James Duff customer service sucks

[Got4wd]

Thanks to you both for replying. Sorry this is happening and still hopeful for a fair resolution, whatever that means to all. @WPS that is still what I am confused about and I don't know the back end of credit card dynamics. If they had not charged your card anything then 1.5% of what? I am assuming the cost of the product, but I thought the retailer paid a fee(say 3%) based on an amount they charged the consumer. Which in your case would be 0% because they never charged your card. Also, if the product was backordered you could hardly call it a restocking fee.

What he is saying is he ordered the parts. Duff puts a full charge on the order just like they are shipping them tomorrow. He decided he doesn’t want to wait so calls ( but I’m thinking can’t call and has to email) to cancel the order. They cancel the order but charge him the bank fee. 1.5%. I’m pretty sure if you get a refund, with any company I thought you don’t get charged as the seller. I could be wrong maybe someone can answer that?

 

[Got4wd]

Duff should just reship the entire order, start over, just to put a stop to this . Their obviosly brutal customer service is on display here and its going to affect future sales, i know i for one will never use them.

I don’t even need the whole order. I simply asked on the phone with the salesman just to ship me the bushing head unit loaded so there isn’t an issue. I was going to send the others back. I said walk back there and see if there is an issue with the ones on the shelf. Is there supposed to be powder coat in the holes? “He said we have the replacement bushings in stock. Would you like to purchase them or email warranty and see if they can do anything for you. “

 

[Kalex]

What he is saying is he ordered the parts. Duff puts a full charge on the order just like they are shipping them tomorrow. He decided he doesn’t want to wait so calls ( but I’m thinking can’t call and has to email) to cancel the order. They cancel the order but charge him the bank fee. 1.5%. I’m pretty sure if you get a refund, with any company I thought you don’t get charged as the seller. I could be wrong maybe someone can answer that?

Thanks and we can certainly let this go as it's a bad situation all the way around. At this point we are discussing 2 separate and unfortunate incidents.

For now I will remain confused as to how a charge of 1.5% occurs when it was said that there was never an initial charge to his card. So I am to assume they just took the cost of the backordered item and charged 1.5% of what would have been the retail cost of the backordered item once shipped/processed even though the original full retail cost was never actually charged. I think most business in general don't charge your cards until an item ships unless there are other circumstances like a deposit, a hold, etc.. That both parties are aware of.

 

[Shimmy]

i find it interesting that JD hasn't posted here or made any attempt to come in here to reach out and display how they can accommodate the customer. just silence. perhaps they feel they don't need to justify or have an explanation to the forum BUT that's also missing the point. smh

 

[Grey owl]

I never use a credit card to purchase parts from vendors. I use paypal for all those trans actions. Its just another layer of security to protect the consumer from " slippery " vendors.

 

[SLOWnEASY]

Here’s another rant on Duffs….. I purchased (ordered) their TREX adjustable control arms, which were on back order. Three days later I decided to change my plan and go a different route. I called back on day three to cancel my order. They charged me a 1.5% cancellation charge for credit card fees, even though the item was on back order and hadn’t yet charged my card.

When I went to order stuff from WH, I told them my story. They told me they don’t charge a credit card until the item ships.

Call your bank they will get your 15% back.

 

[1969]

Any update here?

 

[Got4wd]

Any update here?

They sent 3 replacement spacers out of the blue but doesn’t fix the problem. Crickets from them.

 

[Hallboss]

Ordered many parts from Duff and even had a front shock order screw up that was my fault. I talked with a lady at Duff when I called and had no issues with them. Immediately shipped the replacements and when I sent the other shocks back, FedEx lost the package. Duff was kind enough to handle the FedEx crap on their end and left me a very satisfied customer. Just saying!!!

 

[jamesroney]

I never use a credit card to purchase parts from vendors. I use paypal for all those trans actions. Its just another layer of security to protect the consumer from " slippery " vendors.

Please elaborate. You claim to use Paypal for transactions. WHAT exactly do they do for you?

I ALWAYS use a credit card for internet purchases, and even when I use Paypal, I fund the purchase via credit card. This way I get the credit card protection in case of fraud.

I am in the process of making a claim on a purchase in the UK where I used Paypal. The owner of the business passed away, and the son is "managing" the website, and final inventory. The item I bought never arrived, but my paypal funds were issued on 16-May-2026. After 4 weeks of non-receipt, I contacted the vendor, and he said "Tarriff, customs, no proof of shipment, wait." After 6 weeks, I filed a complaint with Paypal, after 8 weeks, (7/17) it escalated to a claim. Now I am waiting (up to 30 days?) for paypal to process the claim. The time clock has already started on my credit card insurance for the 90 day claim period. So it's a race, and I'm not happy with Paypal.

How do you process claims with Paypal, and do you find them responsive? So far I've been relegated to auto attendants, and AI form responses. Just wondering what your experience is, and what is the trick?

 

[73azbronco]

As most have agreed, customer service is king. Their written reply is designed to help them, not their customers. In a strange way because they force a written email we are able to actually see what is being said...in this case it works against them and caused me to think there is an organizational culture problem at DUFF's. It may be just now emerging, but it needs to be corrected immediately, or their sales WILL be affected. Their written reply has two very troubling comments:

"The bushings are in stock, would you like to PURCHASE some new ones?"
Really? DUFF's turns hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales and they do not think that simply sending out some new bushings for free (with improved install instructions) is a smart strategic play? That is both a culture problem and a business near-sighted problem.

"I am signing off after this email in that I have plans I need to attend to."
Wow! He actually said that (wrote that) out loud. Let me paraphrase..."I do not have the time to actually help you because there are other things that I have determined are way more important than your problem." This is what I mean about forcing everything in writing may bite them in the arse.

