I don't think people who've had bad experiences with Rig-Rite should be so summarily dismissed out of hand. :naughty: It's bad enough when you're attempting to locate hard to find parts for an old boat without being blown off by the source where the part may be located as well; and I too have experienced both bad and good from Rig-Rite.
A bit more than year ago I contacted Rig-Rite for a Mast Step Casting that fit into the bottom of my mast . The screws holding the casting in the mast had broken so I couldn't remove the casting in order to re-install my halyards.
As a final resort I hired a marine repairman to remove the casting, but I ran an errand and when I returned he handed me the broken casting, charged me $250, and said he'd make me a custom one for a few hundred.
(A neighbor told me the guy used a hammer to smash the casting out of the mast.) Anyway that's what set me up to meet with Rig-Rite.
To me, Rig-Rite's instructions were convoluted and about as clear as mud.
And I sensed a preoccupation with making sure the customer was aware of the penalties to be exacted for returned merchandise. Nevertheless I vaguely thought I had an idea of the size part I needed and I dutifiully traced the outline of the bottom of my mast
as requested if there was a question to size, and I faxed it in. :neutral:
As others have said I never was able to speak to anyone but I received an email from some young woman stating the fax was distorted, and that's how I began an email correspondence with the woman there who was extremely rude, crude, and just down right nasty. She even YELLED AT ME through her emails in response to my inquiries and quotes of their instructions. I needed the part but when she seemed to suddenly blurt out the part she thought I needed it had reached a point I no longer trusted her and thought she simply told me I needed some arbitrariy piece to get rid of me and then I'd be left with a useless part that I'd be charged for if I returned it. So in frustration I gave up and decided to look elsewhere for the part. However I posted my experiences out here thinking I might at least warn others and perhaps learn of someone else with similar experiences - but there wasn't a peep.
Time went by and I couldn't find the casting anywhere and I had to go back to Rig-Rite.:neutral:
This time I determined I really needed the entire Hinged Mast Step Assembly. I spoke to
a woman who was
very helpful and courteous.
It was like night and day. :dance:
Sure, my post can be easily dismissed by those who can say "it was timing" or perhaps "the persons" I encountered, but to that I say yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know about human beings etc., etc., but Rig-Rite is a business and some consistency is expected and generally customers expect to be treated with courtesy. Duhhh, it's called "good business practice". Secondly, the fact that other posts so closely mirrors my first experience says alot.
If necessary I'd return to Rig-Rite and they were so kind to me the second time around I've since posted testimonials out here about the tremendous service they'd rendered but that doesn't mean what I - and apparently others - experienced was without merit. Perhaps Rig-Rite isn't aware of these incidents.
