BendPak - the best

[wjhpc]

Although some of this info appears on another thread, my recent dealings with BendPak were so exceptional that I wanted to make sure that everyone at this forum had a chance to hear. I purchased a BendPak HD9ST lift and while installing we discovered some misalignment of bolt holes. We ended up doing some minor plasma cutting to get the correct alignments. The lift, by the way, is first class all the way. Jeff Kritzer, a senior VP at BendPak, heard my grousing here on the forum and contacted me. We had a great conversation in which he explained how the problem arose - BendPak had beefed up the lifts and realigned the holes, but a few got shipped (mine) before being correctly fitted. Jeff was totally committed to making things right by me and agreed to pay my contractor for the extra install work and offered me a great discount on their rolling bridge jack just to keep my good will. This incident certainly shows me the usefullness of this Forum. It also shows me what a class act Jeff and BendPak are - what other manufacturer would go out of its way to make sure the customer is fully satisfied? Mark me down as a major BendPak fan. Jim Harrison

 

[Junkman]

Re: Bend Pak - the best

Welcome to the long list of satisfied Bend Pak customers. Every manufacturer can have a problem arise, and it is how they deal with the problem that counts. Bend Pak steps up immediately and resolves the issue as soon as they hear about it. I have never heard them pass the blame onto others, and they have always made it right. They are #1 with me. Junkman...

 

[jimval]

I believe there is a category called "Product and Vendor Reviews". That's where this thread belongs.

 

[wjhpc]

Hmm... do they allow 5th grade school teachers to post here....

 

[OldCarGuy]

Actually the powers to be should set up several new sections. With one specifically covering lifts.

 

[SLK1Z]

I ran into the same issue as wjhpc with the misalignment. Now at first I was like wtf... After speaking directly with Jeff@ Bendpak, I am more confident now about the purchase of the product than I was before I knew there was an issue. Dealing with someone that told me "yes we have discovered there is a problem" and going on to explain what, why and how as well as a fix shows me that they are committed to there product but more so the customer. It ***** when you purchase something and it doesn't go together right, but when you deal with customer service about it and are treated well, it makes you realize that the level Bendpak is working at is far above most now a days. That said, when its time for another hoist there will be no doubt that Bendpak will be the choice.

 

[ovilla]

jimval - He's in the right forum. After all, this is where he first brought up the issue with his lift and where everyone's going to be looking for the outcome to his situation.

wjhpc - Glad to hear you gave BendPak a chance to address the issue. Once again, it just goes to show that they are a great company to deal with. Things don't always go smoothly and folks need to know that this is a company you'll be able to get support long after they've got your hard earned money.

Seriously, how many other companies even take the time to check out boards and correspond on these public forums? I know Jeff (BendPak's Sr VP of Sales) has been on here numerous times and on other sites addressing issues and answering peoples questions. That right there, speaks volumes for the company and its dedication to their products and customers.

 

[jimval]

jimval - He's in the right forum. After all, this is where he first brought up the issue with his lift and where everyone's going to be looking for the outcome to his situation.

Nice try but not correct. If he is closing out his situation then he should post it on the thread he started. If he thinks Bendpak is the best (per his thread title) then it should go on the review page.

I and many others do not believe Bendpak is the best and we shouldn't have to read all the propaganda in "general garage discussion".

I do agree that companies should respond to complaints but I prefer that my lifts go together without grinding, plasma cutting, or any other modifications, which they both did.

 

[wjhpc]

Nice try but not correct. If he is closing out his situation then he should post it on the thread he started. If he thinks Bendpak is the best (per his thread title) then it should go on the review page.

I and many others do not believe Bendpak is the best and we shouldn't have to read all the propaganda in "general garage discussion".

I do agree that companies should respond to complaints but I prefer that my lifts go together without grinding, plasma cutting, or any other modifications, which they both did.

Ah, I appear to have accidently touched a nerve here. I didn't notice the tag line on Jimval's posts "(2) Pro Park 9 plus lifts (wider than wide)." Ouch! No wonder that he went running for the posting rule book when reminded yet again of that ill-considered purchase decision. Well, we have all made mistakes that we have to live with; I paid too much for a poorly designed and built car once, and I was never happier than when I finally sold it. Seriously however, no propaganda intended - I just thought it appropriate to set the record straight after my initial grousing about BendPak. BTW, I agree that "you shouldn't have to read all the propaganda" about BendPak on this garage discussion site. Heaven forbid that we members explain our technical problems with garage equipment and then describe what the manufacturer did to resolve concerns. Perhaps in the future you should avoid clicking on a thread clearly entitled "BendPak - the best." Problem solved.

 

[jimval]

Perhaps in the future you should avoid clicking on a thread clearly entitled "BendPak - the best." Problem solved.

LOL

 

[e-tek]

jimval - if you don't like a thread, don't open it. If you don't like the contents, close it. If you've got a comment, comment. Otherwise, open your own thread to complain about people NOT complaining about BendPak

I too got a BendPak and started a thread about how great the company and distributor where to deal with and some member had to go off on how I must be a family member or something! It's great to hear lots of people liking the same company - means they are a good company! I'm thrilled with my BendPak (just came in from using it) and will keep saying it. Jeff's smart enough to make sure he reads these journals and respond to complaints - that's also a company I want to deal with!!

Glad to hear all worked with out with yours!

