I regret the fact that I have probably lost friends here, having been a forum member since 2005. I realize that my jackets have taken a lot longer to produce than promised at times. Also I apologize for the lack of communication. I will not make excuses for these shortcomings. It has taken a long time to get all the jackets completed and issue the requested refunds. Far too long in some cases.

I did not come back on the forum to promote my business or sell jackets. Some who know me well will know that I have a deep passion for vintage flight jackets. I have loved the new discoveries and amazing conversations that I have read here over the years. I don't expect anyone here to purchase my jackets. I just hope that I can eventually prove myself trustworthy and my intentions honorable moving forward. I promise to do my very best to accomplish this.

It takes a massive pair of balls to come back to the forum after everything that's happened, I don't think I could have done it but hopefully everything can be worked out, thumbs up from me.

 

[Micawber]

Actions speak louder than words.

 

[bseal]

Actions speak louder than words.

Looking forward to those actions.

SkyHawk, feel free to hit the like button.

 

[CBI]

In re the A-1 above. I purchased a Headwind A-1 in cape second hand from a forum member. It was IMO on the same level as an Eastman for much less $$$$$

 

[ES335]

I don't have a dog in this fight, but that's one stunning A-1!

 

[bseal]

In re the A-1 above. I purchased a Headwind A-1 in cape second hand from a forum member. It was IMO on the same level as an Eastman for much less $$$$$

And then you sold it?!