Sewell Black chrome Nightmare
#16
Wouldn't say it's "great" customer service; it is what it is.
Customer buys product, product comes scratched not once, twice, but three times, customer returns items and company refunds money.
"Great" would be if they offered customer a discount to keep blemished product (which I wouldn't accept).
It's also not "great" when they don't inspected the second and third shipments to ensure pristine condition.
But, yes, upon return, everything works out, aside from the waste of time and effort on a fruitless result. :|
Customer buys product, product comes scratched not once, twice, but three times, customer returns items and company refunds money.
"Great" would be if they offered customer a discount to keep blemished product (which I wouldn't accept).
It's also not "great" when they don't inspected the second and third shipments to ensure pristine condition.
But, yes, upon return, everything works out, aside from the waste of time and effort on a fruitless result. :|
#17
Driver
Thread Starter
Sunny I am sure you mean **** retentive and yes when it comes to a car that I feel as though I paid a lot of money I am **** retentive. My job makes me that way. If you must know my car is less then 2 months old and is in perfect condition ( my friend owns a detail and tint shop) as we speak with a gtech coating. Lexus didn't touch my car it went from the truck to the shop we peeled the plastic and everything
#18
Sunny I am sure you mean **** retentive and yes when it comes to a car that I feel as though I paid a lot of money I am **** retentive. My job makes me that way. If you must know my car is less then 2 months old and is in perfect condition ( my friend owns a detail and tint shop) as we speak with a gtech coating. Lexus didn't touch my car it went from the truck to the shop we peeled the plastic and everything
Truth of the matter is that when I sent mine back, the Sewell rep said that the emblems I was returning were going to be put back into inventory and sold to another customer! Talk about great customer service! :|
We need to figure out where Sewell gets their Black Pearl emblems from. I understand Sewell sends OEM silver front and rear emblems to a company that 'plates' them and the company sends them back to Sewell for inventory, where the emblems sit in a draw and get scratched up. We need to cut out the middle man... If anyone has ideas, let me know.
Last edited by dbs600; 01-22-14 at 10:22 PM.
#19
Sewell is horrible to deal with. Whomever runs the parts department lacks any knowledge about the products they sell. I no longer give them any buisness and when I need a part I go to my local Lexus dealer. They also overcharge for shipping. Sewell Sucks.
#21
Man...It sucks to see so many people not understanding what the actual issue here is and giving the guy grief about his perfectly reasonable and logical expectations. It's the money charged for the emblems vs. the quality of them, not the actual scratches per se. They charge 100+ for one L badge. They buy that thing for MAYBE 5 bucks. Where does the rest of that money go? The seller told me it's just some plastic dip, not even paint. In fact, I found some thread on the ISF forum mentioning that the finish will peel eventually and that happened to some people so clearcoating is the only way to protect the badges. This is insane for 100 bucks. I went and bought a brand new L badge from my dealership recently, 40 bucks...It was pristine. Covered in plastic against any scratches. Not a single swirl mark or a blemish. THAT is what you'd naturally expect from Sewell, and how is that too much to ask ? In what world? It's not about just one person being picky here, in fact, I'm counting 3 so far. It's about getting what's fair. And this isn't fair. And people here say just get a refund...That's really idiotic considering you still do want the badges, and you're upset and mad that you can't get what you're paying for and have to simply return them. And at the end of this pathetic process you get nothing, just a few trips to the post office which they don't refund, mind you. Time spent shipping, also the postal charges. They refund only the original payment. And not even their shipping they charged you. So anyone saying "get a refund" should really at least think about that and see the situation outside of their narrow view. And saying that it's hard to see the scratches and it's ok since your car is not perfect anyway is such crap. I'd like to see those same people buy their cars brand new, but with a bunch of blemishes and scratches, and then drive off happily...No, you'd only expect that on a used car. I'm seriously disappointed in the amount of negative feedback posted here instead of support and understanding. In the meantime the op is still left with nothing but money & time wasted. So yeah...It is a nightmare of its own kind. Only the person going through it would understand though.
