Oes

[UCMWINGS]

Has anyone been in touch with OES lately? I have emailed several times about ordering a MacCat but have gotten no response. Need a tarp in 2 wks, afraid to order when I can't get a response.

[kayaknut01]

i as well have emailed him twice now about a tarp with no response i know he is busy with school, i am guessing

[UCMWINGS]

i as well have emailed him twice now about a tarp with no response i know he is busy with school, i am guessing

Did you place an order anyway?

[kayaknut01]

no, i was wondering about a custom tarp, and the pricing he would charge for it.

[Wags]

my experience with the OES tarp has been exceptional. it it a fantastic piece of equipment.

my experience dealing with brian (getting ahold of him, mailing my money, a 2 week period of no communication, finally getting tarp like 3.5 weeks later) was less than adequate. not that he wasn't a nice guy - he is. some people make excuses for his lack of professionalism saying he's busy in college, and that's fine. i've been there.



i'd look elsewhere if you're on a time crunch. my opinion

having said that he'll probably get on here tonight and have your tarp shipped in the AM :D

[UCMWINGS]

my experience with the OES tarp has been exceptional. it it a fantastic piece of equipment.

my experience dealing with brian (getting ahold of him, mailing my money, a 2 week period of no communication, finally getting tarp like 3.5 weeks later) was less than adequate. not that he wasn't a nice guy - he is. some people make excuses for his lack of professionalism saying he's busy in college, and that's fine. i've been there.



i'd look elsewhere if you're on a time crunch. my opinion

having said that he'll probably get on here tonight and have your tarp shipped in the AM :D

Hate to settle for something I really don't want but times running short so might have to.

[lazy river road]

I waited a long long time for my Stormcrow Burrow and Winter Ptarmigan but I honestly have to say It was worth every second of every day and as soon as I save up some money im ordering a summer UQ and TQ from Stormcrow. The reason I mention this is BC these cottage industries are working their garage, basement and do it bc they love to do it. Usually it is a one two person oeration. I dont have an OES tarp but have heard great things about it. If your on a time crunch then you may want to go else where. But from my experience if you see a piece of gear you like and believe it will be the best fit for you then it is worth the wait. Good luck with your tarp search. I want to see pictures :)

[kayaknut01]

i have a deluxe in spinn already and love it, i will not get a tarp anywhere else but from oes, worth every minute of the wait!! however waiting for gear does suck but these guys work thier butts off, i'm still waiting for my incubator from stormcrow and thats been almost a month, i know when i get this, it will be top notch!!!

[lazy river road]

i have a deluxe in spinn already and love it, i will not get a tarp anywhere else but from oes, worth every minute of the wait!! however waiting for gear does suck but these guys work thier butts off, i'm still waiting for my incubator from stormcrow and thats been almost a month, i know when i get this, it will be top notch!!!

I feel ya on the wait on one of Stormcrows quilts but you are right it will most def be worth the wait. He makes excellent gear and is a really nice and great guy. I say if OES is the one you want then wait it out. It will be worth it in the end. You could also buy two tarps one from OES and another now and try an get it rushed ordered.

[stormcrow]

i'm still waiting for my incubator from stormcrow and thats been almost a month, i know when i get this, it will be top notch!!!

:( Hey now, it has only been 12 days for you mister...:D I know it may SEEM like a month. You are moving up the list fast though. Trust me there are some other members whom have endured wait times that could make this thread scary for me but, um, let's talk about something else...:lol:

I am as surprised as anyone that I DO still love this :boggle: :D. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be trying to earn a living sewing in a friends basement 12-16 hours a day I would have said they were insane. :scared: I do miss a few things these days like..sunlight and my family :( but we are working to remedy that situation.

Wow, talk about getting off topic. I have never even one thing bad about Brian's tarps either. Sounds like he is just pulled thin these days...That should be a cottage maker motto or something...:D

[Just Jeff]

I know one bad thing about Brian's tarps...I only have two of them. (One is a prototype rectangle designed to be pitched diagonally like the HH tarp, but slightly bigger.)

But if I had a few more, maybe one with doors, I wouldn't know anything bad to say about them. :jj:

[questtrek]

Be patient UCMWINGS... Give him a couple of days.... Hopefully he will get back with you ... Class load and demanding work is hard sometimes. Believe me I have been there. I have no doubt you'll be taken care of, Reputation is everything today ... hold tight! ... :)

[Just Jeff]

FWIW, Brian being busy w/ school isn't an excuse for his slow communications. It shows that he's prioritizing his schooling over selling a few tarps...and IMO he has his priorities straight. If quick and constant communication is important to you, then by all means buy from someone else. If you have time to wait for a very high quality tarp with an excellent reputation (seriously, I don't think I've ever heard a serious criticism of his designs), then you'll be happy you waited. You just have to decide what your priorities are re: this gear.

