4x4 labs

[TossYoda]

Make sure you check your kit when you finally get everything .mine was missing tons of parts.

This is my experience. They have a checklist in the shipped box, things are checked, but parts are missing. A review of posts on Mud shows that missing parts of the kits are a fairly common occurrence. Great kits though, without a doubt.

Edit Add: But they readily send you the missing parts.

 

[cybrstar]

I’ve been doing business with the Labs for years, built a total of about 10+ of their bumpers. People that I’ve delt with was Luke, christoph (pervious shop lead), and HD(new shop lead for about 2 years).

Products and services are outstanding. If they don’t call back or pick up means that they are SWAMPED. They do all these group buys for all of us to get a really good deal and have to try and keep up with the demand.

Let’s face it with the quality of bumper he puts out, he might as well charge 30% more.

Either get it fast and build it yourself or for you little princesses, wait.

 

[Azca]

I have been waiting as well and knew full well that I would. As stated before, he has a smallish shop. When there is a group buy everyone and their brother run to the bank and get a loan. A smaller shop can not handle huge fluctuations in orders. They cannot staff for the peaks and have to try to find a point where they can keep all their staff busy, but not too busy or, worse yet, have to lay people off.

This is what happens in a free market economy when the economic picture improves. So, due to the enormous, for him, influx of orders, he is probably working some staff a limited amount overtime to fulfill our orders in which we got 10% off (he is losing 20% of his profit, just a guess). He can't stay in business paying a bunch of overtime so, to be able to offer the product at a reduced wait, we will have to wait. For my $s, it is worth it.

I do agree, for someone who may not have Luke's impeccable reputation, that a return call (or in this case, dozens of calls more than likely) it would be a concern. But as stated before, every 5 minute call probably costs him up to 10 minutes of lost work. It adds up quickly. So, I won't bug him or his staff. If he has questions for me, he will call me when he needs to.

 

[bucketman]

I just heard from Luke’s guy, HD, that my rear bumper is almost done. My order was placed early in the group buy in April so looking at about 9 weeks ago. I was also told 4-6 weeks at the time of order. I know he was short handed back then and it may not be any better now. Yes, communication could be better, but be patient and it will happen.

 

[graham5david]

His stuff is definitely high quality. But the kit I ordered and welded myself took months to get. I called him after a few months and left a message with no reply. So I called again a few weeks later and talked to Luke who was a nice guy and he got my stuff out quick but everyttime I started welding a part would be missing which was annoying. He was hard to get ahold of Everytime but did correct everything promptly as soon as I got in touch with him. If you are buying a kit check the contents against the check off list before you start welding. Even with all of the delays the bumpers are great and easy to build. For me it would have been nice to know that these kits had a 3 month lead time .that would have saved some of the anxiety. But Luke will get you taken care of. And you will love your bumpers .

 

[noahfecks]

Interesting read, I hope your customer service experience improves. I know it can be frustrating to wait for something you have already paid for when there was a different expectation at the time of the transaction. As others have said this is a pretty stand up vendor

I have ordered several kits from Luke over the years and never had a single issue, it has never taken more than a couple weeks from order to receipt and Luke has always been responsive to my emails.

Not saying these stories in this thread are untrue, just that they are not the experience I have had. Please update us when you get some resolution

 

[Ronny Grady]

My 6 week quote turned into 8 weeks. Phone calls were replied to within 24 hrs.

I decided to drive up & see a buddy and then pickup my bumper in person.

Luke met me on Saturday and helped me load the bumper in my truck. What a nice guy. His shop is solid.

 

[cruisergear]

Well 24 hours after posting here about our 9-week wait, I get an automated shipping confirmation. The timing was probably a coincidence.

Either way, I'm excited it will be here soon.

PS: If 4X4 LABS has employees who read these forums, I'd just recommend adding ONE communication email to your customers along the way. Maybe when that customers actual bumper has been started. Or maybe when 7 weeks has gone by and it still has not shipped. There are plenty of ways to even automate that email through Shopify (which I see you use) so it doesn't take any of your bumper-building-time away. I can show you how I do it. Feel free to contact me.

