The Parts Place

Maybe I'm asking too much but I think a rechromed bumper should last more than a year and a half. If it doesn't, I think it's reasonable to ask for an exchange bumper so I don't have to be without use of the car. Here's the correspondance with Shane from TPP...


<!-- message -->
<div><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px; ">

<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px">Quote:</div>
<table cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset">

<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Thepartsplace</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic"><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px; ">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px">Quote:</div>

<table cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset">

<div>Originally Posted by <strong>70aqua_custom</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic"><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px; ">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px">Quote:</div>
<table cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">

<tr>
<td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset">

<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Thepartsplace</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic"><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px; ">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px">Quote:</div>
<table cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>

<td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset">

<div>Originally Posted by <strong>70aqua_custom</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic"><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px; ">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px">Quote:</div>
<table cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset">


<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Thepartsplace</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic"><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px; ">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px">Quote:</div>
<table cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset">

<div>Originally Posted by <strong>70aqua_custom</strong></div>

<div style="font-style:italic">Shane,<br />
<br />
I have problems with my rear bumper purchased from The parts Place spring 2004. I talked about it and posted pics in this thread <a href="http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?p=596308" target="_blank">http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?p=596308</a> <br />
<br />
I talked to you on the phone after that and you didn't have any core bumpers at the time. Do you have any now? I need the car and I don't have a box so just sending my bumper and waiting for it to come back is going to be very difficult. If you have bumpers I would like to buy one and then use that box to ship mine back to you. Then you can refund my credit card for whatever credit I get for the defective bumper.<br />
<br />
Thanks, Andy</div>

</td>

</tr>
</table>
</div><br />
Talking to my manager, the bumper warranty applies to the bumper you have. So basically it needs to be sent in here, inspected, and redone if it is bad plating. <br />
<br />
Thanks</div>

</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div><br />

<br />
Shane,<br />
I understand how the warranty works. I needed to know if you have bumpers in stock. Thanks, Andy</div>

</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div><br />
<br />
Andy,<br />
As of now we do not have one instock... I was just trying to explain that we do not swap the bumpers, we fix the one you already recieved. So basically with what you are saying, it seems you want to pay $279 for another bumper and turn the bumper you already have in as the $150 core???</div>


</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div><br />
<br />
Shane, I do not want to pay another $279 for another bumper. I just want a good bumper on my car and I don't want to be without use of the car. It is not driveable without a rear bumper, tail lights and license tag. <br />
<br />
Just so I get this straight, you want me to remove my rear bumper and all of its related parts, buy a box and packing materials, pack the bumper, pay the freight, pay whatever you say it costs to fix the bumper, be without my car for who knows how long, then reinstall the bumper when I get it back? You want me to incur all this cost because the people that did the chrome did poor work and the chrome on a bumper I bought from The Parts Place in good faith didn't last a year and a half? I'm sure this isn't how business is done there.<br />
<br />
Andy</div>

</td>

</tr>
</table>
</div><br />
<br />
That is the way the warranty works, if you were unhappy with the warranty (you got the sheet on it with the bumper you recieved) then you should have called and complained then that you didn't think it was fair if something was to happen to the bumper you had top pay the shipping. You have had it for 1.5 years, who knows what is wrong with it and you drive it everyday. If the problem is due to the platting being bad then we will cover it. Sorry you are unhappy, that is how that works.</div>

</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div><br />
<br />
I am unhappy with having to be without use of the car. As I said before, I was willing to do the rest. <br />

<br />
When I bought the bumper from you, you had one in stock. You sent me the new one and I sent my rusty one to you. When you inspected and approved my core bumper you credited my credit card. Thinking logically, I thought it would be pretty easy to do the very same transaction again. I was wrong. For the record, the car is NOT a daily driver and it it always garage kept. I drive it in dry weather and I've put around 7,000 miles on the bumper.</div>
<!-- / message -->

 

MAN, after seeing all the problems with this place...sounds like i will take my grill buisness elsewhere...thanks for posting that and i hope you get the bumper you were ORGINALY promised! :TU:

 

I dont know who does the bumpers for them but if its the same place that does them for Desert Dog then you will only get a shiny driver bumper with poor metal prep. I had 2 bumpers done there and they are shiny but I can easily see the grind marks (one 4 inch mark that looks like a key mark on a car that was just painted over on a car but this was chromed over) and the high wavy spots. I can tell the chrome will peel soon because on the backside along the edge you can see bubbles and once they open up its only a matter of time but the rest starts to peel. The other one was worse and had the chrome peeling by the holes the 70 buick plate mounts through and THERE WAS CHROME under the new chrome. They offered to redo it but why waste the time and freight. It will not be any better. I have found another rear core and will take it to the place that did my 64s and front 70. Cost 150 more but well worth it. They would not do the other cores because they said it comes with a lifetime warranty and it was to thin on top? They looked like really good cores but they would not touch them.

