Dave, Help!

[Woody_34]

Dave,

I own a MKII and love it so much I purchased a hot rod kit two years ago. Health concerns prevented me from getting started until this year. I inventoried everything and found I was missing some parts.

I was told that your records show the parts were shipped so I would have to pay half. I did not lose any parts and would not lie if I did. I am very surprised by this response as I have heard from numerous people that occasionally parts are listed as shipped but are in fact not.

Your company has always been great to deal with and I sing praise to everyone I meet.

Can you help?

Thank You,

Jay

[David Hodgkins]

Jay, PM me your full name, address, email address and FFR # and I'll forward it to Dave directly.

:)

[riptide motorsport]

Interesting post on many levels...........and its your first one ever. Hmn. And you chose the screen name Missing Parts, I guess you only want parts, as that would be a unusual screen name a thousand posts down the road. But than again if you don't plan on that many posts...................

[Barrel]

I agree with Rip Tide. This is a very interesting post. I have to ask how many parts are missing and how much are you gonna be billed to get them? How many weeks after receiving your kit did you report the missing parts? Are we talking washers or windscreens? Particularly with small items human error could have occurred on both sides here and perhaps the 50/50 split on costs is the only fair way to deal with that possibility. Still, without knowing the answers to the questions above we can't be sure. If I have a gripe with FFR I have found that their Customer Service email contact always gets a response. (Thanks Sally)

[Jason Lavigne]

Hi Jay,

I spoke with Dan, who you had initially emailed with, and I think the 50% parts pricing is a reasonable solution given the circumstances. We do recommend doing a thorough inventory once you receive your kit, but I understand if health concerns got in the way, so the idea is to meet in the middle.

We can do some further investigation, though, because your packlist documentation shows that some of the items you listed were backordered and later shipped (we can probably track those invoices still through FedEx). I'll send you an email with some more details.

Thanks,

Jason @ FFR

[Hazelwwp]

I had a box missing too. I checked with Stewart Transport and they confirmed that the box was not in the shipment. FFR replaced the missing box without question.

[Woody_34]

All,

I post a very genuine and humble post looking for help and get what I would call less than friendly responses from Riptide and Barrel. In 2010 I found out I have a blood disorder which causes my blood to clot very easily. This caused me to have blood clots in one of my legs from mid thigh to my ankle. I almost lost the leg but luckily caught it early. I am on blood thinners for the rest of my life. My life now involves being careful of any kind of injury because I could bleed to death from the smallest of bruises or cuts.

I finally get going on the kit and discover the missing parts. I sent an email to FFR customer service and am told that I have to pay 50%.

Thanks to Jason, Dan and Dave. I really appreciate the support and help.

Riptide,

Yes, I created this account to get my parts. Hmmmm, I think that was pretty obvious.


Barrel,

I did send an email to FFR customer service first and they were great and responded right away that a Tech would look into this for me. I don't have a "gripe". I just was trying to contact Dave for assistance.

The parts list wasn't that long at all. Some bolts, nuts, washers, the pedal box and some other very small parts.

Unfortunately FFR has lost a loyal customer and fan.

Oh, and Dave, thanks for chiming in.....

Jay

[Movieman]

Just a general thought.. I always give people the benefit of the doubt unless I find them to be liars,etc..
There is also an old expression that almost fits here:
"Better a thousand guilty men go free than to convict one innocent man.."

[frankeeski]

All,
I did send an email to FFR customer service first and they were great and responded right away that a Tech would look into this for me. I don't have a "gripe". I just was trying to contact Dave for assistance.

The parts list wasn't that long at all. Some bolts, nuts, washers, the pedal box and some other very small parts.

Unfortunately FFR has lost a loyal customer and fan.



