|
Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I received an email for a big "Sale" He was having online featuring "no shipping charges". So I figured I try him again. I ordered 3 dash knobs for my 1950 F-1. I then get another email stating I did not put a credit card number in the order. My order confirmation showed the last 4 digits of the card, so I know I did it right. Called back, gave the card again, told the parts would be released. Check back a week later and was told they would be shipped that day via FedEx ground. I just checked back with them and now they're back ordered ( surprise, surprise! ) and no ETA on when he will get them. The only reason I went with him was that the web site showed them in stock! So, I cancelled my order. How the heck can you have a sale and not have the stock? Heck of a way to run a railroad, as they say. This is not the first time, either, but it's my last time ordering from him! I will now order them from C&G like I should have in the first place. Live and learn.........
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Man, I'll bet they've "never had THAT problem before". DD
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Same thing happened to me with a pair of running boards "On Sale". I'll go somewhere else.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Whew.. after a situation I had today. I will NEVER call to order there again.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Before we go too far... I'm not knocking the products, that's for another thread. I have sat in the "Q" usually for 15 minutes to a 1/2 hour and I get the same person every time. Makes you think there's maybe one customer service rep? I was a Ford Parts man for years and if we handled our customers like they do, we would not have a job very long.
I know that's the end of my purchases from him. Too bad, some of what I need, the prices were good! Again, I'm not complaining about what he sells, but the lack of inventory and poor service. |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I bought one of his gas tanks on a similar sale a while back. The price was fantastic but I then had to wait 6 or 7 months to get the part. It eventually showed up. Dang... now I'm not sure I'm going to use it though.
His business model works fine for those of us who care more about price than speed. If my needed part was a MICAP item then I would not be happy. (MICAP is USAF slang for a mission-essential part.) |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! If I was Bob Drake for a day, then I might consider a two-tier pricing model... lower prices for those items with extended backorder time and a higher price for the items kept in stock.
The gas tanks would be a good example. |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Oh yeah, I was promised during a phone call a few days ago by their rep an email showing all I had on order and back order. Of course that never materialized.
Finally, after much more communication, I'd got the list. It is so ridiculous, it is actually humorous. There are so many things on back order with "no date" and a number with "a couple of months" I began to laugh. "A couple of months" to Drake is akin to "we've never heard that before". |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I ordered a tank and sending unit, front and rear shock kits, a steering wheel, and some misc. small stuff on Bob's 20% off and free shipping sale. Got everything right away but the steering wheel - not in stock. Don't know if they'll still honor the discount and free ship on the wheel or not. If not I'll just cancel but everything else was fine. Rear shock kit, tank and sending unit are already installed so I guess I'm ahead of the game.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I called last week and was very satisfied with the service. As a matter of fact the sales person went out of his way to help me out. Said he was "the new guy". Maybe things are looking up for all who have complaints.
I wonder how many Bob Drake threads there have been?? |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! "The new guy" will be indoctrinated soon enough. This kind of service had been going on for 20+ years and the company has had time to mature and correct these issues. Whoever is running the company is evidently aware of and comfortable with the service provided. I would't hold my breath hoping for significant improvement.
I am appreciative of the products made by Drake and have many on/in my cars. I just find them in stock at another dealer or do without. |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Have never had a problem with any of my Drake orders. Am I his only happy customer? What am I doing wrong to have never had a problem while I see some repeat FB members who continually have problems on seemingly every order they place.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Were would my 33 be without him,no new running boards that fitted like a glove,no new ignition points,no new radiator cap that looks like a jewel.
no new water pumps for the 99a engine. Lawrie |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Quote:
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! [QUOTE=JM 35 Sedan;1000879]Have never had a problem with any of my Drake orders. Am I his only happy customer?
Um yes John, you are... |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Never had a problem but I mostly order sales items.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Nice products and I have a standing order to just remove any items from my order that are on Back order. That has saved me a lot of hassle
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! On his 20% sale and free shipping, I order a set of running boards for my "40 pickup a set of windrow reg. set of fender apron bolts and hood rubber bumper set. Got the running boards, lucky me, no other parts, no invoice or details. Sent email to ask when I would get my other parts, get email two days later saying out of stock ,don't know when they will have any. Same old story as always. He need to quit putting out sale flyer if he not got the parts in stock. My 2 cents worth.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! It's easy to have a sale on items that you don't have in stock.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! i dont know if they actually make anyting.but ive bought a fair amount and had decent service,but i think its common to take orders and then get them made.frustrating but were pretty lucky we can even get some of this stuff.albeit might not b a perfect match.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! [QUOTE=Kube;1000904]
Quote:
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! same with me on his sale priced closeout choke and throttle cables.He did later offer to give me the sale price(after the closeout,and no more available ?),some apparently became available,but after that experience,I wasn't sending him money for ANY reason.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I ordered an item from Drake from a 10%, free shipping flyer on Dec. 2nd. The catch was, that the price & free shipping was only if the item was in stock. I received an order confirmation, so I assumed they actually had the part, but after 2-1/2 weeks and no parts, I called today and they told me the parts were on back order. Not only that, but the phone Rep told me there were 80 back orders for the part !
