Ruff Stuff Specialties

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T

ThreeEyedBandit

10 Year 15 Year
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First, this is a continuation from a short conversation and also a collection of a couple of threads.

Quickie. Ordered some parts(Hellfire Knuckles) last October with a quick phone call confirmation that the parts will be due and available in a couple of weeks. Couple weeks go by and nothing, couple more weeks of trying to contact via phone and Email and finally get through. Parts are a couple more weeks out due to some health reason/machine shop delay.

Repeat and wait, start trying to contact after a couple more weeks and radio silence. Then a quick email with a similar response as above, then nothing.

Repeat for a couple more months and here we are, After a little looking around this seems to be their new operating practice for a while now, all while still offering sales and such without actually delivering any products or missing products and no resolution.

I also found this nugget released a bit ago

IMG_7227.webp


Last communication was with them earlier this week, same old "we should have the parts this week".

Here is where I stand; pretty patient with things, and don't have an issue with waiting but communication is key. I tried to explain that bad news is better than no news/communication, not have to fight to try and get information. Transparency, pretty simple.

After two weeks short of six months, a little over $1000(not much apparently), and terrible communication once they get your money I am calling it. Giving them one day to get a refund processed, then finishing up with my CC people to get a charge back.

Some more reading
Ruff Stuff Specialties....... - https://irate4x4.com/threads/ruff-stuff-specialties.244438/
Ruffstuff the new ballistic? - https://irate4x4.com/threads/ruffstuff-the-new-ballistic.409121/

And dont forget to search for "Ruff Stuff reviews".

I really hope they can figure things out and get turned around, but it is very concerning (think Wit's End). Hopefully they will get things turned around to the "Dan Days", but until then they have lost my confidence.

Will update as I can.
 
Yup, I am currently out $3k and debating if I should do a charge back.

I have called them at least 20 times and left at least 10 voicemails at two different numbers. Including a message this morning. Zero response.

Before I even placed the order but when the parts were still in my cart, Johnathan Boyd at RuffStuff sent me an email trying to close the sale by offering cheaper shipping than the $400 odd dollars that were coated in the cart. I purchased before I even read that email but sending me an email to try and make a sale and now ghosting me 110% after I made the purchase is so no OK.

This is unacceptable. I have been a customer for going on 20yrs too. At the moment I am still deciding what I plan to do, they can still save this with me but time is nearly up on that. Very disappointed.

@Dan Fredrickson is the owner of RuffStuff and just list a 40-series for sale the other day.

I also want to add, I am a business and a build shop. As a vendor (Ruff Stuff) you can not to this to the business that buys from you and are repeat customers. You screw us and put us in extremely bad situations with OUR customers.

Cheers
 
Looking back in history, I have spent over 20k with them. My last order in November took over 4 months to arrive because they had no stock when running a sale on the items. No indication of they would take 4 months to ship when I ordered. They did respond when I asked what was going on, but their back in stock date was about 3 months off.

They were always a company I highly recommended and being one state over, orders always arrived in 2-3 days. I hope they get back to that asap. I just placed a large order from one of their competitors because it is for a customer's truck and I cannot run a business around indefinite/uncommunicated lead times. This is where the huge drop in sales they mention is originating.

I would buy 3 sets of hellfire knuckles if they had them in stock today - but i'm not ordering anything from them until I know things are back to how they were OR that the parts I want are in stock and ready to ship.
 
Please forgive my sales people for the answers they have given, they are only relaying what I told them and I have told them what the machinist has told me.

The problem with the Hellfire knuckles boils down to the machining complexity and the only machinist I have ever found that is up to the job. We have tried to use other “Skilled” machinists with disastrous results. I have another machinist I would love to try but they quote me another 90 days before they would show results and double the price of machining.

So I have to continue using the machinist I have. He has done over 200 pair in the past and no issues ever but he always seems to have a machine problem and also during this huge delay he got and was successfully treated (substantial surgery) for colon cancer. He is better now and tells me he is cutting. I am going to his shop tomorrow afternoon to verify he is making progress.

All I can say at this point is if he is cutting as he says we do them in batches of 10, 10 rights and then 10 lefts. We have 28-30 pair back ordered and it should be about a week per batch.

I will update this thread later tomorrow as I see for myself his progress. He is about 1 1/2 hours away or I would be looking over his shoulder everyday!
 
