1888FASTLAP.com sucks and here's why...

[butcher bergs]

Some real shitty customer service going on over there at the moment.

Over the last 3 weeks I've placed numerous calls (and I say "numerous" because I've lost count) regarding an issue with my suit and have yet to recieve a single phone call in return.

Guess they'll help you all day long if they think you have money for them but don't care much if a customer suffers injury from a possible defect in materials.

I have pictures and a story if anyone cares to hear and see but for now, just know that 1888FASTLAP.com was all about helping me when I came with money but is now obviously way too good to return a phone call when it comes to the quality of their products.

I was, however, able to talk to an actual person as recent as yesterday but that does not excuse the fact that I've left plenty of messages with zero acknowledgement.

After talking with Dave, he advised that I send him some pics of the suit. Pics were sent yesterday and I've heard nothing back so far. Tomorrow will tell me everything about how they want to proceed with this.

[Manny]

Lets here the details bergatron 2000

[Pittenger5]

Want me to choke a bitch?

[butcher bergs]

Cliff's Notes:

Low speed low side, shoulder hit the ground, zipper exploded, suit was pulled off my shoulder and this was the result.

See that half-dollar-sized circle of bloody mess? Yeah, that's a considerable issue even a number of weeks after the fact.

On one hand, I just want them to be aware of the issue. On the other hand, I feel a zipper popping like this is inexcusable and approaching the same severity as a seatbelt failure.....then again, maybe I'm overreacting...

Pics of the suit:

[butcher bergs]

On a side note, a member of another forum had made me aware of a possible contact on WERA so I think it's time to sign up and raise some Hell over there, eh?

[lrrs699]

wheres the bloody, road rash shoulder pic, i know you have it......

thats what the people want

[butcher bergs]

It's in this thread. Ya just gotta find it.

Out of respect for the fine people here I decided to not post a huge pic of bloody goodness.

[lrrs699]

link sux...just slap that bitch on here

[R1]

Paul all i need is an address and 24 hours notice and ill make sure its all "taken care of"

Ill try and pop in some time this weekend just to say whats up...

btw if you need a suit i have a size 56 rev-it it might get you by if needed...

and i still have a POS bike just sittin around waiting to be properly ridden

ps

I love you

[butcher bergs]

KG - Gimme a shout tomorrow. I'll be kickin' it at home doing chores for most of the day.

[butcher bergs]

link sux...just slap that bitch on here

Very well then...


CAUTION: BLOOD!!!

(...and it's not even the "good" picture)

[Currently]

I have had zipper failures in just about all my gear ... Dainese, Oxtar, First Gear, MotoGP and interestingly enough not Kobe. I gave my Kobe to a good friend that crashed with no gear and he still wears it today.

Looking at the type of failure and guessing at the kind of fall you had, would any other suit held up better? That is just bench quarterbacking conjecture.

Would installing grommets and using zip-ties to lock the suit together make it more resistant to zipper blowout?

Send the suit to Barnacle Bill and tell him you want a blowout proof zipper and see what he comes up with.

[TheIglu]

My IXS fared far worse than that thing. Zippers came apart on a get-off in the bowl in a WAY worse way than that. I don't fault them, it was a low-buck suit, not a Vanson.

[obsolete]

YKK non aluminum is the way to go.

Zippers can fail man. It's part of the game.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

My thoughts.

1) That sucks Bergs. heal already.
2) A zipper blowing up like that sucks balls. So freaking glad i have the vanson suit. I really don't believe that would have happened on my suit. I hope I'm right.
3) I don't really want my cheap riding jackets anymore.
4) They should really make that shit right.
5) That picture is how far after the fact? You know that's not the one people really want to see

[Ninjajim]

That looks like a nasty rash you have there. Been there and that sucks, But I don't think you can really blame the suit. Just a question how much does that suit go for $$$ wise? They look like a real bargain. Bargain gear is not really engineered it is just made.

I would suggest some zipties and or a better zipper.

Bad customer service on the other hand is a whole other issue. Any good business should get back to a customer within 2 business days no matter what their issue is.

[SVRACER01]

Looking at the type of failure and guessing at the kind of fall you had, would any other suit held up better? That is just bench quarterbacking conjecture.

.

it was in T11 though...at a trackday. not even race pace. a lowside in T11 is pretty low risk. Owens had frame by frame crash photos, at by the the pics, as soon as his shoulder hit the ground the suit just peeled off. maybe Fastlap isnt who you should be talking to but Kobe direct.

[Currently]

Fastlap is the sole US distributor for Kobe ... for all intents and purposes, Fastlap are the only people he can speak to.

I have always had great customer service there. I came across stocking issues but everything else was always addressed promptly and courteously.

Those zippers are made of steel, not aluminum. I have purchased two Kobe Dragon Breeze jackets and one set of the perforated pants that zip up to the jacket.

I consider them middle of the road quality. They have been crashed in a couple of times but nothing like that ever happened to me. My only complaint with them is that they are a bitch to break in. I finally soaked them in warm water and went for a long ride on an 85 degree day. They were comfortable after that.

[G21forme]

btw if you need a suit i have a size 56 rev-it it might get you by if needed...

[/QUOTE]

+1 for rev'it suits! Paul has witnessed how well mine held up, and chics dig scars butcher however I have found protruding broken bones not so much.

[butcher bergs]

All I expect as a customer is for any given distributor to back their product when it fails to perform as intended. A zipper failure is unacceptable, regardless of tier of suit and especially at the speed I was traveling.

I have received no correspondence thus far or seen any kind of interest as far as product improvement on 1888fastlap.com's part. They do not back their product and have no interest in customer satisfaction after the fact.

Not so much as a kind jesture of "hey, let us at least fix that for you"........nothing whatsoever. Go back and read the part where it took me 3 weeks of unreturned phone calls before I got in touch with anyone.

As a customer I have seen no action which acknowledges this failure.

Buyer beware, that's all I'm trying to say.


Here's an example of superior customer service:

I had an issue rebuilding a Yoshimura pipe a while back. I made one phone call to Yoshimura asking what else I needed to purchase in order to get the thing back together properly. They asked for pics and for me to send the exhaust to them. Two weeks later I had a newly rebuilt can and all for the cost of shipping. That's what I call backing a product 100% and 1888fastlap.com hasn't even reached 5% of the level of service I recieved from Yoshimura.

[ThisBitch]

Paul, my love, perhaps I have a relative that can help... I believe a phone call from her would do some good. Text me.

[butcher bergs]

A bit of an update:

I sent the leathers out for local repair today and, wouldn't you know it, I got a return e-mail finally.

What elicited that, I wonder?

[Currently]

AND?

[butcher bergs]

Just asking questions on their part. Things like how I figure the zipper popped and things of that nature.

Two things that stuck out in the e-mail response was my contact, Dave, stating in his e-mail that he doesn't see why the zipper broke based on the pictures I sent him. I also noticed that my original e-mail was forwarded to another person prior to the response I recently recieved.

So, I feel a little better having been able to recount the incident but holy shit things sure move slow there.

[Pittenger5]

Racing this weekend?