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Quote:
Some of these guys can't wait for a chance to complain. Bill |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I guess I am the "other" lucky Bob Drake customer. I have ordered from him several times and never had a problem. The last order was for a set of running boards for my 36 sedan. They were discounted $100 and were shipped free. It took 6 days from order to delivery and they are excellent.
Sorry to not have had any problems. |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I have bought quite a few items from Drake over the years and had them shipped down to New Zealand.
Mostly dealt with a customer service rep named Heather Travis. Never a problem. If it isn't in stock she tells me. |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I'm a Bob Drake fan. Have not had any problems with him. If it is on back-order, along with a great price, I can patiently wait.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Back orders have been a problem for me from time to time too. The gas tanks last year took 6 months for to get. I have learned to plan ahead and ask what is back ordered and not. My last order was filled which I has not in a huge hurry for. As I look at his catalog and parts offering it amazes me with the number of cars he offer parts for that are rare. The potential to recover the investment on those parts has to be really low. Banks require a business to turn their inventory so many times a year so my bet is Bob Drake has a lot of money tied up in reproductions parts that are for Woodies, Cabriolets, etc. thus limiting his borrowing ability and inventory investment into the parts that turn fast. Also, my guess is certain parts that are outsourced would require minimum number of parts to be ordered, so Bob needs to get enough orders to justify the run. I'm betting a number of the reproduction parts he makes is for the love of the hobby not a good business decision. Without his business where would our hobby be? A large number of our cars would not be done and more cars parted out to finish cars. For that alone I support him. Enough of my rant if I offended anyone sorry.......
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Quote:
Looking at his business growth, he must be doing something right. |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! As I look at the four cars I have restored using parts from Bob Drake, I would never have been able to finish any of them with out those parts. Are there back orders sometimes--sure--I just plan around that and move on. Is Bob Drake Inc. perfect--nope--but I value the ability to get these parts when they are available.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Quote:
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! Again, My complaint is not about quality of his parts. It's the constant back order on so many parts. If you take orders, then have the part made, that is not a good business model. It only gets people mad! If that's the way you want to operate, that is your decision. He should list the item as back ordered on his web site and instruct customer service people to say it's on back ordered. It's called being honest with your customer.
I tried to order the knobs from C&G and they emailed me back within a 1/2 hour and stated that they were back ordered and cancelled my order as I instructed. That is a better way to do business and keeps customers in the loop. No one can keep everything on the shelf, but Drake's back order list must be very long. I appreciate what he's done for the hobby as much as the next guy....... |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! [QUOTE=JM 35 Sedan;1000975]
Quote:
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I ordered about $1800 worth of parts during December to take advantage of the 20% and free shipping.
The on-line item description showed either "in or out of stock", so there was no guess work, and only ONE item out about 100 showed up back ordered. No disappointments, except for a few out of stock pieces that I could have used, but can wait for another sale. Received order confirmation, shipping notices, FedEx tracking numbers, and delivery within a week! I was VERY pleasantly surprised at the professional process, very un-Drake like. |
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I truly appreciate the quality the Drake and Carpenter offer, I did try to take advantage of a few items during the cyber Monday sale and received a call 1½ weeks later stating some parts were not in stock and my floors could not be shipped free. This was not the end of my shopping days with him as I value his quality far more than his pricing.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! You're lucky, my item showed in stock, that's why I ordered them. I did get a order confirmation, but nothing after that. If I didn't make inquiries, they'd would still be on order. I talked to Cole on the three occasions and he was very professional, but he never told me of the back order until I asked.
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I've never had a problem with Drakes, in fact he shipped backstocked items free. Pete/Ct.
|
Cyber Monday with Bob Took a shot at Bob's Cyber Monday. A bit of a wrestling match with the online which kept deleting my promo code. Time ran short and was not able to check availability on the scores of items desired. Out of over $2500 wishful total, only $800+ was in stock. I already knew that a few hundred bucks worth was already gone and never to return such as the frame braces for the '40. Had it all been available, my total could have been over $3000. Luckily Macs had a free shipping day also where I hope to have picked up a few more items, and finally finished off my long suffering gift certificate ballance with Macs. Never again on the gift certificates! Never certain until the parts reach my shop. I have done so much business with these guys that there are few surprises left. Luckily the '40s that are my current projects are well served by reproduction parts. That keeps the swapmeet prices down for original parts too. Count on me to keep doing business with all of them as it serves my needs. Good Luck: Fred A
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I have bought lots of stuff from Bob Drake over the last three or four decades. Never once had a problem. I have met Bob more than a few times at various shows and swap meets. He is real car guy and also a serious collector of all things Ford. I think if he were to bleed, Ford Blue would come running out of his veins! What would we do if we didn't have vendors like Drake supplying us with parts?
|
Re: Back order Bob Drake strikes again! I remember the days when the order desk person would physically check that the item was on the shelf. Yes they had computers then and they knew what the parts were, not just a number. The best service was our Cat, and Napa dealers.
Bruce |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:43 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.