Damaged Front Bumper Upon Arrival...Again...

[bgenlvtex]

I guarantee most would not opt for it and then 90% of those customers would bad-mouth the company when their stuff arrived scratched. I'm 100% with you... unless it's unfinished, I expect things to come as they are ordered. If you need more packaging then work that into the price.

Oh absolutely.

Sponsored

 

[Terry]

no, the problem is that people don’t consider shipping cost in their purchase. Most think shipping should be free. They bitch when shipping is a significant percentage of the purchase price. Look up any threat involving rock hard 4x4 sliders and you will find people complaining about the shipping cost. I paid $150 for shipping Direct and they arrived perfect. Others want Black Friday free shipping From a third party and expect the same. Bumpers and armor are big and bulky and are awkward to package and ship.

Cheap, fast or good, choose 2.

Having Mil Spec packaged for Anvil Case when I was much younger, I learned that if you want to reduce or eliminate the opportunity for damage in transit, make the friggin pallet reasonably larger than the item being shipped and place a covering frame over the top of the item in addition to cardboard and or other protective barriers. I looked at the crap package they sent this bumper in and it is woefully insufficient to protect the item. It would appear to me that Fab Four doesn't really care how the item arrives.

 

[Terry]

I think people are missing the point & blaming the shop or manufacturers. The damage is coming from the shipper. It does not matter how well you package it if the shipper does not give a F. A box should not come shredded or damaged but the shippers & their drivers hate heavy stuff. They don't lift it but instead drag, roll, drop, tumble the thing around instead of using a damn dolly. I've ordered from several heavy things from 4x4 shops and 99% of the items come with damage no mater how well they are packaged. Yes the shop pays for the shipping but the shipper is causing all the damage due to laziness and not giving a F is the bottom line.

Every human being this side of Mars knows that shippers do not hire for brains, they hire for brawn. It's up to the company shipping to make sure that the item is packaged stupid shipper proof (SSP) or it's gonna get delivered damaged.

 

[Blade1668]

But then again, he wasn't spending your money.. was he.

Oh my over priced and built XJ bumper was a case of run around and B.S. from the maker. A reason I do really get pissed off with after market company's on expensive stuff I order. My "Saving grace" was C.C company, starting legal action on my behalf, and other customers. That was before all of the online reviews and forums having the contact it does now. Why I supported Rusty's Off Road and others after that. Quality and timely response but didn't cost me a arm and leg.
If I'm spending $1000s on some thing.,I expect different. Remember the thread on a company having problems delivering the bed caps with out damage? Or fleeting delivery dates? That's a problem when say I ordered today and you ordered 3 months ago and still waiting then I get mine delivered 5 weeks later your still waiting then get a damaged one.
But really bumper and rock rails I expect them to "protect" my vehicle and get dinged, chipped scratched and beat up. So I don't plan on dropping a lot of money on them and with out certain expectations.
That is probably another reason some companies are shipping their products only bare metal for the buyer to have finished after delivery.
Oh I have some regret's on buying some stuff but age, experience and current events can temper a persons perspective.

 

[teamblkdog]

I'll share my awesome shipping experience, just to let you know the world isn't all bad. I ordered a set of Rock Hard 4x4 Patriot sliders from Offroad Elements on Black Friday — free shipping (normally shipping runs close to $200). A few days later, a nice human from OE called me (on the phone!) to say that the sliders would be shipped by truck and the freight company would call to set up a time to deliver.

Fast forward to just before Christmas, OE called again saying the sliders were set to ship soon, but due to the holiday I may not get a notification. Fine. Week after New Years I get a call from the freight company saying the box would be delivered the next day and the driver would call 1/2 hour before he arrives. Perfect. He called as promised, I met him outside and backed the JT up to his trailer where he lowered and gently slid the box into the bed. He even took away the pallet and plastic straps that secured it.

The box was perfectly intact and the sliders were packed so well inside that there were zero blemishes. Super happy with the entire process, and happy with the sliders. I mean, they weren't the easiest to install, but you can't have everything.

 

[Ghostwave]

After having to replace all those damaged items, they will eventually figure out the stupid packaging is costing them their entire profit margin and hopefully wise up before they shut down. I get frustrated with this mentality, makes zero sense, but then lots of small companies underestimate what it takes to actually run a business at their peril.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'll share my awesome shipping experience, just to let you know the world isn't all bad. I ordered a set of Rock Hard 4x4 Patriot sliders from Offroad Elements on Black Friday — free shipping (normally shipping runs close to $200). A few days later, a nice human from OE called me (on the phone!) to say that the sliders would be shipped by truck and the freight company would call to set up a time to deliver.

Fast forward to just before Christmas, OE called again saying the sliders were set to ship soon, but due to the holiday I may not get a notification. Fine. Week after New Years I get a call from the freight company saying the box would be delivered the next day and the driver would call 1/2 hour before he arrives. Perfect. He called as promised, I met him outside and backed the JT up to his trailer where he lowered and gently slid the box into the bed. He even took away the pallet and plastic straps that secured it.

The box was perfectly intact and the sliders were packed so well inside that there were zero blemishes. Super happy with the entire process, and happy with the sliders. I mean, they weren't the easiest to install, but you can't have everything.

