Hot Rods So-Cal Speed Shop after sales Suck – Time to burn all their T-Shirts

One of the things I love about the Hot Rod world is that most suppliers are passionate about our sport and offer pretty good service. Even big companies liek Speedway have been great, so I assumed the iconic So-Cal Speed Shop would be at the top of this list.

I wanted to get a steering damper, and lots of the forums said but a VW one. But I thought I’d buy the So-Cal one, as they are supposed to have great quality parts and service.

I ordered a RED damper (to match my car) off their web site, and it comes all the way to New Zealand and its BLACK. Even the packing is labelled RED (clear packaging).

Everyone makes mistakes, glad I bought off So-Cal as they would sort it. So I wrote to their sales people;

“Hi Guys

I just received my order 21905 for a red Steering Stabilizer thanks. Unfortunately you sent me a black one, the packing slip and even the sticker on the package say red, but unless the packing person TMP0 is seriously colour blind, black is not red. Unless it was Henry Ford who packed it

I am in New Zealand and it’s way too expensive to send it back to the USA – basically the same price as the shock, and I’m already $40 into shipping costs. I understand mistakes happen but I’m keen to know how you propose to resolve this. I have a red 31 Pickup and this will unfortunately be a very visible accessory. “

Well I was wrong about good service from So-Cal, their reply, in capitals no less;

“HI GARY

WE ARE NO LONGER DOING THE RED SHOCKS OR STABILIZERS. SORRY THE STABILIZERS WE ONLY HAVE BLACK. THE RED OPTION

SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF THE WEB SITE.

RAY”

Seriously, a company advertises something, every bit of the process including packing slip, order form, and packaging say RED. They stuffed up and should at least offer to do something about it. I am stunned that the great So-Cal Speed Shop actually suck at after sales service. So much for buying brand names. I have a bunch of So-Cal T-shirts and stuff on my car, the stuff on the car is staying but now I feel like burning all thier T-Shirts.

 

HEY SO-CAL- DON'T 'SHOULD' ON YOURSELVES.

Paint the bloody thing. Give the shirts to the homeless.

 

They made a mistake. I am surprised they took the position they did.

 

They could at least pony-up for a Scotch Brite pad & a rattle can of red paint.

 

chances of the red matching your red are not very good ,shoot some of your red on it

 

The point is they advertised and sold a "red" stabilizer that wasn't. Sure it's easy to make it red, but their response is pretty chicken-shit in my view.

I'll send them the link to this thread and see if they do anything about it.

 

Which So-Cal ?

 

That truck would look great black.

 

It is not worth the angst or stress. The dampener is correct to function as advertised just the wrong color. Rattle can it red & it will be good. No stress. There is no exchanging it for red & agreed the information needs to be updated.
As far as using caps go. Worked in engineering for 40+ years and all engineering drawings were done with capital block letters. All hand written memos, requisitions, work orders etc. were required to be printed in block text for decades so it was clear reading for all. When we began drawing with computers and started sending inter office e-messages no one got upset that it was in caps. It is only many years after the internet was around & email that people started to think that caps is yelling. Odd concept that text is yelling at a person and be angered by it.
So-Cal should have offered a sorry but other than that not much could be done.

 

Paint the thing red and suck it up. I've been dealing with these guys for years and have never had a problem and I am also in NZ its nothing a $5-00 spray can wont fix.

 

Black is the new Red!! Pete

 

Some good points thank you, the colour would have never been perfect but form the pictures it might have been a reasonable match. I paid for red.

I guess I’m angry as I have always been a huge So-Cal fan. I love Hard Shine, Bare Nekid is my dream car, and I even bought the So-Cal Speed Shop hard cover history book, plus far too many T-Shirts. It’s not a massive amount of cash, but I felt really let down by an iconic brand I really respected.

Blowby – best reply of the day, made me smile.

Verde742 – (Correction) - The order was made directly to So-Cal Speed Shop Pomona.

 

Bullcrap.

Take you car to a shop and ask for a red paint job.
Show up a few weeks later and it's black.
Oh...but you would probably be upset over how much you spent on a paint job vs. a 40$ part...right?

Isn't the money, it's the principle.

The least So Cal could have done was send him back some $$, or a store certificate.

They basically told him, "eff you, we don't care".

 

Budget36 has it right and I'm sure if the "top" man knew it that would happen.

 

They (Sac) were pretty arrogant in their early ads..."We deal in early Ford parts, so we know!"
They were incorrect in some axle ads, passed a '37-'41 off as a '32-'36. Some spindles were also in err.
A female answered the phone after an Ebay purchase (by a friend) and he recorded her reply.
He was polite, and merely pointed out the error in inches.
She started sputtering, and frothing... she knew so much it was like talking to the fem- spirit of Henry himself!
Reminded me of someone I sued for divorce a few years back. Sacramento, too...

So-Cal released a memo to all, regarding steering dampeners. "We install them on all rollers, every car needs one!"
Henry never did. So-Cal emulates Henry's suspension and geometry. Just sayin'...

 

So, what was or is your plan now?

 

that response was weak.

 

things this minor are just not worth getting lathered up over

 

what a dick. back in my ebay days if I sent the wrong part to someone or made some other error I went out of my way to make them whole. in a case like this where shipping would be too much to return it I would have refunded them everything and told them to keep it, and I was probably making in a month what So Cal makes before lunch every day.

 

Larry, please get back to your old self! After a scare like that, we expect to see you a little 'lathered'...
and all that 'ass talk'...

 

sorry...don't know what I was thinking...must be the pain meds talking

 

I don't many people in the hot rod world who actually live in So Cal and shop at So Cal Speed Shop..... this should tell you something. Do some research. Sorry you went through that, but consider yourself lucky that it was only a small loss from this company.

 

Agreed, the "new" Larry has it right.
Rattle can red.
But the OP has it right to educate us on So Cal's lack of service. We strike back with our future purchases!

 

Looks like Socal has joined the Hoffman group.
Tell em yours like some free T shirts, to add to the fire.

 

At least the black will hide the dirt better than red

 

My goodness, that truck is a goner!! A black steering damper? I dunno how you sleep at night man, that sucks!












Just sayin...

 

I would also be disapointes by their response. If they at least would be abit more humble in their email, I think this whole mess would have been avoided. And the person shipping it could at least informed the buyer before shipping that they where out of red! Especially when the notice the adress is New Zealand.... I would write a feedback to them, maybe they will change their attitude?

 

If Id asked for chrome and got paint Id be pissed...but getting black( better for chassis fixtures imo ) Id not be bothered....if it was to complement a show finished vehicle, Id be painting it to match anyhow if that was the plan.Btw...the paint won't stay either black or red for long if you drive it in wet weather lol.

 

Poor Response From Ray @ SoCal ,
Yes it's a Minor Issue , that A can of paint , tape ,30 mint's of Labor can fix ,
But that NOT what was Ordered,

I would have offered a $20 refund ,

Because It was (SoCal) mixup , Wrong part /color that was Advertised and sent !!

Hi Gary,
Sorry For the Inconvenience , We no longer offer in Red ,I will refunded you $20 for our mistake ,Will this work ?
I would hope in the Future , for your Hot Rod need's ,You will not Hesitate To place a order again from SoCal ,
Thank's Ray

 

It's like winning an argument with the wife.
You can be right, or happy. Pick one.
You're a hot rodder, paint it!