I did not title this Waterdawg Customz because my gripe is with Jeff himself. I have been putting off doing this because I just don't like burning one of the few companies we have making stand up parts. I just feel that just because you are the only one making certain parts that you can get away with whatever you want. Now Jeff did sell us our pipe at a discounted price but he hit us full pop on the heads. This is how our experience with Jeff went.
First call - ordering intakes
Went smoothly enough, straight forward order. He talked us out of the spacer plate because we are going to run V-Force 3 reeds. Package arrived in about a week. Only complaint, he sent hardware for one with a spacer plate. No biggy, we know where to buy bolts.
Second Call - Exhaust discussion
When we first started this build we were going to go with our own custom built twin pipe setup. We called to get some advice and a few pointers. Jeff assured us that he had tried every twin pipe setup from snowmobile pipes to his own custom carbon fiber pipes, none of which worked. Undeterred we went on to build our own.
Third Call - Pipe Order
About two months into the build we realized what a huge project we had taken on. After a full evening of discussion we decided we would go with Jeff's pipe. Called him on the phone and asked if it would fit in an FX-1, he said no problem. Asked if he had one in stock, he said hell yeah I do. Ok, we will take it, use the same amex card from our intake order. He said it would go out the next day. Three weeks pass.........................nothing.
Fourth Call - Check on pipe and order heads
We were told the pipe was at the power coater getting finished up. Well I thought you said you had one in stock, yeah but it was unfinished, it should be back this week and I will get it out to you. We asked about the big bore heads, he said he had them but was waiting for the girdle kits to come in. Cool, we will take a set. Can you cut them for our 90mm bore, yes I can, ok lets go with that and just ship it all together. Two weeks.....................nothing.
Fifth Call - Just Send The Pipe Man
Told Jeff, don't let the heads hold it back just send the pipe, its back from the powder coater right? Jeff tells us that he decided to build us a custom oval shaped pipe so it would fit better in the fx, we say cool when will it be done, next week and I will get it out to you. We told him to ship it UPS three day select so we could get it quick, he said no problem. Another week passes.....................nothing.
Now up to this point Mark (yamahammer) had been doing all the phone work. He's just more political and nicer than I. But after I had already paid my Amex bill for the $900 he charged two months prior I had enough.
Sixth through Twelfth Calls - Me trying to get a hold of Jeff
After several calls I finally get a call back from Jeff. He says the heads are done, the pipe is done, and he was taking it to his shipper that day. Told him to ship it three day select. Four days pass................................nothing.
Number of Calls - Unknown
I finally get in touch with Jeff again and he gives me this great spill on how he has been using this family shipping business, and they had dropped the ball. He told me he was in his car going to pick up my package and taking it to UPS that day. I told him I wanted a tracking number that day!!! I receive a tracking number so I'm like awesome, now we are getting somewhere. Three more days pass and there is no activity on the tracking number. I call, I email, I pm. Finally he answers his phone. He says he's got the pipe and heads in a box right in front of him. I tell him to ship it overnight, he say no problem.............but, I did not cut your domes for you. WTF am I supposed to do with blank domes? He tells me just take them to a machine shop and they can cut them no problem, blows a ton of smoke up my ass about how he figured as good as we are at building ski's this should be a simple task for us to do. Like a complete idiot I say ok. He calls me back later that afternoon with another tracking number, this one works. The next day I get my Waterdawg package. Exhaust manifold is unfinished, none of the casting holes had been filled, no fittings, the pipe was tacked together (which worked out because we had to do a slight modification) But remember this was supposed to be an oval shaped custom pipe powder coated and ready to go. The heads were there, uncut domes and all, but no girdle kit, no o-rings...................nothing. I blow up, Jeff answers the phone and I call him everything but a white man. I'm mega-pissed at this point. He then tells me that the $900 was for the heads and the pipe so I calm down a little. Then more smoke up the ass about how we can finish the pipe to our specs now blah blah blah. We go everywhere to try and get the domes cut, nobody wants to touch them. I called him back and asked if he would cut a set, told him the specs on the pistons and he said no problem I will do it this weekend and overnight them on Monday. Monday comes and goes with no word. I call him on Tuesday, he says that his machinist was covered up on Monday and could not get them done but he was finishing them up and they would go out overnight on his dime that day. I once again request a tracking number because by now I had zero faith in him. That was the last time I talked to him. I have called him well over 20 times and left voice mails. I have PMed him on the board with no reply.
I really don't want to start an argument with anyone else on this so if you like him, great. I will ask you to keep your comments off of this post please. I just want everyone to know our experience and why we are so pissed off.
