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torqueflite |
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New User Posts: 1 | I recall years worth of discussion on issues dealing with SMS for upholstery materials and door panel restorations. Mostly had to do with unreliable staff, long delays, communications problems, wrong orders shipped, etc. Have they gotten over those problems? Are there others I should consider (especially those that make door panels)? This is a simple 1959 Dodge coronet panel, with the embossed mylar across the top, and a mylar and whilte ribbon-strip across 1/3 the way down the bottom. Thanks, T | ||
The Adventurer |
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Elite Veteran,, James Passed away March 2021, He will be Missed Posts: 1028 Location: Melbourne, Australia | They have a new website as of earlier this week , and say they are making things better but who knows . Doug Is on retirement age , so it will be interesting to hear if they have improved . They have always been ok with me , but I know others have had problems . | ||
hemidenis |
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Expert Posts: 3897 Location: Northen Virginia | I'm sure they are customers here with unfulfilled orders for a couple of years. | ||
soiouz |
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Expert Posts: 3480 Location: Montreal, Canada | From what I have read here over the years, I guess I am one of the few customers that have had perfect service, and very quick delivery time with SMS (perfect order, shipped and received here in Canada in about two weeks). I had ordered two rolls of rare seat cloth for my canadian Dodge Regent, and it was a perfect match, and they were the only suppliers to carry it. I guess most problems occur when you order fully sewn covers and repro complete door panels. I am now considering another order for some rolls of cloth, and I would take the plunge without hesitation. | ||
DejaVu |
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Member Posts: 31 Location: South Australia | I too have no complaints. Doug was happy to send samples over here for perusal first and the shipping of material (yards only) was fairly prompt. Like David, I wouldn't hesitate to order any other material based on my experiences so far. | ||
Leadfoot1000 |
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Veteran Posts: 241 Location: Southern CA | I ordered some cloth about three weeks ago and received it today. Will order again. My seat centers and Lower door panels have embossed tuck and roll. I’m considering ordering some embossed vinyl from SMS to match, the other option is to have the upholstery guy stitch them in. I’ll probably try the order and see what happens, I’m busy under the hood now anyway, so waiting a few months won’t be an issue. | ||
PlymouthFury |
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Expert Posts: 1324 Location: Hickory, NC | SMS is run by a idiot. Their business practices and ethics are horrible. I've dealt with them three times and all three times was a joke. 1. First off was trying to get original seat cloth for a 1953 Oldsmobile for a friend. Doug assured us that their material was 100% correct and they would custom make it to exact specifications. Requested was the original blue striped fabric. What arrived was a shade of purple and totally wrong. Of course Doug knew the car did not have a scrap of original material in it so he was 100% confident in his scam. SMS was contacted again and we complained about the color so they sent another roll of fabric after the first order was returned. What came was some kind of fabric in a green hue. Again we complained that the color wasn't right. He then claimed it was a 100% match and was perfect in every detail and that he was looking at it in a dealer book. What he didn't know is that my friend had a dealer book as well. So we sent him photos of the crap he was trying to pass off as original right next to a perfect factory sample. The color didn't match and neither did the weave or pattern. Doug then all of a sudden didn't have anything to say. He was caught in his lie. My friend got fed up and ended up getting 1957 Plymouth Belvedere hardtop fabric which they had yardage in stock as he was tired of waiting. However it has faded terribly since being installed. 2. I wanted to get original seat bolster material for my 1959 Plymouth. I had gotten insert material and NOS rear seat covers from Original Auto already. So I needed the bolster cloth so it would match the NOS rear seat covers. SMS was the only choice. They sent samples and they matched perfectly. I ordered enough for the front seat. What came was something very similar but totally wrong. Different color and weave. It obviously wouldn't match the original materials of the rear seat. I contacted SMS and they said it was correct. Of course they didn't know I had NOS material on hand so I sent them another photo of the new cloth against the original. Then sent them a photo of their own sample which was original. So Doug then sends me the correct material which turns out to be a bunch of cut up scraps. So obviously they were trying to pass off some old crap they had on the shelf as original. After heated conversation I ended up having to use the cut up scraps and have my upholsterer sew pieces together to make it work. Ridiculous for what I paid for the material. 3. I had refused to do business with SMS since the last debacle. But I wanted to get original material for my 1958 Fury just because of what it is. I caved and called up SMS. They sent samples and it seemed good. I asked if it was in stock and I was assured that it was and it would be at my door in probably a week. Awesome right? Wrong. 