Category: Let's talk
I am writing to let you all know about a service recently. As the title suggests, it is called kustum cane. It is ran by someone who is newly blind, and the sight looked promising. I put in an order for a cane sporting the 75th nfb convention logo, plus a few other things, and payed the man. When my cane arrived it was not at all what I expected. The writing that I asked for was rinted by a computer on stickers as was the logo and the decorations I asked for. He advertised a clear plastic coding that would provide protection for the cane but all this was, was a plastic sheet that was cut improperly might I ad, that only goes around the handle of the cane. I am in talks with him to get my money back, but even though I am willing to send him back the product, he only wants to refund me 60 of the 85 dollars I spent. He did not send it UPS or FedEx, he sent it free matter so he is not losing any money, and the 3 dollars he spent in stickers and ink should be no issue, also he is getting a cane back he can just strip and reuse as I did not even use the thing. Please really think before using this service, the websight is misleading.
I heard of this web site; saw their advertisements... that alone put me off of them, because their writing is attrocious. The company, small business, whatever it is, has no idea how to present itself in a professional manner. Sorry for your bad experience. I hope it can be rectified. 85 dollars is a lot to pay for a cane, especially if the so-called customization was botched and cheap-looking.
The cane from the nfb websight that they ... kustomized was only 35 dollars to boot
Glad there's a store for the blind here in town that sells good quality canes, as well as computers and accessories, notetakers, pretty much any adaptive tech you can think of.
As a note, anybody can report such companies to the B B B.
I notice that, even with professional companies, the writing on their websites often contains mistakes. It's one thing to find errors in forums like this, where we're just talking, but when I see them on news and business, it makes me cringe! Then again, I am against netspeak, textspeak, and all such nonsense in the first place. *smile*
As for your experience, I'm sorry it was such a bad one, and I agree with those who say that was extremely expensive for a cane. Now if it was made of woode and hand-carved, that would have been a totally different story! But it sounds either as if they're trying to con people, or if they just have no clue what they're doing and no business sense.
I talked to him as well, but decided I wasn't going to pay the price.
It is a great idea, is his canes are really done well.
This sort of thing happens in small businesses.
You sort of take a chance, because 85 dollars isn't enough money to really go to bat for.
It cost like 40 bucks in court fees, and maybe you win, but making him pay is another thing.
Smile.
I to thought the same when looking at the website.
If you are selling me something, your product needs to be properly sold, or I tend to think you aren't all that good at making your products as well.
Presentation is half the battle with mme.
The thing is, the canes are not done that well. my little sister could have done a better job. He claims he made a cane sporty but he just put a sticker of a football on the cane
Okay...maybe this is just me, but what's up with that kind of customization on a cane? It's a mobility aid. It's a stick you hold in your hand and wag back and forth in front of you, more or less, in order to get from point a to point b. Why would anyone spend almost four times the price of a normal cane just to accessorize a mobility tool? What am I missing here?
Obviously, this guy is filling some sort of niche, however badly he may be designing his canes. It just glows my mind.
Dress.
Variety.
So that your mobility aid is different.
Personal.
Pleasure of having something different not everyone else is carrying.
Looks better, especially if you've got several to match your outfits.
Life is good, so why not.
Some people have them, and they are done properly.
I'd guy the tape, and a cane, and try my sister at it. Smile.
same reason why people customize their cars, greg. after all, a car is also a mobility tool when you get down to basics. Blind people can't often have the pleasure of customizing their cars, so they customize canes. It's like wayne said; presentation. It might be done to resemble your love of something, or your pride, like a logo on a t shirt or whatever. that sort of thing. People want to be proud of their canes or at least to make it look unique. I can't really fault them for that.
Yup, Shepherd Wolf, agree with fore reel and right away, although totally agree with you on the price tag, yikes!
If only they could be made with built-in stun guns.
I dunno. You sit in a car, drive a car, can play the radio in a car, have to do specific types of driving (country, highway, city driving) in a car, and a whole host of other things besides. It has many many more moving parts and tweakable functions than a stick you hold in your hand could ever possibly have. But to be fair, I think some of the lengths people go to in order to customize their vehicles are pretty silly too, so perhaps I'm just not the right guy to get into this with. My apologies. Still think the price tag is just ouch, though. If a cane is regularly thirty bucks and customization might mean an increase to forty, or even forty-five if you're going all out...then okay, maybe; people do that. But eighty-five? Nuts. Totally nuts.
The price is not just for the miterials, you are paying for the persons labor in that price too.
If canes could be customized from the factories that make them, this could be lower, but if you have to buy the cane, and customize it for someone, you want to get paid for your labor.
Now, canes, go to church, the bar, school, eating places.
They are seen on the bus, and in the country, city.
Like other accessories you might wear,, people look at your stuff.
How about swiss army canes for us instead of plain old Swiss army knives? lol yes, stun gun would be interesting.
An umbrella cane.
Here's something you guys and gals never thought of. I'm trying to envent a cane for people who have trouble walking. That's customization at it's best. If you need something different, you need it. This avenue isn't for fancification, but there's all sorts of reasons. I won't come out with mine, till I know it will work. So, I may work with a cane maker, instead of trying to go out on my own. My first version flopped, but, that's the same with a commedian, too. So...
Anyway, my 2 cents, for what it's worth.
Blessings!
Auntie Hot Wheels
If you want to see how far people will go with customization, google "truck nuts", people. 'nuff said.
I agree with most here, though I haven't done it personally.
Sarah, in all seriousness there are combination mobility and ambulatory (I think that's the word) canes. AmuTech makes some of these.
I can't vouch for how well they work or don't work, I happen to have a pair of good legs and so haven't had to use it. But it seems there's a market out there already.
Just for the love of all that is natural in the world research every company before buying a product.