First call - ordering intakes
Went smoothly enough, straight forward order. He talked us out of the spacer plate because we are going to run V-Force 3 reeds. Package arrived in about a week. Only complaint, he sent hardware for one with a spacer plate. No biggy, we know where to buy bolts.
Second Call - Exhaust discussion
When we first started this build we were going to go with our own custom built twin pipe setup. We called to get some advice and a few pointers. Jeff assured us that he had tried every twin pipe setup from snowmobile pipes to his own custom carbon fiber pipes, none of which worked. Undeterred we went on to build our own.
Third Call - Pipe Order
About two months into the build we realized what a huge project we had taken on. After a full evening of discussion we decided we would go with Jeff's pipe. Called him on the phone and asked if it would fit in an FX-1, he said no problem. Asked if he had one in stock, he said hell yeah I do. Ok, we will take it, use the same amex card from our intake order. He said it would go out the next day. Three weeks pass.........................nothing.
Fourth Call - Check on pipe and order heads
We were told the pipe was at the power coater getting finished up. Well I thought you said you had one in stock, yeah but it was unfinished, it should be back this week and I will get it out to you. We asked about the big bore heads, he said he had them but was waiting for the girdle kits to come in. Cool, we will take a set. Can you cut them for our 90mm bore, yes I can, ok lets go with that and just ship it all together. Two weeks.....................nothing.
Fifth Call - Just Send The Pipe Man
Told Jeff, don't let the heads hold it back just send the pipe, its back from the powder coater right? Jeff tells us that he decided to build us a custom oval shaped pipe so it would fit better in the fx, we say cool when will it be done, next week and I will get it out to you. We told him to ship it UPS three day select so we could get it quick, he said no problem. Another week passes.....................nothing.
Now up to this point Mark (yamahammer) had been doing all the phone work. He's just more political and nicer than I. But after I had already paid my Amex bill for the $900 he charged two months prior I had enough.
Sixth through Twelfth Calls - Me trying to get a hold of Jeff
After several calls I finally get a call back from Jeff. He says the heads are done, the pipe is done, and he was taking it to his shipper that day. Told him to ship it three day select. Four days pass................................nothing.
Number of Calls - Unknown
I finally get in touch with Jeff again and he gives me this great spill on how he has been using this family shipping business, and they had dropped the ball. He told me he was in his car going to pick up my package and taking it to UPS that day. I told him I wanted a tracking number that day!!! I receive a tracking number so I'm like awesome, now we are getting somewhere. Three more days pass and there is no activity on the tracking number. I call, I email, I pm. Finally he answers his phone. He says he's got the pipe and heads in a box right in front of him. I tell him to ship it overnight, he say no problem.............but, I did not cut your domes for you. WTF am I supposed to do with blank domes? He tells me just take them to a machine shop and they can cut them no problem, blows a ton of smoke up my ass about how he figured as good as we are at building ski's this should be a simple task for us to do. Like a complete idiot I say ok. He calls me back later that afternoon with another tracking number, this one works. The next day I get my Waterdawg package. Exhaust manifold is unfinished, none of the casting holes had been filled, no fittings, the pipe was tacked together (which worked out because we had to do a slight modification) But remember this was supposed to be an oval shaped custom pipe powder coated and ready to go. The heads were there, uncut domes and all, but no girdle kit, no o-rings...................nothing. I blow up, Jeff answers the phone and I call him everything but a white man. I'm mega-pissed at this point. He then tells me that the $900 was for the heads and the pipe so I calm down a little. Then more smoke up the ass about how we can finish the pipe to our specs now blah blah blah. We go everywhere to try and get the domes cut, nobody wants to touch them. I called him back and asked if he would cut a set, told him the specs on the pistons and he said no problem I will do it this weekend and overnight them on Monday. Monday comes and goes with no word. I call him on Tuesday, he says that his machinist was covered up on Monday and could not get them done but he was finishing them up and they would go out overnight on his dime that day. I once again request a tracking number because by now I had zero faith in him. That was the last time I talked to him. I have called him well over 20 times and left voice mails. I have PMed him on the board with no reply.
I really don't want to start an argument with anyone else on this so if you like him, great. I will ask you to keep your comments off of this post please. I just want everyone to know our experience and why we are so pissed off.
Several of us have been discussing that it was only gonna be a matter of time. The guy that builds my jump skis(water ski) is also very slow and unreliable. The big difference with him is that he makes the very best skis in the world.(and I get mine for free every year.:biggrin: )