Vendor Disappointment
 

FWIW - wanted to share a disappointment with Thompson's Garage (.com).

I was looking for wheel cylinders for 39-48 hydro brakes since I had one fail on my 'A' roadster.

I looked around and on their website the pictures of the cylinders clearly indicated 'USA' (see attached).

So even though they were several dollars more each than the 'usual' vendors I ordered them.

Package arrived today - not stamped 'USA'; a call confirmed they are imported and no offer of a 'customer satisfaction' credit for having been misled. Not that I would have taken it (after all, I will take some responsibility in that I didn't ask at the time I ordered; but, isn't a picture supposed to be worth a thousand words); but something should have been offered.

I won't do business with them again.

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Probably just used a stock photograph but should have mentioned the country of manufacture.

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If they're unwilling to satisfy you when they lied, they should be finding a credit card chargeback shortly.

Unacceptable practice and response.

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Isn't "Usa" a village in northern China? :confused:

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Oh please don't let this get out of hand or ugly. Is it really worth it? Until you have owned a small business you just don't know what you must go through.

Is it possible that Thompsons did not think about offering a credit at the time you were on the phone or if you had suggested it they would have?

Is it possible this was an oversight on their part where there was not intent of deception or them trying to mislead anyone? Maybe when they put together the webpage, this was a picture of the same unit as what they were selling yet their vendor changed suppliers and they did not realize it?

Folks, please realize that there are always two sides to every story and there was only one perfect person that ever roamed this Earth. The rest of us are guilty of making mistakes from time to time and I feel people trying to provide a service to us do not deserve to be blind-sided by negative feedback in a public forum where they may or may not be able to offer their perspective. I realize Ryan has no problem with folks giving negative feedback here but does it really help? In the case of the Thompsons, it appears they are only re-selling and not manufacturing the item. If you are unhappy with a purchase, ask to return it. My suggestion is to put yourself in their shoes while communicatating with folks and try to amicably work it out being fair to everyone involved.

BTW, I have no clue who the Thompsons are nor have I ever heard about them so I am completely neutral and unbiased in my thoughts.

.

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If you have a need to have wheel or master cylinders rebuilt and want excellent results contact Joe Way, one of the Ford Barners who posts on this site. The units are sleeved with Brass and brought back to standard size, this way a standard new brake cylinder kit will properly fit. Joe's e-mail address is [email protected] and his cell number is 530-864-5286.

Ron

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The pic. is clear...USA...:rolleyes:.

Oh please don't let this get out of hand, Is it possible, Is it possible ? ..WOW! :eek:.

Bogie,.. Call your credit card co. They will handle it for you.
I would also send the pic. of the item with USA on it, and the part's back to Thompson,s and tell them they need to up-date ther adv. That is miss adv. Out-Right... JMHO.

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[QUOTE=BRENT in 10-uh-C;445907] Until you have owned a small business you just don't know what you must go through.

And in today's business environment, where every Larry Parker (you guys in SoCal will know who I mean) out there wants to sue the bejeebers out of everybody, and people don't want to pay for anything they want it for nothing, and nobody wants to be responsible for themselves it's always somebody else's fault...well you have to ask yourself 'just who in their right mind would open a business or try to mfg. ANYthing in this country today???' :eek::eek: I don't like seeing things built overseas but at the same time I can sure understand WHY it has become this way.

On a similar note, Henry Ford commenting on Wall Street (which he despised) and the great 1929 Crash and so many people losing so much....... "They wanted something for nothing. They didn't want to work."

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Hey Brent, right-freakin-on brother.

#1 It's a wheel cylinder, cast iron with some holes and machining done.

#2 Since the part has such a simple function, is "Made in the USA" really THAT
drastic? Will buying it cost you your job? Will it make your car worth 1/2 it's current value?

#3 Does the supplier deserve to make a profit...so he can stay in buisness...and provide the goods and services his base needs?

#4 If you were Thomson, would you scheme to defraud all of us worthless old car people in advance of selling product?

There's nothing sinister going on there. Wheel cylinders have been imported LOOONNGG before it was unpopular to do so. If it fits, looks new, does what you want it to, I can't see how you're hurt. Look around your house. Unless you're one of those who only have things over 30-40yrs old it's full of imported product purchased by choice. Just sayin...

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I don't know, maybe I'm an idiot but I went well out of my way to buy USA made WARD brand pipe fittings when I ran steam piping in my house as well as natural gas piping. These fittings are simple hunks of iron with some machining, but you would be amazed how much nicer they thread onto a pipe than the Chinese garbage home depot sells.