Yes, the actual part issue may be a one off. But the responses (written in stone for all to read) are not a single part issue, they reflect a cultural misalignment between customer service and company attitude. I have spent thousands of dollars on parts from DUFF's. Until I see this has been resolved with a written and verbal apology, I for one will boycott all future purchases with DUFF's and will share this story with my multitude of Bronco build buds. This is what it really means to say that customer service is king.

Please keep us informed. I am hoping that someone at DUFF's reads this thread and recognizes the shite storm they are causing and agressivly reverses course and corrects this issue.

These emails appear AI written, no human ends an email like that, AI, all the time, try it.

 

[73azbronco]

Please elaborate. You claim to use Paypal for transactions. WHAT exactly do they do for you?

I ALWAYS use a credit card for internet purchases, and even when I use Paypal, I fund the purchase via credit card. This way I get the credit card protection in case of fraud.

I am in the process of making a claim on a purchase in the UK where I used Paypal. The owner of the business passed away, and the son is "managing" the website, and final inventory. The item I bought never arrived, but my paypal funds were issued on 16-May-2026. After 4 weeks of non-receipt, I contacted the vendor, and he said "Tarriff, customs, no proof of shipment, wait." After 6 weeks, I filed a complaint with Paypal, after 8 weeks, (7/17) it escalated to a claim. Now I am waiting (up to 30 days?) for paypal to process the claim. The time clock has already started on my credit card insurance for the 90 day claim period. So it's a race, and I'm not happy with Paypal.

How do you process claims with Paypal, and do you find them responsive? So far I've been relegated to auto attendants, and AI form responses. Just wondering what your experience is, and what is the trick?

Full disclosure, my duff suspension arrived within weeks of order, and now has a few hundred miles on them, very nice springs. But I never spoke to any person, I think they are all going call center.

I called an aircraft repair facility and wanted to talk to a certain mechanic, answering receptionist say just a moment, after a long odd pause, she came back and said we can't reach that person. I asked where she was, said in a call center 1,000 miles from repair center, handling 50 aircraft shops at once. Surely this can't be the future of customer service.

I stopped using paypal when they gave me run around a decade ago on a claim for heads I bought, which arrived scraped to heck on deck. I only use credit cards, mine, to pay for stuff online. I also try to see if a site has an amazon site, yeah I know, a commie store, but great return policies.

 

[Shimmy]

anyone find shipping slower from Duff? i bought something last week and it hasn't shipped yet. is there another source to find their header bolts or do i need to buy them direct from Totally Stainless?

 

[Got4wd]

These emails appear AI written, no human ends an email like that, AI, all the time, try it.

Some of the quotes were from when I originally called them. The do you want to order new bushings was one of them. No one has reached out to me since this. @Monster Mike . I will never order anything from them again and they probably don’t care. I had to buy taps and a hone to make the bushings fit. Holes full of powder. Pretty piss poor service. And then the quality of the coil retainers were horrible and already rusted. Am I being petty on those maybe but it’s not like I got a discount on anything and is it worth talking to them to get nicer ones. No. I purchase everything from WH and Toms now. So much better customer service. Fast shipping, no bullshit. I hope Duffs closes its doors.

 

[Grey owl]

Please elaborate. You claim to use Paypal for transactions. WHAT exactly do they do for you?

I ALWAYS use a credit card for internet purchases, and even when I use Paypal, I fund the purchase via credit card. This way I get the credit card protection in case of fraud.

I am in the process of making a claim on a purchase in the UK where I used Paypal. The owner of the business passed away, and the son is "managing" the website, and final inventory. The item I bought never arrived, but my paypal funds were issued on 16-May-2026. After 4 weeks of non-receipt, I contacted the vendor, and he said "Tarriff, customs, no proof of shipment, wait." After 6 weeks, I filed a complaint with Paypal, after 8 weeks, (7/17) it escalated to a claim. Now I am waiting (up to 30 days?) for paypal to process the claim. The time clock has already started on my credit card insurance for the 90 day claim period. So it's a race, and I'm not happy with Paypal.

How do you process claims with Paypal, and do you find them responsive? So far I've been relegated to auto attendants, and AI form responses. Just wondering what your experience is, and what is the trick?

Paypal holds the payment until the buyer gets the item , if there are any disputes paypal.my not pay the vendor at all. The vendors have an incentive to make sure what is advertised is actually delivered. The paypal claims process.is fast and fair.

 

[661buster1963]

I like WH and Tom’s, no BS. I drove to Tom’s once and asked if Mitch was in though, had to back peddle a little. Tom’s has a great location now.

 

[nvrstuk]

anyone find shipping slower from Duff? i bought something last week and it hasn't shipped yet. is there another source to find their header bolts or do i need to buy them direct from Totally Stainless?

Only header bolts worth buying that are called "Header Bolts" are Stage 8 Header Bolts...

 

[Skiddy]

Man... I hate to see this type of public bashing for one of our Bronco Vendors given how small our community really is. I kind of understand the OP's position if he was feeling left hung out to dry with no recourse, but it appears James Duff actually did respond and offer assistance of some sort. I've purchased through them without issue, but that is just my experience. I've spoken with those who have had similar issues with the other popular vendors on here and have heard some of the same "never again" type reactions. I truly think it's just a fact in life that not everything is going to go smoothly every time. I will say, I don't deal with vendors that I cannot speak with on the phone, and I've never had issue speaking with someone at James Duff when I've made my purchases through them. I'm wondering if that operation is simply too busy to have a person sitting there answering tech questions at random times all day long.

Hopefully this can be resolved.

Hopefully so, we only have a handful of vendors