#22
Man...It sucks to see so many people not understanding what the actual issue here is and giving the guy grief about his perfectly reasonable and logical expectations. It's the money charged for the emblems vs. the quality of them, not the actual scratches per se. They charge 100+ for one L badge. They buy that thing for MAYBE 5 bucks. Where does the rest of that money go? The seller told me it's just some plastic dip, not even paint. In fact, I found some thread on the ISF forum mentioning that the finish will peel eventually and that happened to some people so clearcoating is the only way to protect the badges. This is insane for 100 bucks. I went and bought a brand new L badge from my dealership recently, 40 bucks...It was pristine. Covered in plastic against any scratches. Not a single swirl mark or a blemish. THAT is what you'd naturally expect from Sewell, and how is that too much to ask ? In what world? It's not about just one person being picky here, in fact, I'm counting 3 so far. It's about getting what's fair. And this isn't fair. And people here say just get a refund...That's really idiotic considering you still do want the badges, and you're upset and mad that you can't get what you're paying for and have to simply return them. And at the end of this pathetic process you get nothing, just a few trips to the post office which they don't refund, mind you. Time spent shipping, also the postal charges. They refund only the original payment. And not even their shipping they charged you. So anyone saying "get a refund" should really at least think about that and see the situation outside of their narrow view. And saying that it's hard to see the scratches and it's ok since your car is not perfect anyway is such crap. I'd like to see those same people buy their cars brand new, but with a bunch of blemishes and scratches, and then drive off happily...No, you'd only expect that on a used car. I'm seriously disappointed in the amount of negative feedback posted here instead of support and understanding. In the meantime the op is still left with nothing but money & time wasted. So yeah...It is a nightmare of its own kind. Only the person going through it would understand though.
#24
Driver
Thread Starter
Also for the people who say they couldnt see the blemishes. Sewell did even they thought it was "too prominent)
Anthony,
We agree that the blemishes present on the piece you sent on the picture were too prominent.
Best regards,
Sewell Parts Team
Dallas, TX 75209
sewellparts.com
lexusparts@sewell.com
Find us on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Overstock and Closeouts
Sewell.com
Anthony,
We agree that the blemishes present on the piece you sent on the picture were too prominent.
Best regards,
Sewell Parts Team
Dallas, TX 75209
sewellparts.com
lexusparts@sewell.com
Find us on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Overstock and Closeouts
Sewell.com
#25
Parts Vendor
iTrader: (9)
We very much understand the overall message here. We have an issue! To the OP, we hope we've conveyed a clear notion we're doing our best to help. This not only involves our prompt responses to the concerns, but the multiple attempts trying to get it right. We understand there's a 3rd emblem on the way to you. We truly hope this resolves the issue. If it doesn't offer you precisely what you're expecting, then this is a challenge we need to face together – we are open to suggestions.
We'll be the first to state we are faced with some challenges we're not able to overcome, however this won't deter our efforts. We are familiar with the minor scratches to the Black Pearl emblems,
Black Pearl was offered from Lexus back in 1997 as an original equipment accessory option at the Dealer, and were rather expensive. In the end, Lexus discontinued their efforts no longer offering the alternative Black Pearl finish in 2005 (as well as their gilding process for Gold). As this product was surprisingly no longer being offered, we felt it necessary to remain present whereas Lexus had left the party.
The process to obtain the smoke-black finish is simple, and similar to the gilding process for gold – electrolysis. Given an original chrome emblem, it is attached to a metal hanger or rack system so that it can be submerged into a chemical bath while maintaining an electrical connection. Once completely submerged into the solution, applied electricity causes a reaction. When removed from its bath, the emblem no longer has it's mirror-like, chrome finish but rather a tempered pearlescent black finish. As it's removed, it is quickly submerged into a different chemical – a solvent-based acrylic coating solution. It's then removed and staged in a pre-heated furnace for curing. It is during this curing processing and handling will we be looking into further in our attempts at offering the finished quality we desire and demand.
For what is a simple process to comprehend and an understanding of the cost of materials involved exists another snag – the inclusion of costs associated with the labor. And of course, with any chemical there exists another array of obstacles dealing with the various safety regulations, measures and preparedness. Each of these are given consideration when determining the cost and ultimately the end user's purchasing price.
We will not only be reviewing our production methods, but our pricing as well. To the OP, we hope our 3rd attempt is received before week's end to give you that higher level of enlightenment we see you're eager to obtain.
Darrel Diller
We'll be the first to state we are faced with some challenges we're not able to overcome, however this won't deter our efforts. We are familiar with the minor scratches to the Black Pearl emblems,
Black Pearl was offered from Lexus back in 1997 as an original equipment accessory option at the Dealer, and were rather expensive. In the end, Lexus discontinued their efforts no longer offering the alternative Black Pearl finish in 2005 (as well as their gilding process for Gold). As this product was surprisingly no longer being offered, we felt it necessary to remain present whereas Lexus had left the party.
