My experience with DeSantis and Alien Gear
I am really picky when it comes to holsters. I literally have a draw full of various holsters, some of which have been worn once never to be worn again.
I own the DeSantis Soft Tuck for my M&P Shield. It was well made for the price, fit the gun well, and did the job. With that being said, I was never really impressed with it. I wore it a few times, and that was the end of it.
I currently own 3 Alien Gear holsters: Two original Cloak tucks for the M&P Shield and Glock 19, one Cloak Tuck 2.0 for the Sig p220. Once I received my holsters from Alien Gear, I have been very pleased with them. The quality and fit seem exceptional for the price point I paid for them. I have worn either of the two original Cloak Tucks daily since I got them. I don’t even know I am wearing the M&P Shield, and only minimally notice the Glock 19. They adjust and conceal very well.
I only wore the Cloak Tuck 2.0 once for the Sig. I guess I had unreasonable expectations, as the gun is just too heavy to comfortably wear inside the waistband. The holster will most likely sit in my draw, unless I buy another shell and use it for another firearm.
One cool feature about Alien Gear holsters is the fact that you can buy interchangeable shells (I think for 12 dollars) to reuse your outer for multiple firearms. I can’t be bothered swapping out shells, hence the purchase of three separate holsters.
The only area I have mixed feelings about is their customer service. If you notice on their website they state a delay in responses due to high customer service volume. When I placed my order online my credit card was immediate billed, but the email invoice I received was blank showing the amount they charged, but not what was purchased. At first I thought that is how they sent billing verification. A few days later, I spoke to a buddy of mine who also made a purchase from Alien Gear, and he stated he received a full itemized email invoice. I tried to call Alien Gear customer service to ensure my order was processed properly, and that is where I ran into issues.
Over the course of two weeks it took me 3 emails, 3 left voice mail messages (because nobody ever picks up when you call them), and a threat to cancel my order and dispute my credit card charge before getting a response back from anybody.
Once customer service finally got back to me they stated they had a processing glitch called a “ghost order” where my order did not register in their system, but my credit card was charged and processed. Customer service was apologetic and receptive. They promised to rush my shipment, send it priority shipping at their expense, and throw in a belt clip variety pack for my trouble. I received my order a few weeks later.
I would buy holsters from them again in the future, and I was happy with the way customer service dealt with the issue. With that being said, I wish they would get their act together and hire more customer service representatives to deal with calls/emails. It would be nice to get a person on the phone when you call like you would with any reputable company.
Now I realized that 2014 is not December, 2009, but I paid $36 for that holster and their price has shot up for sure.
. I feel better about some of this gear now, with the personal feedback. And I do agree - leather has to be lined and/or reinforced in some way. Guess that's why the highend stuff brings the big bucks.