New title: Lesson learned- Buy local! No more mail order (except for Bratton's).

[P.S.]

I live about 1.5 hour's drive from Sacramento Vintage Ford. However, they are almost always out of what I need. They do offer to backorder everything, but it is getting really old. So, decided to try some of the popular places with websites.

Bratton's has some good stuff, and have placed a few orders with them. Never had to utilize their customer service for anything until today, and am not pleased.

One of the items in my order was a rebuilt item sold on exchange basis only. I sent my core, they sent the item. It's defective. Whoever "rebuilt" it forgot a couple of key things. One of the key items is so corroded, it is about ready to fall off, but they powdercoated right over it despite being clearly, visually, about 1/2 the size it should be due to severe corrosion underneath all that pretty black powdercoat. This never should have been sent out, even someone with little knowledge of the part would be able to spot this flaw immediately. Yet, Bratton's shipped it out this way.

So, I called today, 10 minutes after receiving the package and opening the box. I got transferred to another gentleman (nameless) who was VERY abrupt. He gruffly said "What's wrong?" and I told him, very nicely. He said very abruptly, "send it back, we'll send you a new one" (click) hung up. Yes, he offered, I'll agree to that. However...

Wow.

I have been to Sac Vintage dozens of times and even though they seldom have what you need in stock, at least you have the opportunity to inspect it before you take it home. This "rebuilt" item should have cost just under $100, but now add shipping for the core, and shipping for the defective part back, and hopefully not shipping for another, and the rudeness on the phone, it is totally not worth it!

For you guys that live close enough to a Model A parts dealer, please learn from my mistake. Would have come out ahead to wait for Sac Vintage Ford to get around to stocking this item!!

This is likely also the very last Bratton's order for me. Is that just the way they are over there? Is that sort of rudeness "normal"?

[Ross/Kzoo]

That's the first time that I've something like that from Bratton's. I've probably had about 12-15 different deliveries from Bratton's and only once the package arrives with small bolts and misc. in the package. I called Bratton's and they apologized and all the stuff arrived in 2 days with no cost. Always very good to work with and ask questions in my opinion.

[700rpm]

I have always had a good experience with Bratton's. I once received a floor mat that was badly damaged. I was willing to send it back, but they said they'd just send me a new one, no problem.
One fellow there seems only to know how to answer the phone and take orders; if I have a product question I get transferred. I can't explain what happened to you, but that has been my experience.

[Fred K-OR]

P.S. I have has similar situations with Sacramento. So I will call them before I place an order or pick up an order from them.

Bratton's have been good to work with and get what you need. Could be this person had a "bad" day when you called. In fact I have had good results with other vendors also like Bert's, Mac's, etc.. But with any vendor you can have a bad experience at some time. So it would seem like to judge a vendor because of one bad experience may be a bit unfair to a vendor.

[miss victoria]

Always had good luck with brattons,i also live a couple of hours from sac ford and they seem to always be out of stock, real nice catalog but not much inventory?

[latecomer]

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I have placed dozens of orders with brattons in the last three years never had evan one problem with sales or customer service. len mercurio fafld. county model A s .

[Karl]

When you live on the other side of the world you quickly work out who is good to deal with as snafus are very hard to fix from this side of the Pacific . I have dealt with Brattons Mikes and Synders with absolutely no problems. Synders once replaced a cracked brake drum at no cost including postage -(postage cost alone was more than the part cost ) Macs a different story ! -Karl

[flatford39]

I have had many dealing with Walt Bratton and he has always stood by his product. They are my number one source to go to not because of price so much but for customer service. If there is ever a problem I know he will stand behind it.

Sorry to hear about your experience. You may want to call Walt direct and let him know.

[Bob/Kansas City]

I always go to Bratton's first with my list and have never been disappointed with the quality of the items received. They have always been good about answering questions and have been good to suggest the right parts for my project.
Often times rebuilt parts that are stocked by Model A parts vendors are reconditioned by individuals on the outside and sometimes the quality may not up to par. That doesn't relieve the seller from the responsibility of a little quality control on the receiveing end however.
I'm not sure if that is what happened here or not.
I hope what you experienced was a fluke. They are certainly better than the treatment you received.