 

Since they don't stock bumpers, I don't think it is unreasonable that you would have to send your bumper in. Although I think the chrome "should have" lasted more than 1.5 years, use their warranty..... and send the bumper in. I have sent alot of bumper in nothing but bubble wrap with shrink wrap around that........ never ship a bare bumper in a cardboard box... :laugh:
It's a standard "chromer's warranty" in most of the places........ they warranty the chrome, not the bumper. Sorry, but sometimes it is kind of a PITA, but at least they have the warranty in the first place. Some chromers don't even have that kind of warranty! o No:

Mike

 

Andy, it's certainly unfortunate that you're having problems with that bumper in such a short time. I know there are differing levels of chroming jobs done on these things, but you would expect even the cheaper work to last longer. I'm glad to hear they consider it to still be under warranty, if the plating is badly done. I'm not surprised at the terms of the warranty, that is VERY common. I can confidently state that 99% of the vendors I deal with where I work, have the same policy in place. Very rarely can we get an exchange item, the defective piece has to be returned for repair, or will be replaced if found to be unrepairable by the mfgr. But we go a step further to take care of our customers, by providing free used loaner products for certain electronic items we sell, that the customer returns once we have their repaired item back. Doubt that can work with bumpers though... Anyway, Jason gives some good advice, no need to box it up to send it back, it'll be replated anyway. I personally also spent the extra $$ to have my rear bumper redone a couple years ago. Yes, it was $400, but it's perfect. Will do the same to the front in a year or 2 maybe.

 

We have gotten several bumpers replated at North Star Plating in Brainerd, MN. With our shop discount, I think it runs about $260 for show chrome.
They do excellent work, and they don't peel.
A place by the name of AIH in Iowa is supposed to be the top of the line, but they get around $500 plus.
I spoke with Dave Kleiner a few years back, and he's the one that told me about AIH. I guess if his customer is not concerned with cost he has them done there. Otherwise he sends them to North Star.

 

Thats the place that did my other bumpers and they are perfect. My 67 bumpers will go there and now I can use you shop discount and drop them off!!!!!!!!!!

 

I also used North Star (Keystone) in Brainerd, though I went thru the St. Cloud location. I guess they charge extra for insurance work...

 

Sorry Andy, but I'm with Jason on this one.
I've never dealt with TPP, so I don't have an opinion on their products or service, but from what I'm reading here, you definately got a bad chrome job. But it also seems that their warrantee is about like anything else out there. Take back your bad bumper and they'll fix it. o No:

But hey, on the bright side it's winter now, so hopefully they can have it back to you before the nice weather comes!! :TU: :beer

 

Guys,I know a little bit about bumper chrome shops having been dealing with them for about 25 years now thur my line of work[auto body shop jobber].Back when all cars and trucks had chrome bumpers we delivered 20 80 cores per week to the bumper shops.In that time frame because of labor problems[can't find someone who knows how to straighten bent bumpers,EPA,EPA fines,Auto manufacturers going to plastic bumpers the bumper shops have disappeared at a alarming rate.I know of 3 bumper chrome shops out of business recently one within the last few weeks.That said I can say that the bumper shops are not making money at the prices they have charged in the past as there just is not enough parts to plate to make a profit on so the prices are going up.GO to Desert Dog website site and see they they just went up $50.00 per bumper and they do production chrome not show chrome[so you will see a sanding mark or wave somewhere on every bumper if you look hard][look at a NOS GM bumper and you will see plenty of sanding,grinding,and waves on them as well] and yes customer must pay shipping to and from plater on each bumper unless you have one local[but all the shops near to me are now out of business].Customer paying the shipping has always been normal for any bumper shop I know of.Bumpers are BIG,HEAVY,and OVERSIZE SHIPPING RATES APPLY ON UPS,FEDEX shipping of bumpers ,ECT.For those who want show chrome you will hear quotes like $900.00 to $1500.00 per bumper and most non bumper chrome shops know nothing about straighting and bumper that is bent!!!! Some people kill me;they will pay $100.00 bucks to have a doorhandle or small emblem rechromed but raise hell about sending in a rusty,bent,beat up gaint Buick bumper in and see a small grind mark on it when it gets back and the plate job including straighting was only $300.00.

 

$279 for a rechromed bumper is a steal. I was qoated $1100,YES $1100 for my rear N25 71 bumper from Custom Chrome. I had Keystone do it for $450. 279 is a total deal...........I mean steal

Kyle,if you want to take your grille business elsewhere. You buy a 71 GS grille from TPP,and I `ll trade you a really nice original 71 GS grille. I`ll pay the shipping. I have 2 -71 GS grilles,and would rather put a TPP grille in my car,then use the brittle old grilles

 

It's been quite some time since we have had any bumpers plated, so they may have went up considerably. I have a few that need to be done so I'll give them a call and see what they quote.

 

What are you breaking the guys balls for? Just return your bumper and be glad hes willing to honer his warranty .I personally wouldnt send you the new bumper until I got back the old one. Come on ...what do you want.. a rent a car till its replaced ?? good thing he dont send out a crew to swap it for you .Try getting a bumper replacement from another $1000 life time warranty chrome joint.You get what you pay for and so far it looks like TPP will stand by his sale.

