Although I have now received the belt back, I am reinstating this post because I have heard from several others with similar stories so I am concerned my experience was not a one off.
I want to be clear upfront about the purpose of writing this up here, and that is to document the extraordinary number of attempts to resolve this issue in private. I fully and absolutely understand the challenges the last year has brought, particularly to small manufacturers. If I were told that this repair was going to have taken a year, I still would have done it, but after many emails and twitter messages I felt forced into going public.
With the pre-amble out the way then, what’s the problem? In 2020, after a couple of years at trying to get in touch with Carrara, I managed to get an online appointment with them to arrange an adjustment to the size of my belt.
What follows is a record of all my interactions since then trying to get it back.
26/5/2020 – Initial online chat and measuring, I am told it is not very complicated and will “only take a few days”.
5/6/2020 – Belt arrives in Austria
7/7/2020 – Gentle enquiry as to progress, told need to order some material for the hinges.
10/8/2020 – Follow up again, told the workshop needed a new floor and to reinstall the welder. My belt will be “the first thing done”
18/9/2020 – “Belt was finished yesterday”, just needs the welding ground back and a new liner.
4/11/2020 – “Forgot all about it” “the parcel is still in the office”.
10/12/2020 – “Had to buy a new welding machine”
4/1/2021 – Chased via Twitter DM, no reply.
14/1/2021 – Chased via Twitter DM, no reply.
19/1/2021 – Chased via email, “have had flu”
31/3/2021 – Chased via email, no reply.
12/4/2021 – Chased via email: has been ill, will ship this week! Lots of apologies.
27/4/2021 – Chased via email, no reply
22/5/2021 – I publish this post
22/5/2021 – Twitter reply saying it will ‘ship this week’
4//6/2021 – I tweet ‘still nothing’
22/6/2021 – I get an email saying it has shipped with a tracking number
2/7/2021 – The tracking number shows the postal service is still waiting for the parcel from the sender, I chase.
10/7/2021 – I chase again, I’m told they will follow up with the post office on the 12th
20/7/2021 – Belt finally arrives!
