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Aircraft Spruce - are these people for real?

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  • #16
    We saw the posting regarding the long delay on our shipment of James' order which included AN822-6D fittings. We have had these on order with the manufacturer for several months and they are long overdue. We were recently able to locate an alternate supplier and will have them in stock this week. This order would have been shipped the same day it was placed, but since the request was made that it "ship complete only", we have been unable to ship because we were missing the one fitting. Due to the long delay in being able to ship the order we are shipping it with free shipping this week.

    Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co.
    Customer Service Dept.

    Comment


    • JimParker256
      JimParker256 commented
      Editing a comment
      Excellent response. I suspect that more proactive communication may have resulted in less angst for all parties involved, but glad to hear it is being resolved.

    • James
      James commented
      Editing a comment
      Yes, ACS CEO Jim Irwin contacted me today with a very cordial email as outlined above.

      I explained to him that I have been happy with ACS to date, and have had no problem with paying for shipping at the outset, but that the departure from the original agreed delivery timeline for my complete order, along with an unsympathetic response from their sales rep, left me feeling dissatisfied as a customer.

      I feel that ACS has taken my concerns on board, and it's good to see that they value engaging and retaining their customers when things don't go to plan.

      We'll see what comes in the mail!

      - James

  • #17
    I had an recent order come in from Spruce that seemed to be short an item I was needing two of, and had only received one. So, I got on their site,opened my orders page, and checked what seemed to be my original order, and found that only one of the item was ordered. SO, I assumed I had screwed up, my bad, and I ordered 1 more carburetor jet. A quick glance at the packing slip/invoice that came with my first order, near as I recall....., did not clearly indicate or mention that items were backordered or that my order was incomplete, again making me thing it my screwup. The day after I ordered the missing jet, the UPS guy shows up with the rest of my order, I had indeed ordered correctly to start with.

    Here's the good part: I opened my ACS account and sent an email to customer service, telling them what happened and to see if was possible to cancel my order for the no longer needed jet (no way do I need THREE of them) and bam, within 2 minutes I got a response, my order was canceled. Another minute and I got email telling me my CC had been credited. In short, I think they do a hell of a job, all things considered, one thing I really like is being able to look up ALL my past orders on line, that's handy. I've been a loyal customer for....40+ years now and plan to stick with despite the occasional glitch. Look at it this way: dealing with small parts orders, UPS and FEDEX issues, is all part of building an airplane, and another reason to be proud when it's all done! Or maybe another reason just to buy a certified plane, ha ha.

    Comment


    • #18
      Yeah, the big tip for anyone outside the US ordering stuff from ACS is don't use USPS 1st Class Mail - despite the name, it doesn't actually provide any guarantee of service or delivery.

      Jim Irwin indicated they were looking at free shipping for large overseas orders, but so far they haven't made a move on that.

      James
      The Barrows Bearhawk: Who knew my wife could get jealous of a plane?

      Comment


      • davzLSA
        davzLSA commented
        Editing a comment
        Hi James, In regard to the usps that is also true for here in the US, They say they can do next day or 2nd day shipping but it is not reliable.

      • James
        James commented
        Editing a comment
        Yeah DavzLSA - it seems that there is a big difference between the shipping options on offer, a bit bewildering to the outsider.
        When I finish my bearhawk, I'll start my own air shipping company - write in with suggestions for a business name!

      • Glenn Patterson
        Glenn Patterson commented
        Editing a comment
        I ordered a lot of parts for the airplane from Wicks and occasionally Aircraft Spruce where I specified USPS for shipping to Canada. Never had an issue with USPS. Aircraft Spruce opened an office in Canada and they have been great to us. Now I am ordering parts for a 40 Ford and still request small parts to be sent USPS. Normal affordable postage delivers the parcel in 7 -10 days. I am okay with that as I plan far enough ahead that I don't get jammed up. USPS rates are far better than Fedex, UPS or Purolator coming across the border. They always hose us for a good brokerage fee if the parcel has value. USPS flows seamless into Canada Post where it can be tracked every step of the way. Canada Post charges about $5 for brokerage fees and the std taxes. If a person has to rely on shipping as we did then it would make a person choke. I get shipping to Australia and Europe is outrageous to coordinate, delivery times and costs. My old car forums are filled with the same complaint. Its not that long ago where we ordered locally from a catalogue and waited a couple weeks.

        It may be to recommend to Aircraft Spruce that they set up a warehouse in Australia that stocks their products. Australia is spread out far and wide so there still will be time involved but a fully stocked warehouse would cut time and maybe over all costs for every one.

    • #19
      i needed a piece of .020 for fairings. Spruce wanted $46 to ship. I ended up at Airparts and the material was less so I bought 4 2x4 pieces of varying thickness. Total for ship and handling was $13. shipped fast and perfect condition.

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      • #20
        Ive been dealing with aircraft spruce for 15 years or so...they have always been great...customer service has been exceptional...just my experience over the last number years

        Comment


        • #21
          I really can't say anything bad about Spruce, I use them extensively. One mistake I often make is not looking at other sources. I needed a 1 yard piece of Fiberglass mat. I think it was $6, but shipping was an additional $15, that was from CA to CO, plus it was out of stock. Found the same thing on EBAY for $8 delivered. I needed a 1' piece of aluminum tube. It also was $6 and the shipping was $16. Fortunately I checked some other sources, found it at Wicks for the same price and shipping was $5. Generally their prices are good, but for anything more than some small hardware, they want to send it UPS instead of USPS first class, which makes it much more expensive.
          Last edited by rodsmith; 02-05-2021, 11:45 AM.

