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Extreme Terrain vs. Quadratec vs. ???

38K views 89 replies 58 participants last post by  Essence 
#1 ·
Greetings All,

We the euphoria of working on Jeep mods has worn off, the fire completely extinguished. Not by desire or difficulty of performing the mods, but by the business practices of our forum sponsor, Extreme Terrain.

So far I have ordered a bumper, a skid plate, receiver hitch, wiring harness, grab handles, sill covers, and tube steps. All in all, about $1000.

Half of the items have had issues.

Tube steps were damaged, already rusting upon arrival.
Receiver hitch was misaligned requiring all of the tapped holes to be re-tapped so it would install. All four weld nuts were mis-aligned and off camber such that the bolts wouldn't even start.
The receiver hitch took three weeks, 2 emails, and 3 phone calls to even get it here in the first place after the web site had it listed as in-stock, ships today. They sent me T-Shirt as compensation on that one.

That brings me to the bumper, just before Christmas, 12/15, and ad popped up with the bumper listed as Market Price $499.99 (Not MSRP mind you) $100 off, $399.99. The $100 off is what it took to sell the misses on going over budget for the month.

Earlier this week, it was now listed as Market Price $339.99, on sale $299.99, $40 off.

I sent them a note asking them to honor the current price. What I got back was a very terse, you have to submit claims for price drops within 7 days.

Fine, that's your policy. Perfect. No we're sorry, nothing like that, then they went out of their way to point out that I also missed the return date by 2 days.

It turns out that they use the "Market Price" rather than MSRP, because MSRP has legal meaning, market price does not. And a sale on a "Market Price" has no meaning either whereas under MGL 93A, sale on MSRP does.

At the very best, this is just poor communication, and the very worst, it is flagrant deceptive sales pricing. In any case, I feel like I just got taken by one of those permanent going out of business sales at a mattress store.

The few things I have ordered from Quadratec have been as promised and on-time.

Other than Extreme Terrain, who are your "goto" stores for Jeep bits? Should I stay with Quadratec? Are there better? And how do I get Extreme Terrain to never, ever darken my mailbox again?
 
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#4 ·
I have used Qtec a lot with great experiences. They are always willing to price match and offer a 5% forum discount. The only issue I had (which really wasn't a big deal) is when I ordered some bestop soft doors and they sent me ones for a TJ. One quick call and the correct doors were on their way. One problem that some people have with Qtec is that they don't list items being out of stock until you order it. This happened to me once but didn't need the part right away so didn't mind waiting...another thing that can be easily solved with a phone call or PM to Rick just to make sure the item is in stock.

Another vendor that members really give props for is Northridge 4x4. I don't have a lot of experience with them but they are well reviewed on here. I did order some front lower control arms from them on black friday. The price was good and shipped very quickly, no complaints.
 
#5 ·
Hi there,

When you order from us you are dealing with fellow Jeep enthusiasts. Most of us own or have owned at least or more Jeeps. I am on Jeep #10 and a bit too addicted. Typically we were also customers prior to working here which I feel gives us some great knowledge for better assisting our customers. We do price shop our competitors daily. If you do find a lower price elsewhere we offer a price match policy. To be perfectly honest, I really love coming into work daily knowing I am helping my fellow Jeepers save some money! As we all know, owning a Jeep can be an expensive, but ridiculously enjoyable habit.

For a discounted quote you can go about it 3 ways:

1) PM me with your first & last name, address, zip and the part numbers you would like to order. I'll reply back with a discounted quote if applicable. This takes 1-3 business days on average depending on PM volume.

2) E-mail my sales rep Rob at: RobW@quadratec.com Tell him you're a Forum user and would like a discounted quote. He'll get that going for you. He typically responds within hours if it's Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Eastern.

3) Call my sales line at 1-800-745-2348. Tell them you're a Forum user and would like to place an order with your Forum discount. Their hours are Mon-Thurs 8am-Midnight, Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday 9am-5pm.

Whichever you prefer works for us.

Thank you & have a great day!



I have used Qtec a lot with great experiences. They are always willing to price match and offer a 5% forum discount. The only issue I had (which really wasn't a big deal) is when I ordered some bestop soft doors and they sent me ones for a TJ. One quick call and the correct doors were on their way. One problem that some people have with Qtec is that they don't list items being out of stock until you order it. This happened to me once but didn't need the part right away so didn't mind waiting...another thing that can be easily solved with a phone call or PM to Rick just to make sure the item is in stock.
Thanks for the recommendation!

-Rick
 
#7 ·
Try buying products that are not mass produced in China and you will have better results. Bumpers, sliders, suspension, and armor on both my rigs are sourced from small companies like Savvy, Ares Fab, Clayton, and UCF. Items are more expensive but significantly higher quality.
 
#8 ·
I have had good luck ordering from those listed above but, all of the big ticket items...bumpers, Trektop (ordered 2) skids, sliders.... all have come from Jason at Krawl OffRoad. Great prices and excellent customer support!
 
#9 ·
Seems theres no single good full proof source to buy parts.. Had issues with everybody, some worse, some better. Just remember most company's drop ship right from manufacture. So when you receive a bent part, your dealing with middle mans CS. As for pricing, the only person to blame would be the buyer for not taking the time to do research.. Example, Quadratecs pricing isn't usually the lowest, even though they will "price match". You can complain that their prices should just be lower, but its really the sellers responsibility to shop around..
 
#10 ·
At the very best, this is just poor communication, and the very worst, it is flagrant deceptive sales pricing. In any case, I feel like I just got taken by one of those permanent going out of business sales at a mattress store.
Is consumer marketing new to you? It's not like you were charged more than what you agreed to pay at the time of sale. Try tracking the price on the items you want for a couple months so you know when it's actually a good price. If you don't have time for that then I guess a good price on Jeep accessories isn't that high a priority for you.
 
#13 ·
No, it's not new, and I tracked prices for about a month. A chinese bumper in 5/32 plate steel is between $299 and $499, if you want 3/16, it seems to jump to $599, and 1/4" moves up to $699. Americam made, hydroformed are in the $1000 range. I somehow thought the forum sponsor, when they listed a Value of $499.99 and a sale price of $399.99, there was some legitimacy to the business. When 3 weeks later, it drops both the Market price and sale price to $339.99, on sale for $299.99, clearly they made an error, you give them a chance to recognize it and explain.

Perhaps their products are just so shabby that a market price of a bumper really drops by $160, or 32%, in 30 days. At that rate by March 19th of this year, they should be free.

I only went back last week to look for the matching rear bumper and had to look up the old one from my order history. I was willing to give the forum sponsor another chance. That ship has now sailed and sunk.

The long and short of it is I can see a better sale price, not bothered by that. I can see a dip in the "Market Price" and I'm not bothered by that, heck, I'd even accept dropping the Market price to $399.99 with no sale, but when they come right out and say our prices are fake, that bothers me.:puke:
 
#12 ·
Sucks that you had a bad experience. I have never bought from them but viewed them as decent but without firsthand experience obviously could not comment.

I like some of the others have stated, use Northridge 4x4. I have bought a lot of stuff from them haha. I think my total count is over $5500 so far.
I have had to call and ask questions about using X parts with Y parts all from different manufacturers and the guys over at Northridge helped me pick stuff that works. The service alone is worth it to me.

You can have issues with anybody. Shipping isn't inherently the shippers fault and yes drop shipping is common with bigger ticket items. Great thing about buying Jeep parts is there are so many distributors and websites to buy from all offering competitive prices.
 
#14 ·
You do realize the only thing "sponsoring vendor" means (unless I've misunderstood) is that they've paid a fee in order to be able to advertise on the forums to draw in more business. Also, XT is a reseller in that they're selling other mfr's products. So if you're having problems with quality, that's on the mfr. not XT themselves. You didn't list the brand of the bumper, maybe it's a discontinued model or something and they're trying to get rid of them? I usually stick to Northridge or QT when ordering or direct from mfr's when it's not carried by anyone, but that's just because XT never has any of the brands I'm looking for mostly.
 
#16 ·
If parts came damaged or did not fit I would have called and returned them. That's more of a manufacturer thing but maybe they carry some crappy manufacturers. That is up to the customer to decide. If that's what you felt then move on to another store. I would be irritated as well getting parts that were screwy.

As for the bumper it is what it is. Everyone has bought something then saw it cheaper a month later. It happens and there is nothing wrong with that.
 
#17 ·
Northridge is my go to...and they have gotten...a lot!! Of course I got good stuff too. I use Quadratec for some items, and they have a good catalog of oem stuff(or at least factory replacement). We have a 4wp store in Tulsa, and they get some of my money if I need to pop in and get something quickly.

I have gone to Ruff Stuff and they have been good,

Also have used Allen's Offroad for axle shafts. Very good communication, good prices, and seemed VERY happy to have my business.(also a sponsor here.)
 
#27 ·
I like elevated offroad personally. I've had great luck with them.
I've used elevated offroad a few times and have had good experience. I also have used extreme terrain, quadratec, and northridge4x4 and all have been good for me so far.
 
#21 ·
My primary go to is Northridge 4x4. Their prices are hard to beat. Shipping was fast and communication was great. I have also ordered from Quadratec and Krawl Off-road and have had no problems with them either. They will always get my business. Also looking at Allens Offroad for my control arms. Have heard very good things about that vendor as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#22 ·
Always had great experiences with Qtec and ordered a ton with them over the years. They are close to me also, so shipping is rarely more than 2 days, even on a set of wheels I got last year. I've never really ordered from XT, but pretty much everything they sell that I would want is cheaper on Amazon. So, that's where I ordered my bumper from.
 
#23 ·
We have seen that a lot from the "big box" style vendors.

Us, we are a small team. When you call, you get a real person (lol usually me or my wife). We will do anything we can for you and have many brands that a lot of the "big box" stores dont have. Once you talk with us, you are family. Not to mention, we are JEEPERS. Not paid sales people.

If we can help with anything, feel free to PM, email, or call us at anytime!

-Jason
 
#32 ·
Because of this post. I clicked on your link and am gonna start shipping


Sorry to hear about your order!

I hate to see that you had so many problems with the items you bought, and I don't think any Jeep owner should have to feel discouraged or unenthusiastic about the products they just installed on their rig. Buying new parts and installing them on your rig is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, and I apologize for that not being the case here. That being said, I will do everything in my power to make sure that you're compensated, taken care of, and that I remedy the situation.

If you have your order number available so I can look further into your order that would be great!

I don't want to make excuses as to why products develop surface rust or why their was fitment issues, because as we all know the shipping process/ manufacturer defects can really throw a curve ball at our parts sometimes. I do want to let you know how I would've handled the situation if you let me know about your issues/how I'd be more than willing to help you out still.

I'd be more than happy to send you out a new set of Tube Steps and personally check to make sure there's no imperfections. Same thing goes for the Receiver Hitch. It sounds like the Receiver Hitch was defective from the manufacturer. Taking three weeks is a different story though. That's something I could've handled on our end and express shipped it to you with no questions asked.

When it comes to price matching and making sure you get the best deal on whatever you're looking for, you can contact me directly at jake.roberts@extremeterrain.com or shoot me over a PM here on the forum.

This whole situation is for sure a product of miscommunication and again I apologize for the experience you had.

All of our staff here at ExtremeTerrain is extremely knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to Jeeps! I first learned to drive stick in a '95 YJ when I was 12 years old at Rausch Creek, I've rebuilt an '86 CJ-7 from the ground up, and I've owned my '98 ZJ for 8 years now. You can say I'm pretty deep into the Jeep obsession.

Overall making sure our customers are satisfied and any problems that arise are handled is what means the most to me though. Working in the customer service industry for over 8 years now I've learned to make everything right first and ask questions later. If you can send me over your order number then I will absolutely make sure everything is taken care of for you.

Thank you,

-Jake

These guys also like to send you daily emails with EXPIRED discount coupons.

>unsubscribe
 
#24 · (Edited)
Greetings All
Sorry to hear about your order!

I hate to see that you had so many problems with the items you bought, and I don't think any Jeep owner should have to feel discouraged or unenthusiastic about the products they just installed on their rig. Buying new parts and installing them on your rig is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, and I apologize for that not being the case here. That being said, I will do everything in my power to make sure that you're compensated, taken care of, and that I remedy the situation.

If you have your order number available so I can look further into your order that would be great!

I don't want to make excuses as to why products develop surface rust or why their was fitment issues, because as we all know the shipping process/ manufacturer defects can really throw a curve ball at our parts sometimes. I do want to let you know how I would've handled the situation if you let me know about your issues/how I'd be more than willing to help you out still.

I'd be more than happy to send you out a new set of Tube Steps and personally check to make sure there's no imperfections. Same thing goes for the Receiver Hitch. It sounds like the Receiver Hitch was defective from the manufacturer. Taking three weeks is a different story though. That's something I could've handled on our end and express shipped it to you with no questions asked.

When it comes to price matching and making sure you get the best deal on whatever you're looking for, you can contact me directly at jake.roberts@extremeterrain.com or shoot me over a PM here on the forum.

This whole situation is for sure a product of miscommunication and again I apologize for the experience you had.

All of our staff here at ExtremeTerrain is extremely knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to Jeeps! I first learned to drive stick in a '95 YJ when I was 12 years old at Rausch Creek, I've rebuilt an '86 CJ-7 from the ground up, and I've owned my '98 ZJ for 8 years now. You can say I'm pretty deep into the Jeep obsession.

Overall making sure our customers are satisfied and any problems that arise are handled is what means the most to me though. Working in the customer service industry for over 8 years now I've learned to make everything right first and ask questions later. If you can send me over your order number then I will absolutely make sure everything is taken care of for you.

Thank you,

-Jake
 
#25 ·
Jake, I sent you a PM with the information you asked for.

The bumper in question is a Barricade Trail Force HD Front, Part #J20850.

And FWIW, I do like the fit of the bumper, and I expect to repaint it in about a year.
 
#28 ·
I've not bought through Extreme Terrain, so I have no dog in this hunt.

That written, I respect Jake's above response. Not defensive. No excuses or finger pointing. An apology and request for opportunity to find a solution.

Hope this gets resolved to both party's satisfaction.
 
#29 ·
This seems to me that it is not a vendor problem, only problem the vendor has is that it carries some products that may be an inferior option.

Understand there are many companies making the product that accomplishes the same goal, it seems as though you were buying products that are lesser in quality but have bargain prices. The saying here is, "champagne taste on a beer budget."
 
#30 ·
Follow-up:

I've had a very constructive and professional communication with Jake this afternoon and XT has indeed stood up and addressed the issues with not only the pricing, but the defective products, beyond expectation.

I would say that Jake did his employer proud today and I feel a little better about doing business with Extreme Terrain.
 
#34 ·
I'm glad that I could get everything squared away for you Mark. In the end I want to make sure that you're a satisfied customer and feel more comfortable about the parts you ordered. I went ahead and credited back your account so you should be good to go!

I appreciate the follow up and for giving me the chance to make things right. Please feel free to send me over a PM or Email in the future if you ever need any advice or have any questions about parts, orders, etc.

-Jake
 
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