SMS wait time

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Keycor

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1970 Chrysler 300 convertible. In the Spring of 2020, SMS had a sale. In May, 2020, I placed my order and paid for it. A year later they asked me to send my old door panels so they could get various parts to transfer to the new door panels. In July, 2021 I sent my old door panels to them. Over the past 3 1/2 years I have been promised completion and shipping in "just a few months" several times. In my last inquiry (July 2023) I was told my panels would be ready in September. The end of September is coming soon and I have heard nothing from them. I am at a loss for words. I don't know what to do. They have my old door panels. Do I sue them? Do I get a lawyer? Most all I just want the door panels that I ordered. From what I have read in this thread most people say they have a high quality product. If you received door panels in the past year, when did you order them and what did you do/say to get them within a reasonable amount of time? When I call them in October, what do I say? I welcome any advice. But really!!! 3 1/2 YEARS? Please help me get my door panels!
 
After 7 years of waiting for my door panels from SMS I really got fed up with all the misleading promises and just lies and took action. I was concerned about the quality of the product if I complained too strongly to get what I ordered in a reasonable period of time. But then I realized that they never will send you a bad product because they value their reputation for exact replacement panels. There is only one way to proceed and it doesn't require engagement of a lawyer.

What you need to do is file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau on line that I initially thought would probably not work, but when I finally decided to just do it, I got a reply from the owner personally on the same day I filed the complaint with his email and phone number and worked out a timetable with him that he did actually meet (I had often times asked Kim or Leslie to speak directly to the owner but they would never put me through to him). Bottom line is the squeaky wheel gets the grease and I concluded that the BBB rating is important to the owner for reasons that I do not really know.

If you do this though, then others that have been waiting will get screwed but after 7 years I concluded that no one could have been screwed more than I had been with the extremely long wait. You just can't be too nice or you will lose.
 
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saforwardlook said:
After 7 years of waiting for my door panels from SMS I really got fed up with all the misleading promises and just lies and took action. I was concerned about the quality of the product if I complained too strongly to get what I ordered in a reasonable period of time. But then I realized that they never will send you a bad product because they value their reputation for exact replacement panels. There is only one way to proceed and it doesn't require engagement of a lawyer.

What you need to do is file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau on line that I initially thought would probably not work, but when I finally got the guts to just do it, I got a reply from the owner personally on the same day I filed the complaint with his email and phone number and worked out a timetable with him that he did actually meet (I had often times asked Kim or Leslie to speak directly to the owner but they would never put me through to him). Bottom line is the squeaky wheel gets the grease and I concluded that the BBB rating is important to the owner for reasons that I do not really know.

If you do this though, then others that have been waiting will get screwed but after 7 years I concluded that no one could have been screwed more than I had been with the extremely long wait. You just can't be too nice or you will lose.
Click to expand...
Wow! Unbelievable! Let me see what some others say but I am willing to do what you did. I would like an explanation of why it takes now, more than 40 months to make these things. My guess is that other, more recent jobs are done before mine. Thanks for your reply to my cry for help.
 
Keycor said:
Wow! Unbelievable! Let me see what some others say but I am willing to do what you did. I would like an explanation of why it takes now, more than 40 months to make these things. My guess is that other, more recent jobs are done before mine. Thanks for your reply to my cry for help.
Click to expand...
They have a huge backlog of orders and Doug, the owner, doesn't seem to grow the staff to be able to fulfill the orders in a timely manner and he gives excuses that folks that are fussy and capable enough to make the door panels just as new are very hard to find and train to do them ( and that may well be true). But then I have to wonder why does he have "sales" from time to time to sell more products when he can't fulfill the orders he already has? So I don't even try to understand his motives or why he runs the business the way he does. He seems to spend most of his time trying to decide whose orders to fulfill next, and the simple answer is the ones that complain the loudest get what they want before those who just sit quietly by and hope for a miracle.

Keep in mind that if you have only waited 3 years to get your order there may well be others ahead of you that have waited much longer (like I did) so I did get preferential treatment over those who waited less time but only because I finally submitted a formal complaint. Good luck.
 
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I'm at over 4 years for a set of door panels. Contacted them last week and they said I would be in a batch by the end of the year. If they miss that deadline I will take more measures.
 
I had a similar experience with them. Initially was told 8 months out. 3 1/2 years later I got mine. After 24 months went by, I started emailing every month. After 3 years it was “not so nice” emails and phone calls.
Unfortunately SMS is basically the only game in town to get OE correct panels made. Still, not a great way to run a business.
High quality product but ridiculous wait times.
 
I had seat covers made by them. Again took two years to finally get them. Id agree with the you have to stay in constant contact with them in order to get anything out of them.
 
You Americans have a lot of patience pffff... I read 3, 4 even 7 years !!!! I think that if this should happen here in the Netherlands, the place would have burned a long time ago...:mob:
 
the US is a much bigger country than yours...by the time we drive 2 days our torches have gone out
 
sms has never not delivered a great product , at least to me . their colors are right on and patterns match the factory stuff with no issues . it just takes forever is most cases . and once your in their files . your there for life i've found . in fact funny story , i received some goods from them i never ordered or paid for . i contacted sms . they told me they saw the name and thought it was my order . so after finding out there is another of me . i called and talked to my name sake on the other cost . and of course sms had his order shipped to him .
 
This company is horrible,waiting time is insane…I went local,friends, our lifes are too precious to wait so long,you don’t have to be so original with your cars,really…just enjoy your ride,I’m over with SMS
 
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