But folks shouldn't fault the kid for putting college first.

JMHO.

[questtrek]

FWIW, Brian being busy w/ school isn't an excuse for his slow communications. It shows that he's prioritizing his schooling over selling a few tarps...and IMO he has his priorities straight. If quick and constant communication is important to you, then by all means buy from someone else. If you have time to wait for a very high quality tarp with an excellent reputation (seriously, I don't think I've ever heard a serious criticism of his designs), then you'll be happy you waited. You just have to decide what your priorities are re: this gear.



But folks shouldn't fault the kid for putting college first.

JMHO.


I too Concur! ... :cool:

[stormcrow]

But folks shouldn't fault the kid for putting college first.

JMHO.

+1 Jeff. I agree completely.

[Wags]

i'm sharing my experience w/ OES and waiting for gear (OP asked about getting a tarp in 2 weeks). my experience was that i sent money and didn't get any reply for 2 weeks. i stand by my original post.

A+ gear
D customer service

[questtrek]

Hate to settle for something I really don't want but times running short so might have to.

I am sure that anyone of these cottage industry vendors would try to do what's best for you if you had a time limit if you can communicate with them about your trip. An d they might put yours ahead of patient people. If you can't ... then try, wait, if still not purchase elsewhere. I know how it feels to put up money ... as soon as you do it seems like an eternity, yet waiting is part of the game. If you need it now! try to communicate a couple of times, if nothing ... I'm sure there is an REI near you somewhere. Just Sayin' IMO ...:(

[gRaFFiX]

I too have a 'wait' story, but when I finally did get in touch with Brian, he offered to give me a VERY generous discount. I didn't have a time crunch, but it IS hard to wait for what seems like an eternity for any word. IMO, it's worth the wait. Fantastic product, but I agree with Swoosh.

[Highstrung]

I'll take everyone's word for it. I order a deluxe last week and will wait patiently. Being in the Navy and trying to just take one easy class was incredibly difficult... enough for me to decide to wait for shore duty to continue school. Plus, he's in the post graduate stage of mechanical engineering, no small feat. I'm with JustJeff on this one.

[Albert Skye]

i'm sharing my experience w/ OES and waiting for gear (OP asked about getting a tarp in 2 weeks). my experience was that i sent money and didn't get any reply for 2 weeks. i stand by my original post.

A+ gear
D customer service

I don't have one of Brian's tarps but I have no doubt that he does good work.

I have, however, had fleeting correspondence with him and I might have hired him but my last few messages remain unanswered; better to say "no" than to say nothing.

In any case, I've since decided to make my own! :D

[kayaknut01]

:( Hey now, it has only been 12 days for you mister...:D I know it may SEEM like a month. You are moving up the list fast though. Trust me there are some other members whom have endured wait times that could make this thread scary for me but, um, let's talk about something else...:lol:

I am as surprised as anyone that I DO still love this :boggle: :D. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be trying to earn a living sewing in a friends basement 12-16 hours a day I would have said they were insane. :scared: I do miss a few things these days like..sunlight and my family :( but we are working to remedy that situation.

Wow, talk about getting off topic. I have never even one thing bad about Brian's tarps either. Sounds like he is just pulled thin these days...That should be a cottage maker motto or something...:D

its been 12 days, your right it seems like a month and i hope you know i am just kidding i am in no hurry for this, i prefer quality over quanity, thats why after reading much reviews went with perfect trees. waiting just plain sucks, thats the point i was trying to make!! i used a bad example. my bad
cheers

[kayaknut01]

no hurries no worries

[kayaknut01]

I know one bad thing about Brian's tarps...I only have two of them. (One is a prototype rectangle designed to be pitched diagonally like the HH tarp, but slightly bigger.)

But if I had a few more, maybe one with doors, I wouldn't know anything bad to say about them. :jj:

word, bro, word. this is soo very true

[Just Jeff]

swoosh - I wasn't trying to invalidate your experience or say that making customers wait isn't poor customer service. I agree that it isn't the most effective way to run a business. But given his situation, he's made the right choice, IMO. That's all.

[Cannibal]

Worth the wait and frustration if you have the time and patience.
If not, start a thread in the Want To Buy forum and there's a good chance you'll find someone willing to part with one. Just don't expect to get it real cheap. ;):D

[G.L.P.]

I'v been looking into a tarp from Brian...and i think the one thing that has turned me off was hearing that he doesn't get back to ppl,i'm sure he is busy , school will do that to ya...but...and this is just me and how i would handle it..at least msg the person back so they are not waiting around for a msg,that is just me.....i might get one if they come up in the for sale thread...or maybe in the summer when brian has the time

not trying to take anything awayfrom OES...i really do like his tarps...
and i hope one day to get one...
but right now seems like he had alot more to deal with ...so i rather wait
just my .02

[WeTommyD]

Originally Posted by stormcrow
Hey now, it has only been 12 days for you mister... I know it may SEEM like a month. You are moving up the list fast though. Trust me there are some other members whom have endured wait times that could make this thread scary for me but, um, let's talk about something else...