My plating chemicals have to be delivered freight - UPS, FEDEX, USPS won't touch 'em.
Those guys are good, friendly, let you know when they are expecting to be there. One guy even said let him know where I wanted the stuff put and he'd carry it down for me.
There are truly great ones out there.
The boxes my wife's quilting machine came in are double-walled and the containers the 12' long table rails came in are almost indestructible but then that's a $20,000 machine......and they ship them around the world.

 

[PuRGE]

This thread has been very eye-opening for sure. I still stand behind my original comment that I ordered & fully expect an undamaged item to be delivered to me. That's the item I paid for & that's what I'd like to receive. I don't want to just "deal with it" or "cover it up." Stuff like this needs to be brought up to hold companies accountable for their products & services.

So, a small update:

Not too long after I started this thread, I received contact from a higher-up at Fab Fours who expressed interest in helping to alleviate this issue. To quote part of the conversation:

"Would you please let me know how I can contact you as well as send me a few close ups of the boxes? I am ______ at Fab Fours and am disappointed that you are having these issues and would like to help you."

"If you can, ask Morris to order direct from us and to drop ship from Fab Fours. I will work with our shipping and logistics manager to get it significantly packed."

"This appears to be a Morris/Transamerican issue but ultimately it is our brand and we shall do everything we can to make it right."

I sent a reply back to Morris4x4 with the request from Fab Fours above & included this individual's contact info for them to reach out, but have yet to hear anything back from them.

Needless to say, I am very eager to see how this issue gets played out.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

This thread has been very eye-opening for sure.

So, a small update:

Not too long after I started this thread, I received contact from a higher-up at Fab Fours who expressed interest in helping to alleviate this issue. To quote part of the conversation:

"Would you please let me know how I can contact you as well as send me a few close ups of the boxes? I am ______ at Fab Fours and am disappointed that you are having these issues and would like to help you."

"If you can, ask Morris to order direct from us and to drop ship from Fab Fours. I will work with our shipping and logistics manager to get it significantly packed."

"This appears to be a Morris/Transamerican issue but ultimately it is our brand and we shall do everything we can to make it right."

I sent a reply back to Morris4x4 with the request from Fab Fours above & included this individual's contact info for them to reach out, but have yet to hear anything back from them.

Needless to say, I am very eager to see how this issue gets played out.

BRAVO.

 

[5JeepsAz]

I read this whole thread. Everyone on here missed the target. Wah??!? Yes. This is all down to advertising. Specifically, false advertising.

See, the product was advertised as one thing, but a different thing showed up at the door.

Bait and switch baby.

I'm against it.

 

[Uparms]

One person on this G forum showed us a lower control arm with a scratch and wanted to know if he should send it back. I suggested he suck it up or buy a Prius.

Not in your case. Seems a bit much, twice. I think you have a legitimate concern. Try another manufacturer or Try ordering some someone else. May not matter but worth a try.

 

[staying_tuned]

Dealt with similar issues on gear for all previous rigs. One thing I noticed, specifically in the 4Runner aftermarket scene, is quality folks would offer unfinished gear at a significant discount. It seems like these days the finish is an afterthought across the board. Even if it appears perfect, it pales in comparison to what you'd get from a powder shop.

For the 4Runner I ended up getting everything bare and hitting it with Raptor liner. The bonus side effect was every part (spanning multiple vendors) matched and touchup on skids and sliders made them look new every time. Raptor is also more shock resistant than powder and if your PSI is above 95-ish, the coat itself is nearly as smooth as powder.

That said, not sure about their line for the JT but in others spaces, Fab Fours is like the once great Billabong that sold out to target. I wouldn't expect their coatings to be anything other than temporary rust inhibitor. Their welds have long been questionable. The moment they started bedazzling their offerings 4 or 5 years ago and retro-fitting china sourced plastics it started going downhill for them but somehow they still charge a premium.

 

[Laurie14793]

I would not like anything arriving damaged. Things are very expensive these days. It is really bad when you get the grouchy UPS or Fed X guy not happy about the weight of the box and throwing it down. If it was minor scratches I could touch up, not so bad. But dents and gouges won’t fly without a phone call to the vendor. So glad Mopar goes the extra step on what I just ordered.

 

[Elkaholic]

Well it's all direct from Fab Fours to the point of sale but IMO, shipping in the original packaging is the standard in almost every industry for oversized and overweight items. Even if this came through Northridge or Quadratec or someone, FF should realize that their stuff isn't going to be opened and re-packed.

Actually, it is not. Fab Fours, like a lot of the aftermarket, sells through the big distributors. They ship in truckload quantities to the distributors who warehouse the product and in turn ship to the the shop or retailer or e-tailer that we all then buy from.

In the case of the OP, the part likely went from Fab Fours to Transamerican Auto Parts (one of the “big three” distributors - aka 4Wheel Parts, aka 4WD, owned by Polaris) who then sold it to Morris when the OP ordered it and shipped it to the OP.

In that chain, the safest transport is the full truck that goes from Fab Fours to Transamerican as the handling is only loading at Fab Fours and unloading at Transamerican. Beyond that, these things go through hell. If you’ve never seen a UPS or FedEx hub, I suggest you go.

This is my $0.02 coming from 20+ years in the packaging business and currently in the automotive aftermarket business.

In the end, the bumper arrived at the OP in unacceptable condition. And there is a long chain of responsibility for making in right

 

[@californiajeeping]

Funny thread. They made the original grumper garbage for jk wranglers. I wouldn’t wager there’s more than 4 brain cells between their ears in the whole company

Sponsored