Brumbach

What happens when demand far exceeds supply? You know the answer…pay more for the item and wait a long time for delivery. What happens when the item finally arrives and is damaged? Return it and get the next available item? Nope…go to the rear of the line and wait another 4 months if you’re not willing to accept it damaged. Can’t happen! Wanna bet? Try ordering a $4,500 Sermerheim front clip that comes poorly packaged in a cardboard box and arrives damaged. They’ll give you two options; accept it as is and settle with the freight company or reject the order and JIM will start the 16-week (really 19-week) waiting process all over again. Sermerheim makes the product, packages it, and selects the freight company. Your only responsibility is to pay the price, wait the time and unconditionally accept the product! Something’s wrong with this picture. One day Sermerheim will not be the leading supplier of this product. Go competition go!!

LouieM

You're exuding frustration, which I would be too. We all hate it when vendors don't live up to the implicit agreement to provide an acceptable product, and accept responsibility if they make a mistake.

ironarms

there was just someone on here selling a front clip from them about a month ago

ironarms

here is the link

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1923427

sorry to hear about your bad luck

Brumbach

Thanks.

jon68l79

A similar thing just happened to me, although I had better results. I bought a one-piece front clip (couldn't afford the jig-built kind) from Vanacors right before Christmas. It arrived at the shipping terminal a little over 3 weeks later. From across the loading dock I could see that someone drove a forklift into the side of the box. Sure enough, I opened it and the drivers side was cracked half way down the side. I refused delivery and we called Diane at Vanacors from the shippers office. She promised she would make a new one for me quickly, and a little over 2 weeks later a new one arrived in perfect shape. I was very happy that they took care of me the way they did. Just because of that, I've already recommended them to others on the Forum.

Seems to me that with the money we spend on our cars, vendors would go out of their way to make customer service as high a priority as the quality of their parts. If there is a good alternative to them, I'd seriously consider refusing delivery and taking my business elsewhere.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Loren Smith

The problem is the competition has had their own problems with bubbling. Sad but true that we are often at the mercy of the limited number of repro suppliers because they didn't make many of our cars to start with, so the demand for the repro products is low, especially compared to the tooling costs. If you were restoring a Duesenberg, you would probably have to hire someone to make one-off products for you. Best thing you can do is punish their bottom line or the carrier's bottom line by refusing it and making them make you another one.

I know, this sounds like the "Peyton Manning pep-talk" commercials, probably not making you feel any better. My 59 has been in the paint shop for over 2 years, and I haven't driven it in 5 years, so I've been working on my Zen, telling myself that the wait will only make it sweeter when it is done. I've been through the five stages of anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance a couple of times.

buns

I recently purchased a one piece front end ( not Shemershiens ). In the quote they said there would be a $120.00 crating charge. A bit high I thought, but figured that would insure it's safe arrival.

The "crate" turned out to be a large cardboard box with some 1" x 2" lumber around the inside perimeter. The front end was hanging inside, strung up with bailing wire.

Give me a freakin' break.

Brumbach

My Shemershien came wrapped in cardboard made from several boxes split then taped together. The nose was protected by two smaller boxes filled with packing peanuts and positioned to act as a buffer. No protection on sides, top, bottom or windshield end of the clip. If I'd only known it was going to be so poorly packaged, I would've driven to Indiana and picked it up myself.

jimh_1962

Once, I bought a used 62 front-end clip (from the door jams foward) from someone in Tampa. I only needed the passenger side and part of the nose. The person crated up using 2x4. He crated it up for me and took it to a frieght company. It was shipped on a train to the westcoast. No damage just a slight difference between the quote price for shipping (double the amount). I think it costed more for shipping than the part. The part came in without any shipping damage. The biggest pain was getting it home from the shipping dock. A very large box and heavy box (weight of the wood).

I had someone do the glasswork on my car. He told me in the beginning he would not use the front clip I had bought. He told me it would cost more to repair it than it would to use a pressmolded front clip.

It ended up the cost of shipping was an 1200.00 more than the original quote. He told them to forget about it and he would use the used front clip.

Scott Marzahl

Sorry to hear about your front end arriving damaged. That was very unfornuate.

Look on the bright side of things, you hadn't installed, fitted and gotten it ready for paint just to have it start blistering like mine did with some other brand. I'd rather wait another few months for a new one than dink around for 2 years getting a refund!!

wombvette

Problem is the weight vs the cubic size of the box. The standard rate is $250/ 100 pounds. Now, if you build that crate like a TANK and it weighs several hundred lbs. the cost is astronomical. I use a made up box with no boarding etc. Granted, there is not much protection, but if that fork lift driver is going to break it, he will do it anyway. We then offer a large discount on the shipping rate, which makes it reasonable. You are going to get a little breakage, and when it happens to you, its a pisser. But its a chance we have to take. The record is good actually. Out of 400+ units, I have had one destroyed and a couple damaged, but little other damage.

Seaside63

I ordered my Sermersheim's front end last year and it took about four months to get made and shipped.

When it arrived it was very well boxed and protected inside with extra boxes, cardboard and foam.

My problem was they shipped the wrong color; white instead of the gray that was ordered. The biggest problem will be in the rear end as that is supposed to be bare glass underneath.

Sermersheim's admitted their mistake and offered to send a replacement in gray in 4 weeks, or an adjustment to cover shipping and inconvenience. I accepted the adjustment and will deal with the wrong color fiberglass.

I found Sermersheim's to be very easy to deal with and I am really happy with the product I received.

Brumbach

I’m glad some have had a favorable experience. Wish I had too. All I know is that I paid-in-full more than 4 months ago to establish my place in line. When the item arrived, it was broken. I had no role in making it, packing it, or in shipping it. My role was simple, pay the price and stand in line and wait my turn. I did that. I didn’t order it broken; I ordered it to replace one that is. But then I was expected to accept it broken or return to the end of the long line. Somehow this just doesn’t seem proper. I titled the post “buyer beware”. Quality comes with a price. To some this might be too high of a price.

Seaside63

I am surprised they expect you to get to the back of the line... I know I would be pretty upset.

Did you phone them and send pictures of the damage? They must have more business than they know what to do with.

Brumbach

I talked with the owner. He was friendly enough but firm on my options. Not upset...very disappointed, though.

Joel 67

Maybe he did not have the panels needed on hand, and part of the wait is the lead time to get them in? The full length does seem a little long but who knows?

SolidAxle

I have always found Sermersheims easy to work with but then I always pick up my parts. Problem is that common carriers take very little care when loading and unloading freight of that size.

Depending on the extent of the damage, you could probably make a claim with the carrier and have the panels repaired and pocket some money. Sermersheim might be willing to send you the section that is damaged. Replacing a section is not that complicated at this stage of the product (no paint).


Sorry for your problem.

GCD1962

100 to 1 odds the freight company will tell you it was not properly packaged.

BlackbirdZ07

That's probably the best option if it's not damaged too badly. Better than waiting another four months!

I also agree with the original poster's sentiment. Obviously, Sermersheim wants to keep on their production schedule so they don't delay shipments for orders they already have. I guess they think it's better to **** off one customer very badly than is to delay shipments to all customers by a little bit. However, it's pretty poor customer service to tell someone whose order was damaged "too bad, we won't do anything to accomodate you, you waited four months for a damaged one, you'll have to wait another four months for another one".

I'm certainly no expert on their business, but what they should do is work extra and/or slightly delay other shipments in order to replace this damaged part in the next two or three weeks. Waiting eight months for a part is ridiculous! Seems like this is just one more business that isn't willing to work extra, go the extra mile, or do what is necessary to satisfy a customers very reasonable concern.