What happend to product support? My Rant - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

rdame · 06-01-2016, 01:58 PM

What ever happened product support? The customer comes first? I understand the environment that our suppliers are competing in. Specialty products, shallow market, high part count low volume products, and the need to provide technical support for a staggering amount of products. Internet competition, and transparency, which I guess is good for the consumer, but is a rough and tumble arena for sellers. Due to that and many other reasons suppliers, in order to remain competitive, and to supply the wide range of products their customers demand, are OEM'ing products which they sell. Processing the order and then frequently, drop shipping from the manufacturer. This makes it possible for a smaller organization to provide a wide range of products and leverage the manufacturers back office and shipping resources. It also kind of cuts their margins and forces them to vet their suppliers for quality and communication because they cannot afford hits on their reputations due to bad manufacturer practices. Due to a recent experience here is my general complaint.

If you are selling a product to me, the customer, I expect YOU to stand behind the product that YOU sold to ME. I am supporting you by purchasing from you and not from the supplier directly, which is often possible. If I have purchased in good faith, and have a quality issue, you should stand behind the product you sell no matter what the back office supply chain looks like. I can decide what premium I want to pay for the product and the provided expert advice and product support. If you have an issue with returns to your supplier that is on you.

If you are going to defer warranty, technical support, and product support to the manufacturer. Then you should make that fact ABUNDANTLY CLEAR at the time of purchase and make it easy to opt out. I can, at that point, decide if I want to expose myself to that business model where it is between me and the manufacturer at the time of sale and can decide to purchase or not. I recently bought a product which I felt was defective from a supplier. I requested a return and replacement. I was informed by the seller that the manufacturer refused the RMA because it was a known issue and the part was OK. If it is a known issue then obviously you have had other complaints, which means it is NOT ok. Why am I involved with this seller / manufacturer RMA process?

I am not going to name a supplier because I believe them to be a good supplier in general, and the manufacturer has issues that are already known. But I can assure you that if you don’t support me in a product quality issue with an OEM manufacturer you will not see me purchase again. I vote with my feet and am not interested in starting a flame war. I just would like to know that when I spend my VERY hard earned money on a product I will receive at least the minimum of customer support I would expect from my local department store. It disturbs me when I walk into a shop and see the ALL SALES ARE FINAL sign. Would you buy a sofa with those constraints? Maybe you would, but you certainly would bake that into the price and it would be an informed choice when deciding to purchase.....

GetYouOne · 06-01-2016, 04:09 PM

A lot of these vendors just want ur money and be done with you. Just middle men. I have been deflected numerous times to the point I just order straight from the source. Hope u get it worked out.

06-01-2016, 01:58 PM	#1
rdame Drives: 2011 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Central Massachusetts Posts: 78 View My Garage	What happend to product support? My Rant What ever happened product support? The customer comes first? I understand the environment that our suppliers are competing in. Specialty products, shallow market, high part count low volume products, and the need to provide technical support for a staggering amount of products. Internet competition, and transparency, which I guess is good for the consumer, but is a rough and tumble arena for sellers. Due to that and many other reasons suppliers, in order to remain competitive, and to supply the wide range of products their customers demand, are OEM'ing products which they sell. Processing the order and then frequently, drop shipping from the manufacturer. This makes it possible for a smaller organization to provide a wide range of products and leverage the manufacturers back office and shipping resources. It also kind of cuts their margins and forces them to vet their suppliers for quality and communication because they cannot afford hits on their reputations due to bad manufacturer practices. Due to a recent experience here is my general complaint. If you are selling a product to me, the customer, I expect YOU to stand behind the product that YOU sold to ME. I am supporting you by purchasing from you and not from the supplier directly, which is often possible. If I have purchased in good faith, and have a quality issue, you should stand behind the product you sell no matter what the back office supply chain looks like. I can decide what premium I want to pay for the product and the provided expert advice and product support. If you have an issue with returns to your supplier that is on you. If you are going to defer warranty, technical support, and product support to the manufacturer. Then you should make that fact ABUNDANTLY CLEAR at the time of purchase and make it easy to opt out. I can, at that point, decide if I want to expose myself to that business model where it is between me and the manufacturer at the time of sale and can decide to purchase or not. I recently bought a product which I felt was defective from a supplier. I requested a return and replacement. I was informed by the seller that the manufacturer refused the RMA because it was a known issue and the part was OK. If it is a known issue then obviously you have had other complaints, which means it is NOT ok. Why am I involved with this seller / manufacturer RMA process? I am not going to name a supplier because I believe them to be a good supplier in general, and the manufacturer has issues that are already known. But I can assure you that if you don’t support me in a product quality issue with an OEM manufacturer you will not see me purchase again. I vote with my feet and am not interested in starting a flame war. I just would like to know that when I spend my VERY hard earned money on a product I will receive at least the minimum of customer support I would expect from my local department store. It disturbs me when I walk into a shop and see the ALL SALES ARE FINAL sign. Would you buy a sofa with those constraints? Maybe you would, but you certainly would bake that into the price and it would be an informed choice when deciding to purchase..... __________________ RDame, 2011 2SS, L99 Auto, VMax TB, "Strong" MAF, MSD Wires, JRE Modded Metco Breather, DEI Plug Wire Heat Socks, Heater Hose Update, 160 degree Thermostat, CAI Intake, JRE CAI Scoop, Moroso Catch Can, ARP Header Studs, Dynatech 1 7/8 LT Ceramic Coated, Dynatech Supercats 2.5” out, 2.5" Corsa S Catback Resonator X Pipe,Moroso Driveshaft Hoop, Moroso Tunnel Brace, Goodridge Phantom G-Stop SS lines, Motul 600 RBF brake fluid, SCT 4 with JRE Tune Last edited by rdame; 06-01-2016 at 02:10 PM.

06-01-2016, 04:09 PM	#2
GetYouOne Drives: 2012 2SS/RS Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 1,596	A lot of these vendors just want ur money and be done with you. Just middle men. I have been deflected numerous times to the point I just order straight from the source. Hope u get it worked out.