Commando Specialties' attitude not appreciated

Yellow_Cad · Mar 10, 2015

I really don't believe we need vendors with the attitude Commando Specialties is putting forth these days. I have bought items for my Commando in the past from them and those I dealt with came across as an interested and concerned vendor. Of late, I have called twice (same person both times) and all I got was an attitude that if their part needed to be fiddled with to get it to work then I should be enjoying that since I work on older bikes. It is true that most of us are voluntarily not riding turn keys, but fiddling with new parts to make them work is hardly my passion. I may take the bike from not working to working but I don't want to take every aftermarket part through the same process. All I'm saying is that I can't picture too many vendors having that attitude and it bothered me.

ashman · Mar 10, 2015

Thats the way things are going these days, so many crappy parts being made cheaply from overseas, but you soon work out which ones not to buy, I have always had good dealings with RGM and have had no problems with fitting their parts and there are also other good parts dealers around, some parts are cheap and you get what you pay for.

Ashley

Hobot · Mar 10, 2015

Amen brother but who knows what forces vendors into such changes in service and moods but assure you that its counter productive to take very personal while following up other than thank goodness digit age spreads word fast and wide. The decades respected top shelf RGM no longer offers a number great items next Peel bristles with and i personally know why. I've gotten econo mufflers from Cdo Spec. w/o any issue. It is a Commando for Pete's sake known for testing one's manhood facing recoveries no your fault and rubbing shoulders with likes of me.

Commando Specialties' attitude not appreciated

Craig · Mar 10, 2015

Hey big H. ... up here in cold Canada we have BritCycle Supply ... quite often when placing an order I have to choose from 3 or 4 levels of quality and price on same part ... the people who answer the phone are honest in their descriptions ... so I can choose the level of quality I desire ... also for you Yanks ... buying in Canada right now is a bargain for you ... with our dollar around $0.80 USD ... there are more options now for us than ever before ... don't get stuck fiddling if you don't want to ... no relation or interest in company , I think it is American owned

Craig

Anonymous · Mar 10, 2015

I am not sure if you are:
1. complaining about one person's attitude (that works for the company you mention), and/or
2. Implying that most parts that you buy from that company now need to be modified prior to use.

If 1., complain to the company.
If 2., complain to the company (but thanks for the caution).

Yellow_Cad said:
I really don't believe we need vendors with the attitude Commando Specialties is putting forth these days. I have bought items for my Commando in the past from them and those I dealt with came across as an interested and concerned vendor. Of late, I have called twice (same person both times) and all I got was an attitude that if their part needed to be fiddled with to get it to work then I should be enjoying that since I work on older bikes. It is true that most of us are voluntarily not riding turn keys, but fiddling with new parts to make them work is hardly my passion. I may take the bike from not working to working but I don't want to take every aftermarket part through the same process. All I'm saying is that I can't picture too many vendors having that attitude and it bothered me.

Yellow_Cad · Mar 10, 2015

Craig said:
Hey big H. ... up here in cold Canada we have BritCycle Supply ... quite often when placing an order I have to choose from 3 or 4 levels of quality and price on same part ... the people who answer the phone are honest in their descriptions ... so I can choose the level of quality I desire ... also for you Yanks ... buying in Canada right now is a bargain for you ... with our dollar around $0.80 USD ... there are more options now for us than ever before ... don't get stuck fiddling if you don't want to ... no relation or interest in company , I think it is American owned

Craig

I agree that BritCycle Supply looks like a great vendor but for me it has always been difficult to compare any pricing or figure how I'm going to get what with duty or not, etc. I've bought plenty from Waldrige so it certainly isn't the Canada thing.

kerinorton · Mar 11, 2015

If you have to fiddle with a new part, it is either wrong, or you are fitting it wrongly. To modify a new part to fit, you then have to carry the warranty on that part because you have modified it and absolved the supplier of all responsibility for guaranteeing that part. Simple as that. If you modify it then ask the supplier to sort out your problem, of course they wont be very sympathetic, because you have just buggered their part, and made it not fit for resale.

