[jayinhongkong]

Got my Moleskine Hong Kong edition City Notebook on Tuesday night. I went to two stores to try and find them, both of which the Moleskineasia website indicated carried City notebooks. The first store (Commercial Press in Causeway Bay) had about 4 Moleskines (total) in it. I considered purchasing a $98 Moleskine diary for one of my students (who is 11), but decided to get her something else.

Went to City'Super in Times Square after work and they had a bunch of Moleskines, but no HK editions on the rack. I asked someone who worked there and she said they were coming out on the 26th. I told her the website said they'd be out on the 24th. I told her I'd just get one on the website since they were already available directly from Moleskineasia. I turned to leave and spotted them on a table next to me. She didn't even know they had 'em! The price on the back was $108, which I thought was a great deal as the website said they'd go for $188. I went to the register and she ran up and said they are supposed to be $188, and she'd have to charge me that. I told her if I was in the US, they'd have to charge me the $108 the sticker said it was.

I wasn't too happy, so I complained to both Moleskineasia and the store, of which I am a regular customer. Within two hours (around 11pm), Moleskineasia replied and said they were sorry. I'd also pointed out a few errors in the HK edition. They told me to pick out any Moleskine I wanted from the catalog and I could have it for free as a token of their appreciation. I chose a soft, plain notebook (pocket sized). I will now EDC (everyday carry) two Moleskines!

Earlier tonight, City'Super called and apologized for the confusion at the store and said they now have the same policy as US retailers: they charge the price marked on the product if it is their error. The manager told me to come by and let him know and he will give me an $80 credit on my Super Ecard (store card).

Just goes to show that customer service does exist here, but you have to complain to get it. BTW, the Moleskine HK Edition is pretty cool. Found a few spelling errors on the maps, but aside from that, it's very well designed and put together.

[jgl]

I've had a couple of Moleskines fall apart, as has someone else at work. They split along the seams, which seems to be a common complaint on the net. If this happens to yours, Moleskine will at least replace them free of charge.

Edit: This problem seems to be specific to the hardcover versions.

[jayinhongkong]

Originally Posted by jgl

I've had a couple of Moleskines fall apart, as has someone else at work. They split along the seams, which seems to be a common complaint on the net. If this happens to yours, Moleskine will at least replace them free of charge.

Edit: This problem seems to be specific to the hardcover versions.

I've heard of people reinforcing the spines with duct tape (both outside and in). Both of mine are softcover versions, so hopefully they hold up ok. Nice to know Moleskine stands behind their products.

[Hamton]

Page One in Times Square (9th floor) sell them. As does 'some other bookshop' in Tai Koo City Plaza, the name of which I forget. They've probably got a much better range there.


Slightly ranting:

I've got a bunch, but I find they're kind of... over priced pretentious notepads. And when I'm paying over £10 for a plain notepad, I kind of feel guilty for doing silly little scribbles in it, so I end up doing less silly little scribbles, and being less creative as a result.

In the end, I found a nice $10 notepad from Muji (which was the same paper quality, but without a nice cover) was better as I put any old shit in it, without the fear of "messing up" a nice notepad.

But yeh, the diaries are decent if you bother to use a diary. Except I don't like the idea of them falling apart considering the stupid price and constant emphasis on quality they push.

[jgl]

Originally Posted by jayinhongkong

I've heard of people reinforcing the spines with duct tape (both outside and in). Both of mine are softcover versions, so hopefully they hold up ok. Nice to know Moleskine stands behind their products.

My current one is reinforced with silver duct tape. Klassy, just like Hemmingway

[jayinhongkong]

Hamton: You're right, I write less for fear of spoiling the pristine white pages of my notebook, but then I also think when I do write in it, I'll put my heart into what I put down, and hence, the quality of the work I find in my Moleskine will be some of my best. If that makes sense at all. Pretentious? Yeah. Commercial Press had some nice notebooks in the $10-15 range!

[jayinhongkong]

Originally Posted by jgl

My current one is reinforced with silver duct tape. Klassy, just like Hemmingway

Nice! I'd go with black tape just to maintain the 'tactical' look I have going on.

[Hamton]

Originally Posted by jayinhongkong

Hamton: You're right, I write less for fear of spoiling the pristine white pages of my notebook, but then I also think when I do write in it, I'll put my heart into what I put down, and hence, the quality of the work I find in my Moleskine will be some of my best. If that makes sense at all. Pretentious? Yeah. Commercial Press had some nice notebooks in the $10-15 range!

You say that, but your best writing will probably end up in a bunch of Notepad.txt files or on the cheap thin notepad you stole from the office.

Over thinking things is pretty much a creative mental block. Better to shit it all out, then edit together the highlights the day after into something brilliant. Moleskins seem to work against that.

I do keep one in my bag to occasionally pretend I'm writing or sketching important things in it though. Let's face it, Moleskins are entirely about portraying an image.

[jayinhongkong]

Yeah, I need one of those $10 ones from Commercial Press to scribble in. The Moleskines are totally poseur, I agree, but I like the HK edition because it has a decent amount of info in it and the pocket feature on the back is cool.

OK, it's totally poseur

I scribble on my PDA on occasion, but it's been a long time since I've done that. I'm pretty fast on it too because it has a decent keyboard.