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C’mon guy's, the guy makes a conscious effort to support American manufactured products, saw the pic and didn't get what he wanted. Whether or not it was deliberate or not he should get his money back and, not be beat up here. He took partial responsibility when he said he should have asked first. I understand the small business side, my wife has had one for 17 years, but the pic did show USA. The offending company had a chance to make it right. He says he wouldn't take the money so he is just letting people know his experience. That is the way I read it.
Fordially, Craig

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I went to their web site and it says right in the description "USA Made".
https://www.thompsonsgarage.com/home...1939-1948.html

Bob

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How come you didn't support your local NAPA as they're a stock item or can be ordered for next day delivery?

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Napa brake clys are china also.

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Because sometimes the NAPA stuff is imported also...

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Let's not chastise "bogiediver" for going out of his way to buy USA made products.
I owned and operated my own small business and you ARE responsible for what you advertise !
"bogiediver" was very disappointed, I'm sure.
MIKE :)

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OMG ! Lets take the vendor out and give him 40 lash's. The President, Congress, Banks, car dealers and many many others lie to you every day. Most politician would rather clime a tree to tell you a lie then stand on ground and tell you the truth. And you are upset because one vendor may have made a mistake. The one in the ad stated Made in USA does this mean that every one that he sells has to be made in USA or does the vendor have to specify where each and every product that he sells was made.If that is so boy are a lot of stores and vendors in trouble. Richard/Ca

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Why don't you just return the merchandise ??

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-10 points for "OMG" usage.

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Thank you!!


2nd off, ....why are we even discussing THIS here? :eek: It definitely is Hot Rod related (as evidenced by the product and the title on the webpage) ...which I though was not supposed to be discussed here. I guess in re-thinking this, maybe we should all boycott this fellar and spread all kinds of propaganda on him. It seems lots of folks like to participate in a 'lynching' ...unless it is their own! ;)

.

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you might find the chinese made ones last longer than the usa cylinders....

lets face it most foreign made modern day vehicles have it all over the usa made
in workmanship and quality

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Right, Vince. I remember it now. :o But maybe they outsourced the whole town to China.

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So we should just accept the lies?

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Good Thoughts C26Pinelake. Sorry! MrTube trying to get with the texting thing or what ever the younger people are doing these days with their (phones?) Oh! And the way Mr Tubes you are NOT an idiot for trying to buy American. Richard/Ca

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The one in the ad stated Made in USA does this mean that every one that he sells has to be made in USA or does the vendor have to specify where each and every product that he sells was made.If that is so boy are a lot of stores and vendors in trouble. Richard/Ca

You dam right, or it is false advertising. There are many companies such as Snyders, and Birdhaven, here in Iowa that will list U.S.A. made if that part is.

I also buy U.S.A., as every part that I have got that isn't, is NOT usable to me.

Ya , he can probably get his money back, but, will he get his shipping back, will he get his time back he is out, that could all have been prevented!!

Mr. Nose, it seems you always go against somebodys customer that has a complaint, and stick up for the vender, could it be because it hits close to home for you, as in my opinion, there are always reasons for a particular agenda??

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Gosh, maybe I am just different but I think much of this is perception. Mike, suppose I live close by and you call me asking if I can come over and give you a hand moving something. I say "Sure, be there in 15 minutes!" Now suppose it actually take 20 minutes before I arrive. Did I lie to you when I wasn't there in exactly 15 minutes like I said? Maybe my intentions were pure but I was delayed a few minutes while I had to run back into the house to go pee.

Again, while we have only heard one side of the story, it kinda appears the vendors were honest or forthcoming when later asked if it was imported. If they had argued and tried to cover it up, maybe I would feel different about their business ethics but based on my perception, it just has the appearance of a mistake. I guess it is also unclear to me whether they were unwilling to take the merchandise back, --or whether they were actually asked to give some type of compensation.

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No Mike I don't think you should accept the lies. And I don't what we can do to stop it. It is like an affliction was politicians,The wall street super rich, And in about 90% of marketing and auto industry. Most of the people who control the money. Richard/Ca

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Brent,
I don't understand why you are trying so hard to spin this :eek: ?
It ain't working :rolleyes:.

The parts Bogie bought from thompson's were clearley adv. as made in the "USA",..... "NOT IN CHINA" :rolleyes:.

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Here's another twist we can add to this argument: If the buyer learned how to make his original Model A mechanical brakes function correctly, he would not be having this problem!