Do you remember the twits who admitted to cutting their expanders on their 3 pc oil rings so they would fit in the bores. Of course they would then fit. But what if they were the wrong ones in the first place. You cant expect a supplier to guarantee something like that after it has been tampered with. Read the warranty documents.

If suppliers have to have 3 different qualities of parts on their shelves to be able to sell to tight-asses, then they deserve to be ostracised if the cheap shit is no good. I bet Matt from CNW would not offer inferior parts. He has to stand by what he sells. His parts may be dearer [ as was discussed in an earlier thread ] but because he stands by what he sells, he can sleep at night knowing he has got it right. Mistakes do happen and the good guys will always see you right. Mike has just given an example if his minor problem with Commando specialties. They put it right.,. What else can you ask for.

Dereck

Yellow_Cad · Mar 11, 2015

kerinorton said:
If you have to fiddle with a new part, it is either wrong, or you are fitting it wrongly. To modify a new part to fit, you then have to carry the warranty on that part because you have modified it and absolved the supplier of all responsibility for guaranteeing that part. Simple as that. If you modify it then ask the supplier to sort out your problem, of course they wont be very sympathetic, because you have just buggered their part, and made it not fit for resale.

Do you remember the twits who admitted to cutting their expanders on their 3 pc oil rings so they would fit in the bores. Of course they would then fit. But what if they were the wrong ones in the first place. You cant expect a supplier to guarantee something like that after it has been tampered with. Read the warranty documents.

If suppliers have to have 3 different qualities of parts on their shelves to be able to sell to tight-asses, then they deserve to be ostracised if the cheap shit is no good. I bet Matt from CNW would not offer inferior parts. He has to stand by what he sells. His parts may be dearer [ as was discussed in an earlier thread ] but because he stands by what he sells, he can sleep at night knowing he has got it right. Mistakes do happen and the good guys will always see you right. Mike has just given an example if his minor problem with Commando specialties. They put it right.,. What else can you ask for.

Dereck

I am speaking of a part not staying serviceable for a reasonable amount of time and with that I might fully expect a vendor to give me any tips they have picked from other customers on this part NOT ha ha ha, now you can fix it. You'll love that.

I have bought a lot of motorcycle parts from a lot of different vendors and all of them have been more than helpful no matter what the issue. So, when I got a completely different and not acceptable response more than once from the same vendor, I felt compelled to share my experience. This post is possibly not for all but should be for anyone wishing to spend their hard earned dollars with vendors that support what we do, not take away from it.

NoiseyNorton · Mar 22, 2015

I order all my parts from British cycle supply they are based in New Jersey and Canada. Great service always willing to help me out and decent prices also. If the part I'm getting is stocked in the nj warehouse usually about 2-3 days and it's at my door. Canada takes about a week.
Not affiliated with them other then a super pleased customer and will continue to use them for my part needs.

B+Bogus · Mar 23, 2015

kerinorton said:
Do you remember the twits who admitted to cutting their expanders on their 3 pc oil rings so they would fit in the bores. Of course they would then fit.

Dereck

Here we go again... forum 'respect' :roll:
At least you pulled up short of swearing - I guess we should be grateful?

It then emerged that it's a known issue with those expanders, and lots of folks have had to do it - the ones who actually encountered and understood the problem, that is.
Yes we could send them back, with the sure knowledge that we'll be told 'they're all like that, Sir'.

namibchris · Mar 23, 2015

Ella at Old Brits has always been exceptionally patient with me and exceptionally helpful. Same for Matt at CNW. Find a supplier you gel with and support them.....

Beach · Mar 23, 2015

B+Bogus said:
kerinorton said:

Do you remember the twits who admitted to cutting their expanders on their 3 pc oil rings so they would fit in the bores. Of course they would then fit.

Dereck

Click to expand...

Here we go again... forum 'respect' :roll:
At least you pulled up short of swearing - I guess we should be grateful?