2 weeks go by and still nothing. Of course they had already charged my card for the full amount which wasn't cheap. I contacted SMS and they said it would be coming soon. 3 weeks. Nothing. I contact them again and now I'm told the material has to be made but no worries its already being done at the mill. 4 weeks. Nada. Everytime I talk to them (through email because they won't talk to you on the phone unless you are giving them money) there's new excuses. "It's a complicated weave." "Takes time to do it right." "It's coming soon." Everytime I ask for a time frame it just gets longer and longer. Now its been a few months and still nothing. So I ask for a refund. Then Doug starts belittling me. Asking what crap I'm going to use in my car. And how it will look bad and that anything but his material would be inferior and blah blah. He refuses to refund my money. I demand a refund and then he says that its people like me who can't wait that ruin things and makes it oh so hard for his business. Then I learn that he's basically got 10 people waiting for this fabric apparently. Again I request a refund especially since I was told it was in stock. All of a sudden he says he does have some and that he'd send it to me quickly. What arrived? Enough quality fabric to redo my entire car? WRONG! I received a bunch of scraps. It was the material he cuts the samples from to send to people. So I'm in at $800 for a bunch of mix matched scraps of various cuts. Also none of the scraps match each other. They are different hues and weaves. So who knows whats correct anyhow? I am furious (no pun intended) and demand a refund immediately. He then asks what I'd give for the material. I tell him $150. He refuses that and then starts ignoring me. I continuously email SMS without reply. So I get my bank involved and they refund my money and they start going after SMS. Then one of Dougs minions contacts me and wants the scraps back. They send UPS to take the material and then still refuse to refund it. Long story short...I had to get my bank to get my money back as SMS wouldn't. Then after all that Doug sends me an email saying he'd love to see how crappy my car looks with whatever I put in it. Who does business like that? So if you're smart....you wont do business with them. SMS is scam city. Doug is a POS as well. You'll be waiting years before you receive anything...best to just have your trim shop make something themselves. | ||
Shep |
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Expert Posts: 3408 Location: Chestertown, NY ( near Lake George) | Waited 14 months for the imprinted vinyl section of a 59 Coronet seat cover, it did come perfect, the soft material with the multi colored thread took 2 months, so except for delays and price changes, it wasn't too bad a transaction. | ||
Dave L. |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 340 Location: Tacoma, WA | I just got my complex order after just under a year, and that was with some stock vinyl patterns and material, plus some of unknown origin that had to be matched. And some that needed custom heat-seaming that needed to be matched in pattern and pleat spacing, all of which they matched very well, so I am happy. Though some were standard patterns for the year and in their catalog, they still had to be manufactured and embossed seams applied. I ordered very early, and I specified no rush on shipment; I can wait until it's all ready. (I still don't need it yet; it was just a Christmas present to myself as a motivator.) Edited by Dave L. 2018-02-14 12:10 AM | ||
firedome |
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Expert Posts: 3155 Location: NY & VT | Evidently Original Auto Interiors has just sold their entire business to Doug Pollack aka SMS, as the owner Tom Ames has retired. I've done business with OAI several times over 25 years, and it was always a pleasure. Now we will no longer have that as an alternative for original fabric. If SMS was bad before,you can just imagine how it will be now that they're the only game in town.. shudder. | ||
mikes2nd |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 5033 | I wonder really how hard it is to get some cloth made in China... I have some connections maybe ill ask at least. There is no real market though unless you doing all makes and models like SMS is I guess? I know its expensive stuff. | ||
Dave L. |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 340 Location: Tacoma, WA | Another thing new at SMS, along with a new building and website, is the addition of Jason Peters, who I know from a different car club in the Pacific Northwest. His story is featured on the March/April 2018 issue of the Hagerty magazine. Jason graduated from the Auto Restoration Management program at McPherson College, and interned at America's Car Museum in Tacoma. He's a fan of the Exner era, and owns three Edsels and a T-Bird. He facilitated a car club tour of SMS, though I was unable to attend. He says he wears a lot of different hats at SMS. This may not change your mind, but Jason might be able to help if you are concerned, or if your prior experience didn't go well. Edited by Dave L. 2018-03-05 5:11 PM | ||
PlymouthFury |
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Expert Posts: 1324 Location: Hickory, NC | Jason must be the nitwit on facebook I met briefly. I make it known that SMS is a bunch of scammers anytime someone asks about them and share my experiences. He basically called me a liar and not to belittle his employer. Long story short he lost the argument on how s**tty SMS is and then blocked me on Facebookland when he couldn't win. Real mature. So no he won't help...he has his hand in Doug's back pocket. | ||