 

Unreasonable?

Try and put yourself in TPP's position. Sounds like the warranty/return policy was understood before the purchase? From TPP position you are being unreasonable.
It wont cost very much to ship the bumper to them for a rechrome.

Pretty amazing that they had a bumper in stock in the first place. I would guess they dont sell very many Buick bumpers and probably have a hard time finding cores for a rechrome. Call some of the other vendors and get a price on a rechromed bumper.
Perhaps you should call them back and try and work it out somehow.
If you buy a core ($100.00 to $250.00), and send it off for a rechrome($375.00 to $1800.00), and then add what you have already spent you really have no other option that makes sense financially.

Post in the "parts wanted" section here and maybe one of the members has a bumper you could use on your car while they are rechromeing yours.
After yours is completed you can sell the core bumper and get your money back. Heck TPP would probably buy it, if they had cores they would get them rechromed for resell...

Which bumper do you need? I bet we can help.

I can relate to your dilemma, I have not been able to install either of my bumpers because it has taken 10 months to get the pot metal rechromed.

Good Luck
Bert

 

I'm upset because not only do they not have one ready to go but they didn't have one when I called last fall and now they refuse to do an exchange like they did when I bought the bumpers in the first place. Not only that but they are hinting that I may have done something to cause the chrome to do bad. I find that insulting. I called TPP a couple of months ago about this problem. Shane said he didn't have any cores then. I also asked them if they'd buy a core from me. Shane said no. I figured I'd wait. So I waited and again, no cores. When I bought the front and rear bumpers from them they never mentioned sending mine in for rechroming. It was done on an exchange basis only. My bumpers were just cores and they had chromed ones in stock ready to ship. Why they don't stock them anymore I don't know. They are not rechroming the thing for free either. It's a pro-rated sort of thing so I'm still going to be paying, just not the full amount if after inspection they feel like I didn't cause the problem. Like I said, I didn't have a problem with paying the shipping but when I add all the expense and inconveniences for someone elses goof it gets to me.

I guess I think the way I do because I don't treat my customers like that. If I install a defective part on a customer's air conditioner, I go back to his house, remove the part, obtain and install a new one. I then take the part back to the distributor and exchange it. I do all this at no cost to the customer. I feel like he paid for the job the first time. It's not his fault the part went bad so why make him pay. It's not my fault either but this is the business I'm in so I eat the loss.

I never asked TPP to eat anything. I just want them to do the same deal they did in the first place, which was do an exchange. I can see that the concensus here is that I am asking too much. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Mine remains the same.

95% of the miles I put on this car are taking my daughters to daycare. We have two cars in our family that can be used for this purpose. One is my wife's truck and when she is out of town working I need the Buick. She also goes on trips at the last minute so I can't have the car sitting there for weeks to months with no bumper.

 

I think their warranty is reasonable. Most autoparts ones are the same. I can understand your needing a bumper on your car so maybe someone can step up on here and send you something to run while your's is away. As for the chrome not holding up good or looking good. You Pay For What You Get in classic car parts. Show chroming is not cheap. I have used 2 places to get show chrome and both were $350 plus tax just to do my bumper (very good and straight ones). I have installed a few Parts Place bumpers on Olds cars and have been pleased with what I have recieved. They are not as good as the show chromed ones, but didn't cost near as much.

At the rate of complaints against TPP on this site lately, they may never make a Buick part again. It appears to be just a few people having problems with the majority liking the parts and service from TPP. They have been a good company to deal with for me and all the parts I have bought are good and reasonable. We need these people if we are going to keep running these cars!

 

I didn't ever want a show bumper. All I wanted was a bumper that looked like it did when the car was new. Unfortunately, I restored the car before I found this website so I couldn't ask anyone about who to use for rechroming and I spent a couple grand with TPP on my resto. I didn't save the paper that explained the warranty so I can't post it but I'm positive it was pro-rated just like a tire warranty. The longer you have the bumper, the more you pay to have it redone. I can't see why a bumper shouldn't last forever on a car that gets used like mine does.

I have not read kept up on the negative stuff about TPP. I did read part of one thread about the paint on the grille and from what I read TPP did the best they could do to reproduce the thing correctly. Did they really? I don't know. I didn't post this problem to bash or bandwagon TPP. This is about my bumper issue and sharing it with the board for everyone's info. If after reading what happened to me, you buy bumpers from them thats your business.

As far as I know,TPP's presence here has one purpose. Profit. I feel that if they use this board to advertise(they do), they should realize that negative experiences will be posted. This is where groups of people have power they would never have as individuals. We all love reproduction parts if they're good ones. Should we accept parts we don't like just because no one else sells them? Not me, I'd rather have a good used part than a junk repro anyday. Again I'm probably asking too much but thats me. I ask a lot from myself and I ask a lot from others. If no one complained the front marker lenses would they still be flat? Maybe I'm all wrong and the owner of TPP is just a generous person that reproduces and sells muscle car parts for no personal gain.

I didnt intend this thread to be a big discussion. I really hope its about done.