Progressive Suspension's customer service

[F14CRAZY]

January 23rd: through email I receive an RMA from Gerrad at Progressive Suspension so I can send my out of warranty rear 412 series shock for a rebuild.

February 12th: it took me a while but I sent out the package via USPS Priority Mail...i misplaced my receipt and I can't remember when I exactly sent it out, but I called them on this date asking if they've seen the shock yet. They said they hadn't.

February 13th: the shock shows up at my door, returned to sender. I call Progressive and speak to Gerrad. He gave me THE WRONG mailing address in the January 23rd email, being a mix of their old address and current address. He apologizes and says he will waive the return shipping. I send the shock back out that day. It will also be bumped up in their cue.

March 3rd: Progressive calls and says my shock is done and will be sent back out to me that day. They take my credit card info.

March 16th: I email Gerrad asking if the shock has a tracking number as I have not yet received it. He emails back with a tracking number, saying it was done last Friday (the 16th was a Monday) and will be shipping out today.

March 18th: I email Gerrad saying that the UPS tracking number he provided still isn't showing anything.

March 20th: Gerrad emails back, saying there was a mixup as my credit card info was not being properly entered by someone else. It was later entered correctly. He apologizes and says it was ship out today under the same tracking number he provided earlier. ( don't understand why they didn't call or email me if there was a credit card issue.

March 22nd: tracking still doesn't work. I checked my credit card statement online and no charge from them shows (pending or posted).

I'm patient...I bought a $25 stock shock, which is leaking and not dampening for crap, but keeps the bike on the road so I can deal with getting mine rebuilt, but the issues and turn around time have been ridiculous. Plus it still hasn't shown up.

[Elipten]

Yea off my list after hearing about your experience.

[richarddacat]

Yea off my list after hearing about your experience.

 :nono Nah, Gerrad needs to be replaced.

Everybody has someone at work thats a screwup. Gerrad was most likely too busy watching basketball on his phone.
Might have been a good idea to request someone above Gerrads pay grade. Either way a complaint is in order once you get your shock back and tested.

[F14CRAZY]

Well...

March 25: I call Progressive as they didn't email me back. I asked Vidal (the other person I've spoken with) what was up. He said that the shipping department went home for the day and he couldn't find anything. He asked I call back tomorrow.

March 26: I call and speak to Gerrad. He said that he didn't know what was up but it had been shipped out. He said he sent me an email with a new tracking number but I told him I hadn't received it. He checks and finds he misspelled my email address and sent it out again. This time I received the correct tracking number but noticed that the zip codes for my billing and shipping address were mixed up...I emailed him back and he was able to fix it with UPS. Tracking says it arrived at the area's UPS facility and noted that the address was being changed. I anticipate it going out for delivery tomorrow, thank goodness.

I hope this shock saga is almost over with, and that it'll show up in good as new condition, and I won't be scraping the bottom of the rear fender anymore

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Wow...  Sounds like a hobby operation.  They love making the stuff and playing with bikes, but hate the drudge work of dealing with customers and doing that boring business shit.

[Motorhobo]

The one time I talked to Progressive CS I got a snooty pissant. I will never buy another progressive shock as a result.

[F14CRAZY]

Well my shock arrived via UPS today. Put it on and it seems to be dampening well and working like it should.

Complaint: I admit that I did little to clean the shock of oil that leaked out and dirt that subsequently stuck to it before I sent it out but they didn't seem to do anything about cleaning it either. When I get a chance this week I'll degrease it and the final drive. I'm under the assumption that it won't leak for a while but...

[richarddacat]

Now I'm disappointed. You sent it in for a rebuild it should have come back looking like new.
With all the BS you went through I thought the service dept and tech would have made up for the failure in CS.

[F14CRAZY]

Total was like $97.50 if I haven't said already. $240 is the cheapest a new 412 runs on ebay. I'd say that if you choose to use their rebuild service make sure you allow for a lot of time, like a couple months. Others may have considerably better experiences that I did but their communication is pretty poor.

[Jumpin Jimmy B]

 On quality of Progressive, my experience.

I hear some RAVE about their shocks/springs & suspension wizzardry.

 I put a set on my 81 R100RS years ago. Felt & rode great. Lasted maybe 2 years, then shit the bed and looked rather weathered and beat.

 I won't try them again.

 Buy the Realm shock from over the big pond. I put one of those on my 93 K1100RS some 5 years ago. Works graet still TODAY!! Looks good too.

 No fuss, no muss. Install and as JO says, ride till it won't move. That shock will NOT let you down.

 No whack.

[F14CRAZY]

I know its been installed on my bike for at least a few years but I don't know the exact age/mileage racked up on it before it started leaking. I've recorded the date and mileage of reinstallation so we'll see. I mean if it lasts 4-5 years I wouldn't complain.

[Jumpin Jimmy B]

How long will it go?

 Mark the date on it or in your manual. 2 years, it'll be whack.

You did not clean it up when you sent it in. They did not bother to clean it up when they did the rebuild & sent it back.
Darn poor craftman-ship. They HAD to take it apart to rebuild it. How long would it take to spruce it up a touch with normal shop equipment?
They had a chance, another chance, to make an impression. A better memorable impression that could spread good will and acclaim for their product.

 Instead, they let it slide as " good enough ".

 I get it, I do.  $ to shop time ratios is tight, gotta pound it through. But just stop & think a minute about the bigger picture.

 Anyway, least it's back & you can ride.

[F14CRAZY]

I mean they could have wiped the dampener housing quick before putting the spring back on the assembly.

If it doesn't last long term I suppose I could keep dropping money on rebuilds or spend a few hundred on a Works or another aftermarket solution. I just checked for the hell of it but a new OEM shock assembly from the dealer is 557.14. Is there anything necessarily bad about the factory shock aside from maybe not being rebuildable?

[Jumpin Jimmy B]

 These guys are pretty good.

Google Realm enginerring.  RAM shock is what ya want.

 Buy it & be done.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I would have to wonder how much crap got into the inner workings of your shock when they disassembled it with all that crud on the outside.

They obviously didn't clean the inner workings, either.  What a crap outfit.  Was looking at their fork springs, but not now.

[Elipten]

I purchased the Wilbers progressive springs for my front forks 2 months from Ted Porters Beemer workshop.  Fast service, helped with all the questions.  But the Wilbers are more expensive than the Progressive springs.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Sometimes you get what you pay for...

[F14CRAZY]

Drake put it on this bike if that helps at all...

[Jumpin Jimmy B]

 Perspective on Progressive.

I see these as more of a performance based shock. Such as, it works really well when it's set up right, it looks good new, but they wear quickly, at least from my experience, and they
need regular, if not more often rebuilds.

 I also think they just try to do EVERYTHING for EVERYBODY and fit EVERYTHING, so, the fringe/more rare stuff suffers.

 Drake knows his stuff, no argument on that.

 Run your shock, and ride ride ride. Report back on how long it goes. Who knows!  Maybe in 2 years that ride will be someone elses?

 It's back & working now, that' steh important thing for the moment.

 Ride safe.