helmet supplier problems

[toaster]

im having an issue with a major helmet supplier, and i would like the forums advice.  i have a motorcycle repair and parts shop, and i travel to almost all of the amateur motocross nationals around the country (ponca, lake whitney, oak hill, vegas, and branson) on a yearly basis selling parts, gear and accessories.  earlier this year at a national (lake whitney), on of the riders we help had an issue where their helmet was run over by a truck.  the rider is sponsored by a helmet company, so we called our supplier for that particular helmet (the only place to get that companys helmet in the US).  the company (and our personal rep) told us to go ahead and give them a helmet (we had the exact same one that was destroyed in stock in the right size) and that they would ship us a new one.

we gave them the new helmet and once we got back to the shop the next week, we called the supplier to order our "new" helmet.  they said they had run the persons credit card and that it came back bad, and now they didnt want to give us the helmet.  it has been since march that this happened, and now we have hit a roadblock: the rep for the helmet company will not return our phone calls,  our supplier is mad because we told them were not paying their bill until we get the helmet issue straightened out, the person we gave the helmet to will not answer the phone or call the helmet company, the helmet company told our supplier that we are basically sol on the deal, and we are still out $500 for a helmet.

any words of advice?



ps.  i didnt want to name the helmet company, at least not yet. but i will say that i quit wearing my helmet from that company, and i only wear my two helmets from kbc and hjc.  we are going to call the company one last time tomorrow, and see what we can do, so if i dont have any answers from them by tomorrow at 6pm central time, i will let everyone know who it was.

[ducpainter]

Why is a sponsor concerned about a c/c?

[toaster]

its one of those sponsorship deals where they give you a big discount, but not free parts.  the problem is that they didnt run their card when they told us to give them the helmet, and the card had expired.

[NAKID]

Did you contact the guy who you gave the helmet to? Ask him to contact the supplier and give them the updated info?

[Statler]

There's the nice way and there's the not nice way.  The not nice way destroys the working relationship entirely.   Same for them on the other shoe.    Do you want to continue the relationship or just recoup your 500?   Do they want to continue a relationship or not give you one helmet?

That's the first question I'd ask both you and them.

[toaster]

Did you contact the guy who you gave the helmet to? Ask him to contact the supplier and give them the updated info?

we have talked to the person that we gave the helmet to, and they talked to the helmet company, but for some reason the helmet guys didnt do anything to help us out.  i do not know if they got the money from him or not, and i cant get ahold of them anymore.  we try to call the helmet company, but the guy we need to talk to is "not there" or hes "busy" but he has never called us back.  our supplier has tried everything they can think of short of dropping the ammount we owe them or sending us the helmet since the helmet company themselves have done nothing.

There's the nice way and there's the not nice way.  The not nice way destroys the working relationship entirely.   Same for them on the other shoe.    Do you want to continue the relationship or just recoup your 500?   Do they want to continue a relationship or not give you one helmet?

That's the first question I'd ask both you and them.

i would love to be able to stay connected to the supplier because they always have done us great deals on personal stuff (my hjc helmet, and oxtar, now tcx, boots), but the helmet company is a different story.  since this happened i quit wearing my helmet from them just to keep from advertising their name, and i would love to tell them that.  im honestly not too worried about losing the helmets, but i am worried about the way they have been treating us.  im not even going to say we will keep selling their helmets after they give us the money/helmet we were supposed to recieve.

i know that the bigger companys honestly do not care about losing a customer.  we had a friends shop have a return issue on a $400 part with parts unlimited.  parts unlimited was completely fine with losing them as a customer.  they pissed away a 10-12k a month account over a $400 part.  the shop sent back everything they still had, sent back the catalogs, and sent their last check minus the $400 and told them not to call back or send a rep by the store again.

[NAKID]

Well, based on what you just said, I would take them to small claims court. File the paperwork, have them served, then I imagine they will be a little more willing to work with you...

[junior varsity]

I agree with the small claims. And quit selling their helmets afterwards out of spite.

[toaster]

i plan to quit wearing their helmets for sure. and im pretty sure i will quit selling them once i get rid of all the ones i have in stock at the store.  i hate to have to do it because they are one of the most comfortable helmets ive ever wore, but i may still do it.

[Popeye the Sailor]

i plan to quit wearing their helmets for sure. and im pretty sure i will quit selling them once i get rid of all the ones i have in stock at the store.  i hate to have to do it because they are one of the most comfortable helmets ive ever wore, but i may still do it.

It would tech them a lesson if you sold them *way* underpriced too. I'll give $75 CASH for all the ones you have in stock.

[junior varsity]

I find that there are usually two brands that feel almost identical to me. Whether you pick HJC, Shoei, Arai, etc, there's usually a near-identical fitting other brand, you just have to try on a bunch to find it. And that's a hassle.

[wengr]

If it fits well why stop wearing it? just take a marker and write "sucks" under the logo.

[toaster]

If it fits well why stop wearing it? just take a marker and write "sucks" under the logo.

principle