espyking83
Well-known member
Let me start off by saying that it's not a tool quality issue, they make world class tools and are sold at prices that the average home do-it-yourself'er can justify buying. I typically do not choose my tools based on a preferred brand, a great tool is a great tool-regardless of manufacturer. But I would be lying if I said I was anything but a Proto/Plomb fanboy. My box is predominantly Proto, and has been for a while now. I had anticipated on keeping it that way until I retired as a mechanic, or until arthritis kicked in and withered me up like a dead tree prematurely. Anyhoo, let me get on with the issue at hand, my dealings with a Proto warranty item(s) and a hell of a game of single player phone tag.
Almost a month ago now I sent in a 3/8" drive ratchet that had some teeth wear, it also had some of the black oxide finish start coming off and rust issues. I also sent the ratcheting mechanism in a flex head ratchet that was laying in the back of my ratchet drawer. Keep in mind that these were two separate packages, both of which had a note by me explaining why I am sending them back, as well as a respectful request for them to notify me when the items were shipped. Well, after about 1 week with no call, email, or package, I call back and ask them if there were any issues, and it turns out they had lost my ratchet and apparently had no plans on contacting me about the issue. So I'm like: hey, **** happens. A few days is really no big deal. When I was on the phone I asked if they had received my other package (the ratcheting mechanism for the other ratchet), and they said "yes, we'll be sending that out in the morning with your replacement ratchet." So I'm pretty happy at this point, a few minor set backs, but nothing major....
So a week goes by and I'm expecting my ratchet daily, not sure if you guys get this excited over tools, but for me it's like Christmas when I open my mailbox and I have a package loaded with tools. Kind of a bummer, probably the fault of UPS, but they didnt email me with a tracking number, so I didnt want to call UPS like an ******* and ask them if they had seen any packages from GA. So I decide to wait a few more days. Not by choice though. Limited options and whatnot.
After waiting a total of 11 business days after I had last talked to customer service, I decide to call them again and attempt to find out what is going on. I call them up, only a 3 minute wait time, score (?). The lady said that there were some issues and they sent both of them out yesterday (WTF). So like any 31 year old man attempting to stay calm, I keep quiet and simulate throwing my phone across the hangar. All in all, I was pretty composed. My ratchet would be here in a few more days and I would lie to myself in saying it was worth the wait........
8 business days later (this morning), I'm blowing my ******* top. At this point I'm considering dropping a steamer in a box and mailing it to them. But I take the Fred Savage way out, and call them up with a fake smile on my face and politely ask them where my ratchet is. The woman said that the black oxide ratchet is on back order, there was another mix-up (I'll say), but my ratcheting mechanism should be arriving in the mail today. So it goes. After all this, I asked non-dickishly to speak with a manager, where it would later be decided that they would send me a chrome ratchet in-lieu of the black oxide one that's on back order. A loss on my side, but all I want now is an actual ratchet in my hands to make sure that I get compensated in some way. I walk away from the phone call like a defeated man. I had been jostled around for the past few weeks and I wont have anything to show for it but a missing tool in a my shadow board and a short essay of me crying on an internet forum.
It put me in a ****** mood all day. Wish I can say otherwise but it's the truth. Usually things don't bother me, but as a mechanic my tools are very imprtant to me. That in conjunction with awful customer service where they lie to you just to get you off the phone has my balloon knot tight enough to pack a bearing with grease. My mood stayed bad until I got home and checked my mail. FINALLY! Something from Proto. Guess what it was? A RATCHETING MECHANISM! But wait.... It's for a 1/2" drive. Not for the 3/8" mechanism I sent in....
