Vendor Issues

[2horsegarage]

Recently, I have started to invest some cash into building my Bronco. Yahoo!! In doing so, I have had to begin ordering parts, and have found some really poor service. I certainly will not call out any vendor in a public forum, but am truly amazed that companies that deal with a limited client base would not do a little more for thier supporters. Most items can be bought from any one of a number of vendors, but there are only a limited number of Bronco owners.

No point really, but frustrated that I am missing parts I have ordered and can not get them shipped or even responses to both phone calls and emails to find out where they are......and answers to tech questions to help me buy their products. Amazing...

 

[kbldawg]

I see no problem calling Vendors out on a public forum so long as you have made an effort to resolve the problems with those vendors in private first. Sometimes, that is the only way you can get a resolution.

I've had a few issues with Vendors and it's funny, because the Vendor I hear the worse reports about has been the best for me and the one that I heard was AWESOME, was a let down.

I wish you luck in getting the parts you need.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Not limited to Bronco venders. Other stuff gets mixed reviews as well. For teh motorcycle I know a forum that complains to ne end about one of there venders. I have ordered multiple times and have had no issues.

Keep in mind that every part you add is another chane for something to go wrong. Buy 3 parts from one vender and things generally go well. Buy 100, I expect problems.

Few things to help it go smoother. When ordering, ask if the part is in stock. If you really need it ask them to phisically touch the part (not nice when you are ordering 100 parts). But if you have 2 other venders saying they are out, I would mention that and ask.

Add a couple days to when ever they say it will arrive. If the brown truck runs a day late, oh well. On time, even better.

Keep in mind that if you order a super suspension system, it isn't likely that the whole thing is sitting in a box ready to go. They will probably have to pick parts and build the kit and ship it. And if a part is out, it may take a little for it to come in. By asking ahead of time you could find out if they are holding the whole order to save shipping or if they will send it in batches.

I have ordered from nearly every vender out there. Some have gone smooth, some have been bumpy. The recent one was ordering front axles. I found out that they were out of stock and would be coming from the vender. OK, there price was better then direct from the supplier, so I ordered. The supplier was dropping the ball all over the place. If I had not asked I would not have known that it was issues with the supplier and could have sat here moaning and groaning about the vender and how they screwed me. not knowing anything about the Bronco and sending parts that didn't fit, etc. But a paticient phone call here and there and asking what is happening can fill you in. Just think, you are only trying to get a few parts. The venders are dealing with hundreds of parts coming in and out from countless suppliers and in house fabrication. Supply of parts from one source drys up, quality from another goes to crap, new suppliers can't live up to there promises. The joy of running a retail business. Friends who have busineses are dealing with this all the time, and the ones I know are smaller then the Bronco houses.

Things come up, leaveing for some event on Wednesday, the same day you call about the problem. They don't get back until Monday, tired, exhausted, customers have stack of messages, you don't hear back until Tuesday or Wednesday. You think that they are blowing you off by taking a week to get back to you. But really they are supporting the hobby. If they don't get out then they get pissy, hate the job, and you don't want to be around when pissy people hate there job.

 

[78Scronco]

I've had the same "experience" as Kbldawg. Had good luck with some of the supposed problem prone venders, and down right crappy service with one of the ones I feel that gets put on a pedistal around here. And the vender acknowledge the 1st problem i had, even admitted it to be their fault, but did nothing to fix it, zero. I gave them another shot at my business after that on something simple, they blew it again AND blew me off. By by to that vender for me.

 

[2horsegarage]

Exactly

Ive contacted themseveral times, by phone and email. Even placed another $1000, and added notes asking about my missing parts from the last order......and nothing. Got an email invoice that the items shipped, which I replied to asking about my missing parts, and nothing. We are going on multiple weeks now.

I run an organization that deals solely in service. I mess things up with clients and am far from perfect, as is my team, but when I do blow it I try to make amends. I never give anything away, but acknoledge the problem and take action to prevent it from happening again. I make it right by providing future service with excellence. Maybe my clients mean more to me than I do to them.

 

[Tito]

I bet I know who it is, gotten the same service myself. There is only 1 company that has ever treated me this way thats why I send as much of my biz to the others when possible. If they dont treat you right, buys elsewhere.

 

[OX1]

I bet I know who it is, gotten the same service myself. There is only 1 company that has ever treated me this way thats why I send as much of my biz to the others when possible. If they dont treat you right, buys elsewhere.

Well post up then(be fair), word needs to get out if it is a repeat offender.

 

[sprdv1]

I bet I know who it is, gotten the same service myself. There is only 1 company that has ever treated me this way thats why I send as much of my biz to the others when possible. If they dont treat you right, buys elsewhere.

Definitely take the business elsewhere...

 

[ken75ranger]

I must be lucky. I haven't had any vendor issues yet. I think I have used them all over the years to spread the wealth.

 

[Tito]

Well post up then(be fair), word needs to get out if it is a repeat offender.

