# All Pro Truck Accessories



## HaulinBass02 (Jan 6, 2005)

Not sure where to put this for the most effect but had an extremely negative dealing with a local (Fort Worth, TX) accessory shop this past week. Here's the scoop: (rather long)
When I bought my WD hitch a few weeks ago, all that was available locally for a 2 5/16" ball was a 10k GTW ball, which I installed and towed my dad's smaller TT with. I wanted to be able to buy a larger TT in the future so I bought a 14k ball (more than what was needed) for the hitch off of Etrailer.com. Not having the rather large tools required to put the ball on (1 1/4" shank), I went to a local RV dealer who was too busy to swap the hitch ball. Went to a couple of other places and ended up at All Pro Truck Accessories in Haltom City, TX, off of Hwy 121 at the Carson St exit. 
The manager/owner of the store, a rather large guy named Ricky, told me that it would be no problem to swap out the hitch balls. I know how simple it is to do the job, like I said, I just didn't have any big tools. So I watched as the two numskulls that worked in the shop removed the old hitch ball with an impact wrench, no problem. I took the old ball, threaded the nut back onto it and held on to it. 
I then watched as the guys put the new $30 ball on the hitch, not seating it all the way onto the platform. They then put the nut on about two threads and hit it with the impact wrench. Now most people know that it you are going to do anything with an impact you start off slow to make sure you don't strip the threads. Well guess what, threads on a 1 1/4" shank will strip too. 
I watched for 15 minutes as they tried to tighten and loosen the nut without ever getting close to getting it tight. The guy finally gave up and went to get Ricky. Ricky came out and tried to get the ball off and even put the hitch on my truck, used a long a** breaker bar to try and loosen it to no avail. So he cut MY brand new hitch ball off with a sawzall. This is not to mention the 1/4' grooves that were cut into the ball by the pipe wrench he used to try and hold onto the ball itself.
Now you can't just find a 14k GTW 2 5/16" ball anywhere. He came out with a 10k ball and started to put it on my hitch to replace the one he had to cut off. I stopped him, checked the weight rating on the ball and told him I wanted a like item to the one he ruined. He told me they didn't carry them and then told me my hitch was only rated for 10k anyway. I corrected him and told him it was rated for 12k and that was why I wanted at least a 12 or 14k ball on there. He got an attitude and told me they could get one and handed me the hitch and told me to walk. I informed him that since he ruined my ball that I brought in to him that I would like the $30 for the ball he ruined. Ricky then proceeded to tell me that they DIDN'T ruin my ball.







He tried to tell me that there was a problem with the ball and that "you can't strip the threads on a ball that big". I am fairly certain that my ball was good since I had just unthreaded the nut from the base of the ball and to my knowledge, anything that has threads can be stripped out. Ricky then said that if I'm going to play that way he can play that way too. He then told me he wanted $30 for the labor he just did. That would be the labor that went into the process of ruining my hitch ball. 
Now granted it was only $30, but $30 is $30 and the principal of the fact was that he wasn't owning up to his guys screwing up someone elses property and be willing to fix it with a like item. That is the least I would expect from a store and I would do no less if it was my screw up. 
Well I refused to pay him so he then GRABBED MY $300 HITCH OUT OF MY HANDS and told me he was going to keep it until I paid. Well, I am a police officer not far from that store and I know, as most people know, he can't do that in Texas. That would be considered theft from a person since that hitch is my personal property. 
Well, I called for a uniformed patrol unit to keep me from getting into anything that Ricky would regret later. The officer told Ricky some things he didn't want to hear and I got my hitch back. Ricky refused to give me $30 but I was okay with that, I just wanted to get the hell out of there. 
I later found a trailer dealer on the far side of town that had a 12k ball and they installed it FOR FREE and it ended up costing less than I lost at the other place. 
SOOOOO, long story short, All Pro Truck accessories was not in the mindset of customer service and satisfaction. So make up your own mind about them but the Better Business Bureau and the Haltom City Chamber of Commerce will know about this first thing Monday morning. 
I'm done ranting now!


----------



## kevman (Mar 5, 2005)

What an adventure. I don't live near Ft Worth, so no chance of me getting to that store, but it is a crying shame that some businesses won't stand up for poor work and do what is right.

You have every right to be angry with this establishment.

Good luck on your RV shopping. We are going camping in our new to us camper for a quick weekend trip on 4/16/05. Can't wait.

Kevin


----------



## mjs518 (Oct 24, 2004)

It's too bad we must tolerate people like Ricky who are not willing to accept responsibilty for thier stupidity (in this case his employees stupidity). If ole Ricky had any sense he would have ordered you the right replacement, docked the two knuckle heads, apologized, and put the thing on himself when it came in. Ah, but he would rather tarnish his already shakey reputation. Won't be long till he's looking for another way to eek out a living. Just my 2cents


----------



## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

Haulingbass,

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate incident. It's terrible that some people get away with shoddy business practices. Hopefully, he'll get his in the end. For now, just be thankful you're rid of him.

Good luck on your Outback search.

Mark


----------



## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

On Monday call the OWNER -- not Ricky -- of the store and tell him your story. Keep emotions out of it -- but remind him that you are a police officer and was very surpirsed that his store mnager would react the way he did especially after all the business that you and your fellow police and fire officers send his way ...

I will bet you that he will find the ball that you want and make everything right... I have NEVER seen anyone put a trailr hitch ball on with an impact wench that has not ra the nut all the way up..

anyway -- call on Monday and let us know... BUT MY ADVICE IS NOT TO TALK TO RICK OR ANYONE ELSE... IT MUST BE THE OWNER....

I am though surprised that he would volunteer to switch out hitch balls for free -- doing it for free still places certain liability on him and his employees -- and thus -- this is why I am sure that they will make it right for you --

(Did you get all the parts back -- even the stripped stuff???)...


----------



## j1mfrog (Jun 6, 2004)

We'll stick with you. I won't shop there anymore. I won't shop there any less either, the commute from Illinois is just too long.


----------



## HaulinBass02 (Jan 6, 2005)

Ghosty said:


> (Did you get all the parts back -- even the stripped stuff???)...
> [snapback]30572[/snapback]​


Got all my stuff back, I needed it as evidence and definitely wasn't going to let that ape have that. I was told that Ricky was the owner by my Sgt who had an experience with Ricky. I am going to double check though and make sure that someone who is responsible for that place knows what happened. 
I just hope I can keep this from happening to someone else!


----------



## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Whatever happend to the "Customer is always right"??

Thor

PS - Impact wrenches - I my industry we have just removed them all due to lack of torque control.


----------



## HaulinBass02 (Jan 6, 2005)

Ok, after a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, we got a satisfacory resolution. The owner of the store (Yancy Freeman) called me and asked what he could do to resolve the situation. I told him I just wanted the $30 I was out for the ruined hitch ball. 
He invited me to his other store (Hwy 377 in Watauga) and he gave me $30 cash and a billet aluminum Chevy Bowtie hitch plug "for my troubles". $75 in cash and merchandise for customer satisfaction!
I sent the BBB a return saying that I was happy with the resolution. 
I WILL NOT go back to the other store on Hwy 121 in Haltom City but am more than willing to deal with Yancy at his other store in Watauga.








He did apologize for his manager and said he was going to have to do something with him (due to other complaints)


----------

