Calmini shipments

Talked to Calmini this morning. They said they had just shipped the first batch of 20 rear bumper/tire mounts.

Also said that the fuel tanks skid plates were being sent to plating and should be shipped in 7 to 10 days.

So...did you get both of those?

I have had the fuel tank skid on order since the middle of Nov.

Was going to order the rear bumper but think I will get the SLR torsion bars first.

Did they give you a tracking number? :p

Did they give you a tracking number?

I don't think they do that until they ship.

I gotta say - next time I deal with Calmini Im going to need a tracking number. Ive been promised parts 6 times and they still havent shown up. The only ones I got werent supposed to be for weeks after I received them.
I love their stuff but wont use them if I actually need/want something by a certain time. I get my Calmini stuff through XTerraparts.com and they at least do the follow up instead of me having to do it.

Your post serves no reason except to infuse doubt.

i would have doubt too if i had been waiting for parts since nov.

I guess I should feel special since I have been driving around with my CalMini rear bumper since November. Everything was handled as I was told. In fact, I have had to excercise more patience for my new lift and brake lines than I did for my bumper. Hopefully my new lift will be in within the next couple of weeks. That is one of the disadvantages of being a ground breaker.

Originally posted by ned946


You do know that your constant bashing of a Xterra specific specialty parts supplier hurts us all. If you don't like Calmini, for whatever reason you may have, don't buy from them. Your post serves no reason except to infuse doubt.

Groan. :rolleyes: It was a joke Ned, I know he's been waiting a long time so I was poking some fun at a fellow club member. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing ToyMan with his new bumper.

If a company promises you an item will ship at a certain time, and it doesn't ship for 3 months, I would have beef. If a company is up front about delays, I don't. It is quite simple: Advertising products and not being able to ship them is poor business practice.

This is not being impatient, this is holding people accountable. This stuff is BASIC business practice issues.

I know that KMA, SLR and Calmini all have supply issues. They are at fault and any customer has a right to complain *IF* promised a certain date for a product.

Ned, Certainly you can appreciate this regardless of your satisfaction with Calmini products or despite how long you waited for your ARB. This is not a Anti-Xterra, Anti-Calmini, Anti-SLR, Anti-EOE or Anti-KMA (Well maybe it is) thing.

Remember how long it took EOE to get rock sliders shipped? It frustrated the hell out of people. Since then EOE has solved their supply problems. SLR is now not advertising probucts unless they can ship them from what I can tell, thus they might be working on their supply issues. However, it seems as though Calmini has not, or rather has not caught up yet. This is regardless of INTENTIONS. Shit happens, but business is still business. And companies catch flak when they don't deliver. If they didn't catch flak, where is the incentive for them to improve?

Originally posted by ned946

And Mr. Evergreen, you are probably too green to know how long we had to wait for ARB shipments early on (that's right, I'm the #2 owner of the ARB). You are able to get your ARB (or Waag in your case) due to our work (now wipe your nose).
:finger:

This SO deserves Ian's line that he gave to me when I told Carlton to thank me for being the second person EVER to have an ARB on an X - ("Don't hurt your arm when you're patting youself on the back for inventing 4 wheeling") but instead I'll just say ...

YOU'RE WELCOME !!!


:bonghitte

Well, still waiting for the Calmini parts I ordered (and paid for) about 2 months ago. Since then it has been "another week or so" every time I ask. Then it was "absolutely, positively no later than the end of January." Now I just got "Calmini says another 2-3 weeks."


Like I said.....their parts are good but their customer service SUCKS. I wont be ordering anything from them again. Its not because Im bitter but because I like to use parts on my truck before the truck is too old to handle them:D

Well, here's an update - I just got off the phone with the fine gentlemen at Courtesy Nissan in Dallas (XTerraparts.com). They were following up on my Calmini order. The one I have been most frustrated about - Quick swaybar disconnects - was explained. Apparently Calmini does not feel comfortable with the components and materials used in the product and are revising and reproducing them. It could take quite a few more weeks and there is no real ETA. I appreciate XTerra parts update and feel that if Calmini went about letting people know (via posts or subscription) the real availability of their products and set real expectations then there wouldnt be any room for customer irritation. Im patient and can accept delays - they are inevitable in the after-market but I dont like not being informed or not having real expectations set by a manufacturer/seller.

