~do not buy last refuge!!!~

i install,repair,rebuild food processing equipment from the manufacturing level to retail levels. on a new machine order standard delivery time is 8 weeks and is usually around 7 weeks. the only time you can get away with being late on delivey date is winter weather. when you have put 50k down getting nervous is normal. one thing i never do is lie to a customer about why it's delayed, i simply hand them my cell phone with the person that is responsable for delay dialed up so regardless of what they are told their not pissed at me. had customers when it was time to replace a machine tell me they were lied to at some point so they are going elswhere. thats even after beating the competitions price.

 

At least Norb is communicating here and seemingly on the phone. Several alliance vendors will not answer PMs on here.

This thread should be titled "~do not buy last refuge!!!~ Oh wait, never mind"

 

Isn't a forum used for discussion? Thanks for your opinion.

 

Looks photoshopped to me

 

Norby, I'm glad you're taking it all in. I to was in business for a ling time, and then closed up shop when the economy went south. But recently I've re-opened my doors and I am only taking the jobs 'I' want to take. This way, if a customer acts like some of the childish one's on here, gigging you for this and for that, then i tell them I'm full right at the moment, and move on. I do wish everyone would realize, a shop ordering a part, is still the same as 'joe blow' ordering a part. But a shop will ususally say 'I need it ASAP, and 'joe blow' says nothing at all. Now, flame me if you want, maybe it'll take some heat off Norb, but what it all boils down to is 'publicly nailing a small business owner, who, whether you like it or not, has a great product at a great price. And you're calling him out when you should just bite your tongue a little and save some of that ego and built up aggression for working on your hot rod.

Just my $.07 cents...

 

Are you a Photoshop expert?
*sigh*
Ford had pissed off people sending them letters asking them to bring back the Model A into the 1970s.


regards,
DJ

 

Theres a real car there, windshield is wood painted silver with 32 windshield frame cut up, backround is photoshopped out, I hope to have it released soon, working on new website, old one was getting a little worn out. Main thing we are working on is the windshield frame, wood will become aluminum casting, then machined etc. I told you its a sneek peek!!!

 

anybody who has run a business will know that every customer ain't a good one, and contrary to what is commonly thought, the customer IS NOT always right. Sometimes the customer is just a dick....

When a person is running an honest show, 5% of customers use up 95% of a business owners patience, and wast just as much of his or her joy as well. There comes a point where it just ain't worth it.

That is the way it is.

 

I feel Norbs frustration on customers but I think after this thread he will probably give himself a little more time on future orders as far as delivery estimates. I am a shop owner and can see both sides of the coin. But bottom line you just can't do business without the customer.

 

How about trying to be the the vendor the dog thinks you are rather than trying to bullshit your way through this deal?

 

That was funny stuff

 

I would rather not deal with someone whose address is a P.O box and the phone number is a cel.
You really have no way of tracking them down if stuff goes south.

 

I have a feeling this thread won't last too much longer, but I'll add 2 cents to it.

I too bought from Norb about 2 years ago. I had pretty much the same experience as the thread starter has had. I haven't touched the damn car the parts were for since (because of other things), but the stringing along was still very frustrating. All I wanted was the truth and he still would have gotten my business regardless, without all the BS.

When It comes down to it, I think Norb knows he doesn't have the product ready when he says, but doesn't want to lose the business so he says what he thinks he has to to keep it. He isn't out to rip anyone off, he is just trying to keep his business afloat. Everyone I know who has bought something from him has eventually received it in the quality promised.

I think Norb is actually a really nice guy personally. Bad cutomer service rep, but I'm sure that isn't why he started his business. I think if he just learns to tell the truth about when a customer is going to receive what they paid for, he'll be surprised how many people will still buy from him.

I understand everyones frustration and hope Norb takes this post not as an attack, but as constructive criticism by a customer.

 

^^Wisdom up there^^

 

Posting and promoting a new product, that hasn't been finished yet, in between 4 pages of criticism for failure to deliver a truck bed. It's like a Homer Simpson move. Classic!

 

Well Steve your response has got to be the quote of the week since your advertised location is not real special either. "somewhere"

Norb is easily found here on the HAMB he does not seem to be shying away from his product.

To all the folks out there whether you love him or hate him, obviously Norb is not going away and he probably is quietly thanking you all for the great and free promotion since I believe there must have been at least 4 threads run this year on him and still he is in business and the few that have posted negative stuff still only remain the few.

