Guys,
Over two months ago I ordered a front winch and standard rear bumper for my 2000 Ford F350. The front bumper was ordered with 2 sets of PIAA lights, diamond decking, heavy duty tubing, and a winch. The rear bumper was ordered with PIAA lights. I was told it would take 4 to 6 weeks for the bumpers to be built and delivered. Nine weeks later, the bumpers were finally delivered to the shop doing the installation. The time delay was no big deal but what followed is a complete disaster.
The diamond decking was not installed on the front bumper, but I let that slide since I was not charged for it. The front bumper bolted onto my pickup easily and everything seemed fine until the lights were to be installed. The cutouts for the smaller PIAA's were incorrect and the lights would not fit properly. No problem, we just reworked the holes a bit and got the lights in without too much grief. The winch mounted fairly easily but we started to notice some chipping of the paint in several places on the bumper. At first I thought it was damaged during freight, but it became apparent that the scratching was being cause by air hoses rubbing against the paint. Yes, that is correct. The air hoses were rubbing on the bumper and damaging the paint!
It gets even better...
The rear bumper was ordered with inserted PIAA 1500 lights. The holes in the bumper were cut for PIAA 40 lights. Again, I thought no big deal, I simply exchanged the 1500's for 40's, and proceeded with the installation. When we tried to install the 40's we found that the lights extended out past the face of the bumper and that the holes were cut much too large for the lights. There was an ugly 1/2" gap between the lens and the edge of the cutout all around. When we removed the rubber molding from the edge of the cutouts to see if we could set the lights back any further, the paint peeled off the bumper!
I called Reunel to explain the situation and was told the following:
1. "Although we manufacture a great bumper, our paint jobs are not very good. Many people complain about our paint, but it would be too expensive to powder coat our bumpers." They then offered to send me a can of touch-up paint for my bumpers.
2. "We only offer PIAA 40 cutouts in our rear bumpers. Someone should have told you this when you placed your order."
3. "The rear bumper lights are supposed to stick out past the bumper. We do this so all the light shines out, not just some of it." When I asked about the potential breakage if someone or something hit the bumper, I was told, "We don't think it's a problem."
4. "If you do not like the bumpers send them back, but you have to pay the freight charges." When I asked about all the extra labor costs incurred they told me, "We do not deal with those issues."
I am a business owner and deal with the retail public on a daily basis, so I am very reluctant to hassle other businesses or bash them on the web, but this is ridiculous. When someone pays $3000 for two bumpers advertised as "the highest quality bumpers available", they do not expect to see shoddy workmanship and poor paint. The lack of customer service is another issue in itself. Reunel Manufacturing admitted to me that their paint quality was not very good, but they refused to properly paint the bumpers or credit my account to allow a third party to paint the bumpers properly. They did not even accept responsibility for the incorrect light holes and the missing diamond decking. Their rudeness and arrogance was only exceeded by their ignorance.
I hope this information will prevent any of you from having to go through a similar mess.
Regards,
The Hajj
Over two months ago I ordered a front winch and standard rear bumper for my 2000 Ford F350. The front bumper was ordered with 2 sets of PIAA lights, diamond decking, heavy duty tubing, and a winch. The rear bumper was ordered with PIAA lights. I was told it would take 4 to 6 weeks for the bumpers to be built and delivered. Nine weeks later, the bumpers were finally delivered to the shop doing the installation. The time delay was no big deal but what followed is a complete disaster.
The diamond decking was not installed on the front bumper, but I let that slide since I was not charged for it. The front bumper bolted onto my pickup easily and everything seemed fine until the lights were to be installed. The cutouts for the smaller PIAA's were incorrect and the lights would not fit properly. No problem, we just reworked the holes a bit and got the lights in without too much grief. The winch mounted fairly easily but we started to notice some chipping of the paint in several places on the bumper. At first I thought it was damaged during freight, but it became apparent that the scratching was being cause by air hoses rubbing against the paint. Yes, that is correct. The air hoses were rubbing on the bumper and damaging the paint!
It gets even better...
The rear bumper was ordered with inserted PIAA 1500 lights. The holes in the bumper were cut for PIAA 40 lights. Again, I thought no big deal, I simply exchanged the 1500's for 40's, and proceeded with the installation. When we tried to install the 40's we found that the lights extended out past the face of the bumper and that the holes were cut much too large for the lights. There was an ugly 1/2" gap between the lens and the edge of the cutout all around. When we removed the rubber molding from the edge of the cutouts to see if we could set the lights back any further, the paint peeled off the bumper!
I called Reunel to explain the situation and was told the following:
1. "Although we manufacture a great bumper, our paint jobs are not very good. Many people complain about our paint, but it would be too expensive to powder coat our bumpers." They then offered to send me a can of touch-up paint for my bumpers.
2. "We only offer PIAA 40 cutouts in our rear bumpers. Someone should have told you this when you placed your order."
3. "The rear bumper lights are supposed to stick out past the bumper. We do this so all the light shines out, not just some of it." When I asked about the potential breakage if someone or something hit the bumper, I was told, "We don't think it's a problem."
4. "If you do not like the bumpers send them back, but you have to pay the freight charges." When I asked about all the extra labor costs incurred they told me, "We do not deal with those issues."
I am a business owner and deal with the retail public on a daily basis, so I am very reluctant to hassle other businesses or bash them on the web, but this is ridiculous. When someone pays $3000 for two bumpers advertised as "the highest quality bumpers available", they do not expect to see shoddy workmanship and poor paint. The lack of customer service is another issue in itself. Reunel Manufacturing admitted to me that their paint quality was not very good, but they refused to properly paint the bumpers or credit my account to allow a third party to paint the bumpers properly. They did not even accept responsibility for the incorrect light holes and the missing diamond decking. Their rudeness and arrogance was only exceeded by their ignorance.
I hope this information will prevent any of you from having to go through a similar mess.
Regards,
The Hajj
Yes their paint jobs suck and I see no traces of a primer under the black paint. If I wasn't so cheap, when I ordered it I should have ordered it with the stainless steel overlays. A friend has the standard rear in SS and it's still perfect. Paint aside, its contruction is really solid and if someone rear ends me...there goes their radiator. 
Things must have changed for the worse over the past few years at reunel as they we're pretty good to deal with when I was working for CHP but then again State of Ca. has gotta be one of their biggest accounts.
They asked what is that. I show them the truck and what I wanted. They said sure. They were very helpful in getting the bumper redone. Keith