 

[stioc]

Only if BendPak would lower the prices on their mid-rise lifts compared to their 2 post lifts I'll add myself to their customer list...it frustrates me to no end that a compromise solution (mid-rise lift) costs the same as the best solution (2 post lift).

 

[bobs409]

Jim Harrison

Jim,

I had the exact same problem when I bought mine a short while back. You can read about my story here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17129

I broke a new drill trying to enlarge some runway bolt holes! Pulley opening were way off so I had to grind at those for about an hour.

In the end, after many hours of modifications, lift works great. Jeff from Bendpak offered me a rolling jack for 5 bills but with money tight, I passed on it. They then called a few days later and offered a free aluminim racing jack to make up for my aggravation. I took them up on that.

So far, I'm as happy as a pig in slop with my HD-9.


Bob

 

[LVDell]

Why is it that it is acceptable for some when a lift is not made correctly and that it needs to be altered to work (assembled) properly? I think the problem here is that the thread is about customer service maybe??? It can't possibly be about the quality of the lift can it? I mean, if I have to plasma cut a lift (which I couldn't as I had mine professionally installed) I would be livid. Those of us that don't have the tools and had to pay for professional installation would be in quite the bind if we had this lift. Glad I went with another vendor.

Regardless, glad you have a lift you like and a company that had good customer service.

 

[ovilla]

LVDell - Most folks would not have the tools, knowledge, or would even want to attempt doing any mods to their lift in order to get it assembled. Just like anything else that one orders, you would contact the vendor and state that things are not lining up right (or you're missing parts) and let them work with you to resolve the matter. I'm sure BendPak would have sent the newer "upgraded" parts if needed just like any other responsible vendor that takes care of their customers. I think that folks that do take these extra steps to make things work are trully skilled and comfortable making these modifications.

 

[jay50]

Is BendpaK selling diy lift kits now? It sounds like it with all the posts about bolts not lining up with holes and the modifications the buyers have to make.
So, these are the so-called ALI/ETL or ETL (pending approval) certified lifts built in a quality controlled plant with Bendpak process monitoring? What a joke; sounds like those certifications are not worth the paper (or money) they cost if such defective product is leaving the factory only for the purchaser to discover.

No way would I buy a Bendpak POS lift; Mohawk all the way for me.

 

[revlover]

From a previous thread http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19862&page=4

Posted by BendPak's VP of Sales and Marketing:

Wish I had more time to write but am running late today and headed out of town tomorrow for vacation. Aloha!

Brad Davies - thanks for the kind words and support. I’ll do the same if an AC lift issue ever arises - you have my word.

BendPak Fans – as always, your patronage and support is very much appreciated.

Garage Journal Admin – I promise to provide useful and informative information and appreciate you allowing us to express opinions without interfering. Must be why you have such a large following. Keep up the good work.

jimval - your comments are warranted and should be a wake up call for all of us at BendPak. We regret that the whole misalignment was not identified earlier and that it caused hardship for some of our customers. Six weeks of production can literally account for almost 3000 lifts of various designs and capacities - within a blink of an eye we had shipped dozens of the HD-9 series with a 3/16” clearance error.

The production error had originated in our drafting facility where the 3/16” misalignment issue was overlooked. The factory processes and assembly line produced the exact product as drafted. The engineers bad, and not easily noticeable.

jimval is expressing his concerns like he should. This is a source of information for all and BendPak must be willing to take the good with the bad. It’s how we handle the bad that maintains our brand and reputation.

Yes – the HD-9’s are certified. Go to www.autolift.org to validate. Other BendPak models have been tested and are pending listing. The ETL mark was omitted off the latest brochure because we were unsure when all of our other new models will be listed – some that were tested as far back as 2005. If you use the ETL / ALI mark incorrectly they can issue a cease and desist making you throw all in the trash - not a calculated risk I was willing to take. All ALI member companies use ETL so there are some delivery problems due to the skeleton ETL crew. But when they do finally deliver the goods, they can’t be beat as far as credibility in the marketplace.

Jeff Kritzer
BendPak

Mohawk is nice...

BendPak is nice...

... and has a better price tag

 

[jay50]

From a previous thread http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19862&page=4

Posted by BendPak's VP of Sales and Marketing:




Mohawk is nice...

BendPak is nice...

... and has a better price tag

This email from the VP of Bendpak answers a statement/concern by a previous poster. It appears Bendpak designed and had this particular lift built without ever putting the first unit together to see if all the pieces fit They just had the chinese factory crank out the parts and ship them out to the customers, hoping everything was correct.

Does Bendpak not do a first article/final assembly inspection on new or running changes to lifts?

 

[Junkman]

This email from the VP of Bendpak answers a statement/concern by a previous poster. It appears Bendpak designed and had this particular lift built without ever putting the first unit together to see if all the pieces fit They just had the chinese factory crank out the parts and ship them out to the customers, hoping everything was correct.

Does Bendpak not do a first article/final assembly inspection on new or running changes to lifts?

It is obvious to me that you have yet to fully grasp the situation. Parts are stock piled, and when a lift is ordered, all the component parts are put together in one package, and shipped. There was a mix up of some newer production parts that had a material change to them, that were shipped with some older parts. This combination of newer parts and older parts, caused the incompatibility. The issue has been resolved once it came to the attention of management. Is this so difficult to comprehend? It happens every day when a manufacturer makes a running production change, and not all the mating parts align properly any longer. This is why when you order parts for some machines, they need the serial number and other information to make sure that they get the right parts to the customer.