I dig Calmini and if I hear they clean up their communications I'd be right back to buying from them. XTerraparts.com are damn smooth too.

:ylsuper

Originally posted by ozxterra
Well, still waiting for the Calmini parts I ordered (and paid for) about 2 months ago. Since then it has been "another week or so" every time I ask. Then it was "absolutely, positively no later than the end of January." Now I just got "Calmini says another 2-3 weeks."

Like I said.....their parts are good but their customer service SUCKS. I wont be ordering anything from them again. Its not because Im bitter but because I like to use parts on my truck before the truck is too old to handle them:D

Hey Ned..

They used to say "One dissatisfied cutomer will tell 10 people", that was before the internet. I'm sure the number has increased by several orders of magnitude. Personally, based on the experiences of Xterra owners like OzXterra (and numerous others) I will not be ordering anything from Calmini. I like their rear bumper, I like it a lot, I believe it is a great product as are their other products. However I refuse to give my money to a company that can not hold something as basic as a time table. I am not a patient person, I don't claim to be. I expect a company to be prompt and deliver what I pay for.

IMO Calmini could be a top supplier of aftermarket parts to the Xterra community if they didn't screw people with delays. They have half the equation, great parts, they are missing the other half of the equation. Until I hear numerous people praising Calmini's customer service and on time delivery of orders I won't even load their web page much less purchase anything from them.

How is anyones distaste for a company "Anti-Xterra"? No one is upset because Calmini is making parts for the Xterra, people are upset because they are not getting what they paid for in an appropriate amount of time. If I was OzXterra I would be damn pissed. I find it hard to believe that you think that Schlud should supress his opinions because he is the moderator of this board.

If expecting a company to deliver when they say they are makes me a "spoild brat", then yes, I am a spoild brat as I am sure most consumers are.

I wish I had customers like you that were willing to give me their money and let me deliver the product at my discression sometime in the future.

:finger:

Sheeees... someone pass the :smoker2: , I gotta relax.....

Geez Ned, did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? You are taking the Calmini criticism kind of hard.

I don't think your wait for an ARB is a very good comparison considering the fact that at that time they weren't even made or advertized for the Xterra. Everyone was buying either a Navara or Grand Cherokee bar. Not to mention the fact that they are made in Australia.

To me the whole point of this board is to share information. If someone thinks there is a problem with service, I'd like to hear about it. I'll still buy from Calmini, but I'll be wary if they say my package will be here in a week.

Everyone here can read through the posts and sift through the ones that are bullshit without the need for someone to censor the so called "anti-Xterra" posts.

First point: Companies like Calmini that are helping pave the way for aftermarket products for new vechiles like the Xterra deserve a certain amount of patience. There is alot of trial and error involved with what they are doing and the demand obviously exceeds the supply. The timing of the order placed seems to have a lot to do with customer satisfaction.

Second Point: Any company that expects to maintain a reputation and hold any sort of loyalty with its customers knows that promises that are made must be kept (clearly an issue with Calmini - don't say your going to ship something if you can't follow through! Simple, right?).

The sliders I ordered from them took over 2 months longer to get to me than they initally said. Every time I called, I got a new ETA. Although I wasn't in a hurry for them, it certainly took away the 'buying pleasure' of my first mod.

That being said, I will buy from them again. In terms of the quality of their products, I have yet to hear of a complaint.

Hopefully soon they are able to develop better business practices and faster production. If they are smart they'll already have someone reviewing this board taking notes. :)

Funny how Schlud said this:

"Did they give you a tracking number?"

...and this thread turned into what it did. WTF?

Most of the companies who claim to have parts for the Xterra are just screwing with people and this is not aimed at Calmini only. It's just bad business to advertise something as "for sale" months before you can ship it. I think what they are trying to do is stir up business before parts can ship, but they are going about it int he wrong way and all it's doing is pissing people off. If these companies want to advertise before availability then they need to clearly state that the product is not yet available and when it will be. Then, they need to stick to it.


