Headrest Question

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PabloCruise

PabloCruise

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I have a '78 40 (Sept '77 build) and am having a bad experience with a local upholstery shop.

To make a long story short, I picked up my original front seats from being recovered and after getting the seats home, discovered the headrests slide right out of the top of the seats, when before they were in there with a very snug fit and 1 adjustment position.

Does anyone know how the latch mechanism for the headrests work?
If I get the pieces for the latch back from the upholsterer, can I fix this without having to take the seat cover back off?

Thanks for any help you can provide!
 
You can remove the seat back plate to access that area but you probably won't be able to get that bushing back in easily. Why did they take out the head rest guide post bushings anyway? I would ask them to do it since they left them out and they have the tools to make it easy.
 
Coolerman said:
You can remove the seat back plate to access that area but you probably won't be able to get that bushing back in easily. Why did they take out the head rest guide post bushings anyway? I would ask them to do it since they left them out and they have the tools to make it easy.
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Thanks. I am working up the courage to call back on this.
The guy was pretty surly. It was a huge bummer when I got home and dsicovered this. I felt like a chump...
 
I'm sure you spent big money to have that done so give them the opportunity to make it right. I have learned one thing about dealing with "surly" people : If you approach them with an attitude you are going to get attitude in return. Try to let them be the hero by helping out a customer. It should not take 30 minutes to fix this issue. Mentioning you can refer people to them can help. Worse case sic the wife on them! :eek:
 
PabloCruise said:
Yes, a neutral attitude will be best.
He already told me that he specifically did NOT want me refering others to him!
Not a fun transaction.
Click to expand...

In my career I have dealt with all sorts of characters, willingly and unwillingly. I'm an international banking attorney, enough said, however, in restoring my FJ40 and my other cars I have met an even wider scope of types of people, some of those that deserve to be given trophies and put on a pedestal like Coolerman and Trollhole, Mark, JimC, Scotia, etc.; and others that don't deserve a lot of good stuff in life if they keep doing and behaving like they do, especially to customers that want nothing but a good result and for them to be paid.

Hope you get this resolved soon.
 
Coolerman's advice is good. I can't imagine someone in business refusing referrals(sp?)
 
FJ40Jim said:
If payment was made via a credit card, then the customer still has leverage, if he didn't receive what he paid for.

Just sayin'
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Yes, thanks for saying. I posted a long, drawn out version in the RS forum: Dilemma; Chat or Tech? - Rising Sun Member Forums
the guy didn't care if I paid cash, so I put the remainder on plastic. Now I am glad I have that option. Not sure I want to ask the CC to pull the $ back - yet.

sggoat said:
Coolerman's advice is good. I can't imagine someone in business refusing referrals(sp?)
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I did like Coolerman's advice. I got my attitude right and called to ask how we can get the headrest latches working. The guy was out this afternoon, so I left a message with his wife, she sounded very nice. We'll see what happens.

He did tell me in no uncertain terms that he did not want me referring others to him, because he thought they would be like me. He went on to tell me that I had some real problems and he didn't want to deal with anyone like me. He told me multiple times he has been in business 30 years. I just cannot fathom how you could stay in business for 30 years like that?!?
 
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This guy has a problem. I would stick to the facts here. What was agreed upon(in writing) and what was not. If he fails to perform--oh well, the legal avenue. When a handshake is busted and there are no alternatives???? No way this person has been in business this long with an attitude like that. Maybe there's been a recent traumatic episode that caused it? Even so, shouldn't impact the customer relations like this.
 
sggoat said:
Maybe there's been a recent traumatic episode that caused it? Even so, shouldn't impact the customer relations like this.
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I know, I wondered this as well. His behavior was really strange. I did not feel comfortable having my little guy (5 years old) in the shop to pick up seats. He goes many, many places with me.

FJ40Jim said:
If payment was made via a credit card, then the customer still has leverage, if he didn't receive what he paid for.

Just sayin'
Click to expand...

Thanks for bringing this up Jim. The merchant did not return multiple phone calls asking for resolution. I called the CC this morning to say there is a problem with this transaction. Sucks to do... It has been a dark cloud over an otherwise fun project.
 
Pablo,
My one centavo..
Not sure if you did this and I know you just moved to Colorado and all, but I do know there are lots of Mud users in Colorado and in the Denver area. So my suggestion is post up on here or in a Denver Mud section first and get some feedback on businesses that have good reputation with Mud users and various Cruiser experience. I see posts in our San Diego Cruisers section asking for various referals before hand. Love your work BTW.
 
