TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Oct 22, 2020 5:09 pm

Bummer to see this thread.

Communication can really help.

I ordered these last year, got them, happy with them. http://rsfabparts.com/product/new-product-6/

Notice the linked image doesn't show unless you click on it....image links used to show.

http://rsfabparts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/20170410_152407-1-e1491880160544.jpg

Wed Dec 16, 2020 6:16 pm

Not bashing, but still currently accepting orders and money, but not shipping parts or even responding to attempts to contact. Waiting on a PayPal refund now.

Fri Dec 18, 2020 4:14 pm

I ordered the Big Shot Shifter from Van Cafe a couple of weeks ago. First one arrived with painting chipped off of shifter shaft. Van Cafe is great. They offered to replace or give a credit. I decided to replace. Unfortunately, the second one also showed up with chipped shaft. Van Cafe will take care of my order. They looked at the rest of their inventory and told me that they all appear to have the same issues of paint chipping. Shew.

Tue Dec 22, 2020 11:27 pm

I ordered one back on 11 Nov. I cannot get any reply from him at all despite sending many emails.
I have lodged a dispute with PayPal and am waiting on their process to go through.
I noticed today that the rsfab.com website is currently saying "Website down. Back soon"

Not looking promising.

Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:26 pm

lt8x7 wrote: I ordered one back on 11 Nov. I cannot get any reply from him at all despite sending many emails.
I have lodged a dispute with PayPal and am waiting on their process to go through.
I noticed today that the rsfab.com website is currently saying "Website down. Back soon"

Not looking promising.

Since you are in Sydney, maybe try to go through Todd at SubaruGears, they had partnered up for RSFab's shift linkage. Todd might have other means of getting through to Ray.

Wed Dec 23, 2020 4:50 pm

Franklinstower wrote: other means of getting through to Ray.

We sold off all of the shifters we ordered from this vendor out of principle and gave the linkages to our mechanic.Two words Americans understand, class action. What we find to be the biggest issue here is that a Vanagon vendor is standing behind all of this. After reading that the stock they have has issues with the finish, I hope at least they will explain that in the item description so those who still want this shifter know ahead of time that is has blemishes. Drop the price too. We replaced the shifters with the 025 shifter from T3Technique and couldn't be happier. Total elapsed time from clicking the payment key on the site to driving the van with the shifter installed, 6 days.

Wed Dec 23, 2020 10:40 pm

vandroid wrote: Franklinstower wrote: other means of getting through to Ray.

We sold off all of the shifters we ordered from this vendor out of principle and gave the linkages to our mechanic.Two words Americans understand, class action. What we find to be the biggest issue here is that a Vanagon vendor is standing behind all of this. After reading that the stock they have has issues with the finish, I hope at least they will explain that in the item description so those who still want this shifter know ahead of time that is has blemishes. Drop the price too. We replaced the shifters with the 025 shifter from T3Technique and couldn't be happier. Total elapsed time from clicking the payment key on the site to driving the van with the shifter installed, 6 days.

@vandroid, apologies for my ignorance but are you a vendor or a shop? Your posts appear to be well informed and I'm interested to know if I you can sell me something I can't live w/out. :D :lol: 8)

Thu Dec 24, 2020 12:45 am

scottstrahm wrote: I ordered the Big Shot Shifter from Van Cafe a couple of weeks ago. First one arrived with painting chipped off of shifter shaft. Van Cafe is great. They offered to replace or give a credit. I decided to replace. Unfortunately, the second one also showed up with chipped shaft. Van Cafe will take care of my order. They looked at the rest of their inventory and told me that they all appear to have the same issues of paint chipping. Shew.

@jimf909

Thu Dec 24, 2020 11:33 pm

vandroid wrote:

We sold off all of the shifters we ordered from this vendor out of principle and gave the linkages to our mechanic.Two words Americans understand, class action. What we find to be the biggest issue here is that a Vanagon vendor is standing behind all of this. After reading that the stock they have has issues with the finish, I hope at least they will explain that in the item description so those who still want this shifter know ahead of time that is has blemishes. Drop the price too. We replaced the shifters with the 025 shifter from T3Technique and couldn't be happier. Total elapsed time from clicking the payment key on the site to driving the van with the shifter installed, 6 days.

@vandroid, so you're a mysterious Vanagon vendor who dumped their RS FAB product, replaced it with T3 gear and are not only bad mouthing Van Cafe here on the samba but telling them what their pricing should be.

How can I buy a T3 shifter from you?

Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:31 am

Vendor? We, as in my wife and me each own a Vanagon and I have a second Syncro. We decided to sell off the RS products on principals of bad business. All shifters have been removed from our vans and sold on the Marketplace. One of the Vanagon Group moderators asked why we were selling and he directed us here to add to the pages of disappointed customers of RS Fab. So we did.

Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:43 am

vandroid wrote: Vendor? We, as in my wife and me each own a Vanagon and I have a second Syncro. We decided to sell off the RS products on principals of bad business. All shifters have been removed from our vans and sold on the Marketplace. One of the Vanagon Group moderators asked why we were selling and he directed us here to add to the pages of disappointed customers of RS Fab. So we did.

Please accept my apologies. I thought you were someone else. I'm an idiot. Please don't let my posts reflect poorly on the rest of the samba.

The best to you, your wife and the vans.

:oops: :oops: :oops:

Fri Dec 25, 2020 1:43 pm

Small comfort to those who are losing their money, but I always wonder if a lack of response from a tiny vendor like this could be explained by an illness or accident severe enough to prevent business activity. Some people are in a place where they simply cannot answer emails or ship products. It seems unlikely that what we're seeing here would be caused by ill will.

Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:25 pm

vandroid wrote: Vendor? We, as in my wife and me each own a Vanagon and I have a second Syncro. We decided to sell off the RS products on principals of bad business. All shifters have been removed from our vans and sold on the Marketplace. One of the Vanagon Group moderators asked why we were selling and he directed us here to add to the pages of disappointed customers of RS Fab. So we did.

I have to admit, when I first read your post, it came off sounding like you were a vendor who had a previous stock of his shifters and sold your inventory off.

I admire your principles. I'm not sure I'd personally go so far as to remove a nicely working part from my van because the creator/seller turned out to be a scheister, but I can completely understand why you would be so motivated.

Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:38 pm

So, what IS up with RS Fab? Looks like their website is down. Did karma come back around and bankrupt the guy?

The only reason I haven’t purchased is because of the reputation.

Fri Oct 29, 2021 1:54 am

Short version up thread, his personal life is a hot mess.

Sat Oct 30, 2021 1:38 pm

I've met the guy before at SyncroFest. HE had a nice display, I think he donated one to the raffle and seemed to have it all together.

I've driven that shifter and am not impressed. The English ones are way nicer.

Stacy

Sun Mar 13, 2022 10:56 pm

Odd question for you all: do you know what thread these shifters have to attach the shifter knob?

Backstory: I bought one of these shifters at a swap meet, brand new and still in the box it was originally shipped in. It was missing the knob, so after buying the shifter I went to the RS Fab site and ordered a new one ($25 plus shipping) and guess what... the knob never showed up. That was 2 years ago.

So now I want to figure out what thread is used on these shifters so I can order the correct stud and then machine a pool ball or whatever... does anyone have this info?

Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:12 am

SyncroButter wrote: Odd question for you all: do you know what thread these shifters have to attach the shifter knob?

Backstory: I bought one of these shifters at a swap meet, brand new and still in the box it was originally shipped in. It was missing the knob, so after buying the shifter I went to the RS Fab site and ordered a new one ($25 plus shipping) and guess what... the knob never showed up. That was 2 years ago.

So now I want to figure out what thread is used on these shifters so I can order the correct stud and then machine a pool ball or whatever... does anyone have this info?

Get a plastic vernier caliper and measure the thread width , 8 10 or 12 mm

Now place the scale against the thread and snap a pic

Blow it up and count threads per 1 cm, it will likely be 10,12, or 15

Meant as a “ teach to fish” post, not a snub in any way. The nice part is you don’t have to cull the responses for bad info.
_________________

Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:14 am

Abscate wrote: The nice part is you don’t have to cull the responses for bad info.
_________________

Just when I was going to respond and say that from the photos it sure looks like a 1/4" MNPT.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:35 am

SyncroButter wrote: Odd question for you all: do you know what thread these shifters have to attach the shifter knob?

Backstory: I bought one of these shifters at a swap meet, brand new and still in the box it was originally shipped in. It was missing the knob, so after buying the shifter I went to the RS Fab site and ordered a new one ($25 plus shipping) and guess what... the knob never showed up. That was 2 years ago.

So now I want to figure out what thread is used on these shifters so I can order the correct stud and then machine a pool ball or whatever... does anyone have this info?

I'd just go to your local hardware store and get a bunch of nuts that look close. See which one fits. Bring your part in if it's not yet installed to try them out.