After reading of our member Chalks recent experience in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3267&p=40250#p40250
I thought it best to update my warning here so people could be forewarned and perhaps avoid getting themselves burnt. I don't like this kind of stuff, especially posting up links and such but this McCray bloke and his missus really need to be stopped. Its not only the poor buyers who are suffering at the hands of this pair but the bad word is also damaging the reputation of one of the very best tonewood vendors in the game in Brent Cole of
"Alaskan Specialty Woods" simply because there is a similarity in the two business names which some people seem to get mixed up.
So again, here is a link to
"ALASKA SPECIALTY WOODS"
:
http://alaskawoods.com/ its run by Brent Cole Snr and his family. Brent is a very good, honest, and reliable tonewood dealer who has been in the game for a long time. Brent had been invited to become an ANZLF preferred vendor when we first kicked off but declined because he supplies wood to some of our other preferred vendors and did not want to compromise those relationships....that is one of the reasons he was invited....integrity! You should feel very confident in buying tonewood from Brent.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Things You Should Know.
So anyone reading this thread should now clearly understand that all the negative in this thread is directed at
Alaska Tonewoods The commonly reported culprit is a John McCray, however the actual registered owner of the business is his wife "
Sandra Rusin-McCray" and for your information Sandie has set up another domain name
http://www.lastfrontiertonewood.com/...So be warned, just like J&S Timber Products and Alaska Tonewoods, it too it is owned an run by these same people operating from
"Ketchikan", British Columbia.
Note the registered owners name:
http://www.buyalaska.com/business/index/7418
http://whois.domaintools.com/alaskatonewood.com Note: Given the horrendous reputation now attached to the domain alaskatonewoods.com, I would not be at all surprised to see it decommissioned on the 15th of August this year when it is due to expire....if so I imagine it will then be back to business as usual using "lastfrontiertonewoods.com" so they can skip the bad press and do it all again for another few years.
http://whois.domaintools.com/lastfrontiertonewood.com
Here's a google maps satellite snap of Ketchikan...if you look real careful you may just see John and Sandie on their way to the bank with Chalks money laughing all the way.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&sa ... CDYQ8gEwAA
I do not know of any other tonewood vendors in Ketchikan, but if you go to a web site and see all the splash and bullshit with the prices and customer endorsements sounding just wonderful, at least take the time look carefully and answer this question...Where are they shipping from? If its Ketchikan, I reckon you want to be sure you have the money to loose before you go sending it.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/miscellaneo ... -bfcfb.htm
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/foru ... p?t=206804
Interesting, the first post made in this next thread was in 2008 stating that it is the best tonewood he's come across in 30 years..first and only review given at that site by the OP..then nothing but the usual tale of whoa after that....I wonder if that's Coquille "McCray" who posted the original review?
http://www.xomreviews.com/alaskatonewood.com
http://www.bbb.org/alaska/business-revi ... k-22532728
http://alaskatonewoodbewareof.blogspot. ... ctims.html
I am certain there are shitloads more negative threads to be found about these people but what I have provided should be more than enough to demonstrate to anyone considering doing business with this pair why you should think again.
As mentioned in Chalk's thread, the best advice I can give to anyone considering an international transaction with 'any' vendor they have no prior experience with is to NEVER EVER send money by wire or bank transfer. In this day an age, given all the available payment options, if a vendor is insisting upon direct transfer and suggesting this is the only way they can do business, then alarm bells should start ringing for you loud and clear.
Chances are that such a vendor is applying knowledge gained from their experience in past disputes and is manipulating you into a position of 'no recourse' by ensuring 'all' the cards remain in their hands. Such an arrangement can still work out OK for you just as long as everything goes well and you get quality of wood you were after. But if there is a problem, that's when you will probably discover why they operate the way they do and had been so insistent about direct transfer or international money order, and my guess is that your not going to like what you learn one bit.
Cheers all
Kim