PlymouthFury |
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Expert Posts: 1324 Location: Hickory, NC | It is a REAL SHAME that Original Auto sold out to those idiots at SMS. Original Auto would get you your material within days. They even sent me extra stuff. Customer service was exceptional. It is funny because they always talked about how bad SMS was...then they sold out to them. Money is all that matters I guess. | ||
firedome |
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Expert Posts: 3155 Location: NY & VT | I doubt Tom had a choice, who else would have bought OAI's huge inventory? They will be missed, on the several occasions I bought from them the service was exceptional and polite. | ||
58DeSoDodge59 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 1122 Location: Wild Wonderful | Well I was hoping to say something great about the new SMS, because I thought that I would have my door panels by now. I ordered my panels in October of 2017. In March they told me they were in the final stage. In April they said that there were a couple guys ahead of me. In August they said there were still a few guys ahead of me. I told them to quit letting Chip Foose, and Kounts Kustoms, and those other big money guys, jump in front of me. (They do not respond when you send them an email like that). | ||
Apollo 61 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 771 | Having read through all the posts abou SMS both old and new+Yelp . If I read them right , they are ONLY place to get original material from? The only place that can rebuild a door panel? I would not expect a quality job to be done in a short time period ? I'm looking to have 61 fury red power window panels rebuilt. I'm reluctant to send them what I have in case they never return!!! I'm reluctant to give credit card,only to never receive of the product Has this ever happened to anyone here where they did not receive anything back material,panels,refund? I expect to be working on my 61 for next 3-4 years before its done. I personally don't mind waiting for quality work or product,but it's sounds like I better start now to have it ready when the car is done! I also don't want have them done too soon as to have get ruined while waiting to go into the car. I'm sorta at loss as wether to use them or not. It would seem that there are no choices? I wouldn't mind hearing from someone who actually works there to explain as to why there is a 75%+ customer disatisfaction rating!!!! I'm sure they know these threads exist? I guess my question to you guys is if I'm willing to be patient and wait a year + to receive products paid for will I eventually get them and be satisfied or am I rolling the dice to not receive anything but a I told you so from you guys? Edited by Apollo 61 2018-11-26 10:14 PM | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13062 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | To my knowledge, SMS always deliver, it's a matter of time. I bought the interior material from SMS in 2007 and the delivery time was roundabout 3 months. Naturally, the door skins will take longer time. The material I bought was exactly the same as the original, so I was very satisfied. | ||
ronbo97 |
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Expert Posts: 4071 Location: Connecticut | Using a credit card is the best way to deal with them. If you send them a partial payment and don't get your stuff in a reasonable amount of time, then you can threaten them with a chargeback. This will light a fire under their butts because a chargeback will hurt their credit rating. Ron | ||
firedome |
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Expert Posts: 3155 Location: NY & VT | More discussion of SMS's issues from another thread here: http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=57881&... | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | I got all the vinyl to do my interior from them. Took a couple of months. | ||
hemidenis |
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Expert Posts: 3897 Location: Northen Virginia | -I purchased from them with my CC, they promised deliver in a week. -After a week I called and they said it was in the way. -After two weeks they have no idea who I was or what I ordered. -I called my CC company and got my money back immediately, 2 hs later I have the owner itself calling me, cursing, screaming and ready to have an heart attack. -Package never left their store. My experience.. | ||
1961plymouthfury |
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Expert Posts: 2637 Location: Minor Hill, TN | Wow if a business owner did that to me I would of said you lost me as a customer and I will let others know not to do business with you and why and it will my report will be on line also. If that was me I would of sent the item out and emailed you a tracking # . I also would of said thank you for your business please come back. How the owner of this company did is not a way to run a business if he keeps this up he is going to lose a lot of customers . Word of mouth can help and it can also hurt. | ||
Apollo 61 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 771 | Did SMS do the interior on your 61? If not I would like to know who did. It looks great I need the exact same seats and door panels done. | ||
