Why do so many vendors suck?

[Archive]

You may recall my "Why 4WheelParts.com Sucks" thread recently. This is sort of a followup.

Now it's Rancho that's sucking pretty badly.

I called early last week to request the two sleeves and instructions I needed. The guy was very helpful and said they'd go out that day and would arrive by Friday.

As of Monday, nothing, so I called again. Gee, no record of the order on file at all. So they entered it again.

Today, it shows up. Guess what? They only sent me ONE freakin' sleeve! I STILL cannot install the last G-dd-mn shock!

So I call again at 3:55 PDT. "We're sorry, our offices are closed. Please call back during normal hours. "

That's it. These shocks come off the truck and I'm going back to Bilsteins. I will send them and the in-cab control back and they can refund my money, or I swear I will post this story to every mailing list and web forum on the internet, and contact every single automotive publication about both Rancho and 4WheelParts.

Add to that Hellwig. I've been trying for almost two weeks to reach somebody there to order a replacement bracket for my swaybar. NOBODY is ever available; they're either in meetings, out to lunch, or keep bankers hours.

Hellwig is also being added to my "avoid at all costs" list.

Rob


[This message has been edited by RobG (edited 10-25-2000). ]

[This message has been edited by RobG (edited 10-25-2000). ]

 

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Rob,that's what this forum is for. There's a lot of venders,especally on the net,who just want your money. I think many don't have any inventory at all,everything is dropped shipped. I'll take your advice and not use those guys,there are lots of vendors that give good service,even if you have to pay for it,but remember they all screw up once in awhile,give them credit for the times they get it right also.

 

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Hey Rob!
How many and what size sleeves do you need? I think I've got a few collecting dust in my garage, and I'd be happy to send them to you. I've got 3 pairs of various sizes, and they might be the ones you need. Send me an email with the specs and I'll check it against my parts. Let me know.


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Scott Collins
'98 Ram 2500 4x4 12 Valve Cummins.
Renton, WA

 

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Scollins... with an attitude like that, you are going to make an excellent member of the NW BOMBers!

 

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Rob, I had nothing but problems with Rancho in the late '80s and on into the early '90s with not only their products but, lousy customer service! Problems like paint coming off shocks that were less than one month old (i. e. , AT LEAST 50% of the paint came off #ad
) , poor suspension engineering, misapplication of shocks as specified in their catalog ( #ad
), and an unwillingness to rectify THEIR problem after I attempted to mount them... . what a joke! These are just a few of many bad dealings with this company. After the last bout I vowed NEVER to deal with this company again, and have remained faithful to my promise.

The owner of the local 4x4 shop will NOT install Rancho lift kits unless the customer demands it AND is willing to pay any overage for work arounds and reengineering. This is a shop that installs at least one lift kit per day. . EVERY day. I have also seen them use at least four different brands of lift kits (other than Rauncho)... what ever the customer specifies... so it's not as if they are pushing any one manufacturer. BTW, the owner was one of the 10 finalists in the Four Wheeler Magazine Top Truck Challenge (he is the owner of the blown, yellow, flat fender Jeep).

[This message has been edited by John (edited 10-26-2000). ]

 

[Archive]

Wait a minute... how bad can a simple set of shocks be? I am ready for a set on my 97 4x4 and was all set to do the Rancho thing. I know many of you have installed them without incident. Are these guys the "unfortunate few"? or is there REALLY a product problem?

 

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I wonder about that. I replaced the stock shocks with Monroe Sensitracs and they have been great. Isn't Rancho made by Monroe? My shocks are kinda dirty but the paint looks ok. I've got a lot of miles on them now and they are still working fine.

Oh yeah, I read on here about people having a hard time with the front shock towers when they replace shocks. The way I did it was to put a piece of wire on the old shocks to hold them depressed before trying to remove the shock towers. That helped a lot. It was still kind of a puzzle getting the driver's side tower off, but at least the shock wasn't pushing up on it.

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Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,3. 54,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,BD valve body,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver

 

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BCFAST:

At the risk of being torn asunder, let me respond by saying I've had great luck buying Rancho products. I installed the 9000 series adjustable shocks last spring. I also, at Scott Dalgleish's suggestion, replaced my OEM links (upper and lower control arms) with Rancho links.

I'm very pleased with the quality of the products I purchased, and I'm ecstatic with the improvement in the ride and handling of the truck.

I'm not going to argue customer service issues with unhappy folks --- that's a waste of time, for sure. People have bad experiences with virtually every company, from time to time. Good and bad, competent and incompetent, people are hired every day, by makers of excellent products; unfortunately lots of "lemons" (of the human variety) seem to end up in "Customer Service. " More's the pity. You knew things were turning south when companies (almost all of 'em now) decided to save money by automating their phone banks for taking customer inquiries and for routing calls -- big mistake, big sacrifice in customer satisfaction.

My experiences have been good because I don't order (any more than I have to) over the phone from companies that are selling products from locations that are vast distances from my home. If I want Rancho shocks (or, whatever) I try to buy them from a local retail supplier with whom I've established a relationship of trust. Also, I ask the salesperson to actually go pull the parts (tag 'em w/my name) before I head to the store.

Rancho shocks are well regarded by most people that have reviewed and used them. The paint on my shocks has held up very well so far; there is no sign of any sort of a problem. I really like being able to "dial-in" the firmness of the ride, too. Few shocks that I know of will let you do that... I have used Ranch 5000s for my steering dampeners, also to good effect.

I am sorry for the other member's difficulties. As the best selling book puts it: "Why do bad things happen to good people?" #ad
#ad


Good luck. #ad


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97 2500 4x4, club cab, auto, 3. 54 limited slip, JRE 4" exhaust, Dr. Performance Fuel system (370 HP), "Twister Turbo," Geno's guages -- Boost, EGT, transmission & Rear -- MAG Hytec covers, SunCoast Converter/Transgo shift kit, Brite Box, tons o'chrome under hood, Prime Loc, EZ Drain, Seat covers, wood dash, Rancho Suspension, Warn M12000 Winch on Warn Brush Guard, Warn driving and fog lights, Hella twin back up lights, 285/75/R16 B. F. G. ATs on Mickey Thompson "Classic" rims; Linex bed liner, BD exhaust brake, Optima, "Red-top" batteries. Northwest Custom mudflaps, front/rear, and stainless rocker panels.

 

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Originally posted by Rob Hanson:
Scollins... with an attitude like that, you are going to make an excellent member of the NW BOMBers!

I hope so! Who can I contact about info regarding the NW BOMBers? I love to talk trucks and accessories... ...

For what its worth, I've had great luck with Rancho 9000's. I've had 2 different sets on my previous vehicle (Grand Cherokee) and I loved them! I would like to get them again when my current shocks die. Why did I have two sets, you might ask? Well, one set was for the 3" lift, and the second set was for the 8" lift. I have heard that the incab control is prone to failure, so I avoided it like the plague. It would have been nice to adjust on the fly though... ... .
So many toys, so little money to buy them all! #ad




[This message has been edited by Scollins (edited 10-26-2000). ]