Sharky
04-22-2014, 12:48 PM
I actually don't know here to start with this thread. The journey that Jon has walked with me is certainly not one of epic proportion but certainly is an international story with denial, intrigue and vast learning involved.
As mentioned in a previous thread I have been trying to get a Gen 4 hood for my Gen 3 with very little success. Upon contacting Jon, as per direction of a couple of my fellow Vipernation members, I found a man who was very willing to seemingly do whatever was legally possible to make sure his customers, or even those who have never purchased a thing from him, were dealt with in a manner filled with integrity and openness. Jon did not have any brand new OEM hoods in stock at the time but was able to possibly source a very good condition used complete OEM hood that just happened to be the color I needed. We agreed upon a price including shipping, even though I know Jon cringed when he thought of shipping such a large object to this northern Canadian wasteland, and he began to work his magic from the USA. It was difficult to find or design a box which would protect the hood while still not have it weigh hundreds of pounds. That feat was achieved by Jon's designated people and the prized hood began its journey by way of truck. Because I was having the hood shipped to a US shipping address for my personal pick up it did save me about $500 in extra shipping costs, we in Canada really get nailed once things cross the border, and also saved the whole issue of clearing customs through a brokerage etc. The hood made two stops along the way and actually sat for about a week at one of the locations docks waiting for a truck heading in the right direction. Needless to say the hood arrived.
I wish that were the end of the story but it is really just the beginning as upon inspection of the hood at the shop it was found to be very damaged, as if something had been dropped on the box. I right away sent pictures to Jon letting him know about the condition of the hood. He responded immediately and was shocked at the pictures I had sent him. It really did look like the hood had blown off a car at over 100 miles an hour. I knew inside that the people Jon had send me the hood would never have sent such a product. This was of course confirmed by Jon. The dilemma I faced was that the location I had shipped to did not check the hood at time of delivery, I could not be there for a couple of days, so it was going to prove to be a battle collecting any type of insurance claim. Bottom line the trucking company told me that any amount from them was not going to happen. This is where Jon stepped up and truly showed me what he is all about. Jon after hearing the predicament chose to reimburse me a good portion of what I paid for the hood even though it was not his fault or even his issue since he had already fulfilled his part of the transaction. As I expressed to Jon on more than one occasion his actions truly brought back a faith that I had lost in a lot of the business community and particularly the automotive sector.
As you can imagine I highly recommend Jon as a supplier and as far as I can see a great overall guy who really cares about the satisfaction of not only clients but seemingly those who just cross his path. This is not meant to create a warm fuzzy nor to nominate Jon for President/Prime Minister, although he might do a great job at that as well since both the US and Canada who could use people who stand behind what they say and do, but rather to say as a group of automotive enthusiasts where the Viper is part of what gets our high octane juices flowing why would we deal with the businesses and places where they do not seem to have the same customer centered objectives. Here is a man who stepped up to and above what he felt he to do. That is indeed rare today.
I have no doubt there are numbers in this vast pool of enthusiasts who do great beyond the call stuff everyday for not only Vipernation but for others as well. Lets always be thankful for those that do make a positive difference as it helps to soften the blow a bit when we end up dealing with the less desirables.
I once again thank Jon for what he did for me and give 1000% assurance he will be getting my Viper business in the future. I only wish he also provided parts and insight for other makes of cars as well.
Regarding the hood itself I have some incredible people working on it who have just about rebuilt the whole hood. It is looking incredible and should be on the car in about 2 weeks. It cost a little more than to just have it touched up and repainted as I had originally hoped but well worth it thanks to Jon stepping up and making a business sacrifice for someone he has never directly met it was not too over the top.
As mentioned in a previous thread I have been trying to get a Gen 4 hood for my Gen 3 with very little success. Upon contacting Jon, as per direction of a couple of my fellow Vipernation members, I found a man who was very willing to seemingly do whatever was legally possible to make sure his customers, or even those who have never purchased a thing from him, were dealt with in a manner filled with integrity and openness. Jon did not have any brand new OEM hoods in stock at the time but was able to possibly source a very good condition used complete OEM hood that just happened to be the color I needed. We agreed upon a price including shipping, even though I know Jon cringed when he thought of shipping such a large object to this northern Canadian wasteland, and he began to work his magic from the USA. It was difficult to find or design a box which would protect the hood while still not have it weigh hundreds of pounds. That feat was achieved by Jon's designated people and the prized hood began its journey by way of truck. Because I was having the hood shipped to a US shipping address for my personal pick up it did save me about $500 in extra shipping costs, we in Canada really get nailed once things cross the border, and also saved the whole issue of clearing customs through a brokerage etc. The hood made two stops along the way and actually sat for about a week at one of the locations docks waiting for a truck heading in the right direction. Needless to say the hood arrived.
I wish that were the end of the story but it is really just the beginning as upon inspection of the hood at the shop it was found to be very damaged, as if something had been dropped on the box. I right away sent pictures to Jon letting him know about the condition of the hood. He responded immediately and was shocked at the pictures I had sent him. It really did look like the hood had blown off a car at over 100 miles an hour. I knew inside that the people Jon had send me the hood would never have sent such a product. This was of course confirmed by Jon. The dilemma I faced was that the location I had shipped to did not check the hood at time of delivery, I could not be there for a couple of days, so it was going to prove to be a battle collecting any type of insurance claim. Bottom line the trucking company told me that any amount from them was not going to happen. This is where Jon stepped up and truly showed me what he is all about. Jon after hearing the predicament chose to reimburse me a good portion of what I paid for the hood even though it was not his fault or even his issue since he had already fulfilled his part of the transaction. As I expressed to Jon on more than one occasion his actions truly brought back a faith that I had lost in a lot of the business community and particularly the automotive sector.
As you can imagine I highly recommend Jon as a supplier and as far as I can see a great overall guy who really cares about the satisfaction of not only clients but seemingly those who just cross his path. This is not meant to create a warm fuzzy nor to nominate Jon for President/Prime Minister, although he might do a great job at that as well since both the US and Canada who could use people who stand behind what they say and do, but rather to say as a group of automotive enthusiasts where the Viper is part of what gets our high octane juices flowing why would we deal with the businesses and places where they do not seem to have the same customer centered objectives. Here is a man who stepped up to and above what he felt he to do. That is indeed rare today.
I have no doubt there are numbers in this vast pool of enthusiasts who do great beyond the call stuff everyday for not only Vipernation but for others as well. Lets always be thankful for those that do make a positive difference as it helps to soften the blow a bit when we end up dealing with the less desirables.
I once again thank Jon for what he did for me and give 1000% assurance he will be getting my Viper business in the future. I only wish he also provided parts and insight for other makes of cars as well.
Regarding the hood itself I have some incredible people working on it who have just about rebuilt the whole hood. It is looking incredible and should be on the car in about 2 weeks. It cost a little more than to just have it touched up and repainted as I had originally hoped but well worth it thanks to Jon stepping up and making a business sacrifice for someone he has never directly met it was not too over the top.