Apollo 61 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 771 | I have another question. I.take it that you just order the materials from SMS and have your own shop of choice do the upholstery work. Is there a place where you get the premaid seat cushions from or are they made by your shop? OR do do you send your seat frames to SMS and get back a ready to install seat? | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13062 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Normally, the upholstery shop makes the build-up of the seat cushion and makes all the measuring, templates and sewing. Finally the seat frame/cushion are adapted to fit the sewn upholstery. I have never seen any pre-made seat cushions except for the 300 swivel that Gary Goers made. (Still, final adaption must be done for a snug fit. | ||
1961plymouthfury |
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Expert Posts: 2637 Location: Minor Hill, TN | No my interior was already done when I purchased my current '61 but I am not sure if it was SMS or not. I googled this company and they do have a web site Edited by 1961plymouthfury 2018-12-06 12:00 PM | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13062 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | I helped a friend to order vinyl and cloth, carpet and door panels for a '61 Imperial. Order/payment 1st of January - partial delivery as agreed, vinyl and cloth 16th of Januari!!! This includes shipping to Sweden. | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | I ordered some cloth and vinyl from them less than 2 weeks ago and it arrived today. Very pleased with how dead on the match is. | ||
rockerarm |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 873 Location: ALABAMA, HEART OF DIXIE | I planned ahead ahead and ordered my 61 Fury convertible interior panels in June 2017. Still waiting, Lots of excuses and broken promises so far. At least I get responses to emails sent once a month. | ||
Apollo 61 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 771 | Your 61 must be getting close? Would love to see progress pics! If you don't mind my asking what's a set 61 ply panels cost at SMS? | ||
Doctor DeSoto |
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Location: Parts Unknown | These posts of expected turnaround times in terms of weeks are a joke. I have dealt with Doug and SMS for 30+ years and never had a bad deal, BUT !!!! .... I KNOW that I must allow a solid year between the time of order and delivery, and order LONG before I expect to need the interior piece or fabric. It probably doesn't hurt to live in the region and to be able to drop in personally, but this isn't Amazon, and if you want SMS to do the work, it is incumbent upon the buyer to plan of a LONG lead time, and to be very specific about the desired end product with them up front. When you tear a car down for restoration, one should already have that order in with SMS. By the time you have everything else done, you will already have the interior stuff in hand. | ||
PlymouthFury |
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Expert Posts: 1324 Location: Hickory, NC | No company should take years to get you your product. If that was the case then they should also not require total payment at day 1. They also lie about the time it takes and if they have it in stock. They NEVER say: "We don't actually have your material. It will take two years to get your product." They ALWAYS say: "It'll ship in a week and expect it within two weeks! How would you like to pay?" | ||
Doctor DeSoto |
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Location: Parts Unknown | Apparently your expections and their market position do not line up well. While I do not disagree with you, I accept reality as I find it. In this case, that is just how they do business, and since options are limited, I adjust my expections to fit their practices, and get to working on other parts of the car while they do their magic. | ||
westwoodblue |
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Ordered some seat fabric, got it in the mail two days after, Very pleased | |||
58DeSoDodge59 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 1122 Location: Wild Wonderful | rockerarm - 2019-01-29 8:59 AM I planned ahead ahead and ordered my 61 Fury convertible interior panels in June 2017. Still waiting, Lots of excuses and broken promises so far. At least I get responses to emails sent once a month. | ||
57burb |
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Expert Posts: 3967 Location: DFW, TX | "Disappointment is the feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations or hopes to manifest." You will receive raw materials quickly (if they have it in stock) but I don't like hearing that "it will ship next week" when they really are weeks out. It's just good business practice to 'surprise and delight' your customers by delivering good quality product ahead of time. As for door panels, these are handmade items and they have a ridiculous backlog. To keep quality high, they have to have a small number of real craftsmen making these things, and that doesn't happen overnight. Having built some door panels, I am not surprised at all that it can take years to deliver them based on how many orders they have to process. There aren't any other options, so go in with low expectations and maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised. Maybe. | ||
brdtee |
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Veteran Posts: 264 Location: Pieksamaki, Finland, Europe | Raw materials come quicker (not quickly though). I have ordered vinyls, fabric, seat welt and headliner. Fabric was superb, it took about one year to deliver. Vinyls were okay. Delivery time about 6 months. Headliner did not match the sample they sent but was close enough, even a bit off-color. Seat welt was just sewed vinyl instead of original style goldish plastic tubing they sent as a sample. So 2/4 was ok and everything got delivered even not exactly just the right stuff I ordered. | ||
