Customer service problems with CabinetParts.com

[Eric Anderson]

Has anyone tried to use CabinetParts.com customer service? I ordered some KV soft-close drawer slides and as I started to install them, I found that 5 of the 24 slides were mounted backwards in the slide frame (photo enclosed). I have sent emails through their system, tried their "live chat" which isn't live, and twice talked to a rep who said she couldn't help but would escalate my call to someone who would call me back. So far no human contact. Very disappointed in their service so far. If you just order online they seem to do the shipping well, but don't seem to have anyone who can do the simple things.

The soft-close hardware is at the front end of the slide instead at the back end making installation pretty much impossible. The top slide is what is should look like and the bottom slide is the defective part. Very interesting manufacturing glitch. Anyone ever seen this before?

[Coop]

Here lately, customer service is an oxymoron. 
At first, I was going to tell you to turn your nail around and hit the other end but I see your dilemma.

[Chet]

I think part of the problem is a lot of these companies aren't brick and mortar they are just a website and once you place the order they pass it on to the actual manufacturer who dropships it to you.  This technique is as old as the Sears catalog days.

[Coop]

I’m guilty of not giving I giving a review and shrugging off bad experiences. I’ll change my ways.

[JohnG]

@Eric Anderson you don’t give any sort of time reference. How much time elapsed between all of this? Hours? Days? Weeks?

 

[wtnhighlander]

Poor customer service aside, is the soft close cartridge not a snap-in component on that model? Might be something you can fix yourself, and move on with life.

[Eric Anderson]

I have looked carefully to see if I can turn it around and the Soft close is a snap in component I could change out but I also have to reverse the slide mechanism and I haven't figured out how to do that without risking breaking some less than robust plastic pieces.  I keep getting automated messages, but after calling and being told someone would call me back and then nothing, getting frustrated.  It has been 4 days now with only automated bot replies.  It is holding up my finishing my wife's closet organizer and with my son is coming in Saturday for thanksgiving for the first time in two years, don't think any work will be done next week.

I got cabinetParts.com off a professional cabinet builders FB group, and they do have a lot of stuff in stock and seem to get stuff out quickly, but just as Coop said, they are just virtual warehouses.  May try calling KV direct.  

Thanks for everyone's reply

[Chestnut]

I looked at my KV slides last night and they do look like they could be switched around. I didn't dig into it too much though. Calling KV might be your best 2nd option.

Do they function? It seems like they should function but the screw holes may not be in opportune locations. I'm not sure if you can install them and just add a couple extra screws to account for not ideal placement?

[Josh_cabinets]

I had _exactly_ this experience (4 years later!).

If you need any support at all - even because they screwed up the order, you're out of luck.

I got on the phone with someone who knew nothing about the products and told me a knowledgeable person would phone me back within a business day. That was almost a week ago - nothing. The person I did speak with was not able to handle any returns or refunds. 

For basic hardware, prices are good, and they ship on time. For anything which may require service or support - go elsewhere.

[gee-dub]

This seems like a very simple return and replace issue.  Are they unwilling to do this?  I have always had good luck with them.  The chat folks should be able to supply you with call tags, you drop them at your local UPS store and order replacements.  I assume that this is not happening but I cannot really understand why. When I use their site there is a "returns" area that lets you process returns.  The items have to be unused (as yours appear to be) and in the original packaging which is subjective depending on how they were packed.  I have returned a few hinges that had funky self-close functionality out of a large box of them.  I just cut down the box and dropped it at the UPS store.

[JustAnotherGuy]

Chat can be AI these days and not talking to an actual real live person. I am sorry for your experience OP! 

[ACameron]

Customer Service is Abysmal

I love how in their review space it tells me to know the store's terms and return policies. Perhaps, when an item is not eligible for return, that item should have a notification in a more obvious place than small print at the bottom of a product information page. That said, if you review the measurement requirements on both Cabinetparts AND Rev-a-shelf, and you enter your cabinet specs in Rev-a-Shelf's calculator, and they recommend a size to purchase, you expect the metal wire drawers you order to fit in your cabinet. When they don't, you expect the vendor to make it right. Not so with Cabinetparts.  After a several week runaround, they have refused to accommodate this issue in any way. After refusing to provide any support on their end for defraying the $300 I am out, they then state that even the manufacturer, Rev-A-Shelf, also won't support the situation because I wasn't within 30 days.  I was within 30-days, both for cabinetparts AND Rev-a-Shelf. 

Caveat Emptor, Buyer Beware, even if the product isn't as advertised, you have no recourse. Kiss $300 goodbye!