The process to obtain the smoke-black finish is simple, and similar to the gilding process for gold – electrolysis. Given an original chrome emblem, it is attached to a metal hanger or rack system so that it can be submerged into a chemical bath while maintaining an electrical connection. Once completely submerged into the solution, applied electricity causes a reaction. When removed from its bath, the emblem no longer has it's mirror-like, chrome finish but rather a tempered pearlescent black finish. As it's removed, it is quickly submerged into a different chemical – a solvent-based acrylic coating solution. It's then removed and staged in a pre-heated furnace for curing. It is during this curing processing and handling will we be looking into further in our attempts at offering the finished quality we desire and demand.
For what is a simple process to comprehend and an understanding of the cost of materials involved exists another snag – the inclusion of costs associated with the labor. And of course, with any chemical there exists another array of obstacles dealing with the various safety regulations, measures and preparedness. Each of these are given consideration when determining the cost and ultimately the end user's purchasing price.
We will not only be reviewing our production methods, but our pricing as well. To the OP, we hope our 3rd attempt is received before week's end to give you that higher level of enlightenment we see you're eager to obtain.
Darrel Diller
#26
Parts Vendor
iTrader: (9)
To those other responders offering their own experiences, it appears evident, we failed. We can assure you we felt every effort was made not to upset anyone beyond what possible steps were at our disposal. Should there remain a particular level of harbored, ill-feelings, I invite anyone of you to contact me directly on the chance I can help.
We will not only be reviewing our production methods, but our pricing as well.
Darrel Diller
We will not only be reviewing our production methods, but our pricing as well.
Darrel Diller
#27
Thanks for your thoughtful, thorough response, Mr. Diller; I've communicated with you, as well as your associates, regarding this in the past; you sent me two sets of front and rear Black Pearl "L" logo emblems, both of which were blemished.
Based on everything stated, I had believed the issue emanated from the handling of the product in inventory. Such that you state you will review your procedures, please note I'd consider giving you opportunity to earn my business again if you can make good on a pristine product at better pricing, as suggested.
Therefore, please keep us up to date with any developments, so we can revalue placement of prospective future orders.
Based on everything stated, I had believed the issue emanated from the handling of the product in inventory. Such that you state you will review your procedures, please note I'd consider giving you opportunity to earn my business again if you can make good on a pristine product at better pricing, as suggested.
Therefore, please keep us up to date with any developments, so we can revalue placement of prospective future orders.
Last edited by dbs600; 01-23-14 at 12:21 PM.
#28
Instructor
iTrader: (2)
Mr. Diller,
I too would like to chime in and want to see the results after the revaluation/review of a more perfection method and pricing.
I have a 2012 Lexus IS F and would like to get My front Grill Surround, Rear "L", and "IS" Emblems in Black Chrome but afraid to spend the money to do so knowing of these issues and the price point. Please see at it on what you can do and if you would be able to offer the Front Grill Surround in Black Pearl/Chrome as well please
I too would like to chime in and want to see the results after the revaluation/review of a more perfection method and pricing.
I have a 2012 Lexus IS F and would like to get My front Grill Surround, Rear "L", and "IS" Emblems in Black Chrome but afraid to spend the money to do so knowing of these issues and the price point. Please see at it on what you can do and if you would be able to offer the Front Grill Surround in Black Pearl/Chrome as well please
#29
May be asking for too much, but it'd also be great if the product came with installation instructions, especially on how to remove the front emblem without damaging the tabs, as I couldn't figure out same, as there seems to be no specific method proffered on this board. For example, I know that Crutchfield (one of the best mail order companies I've ever come across), includes installation instructions with some of its products...
Last edited by dbs600; 01-23-14 at 12:20 PM.
#30
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: hawaii
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Noooooo wish I read this post before placing my order a few days ago!!! This was my first time dealing with this company, what got my attention are the items that have "enter this discount code for a special price today" then when you enter it nothings happens. I went so far as to call them. The response was that the discount was no longer valid. I am going to send a complaint and screen shot to the management and BBB. Lexus motto is" pursuit of perfection" as a lexus owner I too think anything I purchase for my car from a reputable company as sewells will come with the same quality as an OEM lexus parts. If they cant make quality products then discountinue selling them.
Last edited by yuup; 01-23-14 at 01:21 PM.