767Jockey -- Build Thread Update?

ERA Chas · #1 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZOERA-SC7XX

I've been comtemplating a 427 for my ERA in the near future. At least I know who I will NOT do business with. This sort of thing can hurt the manufacturer more than he may realize, as much of the automotive hobby business is based on recommendation.
Good luck with your plight.
P.S. I'm a believer in sleeved blocks. Maybe KC has a good idea there.

Doug,
I know you got your hands full but this is exactly why I asked you to ID the problem guy. ZO is ready to spend money and your info is most helpful.
He's also right, that KC or Barry R. can make it right for probably much less than pursuing Tim. Maybe Barry can chime in and provide a helpful insight???

767Jockey · #2 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 05:50 PM

Guys - hang in there for just a few more days. I actually got a return phone call today (the first time in 2 months) and I may be heading for a resolution. We'll see. I've heard the promises before.

767Jockey · #3 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Doug,
I know you got your hands full but this is exactly why I asked you to ID the problem guy. ZO is ready to spend money and your info is most helpful.
He's also right, that KC or Barry R. can make it right for probably much less than pursuing Tim. Maybe Barry can chime in and provide a helpful insight???

PM sent to ZOERA with details on who NOT to buy a block directly from. Again, please bear with me while I struggle to try to make myself whole on this incredibly frustrating and bad transaction. Two months and counting.....

767Jockey · #4 (**permalink**) 06-13-2009, 01:34 PM

OK, quick update on the progress, or lack thereof, for those who have asked or are interested. It seems that the person who I have been dealing with is one of the founders of the company that manufactured the block, but is no longer an owner, but instead now an "employee" The company was sold some time ago, and last week I was finally able to make contact with the true owner of the company. He was certainly more forthcoming than the previously represented "owner" (really just an employee). On of the first things he did was to give me all of his contact numbers and email address, so I am now done with getting the runaround from his rep. I deal with him only from this point on. I have already heard from him numerous times in the past week or so, significantly more than I heard from his rep in the past two months. The owner was disturbed to say the least at all that I told him regarding the difficulties in reaching his representative, the lack of action taken to remedy the problem, as well as the rep passing himself off as an owner. I told him some of the remedies that the rep has offered me, and he was less than thrilled. He claims that his rep was in no way authorized to make me these offers of remedy, in which case my reply was that I have no way of knowing what his rep is authorized to say, that is an internal problem between him and his rep.

The bottom line is, the pick up tag for my defective block was issued one day after I spoke with the owner. I have been attempting to get this block picked up for almost two months through his rep to no avail, so that the fact that we finally got a pickup tag issued after only one phone call in and of itself is progress. I left off with the owner that he would look at the block and we would discuss remedies than. This seems reasonable to me. He seems to have no issue with believing that the block is defective, he only wants to see it for himself, which seems reasonable to me. One thing he mentioned was the possibility of sleeving this block. I have no interest in sleeving this block, as it's a brand new block and I paid full price for it. Every cylinder in it is bad showing significant porosity spots in each of them, and sleeving every cylinder in the block holds no interest to me. We'll see where it goes from here, it's still a disaster but at least we seem to be moving forward. To where, I don't know!

patrickt · #5 (**permalink**) 06-13-2009, 02:46 PM

OK, so is this an accurate one-sentence summary: "Owner says send it back to him, he'll look at it, and then we'll talk."

767Jockey · #6 (**permalink**) 06-13-2009, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

OK, so is this an accurate one-sentence summary: "Owner says send it back to him, he'll look at it, and then we'll talk."

That's where we're at, Patrick. The only real development is that I don't have to deal with the elusive and evasive rep anymore- I have a direct line to the owner. At least he answers the phone and he also returns calls promptly.

patrickt · #7 (**permalink**) 06-13-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

That's where we're at, Patrick. The only real development is that I don't have to deal with the elusive and evasive rep anymore- I have a direct line to the owner. At least he answers the phone and he also returns calls promptly.

Who is paying the freight to transport the block back so this guy can see it?

767Jockey · #8 (**permalink**) 06-13-2009, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

Who is paying the freight to transport the block back so this guy can see it?

They are - they issued a tag for shipping. My machinist was nice enough to re-palletize the block and bring it to a shipping terminal to save them a few bucks - sort of a goodwill gesture.