I had a problem with a Chinese-made electric fuel pump when I bought my Model A with it's Weber downdraft setup. When I changed back to the original Zenith, I did not have to contend with the Chinese fuel pump anymore-and the car runs smoother and is more reliable!

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Rusty,
That's kinda' like cuttin' off your schnozz to spite your unhandsome face. I would have put a U.S.A. made pump & left the Weber on. Webers are a very smooth, very refined carb, and deliver amazing power & economy! Bill W.

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Read the bold. So basically, they were honest about it when they got caught that they were advertising a product as made in the USA when in fact it was not. Every time someone has a comment about a vendor there is Brent chiming in on why it really isn't the vendors fault. Why is that Brent?

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It seems if we didn't own a small business, we are not qualified to chime in here. Well I have and also worked retail for many years. If you show me a picture of a USA made part and print that it is USA made then it is supposed to be just that. If I order that part I am supposed to receive that which I ordered, if not the seller is committing a criminal act.
Now I purchase American made when I can (I support American jobs) when I can't I purchase the alternative or I go without.
Had a professor once explain the human ego as like a bucket of water. We all need water in that bucket. When some person makes a negative comment it is similar to dipping out some of the water. Positive comments just the opposite. Some folks can't get enough water so they start scooping it up for themselves by taking up some cause like defending small business and then adding a disclaimer. Hence the chiming mentioned above.

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You all need to look carefully at the actual ad and then I beg anyone to ad further arguement that the man was not mislead.
Here it is...
https://www.thompsonsgarage.com/home...1939-1948.html

I see all their wheel cylinders are clearly described as Proudly Made In USA with a big USA banner.

As a Canadian business owner I would be appalled & embarrassed at such an error. The man should have been appologized to and a correct part shipped or full refund offered with more appologies.
Furthermore the website should have been corrected ...TODAY.
I'll agree this could be a simple mistake and maybe some Chinese parts "snuck" into the bins without being noticed. Bottom line is they need to be culled or the ad changed and that's the only proper thing to do... period.

Although it seems hopeless most days, I go out of my way to buy Canadian, then USA, parts & tools. Next I consider used, going without.......... and finally offshore.
(which probably STILL claims roughly half of my purchases). Clothing is a hard one.

Given the present economy, anybody who thinks it "makes no difference" to buy everything Chinese, may I suggest you seek some help before it's too late?
When you devolve past the point of "tolerating" the support of foreign jobs to "grandstanding" in their favor, that is, for lack of a better word....frightfull.

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THANK YOU!

What is a lie? My definition is the KNOWINGLY telling of an untruth. This is not a case of a friend being a few minutes late or even an honest mistake. This is an ad for a product that states in three different places that it is made in the USA, even proudly made in the USA and it is not.

Why mention that it was made in the USA? Because the vendor knows that USA manufactured goods get a higher price.

Whenever we accept lies from anyone we are telling them that it is OK, continue on, we don't care. We need to take to task what people, vendors, and even politicitions, tell us and never accept lies!

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Anyone gone to a fast food restaurant lately and asked for a sandwich like in the picture on the menu board or posters all over the store??? Talk about truth in advertising.................
Paul in CT

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Right. I didn't say to chargeback immediately upon receipt. However, since in the original post he already gave the business an opportunity to correct the situation - and it sounds like they balked at the chance - then it is a valid response.

This isn't much different than buying something that is advertised as a RED SHIRT in description with a picture of a RED SHIRT, and then being upset when what arrives is a BLUE SHIRT - then having the company say "Tough!"

Regardless of what people think of Made in USA, the facts seem to be that a product is advertised as something that it is not - both in image and text. No one is saying to go sue-happy against small businesses who make mistakes; however I will advocate highly to attain what you actually paid for - not whatever they felt like shipping to you that day.

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Paul in Ct,

Man, did you ever "hit-the-nail-on-the-head" with your statement. I've always thought about doing that and seeing what happens?!?! I probably
would get the same expression. I got yesterday when I went into the local post office and asked: "Let me have some of the new stamps with
the confederate flag on them." It was great, total bewilderment on the clerks face.:)

Bob-A:D

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There is a simple solution. Return the parts. Yeah, you will pay return shipping but its very likely that the vendor will pay the original shipping if you ask for it. I run a small business and know how tough it is to make a living. A small business can also be run broke by negative word-of-mouth. Call them up, explain your problem, ask for a refund, and see where it goes. Remember, their profit margin is likely less than 10% on this type of product.