Originally Posted by TKCR
I had read about your experience, as many others.
I must just be a patient person, and understand the growing pains of their business. They started out very small, just a few family members and a friend that made all their seat covers. They have grown some, but still only 25-30 people. They are trying to build something that only caters to the Squarebodies and is uniquely different from the other very large corporations like LMC. They are not like those places that have warehouses stocked full of parts from all over, mainly made in China. Or when you order, these parts are actually dropped shipped from these manufacturers. They are trying to build a business themselves where they manufacture a lot of their stuff right here in the US.
You’re right, I am on a first name basis with Randy. I have been purchasing stuff from them since 2015. He has helped me with a lot of the seats I was restoring, along with products for my own truck. I don’t speak to him that much anymore because of them being so busy with the business expansion. And at this time, it was just the door panels, making them just like the stock panels.
I looked online at my invoices with USA1, which started back in 2015. 6 pages with 30 orders on each of those pages. Last page is not quite full, so close to 200 orders. Latest order was place in Oct of this year, which I’m still waiting on. BUT, it’s a seat cover, so I expect to have to wait.
Now this is no lie. I have had 2 seat covers that I waited a year for. This was right after Covid, so there was a supply issues with this particular color.
My own door panels I waited 4 months for. And my door panels were not the style that they are manufacturing now. I would have purchased a set of these new manufactured door panels had I not sold my truck this past summer. Would I wait a year or more for this particular set? The answer is yes.
Most of the seat covers I have ordered, are 3-8 weeks wait. Certain colors of seat covers, I may get lucky and get them in a week or two. Everything else I have ever ordered from them, I feel I get in a timely manner, at least a week or two after ordering.
Yes, I have had to cancel orders with them. Mainly because the people I’m doing the work for get tired of waiting. I fully understand, some people hate waiting. But I had a couple people give up just after a couple weeks. Said they could get a seat cover quicker from LMC. Yes that is true. But all those covers are made by ACME, which the quality sucks and the colors don’t match. So if a person is ok with that, then have at it. I have canceled a few orders myself only because I stopped restoring seats. Sold all my seat cores and supplies to someone, so there was no reason to eventually get those covers, so those were cancelled.
I also do not strictly order from USA1. I actually try my best at original parts first. Items that are all made by the same manufacturer, just sold at different places, I get elsewhere. Let use the example of the headliner trim. Try getting original parts first, which I already have a bunch of these out in the shed. But this is a part, had I wanted to buy new, its best if these were bought from another site such as LMC, CI, CP or the Truck & Car Shop. These are parts that are made by the same manufacturer. They come black but need dyed the color you want. These would have come quicker versus USA1. I do that now with certain parts needed for the seatbelts I restore. Upper anchor covers for example. I use new parts when needed and dont have good original parts. These come black when they are new and have to be dyed the color needed. And I also but these bulk. So it’s best to get these from other vendors. No reason to get these from USA1, because it would take a little longer, especially when purchasing a bunch at one time.
So bottom line, USA1 is not perfect. No one is, including me. I’ve had several customers complain about how long something takes. But that’s just how it is at times.
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