P!ssed off!

[Kegsy]

Arvo boys,

Just got my ARB bullbar installed, only to find after getting home they have re-attached the plastic inner guard liners to truck by drilling self-tappers into the steel of the inner guards, instead of utilising the factory screws and locations

Popping the bonnet open, you can see the screws coming from under the guard into the engine bay, some coming extremely close to factory wiring.

The truck has only 3,500kms on her, so needless to say Im pretty angry.

Has anyone else encountered this? Am I being overly picky? Im just generally very fussy with how things are done on cars, everything needs to be spot on and this is not a standard of work I would expect from such a reputable shop.

Kegs.

[daryn]

No way, that is crook and not the arb install way I am sure, have they done arb bars before

[Naff]

Ask ARB themselves, get the manufacturers opinion before heading back.. take some photos too.

[Buzzy]

What Daza said, I would be having words

[Kegsy]

Unfortunately it was done at ARB! The whole reason I used ARB is because they would be familiar with the bar and I thought I could trust them.

I shouldn't have been so lazy and just installed it myself, as the saying goes...

I'll be going back tomorrow and venting my concerns with the manager, I'll be hunting for new plastic liners and refund of the installation fee.

I'll have to weld the holes up and re-paint everything now to keep the rust away...

[Diddy]

The only thing u can trust arb for is putting shit on every product they don't sell and the over kill price tags


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[fridgie]

mate,

I would be seriously peeved about that and demanding they repair it at their cost, to your satisfaction

Unbelievable what passes for some people

[Longranger1]

Geez Kegsy, you too!!

Mate I've just had a ARB Deluxe bar and Warn XD9000 winch fitted and wished that I had done it myself. I walked downstairs to get something out of the truck last night, keyed the vehicle to unlock it and found the parking light flash instead of the indicator. Something not right here methinks... Sure enough, they managed to stuff the wiring up. Put the indicators on and the parking lights flash as well on the LH side. Put the parking lights on and the indicator and it all flashed out of sequence... I was mightily pissed off after shelling out $4K to find they aren't capable of doing the most basic auto electrical work.

It gets worse, I specifically asked them to bush the cable entries to prevent burning my vehicle to the ground when the winch feed cables finally short out by being cut by a razor edge. Nup. Just a shitty bit of black corro sleeving which would last 500km of rough roads. I'm a sparkie by trade so I know a little about cable protection and in a new (well 2 month old GLX-R MN) found the workmanship pretty ordinary.

Being a sparkie, it wasn't a big deal to reterminate the wiring with new connectors and seal with heat shrink but I should not have to sort out transposed wiring and trace a short 1 day after they did the job.

The Missus said I should have taken the Tri back to ARB but really if they can't get the most basic shit right why set yourself up for more grief? Mate you sure aint being picky when you shell out hard earned with a company that supposedly is at the forefront but cannot back it up with quality workmanship.

[Kegsy]

I wont be letting them near the truck, if they can't install it correctly they sure as hell won't be able to fix it!

To fix the problem isn't a big job, just some welding and paint. But hardly something I want to have to do to a brand new car.

Time for a beer I reckon...

[Dylan 191]

mate,

I would be seriously peeved about that and demanding they repair it at their cost, to your satisfaction

Unbelievable what passes for some people

Same here that is definately no the way to install , i do everything on my car even if i dont know how to do it for this exact reason , they employ cheap labour and usualy young blokes that dont give a toss

[Kegsy]

Geez Kegsy, you too!!

Mate I've just had a ARB Deluxe bar and Warn XD9000 winch fitted and wished that I had done it myself. I walked downstairs to get something out of the truck last night, keyed the vehicle to unlock it and found the parking light flash instead of the indicator. Something not right here methinks... Sure enough, they managed to stuff the wiring up. Put the indicators on and the parking lights flash as well on the LH side. Put the parking lights on and the indicator and it all flashed out of sequence... I was mightily pissed off after shelling out $4K to find they aren't capable of doing the most basic auto electrical work.

It gets worse, I specifically asked them to bush the cable entries to prevent burning my vehicle to the ground when the winch feed cables finally short out by being cut by a razor edge. Nup. Just a shitty bit of black corro sleeving which would last 500km of rough roads. I'm a sparkie by trade so I know a little about cable protection and in a new (well 2 month old GLX-R MN) found the workmanship pretty ordinary.

Being a sparkie, it wasn't a big deal to reterminate the wiring with new connectors and seal with heat shrink but I should not have to sort out transposed wiring and trace a short 1 day after they did the job.

The Missus said I should have taken the Tri back to ARB but really if they can't get the most basic shit right why set yourself up for more grief? Mate you sure aint being picky when you shell out hard earned with a company that supposedly is at the forefront but cannot back it up with quality workmanship.

Sorry to hear about your truck mate. Definitely dodgy with the winch wiring, something carrying so much load being unshielded is madness! Any wiring actually.

Hope you too can fix everything up, sounds like your on top of it. Just a shame we pay top dollar so we can spend more time enjoying our free time than installing this gear, and everytime it seems to bite you (or at least me) on the rear.

DIY from now on!

[Cowboy Dave]

reminds me of my canopy install. ARB also. I turn up to pick it up and they say listen um, every time we turn on the interior light in the canopy we blow a fuse up front. I'm looking at him as if to say what are you telling me for? He says we think it's to do with your reverse sensors. I say well that's interesting I don't have reverse sensors. He looks a bit sheepish. I say you don't mean the reverse camera do you? He says yeah must be that, the dealer must have put it in wrong, you should go back to them. I say look I put the camera in and it only connects to the headunit up front. It gets all of 6 volts and only then when in reverse. Why on earth would you touch that to get a 12V feed to run the light? He says um yeah give me a minute and we'll have another go. So they quickly bolt out and run a whole new 12V wire the full length of the chassis and hook it up properly. Then I get home and I can't open the tailgate because they've jammed it shut compressing a bit of the tray liner so hard that the lock tongues can't disengage to open the thing. My wife was insisting I take it back - my view was why would I be stupid enough to let them have another go at f&$king up my truck!

[Joe]

I have found the two ARB stockists and the one ARB store that I a have dealt with to be highly incompetant. Not only are they rude, but they continually rubbish other suppliers products instead of relying on the strength of their own and the service leaves a lot to be desired. It took them 2 weeks to get fog lights and rubber overriders for my bullbar from interstate and 5 days to get my rear bar from Brisbane northside to southside

It really is a shame because ARB generaly have always had good products at a good price but it seems that they have lost their way a little bit over the last few years. How can Ironman sell virtually the same bar (maybe quite as robust) for $600 less? I don't believe it's $600 less robust and is surely worth it on value for money alone.

And I wouldn't trust anyone to instal anything on my truck (unless I was watching). Putting a bullbar on is quite involved, but when you've done it once the next time would be a piece of piss. Having done it myself I can assure you that there are many opportunities for taking short cuts on this sort of work. I had my bar on and off 3 times before I was happy.

Kegsy, if you do go back and get them to fix it, ask if you can watch. I bet they won't let you. Get them to supply the inner guards and do it yourself would be my advice for what it's worth

[patto]

Had nothing but good work From ARB - i have had 2 tritons in now and had no problems with the install and the product... In my mind it is the best gear on the market.

i would not be happy about the screws...

[ratstriton]

Had nothing but good work From ARB - i have had 2 tritons in now and had no problems with the install and the product... In my mind it is the best gear on the market.

i would not be happy about the screws...

Same as Patto never a problem from ARB always great service, I have MK triton and now the Ml triton and no issues

[daryn]

These are probably all arb franchises so inconsistency with sales, service and install will be common place.

It will all be reflective of the owner to how each individual outlet performs.

[Joe]

Nice to hear that people are having good experiences with them. Maybe I just need to find another store

[Steane]

That is atrocious workmanship Kegsy. Crap like this always brings the joy of ownership down a peg or two.

I do my all my own fitting as much as possible, for this very reason, even if it means I end up with a bunch of tools I may only use once.

Getting a canopy fitted tomorrow, and while I'm looking forward to the canopy, I have mixed feelings about letting anyone I don't know touch the truck... Must have faith though...

[Try-it-on]

I've never had good service at my local ARB, but I'm getting the best of both worlds because I'm getting an ARB bar, but it's being put in by my local 4WD MegaStore, and they have been fantastic with their installation of stuff so far - even the Government Department that I work for send their vehicles there to have the modifications made for wheelchair restraints etc, and I've seen their workmanship on those vehicles, and it seems pretty good. But having said that, I actually haven't picked up my truck yet, so it's still technically possible that I'll have similar issues, but I doubt it.

[shotgun283]

maybe consumer affairs, thats not good enough for a large company, why should you fix something that arb were payed good money to install. They make claims to be the 4x4 specialists, if they cant fit there products , they should get out of the game. Maybe some of these posts should be forwarded to their head office, otherwise the dodgy work will continue

[jacky_moo]

That's horrible mate!
I'd be taking the car to a few panel shops and getting quotes to repair the damage and present them to the manager at ARB, as well as pushing for your refund of the install costs, and if the people at ARB wont comply threaten them with pursuant action from Consumer Affairs and dept of fair trading.

[johno]

reminds me of my canopy install. ARB also. I turn up to pick it up and they say listen um, every time we turn on the interior light in the canopy we blow a fuse up front.

I had a very similar experience with my canopy install at my local ARB store.

These are probably all arb franchises so inconsistency with sales, service and install will be common place.
It will all be reflective of the owner to how each individual outlet performs.

Have to agree with you daryn,the service and the quality really comes back to the person doing the job, as others have stated it is usually done by a young fellow that is just there to get some $$$ at the end of the week, not to do a quality job.

Complains should be directed to the owner of the business in person, failing a suitable out come, go back again with your concerns in writing letting it be known that there will be a copy of the complain will be sent to head office at ARB.

Using consumer affairs is very time consuming to you, and can be a waste of time in the long run...I've been there and done that with a LPG install that was extremely dangerous.

Hope you get it sorted,just try the nice approach first ...before you come the heavies

Cheers Johno

[patrolus]

p!ssed off too.....
i had rust stains all over the tub and back of the car from mitsu installing the soft cover....took it back for the 1st service --and they removed it all. when i got the car back i realized the detail guy had spilled some water over the drivers door trim (don't ask me what da heck he was doin there)
so yesterday, when playing with the interior, i realized that the window tint film was going funny wherever he spilled his shit. (must have used acid to wash the rust stains off and spilled it somehow over the window and door trims) BASTARDO!! of course the stealer is not interested to hear a thing about it. "but we asked u to check if u are happy with the way he got the stains out"and "that must be a cheap film, plus he did not work on the front of the cabin at all" -yes. i am happy with the stain removal. and yes , i have no clue what he did there. and yes i did not check the whole bloody car for any other damage! do i have to crawl underneath and check if he drilled some drain-holes as well or what??

just don't let anyone touch ur car.... i should ve learned that by now. can't even remember the last time someone did EVERYTHING right when it comes to work done on any of my cars....

[Kegsy]

Arb have ordered me new splash liners, I will be installing them myself.

Trying now to seek compensation for damage to the sheetmetal guards. I doubt I will get anywhere, but I can weld this up myself without too much hassle.

[borngeek]

Sorry to read this kegsy...

Let's hope they make amends of a decent nature. You should really get the install costs back imo....

Great feedback from everyone too!