I ordered a new set of leaf springs from Ricks First Generation Camaro last week and here's what showed up on my doorstep this evening. Bear in mind that this is exactly what I walked up to. The biggest question that I have is, "are boxes really that expensive"?!?!?

Just out of curiousity, I'm looking for some feedback from others as to how you would react.

http://webpages.charter.net/skipnpen/Springs/HPIM0186.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/skipnpen/Springs/HPIM0187.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/skipnpen/Springs/HPIM0188.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/skipnpen/Springs/HPIM0189.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/skipnpen/Springs/HPIM0190.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/skipnpen/Springs/HPIM0193.jpg

Here's the car that I am planning on installing these in...

http://webpages.charter.net/skipnpen/Home.jpg

I'd be pissed. I'd send them back and tell them to stick them where the sun don't shine!!!!:angry:

Skip, yea the springs look like ####,, but give them a call back, sure they will do whats right. As for getting them shipped out of boxes,, all i have ever ordered from Ricks, landrum or any one esle thats just how they was shipped No boxes. Frank

I would call them first and give them the chance to make it right.I would not put them on looking like that.

Give them a call, be civil about it (dont get angry and tell them "to stick it" -buckmiz :waving:, because that wont help any), and I'm sure they'll fix the problem. Ive used Rick's for a long time and have always received great customer service. I return a part to them once every few months and have never had an issue.

I am kind of surprised they shipped them like that. Even GM parts such as fan shrouds and gas tanks that are shipped loose by GM, Rick's repackages them in boxes. May not help much since theyre usually somewhat scratched/damaged by GM's shipping. But I havent ordered springs from them before.

Those springs look like they have some serious arch to them.

dave

I'd be pissed. I'd send them back...:angry:
I would call them first and give them the chance to make it right.I would not put them on looking like that.
DITTO!

Hotchkis sends theirs in boxes.... along with ALL of the mounting hardware and bushings.

I am thinking give them a call, and let them know you are a little "disappointed".
Looks like there is a little QC issue. They certainly dont look like they are ready to install! For some reason I feel compelled to give folks a chance to get it right however.

Rob

I've read the responses, and have gotta say, it looks like they bounced around in the UPS truck to me. I don't think Ricks is as much to blame as our friends in the brown trucks. It only takes a few sharp turns to get the springs to slide and roll, which will cause at least some of the scratches you see, but be that as it may....


It just looks like some scratches to me, and I understand you'd expect them to look better on arrival, but let me play devil's advocate for a sec...

Were you going to just install the springs with no painting? Maybe its just me, but I would paint the springs cast iron anyway, so it would not be a big deal. IMO, this would look MUCH better than standard black anyway. Now, if the clamps were tweaked due to being dropped or mishandled, It'd be a different story. To echo the other guys, these things are too darned heavy for most boxes. If you call Ricks, I'm sure they'll do what they can to make you happy. If it were me, I ask them to send me a few cans of cast iron paint for my trouble. :):):)

Good points, Bob.

I was kinda thinking the same thing about painting the springs before install, regardless of how they showed up at the door. Sure, you would like a new part to be pretty nice, but at least it is a part that you can fix (paint), rather than one that has a finish on it that cant be.


dave

At least when they shipped my leaf springs from Classic, they wrapped them in plastic to keep them from getting scratched. The ones you received from Rick's should have been wrapped. It doesn't matter if you are going to paint them or not......it's not up to the shipper to decide. Send them back for another pair. If Rick's can't take care of you......go elsewhere.

I've never had dealings with Ricks but I can see why so many people are willing to spend a little more to order and deal with Year One. They always properly box and package parts and they have always looked new and not like some bad resto job when my Dad and I have recieved them. My dad will not even order from anywhere else. You can see if they will take care of you but I would go to another vendor for future use if it was me.

Being too heavy for boxes is not a good excuse to me. Televisions are alot heavier most of the time and they can package those so they don't get damaged in shipping and they are much more prone to being damaged. Just my two cents.:)

I disagree with just rough handling, those things have a good deal of rust in the scratches, not just surface flash rust either, I mean, how long were they in shipping?
And on top of that, wrapping them in something would have done them a world of good. Is it not the shippers responsibilty to properly package?
They look like hammered dogsh#! to me, the clamps are all jacked up, deep scratches and lots of rust, those puppys would go immediately back, if it was my purchase.