I am sure Norb has struck a deal with the Administrators to keep these threads open.
No wonder he is about to beef up his website as it is probably taking that many hits he may as well take advantage of what has been done free of charge for him.


Good luck Norb.

 

Johnnyzoom what do you do thats so great?

 

I AGREE!! The same can be said for about 90% of the other folks on this thread who have never walked the walk but like to talk the talk as if they were holier than thou! Until some of you guys have proven that you can run a large business without complaints and broken promises, then kindly step back and take a seat. Steve, this probably applies to you too!! Also, please notice how the ones who have, --or currently operate a legitimate business don't offer jabs, low-blows, and armchair advice as to "how it should be done".

 

have been running a shop and an ebay business for years, not that my comment means anything but i do know where your coming from.

sometimes its alot better to just say "works picked up and ive been real busy"
then making up bullshit excuses, and blaming fedex. working people always understand other working people, if they are buying a truck bed from you they are most likely average weekend hot rodders working on there cars when they can anyways, so they get it.



also your not a pop star not all publicity is good....
dont try and promote something when everybodys calling your shop a piece of shit.

 

A good quality bed would be my goal. Last Refuge obvioulsy beats the competition in that regard. Suck it up if it took a couple of months longer than expected to get the product. There are companies that would actually compromise quality to meet peak order periods. It's obvious that hasn't been the case with Last Refuge. Keep up the good work Norb.

 

it seems like norb has soom backing from small business owners problem is , just because running a small business is hard doesn't mean he doesn't lie . props to the small guys out there you keep the parts coming as promised ,to the ones who tell you what they think you want to hear ,just so they can make a sale .. well I think that's been covered, so the small business owners who stand behind the small business man have you had dealings with last refuge , how about trying to sell a product before it's available , would you have fessed up about the photoshop before you got called on it , If a customer didn't know about the photoshop and and wood/fake parts and called to place an order me thinks you would have made the sale anyway , MAGICIANS USED TO USE SMOKE AND MIRRORS , NOW SALESMEN USE PHOTOSHOP

 

My comment didn't come across how I intended, that was a real compliment. You obviously have some confidence.

 

Dont know you or your company, I understand your frustrations when things get busy.
A little communication will go a long way when people have close to $1000 wrapped up. Your customers are trying to build their dream vehicle so they have frustrations also. A phone call or email takes a minute or 2 and goes a long way.

 

I understand your frustration with Norb. It bothered me to send the full payment for something I wasn't going to get for 4-5 months. When I finally got the boxs both of them were of good quality. I do it a little different in my business. I have always gotten 1/2 up front for custom products that have to be built and the balance when I'm ready to ship. If it's something I can ship within a few days of the order I get it up front. Over the last 25+ years I have learned that communication is a cheap business tool, and something the customer appreciates.

 

This always seems to work.

 

Some of you should read "Atlas Shrugged".Might make things more clear.

EVIL

 

THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF JOBS...
CHEAP
QUICK
GOOD
YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT MOSTLY YOU CAN HAVE ANY TWO;

A GOOD JOB, CHEAP - WON'T BE QUICK.

A GOOD JOB, QUICK - WON'T BE CHEAP.

A CHEAP JOB, QUICK - WON'T BE GOOD.

This is just one of the realities of life and the business world.
May I suggest that when it comes to the pickup boxes Norb produces he gives you a GOOD JOB, CHEAP -
SO YOU CAN GUESS THE REST !!!

 

All the advice on this thread has been very helpful and for the most part constructive. Thanks
Norb

 

well guys,Im another LRHR customer gone wrong,I try to treat people as i would want to be treated,I never build a early 30's car so I thought this would be great,new body,new frame,new componets,and of course a company to call when I had questions about the build,I spent 7800.00 on a 29' truck,body,bed,frame,windshield frame,crossmembers,mis. suspension parts.well I got the body,bed,frame,the problem was the frame was wrong,no big deal,told norb to build me another frame Ill keep this one and sell it,while all along I have yet to recieve the tail gate,suspension parts, windshield,and a few other things[all paid in advance]to this day[oct 16th---10 months later]all I have is the cab and bed,oh ya I payed him for the frame already,you know the guys shop does build a great product and i own a business also, and when id have problems,giving false info never make for a happy customer,well i am going to make my weeeeekly call to norb and see if my stuff had been shipped yet and yes he told me atleast 5 times it was packed up and shipping,Ill keep you guys up with my progress....