Wool & Oak レビュー 304

No issues whatsoever,will definitely be purchasing from them again.

Great company,great products.

P.s exercise a little patience whilst waiting for replies,there’s obviously a lot of demand,for these top tier products.

I ordered my Large Nova last week and received it 6 days later. All the way from LA to Germany.
No problems with the order and great service from FedEx. Can't complain at all.
The bag was carefully packed and overall makes a good and high quality impression. Only the zippers could be a little smoother.

Jay's service is very good and efficient.

I understand there were delays with the pre-order, but realistically, this wasn’t the company’s fault. In fact, I was impressed with how well they communicated throughout the process. They kept customers in the loop and demonstrated a real commitment to maintaining positive relationships. I would give 4 stars because while the bag itself is beautifully made, one of the wheels had a defect. However, their excellent customer service has addressed the issue promptly. For me, 5 stars aren’t about perfection—it’s about how a company handles challenges. Mistakes happen, especially with new products, but it’s the way they’re acknowledged and resolved that truly counts."

Hi,

I'll try to be brief in a long story. The complaint has been on for 4 months and due delivery date was supposed to be in January 2024, but supposedly was only shipped in July 2024.

Yes, delivery keeps delaying forever but eventually seem to have shipped the goods. I can't confirm since I never received it but seems like Fedex did have it for some days.
Bad luck, they didn't include an invoice when shipping which is a mandatory requirement to clear customs. I requested it but was never sent, despite reminders so Fedex returned the bag to its origin after 2 weeks waiting for the invoice to clear customs.
They first tried to put the blame on me, that it was my responsibility to pay taxes (who said I wouldn't pay?!?!), to which I responded that I do want to pay taxes but an invoice is needed for that, which they never sent.
Then proposed to send it again, which I refused since by that time I was tired of their excuses and blaming me for their mistakes so just wanted a refund.
Then came another excuse that it was my and Fedex fault etc...
All in all, they admitted their fault and would eventually reimburse with a "$59.00 for a restocking fee will be deducted." which I obviously don't agree but hey, dealing with bad faith people and companies, I guess we have to cope with this.
They then wanted to check the refund details and confirmed it was sent for payment and then... complete silence.
I recommend people here to make noise, here, at Kickstarter (which btw us, ignores us since they just want money too), and DoJ California website (oag.ca.gov /contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company) but just don't let them fool you.
So, I can't comment about the bag since I never got it, but I can comment about the company which is in total bad faith, doesn't respect its commitments and keeps its customers money without delivering what they pay for.
Believe it's a good summary.
You'll notice that they only reply to customers who eventually received their bags and can comment on it, not all the others who've had issues with them.

Following their standard answer where I doubt they had a look at it and properly look into the case and just sent standard answers, below are my answers:

Hello Filipe,

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We understand your frustration regarding customs duties and the invoice issue. As stated in our Kickstarter campaign, international customers are responsible for any applicable duties and taxes.
=> I know and I wanted to pay but for that, as I've been explaining from the beginning, there needs to be an invoice which I've requested W&A but it never sent so I could pay taxes. I never asked or complained about paying taxes. I do it all the time.

Unfortunately, once the package was denied by your own discretion, we incurred costs for both shipping and restocking.
=> wrong. I did not deny, Fedex waited for 2 weeks for the invoice and then after many reminders asking for the invoice, returned it to the origin, not following my instructions. This is rhetoric answer you've been saying from the beginning.

We genuinely regret that your experience did not meet your expectations, but we fulfilled our obligations as outlined. We shipped the item and you denied its delivery.
=> I doubt that you genuinely regret but it's wrong again. You did ship but without an invoice which prevented customs' clearance so I could pay import taxes and duties. I did ask many times but it was never sent.