Iagree they look like they are used not new, but call Ricks and see what they say.

Give them a call and let them make it right. If they don't, go elsewhere. But...be courteous about it. I am a customer service rep for the company I work for and I will always be more inclined to go the extra mile for a considerate caller -vs- someone who chews me out right off the bat. Both customers will get their problems corrected but I am more willing to help the nice guy first. Remember, the mistake may not have been made by the person who answers the phone.

Give them a call and let them make it right. If they don't, go elsewhere. But...be courteous about it. I am a customer service rep for the company I work for and I will always be more inclined to go the extra mile for a considerate caller -vs- someone who chews me out right off the bat. Both customers will get their problems corrected but I am more willing to help the nice guy first. Remember, the mistake may not have been made by the person who answers the phone.
DITTO! Rewards will be worth the time.

Remember, you're building a relationship with them, and they would like your disposible dollar.

Hey, like everyone said, be polite when you telling them this... ;)
I have no doubt they will make it right. They way I handle things like this is:
- Call and be courteous
- if they don't handle it to your satisfaction, escalate to a supervisor
- last resort... the tell them to stick it!!!! but do it politely... :clonk:
I'd be pissed. I'd send them back and tell them to stick them where the sun don't shine!!!!:angry:

I have worked it Customer Service before, but I've lost all those skills since I haven't done that for about 13 years. Cussing at computers sometimes helps though... ;)

I agree that the spings should have been wrapped and taped with bubble wrap. I also agree that from the pics, it doesn't seem that all the damage happened during shipping. Rick's is a very reputable vendor, I'm sure they'll make it right for you.

Rick's has a satisfaction guarantee, and since your not satisfied....politly give them a call and tell them why your not satisfied. I have no doubt they will take care of it! I would guess that most of those scratches were on there when they got them, considering the surface rust.

Personally, I would sand them down and paint them the right color. I ordered a set from J.C. Whitney and they too arrived with no boxes or wrapping. They were not scratched up that bad but they do have part #'s painted on both sides with white paint. But I didn't sweat it because I'll be painting them cast grey anyway.

I agree with what the others are saying call Rick's and give them a chance to make it right. I think ya'll can come to some arrangement.

But, I ordered 3' lowering springs from DSE and they shipped them in a box. I don't see why other people dont. BUt, I have been very pleased with the customer service from Ricks.

Heck, even good old JCW boxed my springs!!

pdq67

I ordered and received a set of new leaf springs almost identical to what you had on your doorstep! At first I was p.o'd, but I sat back and figured that if I send them back, I'M out the shipping cost and then I would be waiting even longer and who knows if the 2nd pair would be any better. Even more than the "no box" issue, I was mad that the shipping tape was well adhered to the springs and wrapped around. It was a real PITA to get the tape/packaging slip residue off!
I can see that packaging would be expensive for something so big and heavy and they might tear through cardboard anyway, but spending time working on new parts before they can be used is crap! I had scratches all over mine too and had to give them a touch up with a rattle can before installation. I also agree that the rust in your pic's looks more than a little shipping problem. At least call the vendor and see what they have to say about it. Keep us posted...
Dano

Ultimately it's your decision. I would personally install them, and just repaint them, rather than all the trouble of sending them back. That's just me. Like someone else said, at least they aren't a part that you can't fix. Paint is cheap, your time and aggravation isn't. Ricks has always been good to me, so whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be fine.

Email those pics to Ricks after you get a customer service name to work with, then tell that guy to go get the pics from email and see for himself what shape they were shipped in. Thats totally unacceptable and Im sure they will make it right and maybe rethink how they ship large springs. Minimum in my mind is wrap with plastic as mentioned earlier here.
My new springs came from Eaton in boxes.

Not that I'm taking the vendor's side, but, packaging and labor are costly.

If you are doing a concours resto, then yes, you should pay for the services, boxes, tape, and labor don't come cheap. You parts should come in primo condition, if you pay for it.

If you're like me, I'm buying for function 1st, and looks 2nd. I can always paint them to match them to the car, but then I have a driver.

Just my 2 cts.