It then emerged that it's a known issue with those expanders, and lots of folks have had to do it - the ones who actually encountered and understood the problem, that is.
Yes we could send them back, with the sure knowledge that we'll be told 'they're all like that, Sir'.

I was kind if ignoring the twit reference but enough is enough...I guess to be a Twit you need to have enough sense to fix a simple problem with a simple tweak....Maybe this guy thinks he knows it all and can't learn any more..I think a bit of respect goes a long way here...

ILLF8ED · Mar 23, 2015

Dereck[/quote]

I am speaking of a part not staying serviceable for a reasonable amount of time and with that I might fully expect a vendor to give me any tips they have picked from other customers on this part NOT ha ha ha, now you can fix it. You'll love that.

I have bought a lot of motorcycle parts from a lot of different vendors and all of them have been more than helpful no matter what the issue. So, when I got a completely different and not acceptable response more than once from the same vendor, I felt compelled to share my experience. This post is possibly not for all but should be for anyone wishing to spend their hard earned dollars with vendors that support what we do, not take away from it.[/quote]

I'm curious why you are ordering parts from a relatively new vendor "Commando Specialties" if you have experience with "a lot of different vendors" and you are close to long time in the business Rabers and also Phil at Fair Spares America. Proximity really doesn't mean that much any longer with online ordering, but these two have been in business for decades due to reputation and performance.

Yellow_Cad · Mar 23, 2015

illf8ed said:
Dereck

I am speaking of a part not staying serviceable for a reasonable amount of time and with that I might fully expect a vendor to give me any tips they have picked from other customers on this part NOT ha ha ha, now you can fix it. You'll love that.

I have bought a lot of motorcycle parts from a lot of different vendors and all of them have been more than helpful no matter what the issue. So, when I got a completely different and not acceptable response more than once from the same vendor, I felt compelled to share my experience. This post is possibly not for all but should be for anyone wishing to spend their hard earned dollars with vendors that support what we do, not take away from it.[/quote]

I'm curious why you are ordering parts from a relatively new vendor "Commando Specialties" if you have experience with "a lot of different vendors" and you are close to long time in the business Rabers and also Phil at Fair Spares America. Proximity really doesn't mean that much any longer with online ordering, but these two have been in business for decades due to reputation and performance.[/quote]

Rabers is my primary supplier but I was seeking the extended kickstart lever which neither they nor Phil carried.

phillyskip · Mar 23, 2015

Even the best of suppliers can end up selling shit parts, and they may not even know it until someone says "Hey this part doesn't work"

I have a friend who had exchange 3 new rear master cylinders (Triumph T140) from a well known supplier just to get one to work.The other two were POS. They all "looked" the same.

Yellow_Cad · Mar 23, 2015

phillyskip said:
Even the best of suppliers can end up selling shit parts, and they may not even know it until someone says "Hey this part doesn't work"

I have a friend who had exchange 3 new rear master cylinders (Triumph T140) from a well known supplier just to get one to work.The other two were POS. They all "looked" the same.

When I started this thread, my emphasis was on the fact that the supplier I was complaining about knew of the shortcoming and could care less.

mschmitz57 · Mar 25, 2015

May I ask what part we're talking about and how it needs to be modified?

Norton_Guy · Mar 25, 2015

Yellow_Cad said:
I really don't believe we need vendors with the attitude Commando Specialties is putting forth these days. I have bought items for my Commando in the past from them and those I dealt with came across as an interested and concerned vendor. Of late, I have called twice (same person both times) and all I got was an attitude that if their part needed to be fiddled with to get it to work then I should be enjoying that since I work on older bikes. It is true that most of us are voluntarily not riding turn keys, but fiddling with new parts to make them work is hardly my passion. I may take the bike from not working to working but I don't want to take every aftermarket part through the same process. All I'm saying is that I can't picture too many vendors having that attitude and it bothered me.

Normally I don't have the time to post on these forums but since everybody's nickers are in a bunch I figure I'd better wade in.

I've been working on these British bikes since they were new.

