SMS

[3175375]

I also ordered some parts from a vendor on flea-bay back in March. They delayed delivery and told me that they would be able to fill my order in a few weeks back in early April. I still don’t have the parts. ZERO COMMUNICATION SINCE APRIL 6. Yesterday, I texted the gentleman and told him that I didn’t want to file a small claims case against him, but I would, if he didn’t respond with status.
That got his attention.
He replied almost immediately and explained that he was away from the business, due to COVID, and he would be back in the shop next week.
We will see if he delivers.
By the way, he processed my payment back in March and has had my $ since then.
Another example of sloppy, unprofessional and uncommunicative business practices. The vendor has CHOSEN to behave this way and I find it disgusting. I don’t understand how businesses continue to exist using these practices...
From what I have read on this forum, SMS practices similar characteristics and I will not support them with my hard earned $, no matter how valuable their service is. That is my choice.

 

[saforwardlook]

I also ordered some parts from a vendor on flea-bay back in March. They delayed delivery and told me that they would be able to fill my order in a few weeks back in early April. I still don’t have the parts. ZERO COMMUNICATION SINCE APRIL 6. Yesterday, I texted the gentleman and told him that I didn’t want to file a small claims case against him, but I would, if he didn’t respond with status.
That got his attention.
He replied almost immediately and explained that he was away from the business, due to COVID, and he would be back in the shop next week.
We will see if he delivers.
By the way, he processed my payment back in March and has had my $ since then.
Another example of sloppy, unprofessional and uncommunicative business practices. The vendor has CHOSEN to behave this way and I find it disgusting. I don’t understand how businesses continue to exist using these practices...
From what I have read on this forum, SMS practices similar characteristics and I will not support them with my hard earned $, no matter how valuable their service is. That is my choice.

I believe your characterization of SMS is misleading using the above examples.

You can call Kim or Leslie at SMS anytime you wish during working hours and one of them will always answer your call or if you leave a message, they will get back with you. You can also write them a message for an update on your order and get a prompt reply in one or two business days. Their estimates of how much longer it will take to supply your parts/products are sometimes rosy, but they eventually do come through and reminding them from time to time you are still waiting helps too.

The point is they do communicate if you initiate the dialog and will do their best to give estimates.

I also don't dismiss that sometimes achieving real quality parts can have some unexpected twists that slow them down in determining how to resolve refinishing a door panel emblem or other issue in a door panel so that when you get it back, it looks like new again. They often rechrome emblems when they could have just told you to take them off and put them on when they return your panels, but they don't and take care of the issue themselves in order to provide complete satisfaction with their products.

I can't even imagine another company going to the lengths they do to turn out quality, authentic looking just-like-factory door panels as just one example.

Sure, you can get all pissed at SMS and try to show them who is boss, but until you are in their shoes, you just might not know as much as you think you do about what it takes to produce quality door panels that have probably thousands of variations/unique individual issues across all the years and models of vehicles they supply them for. I am grateful for their resolute insistence on turning out only quality products that one can truly be proud of to put in one of their high $$ restorations.

I am also getting weary of all the angry, demanding, unwilling-to-understand-issues-completely and arrogant attitudes in this country lately. It just tears us apart and down and emboldens our adversaries.

 

[440sportfury]

It took them about 19 months which I thought was crazy. When I finally received them I was extremely happy they do wonderful work unfortunately at a snails pace

 

[3175375]

I believe your characterization of SMS is misleading using the above examples.

You can call Kim or Leslie at SMS anytime you wish during working hours and one of them will always answer your call or if you leave a message, they will get back with you. You can also write them a message for an update on your order and get a prompt reply in one or two business days. Their estimates of how much longer it will take to supply your parts/products are sometimes rosy, but they eventually do come through and reminding them from time to time you are still waiting helps too.

The point is they do communicate if you initiate the dialog and will do their best to give estimates.

I also don't dismiss that sometimes achieving real quality parts can have some unexpected twists that slow them down in determining how to resolve refinishing a door panel emblem or other issue in a door panel so that when you get it back, it looks like new again. They often rechrome emblems when they could have just told you to take them off and put them on when they return your panels, but they don't and take care of the issue themselves in order to provide complete satisfaction with their products.

I can't even imagine another company going to the lengths they do to turn out quality, authentic looking just-like-factory door panels as just one example.