I bought mine local, they were built to specs. They pretty much looked like that and all they went was across town. The spring guy just spray bombed them lightly to keep the rust off the bare metal (between the leaves, and a bit of overspray), figured the customer would do their own finish. This was explained to me PRIOR to shipment... I'd guess that they look pretty much like that in Rick's warehouse (and I'm not one to defend the brown guys or any other damager...er...shipper)

I just finished 'em off with a cast spray bomb and was pretty happy with the end result, but nothing I own is a show car.

The other option is to have a reputable spring shop re-arch the ones you had to start with (unless they were monoleafs) and they will usually repaint them when they arch them. That's what I did and it works great! Good Luck with whatever you decide to do. :beers:

Wow, I can't believe how many people responded to this thread!

I called Ricks today. Here's what's up.

Ricks offered to ship me another set of springs, and refund the cost of shipping the damaged springs back. I guess the only thing that bothers me a little is that now the shipping cost is going to go up for the replacement springs because I want them boxed up when they send them.

Sure, the paint thing is understandable, I do plan on painting them. But, if you look closer, you will see that the retainers that hold the leaves together are ground down to nothing and the wraps on the ends of the leaves are trashed as well. Not much that paint is going to do for that.

I guess that's not all bad, other than having to deal with taking them to UPS to send them out, and pay for boxes to ship the new ones. By the time it's all said and done, I could have just went to the local spring shop and bought them for the same price.

Anyway, I chose Ricks for a reason. I have literally spent thousands of dollars with Ricks (shhhh... don't tell my wife) and have only had a couple of instances where they didn't meet my expectations.

By the way, I have a hard time buying the idea that it costs more to ship these in boxes versus without. UPS ships by length, width, height, and weight (per package). The only additional cost is the packaging. Not necessarily the actual UPS shipping cost.

Thanks for all of the replies!

Good to hear you were able to work it out with them.

Im not all that surprised, really. Theyve always been great with me.

Im not sure on the breakdown of UPS shipping costs, but I do know that irregular, large, or odd sized items will cost more regardless of weight. Several months ago, I return shipped a tank to pump fuel line to Ricks that had discolored on me before installation. It didnt weigh much at all, but the size of the box drove up the shipping cost.

It would cost the vendor a little more to ship in a box vs without. There is labor (packaging the part) and mat'l costs (box and paper) involved. Maybe not much per spring, but it would add up over many orders.


dave

I ordered a set of multi-leafs for my 69 from Eaton in Detroit a couple years ago. They showed up exactly like yours, no box and all scratched. My guess is that they were probably scratched before leaving Eaton. I doubt spring makers spend much effort worrying about show quality. I wasn't happy and after spending a long time removing all the labels, I touched them up with a rattle can and installed them.

I would send them back. I have had good luck with parts from Rick's but that is out of line. I had OPG ship me a set of sway bars the same way but they were not scratched up.

They should give you the same shipping rate for your troubles. You can always ship them back and buy from someone else if they don't satisfy you.

Letting retailers treat us unfairly with poor customer service is an injustice to us all. If we don't complain they will keep doing it and think it is okay.

Bottom Line: Don't be affraid to be asscertive.

I also hate when you get bad service at a restaraunt. I never have a problem asking for the manager. How will they know what to fix if you don't complain!

Well, UPS showed up today. He was a hundred feet away from me when I saw him pulling two unboxed springs (although I was told they would be shipped in boxes this time) out of the back of his truck. I simply told him to wait where he was.

I went down and looked at these springs. This time, the scratching was minimal, but, I have come to understand (and agree) that painting to my standards is my job. However, one spring had the metal wrap that holds the leaves together snapped off of them.

I called Ricks and told them that I refused to accept the shipment and am done dealing with this. I'll keep the set that I have for now.

I know for a fact that I have spent the better part of 5K at Ricks over the past five years (actually, I'd bet it would be higher).

Does anyone know if someone from Ricks is a member at TC?

Does anyone know if someone from Ricks is a member at TC?

Pretty sure there isnt.

As i was leaving home from my lunch hour i heard the UPS truck pull up in front of my house...so i thought cool!...perfect timing" so i went out to meet him..as he came out of his truck,one step off the truck with my new Rad. the top of the box was open and he carried it upside down at that same time the Rad. free fell 4' to the street!!...:angry: ..im thinking you dumb-s^$^&% ah man what a way to come back to work..