Durabak update. Not a good one. Updated 9/12

[Tcurr]

In the Generic Benroy plans Mike suggest painting with Uniflex255 from rot doc. May look into that or see if someone has any suggestions that has used that product. I have never used it so cant say one way or another.

In the end though its wood it can be filled smoothed and painted many times over that much I know from doing my boards. Paint and add polycrylic as a finish coat and it will last a long long long time. I have a set of boards that have been outside since the first day of nice weather. They have never come inside and are as good as the day they went out. I am a true believer in the Polycrylic. It has sealed the boards and takes a beating regularly from the bags bagging it. Have not experienced any problems with it yet.

[elmo]

I have been finally been contacted by Durabak...I will say their customer service is top notch. Nothing is resolved yet...sent them some pictures awhile ago.

Well....I am retracting this statement. After I spoke with him and he gave me all the warm fuzzies about a happy ending for both of us...he has never returned any of my 5 phone calls and/or emails.

I have never had a business do this before...what do you do????? I haven't even been a jerk about it...yet. These are the same people that make Herculiner bedliner also. I may post my experiences with them on my truck and motorcycle forums as well.

Any thoughts???

[Miriam C.]

Letter to the members of the board of director with this site referenced and your auto site referenced. If that doesn't get you immediate attention take them to court for the cost of your ruined teardrop. You are sure to win and make them pay attorneys fees.

[elmo]

I am in the process of trying to figure out who Avi's(the guy that is blowing me off) boss is now! I have been pretty nice so far...not sure why...I usually don't get worked up about stuff...causes ulsers.

I started keeping a log of the phone calls and make sure I use my cell phone so I have a running tab of all the calls...just in case I need them later. I even called another extension today and left a message to make sure Avi didn't get fired or whatever, but they never called back either.

At first I wanted to just let them know and see how it was going to be resolved, but after thinking about it I put a lot of time and money into this thing and there product F'd it up.

I can feel a ulser coming on! Damn!

[sandman]

Elmo,

Dude, I am sorry to see this is still not resolved yet. One thing you should do is contact your local news if they have one of those consumer watch segments. Here locally, they call it "What's Bugging You?". After those reporters get up their a$$es, they get things done. No company wants bad publicity especially in this day and age with the information highway so prevalent everywhere you go.

I worked in customer service as a phone rep/tech support rep/ and Supervisor for over 14 years for a few major manufactureres of various home products and can tell you most of the meaner more threatening consumers always got the quickest action...You don't have to use profanity but you can communicate effectively with the right potporri of carefully selected words like Lawsuit, bad publicity, Consumer Protection Agency, Better Business Bureau.

Write a letter to the President of the company explaining everything, include pictures of the product failure. Send the letter via registered mail with signature release only. Once the president's secretary opens it, she'll probably rush it to the manager of customer service just to keep it off her bosses desk to keep him from stressing out. You simply take them to the mat that their product is not capable of doing what they claim and you should get something done. Keep the call log and indicate that in your letter as well about lack of support.

Do that and see what happens. Believe me, I have had to deal with consumers that were actually killed by a product and know all about the ins and outs of the customer service game. Just make sure if you are calling the company to ask them if you are talking to a "Third Party Call Center". Most big companies that don't want to fool with customer service will outsource their customer service to a Third Party Call Center. Most of the time when you are calling about problems with a computer, credit card, etc...the phone is switched to a call center sometimes in the USA but most of the time in the Phillipines or India. If you are dealing with a third party call center, they have nothing to loose by not returning your call...they are just the middle man with nothing at stake. If you ask, they usually will lie and tell you that you are talking with the company direct.

I am full of useless information.....Hope some of this provides you some help,

[elmo]

I have called more extension and emailed and still no response from them. This is just plain weird. I guess I will have to start calling/emailing some of the consumer agencies...I hate having to go through all this.

[bobhenry]

Let's all have an E-mail party. Give us all the E-mail address and the phone #'s and we can all get into the act. It beats the Hell out of all the wasted energy on the thread that won't die ,

[Ira]

I haven't even been a jerk about it...

Well, there's your problem right there, and I can help you with that.

[martha24]

Elmo,
What Sandman says is right. Go to the top, where they hate complaints. They will want to see action.
Different states have local consumer protection agencies too.
David used to work for the phone company, and complaints to PUC went over like a lead balloon. People at all different levels got chewed out.
To many people who are just earning a wage don't really care about the customer. So make some waves, nasty isn't necessary but waves that won't go away & squeak loudly are.
Best of luck. I hate hassles, but some times no way around it.
Martha

[elmo]

Finally got to talk to Durabak today!!!!

I'll write more later....very weak!

[elmo]

Okay here is the abridged version.

I call Durabak when ever I have a few moments and today on the way to the YMCA to take my daughter to Kinder Swim and daddy work out time and someone actually answered instead of push extension message I usually get. I ask for Avi and she says he is on the phone...I tell her to put me on hold and that I would wait. She comes on a couple of times and asks if I want him to call me back...I say no I'll wait...he finally picks up 20 minutes later...I am already at the YMCA and Nicki is in her class already and I just plopped my big...but firm....butt down on a recumbent stationary bike. I tell him I was happy he was alive...and ask why nobody there cares to answer my voice mail or emails. He tells me how he had to go to Poland for emergency business. I nicely tell him how I left messages at other places than his extension and emailed to other people and nobody had the common courtesy to let me know about his emergency. Well we go over everything again and he tells me that they will take care of it and make it right and that Jake would be calling me back shortly. I guess Jake is the Sales Rep.

Jake calls me back and after a few minutes and says he just got off the phone with Avi and they are going to send me some new stuff at their cost. I remember telling him that I don't want the stuff on there in the first place let alone having to pay anything for it and if anything they should be sending me a envelope full of money for damages their product caused...this is where it gets a little fuzzy and I don't remember much after that...I walked out of the YMCA so I could talk more openly and away from the kids....next thing I recall is I am back inside helping my daughter back on with her jacket, but I vaguely remember Jake telling me about sending more at no charge.

[Miriam C.]

Stroking is not necessarily a good thing Elmer. You gotta keep a cool head. When the new stuff comes in take it to the store for a full refund. Or call upper management and tell them you thought you were getting money and let them send the cash too.

[elmo]

:lol: Stroking is not necessarily a good thing Elmer. You gotta keep a cool head. When the new stuff comes in take it to the store for a full refund. Or call upper management and tell them you thought you were getting money and let them send the cash too.

I was keeping a cool head up to that point....I already paid $400 for something that screwed up my teardrop...then they want another $200+. Come to think of it my chest does get a little tighter everytime I think about what he said.

Unfortunitely you can't get this stuff at the store...all bought online from Jake.

[Miriam C.]

KKKKKKKKKkk. Call back and tell them you really don't want something that already screwed up. You don't have that kind of time and if they keep delaying your refund so you can buy something else you are taking them to court for the cost of removal of their stuff.

Be a Bi%*&%$#$# in a nice voice.

[Mary K]

C'mon, give US his email address. We will help you out.

Mk