 

[RFB]

Make sure you check your kit when you finally get everything .mine was missing tons of parts.

what was missing? A ton suggest well, a lot.

 

[graham5david]

what was missing? A ton suggest well, a lot.

Swing outs didn't come with the bearing races or the sleeves and the spindles we're wrong so I had to return them.

Rear bumper was missing tube top caps, inner bracing for the tow hitch and the rear recovery points.

Tire carrier had everything

Front bumper was missing one internal brace

Jerry can holder had everything

It was very frustrating but Luke did correct it once I was able to get ahold of him and I am pleased with the bumpers

 

[Azca]

My bumper was delivered yesterday to my friends shop. Will be picking it up today. Just to reaffirm what everyone has been saying, Luke will come through. Can't wait to see it and admire it in all its newborn glory!

 

[blahblahblah]

I got the call this morning that my bumpers are ready for pickup. I ordered 4/20 so 2 months to the day.

 

[cruisergear]

I guess my adventure with 4x4 Labs continues. My bumper shipped out 6/13 and tracking followed it to Vegas on 6/14 then nothing. No updates at all for 7 day straight. I'm a patient person, but it seemed like there may have been a problem of some kind so I emailed 4x4 Labs. My email said "Do you have any idea how long it takes to ship? The tracking says the bumper has been in Las Vegas for 7 days without moving. Or maybe it was given to a partnering shipping company 7 days ago and I'm just tracking it incorrectly? Just trying to plan out an expected arrival day to make sure someone is here to sign for it, etc."
a few hours later I get a call from HD at 4x4 Labs. The conversation went like this:


Blake it's HD from 4x4Labs

Me: Hey hows it going?

Good thanks.

Me: I assume you're calling because you got my email this morning?

Yeah, hey is this the correct shipping address? [proceeds to tell me the address they have for me]

Me: Yeah that's exactly correct.

The shipping company is saying that's a residential address?

Me: Yes it is.

.. silence..

Well I'm gonna have to charge you extra for shipping because the shipping company is going to charge us like $500 to ship to that address

Me: Well did I do something incorrectly when checking out? Did I forget to click a "residential address" checkbox or something?

Isn't that the address you gave me when we spoke?

Me: We've never spoken before. Someone replied to one of my emails once saying it would be 4-6 weeks, but that's it.

.. silence..

Me: So is my bumper just chilling in Vegas because they looked up my address and found it's residential?

No you're bumper made it to Utah, it's in Utah.

Me: Well is there an option then where I can just go pick it up so you don't get charged more for delivering to my house?

No they're going to charge me more regardless because we are changing the shipping instructions.

.. indistinct yell.. [not sure if he was yelling at someone in the shop, or just a frustrated yell or what]

Let me call you back.

Click.



When i bought my bumper on the website it literally gave me one shipping option. "Shipping Method: Heavy2 - $175." I went through the checkout process again just now to make sure. There's not a single residential vs commercial option anywhere in the checkout process, or the entire website for that matter. At least I can't find any, not even in the fine print of the Terms of Service.

When he calls back if he says i have to pay the difference to make up the $500 shipping I'd just tell him to shove it and file a PayPal claim to cancel my order. Making me wait 3-5 weeks longer than he originally quoted me, having frustratingly little contact through the process and then blaming me for not specifying residential vs commercial??? Not cool.

Hope everyone else has a better experience.

 

[TossYoda]

That is not good.

 

[Dullyouth]

How exactly did you place your order? Just playing devils advocate here but on the web site under the description of the product it states "Shipping via truck freight to commercial address" I can understand if you ordered this a different way ( via phone or strictly through email ) that this could have been left out in the exchange. Either way it sucks. I'd expect the shop to split the cost with you or something. There needs to be a better way of making that fact painfully clear when ordering the product.