I am as surprised as anyone that I DO still love this . If someone had told me a year ago that I would be trying to earn a living sewing in a friends basement 12-16 hours a day I would have said they were insane. I do miss a few things these days like..sunlight and my family but we are working to remedy that situation.

Wow, talk about getting off topic. I have never even one thing bad about Brian's tarps either. Sounds like he is just pulled thin these days...That should be a cottage maker motto or something...


Out of curriosity, how many man hours does it take you to create one quilt?

[pizza]

Fortunately there are other excellent tarp manufacturers out there to choose from. I have an OES (currently at 2Q/ZQ for the sewn door mod) and it's an excellent tarp. The Backwoods Daydreamer tarps look just as nice from what I've seen and the Warbonnet tarps are excellent as well just to name a couple other alternatives if you haven't considered those. When I ordered my MacCat last year I believe I waited around a week for a email response. Then it was maybe 2 weeks delivery time after the order was placed which I didn't think was unreasonable. I emailed Brian from OES about a custom tarp a few months ago but never got a reply so I ordered a Warbonnet tarp from Brandon instead. Not one bit disappointed in going with the Warbonnet tarp and he had them in stock for immediate shipment to boot which was real nice.

[Highstrung]

Just got a paypal request from Brian. He had to send a separate one to account for the guyline pocket mod. SO, EVERYONE, HE IS ALIVE!

[2Questions]

The reason I mention this is BC these cottage industries are working their garage, basement
.....dining room, soon to be youngest daughter's bedroom.

[mbiraman]

I'v been looking into a tarp from Brian...and i think the one thing that has turned me off was hearing that he doesn't get back to ppl,i'm sure he is busy , school will do that to ya...but...and this is just me and how i would handle it..at least msg the person back so they are not waiting around for a msg,that is just me.....i might get one if they come up in the for sale thread...or maybe in the summer when brian has the time

not trying to take anything awayfrom OES...i really do like his tarps...
and i hope one day to get one...
but right now seems like he had alot more to deal with ...so i rather wait
just my .02

I really do think this is at the centre of people's frustrations . Not the wait, but the lack of communication plus the wait. Most of the time a simple msg is all thats needed and it only takes minutes, is good business practice, and shows the customer that their valued. Going to college and not communicating have nothing to do with each other.
I had bryan make me a black Maccat deluxe and its a great piece of gear and excellent workmanship AND it took me two months to get it and a major foul up.

[stormcrow]

Out of curriosity, how many man hours does it take you to create one quilt?

Good question TommyD. Pm sent so we can keep this thread on topic. ;)

[UCMWINGS]

I did hear from Brian this morning and I'm still waiting to hear back on a shipping date before I order. I know how hectic college life is, been there done that, and I hope no one thinks I was trying to bash him. He has some great looking tarps. It's just that speer and backwoods daydreamer are out of production at the moment and tarp makers are kinda scarce.

[PKT]

I've been on his list since Dec 4th but I still have hope.
I have kids in school :)

[Counselor]

Good question TommyD. Pm sent so we can keep this thread on topic. ;)

I'm curious too - the quilt that i got from you would have easily taken me 3 or 4 years to make

[Cranky Bear]

I have to say that I think what Brian is doing is very admirable, I myself have two jobs, sometimes three, and I went to college while doing all this, now I have a family and two kids and still have the jobs and I can barely make time to remember what day it is. So for Brian to be going to college and running a business that makes one of the most sot after tarps that everyone who owns one can't stop raving about it with not one negative comment about his product is a great thing, think about it, with out people like him we wouldn't have such great products. Come one how many can say that they can do what he is doing, some times its harder to understand the other side, yea I know that I have been a pain when it comes to Stormcrow and the UQ order that I placed I think it took about a week for him to get back to me this last time, but its "OK" cause he did get back to me, you just gotta give it time (which is easier to say than to do sometimes). Brian has his priorities in the right place, school first then business, especially since school helps his business, I congratulate you and wish there were more like you (cause lord knows I can't sew a lick:lol:)


CB

[sickboy595]

Hmmm, I ordered my Spinnul Ultra a week ago. Had no problems. Got an email from Brian within a couple hours. Got notice that it was on its way today. I just went to his site and it says that he is working through spring break with little to no back orders. I can't wait since I just received my new Clark.

[Just Jeff]

Six months for a first post...welcome out of Lurkerdom, sickboy! Hope you'll continue to participate.

[titanium_hiker]

Bryan sent my tarp today, he said there is a 3-5 day wait for a spinn ul deluxe and then shipping (to Australia) should be about a week. Unsure how that applies to custom jobs.

He's also mentioned some issues with his spam filter and email- try dropping him a PM here also.