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Well hate do this but I am left with no other option.
I placed an order with Ron on 1/14/10 for an alternator upgrade kit and a ignition switch upgrade kit. On 1/16/10 he sent:
"We have received your order and PayPal transfer, thank you. I'll give you a heads-up message when your kits go out."
I have since sent multiple emails in regards to the status of my parts. I am stuck waiting for these parts before I can go further on my 122s project. I have the infamous gorilla return spring and 3 fatigued keys. I fear snapping them off in the ignition cylinder and have had to avoid driving my 122s.
It has now been over 2 weeks and still no parts or response to speak of. I know that Ron has internet service because his brickboard status showed that he visited brickboard yesterday.
Ron where are my parts?
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Thank you Ron for the kits. Everything looks as it should. I apologize for my impatience, the lack of communication instigated it.
Hope to get these kits installed tomorrow evening. (Parts stores were closed by the time I got home this evening) Thank you again.
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It is good to hear that you got your order. Now, on to the next upgrade!
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That already happened :) While I was under the hood wiring everything up I did a Big3 Upgrade. Went from the stock ?4? guage wire to 1/0. Alternator power and ground, starter to battery, battery to ground.
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All is well that ends well.
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I ordered the same kit a few months back. Ordering and shipping times were normal. I inquired about the status once or twice, he was more than helpful with straight-up info.
After I received it I had a couple of additional questions. He was happy to answer and help out.
GO RON!!! and thanks
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First let me say that I have ordered an alt kit from Ron and got it within a reasonable time period and am quite satisfied with it. Anyone who has ever had to count on a sub contractor to meet a deadline and been disappointed will understand Ron's position. From what I have read here, to put him in the same boat as John Parker is insulting, not to mention burning your bridge to an invaluable resource. Things happen to people, sometimes beyond their control. Understanding that would make us all better citizens.
I like instant gratification just like everyone else, it's what we AMERICANS have come to expect from fast food to quick fixes for complicated problems, after all this is the 21st century. One way I can un=complicate my life is to drive an old Volvo. Another way is to study this generally very helpful forum and great advice and insight that all the posters offer including and especially Ron Kwas, Phil Singler (sp?) etc.
I felt Ron was very contrite in his response (not to mention that hair shirt he's been seen wearing) and there was really no reason to go on all p****d off.
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Just to clarify , wasnt bashing Ron at all made the point parts were shipped within a month and was satisfied with the product and support, your right not to compare with John Parker as thats a completly different can of worms as everyone is aware. Sorry Ron didnt mean to compare, again I was totally satisfied with Rons service. as well as the other folks I mentioned, Mike
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"I ordered an alt. kit from him and it took about a month or so to get it , this was about a year ago. On another note be glad you havent ordered anything from John Parker at VPD like I did in Sept. sent my $340.00 for springs and he wont even so much as respond with an email, someone needs to put these crooks out of business, never again, hopefully no one else on this board gives them anymore of their business. On the other hand it has been a pleasure dealing with guys like Joe at Swedish Treasures and Rhys Kent in Victoria , never a problem." Mike
Sorry Mike, I mis-understood your post. Your use of "these crooks" and "their business" led me to believe you meant the 2 guys you had mentioned earlier. Rereading the whole thread I see you had actually defended Ron in an earlier email. So once again my apologies.
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Brickboarders;
For anyone other than Kabukie's whose interested...his kits are in the box, going out per Priority Post on Monday.
An explanation: Kit delivery can go either way based on a number of factors...if I have items made up and in stock, they might go out the next day (particularly if buyer advises that this is a time critical order)...but they may need to be made up (like those miserable 1800 fuseblocks which take for ever to rework and make my hands ache)...or they may need to be received from the fabricator (like the alt kit bracket), then painted and otherwise prepped...another factor is my ability to get to the post office (I do have a life and responsibilities outside vintage Volvodom!)...
...but I cant send out what I dont have, and that's what happened in this case (the fabricator originally promised a new batch of brackets to be delivered last week...then extended ETA to this week...we'll see if the can keep that estimate)...yes, I plead guilty to poor communication, in this case...I could have advised Kabukie of the situation, but I was holding off hoping that my next contact with him would be the heads-up to advise him the kits were on the way.
Finally. I understand that when people send me their hard earned money that I am obligated to deliver what I promise, and I take that quite seriously, but I
am indeed only one guy, helping other enthusiasts keep their vintage Volvos on the road, safe, and reliable. I will continue to try to accommodate special and rush orders when I am able...but with emails going into the spam folder, (real work) bosses calling meetings which run later than the post office is open, sometimes it's pretty tough!...I don't have an "S" on my chest just a "V" on my car...