Dan Fredrickson said:
Please forgive my sales people for the answers they have given, they are only relaying what I told them and I have told them what the machinist has told me.

The problem with the Hellfire knuckles boils down to the machining complexity and the only machinist I have ever found that is up to the job. We have tried to use other “Skilled” machinists with disastrous results. I have another machinist I would love to try but they quote me another 90 days before they would show results and double the price of machining.

So I have to continue using the machinist I have. He has done over 200 pair in the past and no issues ever but he always seems to have a machine problem and also during this huge delay he got and was successfully treated (substantial surgery) for colon cancer. He is better now and tells me he is cutting. I am going to his shop tomorrow afternoon to verify he is making progress.

All I can say at this point is if he is cutting as he says we do them in batches of 10, 10 rights and then 10 lefts. We have 28-30 pair back ordered and it should be about a week per batch.

I will update this thread later tomorrow as I see for myself his progress. He is about 1 1/2 hours away or I would be looking over his shoulder everyday!
Click to expand...
Btw, the new machinist has a pair of raw castings and is programming and deciding on what fixtures they will have to build before they begin on a trial pair. If successful they will receive all future castings and any unmachined from the present batch.
 
Dan this goes far beyond the Hellfire knuckles. My order and it seems the dozens of single star review orders on Google are not for knuckles.

Awaiting a response.

Cheers
 
Reading and chatting with people, it isn't just Hellfires. Weeks waiting on tabs, rod ends and simple parts. All without any indication that parts are not available.

This isn't an Amazon mindset that people are customers are blamed with. These are people that order knowing there will be a week to gather and ship an order, then nothing.

And to add another concern, the severe lack of communication. I appreciate the quick response to a couple questions, and even the deal when I placed my order. But when you spend weeks trying to get anyone to answer the phone or respond to a simple inquiry, that's where lost of trust is lost.
 
Imop, if a vendor is selling stuff, they should not charge if it is not in stock. Pre-orders should not exist if you are selling something.

I sell swing out mounts for the OEM 80 series tire carrier. I’ve had people contact me wanting to purchase.

They often ask if they can prepay. My answer is always no, unless I have a kit ready to send.
I usually don’t have a kit in stock but sometimes do. I will fabricate on demand simply because there is not a huge demand. I have sold 6 sets in several years.

Look where Witt’s End burned many people on the turbo deposit pre-order bull****.
 
I have done a charge back. It’s not worth my time to screw around and for them to ignore me after I drop $3k on your business is more than just disrespectful.

They lost a customer, I will never buy from Ruff Stuff again.

Cheers
 
fjbj40 said:
Imop, if a vendor is selling stuff, they should not charge if it is not in stock. Pre-orders should not exist if you are selling something.
Click to expand...
This is the school way and the way it should still be done.
If something is not in stock they should say so and not take your money.

Unfortunately too many vendors operate in that fashion.
 
Hopefully my last update with them.

Tried contacting a couple times requesting yet again another ETA, since they where supposed to be on hand by the end of the month.

Spent a week at Cruise Moab, and another week after waiting... Called my CC people and got a dispute going. They already issued a credit, accepted my long chain of e-mails and sounds like it's going to come down to wasting six plus months and eating some interest.
 
SNLC said:
I still don’t have my $3k even after filing a dispute a month ago.

Wtf?

Cheers
Click to expand...
Really? They issued me a credit back, but say it can take 45 days to become permanent. This is through Capital One, who is yours through? I have months of emails, mostly un answered so maybe that helped?
 
I ordered a Chevy 63" spring kit (essentially just hangers, shackles and u-bolts) on 3/27. Waited almost month and started checking status. Nobody answered the phone and no returned calls or emails. After reading the bad reviews online and negative posts here, I decided to cancel my order and purchase elsewhere. I just hope @Dan Fredrickson does the right thing and refunds my money.
 
SNLC said:
I still don’t have my $3k even after filing a dispute a month ago.

Wtf?

Cheers
Click to expand...

ThreeEyedBandit said:
Really? They issued me a credit back, but say it can take 45 days to become permanent. This is through Capital One, who is yours through? I have months of emails, mostly un answered so maybe that helped?
Click to expand...


x2 (different vendor in the past though)

Usually the CC company immediately credits you, then they go to work on the dispute. Something seems wrong there.
 
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