WT Fencing

I have received your letter today, and wanted to respond immediately. Having...

read the "Customer's Statement of the Problem", I must say he managed to leave quite a bit out, on his behavior and the flow of the situation.
Please note in 2009 Mr and Mrs M purchased an Antler 24.5" Camden Town Rollercase from our store at  at low cost of $164.79. Retail price of this bag is $360.00 (The bag was generously discounted, at my discretion, as they purchased a carry-on and two check-in bags, also heavily discounted)
Six years later, (Mid March 2015), Mr & Mrs M. arrived in my shop with repair requests on this bag. (Dents in corners of bag, peeling top coat and hinge in middle/back of bag cracked)
The floor manager ([redacted]) explained to Mr. M., that at a shock to us, "Antler" pulled out of America a few years ago and no longer have facilities in the U.S.
 However, we do have a repair facility we use in  Chicago that can look into the repairs requested, and they do have Antler parts still available and we could facilitate the repair request for him there. There is a $27.00 shipping and handling fee. (This facility is actually where the Antler repairs were made for the vendor)
At that time, Mr. M. was so belligerent, to the manager, that his wife actually asked him to go into the car. It was explained that repairs can take two to three weeks and there is a $27.00 shipping and handling charge to ship the bag toand from Chicago and must be paid up front.  Our manufacturers do not cover shipping on any repairs (whether or not they are covered by warranty.) Mr. M. upset the floor manager so much that he called me at home after he left. [redacted] explained everything to me, stating he wasn't sure if anything could be done with the bag since Antler is no longer in the country, but if there was anything to be done, the repair facility had to get the bag first in order to access the repairs. We do not cover the cost of shipping & handling. [redacted] stated Mr. M. was screaming at him, that "we are not taking care of him, and he paid for top of the line high end luggage and this should be taken care of, and that we should be going out of our way to make him happy, etc.. etc.."
[redacted] was actually full of apprehension from Mr. M''s demeanor. 
(I actually still end up paying on these repairs as the bags end up costing me up to nearly $30.00 one way shipping, but I absorb some of the shipping charges as part of good customer service.
His wife paid the $27.00 and we shipped the repair to the repair facility in Chicago. Weeks later, the repair facility reported back to us that the bag was no longer under warranty and the peeling on the bag was strictly cosmetic should not hinder the use of the bag, the dents on the corners were caused by airline abuse/everyday wear and tear (It IS LUGGAGE) and finally the hinge on the back could berepaired for $35.00 if they so desired. However, I recalled Antler actually eliminated those hinges on the bags as they rolled out as they served no useful purpose, therefore on my advise, I would not even recommend spending $35.00 on this repair. We called the customer and left the above information on an answering machine, awaiting a response.
The next contact I had was with Mr. [redacted] on April 20th, 2015, as I picked up the phone, I had to keep the receiver a foot away from my head and he was screaming and ranting that included these highlights: (I was not able to squeeze ONE word in while he was screaming at this time) "You are running a business that I will never shop at again, the customer service is horrible" Rant also included highlights indicating: I owed him money and that I stole his luggage and that I must have it right in front of my face and am not returning it to him, I must look at it everyday and laugh at him because I have his luggage and he does not have it, I sold him luggage that was the best in the world and should not have any problems and now I have had it for almost a month and that I have to compensate him as he has two toddlers and do I have any idea of what it is like to have two toddlers without the luggage? (One sentence never taking a breath) I am a thief that just keeps peoples luggage and does not give it back to them. I should be out of business, that I am the worst store and worst customer service that anyone could get, he is going to call Revdex.com and he could not believe I have his luggage and am looking at it everyday, thinking that I will never give it back to him" This rant was repeated several times, over and over...top of lungs I might add.
I did try and interrupt several times, but he did not stop ranting for five minutes. After which, I did finally manage "May I have your name please sir?" (As I have no idea of whom I am even talking with at this point) He again went on for another few minutes, and I then did finally manage to get his name. I looked in the repair book, and saw we were waiting  a response from the customer to report back to the repair facility.
(As I started talking he was actually quiet and listened to me at this point) I explained to him about Antler leaving America, and feeling terrible about that, as the company was one of the best vendors I had carried, and how the line was a great seller for us, but unfortunately, they left America.  I explained to him his bag was no longer in warranty, and really the issues on the bag were really unrepairable. 
The bag was just worn out. I can just ship it back to him from the repair shop unrepaired. Then as I was walking and talking with him, I said, "Wait, I think I remember I may have an Antler bag downstairs still, maybe I can just replace the bag for you, let me go have a look. (I went downstair) "Aww, no, it looks like the only one I have left is purple, and I do not believe that would be a color you would be interested in, so I am really sorry we cannot fix your bag for you." (I was trying to come up with a good solution for him, and was willing to lose money and give him another bag.) Then I decided "I'll tell you what, I will look up the price you paid for the bag, why don't you come down and pick out a new bag." (I did not realize he bought this bag six years ago!)
At this point he said "I want compensation for the loss of my bag you have had my bag and I have been without my bag, and my kids haven't been able to use my bag, and I paid top dollar for this bag and should be reimbursed for all my trouble, I do not want to do business with you people you should not be in business you steal peoples bags and do not give them back"...and that was it..
I realized I was talking to someone that just did not have sanity on their side.
I told him he was a horrible person he should not talk to people this way, and that I in fact do not want to do business with HIM. I told him he is not getting a new bag, he is not getting a credit to
buy a new bag, he is not getting any compensation from me, he is not getting st. Nothing, I was doing for this man was making him happy, not even giving him a new bag (of which he didn't deserve).
(Of subject here a bit, but I just had an inside theft from an employee to the tune of $90,00.00 and really am not putting up with people taking advantage of me right now) but this guy was just someone you could not reason with.
I hung up on him.  I called the repair shop and told them to ship Mr. M's back directly to his home. The tracking number is [redacted].  This was shipped at delivered to his house on 
4/22/15 at 2:19 pm via UPS.
Later that day, his wife had called, (very nice I might add) I explained to her that her bag was being shipped directly from the repair facility to their home and that they should receive it in a day or two. She told me she left a message on our answering machine to return the luggage.  I advised her it is on it's way. She thanked me and I told her to have a nice day. We hung up. She is a very nice lady.
I have been in the luggage business since 1986, this is the first time, the very first time I will not do business with a customer ever again.
They say you can come across them now and again, this was mine. He is a very horrible person, and frankly I am quite afraid of him. (I know why [redacted] was so afraid of him too)  I have told the police (and Mr. M) that if he comes in the store, our staff is to alert the police right away.  I fear for our safety.
I tried to do everything to please this man. As stated in your letter, your goal is to help resolve this issue in a mutually satisfactory manner. His desired settlement was to get his luggage delivered to him at the store's expense.  This was all done the day we spoke to the customer, so his intention was not to get his bag back, but to have a complaint registered with you, because he is a terrible man. I have national awards and national recognition given to me and my store for exemplary customer service, this is the first customer complaint we have had.  I do not take this lightly.
I am not saying we haven't had "impossible" customers before, but we usually buck-it up and serve them with a smile.  I did just that, and he was still "impossible", so finally I have to say enough is enough. He wouldn't be happy if I gave him a set of luggage, a thousand dollars and the [redacted].  He's just that one I couldn't please.