FJ40Jim said:
If payment was made via a credit card, then the customer still has leverage, if he didn't receive what he paid for.

Just sayin'
Click to expand...

I think this benefit of using the plastic is being eroded...

My CC provider sent me yet another letter on 25 January saying they needed further information before they could BEGIN the review process.

Issuer is requesting "a detailed letter from an authorized 3rd party, on letterhead, stating that what you paid for was not as described."

At this point my time is out-stripping the value of the dispute. And now I am disappointed in the vendor AND MasterCard.

So I loaded up the bucket seat and took it to another upholsterer and described my dilemma. He was professional and attentive, but in the end he was not interested in putting a disparaging report about his competition in writing out of concern that if his competitor gets wind of it, the competitor will spread bad rumors about this guy for writing the letter. Fair enough.

The upholsterer I visited with today said he would speak on the phone with the CC company. So I called them today to provide this update and tell them to call and they said no-dice, as per MasterCard.

This sucks. :mad:

Rant off.
 
Du619 said:
Pablo,
My one centavo..
Not sure if you did this and I know you just moved to Colorado and all, but I do know there are lots of Mud users in Colorado and in the Denver area. So my suggestion is post up on here or in a Denver Mud section first and get some feedback on businesses that have good reputation with Mud users and various Cruiser experience. I see posts in our San Diego Cruisers section asking for various referals before hand. Love your work BTW.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it.
I actually did get this business recommended to me by a co-worker.
I think at this point it is one of those valuable lessons that you remember because it cost out-of-pocket.

Live and learn. :meh:
 
If you properly dispute the credit card debt in writing, the credit card company can not force you to pay that portion of the bill until they resolve the dispute. I have never heard of having to present a letter from a 3rd party. (Of course, I am just a criminal defense attorney). Check the credit card agreement that you received a copy of. The bottom line is, it is really easy to insert the plastic guides into the top of the seat until they latch into the frame, but you have to possess them to do it. I know just what you are talking about in regard to your time being eaten up by something stupid. Maybe just buy the guides used online?
 
Thanks Doug.
Just to be clear, I am not being forced to pay that portion of the bill.
I have only disputed one other item on a CC in my life. It was about 10 years ago, and it was for thousands of dollars. I made a few phone calls, submitted a description of faulty work and that was about it. In what felt like a relatively short period of time, the vendor was falling all over themselves to try to resolve. There was no 3rd party letter.
This time this has been going on over 3 months and it is over ~$150. :rolleyes:
The MC merchant has told me that a lot has changed in the last ten years and these requirements aren't unique to master card.
Makes me think about 2 things:
  1. Caveat Emptor
  2. Pay your junk in cash and leave the lenders out of it.
 
FJ40Jim said:
If payment was made via a credit card, then the customer still has leverage, if he didn't receive what he paid for.

Just sayin'
Click to expand...

The customer may have a lot less leverage than they think...

This has gone on and on. I got two additional letters from CC issuer saying they could not help me in the absence of written 3rd party. Each time I would call up and explain that I had printed the web page, with my confirmation number showing I had updated the documents in advance of the deadline.
Each time they would say, "Oh, I see that you did, we will re-submit/escalate/etc."

Last week I got a letter saying they were denying the dispute b/c it is past the 120 days for any recovery rights!

Wow! I called up and once again explained that the last request for information was honored within the 120 day timeframe. I also expressed my opnion that their process was deficient and I was questioning their ability to provide me with sound financial services. The representative would have to check with another department and call me back. As I thought about this, I decided I was fully prepared to take all my accounts elsewhere. 4 voicemails later, I was informed that the bank would credit my account for the disputed amount b/c I did everything by the numbers, but they had to take it as a loss because the time to take the money back from the merhant had expired.

So their dicking around cost them the disputed amount, and the merchant never had to face the music for providing inferior work and horrible customer service.

Caveat Emptor...
 
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Coolerman said:
You can remove the seat back plate to access that area but you probably won't be able to get that bushing back in easily. Why did they take out the head rest guide post bushings anyway? I would ask them to do it since they left them out and they have the tools to make it easy.
Click to expand...

Getting back to these seats - finally!
I started hunting through the SOR site and found this - I think I am now missing part #90 for my headrests:

118b1.gif


Does anyone have pictures of these installed on their seats? Does anyone have any spares? Looks like they run $44 on SOR
 
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