Problems with Great Highlandwear

[RockyR]

I think some Pakistani firms are worth working with. I bought an argyll jacket from M.H. Geoffrey & Company who advertise on EBay quite frequently. After seeing 2 positive reviews I placed an order. I had a formal event to attend and a more expensive option was simply not in the budget. This company is in Sialkot Pakistan. My understanding is that this city is close to the Indian border and at one time there was British garrison there and number of Scot troops, which is how they got in the business since the early 1900s. Given the price I paid and the quality of the jacket I believe it was a good value. Certainly I would not compare it to a high end jacket but all in all I was pleased. I can also say delivery time and communication were both very good. So I received a fair value with very comparable quality and good service.

I would not count out all Pakistani firms. Which is not to say don't fail to do your homework, solicit the opinions of others, examine their track record etc.

Sorry I'm just responding to this now as I just read it (only 5 months later... )

I carefully chose my words above... things that are too good to be true usually are.

The issue with doing 'homework' on Pakistani Kilt companies is that they are (virtually or actually?) all in Sialkot, Pakistan. Makes it tough to differentiate. Your history (as you stated it above) of the Pakistani town is correct. I also heard that from a bagpiper and US Marine (he's 70 years old now) who marched through that town 30 years ago. He was shocked to see the kilts and bagpipe related products in shops throughout the town.

Speaking with a friend of mine who is a Pakistani Kilt Retailer (and very well known, though I'll leave his company name out of this post), he gave me the 'low down' on Pakistani kilt companies. He told me that many are just 'guys with a website in an internet cafe'. They receive an order and shop it around to the 5 or 6 MAIN MANUFACTURERS there (who are also retailers in their own right) and get the best price for the job and then have it made. Nothing wrong with that business model... if they end up shipping the product to the customer.

The issues are: 1. With companies that have poor manufacturing (and since many orders are 'shopped around', you don't know what kind of manufacturing you'll get) 2. Dishonest people who never ship your order 3. Companies that are dishonest, go out of business, change their name, put up a new site and presto... instant new credibility / new store.

ARE there reputable Pakistani companies to deal with? I'm sure there are. If I knew nothing about the country / industry / manufacturing of the product I was going to buy, what advice would I heed? "If it's too good to be true, it usually is".

There are many US (and UK for our Scottish brethren) companies that retail Pakistani kilt products. If you're determined to go down the "low price point" route, why not use one of THOSE companies where you know what you're getting and have some kind of recourse (living in the same country has MUCH better legal implications) if things go south? That being said... do your homework on THOSE companies as well. Some of them aren't as reputable as others. Just use the 'search' function on Xmarks and you're bound to get an education. If no threads hit, just ask the question!

Just my $.02. Your mileage may vary.