Sure, you can get all pissed at SMS and try to show them who is boss, but until you are in their shoes, you just might not know as much as you think you do about what it takes to produce quality door panels that have probably thousands of variations/unique individual issues across all the years and models of vehicles they supply them for. I am grateful for their resolute insistence on turning out only quality products that one can truly be proud of to put in one of their high $$ restorations.

I am also getting weary of all the angry, demanding, unwilling-to-understand-issues-completely and arrogant attitudes in this country lately. It just tears us apart and down and emboldens our adversaries.

I agree with your assessment. I have not done business with SMS, and to be honest, am afraid that they will take their sweet time in doing any work if I were to contract with them.
My concern is based on what I read here. 3 years for an upholstery job is insane to me.
I worked on Programs in my career where I had to produce a schedule for the program that required weekly status and it included meeting with the customer. I don’t expect that level of detail, but I can’t see 3 years for any project only related to upholstery. I also have the feeling that they don’t keep their customers notified on progress.
I understand that they do good work, but their customer service in communication is lacking in my opinion.

 

[bluefury361]

[QUOTE="saforwardlook,
Yes, SMS is frustrating, but I am also glad they exist at all. And I appreciate that they provide excellent results/products most of the time, so I remind myself of that when I get frustrated and it helps.[/QUOTE]

There's not a lot of room for the "instant gratification" crowd when restoring Forward look and C body cars. If one is not good with patience then you A.... Need to acquire patience, or B.... Go get a B body, or a chevy, or something that China has flooded the market with cheap repops instantly available.
There's a lot more gratification in restoring our low production cars with refurbished original OEM American parts and services.
It takes a little advance planning is all.

 

[Newport 66]

I sent a request about 2 weeks ago to see if they could supply fabric for my '66 Newport seat. Today I received the sample, cost per yard and the availability. I must say that I am impressed with not only the quick response but also the fact that they stock the material. I'll be placing the order and having my upholstery guy do the work. This is a pretty straight forward repair, so I'm not looking at years or months out.....

 

[CanCritter]

sitting on the coin and collecting interest......kinda like the pop bottles that never get returned....wheres the deposit coin and interest go?

 

[CanCritter]

I sent a request about 2 weeks ago to see if they could supply fabric for my '66 Newport seat. Today I received the sample, cost per yard and the availability. I must say that I am impressed with not only the quick response but also the fact that they stock the material. I'll be placing the order and having my upholstery guy do the work. This is a pretty straight forward repair, so I'm not looking at years or months out.....

View attachment 386717

that part is ALWAYS quick it seems....

 

[rapidtrans]

I sent a request about 2 weeks ago to see if they could supply fabric for my '66 Newport seat. Today I received the sample, cost per yard and the availability. I must say that I am impressed with not only the quick response but also the fact that they stock the material. I'll be placing the order and having my upholstery guy do the work. This is a pretty straight forward repair, so I'm not looking at years or months out.....

View attachment 386717

I did the same thing Newport, when I decided to redo my Monaco interior.
Got the sheet with the material swatches and prices. I went with a local guy to redo the seats but ended up buying the carpet through SMS when they had that sale a while back. Which they simply had drop-shipped right from ACC carpets. So no long wait time others have experienced.
SMS in particular Kim has always replied in a day or so to my emails.

 

[jrdudeman]

I have been planning ahead for replacing the original 62 year old upholstery in my 1958 Dodge Custom Royal. The original fabric in my car is coming apart in a few places on the front seat and the vinyl is very faded. I might not get this upholstery done for a couple years, but knowing the potential lead time from SMS, I thought it would be wise to plan ahead on ordering the fabric, thinking it may take a while. I sent SMS a sample of my fabric along with photos of the seat fabric and picture of the data tag. I received a matching sample within about two weeks after my initial discussion with SMS. I ordered the fabric from SMS just a couple weeks ago, and to my surprise, nine days after I placed the order, the fabric was delivered to my house. It looks like a great match.



My '58 Dodge has languished in the back of the garage for far too many years. Life kinda got in the way for many years. It will be one of my retirement projects starting hopefully within the next couple years. It is a really nice car, about 80,000 original miles.

 

[saforwardlook]

SMS is usually pretty fast when it comes to obtaining the fabrics/vinyls and reasonably so when it comes to headliners and vinyl tops. It is the door panels that take upwards of 4 years to receive now.

That looks like a really nice 58 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer. I wish my 58 Regal Lancer were in that condition currently.............................

You should provide us with more photos of the overall car.

Enjoy!