We have already refunded you the difference. If you have further concerns, please reach out directly.
=> wrong again. Where is it? I didn't receive any funds anywhere and I've been contacting "Jay" for an answer but he went silent for 2 weeks now.
I did reach out directly but you ignored hence I had to tell the world about the experience and submit official complain with authorities.
=> these are undeniable facts

Regards,

Tengo mi bolso NOVA y eso es lo importante.
Han cumplido con todo lo prometido desde la compra. Han tardado, si. Pero han cumplido.
Desde el momento que pusieron fecha de entrega, 7 días desde LA a Madrid vía fedex, garantía de seguimiento y entrega.
El bolso es fantástico, NOVA LARGE Nylon black.
Ahora solo quiero viajar.
Thanks Jay

First of all, I would like to say that the bag is really really good and that the Kickstarter campaign didn't promise too much. I am very happy with this bag and my choice. The concept is really good and my wife and children also think the bag is great.

Frankly speaking, there was a point during the campaign when I no longer believed that the bag would be delivered to me and that my money would be gone.

I can't judge, but I could imagine that with the destruction of the production building by the hurricane and then the problem with the container, the two campaign leaders were so busy that the communication with the backers suffered and thus caused the displeasure among the backers.

Thank you Wool & Oak for not promising too much, for your commitment to getting the first container into your possession as quickly as possible, for proactively contacting me and for the wonderful product.

Best regards
Mike

I am a Kickstarter backer, and this is not my first crowdfunding project. In the past, Wool & Oak had in fact delivered on their products in a timely manner and with good backer updates, so I was confident in backing them at first and placed my order in AUGUST 2023. I am also sympathetic to Wool & Oak for their inventory issues, shipping delays and other hiccups - it comes with the territory of a Kickstarter.

However, as with many others, with their newest NOVA Kickstarter, their communication and customer service was thoroughly unacceptable. Initially, they split the shipment into two batches, but the backers were never told which batch they fell into, relying on checking their inboxes daily to see if they were the lucky ones to get an email. When the first batch was held up at port, many still didn't know if their bags were affected. There were also no updates as to what had happened with the shipping container until much pressure from Kickstarter backers.

I won't rehash the whole sorry experience from May till now, but (1) customer service told me I was in the 1st batch AND the 2nd batch in the same email chain on two separate occasions, depending on who was replying; and (2) I kept receiving promises that my bag would be shipped soon that a tracking email would be sent. Specifically, I would be told that my bag would be sent out either "next week" or "in the third or fourth week" of the next month.

As an example, Wool & Oak informed me that I had nothing to worry about as they were filling and shipping orders for September 2023 (never mind my order was a pledge in August 2023), only for them to come back in the next email and tell me my order would not be shipped until the said 3rd or 4th week. When I asked why I was told previously that my order had been shipped, no explanation or apology was given.

Nevertheless to say, I never received any tracking email nor any notification that my bag was being shipped. Their response times also dropped from within 2 to 3 working days, to a week, to nearly two weeks at a time. Each time the response would be, essentially, "we'll be shipping it soon, promise!"

Meanwhile, the founder of W&O was going around on Kickstarter and other social media accounts claiming W&O had processed and shipped out 95% of the pre-orders, and that everything was going smoothly. And yet I had not received even a single email from them - not from Kickstarter, not from Pledgebox, and not even in the junk mail, which I checked daily to make sure I hadn't missed anything.

Faced with this and the fact that I was rapidly running out of time for filing a chargeback dispute, I requested a refund, and was denied (as is their practice, I note from other reviewers). When denied, I contacted my bank and asked for a charge back on the grounds of undelivered merchandise.

I also warned W&O at the end of July 2024 of the dispute, and their reply came TWO WEEKS later telling me that the order would be shipped "next week". Their appointed "next week" came and went, my bank called me to ask if I had received anything, and I dutifully told them: no, I hadn't. So my dispute succeeded, and I informed W&O that I had been refunded at the end of August 2024.

This was another two weeks ago. Customer support today has told me that they are cancelling my order, and that they wish they had more time to resolve this amicably. Funnily, I feel like I've given them enough time, and any reasonable company would have, in light of the dispute, gotten the hint they needed to work fast and SHIP FASTER. Or at least give accurate information and follow up with the promised action.

I won't call them a "scam" or a "fraud", because there are SOME backers out there who have clearly received their bags. I've seen pictures floating around in the wild. But their customer service - and whatever information they are being given - is awful and they keep moving goalposts.

I won't be going back to Wool & Oak, and I advise EVERYONE - customers, backers, what have you - to steer clear of them unless they actually and verifiably have stock to sell instead of via pre-orders and crowdfunding.

