anybody order from them lately?...I ordered some stuff for my T coupe project and never got the stuff..tried emailing and calling but no return responses..it was back in the beginning or November when I ordered...anyway...just seeing if anyone else had this experience
Reading through several posts on them over several years it looks like they probably don't make certain parts until they have an order or enough orders to do a run. I didn't see complaints about the quality of what they sell all I saw were about delivery time. Odd thing is that the guys who bought stuff off Ebay seem to get it in a timely manner.
Are these the same Howells that were in the news a wile back that went missing after a short ocean cruise? That could explain the lack of contact.
I noticed that too. I bought several patch panels from them, but all on Ebay and had no problems getting them promptly.
More like the same ones who won't expand the business to handle the business they get or loose. I waited over a month for the drag link and hairpin steering arm for my T bucket in the 70's and when the shop that ordered them for me finally called them the answer was that the guy who made those particular parts was on a month long vacation and they would get made as soon as he got off vacation. Sure enough three days after his vacation was over the parts showed up at the speed shop.
hmmm A friend of mine ordered T parts from them 3 weeks ago and got a call from him this weekend that they had arrived
yea...I've bought patch panels before off ebay...he had stuff other suppliers didnt...I got it super fast...I dont get it
I dont know..but the message on their machine had been updated last time I tried to a thanksgiving message...so I know somebody is around
Hi. Ebay requires all sellers to ship in a timely manner (ebay standards) or they are not sellers very long. With that said a seller actually has 30 days for an item to arrive unless the shipping section in the listing shows faster. Buyers are able to open not received cases no sooner than the day AFTER that last estimated delivery date in the shipping details in the listing. That estimated date in the listing is inserted by ebay based on the sellers stated handling time (how long before it actually ships) and the post office, UPS, etc estimate for transit time based on the method of shipping by the shipping carrier. Jimmie
I use Howell's alot. I never have a problem with communications or products. Sent from my SM-G930T using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I bought right off the website this order...not ebay as in the past...and I'm sure these are parts that they dont manufacture..door latches and widow tracks for my model T coupe
I just read an old post from the HAMB..all the way back in 2006 and the same crap was going on...I guess its just this guys style
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...rning-about-howells-sheet-metal-in-tx.215829/ This is the old post
Beginning of November? It's not even December yet. Give it time. When I finally found a turtledeck for my roadster I ordered a deck lid and some other things from them. I had heard all the stories and expected to wait quite a while. Then a week later the hurricaine hit and I saw Beaumont was underwater on the news. I figured I was screwed. I e-mailed a couple times asking for an update over the next couple of months but that was mainly to help with a paypal complaint if it came to that. Then one day I got an email from UPS saying to expect a package the next week. Howell's never did get back to me but even with the flood I got the parts before I ran out of time to file a complaint with Paypal - it was around three months if I recall? Honestly, with the stories I had read I was expecting to wait at least that long. So long sory short the wait you've seen is to be expected on parts that aren't built before you order them. It's nowhere near "never" yet. Yeah, their customer service sucks but that's nothing new.
My parts are not custom built...other suppliers like Macs carry these parts...I chose Howells because I had used them before and his prices were cheaper than Macs...it shouldnt take 3 weeks to get parts that are stamped out in china or some other asian country...if he just orders them when he gets an order and doesnt stock these parts, then I think thats lame...I understand custom...I have a guitar custom shop..but we tell the customers 8-12 weeks to build your stuff...I got no warning,nor do I get any communication out of them..thats just plain bad business...I can tell you I'll never buy from them again...
I bought a few replacement panels for my '29 roadster a few years ago, from Howells , they were poorly made, and were junk as far as I was concerned. I ended up ordering from some one else. It cost more money than they were worth to send them back. I have said it before, I sometimes think some of these people send their reject parts to places like here in Alaska and other distant places, because they know we can not afford to send them back. they just go in the pile of parts that don't fit, or won't work for some reason or another. I would never buy another panel from them. I guess you get what you pay for. their parts were cheaper, and that is exactly what I got, cheap poorly made parts.
I'm not trying to justify how they do business. I hadn't heard they have things stamped off-site but I have no idea either way. You asked if anyone else has had this experience, the answer is yes and based on what others (including me) have seen/posted, three weeks isn't even close to how long some stuff takes to get from them. If there was another source I'm pretty sure most people would use it. But as far as I know there isn't. Hence people putting up with the lack of customer service.
Believe all the BAD reports if you order from them direct. I waited 3 months for a gas tank cover and they sent the wrong one. NEVER AGAIN.
Can you cancel the order, then order the parts from someone else? Like Nobull said, they ship timely when purchased via ebay so they can retain their feedback rating and continue to be sellers. Otherwise, your order goes WAY at the bottom of the priority list. We should all be in the habit of Googling Co. names before ordering from them to check feedback on bad business habits.
I would cancel the order if he would respond to my calls and emails....I guess I'll just order from some other source and fight it out with him later...wanna finish my doors and windows so I can move on to interior
It's been six years since I ordered from them and it sounds like nothing changed. Call and call and call some more. If it was quality stuff it would be somewhat understandable. Door skins inner door bottoms were great but cowl, 1/4 panel, rear fender bottoms were fair at best, finally just cut the deck lid up.
I had the same bad experience when ordering direct. They answered the phone every time but the story kept changing. Lies kept changing. Was told several times the parts had shipped but they hadn't. Finally someone told me the truth and they were going to make a run of all the parts I ordered and then would be sent. Finally got them. All they had to do was just tell the truth and say they were out of stock and would be awhile before they made them. Ordering parts from them on EBAY has worked fine. Go figure. Dave
Bought lots from Howells, never had any problems. The fit was really good too. I'm beyond the metal replacement stage, so i haven't ordered in a while
Rather than canceling through Howell's (you don't owe them a phone call at this point) , can you cancel side door via Paypal or your credit card Co./bank. You have a legit reason as the merchant never delivered. Let your financial institution back charge them. Then you have your money in hand to shop elsewhere.
It works fine on ebay because they fear the leverage ebay and the ebay feedback system places on sellers to come through with a quick delivery on anything sold. Otherwise, they'll lose their status as a seller on ebay. They list a LOT of stuff on ebay. Buy on ebay and the parts are "in stock and ready to ship". You get white glove treatment. Buy direct from them. They collect your $$$, then put you off for months and bullshit you along the way. It's a shitty way to do business.
The Jalopy Journal