[Gary WA]

Bratton's is one of the BEST!!!! Talk to Walt He will make it good!!!

[peters180a/170b]

I can not count the number of times i have bought from BRATTON'S over MANY YEARS ! Endless times... ONLY ONCE i had a issue with the rebuilt steering box... And that could of been in the shipping ! ! ! They made good before the week was over! That's all i can say about Walt. And the same goes for A+ L Parts and Snyder's ..BERT'S.

[tudoor]

We are only humans. And Walt is one of the good ones.

[Ron Lowe]

Many years with Bratton's and dozens of orders without any problem and I'm very picky.

[Bill in NJ]

Brattons is first in my opinion. Excellent service !!

[P.S.]

Good points, thanks.

Timothy: You'll see that I did not send them to the "electric chair". I shared the highlights of the deal and asked if it was "normal" or not for this vendor. Others chimed in and advised that it is not normal, and I posted that it is good to know.

Getting gruffly treated and then hung up upon isn't what I call ideal customer phone etiquette. Sharing this with the group wasn't done with malice, but to find out if it is expected from this vendor or not. I certainly do not hold any grudge against this vendor, and wish them no harm to their business. Though, as I typed the first message, they had lost mine. After reading some of the helpful replies, I admittedly may have decided that too quickly.

I treat everyone with respect, and can assure you that my tone on the phone was professional and kind, certainly not a tone deserving of what happened. I took the stance that there was a problem with my order and was kindly requesting help to make it right with a cheer in my voice. I had the kind of tone that should have been on the other end of that phone call, but wasn't. You can imagine, it was cause for alarm on my part.

So you see, you missed the point. It wasn't whether or not the situation would be resolved, but how I was treated that caused me to come here and share the situation and ask the question.

As for Sac Vintage almost always being out of things and not being able to inspect a part they do not have in stock, you may have missed the point there also. That is precisely the point, and why it made sense to try another vendor with the part in stock since I couldn't inspect in person anyway. Then, to make the point, I surmised that it may be better to have the local vendor backorder the part and get it in since the delay and expense of going through Bratton's (twice) doesn't make up for it. A sort of epiphany on my part that I shared and you may have taken with some offense. My apologies for not being more clear.

[miss victoria]

Did you think maybe the man had other calls waiting? he said SEND IT BACK. what more do you want but for him to kiss your****** walt bratton i a # 1 guy. and will take care of you.

[29ModelA]

Originally Posted by miss victoria

Did you think maybe the man had other calls waiting? he said SEND IT BACK. what more do you want but for him to kiss your****** walt bratton i a # 1 guy. and will take care of you.

Maybe at least tell him that he will not have to eat the freight for THEIR screw up?

[firechief5215]

I have dealt with Brattons for years and never had a problem, I have a early 28 aa and they have put allot of effort in helping us get it back to original .Sent many pictures to them to help identify originality. Super People.

[BrianBurkert]

I work at a customer service oriented family business (we sell specialty lumber products for custom homes and restorations, as Bratton's sells specialty auto products). Sometimes it is tough to keep up the polite and cordial tone. I'm pretty good at it, but my father isn't. Sometimes you get a customer that is a real handful, and then you're a little sour the rest of the day. I'm a very patient person (I think), but I did have to throw a "prospective" customer out of the store once (i.e. "That's it, get the %$&^ out of here."). I don't think I was in the best of moods for the rest of that day.

I have bought LOTS from Bratton's. In many years, I think I only had one insurmountable problem where I had to do a return/exchange. The Bratton employee who helped me was not exactly Mr. Sunshine, but he did rectify the situation. I believe I paid all shipping, but they ate the part I'm sure. I remembered that it is a living for them, but only a hobby for me.

[Mitch//pa]

everyone has a name and i always make sure to write down who i was talking to when resolving any problems.. if i feel that a situation is not being properly handled i would of asked to talk to someone else, and hopefully then this thread would not have been needed. the reman part in question was most likely redone by an outside vendor and the defect likely missed by brattons.