Looking forward to see real world evidence of your mystery RMD (rifle of mass destruction) ..

I hate to be a wet blanket, but how are you going to know they're "your" parts?

In Texas, the old saying is, "Trust everybody, but cut the cards."

Guess you missed my Ronald Reagan (God bless him) quote of "trust but verify." My action will have a customized serial number and there are other "tell tale" special orders that I'll be able to tell. jorge

quote:

customized serial number

sure hope the SN doesn't start with MIA

No, I didn't miss your Reagan quote, just used one that pre-dates it by many years......I've still got the over right?

:::SIGH::: yes you do... jorge

jorge,
Just send a registered letter and ask for your money back.
Speaking from experience I do not care if his rifles "walk on water". The aggrevation of dealing with the lack of communication and delays is simply not worth the extended aggrevation.

Greg is still ignoring my emails

Gents; Hindsight as they say is 20/20 and indeed I might have done things differently. Since I acquiesced to a 1 July deadline and a progress report by mid-April, I'll hold to the agreement. If by mid April there is no clear and convincing evidence that my rifle is well underway in order to meet the 1 July deadline, then I'll sue for a refund.

I have to say that I am just amazed at the lack of people and business skills by exibited by some folks in this business. Marc, PM on the way. jorge

My latest email has also gone unanswered. It was a lot more to the point and had a more serious tone, so I was hoping that would garner a response. It did not.

Marc, et, al. From the 'intel' I've gathered, all I can tell you that TIME and not solvency is the bogey here. As we've all learned, is that schedule keeping and customer service are not the forte of the Custom Rifle industry, although there are exceptions.

I'm confident that we'll all get our stuff eventually, unfortunately that is the way it is. jorge

I told him that if he would not give me dates and reasons why I should expect the date to be met, then I was out of the deal. He has not even had the courtesy to tell me to go screw myself.

I am about like Forrest was with Satterlee-he was so pissed off, even if he got the action that day he would not have wanted it.

He has time to return one of the emails. I have done busienss all over the world and promptly emailed people from hotel rooms, offices, ccafes, and anywhere else I could get on line. He could answer me in under 5 mintues if he wanted to.

I'm in the same boat. I have been trying to make contact with Greg over the past 10 days. To date, he has failed to respond to my voice mails and e-mails....

Jorge, You will never get your rifle. I made the mistake of going on the payment plan with Hein for a custom action and stock I made 5 payments as the work was suposedly being done. The action was to be finished over 2.5 years ago. I have sent this guy $2100 and nothing. He had the nuts to call me 5 weeks ago and said it was being sent out. Then he said "they spilled something on it at the post office so he had to repackage it. Then he emailed me 3 weeks ago and said I would have it by the following Friday. No action. Jason Stoviak 414-961-7746

Doesn't this just take the fun out of the whole deal??? So glad I did not send my money to this guy.

I'll be taking my time, selecting an existing action and sending it to a known, reputable 'smith who will make the rifle of my dreams.

The assumption at this point, Jorge, is that you are still sans rifle?

I have been calling and emailing Greg Hein for the last three weeks and the he still hasn't returned my calls or emails.

My rifle is over 2 years over due (my order was placed in October of 2005) and he's been telling me for the last 4 months that he just needed two more weeks. On my last message I told him to call me or return my deposit.

I'm so pissed I'm almost ready to fly to Washington and pay him a personal visit.

quote:

Originally posted by MHC_TX:
I have been calling and emailing Greg Hein for the last three weeks and the he still hasn't returned my calls or emails.

My rifle is over 2 years over due (my order was placed in October of 2005) and he's been telling me for the last 4 months that he just needed two more weeks. On my last message I told him to call me or return my deposit.

I'm so pissed I'm almost ready to fly to Washington and pay him a personal visit.

Mail him a personal letter certified, perhaps from a lawfirm, stating you want you money back within 24 hours..no more no less. All sence in this case is really ought to be in court by the end of this week.
It appears that these "Heins" people are very unstabil and unreliable. Perhaps a "public warning" here on accurate reloading against doing business with them would be wise for all the members here!!.

This entire topic of Hein and his rifles is ironic.
As most of you know, I was also in the loop to have one built. I was caught up in all the reviews of how great his rifles and actions were. Come to find out 98% of the people who told me how great they were never even owned one! Call me stupid or dumb, but I am trainable!

