What The #$@%?

[PerfectTrack]

"the wise one has spoken again "

 

No I didn't.... I never said a word.....oh wait, sorry, my bad, I'm the know it all, Cap is the guy with the pentium chip implanted in his cranial cavity. When you go to Ask Jeeves, it's really hyperlinked to Caps skull....the world revolves around the "Capernet", it's no longer known as the "internet"

[w squared]

They still sound better than the alternative for buying a new Gentex helmet. The "official" dealer for Gentex helmets in Canada is a company called TransAero, out of NY state. They're a bloody nightmare.

 

-It took me almost a week of calling and e-mailing to get someone who could even quote me a price. I think the thing that got their attention was that I e-mailed the folks at Gentex, complaining about the lack of response...THEN I got a call-back from Transaero

 

-It was over two months from when I ordered it to when I recieved it. Actual shipping took less than a week. They told me specifically that they had the size, model, and colour that I ordered in stock at the time that I ordered it. Two months to put in earphones, a mic, and a cord? They suggested to me that it would take abouta week to ship the helmet...not two months.

 

-When they shipped the helmet, it came with a 12" straight cord instead of the 36" coil cord that I ordered, was quoted on, and paid for.

 

-When I called to complain about the cord, I ended up finding out that they had installed LOW impedance earphones in my helmet, not the high impedance earphones that I had requested, been quoted on, and paid for.

 

-In order to reduce the amount of time that I'd be waiting, I told them to simply ship the new parts straight to me...I can do the install myself. Sure...they sent the parts, and shipped them COD. My girlfriend recieved the package, and had to pay $50 worth of duty and brokerage fees. I'm in the process of resolving this now.

 

To add insult to injury, the person that I have deal with in order to resolve things is VERY difficult to get a hold of on the phone, and takes three or four days to answer an e-mail.

 

Flightsuits may be swamped and providing less than stellar service, but they're probably still better than the alternatice! I wish that I had known who to call at flightsuits to do an "end-run" around the whole Transaero debacle.

[cap]

67 november --------pardon my English, buit you can take that word "wise" and "stick it where the sun doesn't shine". Got a complaint?..........try Dan Longbrake....Sales Manager at Flightsuits.......800-748-6693 (Ext 209). He's got a e-mail address also: dan@gibson-barnes.com

 

Give'em **** Minnesotan. Grrrrrrrrrrr. :angry:

 

 

Perfect Track -------with regards your accolades directed towards me, I should advise that for those who know me well, you have provided them with entertainment and caused them to have stomach aches and sore facial muscles.............from doubling-over and laughing like **** until they got tears in their eyes. I should also advise that anything "hyperlinked" to my brain will only find these subjects of possible interest: "women's chests and butts", "Is that Single Malt or not?" and "When's payday?". They used to be all inter-connected at one time years ago, but alas, "the Mighty have fallen" and now I consider all three separately.

 

Ryan ------ you're still smarter than I was at your age, so..... .

 

Elvis ---------I expected that from you. Those accolades made you speechless didn't they. :shock:

[Elvis]

[407 Driver]

Why waste your time with poor service, try these guys at...Government Sales. Great service, Fast, no hassle.

 

The previous thread on Helmets ... here

[cap]

Suggestion: it's been my experience that when buying ANYTHING from the US one operates and thinks differently that doing the same at home, REGARDLESS of the company involved........for your own protection

 

1) Order your article from the TOP down. In otherwards, speak to those AT THE TOP and tell them outright where you are, that you are expecting good service and product. Otherwise you are speaking to the "bottom of the food-chain" and you might as well be talking to a computer. I've dealt with various American-based outfits over the years and have had the odd pproblem, but I deal with Flightsuits at THE TOP. They also make tailored fightsuits which many compnaies don't......because it's "off-the-rack" in general sizes or not at all......and I'm not a "general size".......and haven't been for a lonnnnnnnbg time. It fits perfectly or I don't want it period.

 

2) IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, have some person on the American-side make the order, pay for it and take delivery. They can then send it to you marked "Birthday Gift"......Pilot Helmet........value: $125.00. YOU then pay NO DUTY on that item entering Canada. This I've been doing or had done for me over the last 55 years......"pre" and "post" 9/11 and a myraid of Customs Act changes on both sides of the border. "Duty" is in place as a "Trade Tarriff" only to protect our markets and not meant to be directed towards items like "Birthday Gifts" between two people. My immediate family has many "Birthdays" during the course of every year and we are some of the oldest people on earth as a result..My American relatives will continue to ensure that I have at least 2-3 "Birthdays" this year and my age is therfore MOSTLY their fault.

 

3) Also realize that the SECOND that an article that was purchased IN the States crosses the border, ALL warranties so-stated apply in the US ONLY.........UNLESS stated otherwise on paper. That applies to refrigerators, TV's and you name it. Buy the exact same articles in Canada that are American made, but imported by a Canadian company and then one's warranties are honoured. Therefore, if one finds a stipulation that an article purchased in the US must be returned to the American retailer for Warranty Service, DO NOT be offended or surprised. They did not make that rule.......Canada did and agencies like CSL Laboratories and CUL (Canadian Underwriters Laboratories). Again, that's why one checks on ANY of a list of articles for that CSL or CUL "sticker" or else become suspicious of what you are buying and ask questions.

[Ryan]

Didn't think one had to pay Duty on helmets thanks to NAFTA? Something to do with it being aviation safety equipment I think. All I know is I didn't have to pay Duty, just taxes at the boarder.

 

Not sure if other gear fits in the same category and thus Duty exempt...

[alphonso]

I, too had a problem dealing with Trans Areo - the authorized Foreign (read Canada) distributor of Gentex products. It took forever to get the replacement mic for my helmet.

 

With such lousy service I am thinking about getting an Alpha (how much worse can they be?) as the Gentex keeps falling apart.

 

If you do order anything from America make sure you get them to send it via USPS (mail). I am sure that UPS (courier) works great down there but they charge a lot of money to cross a foreign border -

"you want how much?"

"It is for the brokerage fees sir. Standard procedure $50 for $2 part."

[volition]

Well Ryan, taxes at the boarder.........that's duty dude.

[Over-Talk]

Here's my input after 15 years of experience with these guys.........

 

Flight Suits (Gibson & Barnes).....very very busy,

speak to Frank at ext. 204 about orders, he usually gives good service, even to single customer orders (but sadly, he is bad at replying to messages, so just call again).

Shauna is also quite good.

Delivery can be delayed if George Bush just bought a whole bunch o' helmets....

and Gentex hasn't been able to keep up to Frank's requests for more stock.

 

They will stamp your shipment with a "NAFTA duty free" statement.......

but you will still have to pay GST and a customs broker's fee.

 

Their ANR stuff is a great concept and works well, however......

it is constantly breaking down with poor warranty coverage, (you're not alone Ryan).

My fight continues on this front..........

 

Trans Aero.......as mentioned.....appalling service. (Thankfully Flight Suits sells to Canada too).

 

Government Sales (AviationHelmets.com) .......limited product range.

 

My suggestion if you want a fancy dual visor helmet etc etc..........order from Frank at Flight Suits, allow for a possible delay of a few weeks, and then fit the helmet upgrade kit from Oregon Aero (great service).