1235 replies to this topic

[pyrotrev]

i've been reading on them in other forums, and they are reliable and recommened. extremely good communicating appartently. if anyone's interested in buying together to cut the postage down.....

Buying together's a great idea, but you need to consider the "redistribution" costs for us poor chaps that live out int' sticks - normal post prohibits the sending of explosives, highly flammable solids, and powerful oxidising substances, which means it would have to be by carrier, hence probably at least ?10/shipment .

[Andrew]

Buying together's a great idea, but you need to consider the "redistribution" costs for us poor chaps that live out int' sticks - normal post prohibits the sending of explosives, highly flammable solids, and powerful oxidising substances, which means it would have to be by carrier, hence probably at least ?10/shipment .

The cheapest ADR courier I know of charges about ?18 per consignment unless you have a bulk account. TNT charge ?90 or there abouts for a one off ADR consignment.

[chris17]

I've done succesfull business with Keten before, but now something seems to be out of order. I transfered the payment of my last purchase a month ago and I even got confirmation that he received the money. However, after that I have not got a single answer from him. HAs anyone else been in contact with him?

[BigBang]

I was in contact with this guy, trying to do a deal with him. Everything was going smoothly, prices good, lots of promises, then suddenly, in the last week or so, nothing, all contact has stopped. He doesnt respond to my emails anymore?? i dont know what the problem is.

I was just about to send a sizeable amount of my hard earned cash to him, when this happened. Luckily its still in my account and not his

If i hear anything, or if he gets back in contact i will let you guys know.

[chris17]

I finally got an answer from Keten. He didn't say why there was a delay, but he seems to be back in business now.

[lew]

Hi Guys.

Been away from the forum for a few weeks as I have been out of the country, but good to be back home for a while.

I have a very strong view on this subject at the moment.

All I can say is AVOID KETEN!!!

I found this guy in poland last november and deceided to make a purchase. I wasn't very confident about using bank transfers as you have no protection if they steal your money, however, nothing ventured nothing gained. So I made a reasonably 'small' order of around ?90 for 5kg of potassium perchlorate and 5kg of strontium nitrate.
I made the bank transfer (which itself cost ?20) and keten confirmed he had received the money, and the order would be with me within 5 days...

4 weeks later, and after many excuses and emails, my order arrived.

Just before he shipped it, he made a big thing about taking photos of my packaged order, and of the shipping documentation, and emailing the pictures to me. Sure enough, a few days later, they arrived. The chemicals were not bad quality, but were poorly packaged, and the KClo4 had split open.

I was confident enough to make a larger purchace. Because of the very steep packaging/shipping/transfer costs, I decided to buy in bulk, enough to last me a long time.

My total was over 1600 polish zyloty -just short of ?300! - This order was placed mid january.
He again confirmed he had received tho money and said up to two weeks for delivery.

Mid Feb, and still no delivery, and no communication for about 10 days.

Then, after one of my numerous emails to him, he decides to anwser and says " You should have received them buy now, I posted them a week ago"

I received nothing, not a bloody thing.

That was the last thing he ever wrote to me. In the two months since then, i have sent about 25 emails and not had a single reply. I have requested shipping information that he made such a big fuss about with the first order and he has not replied. I have even asked if he will chase it up with customs to see if there has been a problem, but still, no reply.

I know he has been around as he has updated his site 4 times in the last couple of months, so it's not like he has died!

If he was to respond, and try to sort this out, mabey I would feel different, but as he has took my ?300 and ignored me, I think I am having false hope of ever seeing my money or chemicals ever again.

I would seriously avoid this guy at all costs.

[Andrew]

Sorry to hear that poor rapour is building up in the pyro world again. It strikes a resemblence of that German guy, can't remember his name, that ripped a load of people off a year or so ago.

Just a note on customs, HMRC would not have been involved as Poland is in the EU now.

Honest reliable suppliers are wearing thin it seems. If you made a ?300 order with any of the good suppliers I know of there would be no messing about.

Is there scope for a "Supplier's Review" section on this forum?? Like on the APC forum.

Edited by Andrew, 07 April 2006 - 09:25 AM.

[lew]

A supplier review would be very handy.

It would hopefully help to reduce the number of cases like mine as we could exchange honest opinions of suppliers, and see if they provide the service they say they do.

[EnigmaticBiker]

Sorry to hear people are having serious problems.

One thing that disturbs me is the mention of poor packaging, a split bag of KClO4! Maybe that's one reason why chems sometimes don't arrive.

Please, if sending chemicals, they must be very securely wrapped.

Any courier or especially national postal services will at the very least be unhappy or at worst, call in the authorities, if packages of chems split open/leak.
Of course there will be a handy postal address on it, to trace you with.

Quite apart from any personal liability, it might cause the authorities to increase vigilance or penalties and reinforce predjudice against pyros.

Be good, if you can't be good, be careful.

[pyrotrev]

Well said EB. Considering how cheap jars, drums etc. are in quantity, there's no excuse for not using them. For anything hazardous a placcy bag simply isn't good enough .... imagine bags of KClO3 and S in the same consignment bursting!

[p_y_r_o]

I'm sure customs would not be too happy about a large amount of poorly packaged hazardous chemicals coming into England.

[Richard H]

Sounds quite illegal to me!

[minalth]

imagine bags of KClO3 and S in the same consignment bursting!

surely no one would package oxidisers and fuels any more reactive than charcoal or something in the same package nevermind things that could spontaniously combust if mixed?!?

[The_Djinn]

Lew,

Like you said.. "nothing ventured.. nothing gained.." for ?300 I would take a little road trip to Poland and pay a certain person a visit or in the least a little letter / e-mail to the Polish Police who are no where near as soft as our local lads who have to practice political correctness to the n'th degree. If nothing is done about people like this then they will continue to rip of other pyros. Every effort should be taken to bring them down.
Dont be affraid of the law, ordering chemicals itself is not ilegal only there intended use may be.

Mark

[lew]

Thanks for the advice. I might just do that.

Im in the middle of moving house this weekend so im gonna be tied up for the next couple of weeks doing DIY.

However, when everything is settled down, im going to take some sort of further action if I haven't heared back fom Keten's chemicals.

Just a note on the packaging point - the chems were actualy in sturdy plastic drums, but they were in a weak cardboard box, and padded with screwed up newspaper.

For the steep packaging and shipping fees, it realy should have been better than this. But I dare say that rough handling would have probably played a part.




It does seem strange that he stopped contacting all his customers at the same time, this is what made me think he had been locked up or died or had to attend a family emergency or somthing along them lines.

But the thing that annoys me is that he keeps updating his website so he must be arround.

Edited by lew, 08 April 2006 - 11:06 PM.