Herm The Od Guy, Hope Others Are Not Having Issues Like I Am

Tough call to post this but I feel others need to know. I had read mixed reviews on Parts/Service from Herm the OD Guy. I made several attempts to try and get resolved but no response from company.

April 15, 2023 - Ordered a rebuilt shift tower for T15 transmission
April 21, 2023 - Herm verified he had received payment and would ship out in 2-3 days.
April 28, 2023 - Inquired to Herm as to if tower had shipped or when it would.
May 7, 2023 - Herm responded apologizing for delay but said he had multiple trans and xfer case ahead of mine. I replied I am ok with that just would like to know when it would ship.
May 8, 2023 - Herm replied stating he would need to get springs etc and had to source them.
May 19, 2023 - Inquired to Herm as to when or if he had a ship date. I had told him all along that if it was going to be additional few weeks just to let me know. No response given
May 19, 2023 - Sent Herm an email that his 2-3 days turnaround time was long past and also I understood if he had to source parts. Informed him that if this was not going to happen to just refund my money and I would try to source a rebuilt tower else where.
May 19, 2023 - Received an emal stating he will be refunding my money.
May 21, 2023 - Emailed Herm again informing if he had a ship date, I would be fine waiting. He responded informing " I'll see what I can do".

Further emails went unanswered and shift tower arrived June 16, 2023

Unboxing can see tower never touched, existing plugs still in place
Shift rails are so pitted and caked with rust would be a job just to get them clean enough to remove plugs and slide out.






This is not what I was expecting especially since paid for it to be rebuilt. This shift fork looks like something you would find in a salvage yard sitting in the mud etc.

 

That sucks, I'll be honest I don't have any plans to do buisness over there. Never have never will.
It's one thing to be busy, it's another to give false information that we are counting on to keep going.

I'm honestly surprised he is in buisness and no one has taken serious legal action.

 

I bought a new overdrive from AA in February and didnt want to spend the time fabricating the shifter and linkage or modifying AAs universal shifter. Herm listed a shifter kit for my application. I called amd talked to herm about the kit and he said it should ship in two weeks so a mailed him a check. He cashed it midmarch and still no shifter. I've called once a month and he keeps saying two more weeks. Whether or not i get the shifter or a refund herm will never get any more business from me.

 

With Herm not accepting credit cards and only cash, check, money order, he really has you over a barrel as to if I will ever see a refund. That should have been a red flag to me from the onset

 

Something must have changed in his life.

My only transactions with him were in the past, and I was very grateful for his products being available at all.

 

I have dealt with Herm many times successfully. I
learned very quickly to never ask him for any technical assistance or advice. You best KNOW exactly what your doing in advance and only buy items you know he has in stock like the Tera Flex gears.

 

Not sure why I feel compelled to respond,
but here goes.
I’ve ordered stuff from him over the years with no problem. There’s this antiquated ordering system, but no big deal.
Last year I called for some Terra Low gears. He was rude, mean and completely inconvenienced. He wouldn’t sell me the gears, only a complete transfer case.

 

Total bummer to hear this since I was recently looking at his site and planning to buy an OD kit.

Any other recco’s for places to look? I don’t know enough about OD’s yet to know what I’m looking for exactly and would need help piecing together a complete and comprehensive OD kit.

 

Advance Adapters is your only other option for a new one: https://www.advanceadapters.com/

 

Wonder if someone with the coin could buy him out and turn it around. Couldn't buy the years of knowledge but someone could keep the service going, to one degree or another. Buy out could equal a retirement fund for Herm and maybe keep him on as a chief employee until he's done.

Hmmmm. Better check that lottery ticket.

 

better watch out for what you wish for
I miss walcks already . some parts I had marked/saved . no longer listed with KW

 

Well, I certainly don't have the $ to buy him out, but if one of you guys does, and you want someone with decades of experience to run the parts side of things, I might know a guy....

 

Really all we need is a competitor.
The actual service of rebuild is a non-issue lots of shops can do that. The patented products would need to be different enough. Say instead of Tera lows, one offered Jeff lows. For full floating axles one used flanged shafts. for overdrive one used a ranger style overdrive.

I know a guy that *might* have experience on the engineering side of making stuff similar but better.

 

Ok so we have sales and engineering covered, who's got the money???

 

Sad to see, but there's been similar reports on other sites, some going back years.
One I remember was taking close to a year for a tcase rebuild.
One can only hope for a good outcome.

 

It's always sad to hear things like this. Unfortunately, I had a similar experience about 15 years ago with him.
At that time, most were satisfied with his business, so I figured my situation was an exception. I never did business with him again, though.

 

LoL! That's what it always comes down to, hence the term 'bottom line" (?).
On another forum there was quite a bit of chatter regarding some other suppliers; a possible biz for sale and the recent buy-out of Walck's. In the case of Herm's, it (I think) would be a matter of a coming to a good number on what his patents/copyrights are worth; no need to re-invent the wheel(or the overdrive), just pay for the rights; right?
Like a lot of folks, I find it fun to fantasize about turning my hobby into a source of income. But that has it's pitfalls...
Like everywhere else in biz these days it's all about "M and A". So if Jeepsterman acquires Herm's; will we be better off? Jus sayin.

 

Another source could be a used Warn. There's I guy I know down here in OC who had a Jeep aftermarket store and has closed his biz. But he had a fair amount of used Warn units, a couple of which he sold to folks I sent his way. This is in no way an endorsement! YOu need to do your research, know what you need and how to ask for it. If you PM me, I'll give you his contact info and you'll be on your own, just like you'd be with say Craigs List. And just like CL, I encourage you to do biz face to face. He's in Hunt. Beach, so not that far of a drive. LMK...
FWIW, he has some trans, t-cases, etc. as well. So for you SoCal types, he could be a source.

 

If herm were to get bought out it would be a mess. If walck's handoff is shakey, imagine the issues involving gears and shafts that yet need assembled.

 

Probably no worse than the sitch at Herm's is now... And let's be realistic, the Walck's/KW thing just took place this year. Not like inventory, catalogs, etc. get brought up to speed in a matter of months.
Re-looked at the OP's pics of the top unit he got from Herm. That thing is a mess, barely usable if at all. Got to thinking it's almost a big "F.U." from him because @Dale Park called him on his incompetence.