Don Lamson Leaves D2 Shoe

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Squint
Posts: 240
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:23 pm

by Squint

I remember something about him investing in some shoe/pedal combo which never panned out and he declared bankruptcy. People lost their deposits and I don't think they were offered discounts once the business was restarted and profitable again. This was the reason that D2 was my third choice when looking for custom shoes. I could have saved myself a bunch of money going with Don first but such was my reluctance.

I was about to order a new pair of shoes and probably still will but I wouldn't let him hold on to my money for too long.

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JDLBB
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 1:57 am

by JDLBB

paid and sent my fit kit back in december. Crickets and several ignored emails, phone calls, and FB messages until about a month ago when I got a call from "Hakob" saying he was starting on my shoes. I've yet to get them and I feel a bit duped since part of the reason I decided to spend $1250 on a pair of shoes was because of Don's experience...

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djg21
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:32 pm

by djg21

TheKaiser wrote:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:18 pm
I really hope you guys get something figured out with them. It seems like if you paid via credit card and never recieved your product, then you could call the CC company and reverse the charges.

It was a long time ago, and I'm having trouble finding an article to refresh my memory, but I seem to recall a similar batch of complaints when Don closed Lamson Designs down and started D2 close to 20yrs ago. I saw people posting on various forums saying that they'd put a deposit down with Lamson and now the company was no longer a thing. So, it's kind of funny to see history repeating itself and even with essentially the same company names, just in reverse.

I didn't realize it until just now, but Don actually had another company prior to the original incarnation of Lamson. The "history" page of the D2 site is no longer posted but you can see reference to the succession of companies here on the Wayback Machine. The succession went DONI (which was production oriented) > Lamson Designs (which was custom) > D2Shoe > (and now) Lamson Cycling Shoes:is

https://web.archive.org/web/20170709050 ... istory.php
I can tell you that Don did everything he could to make each and every customer with outstanding orders from the old Lamson Designs whole. Every one of the affected customers was able to eventually get shoes. If by chance some customer paid a deposit and dropped through the cracks without getting shoes, I’d bet that Don still would go out if his way to make things right now, notwithstanding the time that has passed. I’d also bet that if you have a deposit in at D2 that D2 won’t refund, Don would still be willing to help you out with shoes and try to make you whole. You can speak with him! But my understanding is that D2 is refunding deposits, at least for the time being.

In the meanwhile, Don is closing on a new home with an annexed shop facility in Tuscon over the few weeks, and he’s currently looking for equipment he needs to beiild shoes. I know where I’ll be vacationing next winter, If you have questions, you can contact Don through https://donlamson.com.

Master-Ti
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 5:54 pm

by Master-Ti

Just a quick follow-up to my last post a few weeks ago.

After several e-mails went un-answered, I was finally able to contact Hakob over the telephone. He apologized for the lengthy delay in making the orthotics, as he was about 50 orders behind, and he was now the single owner / employee of D2 Shoes. He agreed to return my shoes, as well as a cheque that was a full refund for the cost of the orthotics. These were promptly shipped as promised, so in the end, I my impression was that he is an honest man who was making the best of his new situation, and trying his best to "make it right" for his customers.

stereotaipei
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 5:15 pm

by stereotaipei

I paid $1250 for my 2nd pair of D2 Shoes 7 months ago. All emails have been un-answered, I have never received the shoes or any reimbursement. In the best case, they don't read emails from their customers, in the worst case, he is a thief. In any case, I advise to stay away from this company as the new owner is not reliable.
EDIT: have now finally reached D2 new owner. He has been very professional at fixing the problem. All good!
Last edited by stereotaipei on Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

wingguy
Posts: 4318
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

stereotaipei wrote:
Mon May 28, 2018 5:46 am
I paid $1250 for my 2nd pair of D2 Shoes 7 months ago. All emails have been un-answered, I have never received the shoes or any reimbursement.
In these situations I would bet that an email with a subject line something like "Notice of impending legal action" would be likely to get things moving :wink:

stereotaipei
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 5:15 pm

by stereotaipei

Tried that. They don't read their emails

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guyc
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Location: Hampshire, England
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by guyc

stereotaipei wrote:
Tue May 29, 2018 10:14 am
Tried that. They don't read their emails
Do it then - issue proceedings by recorded mail. That'll get their attention.

rdg
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 5:21 pm

by rdg

stereotaipei wrote:
Mon May 28, 2018 5:46 am
I paid $1250 for my 2nd pair of D2 Shoes 7 months ago. All emails have been un-answered, I have never received the shoes or any reimbursement. In the best case, they don't read emails from their customers, in the worst case, he is a thief. In any case, I advise to stay away from this company as the new owner is not reliable.
I don't typically respond to forums, but would suggest that you just give Hakob a call. I had the same suspicions, but think the guy is simply overwhelmed. Clearly the "divorce" wasn't clean and clients caught in the middle were not left in a good place. I had placed an order with a deposit, but decided to hold off until Don and/or Hakob get their new arrangements in order. Hakob refunded my deposit, and suspect you'll have no issues if you just call him. I admit his reponse to email was abymissal, but that might be part of getting his house in order.

stereotaipei
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 5:15 pm

by stereotaipei

good advice, I will try to call. But for sure my money will not go to a company who has not answered any email over the past 2 months...

djg21
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:32 pm

by djg21

Don has set up shop in Green Valley, AZ, outside of Tucson. He’s currently working on new shoe designs and will be building shoes soon. His website is at https://lamsoncycling.com. If you have a deposit with D2 and have not been able to get in touch, you might reach out to Don.

stereotaipei
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 5:15 pm

by stereotaipei

I finally could reach Hakob, the new owner of D2. After a transition period where contact emails were not working well, they are now again operating properly. The problem with my missing shoes has been fixed. Hakob was very helpful identifying the problem, I would have now no problem doing some business with him again.

djg21
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:32 pm

by djg21

Don is back to building shoes. He’s now in Green Valley, AZ, just south of Tucson. Links to Lamson Cycling follow:

https://lamsoncycling.com
https://www.instagram.com/lamsoncycleshoes/
https://twitter.com/LamsonCycleShoe
https://www.facebook.com/lamsoncycleshoes/

His new shoes are very nice.

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