Retard en tout genre, aucune explications, sur frais caché ... on adore

As a backer of several Kickstarter projects I am familiar with delays and unexpected issues so I can forgive the hiccup that occurred with a shipping container full of inventory.

What I can’t forgive is the need to keep chasing customer support for any kind of information relating to my order now that the supply has been unblocked. Every email takes several days to get a response and the answer is always it’ll be sent in a few days. There has been no attempt to make amends or expedite the process which for a near $500 product is unacceptable.

I asked for a refund but was told that as this was a pre-order they couldn’t offer refunds. They also can’t seem to offer the actual product so this seems more like theft than legitimate terms and conditions.

Do not order from this company. If you have any issues you will be waiting a long time to get them resolved, if at all.

I had ordered a bag 5 months back and have only received false promises of deliver thereafter their email id was not working. Don’t trust these guys.

I ordered both the Nova Large and Halfday 45L to compare. I received the Nova 10 days after ordering.

Can't even compare the two. The Nova in brown is premium leather and looks/feels amazing. The wheels makeup all the difference.

Halfway serves the purpose but carrying a load on your shoulder is not something I would prefer, and compare to Nova's calf skin leather, the Halfway canvas looks really cheap.

For a true comparison - I have an 8 day trip coming up and packed both bags for that trip. The Nova held it well together, but have to admit the laptop was impossible to squeeze. The zippers are definitely a bit rough around the edges and hopefully that will ease with use.

However, with 5-7 days worth of clothes and shoes, I'm not complaining about the laptop sleeve.

TWO OBSERVATIONS to consider:
1. A user here gave a 1 start because she takes to to work. This is NOT a work carry on, in my opinion. That's why all of us who fly for work use the standard hard case carry ons. Don't be a dummy and take a $600 bag on work trips. They have Tumi and Samsonite for that.
2. I fly both US and European Airlines - United always allows a generous 50lbs for carry on. European economy tix light fare allow up to 22-25lbs. The bag itself is heavy so be careful when buying tix as chances are you'll surpass the allowed wight limit.

This one is a keeper.

If you go on a Kickstarter Campaign, you get told about the risks. If you want to make your cut on the price, pre-order a product that is not yet build, on stock and ready to ship... there is a risk to timelines, logistics of the product all that.
That´s what you get a discount on, when preordering e.g. on Kickstarter. And...surprisingly delivery and tax might come on top of your bledge - they tell that to us. We tend to forget.

In most cases things go a bit left and right, but they go smooth and you enjoy paying less for a great product.

Sometimes things are a bit more bumpy until you get what you pre-ordered.And sometimes it seems you just run out of luck and than out of patience.
And that´s what was happening with the Wool&Oak Kickstarter Campaign for the Nova Bag to me - a lot of issues on the way to get the product in my hands and there was a time, when I just would have been OK with them telling me... sorry it´s not gonna happen. I got tired waiting for updates that just said we run into this and this and this, but hang on.

Finally I got my Large NOVA bag, made of brown leather. And it is what I was hoping for. The leather is superb, the interior quality and options are great, the zippers do what I would expect and when you do not need it, opening it up and fold it flat is phantastic (also for traveling and put it into a suitcase on the way back or to the location).

The bag, leather and accessory absolutely looks and feels premium quality. And it is finally real. Exactly what I was hoping for, for my business and weekend trips. And did I mention that it looks just like a bag you could easily pay double the price from the campaign?

The journey of this campaign was one of the worsed I had on Kickstarter, but the product is real and really really good. And once more, I think the pain the people at Wool&Oak felt with all the things happening on their side, that clearly must felt like just running out of luck and time, also.
Keep in mind, that at Kickstarter you´re not ordering a product in stock but one that has the complete prototype, setup of production and logistics in front, things can go south, without some trying to harm you or trick you. Sometimes things just happen on the way - Wool & Oak in the end delivered a great product. The journey was long and a bit crazy this time. but the bags are great!