I thank you all for the support!
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RK-
USPS carrier pickup combined with on line postage and shipping labels is painless, economical and really convenient.
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Well said, Ron. For what you provide us, I'm 100% behind you. BTW, the reworked fusebox is now in Veronica and working splendidly. Thanks.
Cheers,
--
Barry '67 122S "Betty", '69 122S "Veronica"
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I was pretty sure there would be what appears to be a valid explanation. One man bands are a tough thing to keep playing orchestra music with, and sometimes you stretched a little thin. Glad to hear Kabukie will be getting his parts soon.
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I meant to say ..."and sometimes you get stretched a little thin." in my post.
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sometimes you can lose perspective.you meet and talk to others interested in the same old cars and because it is a large part of you life but they(old Volvos) are an insignificant part of the classic car industry. not to mention they are 40 years out of production. i waited a mo. for a windshield from Volvo with their massive replacement parts structure. the other alternative is make it yourself. i went thru at least a dozen keys the first year i own my 220 then the hardware store was out of 40 year old blanks so they used an m10 blank an no problems since.
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I ordered an alternator kit one time for my 1800 and kinda got forgotten about. I reminded him and he was gracious and contrite and sent one off. That same kit failed last March (my own fault- clearly a vibration issue because I didn't have the alt properly tightened) and he was able to immediately send one out overnight (I was 900 miles from home).
I have another of that kit on my Amazon and I've never had an issue in over ten years- daily driving for five.
My 2 cents.
Jim
--
'58 PV444
'66 1800S
'67 122S Estate
'70 142S
'72 142E
'78 242GT
All are pretty and run except the '78 The irony!
http://www.olddeadvolvos.com
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chill dude, unless you were given a specific delivery date, 2 weeks is hardly freak out time. If you were in a huge rush maybe inform merchant at time of purchase, that time was pressing. The fact that Ron hasn't responded may mean he us in the middle of something way more serious than old car parts, or that he is off line (BTW online status on a forum is rarely accurate).
--
Patrick, '68 220, '92 Eurovan , '53 PD4104 (highway coach conversion).
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I ordered a brake kit from Ron a couple years ago and I recall he wasn't super speedy but I did get the product and it wasn't an outrageous wait.
I have also used the info he has posted to his site and the BrickBoard on many occasions.
I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and I'll bet he has a good excuse.
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I agree I was not unhappy at all to wait a month the parts were as advertised and as you say he has a lot of good info, at least he was honest . was just making the point that some who advertise greatness are not,Mike
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Well, here is my experience with Ron Kwas. I ordered my second start switch upgrade kit from him on January 18th using his PayPal instructions and received my kit, 10 days later, on January 28th. I've always been pleased with Ron's communication and service. His web site is great;invaluable for tips and advice. I wouldn't hesitate to order from Ron in the future. BTW, the quality of the kit is excellent and with his detailed instructions, installation's a breeze. I hope you get your stuff soon; could be he got hit with several orders at once.
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Still doesn't explain his lack of communication.
Those will be the last two items I order from him.
He has my hard earned money and I have nothing to show for it.
Any of my future orders will surely be with another company with better customer service skills.
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Rons ordering info does clearly state to expect 2-4 weeks for delivery. I recently ordered a brake light kit, and sure, it didn't come as fast as an order from Amazon, but what I got cannot be had elsewhere. I consider his business to be more of a service than anything, helping to keep our old bricks running, safe and on the road......Thanks Ron!
--
92 245, 1965 122 Wagon, past:95 850 Turbo, 92 245, 88 245, 82 245 Turbo, 71 164e
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my last order from amazon, for a book in stock took 5 weeks to get, and that was just after Christmas.
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Keep in mind Ron isn't a "company" he is "a guy". He does not have customer service desk or a shipping department. It's the definition of a cottage industry, and one he probably only staffs when things like holidays, family commitments, and a day job allow him the time to do so.
The only input I can give you is that Ron usually responded to questions quickly and shipped in a reasonable amount of time when I did business with him late last summer. I can understand the lack of communication as a frustration. I'm of a constantly-connected generation that is surprised that there are people out there who don't check email on an hourly, or even a daily basis.
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I ordered an alt. kit from him and it took about a month or so to get it , this was about a year ago. On another note be glad you havent ordered anything from John Parker at VPD like I did in Sept. sent my $340.00 for springs and he wont even so much as respond with an email, someone needs to put these crooks out of business, never again, hopefully no one else on this board gives them anymore of their business. On the other hand it has been a pleasure dealing with guys like Joe at Swedish Treasures and Rhys Kent in Victoria , never a problem. Mike
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