So I'm guessing at this point, a lot of you will post things like "get over it", or "1st world problems", but I don't care. I'm venting. And you read my damned thread to the end if you're reading this. So in closing, Proto makes really good tools, but I can't say they are comparable to Snap On as a whole any more. Not saying I've never had to replace a bad tool, but I have NEVER been lied to or given the run-around by them. If I walk in the truck with a tool on a Friday, odds are that I'm walking back off the truck with a replacement tool or credit. I've never even had to wait a week for an order. The one time they screwed up with my order they over-nighted a replacement ratcheting screw driver. That is customer service.
The End.
Almost a month ago now I sent in a 3/8" drive ratchet that had some teeth wear, it also had some of the black oxide finish start coming off and rust issues. I also sent the ratcheting mechanism in a flex head ratchet that was laying in the back of my ratchet drawer. Keep in mind that these were two separate packages, both of which had a note by me explaining why I am sending them back, as well as a respectful request for them to notify me when the items were shipped. Well, after about 1 week with no call, email, or package, I call back and ask them if there were any issues, and it turns out they had lost my ratchet and apparently had no plans on contacting me about the issue. So I'm like: hey, **** happens. A few days is really no big deal. When I was on the phone I asked if they had received my other package (the ratcheting mechanism for the other ratchet), and they said "yes, we'll be sending that out in the morning with your replacement ratchet." So I'm pretty happy at this point, a few minor set backs, but nothing major....
So a week goes by and I'm expecting my ratchet daily, not sure if you guys get this excited over tools, but for me it's like Christmas when I open my mailbox and I have a package loaded with tools. Kind of a bummer, probably the fault of UPS, but they didnt email me with a tracking number, so I didnt want to call UPS like an ******* and ask them if they had seen any packages from GA. So I decide to wait a few more days. Not by choice though. Limited options and whatnot.
After waiting a total of 11 business days after I had last talked to customer service, I decide to call them again and attempt to find out what is going on. I call them up, only a 3 minute wait time, score (?). The lady said that there were some issues and they sent both of them out yesterday (WTF). So like any 31 year old man attempting to stay calm, I keep quiet and simulate throwing my phone across the hangar. All in all, I was pretty composed. My ratchet would be here in a few more days and I would lie to myself in saying it was worth the wait........
8 business days later (this morning), I'm blowing my ******* top. At this point I'm considering dropping a steamer in a box and mailing it to them. But I take the Fred Savage way out, and call them up with a fake smile on my face and politely ask them where my ratchet is. The woman said that the black oxide ratchet is on back order, there was another mix-up (I'll say), but my ratcheting mechanism should be arriving in the mail today. So it goes. After all this, I asked non-dickishly to speak with a manager, where it would later be decided that they would send me a chrome ratchet in-lieu of the black oxide one that's on back order. A loss on my side, but all I want now is an actual ratchet in my hands to make sure that I get compensated in some way. I walk away from the phone call like a defeated man. I had been jostled around for the past few weeks and I wont have anything to show for it but a missing tool in a my shadow board and a short essay of me crying on an internet forum.
It put me in a ****** mood all day. Wish I can say otherwise but it's the truth. Usually things don't bother me, but as a mechanic my tools are very imprtant to me. That in conjunction with awful customer service where they lie to you just to get you off the phone has my balloon knot tight enough to pack a bearing with grease. My mood stayed bad until I got home and checked my mail. FINALLY! Something from Proto. Guess what it was? A RATCHETING MECHANISM! But wait.... It's for a 1/2" drive. Not for the 3/8" mechanism I sent in....
So I'm guessing at this point, a lot of you will post things like "get over it", or "1st world problems", but I don't care. I'm venting. And you read my damned thread to the end if you're reading this. So in closing, Proto makes really good tools, but I can't say they are comparable to Snap On as a whole any more. Not saying I've never had to replace a bad tool, but I have NEVER been lied to or given the run-around by them. If I walk in the truck with a tool on a Friday, odds are that I'm walking back off the truck with a replacement tool or credit. I've never even had to wait a week for an order. The one time they screwed up with my order they over-nighted a replacement ratcheting screw driver. That is customer service.
The End.
Last edited:
