Jim called me yesterday! great to finally hear back, but unfortunately already went with DSS racing for my parts. Anyways, thought that I should atleast get on here and say he was very apologetic and helpful once he called back. sure it was 2 weeks after my original call, but hey...better late than never? perhaps...
Better for you, worse for them.
DSS has been great! Everytime I call someone answers, usually one of 2 guys. so far...shipping is taking some time, but it should with all the parts ive got coming. I love my pistons I got from them, so i'm hoping round 2 goes as smoothly.
I wish I had seen this thread before I had ordered online from CMS. CMS/VT cams have had such a great reputation over the years so I didn't think I would encounter problems. All their phone numbers are disconnected and Jim has been unresponsive to email. All indications are that they are no longer in business or the company is poorly managed if its true that this is a "side business" now. I would recommend that nobody take a chance with this company.
Like it was said before, it is race season and it may take a week or even more to return your phone call/email. If you are a small company that has huge demand, how can you afford time to keep paying customers happy and answer thousands of phone calls? It is hard, I am sure. And remember there only are a few quality shops around and most are very small. These guys are swamped I'm sure.
Even look at MHS. He had to stop doing cylinder head repair/porting so he can catch up with camshaft and MHS cylinder head orders.
Hopefully they get back to you because like was said earlier, customer service is the name of the game. Especially when it comes to car parts. If a seller dicks around with emails and phone calls you only hurt your chances of people coming back or referring you...how do you think AmericanMuscle does so well??
Even look at MHS. He had to stop doing cylinder head repair/porting so he can catch up with camshaft and MHS cylinder head orders.
Hopefully they get back to you because like was said earlier, customer service is the name of the game. Especially when it comes to car parts. If a seller dicks around with emails and phone calls you only hurt your chances of people coming back or referring you...how do you think AmericanMuscle does so well??
its because they run their business like crap. great products but the business is not run correctly. this dates bact to when i ordered a built shortblock from jim when he was with vt. they were going under and all he was doing was feeding me lies and excuses on why it was taking so long. i was one of the customes that never got the block i paid for. there were others too you can search for threads about vt. for that reason i would never order anything from cushman motorsports and really cant believe others do so. anyway, just my personal experiance.....they dont know how to do business. company is prob goin under too. good luck i hope whoever orders gets your stuff
I remember reading what happened with VT and I had thought that Jim was screwed over by his investors and his business partner. I gave him the benefit of the doubt when he started working with CMS, but it looks like it's the same old bull chit.
Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice, shame on me
Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice, shame on me
Just making an update. I finally received the cams I ordered. I did have to light a fire, but he was very responsive afterward. The CMS shop is definitely closed and Jim is now more in the parts distribution business. The new IL address points to a home so don't expect another shop to open. He did share that he is doing more business on Ebay and explains why he has put little effort into what's left of the CMS website (in addition to claims of not having access since he lost his IT guy). I just thought I would share in case anyone else was in my position and to share more information for others to use.
Jim Cushman's store:
http://stores.ebay.com/J-J-Performance-Center
Jim Cushman's store:
http://stores.ebay.com/J-J-Performance-Center
+1.. I almost didn't get my motor back.. I was one of the last guys to get theirs back. There were two companies, VT Engines (Jim and Scott Cushman who were salesmen) and VT Competition Engine Development (The shop in Lansing, MI.). Went to pick it up and was told I couldn't have it because VT Engines hadn't paid VTCED for a bunch of engines..
Even after I got my motor back it never ran right. #5 and #6 cylinder always had low compression, I had the motor back to VTCED no less than 3 times and each time they told me the problem was fixed. I dealt with Scott Brown and the second time I had it there I told him to change out the cams. He said he had another set on the shelf and he changed them out.. Found out after a year of troubles that it was the cams and they lied to me about changing them. I had Fox Lake fix everything for me..
Never again with VT, VTCED, or anyone associated with them. A number of those associated with them claimed they were innocent and advocates of the customer, but too much happened for people to claim ignorance.
Riley
An update for my situation at least:
I hired people to help with the heads, I learned the hard way if they are to be done "correctly" I have to do it pretty much myself.
I hired people to help with the phone, half the callers only wanted to talk to me so every day I had 2+ hours of phone calls to return.
I have been working 60-80hs weeks since mid January without even listing my phone number anymore and currently I turn away about 75% of the work I could be doing because of the 2 reasons above.
I learned I could either be a happy cylinder head and cam guy, or an unhappy employer. I chose the first option but getting caught up has taken a superman effort for many months now as I had taken in waaaaaay more work than I should have.
This is a tough business to be in. VT, Renegade, Steen, and Boss330 all were in at the peak in a better economy and all have gone the way of the dodo bird. I started this business after the 2008 bank crash with my own pocket money, and originally it was supposed to just make my 1-2 sets of heads a month side business legit as I was already doing something else full time. Well the book on running a specialty modular performance business was already checked out at the library so I had to write one of my own once the orders started exploding..........
BTW - nobody stocks cams other than Comps regular part numbers. Its just too damn expensive. From what I am experiencing and learning this year from many of my vendors, its getting much worse. I ALWAYS have some parts on backorder holding me up, but now its really getting bad, and you all will start seeing more of it as well from all the businesses I am sorry to say. Retailers are scared to stock anything and are drop shipping a bunch more, and now manufacturers are scared to be stocking deep on everything so the retailers don't know the stock is empty until after they take the order from the customer. Its a vicious cycle that is only getting worse.
I hired people to help with the heads, I learned the hard way if they are to be done "correctly" I have to do it pretty much myself.
I hired people to help with the phone, half the callers only wanted to talk to me so every day I had 2+ hours of phone calls to return.
I have been working 60-80hs weeks since mid January without even listing my phone number anymore and currently I turn away about 75% of the work I could be doing because of the 2 reasons above.
I learned I could either be a happy cylinder head and cam guy, or an unhappy employer. I chose the first option but getting caught up has taken a superman effort for many months now as I had taken in waaaaaay more work than I should have.
This is a tough business to be in. VT, Renegade, Steen, and Boss330 all were in at the peak in a better economy and all have gone the way of the dodo bird. I started this business after the 2008 bank crash with my own pocket money, and originally it was supposed to just make my 1-2 sets of heads a month side business legit as I was already doing something else full time. Well the book on running a specialty modular performance business was already checked out at the library so I had to write one of my own once the orders started exploding..........
BTW - nobody stocks cams other than Comps regular part numbers. Its just too damn expensive. From what I am experiencing and learning this year from many of my vendors, its getting much worse. I ALWAYS have some parts on backorder holding me up, but now its really getting bad, and you all will start seeing more of it as well from all the businesses I am sorry to say. Retailers are scared to stock anything and are drop shipping a bunch more, and now manufacturers are scared to be stocking deep on everything so the retailers don't know the stock is empty until after they take the order from the customer. Its a vicious cycle that is only getting worse.