After being lead down the same trail of many of you I demanded, and received my money back. It doesnt matter if they are made of gold. They just are not worth the aggravation to order and wait for.

Lets get everyone together who this guy is trying to rip off. I feel if we all band together and hire the same attorney we will have less costs. I'm out $2100+ as of today. His email is undeliverable and phone is full. He's trying to run Guys. Call me if Greg Hein has your money for a rifle or action that he hasn't produced. Jason Stoviak 414-961-7746

Although I have no skin in the game, I have seen other threads where custom gunmakers are afforded significant leeway when it comes to deadlines. Perhaps it is because for many members, a custom rifle is a disposable income luxury, the loss of which can be easily absorbed.

This past winter, forum members rose up and made their voices heard to Stuart Satterlee in response to similar behavior. The marketplace should be self-regulating whereby unscrupulous product vendors are identified and driven out by the public. Mr. Stoviak has a valid point in this case as Mr. Hein apparently has decided not to respond to his customers via common, previously acceptable means.

There is strength in numbers, gentlemen. Do not let a dishonorable businessman further dishonor you by standing silently by while he is unjustly enriched with your money. If the allegations against Mr. Hein are true, then we, as a community, are better off without him in our midst.

Just to add to the fray...I was PROMISED two acions by end of March AT THE LATEST...No responses to e-mail and phone is full...SOS...I'm in this business...not as a hobbyist or a part timer, but full time and I need these GD actions to build guns to pay bills..really gives the custom gunmaking field a sh.....name...GMA seems to be the only folks that take their promises seriously. I'm going to advise my client to demand a refund and get in line w/ GMA

Funny this should come back up. I thought about bringing the topic to the front page yesterday but decided against it. Greg still will not return my emails or phone calls-nothing. I sent him what I plan to be my final email yesterday, asking yet again for the return of my goods. I told him that if he still refused, he left me no other choice but to have my attorney take over.

It is really sad that it has all come to this. A simple replied to email or phone call could have eased everything. I understand if the email or phone call comes a week or three late at times. But I know of no one who gets replies to emails or phone calls. The promises he made to me regarding delivery of the action were obviously not met. I sur eunderstand how that goes. And again, a simple reply to one of my many emails would have helped me. THen when he made promises to retunr my goods and did not, well, I know stuff happens there too. Again, a simple reply to an email or return of my phone call could have cleared it up. As it stands, it looks like this is his MO with everyone.

I can take a lot of things, but repeated lying is not one of them. I would hate to have to get my attorney invovled, but if that is what it takes then Greg has brought it upon himself.

I am open to suggestions for how we can all collectively at least recoup our losses and move on. And I am talking about a professional and gentlemanly solution, albeit with the intensity and assertiveness required to get his attention and our stuff back. I am not interested in talk of broken knee caps or burned down shops.

Hill Country Rifles is under the impression it is a short wiat for the Hein Vapoaction

Hein supplies HCR (in theory anyway)

Wow....I guess I'm lucky he never responded to my inquiry about his falling block actions. Sad way to run things. I'm usually broke, kinda goes with be a start up gunsmith, but I never take deposits on work. I preffer being paid at the end, harder for me sometimes, but I never have people say "Hes has been paid, but has yet to produce the finished product". Good luck guys.
Steve

The scary part is Greg called me 2 different times in the past 5 weeks and said the action and stock were shipped. This was a flat out lie not once twice. I am done with someone when I get lied to. Not making a build date quote is acceptable but this Lie was sinfull. I was not bugging him he made contact with me. Almost like he wanted to hold everyone off for a while so he could disapear or go bankrupt. Now email has been down for 2 weeks and phone mail box is full.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc_Stokeld:
Hill Country Rifles is under the impression it is a short wiat for the Hein Vapoaction

Hein supplies HCR (in theory anyway)

I believe that NECG used to use Hein actions for their custom guns but I just checked their website and they no longer mention where their actions come from.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc_Stokeld:
Hill Country Rifles is under the impression it is a short wiat for the Hein Vapoaction

Hein supplies HCR (in theory anyway)

Just for the heck of it I emailed Hill Country Rifles concerning having a rifle built with a Hein action. This was there response:

Thank you for your message.
We guarantee an eight month deliver on the rifle at this time.
We will refund you deposit fully and promptly if we fail to do this.
I actually have one action in stock that is not spoken for and I will have McMillan stocks in for it next months.
So, delivery time should not be a problem.
Please let me know if I can be of any service.
Thank you,
Matt

Perhaps I can order a rifle thru Hill Country and have it within 8 months

Gentlemen here's where I stand with this: After a few, quite a few threatening emails from me and the threat of legal action, he finally emailed me. I was specific in that if I didn't get verifiable proof, i.e., pictures with my custom serial number, caliber, etc., on 16 April I was suing for my 6 grand. To tell you guys the truth, I don't even want the friggin' thing anymmore, but I'll stick to my end of the bargain. No quarter and I'll keep you guys posted. jorge

I just called HCR to see what they had for his contact info. THe lady gave me the same email and phone number I had been using.

Now to Plan C

Here we are again A gunsmith/gunmaker HAS to produce a product in something of a timely manner...whether that is 3 months or 3 years (with the customer knowing the timeframe in advance). Bullshitting the customer doesn't cut it with me. The one custom I ordered was from Michael Sherz for a 550 Mag. What a circle jerk with monkeys added just for fun. Every excuse under the sun and NO product. From what I hear he can be a talented smith but he has ISSUES. Grow up and make something for the paying (paid!) customer!

I was into custom knives for a while and it was the same thing. A talented bladesmith (say Alan Blade!!) would get rave reviews but rarely put out any product. He also was an expert in the shuck and jive. He was ran off of Blade Forums and then went overseas to con the fine posters of British Blades.

Please be a professional and produce a product, even if slightly behind schedule. Be all means keep us PAYING customers informed of the progress or lack thereof of the project. It ain't rocket science. It is simple courtesy and customer service.

My rant.

John

Matt from Hill COutnry RIfles called back soon after I made my last post. I missed th ecall, but he was kind enough to elave a lengthy voice mail. To condense it to just the basic facts:

THe only contact info he had for Greg Hein was the same as we had from his web site. He said the email was also down for him. The Hein actions he recieved were of a simpler cylindrical design that could be hammered out on the CNC, and all of his N Series actions were back ordered and late, just like all of ours.

But Plan C will be underway for me today. Hopefully that will help get us soem answeres.

Well, that is assuming I can get phone service. Lights have been out and internet just came back up. Phone was real spotty before I went to bed last night. We are having a serious blizzard with full white-out conditions right now. That is just what I was hoping would happen on April 11. It was just this week before the snow was melting back and I could see ground out of my kitchen window. Oh well, just another day in Northern MN

If my phone will work, then I am moving to the next step with Greg Hein

Hey Marc please call me I'm in Wisconsin I would like to talk to you about Mr. Hein. Jason Stoviak 414-961-7746

Looking bad for the Home Team guys. Message left on his hoem phone has also not brought a response. Will start leaving several a day until I get a call.

The above mentioned idea of strength in numbers is likely to be our best shot of getting our money back.

My deal is bad enough, but in the past 2 weeks I have communicated with folks who have paid their money and waited YEARS, and form what I can tell nothing has been done on their rifles. I really feel bad for them. If they are not burned from the whole custom game, then they have to find a new gunmaker and get in the back of the line all over again.

Placed an order almost two years ago, and in for almost 4k. Needless to say I'm not happy with how this has played out...

Let's all get together and see what can be done to recoup our investment.

FOsteology-

PM sent

Fost: I sent one to your 24 PM account as well. Hopefully Howard is reading these as well and will chime in. jorge

Marc and Jorge, replied to your PM's.

Has ANYONE received a Hein custom rifle they ordered and put a deposit on/paid for?? Has this all been vaporware from the beginning?


John

quote:

Originally posted by JKS:
Has ANYONE received a Hein custom rifle they ordered and put a deposit on/paid for?? Has this all been vaporware from the beginning?


John

es, there are a few gents here who reported very favorable results with Hein, hence that is why I chose to use them.

Apparently, it was a huge mistake on my part. This rifle project was supposed to be fun and a reward to myself upon my forthcoming retirement from the Navy after 30 years followed by another buff safari. I was EXTRA stupid in that I paid him ahead of schedule as I thought I was helping him out. So much for good "Karma" I'm out almost 6K. jorge