Fortunately for me, I'm not totally impressed with most of the parts available for the Xterra, so I'm not buying from most of them at this point. I already learned my lesson with KMA and don't care to deal with that kind of crap again.

Anyway, I think it's really unfortunate that we can't discuss these companies and their products openly and honestly. Nobody benefits from hiding the facts and not asking or answering questions. Smart companies will learn from our discussions so they can improve their business practices and their products. It's in everybody's best interest!

And Mr. Evergreen, you are probably too green to know how long we had to wait for ARB shipments early on (that's right, I'm the #2 owner of the ARB). You are able to get your ARB (or Waag in your case) due to our work (now wipe your nose).


Hi, my name is ned946, and i am better than everyone else. what a jerk...

Ned, Chill out man. This is a forum - in a forum pretty much anything is worth talking about. I am not some wet-behind the ears newbie to wheelin. I have been around decked out four wheelers since I could walk. I know how parts should go on a Land Cruiser, Chevy & XTerra. They are often delayed but customers are usually told that up front. Some customers dont order these parts for weekend wheelin', they order them for long planned tips and expeditions and when they are "buggered" around on the delivery it can really mess with long term plans.

The bottom line - when I tell a client something is going to happen at a certain time it does. And if it doesnt then I had better have a bloody good reason for it and I LET THE CLIENT KNOW IMMEDIATELY - they dont have to run around after me.


So lets share the love, keep talking and not get to worked up eh?

I think this discussion is one that fits the forum perfectly. People are obviously interested in it and have a point of view.:D

Hopefully I'll get to meet some of you guys outside of the PNW one of these days.

Cheers

I posted this the first week in Feb:

Also said that the fuel tanks skid plates were being sent to plating and should be shipped in 7 to 10 days.

I called again about Feb 21 and got the same exact reply.

Called yesterday (3/4) and Yep - got the same exact reply.

And people wonder why we bad mouth CalMini? They make great product, when they do get to delivering it is another question?:rolleyes:

Toy man when this does finally get resolved you might want to put it in the "The good, the bad & the ugly" forum.

I gave up and ordered a fuel tank skid plate from EOE.

When I called Calmini to cancel the order (3/5), they
said the skid plates were at the plater. Too late....

Originally posted by Toy Man
I gave up and ordered a fuel tank skid plate from EOE.

When I called Calmini to cancel the order (3/5), they
said the skid plates were at the plater. Too late....

I'm going to be ordering one of those from EOE as well.

I too have been waiting for Calmini product. Specificaly the front bumper and I just recently recieved the rear. I was extremely upset at first (that was the first 30 days late) I sort of understand now though and have decided to cut them some slack. Calmini is not as big as Rancho or even Fabtech for that matter. Of course thats impossible to tell by looking at the web site. The whole company is run out of one building in bakersfield CA. Xterra owners across the globe have been chomping a the bit to get there hands on after market parts. The internet is global so they unintentionaly (imho) bit off a lot more than they could chew when they advertised on the internet. bla bla bla right?

Well the moral of the story is be patient and expect glitches (even if they dont) and who knows maybe you'll be as happy as I am about the personal service I have recieved. Since taking delivery of my rear bumper they have been by far most responsive/proffesional company I have had the pleasure of dealing with. Oh yeah and did I mention the bumber absolutely fucking rocks!(can I say that?) No way I buy and ARB now that I have seen the quality and look that comes from calmini. BTW I doubt more than 3 people handle the Non manufacturing needs of Calmini

Post some pics :alien:

Originally posted by ozxterra
Post some pics :alien:

This board wont let me post pics from Geocities for some reason. This link will take you to the one and only picture I have of my rear bumper

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/antibible/lst?.dir=/Xterra

(this is a very large photo) but I dont have any editing software yet

The best part about it is its wieght and the thickness of the metal you would think the bumper was built for a tank.

Originally posted by RticQl8
The best part about it is its wieght and the thickness of the metal you would think the bumper was built for a tank.

I know what you mean. I was stopped by a guy who runs a Jeep shop here locally and he wanted to know where I got my rear bumper. He couldn't believe the build quality and the strength of it. It has taken CalMini a while to ramp up. But all things considered, when it comes time to purchase my front bumper with winch mount, I know which one it will be. I am just waiting for some Florida idiot to performance test my CalMini rear bumper. It has almost happened twice already.

