440 Source-How's this for customer service?

Author Topic: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?  (Read 2802 times)

Offline Challenger in NC

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440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« on: September 13, 2016 - 09:24:33 PM »
Back in Aug. 2008, I purchased about $2500 worth of engine parts including a crank damper and crank pulley bolts. Well plans changed for the car and the engine build got delayed 8 years. This year I resumed the build and last week I was trying to bolt the crank pulley to the damper using the bolts supplied by 440 Source. Well guess what....they thread in one revolution and stop. I look at the threads in the damper and look at the threads on the bolt and notice they are different. The damper threads are fine and the bolts are coarse. I send off an e-mail to 440 Source asking them to furnish the correct bolts, and after a second attempt 9 days later, I get a response.

"Sorry sometimes they come with either fine thread, in some cases they'll even tap it
with a metric thread
I don’t have the substitute bolts for that case unfortunately
I can can reinburst you for the cost of the crank pulley bolts
You can seek the right bolts at a typical hardware store
Sorry for the inconvienance"

He inquires about the order number and I told him it was back around 2007 (actually 2008). He then informs me that they cannot reimburse me because its older than a year.
He thought I had just bought them.

-So 440 Source cannot always provide the proper hardware for the parts they sell, only if you luck out and get the damper that was manufactured with coarse threads
- This was an issue back in 2008 and apparently it is still an issue. Why would you manufacture a damper and use 3 different thread pitches? Metric?????? On a damper for a 440? Is this part used on other motors?
- This was not a true warranty (length of use) issue, it was wrong from the start. Why would you not honor a reimbursement even though the part was bought 8 years ago.
-He told me purchasing records for the company don't go back that far,. I sent him an e-mail chain dating back to Aug 14-20, 2008 that gives the order total and fedex tracking numbers for the shipment of parts
-$2500 order in '08 and another small order in July 2016, and he wants to screw me out of a $10 set of bolts. Yeah, its only $10 but why would you want to piss a customer off over such a small amount? Not a smart business practice.






« Last Edit: September 13, 2016 - 09:49:30 PM by Challenger in NC »




Offline msbaugh

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2016 - 11:52:14 PM »
Over a $10 set of bolts? 8 years ago? Hardly seems like something to get mad at 440 source about.  They need to fix the incosistancies that's for sure, but maybe just let this one go and save time and head to the parts store. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth on both sides

Offline anlauto

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2016 - 06:31:18 AM »
You want a refund on something you bought eight years ago ? :o Not sure a lot of companies would help you out there ?
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Offline Challenger in NC

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2016 - 08:27:55 AM »
Over a $10 set of bolts? 8 years ago? Hardly seems like something to get mad at 440 source about.  They need to fix the incosistancies that's for sure, but maybe just let this one go and save time and head to the parts store. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth on both sides

All I asked them to do was send me the correct bolts, is that too much to ask? He was the one that offered the refund until he found out that it happened awhile ago. I've already purchased the correct bolts, but it should not matter that is was 8 years ago. I've wasted much more money than $10 but it was their response that irritated me.

Offline purple1

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2016 - 09:09:16 AM »
I had a similar experience with another company and the lifetime warranty they offered. I had a strut rod bushing split and fall off the car. This should have been clearly covered and was not an expensive part. They ask if I had the original invoice. Being almost ten years later, Of course I don't have it. The guy says he can't send a new bushing without the invoice. What a crock of Sh!t. How many people keep paperwork that long? How may companies were not computerized ten years ago and don't have records? But instead of honoring the warranty and just sending me a bushing and making a long time customer happy he pissed me off and I went with another brand bushing.

In your case I wouldn't sweat it too much or really blame them. Now if they had some kind of lifetime warranty it might be different and I might be pissed.

Note to companies out there: You can make a customer happy multiple times with multiple sales. But F them just once and they will be gone for good.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2016 - 09:17:41 AM by purple1 »

Dave


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Offline soundcontrol

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2016 - 10:06:26 AM »
In our hobby it's not very uncommon to collect a bunch of parts then store them for years before use. All my new parts are 2 years old now, and when I finally try them I'm sure there will be issues. I think thats BS by the company, they should make the customer happy, I'm sure just this thread here will make them loose more that the 10 bucks. And if they had been nice and solved the issue, that worth more than tons of advertising. I had an electronics store when I was young, I gave away all small things (under $1 or so, like fuses, a bolt etc) for free. That was the best advertising I have ever done!

/ Ken
Restoration thread: http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=102525.0
topic=108917.new#new

Offline Challenger in NC

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2016 - 10:39:15 AM »
I'm not too concerned about the $10, but again, I just asked them to send me the correct replacement. I believe it was their screw up and I requested what I paid for (bolts that were compatible) , NOT a refund.
It also sounds like this issue has been going on for a long time. In the end, its not a huge deal, but others on these forums should still here about these types of dealings. 440 Source saved $10 and I'll just buy elsewhere.  :bigsmile:

Offline Road_Runner

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2016 - 11:04:33 AM »
Does make me slightly concerned about the $2k I have invested in the set of CNC'd Stealth Heads I've had for probably 2 years now.....
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Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2016 - 11:14:02 AM »
OK having built a lot of 440 source based strokers , I would not be worried .
 As for the bolts this is just part of  building cars .... going to a fastener supplier to hunt down missing or damaged bolts is typical day to day when building cars / engines , I would never even bring this up , is this really a problem ?

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Offline dave73chally

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2016 - 11:26:32 AM »
I've bought a lot of parts from them and returned a few that I ordered incorrectly. They've been good to deal with from my experience. And to be fair, on their FAQ page they have the below:

"Unbeatable Guarantee #3: FULL ONE YEAR RETURNS!

We've built dozens of projects ourselves, we know how easy it is to get sidetracked, or need some extra time to save up more funds, etc. So we accept returns for up to a FULL ONE YEAR after purchase. Compare this to our Mopar specific competitors, most of which cut you off after 30 days, and even the largest performance parts megastore, which gives you only 90 days. If you take store credit or exchange the part(s) for something else we offer, we'll even COMPLETELY WAIVE the restocking fee! Parts returned must be in new, resalable condition, see our Return Section below for full details."
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Offline dodj

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2016 - 04:52:59 PM »
Can't think of any company that would honour exchanges after eight years.  :2cents:
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Offline 60K T/A

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2016 - 07:06:57 PM »
Send them back for an exchange. It hardly seems worth it though. 8 years?
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Offline Katfish

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2016 - 07:19:59 PM »
Buy new set, then return the old ones

Offline jeepers007

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2016 - 01:15:17 PM »
Can't think of any company that would honour exchanges after eight years.  :2cents:
Agreed.  Even after their stated warranty of one year - let alone 8 years...

I would have liked them to give you a definitive size to buy on the bolts, however.


Offline Challenger in NC

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Re: 440 Source-How's this for customer service?
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2016 - 12:52:46 PM »
I had purchased the correct hardware before I even got a response from them. However, I still wanted to know why they were selling one set of hardware for a specific application and the two parts did not work together. It was wrong then, apparently it is still being done the same way.