When you were lucky enough to find a dealer that actually had the parts, you could be pretty sure they were going to need "fettling" to fit properly. Machine tools in the UK that made motorcycle parts had been in use in some cases for a century or more so the tolerances were not shall we say "up to Honda spec". In a lot of cases this hasn't changed much which means some parts don't fit right out of the box.

We get our parts from a lot of different sources and have some made to our specifications. Generally when I offer a customer the choice of UK made or Taiwan they go for the cheaper item. Sometimes the Asian made part is inferior but sometimes it's not. You put on your big boy pants, You pays your money and you takes your choice.

We have done business with a lot of people on this forum and this is the first negative rant I've witnessed.

We are certainly not a "new" company and if you took offense because I tried to offer suggestions about part fitment, I'm not sure what to say. Should I apologise for trying to explain how to fix something?

If you don't like my attitude that's certainly your prerogative and I respect it, but to dump all this into a forum without even buying anything or talking to me personally about it gets my hackles up.

In the end however, I'll just say good luck and have a nice life.

And thanks to all our customers who I don't seem to piss off.

Yellow_Cad · Mar 25, 2015

Norton_Guy said:
Yellow_Cad said:

I really don't believe we need vendors with the attitude Commando Specialties is putting forth these days. I have bought items for my Commando in the past from them and those I dealt with came across as an interested and concerned vendor. Of late, I have called twice (same person both times) and all I got was an attitude that if their part needed to be fiddled with to get it to work then I should be enjoying that since I work on older bikes. It is true that most of us are voluntarily not riding turn keys, but fiddling with new parts to make them work is hardly my passion. I may take the bike from not working to working but I don't want to take every aftermarket part through the same process. All I'm saying is that I can't picture too many vendors having that attitude and it bothered me.

Click to expand...

Normally I don't have the time to post on these forums but since everybody's nickers are in a bunch I figure I'd better wade in.

I've been working on these British bikes since they were new.

When you were lucky enough to find a dealer that actually had the parts, you could be pretty sure they were going to need "fettling" to fit properly. Machine tools in the UK that made motorcycle parts had been in use in some cases for a century or more so the tolerances were not shall we say "up to Honda spec". In a lot of cases this hasn't changed much which means some parts don't fit right out of the box.

We get our parts from a lot of different sources and have some made to our specifications. Generally when I offer a customer the choice of UK made or Taiwan they go for the cheaper item. Sometimes the Asian made part is inferior but sometimes it's not. You put on your big boy pants, You pays your money and you takes your choice.

We have done business with a lot of people on this forum and this is the first negative rant I've witnessed.

We are certainly not a "new" company and if you took offense because I tried to offer suggestions about part fitment, I'm not sure what to say. Should I apologise for trying to explain how to fix something?

If you don't like my attitude that's certainly your prerogative and I respect it, but to dump all this into a forum without even buying anything or talking to me personally about it gets my hackles up.

In the end however, I'll just say good luck and have a nice life.

And thanks to all our customers who I don't seem to piss off.

Read the previous posts. I did buy from you and in the past I've called and whoever answered was helpful but lately (two calls) it has been: well, it doesn't work that should make your day since now you can fix it. So, if you don't wish to claim any issues with whoever is communicating for you, I'm sure you'll stay in business in spite of it.

Norton_Guy · Mar 25, 2015

Look, I'm really sorry you didn't get the answer you were looking for.
I'm the guy who does it all here, I answer the phone, take pictures for our EBay ads, order parts, make parts, do the invoices, inventory, work on the website,clean the toilet etc etc. I try my best but I guess I have failed, how can I ever make it up to you???????

Commando Specialties' attitude not appreciated

Yellow_Cad

ashman

Hobot

Craig

Anonymous

Guest

Yellow_Cad

kerinorton

Yellow_Cad

NoiseyNorton

B+Bogus

namibchris

Beach

ILLF8ED

Yellow_Cad

phillyskip

Yellow_Cad

mschmitz57

Norton_Guy

Yellow_Cad

Norton_Guy

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