rockerarm |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 873 Location: ALABAMA, HEART OF DIXIE | Still waiting. A different excuse each time I email, which ia at least once a month now. Last email said my panels are in "final construction". (61 Fury vert w/power windows). I think the total cost was around $8/900.00 of which they collected half in June 17. My orders for vinal have come right away. | ||
brdtee |
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Veteran Posts: 264 Location: Pieksamaki, Finland, Europe | I would say that customer service is quick, sends samples fast and replies to all questions until you place an order and your money gets into their account. Then it becomes slow and takes time... one guy I know waited his door panels three years. | ||
58DeSoDodge59 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 1122 Location: Wild Wonderful | Well, guess what? I got a notice from UPS that said I am getting something from SMS, that weighs 26 pounds. It should be here this Friday. | ||
58DeSoDodge59 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 1122 Location: Wild Wonderful | Okay, I got my door panels. They look good, but I thought that they were suppose to be complete and ready to put on. I was expecting them to have the stainless trim put on them also. I guess I am suppose to use the ones from my old door panels. I feel sorry for you guys that have ordered before me, and are still waiting. When I send emails to SMS, my emails simply said "Update?". Maybe that helped or maybe it didn't. ? Here are some pictures of my old one and the new ones. That blue section in the middle of the new door panel is actually ribbed Mylar that is reflecting the blue sky. Edited by 58DeSoDodge59 2019-03-08 9:48 AM (passdoorbefore.JPG) (passdooraft.JPG) (panelbackseat.JPG) Attachments ---------------- passdoorbefore.JPG (239KB - 548 downloads) passdooraft.JPG (239KB - 488 downloads) panelbackseat.JPG (222KB - 495 downloads) | ||
Apollo 61 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 771 | Nice ! You sent them your old stainless and it just wasn't installed ? You have to cut your own door handle and window crank holes? | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13062 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | wizard - 2019-01-23 9:37 PM I helped a friend to order vinyl and cloth, carpet and door panels for a '61 Imperial. Order/payment 1st of January - partial delivery as agreed, vinyl and cloth 16th of Januari!!! This includes shipping to Sweden. The second part of delivery came in today the 8th of March. The shipment contained carpet and sewing thread. As for the door panels, we expect longer delivery time. | ||
ABloch |
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Expert Posts: 1480 Location: Pacific Northwest | I will NEVER deal with SMS EVER again. Over a year and a half to get my door panels. I got the same excuses everyone else did. And when they finally arrived.....subpar craftsmanship. I called and complained and they suggested that I return them for rework. After a year and a half of waiting I couldn't imagine how long it was going to take to "rework" what they could not accomplish in the first attempt. My second attempt was to acquire an NOS rubber floor mat which Doug assured me that he had many in stock to choose from. He also claimed to have additional aftermarket options as well. I scheduled a time and date to come by and see what they had. I called multiple times to confirm our appointment and was reaffirmed that they knew I was coming and ready. Anyone wanna guess where this is going?...... I arrive at SMS and was greeted by a pleasant receptionist. She had no knowledge of my appointment. A flustered man whizzes past me in a rage and disappears into a back office complaining and berating an employee for doing their job. Something about signing for a package before receiving the deposit. You know, the deposit that puts your job on the back burner.... So something like two hours later and his minions have yet to find the rubber mats that Doug assured me that he had. Eventually two boxed up aftermarket mats were found during the endeavor. One was brown and chipped as it was pulled from the box. The black one was not much better, front only and not worth trying to even roll out. Then, when I had had just about as much as I could handle, Doug asked for a deposit to locate another mat, if and when he could. I bit my tongue and left and swore to NEVER deal with SMS EVER again. If you are ever in Canby Oregon, swing by and hang out in the lobby. There are a lot of samples and books to look at and you can see, first hand , what a mess that place is. | ||
58DeSoDodge59 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 1122 Location: Wild Wonderful | Apollo 61 - 2019-03-08 11:14 AM Nice ! You sent them your old stainless and it just wasn't installed ? You have to cut your own door handle and window crank holes? No, I did not send them any stainless, just info and money. I was just hoping they made these things complete. Here is a picture of the back. As you can see, they put all the holes in them for the trim, handle, crank, and clips. (holesbackside.JPG) (frontside.JPG) Attachments ---------------- holesbackside.JPG (135KB - 545 downloads) frontside.JPG (187KB - 493 downloads) | ||
imopar380 |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 7207 Location: Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, Canada | SMS always assumes you have your original stainless trim pieces for the door panels. None of their new panels are supplied with trim. | ||
DE SOTO AMIGO |
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Member Posts: 18 | SCUMBAGS , DON'T BUY ANYTHING HERE. | ||
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