Jay

Jay, I don't think anyone has a problem with you asking questions or inquiring about missing parts. I will tell you this however, if you wanted to talk to Dave Smith, the owner of FFR, your best bet is to email him directly or better yet pick up the telephone and call him. I know it is surprising that the owner of a company the size of FFR would take a call from a customer but it actually happens that way with Factory Five. I'm sure everyone, including myself is glad to know that you are on the road to recovery but honestly I think you just got unlucky when you called and the tech you may have spoken to may not have understood the circumstances. I will tell you that I "thought" I had missing parts when my kit shipped, FFR shipped me new ones. When I found that they had just been packed in a box that I had not looked in, I called and told FFR and they just told me to keep them. Turns out it would have cost nearly as much to ship them back as the cost of the actual part and they just considered it a wash. I'd hate to think that "they lost a loyal customer and fan" and sometime during your build the parts, even some of them, mysteriously turn up. Understand it has been some time since your kit was delivered so it may take a while to track these items down. The nuts, bolts and washers you are going to find out that you'll end up with a bunch extra at the end, the pedal box is another issue. I am confident that FFR will make this right if they made a mistake. I hope you will come back and offer a retraction if the parts turn up in a hidden box somewhere. I would also, if I were you, send a request to the administrator here to change your screen name. You may at some point in the future decide to become an active participant on the forum here and the stigma of your current screen name may not appeal to others here. My $.02

[Movieman]

I might be out of line with this but it's how I feel so I'll say it anyway.
I'm 60, worked with thousands of people in my working career and when it came to judging people I have found that my
first instincts about them are right 99% of the time.
I've only met Dave Smith one time but what I saw told me that he is a driven and honorable man.
That he has a vision of where he wants his company to go but wouldn't take it there at the expense of his customers.
Now thats all based on a 5 min early moning conversation and what I have seen him write and what others have said of him.
Bottom line, call him, talk to him in a polite way and I feel pretty sure you two can come to a reasonable agreement.
Good Luck.

[VD2021]

In 2010 I found out I have a blood disorder which causes my blood to clot very easily. This caused me to have blood clots in one of my legs from mid thigh to my ankle. I almost lost the leg but luckily caught it early. I am on blood thinners for the rest of my life. My life now involves being careful of any kind of injury because I could bleed to death from the smallest of bruises or cuts.

It sounds like building your kit may be a dangerous and life threatening endeavor for you. Please be careful.
My Sister-in-law has a rare medical condition that causes blood clots and has been emitted to hospital care on two occasions.




Unfortunately FFR has lost a loyal customer and fan.

You lost me with this comment as your post seams to present that you have been satisfied.

[NicksPapaw]

I don't get that comment either. How come Factory Five is responsible for a part that is missing a year after the kit is shipped? If you picked up the phone and dialed 1,000 companies and told them the same thing, you would probably get 1,000 replys to go pound sand. Factory Five ate part of your expense a year after they shipped you the kit. According to this thread, Jason shows part of the items that you claim missing were actually backordered and reshipped to you. Again, it seems like they are trying to help you figure this thing out. I am truely sorry that you are having medical issues. It sucks to be sick. You might need help along the way to get the car completed. The guys on this forum are well known for helping others out when they get in a jam. Maybe they can help you at some point. The statement that FFR has lost a loyal customer and fan just bugs me. I just don't understand the attitude. sorry

[Kalstar]

I called FFR yesterday for a simple question and Dave jumped on the phone. We had a nice casual 10 minute conversation and I hung up with a feeling of Wow, I am a single kit purchaser from 4 years ago, I have never drank the cool-aid and never felt like one of the inside boyz but he was truly genuine in asking how things were in my life. Little had to do with FFR and more just a personal talk. Dave is a stand up guy and if it needs to be made right and it is fair to both parties, he will do that. I would say offering a 50% discount is already less then his cost. Good luck and hopefully you find the closure you need. Do hang around, there are a bunch of really nice folks that are willing to give advise or turn a wrench with you at a simple request.

[CHOTIS BILL]

My experience dealing with FFR on missing or broken parts is mostly positive. My kit was shipped with a chipped windshield and it was pointed out to them before shipping but I figured it may not have been chipped bad enough for someone else but it bothered me and it was replaced without a problem. Several other parts were either not shipped or broken and were quickly shipped. The only issue I had was a special nut on the windshield wiper motor was missing. I talked to several techs over several months and no one could find one or take the time to find out how to get one. After many months I talked to a tech that knew how to get me the part I needed but he said I would have to pay for the shipping because that wasn’t a part normally not shipped. The shipping was only around $5 but it left a bad taste in my mouth. But I am still a loyal and think they do a fantastic job. I know how hard it is just to build one car but they build hundreds of kits with all the hundreds of parts required for each kit and get things shipped in a timely manner. Just doing that side of the business is monumental but then they have to deal with the public. That is a whole enterprise in it self. There are bound to be a few glitches along the way but that is just the way life is.

Soap box put away,

Bill Lomenick