 

[Azca]

How exactly did you place your order? Just playing devils advocate here but on the web site under the description of the product it states "Shipping via truck freight to commercial address" I can understand if you ordered this a different way ( via phone or strictly through email ) that this could have been left out in the exchange. Either way it sucks. I'd expect the shop to split the cost with you or something. There needs to be a better way of making that fact painfully clear when ordering the product.

I understood it had to go commercial freight due to the statement on their site: "Shipping via truck freight to commercial address" . That is why I had mine shipped to my buddy's cabinet shop.

As far as what happened once it left the dock, that is not really Luke's issue. The shipping company needs to address that with you directly. Why they had not contacted you is a definite mystery. Did they plan to drive with it in their truck until it magically disappeared? I have had a history of significant problems with shipping companies. Everything from delays to significant damage of equipment that rendered it unusable. Getting a claim done through a shipping company is akin to an IRS audit. Not fun.

I would contact the shipper directly, or conference call between 4x4 Labs and the shipper at the very least. Not going to point the finger of blame at this point. I think 4x4 Labs was pretty clear on the website but the communication between them, the shipper and you seems to be, shall we say, lacking.

 

[BILT4ME]

Only 4x4Labs can modify your shipping information, as that is who the freight company's contract is with.

It WON'T be $500 additional for a residential address.

No, the freight company will not charge them an additional $500 to change the ship-to address to a commercial business location. They may try, but that is not typical.

IF the freight company is agreeable, they MAY charge up to about $100 for a residential delivery IF you can unload it at your house WITHOUT requiring a lift gate truck. (Dragging it off and dropping it or sliding into the back of a pickup)

What freight company is it on?

The change in ship-to address CAN delay the delivery another week.

I have experienced all of this with fabricated parts from the company side, trying to get parts to small job sites and people's homes (contractors) in order to meet install dates.

Sometimes, depending on the freight company, you can call the local break-bulk terminal and ask to come pick it up. If you have a tracking number (referred to as a "PRO" number), and it's YOUR name on the shipping info and you can prove identification and address, you MAY be able to convince a terminal MANAGER that you are the one it's intended for.

I have actually done this with a FedEx terminal as well as an ABF terminal (before it became YRC).

Good Luck!

 

[decoco]

wow this is sucky.

How about the original poster tries to find a commercial address for delivery close to him?

Maybe this is a way to solve the issue for the shop and the og.

 

[cruisergear]

Good input here guys, thanks! After reading ALLLLL the way to the bottom of the very long product description I do now see the "commercial address" statement. 60 Series Landcruiser Rear Bumper

I suppose my viewpoint may be somewhat unique as I am also a vendor who uses the same e-commerce platform as 4x4 Labs does. So I KNOW how easily issues like this can be solved so that orders (like mine) don't slip through the cracks.

There's so many ways they could do it.

• They could add a checkbox on the product page that says "I understand that 4x4Labs will only ship this bumper to a commercial address" and if the checkbox isn't clicked the add-to-cart button is grayed out.
• They could use "carrier calculated" shipping rates which will actually check the supplied address for commercial vs residential and then it provides shipping prices accordingly.
• They could simply move that "commercial address" statement to the top of the product description instead of burying it at the very bottom.
• They could install a 3rd party app that would actually restrict delivery to commercial addresses for any specified products.
• They could add a checkbox during checkout that says "is this a residential address" and if it is clicked another hidden product is added to the cart to correct the price for residential shipping.

I mean those are just off the top of my head. I haven't heard back from 4x4 Labs yet, so we'll see what they want to do. I was ready to find a solution while we were on the phone the first time, but he hung up so fast I didn't even get the chance to ask If i could change the address to a friends workshop.

 

[Azca]

Can't argue with any of the above. This is like anything else, until you run into a "problem" you don't know that it exists. It should be clearer, or add more information options on his site. I am sure they will take some of this friendly advise and incorporate some of the changes.