I own the Wool & Oak Carry-On 3-in-1 bag and the Large Nova bag. This isn’t a paid review. To start, I read the 1 star reviews…I assure you the bags are real and high quality. The zippers are stiff yes, but the company has assured they will be smoother with use. If you have ever bought or held a new leather baseball glove, you know you have to use it and break it in before it’s perfect—I’m sure these bags are like that. Why? Because this company has put forth the R&D in the initial design. Everyone claiming other bags exist with this design…they did not to this extent with this quality until after Johnathan and Wool & Oak started putting out their design and videos. Yes, this took over 12 months to receive after initially backing it, but that’s typical Kickstarter experience for me. I backed a product once that took almost 2 years to receive due to production issues. Wool & Oak, a shipping container was seized and pictures to prove it were shared.

I was frustrated as could be in the wait, but so was Johnathan and his team I’m sure. I stuck with it and remained patient because I wanted to back and support the R&D and the quality. My 3-in-1 bag arrived which to me was proof of quality of the Nova.

Customer support has always replied, within 2 days and I sent about 6 or 7 inquiries. And when my Nova bag arrived, one of my add-ons, the small compression cube set did not arrive. I emailed and no questions asked, within 2 days a shipment was sent out.

I knocked 1 star off of 5, because I do wish there was more communication throughout the 12 month wait, but the company and the bags are real and high quality.

Hi
I received my bag few days ago. The quality is good as advertised. The zippers are a bit rough as the bag is new and I understand would be smoother after some use.

The features of the bag specially dress compartment is amazing. The bag size is also aircraft cabin friendly. The dirty laundry or shoes compartment is a nice addition too.

For those who backed the project through kickstarter, my request to them is to wait out until all shipments are cleared. Usually kickstarter projects gets delayed due to overwhelming response they receive from the community. I had some significant delays in kickstarter projects before as well.

I understand they had operational and legal delays which resulted in late deliveries. Hopefully more transparent communication will result in better handling of potential challenges.

The Nova bag is amazing. It is not cheap, but it’s high quality and incredibly versatile.

I experienced a big delay, but all the way through wool and oak has kept me up to date about the delay that was no fault of their own.
I am a happy with my bag. I need to watch out for the rest of the family nicking it for themselves!

I backed their campaign for Nova bag (large) on Kickstarter last year and I admit it took a bit long to get it, but the reasons were explained. I am not someone who needs to be updated about the process in detail and being spammed with an e-mail every week or month. I only started to look for the information when the expected delivery date was past due.. then it was communicated to the backers what had happened. Maybe the communication was a bit neglected, but when they were busy solving the problem and the situation was evolving it was hard to communicate something and they surely wanted to avoid giving incorrect information which they would need to dement later.

What counts is that they promised on delivery of the bag in the end and in the quality and looks as had been communicated from the start.
When I saw the campaign, I was quickly seduced as I wanted to buy a similar bag from a more expensive brand.. But Wool & Oak offered a better price, bigger volume and more colors and their leather has a structure. The leather in dark coffee color looks good, feels quality, seams are precise and neat, zippers look sturdy as well. Volume is generous and I can pack for at least a week-long business trip and have also another more casual clothes with me. Wheels look good quality either and are silent. Handle feels soft (wrapped with leather) and quite solid, so it's easy to move around with the full bag. I was positively surprised to find out that I could also fit my Boox MaxLumi 2 in the side pocket. The compression bags are also nice and match the style of the bag.

I've received my bag and cubes, and it appears as advertised throughout the campaign. This was my first Kickstarter for a very long time, and I was happy with waiting... to a point... The company then experienced a series of delays which I'd draw up as pretty unfortunate. Yes, they could have communicated better at times and at two points I forgot I had ordered this altogether and forgot to check in because the time between updates was so long but it has ultimately got there in the end. Once the shipment was released to W&O I received it pretty quickly all the way in New Zealand via FedEx.

Even with the delay, they are very professoinal. It took way longer than expected for my bag to arrive but I can say for sure that the product is really good! As soon as they have more reliable delivery dates I will order another one. Keep it up!

I've had the Noval Large bag for less than 2 months, and the zipper broke! I've reached out to customer support several times with no response. I'm very disappointed in the product and the level of customer support. Given this is a luxury bag...the customer service does not match.