I have posted up about them before, its just been a while. I only order from them when necessary (sometimes it seems to be for hard to find stuff). I'll let him tell if he wants, the one I am referring to has a few threads out there about there service, sad but true.

 

[kbldawg]

Ive contacted themseveral times, by phone and email. Even placed another $1000, and added notes asking about my missing parts from the last order......and nothing. Got an email invoice that the items shipped, which I replied to asking about my missing parts, and nothing. We are going on multiple weeks now.

Sounds to me like you've given them a fair shake at fixing the problem.

At this point, I would think you would be doing the rest of the EB Community a dis-service by not reporting them here. As another said, we need to know.

Besides, anybody that ignores their customer's concerns should be drug out into the street and whipped before the whole town.

The Vendor I had issues with, I don't feel is fair for me to call them out on it, because I absorbed the cost of the mistake by my own choice of keeping quiet about it. I shouldn't have, but I did, just to "keep the peace", so-to-speak.

However, one factor of doing that is because this Vendor was so hyped up on this board, I figured well, if I say anything I'll just get flamed and still be out the $.

I should have man'd up and told it like it was so that others would have been a little more wise to the situation. Yeah, I pay "stupid tax" everyday. ;D

 

[Mark]

I have posted up about them before, its just been a while. I only order from them when necessary (sometimes it seems to be for hard to find stuff). I'll let him tell if he wants, the one I am referring to has a few threads out there about there service, sad but true.

Here we go again %)
Obviously the vendor that has 10 time the volume as any other vendor, hence a proportionately higher number of "mistakes".

And as far as giving the vendor a "fair" chance to settle, I doubt it.

I remember a recent thread where someone "vented" about said vendor, and they waited 6 months after receiving the shipment before contacting the vendor. Then they vent their frustrations on the forum like a crying baby.

And If you reply to an invoice email about a different order, that is just dumb. I really doubt you made a dedicated phone call to inquire about the order in question. I don't know of any vendor that wouldn't give you some kind of answer on the telephone.

What kind of part are we talking about??

 

[73AnneBoleyn]

Like what he says or not, you gotta give Mark credit for calling it like he sees it. Every time. Mark, I like your "No B.S." attitude.

 

[78Scronco]

Mark, Yes and No on my experience. Is it my problem a vender is 'more busy' than anyone else or has had 10 times the amount of work and can't call me back or when they do they don't resolve the problem? Nope, Do I go to Walmart and expect worse service than Target because Walmart is 10 times more busy? I don't think so.(I hate walmart by the way)

I do agree with you though on your second point though.

On your third point I called in my instance and said vender acted like a car salesman who basically said, that's what you bought, so to bad, even if it's not what I was advertising...

 

[Tito]

Here we go again %)
Obviously the vendor that has 10 time the volume as any other vendor, hence a proportionately higher number of "mistakes".

High volume doesnt have to equal lack of customer service and rude and inappropriate responses. They are the only vendor that I have ever heard say tough shit and hang up the phone when trying to work an error of theirs out. I have no issues with business practices being put out in the open, if people have an issue it is their right to air it. And if they have such volume, a thread about their service shouldnt effect them will it?

 

[WyleCoyote]

Ok, come on guys, I'm poised on the brink of purchasing a lot of stuff, so if there is a vendor that has this sort of problem, post the name so I can at least be aware of potential issues if I have to order from them!

Or if you don't want to make it Public, PM me with it so I can be informed. I mean seriously, I am looking at a lot of money going out, and I don't want to be fighting any BS!

 

[Hoppy]

this must be the same vendor that sold me my H4 harness that last a month
saddly I now only have high beams

 

[Skiddy]

OH man you all are still on saddleup:-X j/k carry on this happens so often guess they have bigger fish to fry so to say

 

[sprdv1]

OH man you all are still on saddleup:-X j/k carry on this happens so often guess they have bigger fish to fry so to say

Never ending subject huh... %)

 

[2horsegarage]

You're WRONG

Here we go again %)
Obviously the vendor that has 10 time the volume as any other vendor, hence a proportionately higher number of "mistakes".

And as far as giving the vendor a "fair" chance to settle, I doubt it.

I remember a recent thread where someone "vented" about said vendor, and they waited 6 months after receiving the shipment before contacting the vendor. Then they vent their frustrations on the forum like a crying baby.

And If you reply to an invoice email about a different order, that is just dumb. I really doubt you made a dedicated phone call to inquire about the order in question. I don't know of any vendor that wouldn't give you some kind of answer on the telephone.

What kind of part are we talking about??

Simply put, you are wrong. For you to believe that a vendor, just because of its size is allowed more mistakes is crazy. They should have the experience then, to reduce mistakes. Further more, my repsonses, btoh in email, phone calls several times, and a response to an invoice were never returned. My problem was not the fact that they made a shipping error, but that they failed to respond to my requests to try and fix it........