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          • #22
            I'll echo what others have said. I have zero issues with AS. They have been a great resource for me, especially since they took over A.E.R.O. In Stock in Wasilla, Alaska. If they have it in stock (which they usually do), I get it in two days max. If I order in the morning and tell them I need it as soon as they can send it, it goes out in that day's mail and I get it the next day in my mailbox. When they don't have it in Alaska, I order from West and it gets here in a few days via USPS Priority Mail. Returns are a no-issue. Hazmat items go UPS Ground and shipping is very reasonable within Alaska. Absolutely fantastic company.

            Comment


            • davzLSA
              davzLSA commented
              Editing a comment
              I agree, I have never had any bad experiences with ACS. Great people to deal with.

          • #23
            I spend tens of thousands of dollars each year with ACS as well as other supply houses. Spruce has always been great to deal with. Stuff happens but they always make it right and the ladies I've talked with on the phone are helpful, cordial and professional. No us versus you attitude you get from some places once they get your business.
            Shipping costs are expensive these days, at least for some items but it always amazes me I can click a button and three days later that item is in my hands.
            Think of it this way, where would we be without them?

            Comment


            • #24
              ... So, if Texas decides to secede from the rest of the US - like I hear some people are hoping for - are ACS suddenly going to charge you guys the foreign same shipping rates they charge me?

              Watch this space!! :-) :-) :-)
              The Barrows Bearhawk: Who knew my wife could get jealous of a plane?

              Comment


              • #25
                Hey Guys, After spending well over $10,000 with ACS over the past 4 years or so I have had my first disagreement with ASC. I recently received a $5000 order of aluminum for my wings I have found 4 sheets that is the .020 skins that had dents in them. The driver who delivered the crate DID NOT give me the opportunity to unpack the crate to inspect the sheets. So I signed the receipt so I could get the shipment. At this point it does not look like ACS is going to do anything about it. So it looks like im stuck with 3 sheets of wing skins I may not be able to use. I guess the moral of this story is do not sign for anything without un-crating it and inspecting it even if the UPS driver is in a hurry. Needless to say I will not be buying anything from ACS in the future. I am disappointed because in the past they have made good on all my orders. So if you must do business with them just beware.

                Comment


                • #26
                  I went back and forth with Spruce over scratched wing capstrip extrusions. However they always offered me an exchange for more scratched capstrip material. After several orders the girl in customer service expected my calls. I tried Wicks, same thing. I was finally able to gather a shipset of clean extrusions. I will never order raw stock from Spruce. It was wearing. They do not have the first idea about material handling. I would grind the girl in customer service until she agrees to send you replacement dented sheets.
                  Gerry
                  Patrol #30

                  Comment


                  • #27
                    David - your recommendation to everyone was spot on. If you are worried something might be damaged - do not sign for it until it is opened & inspected. Once you sign and the delivery driver leaves - you are pretty much SOL. This goes for everything. Not just ACS. Mark

                    Comment


                    • #28
                      ACS is no worse than the rest and they do have an extensive inventory and ship very quickly. There are a few things you can do to keep your costs down. Like always, you are trading your time for $.

                      - Shop around. Although ACS is generally price competitive, I have found some items available from other vendors for 50% less
                      - Try to assemble orders large enough to meet the free shipping limit. Be careful since some items are not eligible and will cause you to pay shipping for the entire order
                      - When you have to pay shipping, review your order to make sure it all comes from the same warehouse. They will increase shipping charges substantially for an order that comes from more than one place (this seems a little crazy but at least they are transparent about it).
                      - Review your shipping costs carefully. The computer system has some limits for size and quantity that can dramatically increase the cost. I have see one 20 cent nut cause an increase of $10 in shipping cost. This is probably caused by some bad data in the system but they don't have any real incentive to fix it.
                      - Finally and unfortunately, you can no longer rely on good USPS service in some areas and there is a certain amount of change with UPS, Fedex and the others due to Amazon, the pandemic and who knows what else. What works in your part of the country/world may not be the best for everyone.

                      Comment


                      • #29
                        I'm in Canada. I buy as much as I can from ACS because they have a Canadian distributor. For the stuff that comes from the US, I've been using USPS as much as possible, the couriers end up costing a lot more for brokerage fees and they're not much quicker. I've been warned not to use USPS by the people I buy from because they've heard shipments have been taking months to get to the destination but I've definitely not had that experience.

                        I'm keeping track of how much shipping is going to cost on this project. I'm not sure I want to know though.
                        4-Place QB kit #111. First flight May 2022.
                        IO-470 - 260hp

                        Comment


                        • #30
                          Mark I guess I expected more from ACS but they are just another money grubbing company that really dont care about the customers. I wont be buying anything else from them. And if you must have your shipment damaged ship UPS!!! Another money grubbing company that dont give a rats butt about its customers.

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