Originally posted by RticQl8


The best part about it is its wieght and the thickness of the metal you would think the bumper was built for a tank.



Curb weight of a 4x4 Xterra is 4200lbs. GVWR is 5000lbs

ARB bull bar = 70lbs
Winch =80lbs
sliders= 110lbs
skid plates= 100-120lbs
rear bumper =100lbs
roof rack= 70lbs
driver =200lbs (average)

Total = 730lbs

That little engine that once could turns into the little engine that won't! I guess all of that stuff is okay if you are flat lander though :D

I notice that when most of you add up weights you forget that you take some stuff off to put other things on. I know the new things weigh more but it still adds up.

For example, front and rear bumpers, running boards, and skids were already there from the factory. Although in the case of the side steps and the skids they weigh almost nothing.

Originally posted by Mosi


Curb weight of a 4x4 Xterra is 4200lbs. GVWR is 5000lbs

ARB bull bar = 70lbs
Winch =80lbs
sliders= 110lbs
skid plates= 100-120lbs
rear bumper =100lbs
roof rack= 70lbs
driver =200lbs (average)

Total = 730lbs

That little engine that once could turns into the little engine that won't! I guess all of that stuff is okay if you are flat lander though :D

Hmmm I guess I am over my limit in Sliders 146lbs Beer belly 232 lbs..

Good point though from a turtleneck pipe smoking port drinking Disco dribving "Chap"

:finger:

You beet me to it. The wieght increases will be minimized by subtraction. Except in the case of the winch. I would be willing to bet the calmini rear bumper wieghs less or just barely more than the stock rear bumper / class three combo that it replaces. Yes its heavy but so is that factory class three.

"the little engine that wont" is still a fitting title.

Originally posted by RticQl8
You beet me to it. The wieght increases will be minimized by subtraction. Except in the case of the winch. I would be willing to bet the calmini rear bumper wieghs less or just barely more than the stock rear bumper / class three combo that it replaces. Yes its heavy but so is that factory class three.

"the little engine that wont" is still a fitting title.

Okay so the front stock bumper weighs a big whopping 30-35lbs and the beer can step rails are about 10lbs each. Take the rear bumper out of the equation if you want

ARB bull bar = 70lbs
Winch =80lbs
sliders= 110lbs
skid plates= 100-120lbs
roof rack= 70lbs
driver =200lbs (average)

Total = 630lbs

minus the factory bumper and beer can steps = 50lbs

new total = 580lbs
New curb weight = 4780

Go ahead and throw in some tools and other misc. items and a passenger or two and you are now huffing and puffing.

If you think differently, you must have one of those special V-8s that everyone is trying to get their hands on ;)

Go ahead and try to climb some mountain passes with all that stuff on there and you will change your mind real quick.... and I'm not talking about driving up to Big Bear either where you don't go past 40mph. Like I said, the flatlanders shouldn't have a problem with all that weight. I don't know anyone here that would turn down more HP if it were handed to them on a platter.

I think you missed the last part of my post. I have been complaining about the Xterras power plant from day one. Its basicaly a 4 cylinder with 2 dead cylinders along for the ride but it gets the job done. The wieght difference your describing wont make a noticeable difference. No different than throwing the family in the truck or going camping.

Besides I dont run sliders and I only way 170 so im running light already and id be willing to bet the front bumper ways more than 35 pounds.

Originally posted by RticQl8
I id be willing to bet the front bumper ways more than 35 pounds.

Nope. Plastic and a metal bar. We've taken off plenty to know.

Originally posted by Schludwiller


Nope. Plastic and a metal bar. We've taken off plenty to know.

Hey speaking of 35lb front bumpers, anyone want mine? Brett didn't want it when he bought my X. Now it is just taking up room with no truck to match! It get's tossed soon if I don't find any takers.

I heard you almost got Brett to take it :D I wish someone would take mine...


RTIQL8 - Damn man, use a spell-checker!!:thinkerg: Your almost as bad as XLax:frog: