Rant about AA (and myself)

Ace! · #1 10-02-2001, 07:40 AM

Those bastards left a snap ring out of their kit, used at pretty much the end of the install (for the speed-o-ring). Of course I decided to install the kit on Sunday, when everyone was closed. Yesterday I couldn't find a snap ring anywhere, the auto stores looked at me funny and said, "I don't carry anything without eyelets or that big or thick," and to try a bearing house in the next town over. WTF?

It's not a part I can call and ask places about because I don't know how to describe it, it's just a snap ring. Why didn't I go through the parts list prior to starting the job!!! Aye! I basically am done, except for this one part, which I thought I'd find at the first auto parts store I went to, and thought I'd be driving my Jeep this morning. The worst thing is I've heard of this being left out of the kit before, but completely forgot about it, until I looked for the second snap ring.

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

sethmark · #2 10-02-2001, 03:22 PM

Why does everyone throw a fit every time a manufacturer makes a small mistake? They got people working for them. People screw up, have bad days, and don't always get things right.

The folks at Advance aren't Bastards..... they just forgot a freakin' snap ring. If they don't fix the problem, then they're bastards.

Rant off.

Humpty Dumpty Land: Formerly Tightey Whitey World

TObject · #3 10-02-2001, 03:27 PM

In my humble opinion, it’s small mistakes that cause big troubles. It was easy for AA to throw the right number of rings in the kit, but it sure wasn’t easy for Ace to get one local. And what if his jeep was his daily driver, what would he use to go to work on Monday?

sethmark · #4 10-02-2001, 04:13 PM

Sergei,
I don't disagree with you... or Ace. My point is just that it doesn't make Advance a bad company, unworthy of our business. They just forgot a snap ring.

They're not bastards, in fact, they're good guys. I know this for a fact. I spent much of my afternoon on the phone with them.. Today.

Humpty Dumpty Land: Formerly Tightey Whitey World

TJRON · #5 10-02-2001, 04:19 PM

More proof of business' run my incompetents. Drive train direct has done this to me and when I call them they said they were back ordered! They sold the SOB knowing it wasn't complete, and I'm screwed. Hopefully they will send you one or give you a part # so you can pick it up locally.
I feel for you.
Ron

Seth,
There used to be a day when things like this were rare, now it seems to be the norm......

TObject · #6 10-02-2001, 04:51 PM

Seth, maybe you right. Calling AA bastards was a little bit too harsh. They are not bastards, just dickweeds.

Don’t worry we will still buy from AA. I know they make good products, it’s just that their kits sometimes come incomplete.

[This message was edited by TObject on October 02, 2001 at 06:16 PM.]

sethmark · #7 10-02-2001, 05:18 PM

I'm not worried. Maybe I just spent an extra 30 seconds on JU today and got tired of the whining

Either way, Good luck Ace! They'll take care of it.

Humpty Dumpty Land: Formerly Tightey Whitey World

Ace! · #8 10-02-2001, 08:34 PM

You're right they're not bastards, I use that as an expression with a lot of people, almost as a salutation at times. I didn't realize it would be taken so literal.

I do think it's the little things that make big differences, and this little part is taking a lot of time. I went to the town I work in and went to two places, they sent me to a drive line shop that has everything back in the town I live, which sent me to a transmission/transfer case place in the next town north, which can order the snap ring but doesn't know how long it will take to get or if he can order it just by looking at the one I have. He sent me to the NEXT town north, but instead of driving there I called the place. The guy there said, "Well, I've got a box I keep with old snap rings of transfer cases I rebuild, used stuff mostly. You can go through the box and if you find something that fits, everything in the box is $3.00 a piece."

It's AAs fault it's not in the package, but of course I could have called them yesterday (I just thought it'd be at the parts store I went to), today I was sure it'd be at the drive line place. Then AA has hours that don't correspond to my schedule (I'm on a t-connection at work, but no phone, AA is closed when I'm at lunch). I sent them an e-mail, but I'll have to find a way to get a call to them sometime tomorrow and hopefully it doesn't take too long to get in the mail (which is why I figured I'd get it local, takes a week at times for stuff to come from Calif to my town in Oregon). It's frustrating having the Jeep sitting, when I'm supposed to be getting it aligned tomorrow and at a run this weekend. Maybe next week, the bastards

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

Ace! · #9 10-03-2001, 08:23 AM

Tom Wood used to buy complete, boxed kits but switched to buying all the parts in bulk and putting them together himself. I bought my kit ~around~ the time they made the switch so there is no way of knowing who packed the little plastic baggie with only one speed-o-gear snap ring. So, Tom Wood and AA, the bastards!

On the phone, AA very nicely told me they were sorry for the inconvenience, but that they can't ship it out without knowing they were the one's responsible for mis-packaging the item and I could purchase one from them for ~$5.00. Troy at Tom Wood's said AA was right, they now buy bulk and package the kits themselves and started doing it roughly at the same time my kit went out, that there was no way of knowing if it was a complete kit from AA that was sitting on their shelf or packaged in house. He did say he wouldn't point fingers, without knowing for sure who packaged it they'd take responsibility since it left their shop to me and followed up by saying, "When do you need it. It'll go out today. I'll check with Tom when he gets in to see what kind of priority we can put on the shipping. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience" (which was nice to hear). Regardless, it looks like I'll miss my Saturday run, but will have the thing put together soon!

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

sethmark · #10 10-03-2001, 11:54 AM

Ok. THATS bull****.

They should have asked NO questions.

Humpty Dumpty Land: Formerly Tightey Whitey World

Ace! · #11 10-03-2001, 12:12 PM

You know, I don't really care anymore. It's too bad I have to wait, but I guess I'm so happy to have the stupid little snap ring coming (that I thought was a $0.25 part, but I guess is a $5.00 part) that I'm happy. It's too bad that I had to waste time looking for it, but I guess I should have called Monday morning (I had no idea this was something special, it just looks like a heavy duty snap ring). Funny thing, the guy on the phone at AA put me on hold for a while and when he got back on said he'd asked "management" and they couldn't just send one out. Oh well, it's on it's way. I'll probably miss this weekend's run, but the Jeep will be ready for next week...knock on wood.

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

TJRON · #12 10-03-2001, 01:54 PM

Ace,
Get this!
There is a post about a "Jeep of your dreams" on JU. It belongs to Dave owner/part owner/whatever at Drive Train Direct. It got a lot of flak 'cause it wasn't exactly what most of us would call a dream Jeep. The guy that made the post is Dale the jerk I had problems with at DTD. I made what I thought was a funny post that if you bought the Jeep the engine was probably back ordered.
Well, this Dale guy e-mailed me and wanted to know why I made that post and if I had a beef with DTD, so I told my story.
Today Dave called me and wanted me to be happy so bad he's going to trade me a brand new Ox locker for my Detroit, straight accross!
Of course they are BACK ORDERED! Bwaahahah!

Now all I have to do is talk him into trading for the rear Detroit instead of the front. I didn't think of it at the time but I don't mind the Detroit in the front now that I have 2low and the hub conversion.
Any how, good things happen to nice guys.

Ro

Ace! · #13 10-03-2001, 02:36 PM

Of course it's backordered ! ! ! That's pretty funny Ron. Good luck!

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

Jeeper · #14 10-05-2001, 09:13 AM

Ace, just a question but why is a speedo gear snap ring going to keep you from running a trail? Zip tie the cable up and out of the way and ride on. I haven't had mine hooked up since for three years. before some of you start up with the legalities...its not a daily driver and everything besides the frame and tub has been swapped out.

Jeeper

Many Jeeps with Stuff

Ace! · #15 10-05-2001, 02:03 PM

It's not the speedometer gear that "plugs" into the tail cone, it's for the oil pump (retaining/snap ring) and speedometer gear inside the tail cone on the output shaft. You're right though, technically I could put the one ring I have in, to hold the oil pump, and leave off (I think) the other ring and speedo-gear on the output shaft without damage. I would however have to remove the drive shaft, yoke, tail cone and maybe drain the case in order to put the internal gear back in once I've got the ring. Oh, and I wouldn't have the one ring to use as a guide when looking to buy one from a local place (not an issue anymore).

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[This message was edited by Ace! on October 05, 2001 at 03:23 PM.]