For 7 months now we have been waiting for the canopy we ordered from the Albury camping show in February from a company, lets call them feral pigs (FP for short) and paid our $200 deposit. When we ordered with FP they told us that it would be around a 6 week wait for delivery as they had none in stock to suit our DMax in our colour. So after the initial 6 week wait an extra week, then I contacted the fitter in Albury to see if it had arrived. I was told by the fitter that the delivery wasn't expected for another month (that should have been the first sign).
So I email FP and let them know I am disappointed to find out this way, and get a reply from FP salesman all apologetic. I ask for the roof rails to be upgraded to tracks which is agreed upon. So after waiting this extra month I contact FP again only to find out our canopy "missed the boat" and would be in the next shipment 6 weeks later (more alarm bells should have gone here). As this was the canopy SWMBO and I both liked, we were still prepared to wait. So at the start of August (around 6 weeks later) I contact FP again to see how things are going and am again told out canopy has "missed the boat". SWMBO and I are starting to get a bit pi$$ed at this stage. We are now looking at a September delivery but history tells us not to get our hopes up. We ask that as compensation for waiting so long, we get the roof bars to go with the tracks at no cost - which FP agree to. The also offer to fit a temporary canopy (a return from a warranty job) to our ute till our proper canopy shows up at no cost. At this point we decline
After several attempts to contact FP via email, I get no replies. So its now SWMBO's turn to email, resulting in again no reply. So she fills out the online form and not so subtly suggests that not contacting a customer is not a good thing. The finally get back to us initially saying end of October for our canopy, then change their mind an tell us November in further communication. At this point we say we will get the temporary canopy fitted to which they agree. Yesterday I get a phone call from FP customer service person saying they can fit this canopy on Friday, but can't wire it up as they don't have enough time. I tell them that won't do as the non-operational brake light is un-roadworthy. They then call back and offer up next Wednesday, but now I have to pay the majority of the canopy price as the installer now needs to be paid (alarm bells start going now, I know, better late than never). After a 3.5 hour drive home from Ballarat I have a bit of time in the car to stew over this. So I email them and decline the fitment and ask for our deposit back. Today I am still yet to get a response.
I don't think at any stage through this we have been "unreasonable" customers. We have fairly patiently waited for months and haven't ranted or raved, and until this post, haven't really been negative towards FP. But I have reached the end of my tether and now will not and could not recommend this company to anyone. If you are talking to them and ask them what the lead time on a canopy for a 2010 DMax and give you an answer less than 9 months then they are either lying to you, or have been giving us the run around for all this time. Please not I have no information on the quality of their product as we have been waiting 7 months to see it but never got to. We will at some stage be looking into other brands, but for now it appears that we may have a fight to get our deposit back.
So unless you are ordering a FP canopy from something they have in stock, my advice is to walk away.
