This is the text of an email to 4wheelcustoms.com, and Chris's reply...


****EDIT****
THIS IS A PRODUCT REVIEW


I write this only to make you aware of what happened to ME....it aint no body's fault, just a product malfunction.

NOTE: THIS IS NOT DIRECTED AT CHRIS, nor Procomp quite frankly, but is merely one of those things that happen while wheeling, must like anything that happens on the trail....It aint no body's fault, it just simply happened. Considering what could have gone wrong, a new recovery strap is the least of my worries.****

I make no judgements, nor comment, but merely wanted you all to know what transpired.

And was I pissed when I wrote it, Yes, but not at Chris, it was more like "Chit happens, but why always to me?" (You know, the poor poor me kind of whining)





Pete,
Sorry to hear about the problem with the strap. As you know, we do not
manufacture these straps so we do not handle any warranties on them. This
is the manufacture's responsibility. You can contact Pro Comp at
800-776-0767 to ask about a warranty on the strap.

Thanks,

Chris Darnell
4 Wheel Customs, Inc.
417-881-8747
www.4wheelcustoms.com



----- Original Message -----
From: "GHOSTRIDER @ FSB Forums" <ehaleyatty@aol.com>
To: <chris@4WheelCustoms.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 5:53 PM
Subject: Griping


> This is a message from GHOSTRIDER at FSB Forums (
> http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/index.php ). The FSB Forums owners
> cannot accept any responsibility for the contents of the email.
>
> To email GHOSTRIDER, you can use this online form:
> http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/sendmessage.php?do=mailmember&u=891
>
> OR, by email:
> mailto:ehaleyatty@aol.com
>
> This is the message:
>
> Chris,
>
> about a month or so ago I bought a Procomp two strap from you, looked nice
> had leadter around the loops.....
>
> I used if for the first time yesterday, pulled about 8 or so trucks out of
> a mud hole we could not cross..
>
> Problem is that the "leather" (must have been imitation) split and flacked
> completely off, and the strap basically disintegrated where the loops were
> attached.....
>
> I have to get another one, as I am afraid to use this one...the damage is
> more than cosmetic...
>
> Needless to say I am UBER pissed....
>
>
> Anything you will do about it? Havent posted anything at all yet, waiting
> to see what you have to say....
>
> Pete Haley
> ehaleyatty@aol.com
> GHOSTRIDER on FSB
>

What are you looking for him to do? Do you want him to replace the strap, refund your money?? Personally, I don't see how you could expect him to eat the cost of it, straps break/wear sometimes prematurely, perhaps your strap was damaged by how it was attached to the tow hook.Like anything else he's just a middle man for the product, and it clearly has a warranty through the manufacturer.

No offense, but what's the deal with this last sentence. It's almost like you're threatening him to go public if he doesn't make it right. At least that's how I read it.

"Anything you will do about it? Havent posted anything at all yet, waiting
to see what you have to say...."

So.

Deal with it. Call Pro-Comp like he says.

Chris didn't manufacture the strap, he just sold it. What do you want him to do?

I bought a MileMarker Winch through Chris at a great deal. If the winch f*cks up, why should i expect Chris to use his cash to replace it? It isn't Chris' fault that Milemarker made a crappy product. Why should he get burned with having to deal with Milemarker on my account and taking a monetary loss by replacing my winch? It's MileMarker's winch, it's milemarker's problem.

We rely on companies like Pro-Comp, Superwinch, Warn and other companies to make quality products but we don't hold them reliable when the product fails, and putting the blame on companies that sell their product is just kind of wrong.

I mean no threats, and I understand IT IS NOT CHRIS'S FAULT, nor is it his problem.

I will deal with it and I do not expect either Chris or any of you to do anything.

By putting this on the forum, I was simply trying to point out that ProCrap put out a lemon. I will call ProCrap, and if they dont do anything, so be it. I will get a Warn, AND I WILL GET IT FROM CHRIS....

I have bought several things from Chris, and find his customer service and follow through to be remarkable, and I will continue to buy from Chris.

If my post was poorly worded, I apologize to you all and to Chris.

Again, CHRIS IS NOT AT FAULT here in any way.


EDIT: I INTENDED THIS TO BE A PRODUCT REVIEW

No offense, but what's the deal with this last sentence. It's almost like you're threatening him to go public if he doesn't make it right. At least that's how I read it./QUOTE


I was trying to be extremely careful NOT to put Chris in any harm's way, I have learned from other peoples posts, that comment, with out response, is ill served. IT WAS NOT MEANT AS A "CALL OUT" nor was it meant to imply anythaing other than you may like to know from the beginning what ProComp does.

This is not the first time a product has not performed, and certainly will not be the last.

I agree, Chris merely sold it, not manufactured it. As a lawyer, I understand that fully, because manytimes I have told clients that it is the LAW that is against your position, NOT ME.

I have a call in to ProComp right now, and I will follow up with their response, if any. Bottofm Line, if they dont make it right, I will simply buy another strap, from another manufacturer, but I WILL BUY IT FROM CHRIS.

edited my first post, hope this clarifies things somewhat

Give ghost a break. I understand were he is coming from. I would like to see what you guys would say if you bought a tv from say walmart or circuit city and it crapped out after a month or so. Would you take it back to walmart or circuit city? I hope not since they are just the middleman. right?

I know chris did not make the items, but he is selling them. If he is selling cheap items he has to expect people to question him about it. If it is under a manufactures warranty, chris would not have to eat the money on it because the manuf. would exchange it for chris.

I am not saying anything bad about chris. I have not purchased anything from him yet, but I have communicated with him through emails and he seems like a fine person.

Thought you would like to know the "latest". I called procomp, and talked to "Diane" and after explaining it to her, she listended and said that she would ship out a new tow strap to me today.

I did not edpect this, but to be honest, it is much appreciated.

And yes, ProComp does stand behind their products and tries to offer good customer service.

I will email Chris and let him know, and just to be fair, I will post my email as a followup to this thread.

And BTW, Thanx Scott, :thumbup you said it much more eloquently than I

my email to Chris:

Chris,

I thought; you would like to know....I called ProComp like you suggested, talked to Diane, and she is sending out another strap today....

No matter how inartful my post in the comments section on FSB was, I NEVER intended that you were in anyway responsible, just wanted to be meticulous enough to start at the beginning.....

It ain't you fault, never was, and You and Your company will always be the first place I turn for any of my off road related needs...

Pete Haley

and Chris replies:

No problem at all. I am glad they were able to make it right for you.

Thanks again,

Chris Darnell
4 Wheel Customs, Inc.
417-881-8747
www.4wheelcustoms.com



PROBLEM IS OVER, MY WHINING IS OVER, AND I NOW RETURN YOU TO MORE SENSIBLE POSTING....

I'm happy ProComp handled took care of it. I would have contacted Chris too. I hate it when vendors take the "I just sell it" attitude. You paid a vendor for a product, not the manufacturer. The vendor should bear some responsibilty if the product failed, after all you paid them, not the manufacturer.

Ok, I'm not jumping on any kind of bandwagon that it is Chris' fault because it isn't(I don't think there is one at all anyway) but I agree that I would've contacted the vendor first. The process of getting an RMA (Returned Merchandise Authorization) is different for every business relationship (across vendors, manufacturers and products). A lot of companies only want to deal with their vendors so that is the only way you can get it replaced. That is why I start there first, if they say "call the manufacturer cause the warranty goes through them," that's great. It's more of a call to find out who I should be talking to rather than trying to place blame or tell somebody that they need to deal with it.

Like Ghost said, sometimes products just fail. I have a Raquetball racket that has been reviewed all over the place as extremely good and particularly durable. I've put cracks in the frame twice but my friend hasn't done anything to his in 2 years. Poo happens.

I scanned through this thread pretty quick.

I work for a pretty good size company dealing with car and truck parts. If I had sold that strap to him we (the company I work for) would have gave him a new one (no charge) and took up the warr. with Pro Comp. That is why we are one of their Dist's. It's not the end users issue to deal with them.

You buy a Ford, have a issue, you don't go straight to Ford Motor Comp. do you. No, you go to a Ford Dealer.

Again, this is just how my company works, I know all are different.

On a side not, if we sell a supercharger to Hot Rod Alley (made up name) and something happens to say the head unit. The customer is to go to the shop of purchase not us (even though we make the kits). So it works both ways....

Give ghost a break. I understand were he is coming from. I would like to see what you guys would say if you bought a tv from say walmart or circuit city and it crapped out after a month or so. Would you take it back to walmart or circuit city? I hope not since they are just the middleman. right?

Actually i have taken broken things back to Best Buy, and they have replaced them. It was a DVD/VCR combo unit thingy majig, i figured what the hell, i'll give it a shot before i package it up and send it back to Samsung. It was a shot in the dark.

I can't blame Pete for trying to get Chris to do something, but the way he had it worded it seemed like he was pissed with Chris for not replacing it.

But you would have to look at it his way. Chris isn't a big company like Best Buy or Circuit City, i think he is his only employee, so for him to take the time to deal with Pete's situation, he in fact is taking money out of his pocket by not dealing with another order. It may only take 5 minutes, but that's 5 he could of spent on something else.

In the end it doesn't really matter, Pete is happy, Pete got what he wanted, this is all history.

Wait a minute, wait a minute guys, you got this all wrong.






Its the bronco's fault. :toothless

actually it's them Damn Chebbies Pete wheels with, it's their fault, getting stuck all day.

True so true! Damn chevys.....make THEM pay for you new strap...cause we all know thats why he bought them is only to tow them out since bronco NEVER get stuck.

actually it's them Damn Chebbies Pete wheels with, it's their fault, getting stuck all day.

:stupid

But you would have to look at it his way. Chris isn't a big company like Best Buy or Circuit City, i think he is his only employee, so for him to take the time to deal with Pete's situation, he in fact is taking money out of his pocket by not dealing with another order. It may only take 5 minutes, but that's 5 he could of spent on something else.


Rob, if that's your idea of customer service, don't go into business for yourself.

actually it's them Damn Chebbies Pete wheels with, it's their fault, getting stuck all day.



No Chebbies, most of the guys run HEEPS <hangs head in shame>. and to respond, I was never pissed at Chris, did not expect anything, if the strap had not been BRAND SPANKIN NEW I would never have said any thing...

My stoopid self worded it wrong, I guess, retrospect enables such thought, I merely did not know how, or with whom, to put in a warranty related claim....If I would have asked it like that, there would have been less drama in this thread...

Rob, if that's your idea of customer service, don't go into business for yourself.

That's not my idea of customer service. If i knew Pro-Comp wouldn't do anything for Pete, I probably would do something to help him out. That doesn't however make it every body's opinion.

And in my mind Chris worded it perfect and did take time to help Pete out:

Pete,
Sorry to hear about the problem with the strap. As you know, we do not
manufacture these straps so we do not handle any warranties on them. This
is the manufacture's responsibility. You can contact Pro Comp at
800-776-0767 to ask about a warranty on the strap.

Thanks,

Chris Darnell



He gave Pete all the information he needed to get the situation resolved, he could of just said, well what do you want me to do about it? I just sell the things! But he didn't do that and if the situation HADN'T been resolved i personally would of done something with Pete.

But, it's not my business, therefore i can't tell Chris to do it.

Sorry I didn't run accross this sooner but I am very pleased at the outcome from Pro Comp as one of their dealers. Pro Comp handles their own warranties like many auto parts/accessories manufacture's we deal with. Some require us to handle the warranties, it just depends on the product brand but there is nothing wrong with it either way. This is why I gave him the information to contact them directly. He did exactly as he should have by contacting me to find out what he should do.
Pro Comp does make a great product, I actually use these straps myself. What you need to realize is product failure does happen and that is the case for any type of product. This is the first time I have heard of a problem with one of these straps. The main point here is that Pro Comp stood behind their product.

The main point here is that Pro Comp stood behind their product.

Yes, Chris gave me just the information I needed....:thumbup He was so helpful that I am going to order another strap from him in the next day or so.....I like dealing with him and he is the kind of vendor we need here
:twotu:

Just ordered another strap from Chris, got it in my hads in two days.....great customer service and great followup...gonna keep dealing with him, he is the main man!

Just ordered another strap from Chris, got it in my hads in two days.....great customer service and great followup...gonna keep dealing with him, he is the main man!

You the man, thanks for the order. Glad to hear it made it so quick!:thumbup

Merry Christmas!