UPDATED: Anyone had any recent issues with Koken USA orders?

[SouthernIllinois]

I recently, as in last week, ordered a set of 1/4" SAE and Metric Grip-Nut sockets from Koken USA.

I ordered the SAE set one evening and the next morning decided to order the metric set as well so two separate orders.

After a few days I received an email confirming the metric set but I have yet to receive an email about the SAE order.

Additionally, I have yet to receive any shipping or tracking info after a week.

Tried calling - no answer.

Is this normal for Koken USA?

 

[rust in the eye]

I've bought Koken through Zoro only but have noticed long lead times. Not sure if Koken or Zoro but sometimes not a good choice if in a hurry.

 

[NHtoolguy]

I have ordered Ko-ken items through Palmac Tools. Their service is great.

 

[American Locomotive]

Aren't Koken USA and Palmac essentially the same entity?

 

[L.Cheapo]

I haven't ordered directly from KoKen in quite a while...because their in stock fulfillment time was glacially slow. I buy it elsewhere, namely Zoro. If its in stock I generally get it next day.

 

[NHtoolguy]

Aren't Koken USA and Palmac essentially the same entity?

As far as I know, Palmac Tools is an industrial distributor of multiple product lines. I'm not sure who owns the company.

 

[Union Delegate]

Jim Chase of Blackstone Global owns both companies.

 

[manwithtools]

I buy Koken from Harry J Epstein. Using their discount code of 15% at checkout (KOKEN is the code) they are typically cheaper than Koken USA. Jori from HJE says Koken is sometimes hard to get quickly.

Koken USA just had the Labor Day sale, so order volume might be higher than normal.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

I buy Koken from Harry J Epstein. Using their discount code of 15% at checkout (KOKEN is the code) they are typically cheaper than Koken USA. Jori from HJE says Koken is sometimes hard to get quickly.

Koken USA just had the Labor Day sale, so order volume might be higher than normal.

Gotcha - their Labor Day sale was the reason I ordered from them.

I guess I just need to be patient - I have lived this long without Grip-Nut sockets, a few more days ain't going to kill me.

 

[Wamsutta]

The only issue I've had with them is they sometimes forget about the order. Nice people though.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

The only issue I've had with them is they sometimes forget about the order. Nice people though.

That could be an issue….lol

 

[dnschmidt]

No hatred for Koken but I prefer Stahlwille as they have American inventory directly under their factory control. Never had to wait for a Stahlwille order

 

[lu787a]

No hatred for Koken but I prefer Stahlwille as they have American inventory directly under their factory control. Never had to wait for a Stahlwille order

Where is Stahlwille available? Besides KC Tool.

 

[Joe Mamma]

Thanks for the warnings. I was about to place an order with Koken USA. Now I see what I want at Haus of Tools. I've ordered from Haus of tools before with good luck. But I know others have complained about slow shipping from them too.

Joe Mamma

 

[Tchicken]

I have in the past ordered through Ko-ken USA, and don't recall any untoward delay (maybe what is bought was in stock?). What I do remember is that Ko-ken sent a couple brand stickers.

 

[svtride]

I recently, as in last week, ordered a set of 1/4" SAE and Metric Grip-Nut sockets from Koken USA.

I ordered the SAE set one evening and the next morning decided to order the metric set as well so two separate orders.

After a few days I received an email confirming the metric set but I have yet to receive an email about the SAE order.

Additionally, I have yet to receive any shipping or tracking info after a week.

Tried calling - no answer.

Is this normal for Koken USA?

Shoot them an email..I've had a couple email sessions this past week with their CSR....Very responsive.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Shoot them an email..I've had a couple email sessions this past week with their CSR....Very responsive.

Thanks

 

[Steve_P]

No hatred for Koken but I prefer Stahlwille as they have American inventory directly under their factory control. Never had to wait for a Stahlwille order

Does Stahlwille make nut grip sockets? I'm not a Koken fan boy but they have some unique offerings. As does Stahlwille, so I have a few sets of their wrenches, and some Koken sockets.

I've mostly bought Koken from Palmac and no issues if its in stock. This was before HJE carried them.

 

[gilbo]

Nope none at all, because way easier and cheaper to order from Harry J. Epstein or Amazon JP.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Shoot them an email..I've had a couple email sessions this past week with their CSR....Very responsive.

I got a reply within 10 minutes

 

[Ohio Andy]

Only had a couple of orders from them and anything that was delayed was clearly marked as out of stock and it shipped faster than I expected. I was ordering (mostly) individual sockets.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

A little update.

1. It took an email after a week of placing the orders and paying for them to get a confirmation.

2. After contacting them they said they would ship Monday and I did receive tracking for one of the two orders.

3. I sent them an email thanking them and ask for the tracking number for the other order. I was told it was boxed up and would ship that day and I would get a tracking number - neither happened.

4. This Thursday, two days after I had been promised a tracking number for the SAE sockets I still had not received anything so I emailed them again. Thursday afternoon I received one of the two orders - the metric sockets.

5. This morning once again emailed them asking the status of the SAE socket order and was told it had been delivered but it had not - I only received the metric ones. Then at their request, I had to dig through the trash to send them a pic of the box and the packing sheet which clearly shows only the metric sockets.

6. Now I guess I am waiting on a Koken USA manager to decide what they are going to do about it.

The person that has been responding to the emails has been responsive but after this is resolved, I am done with Koken USA.

 

[Higgins]

I recently, as in last week, ordered a set of 1/4" SAE and Metric Grip-Nut sockets from Koken USA.

I ordered the SAE set one evening and the next morning decided to order the metric set as well so two separate orders.

After a few days I received an email confirming the metric set but I have yet to receive an email about the SAE order.

Additionally, I have yet to receive any shipping or tracking info after a week.

Tried calling - no answer.

Is this normal for Koken USA?

Typical for anything coming out of there

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Update (Friday at 0940 CDT) - I finally got a tracking number - The sockets have not even left Koken USA facility yet - a tracking number has just been assigned.

I firmly believe had I not stayed on them, it would have never shipped.

 

[shwarmapolice]

Ordering through Zoro - who are drop-shipping from Koken USA I think - went smoothly.

I cancelled a Palmac (prices seem to always be cheaper than Koken USA despite being the same company) order earlier in the week because they never shipped.

I need to fill out my Koken socket sets, I’ll go through DRPD, Techschoice, etc. as needed.

 

[NightSky]

^^^
I, too, have found Ko-ken USA to be more expensive than other US vendors. I concluded that Ko-ken wanted to have a source for their products but also wanted to encourage wider product availability through other sellers by not competing with them. This assumes that Ko-ken USA is the US distributor.

I have ordered a couple of times through Ko-ken USA and had no problems, no long ship times. I've generally ordered Ko-ken through Epsteins for a few reasons, one of which was price.

 

[Max]

Ordering through Zoro - who are drop-shipping from Koken USA I think - went smoothly.

I cancelled a Palmac (prices seem to always be cheaper than Koken USA despite being the same company) order earlier in the week because they never shipped.

I need to fill out my Koken socket sets, I’ll go through DRPD, Techschoice, etc. as needed.

Koken through Zoro with a 20% off coupon is very nice. And like you say, drop shipped with no issues for me.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Just got another email from Koken USA

"We are sending another package"

They just won't admit they never processed or shipped my order after I paid for it.