Projects HOWELL'S SHEET METAL

Anybody live near Beaumont, TX that can run past this place for me? I bought a 41 truck bed, assembled, Bed wood, tail gate, etc...from them, they charged my credit card over $3000 and it never showed up here. They haven't answered my calls in 3 weeks and have not returned any of the messages I left looking for a tracking number.

I have dealt with them before and never had an issue like this but I have been more than patient. I can turn the visa company lose on them as a fraudulent transaction but I need the truck bed.

If someone can assist I would be beholden.

 

This is where you are supposed to buy truck beds: http://mack-products.com/shop/products/beds-assembled/1941-ford-bed-assembled-stock/

 

Don't know anything about them but don't let too much time go by with your c.c. company or you may be outa luck. Don't fall for promises on delivery dates just to run out the clock.

 

I've always heard that Howells was one of the best, but can also become excruciatingly slow and unresponsive.

Folks here and on the FordBarn have waited 1-2 years for floor pans, etc. Others it's like ordering from Amazon.

 

Some business model!
Been hearing similar things about them for a while here on the HAMB, sorry BB.

 

Good tip and you were right, I reported it and VISA is crediting my account. $3600 bucks charged on Sept 6th, a month to ship a bed? I could have wlaked it up here with a hand truck by now. VISA will contact Howell's and investigate. As soon as I get the credit (should be tomorrow she said) I will order from Macks like @alchemy suggested.

They said they wouldn't charge my account until the bed was built and ready to ship, they said they built it, they said they shipped it, they charged my card, then they stopped answering the phone. It takes a few seconds to call someone back, it makes no sense to me to not do so. Oh well, if they did ship it, they can pay to have it shipped back too.

 

Well crap , Macks doesn't have any bed sides. It'll be 10 weeks or so, they call me back when they get them. Looks like more waiting in my future. BUT AT LEAST THEY DIDNT CHARGE MY CC!

 

I bought F-1 parts from this company, good to deal with. They show 40 / 41 beds assembled. You might give them a call. Good Luck
Mack Hils Metal Fabrication

mackhilsmetalfabrication.com

 

How many more complaints do we have to read about Howells before HAMBers stop sending them their hard earned money just to be ripped off?

 

Howells under new ownership...I always got good service from them before..

 

Well ... I thought the trick was to buy from them, on that auction site, instead of their own company. BUT ... in testing that theory, I found these guys, completely unaffiliated ...

... says in stock.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/163770692103

Also these guys. Dan Carpenter. They not any good ??

http://dancarpenters.com/forty.html

 

Ryan is your best contact. Send him an email and he might get back to you. Or he might not.

ryan@fordor.com

I ordered a big pile of parts for my '33 that were "in stock", but still took six weeks to ship. The panels were pretty damn good, so I'll continue to do business with them but I will always be prepared for subpar customer service.



-Abone.

 

I've never understood how people that work on these old relics can be in such a panic for parts. Late model get it overnight does not apply to a seventy five year old project. At least not for me.

 

Glad your not out any cash. Your time and patience will have to be chalked up to one of life's lessons.

 

That one has smooth bed sides, not stamped. OK for some trucks but not for this one.

That's funny. I don't think someone is going to be happy about the canceled payment. All it takes is the smallest amount of customer service to keep people happy.
On a high note, make sure you have a good credit card company to protect against fraudulent services. This M/C I use for internet purchases is awesome, member since '92. In that time they have refunded $3000 on a car lift that never showed up and $2000 on a compressor that sears forgot to ship 10 years ago. What's in your wallet?

 

Your money

 

out of curiosity I called them just now and they answered the phone.

 

I am wondering if they recognize my number and don't answer. I tried calling several times and the line was busy so I know they are there, finally got through and it goes to answering machine.

 

I have called several times over the years at various times and have never gotten anyone to answer

 

Call this one ?? Closer to what you want ... or no ?

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1940-ford-truck-bed.1149395/

 

It's just the semi-annual "Howells took my money and didn't ship my stuff" thread.

 

Their online reviews are not too good
https://www.google.com/search?sourc...0#lrd=0x863ecb409081c9c5:0x725e755eaa8a6066,1,,,

https://www.yelp.com/biz/howell-she...source=duckduckgo&hrid=nN_wlumFeQoKghxHEWm84w

https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/beaumont/...tion/howells-sheetmetal-company-0845-10013684

 

Sending your money to Howells is about one step above sending it to the Nigerian Prince at this point. You have to be living under a rock to not have heard about the continual poor customer service complaints.

Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Yep, I've been hearing about how slow they were for years. You'd think they would get the message sooner or later. I've never dealt with them, never needed any of their products, but would be scared to try based on all those reports over the last years. Maybe they just don't have any sense of time, maybe they don't get in any hurry, maybe they are overbooked on orders, all of it doesn't matter, you're only as good as your customers say you are, and for a long time their report cards have been failing the customers.

 

I bought some patch panels from Howell's through Ebay several years ago and got quick service. Maybe that's the key, use Ebay. But as far as truck beds go I got one for my avatar from Mack's and could not be happier. The service was good and the product was excellent.

 

They're still growing the wood.

 

Hey now, that prince you speak of just happens to be an associate of mine that needed some help with local US Customs. How do you think I got the funds for the truck bed??

 

PM sent. Nice move Kid!

 

I made the mistake of taking a chance on them a while back. Experienced the well documented clown show as many others. Theses people do not do business in the traditional “I am offering a product for sale, you are willing to buy it at the agreed price, so now that you have paid me, I will give it to you” sense. Baffling they still pretend to be a legitimate business.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

^^^^LLMTNAO! (literally laughing my Tuesday night as off!)...JS (just sayin)