CURT Front Hitch & cust service review

Hi,
I will relate MY experience:
I wanted a front hitch for my new tacoma, a 2009 TRD Sport 4WD etc.
I found the CURT Co had what I was looking for.
My Tacoma has the Toyota optional front skid plate.
In order to make sure that it would fit, I called 3 times and each time was told that the hitch would work with the Toyota optional skid plate.
Not convinced, I spoke to a guy in Tech service. He told me that it would definately fit, if it did not fit they would refund my money & pay for return shipping. I got his name etc.
I made a birthday present deal with my sister and she got it for me. I paid her $150 towards it.
BRAND NEW IN THE BOX!!
I picked it up at her house while visiting (6+ hours away).
Well, It did not fit! I sent the Tech service guy the pictures. He agreed. It would not fit and I am not taking the skid plate off.
The ONLY way I could get my $$$$ back was to use HER credit card for a refund ONLY through the place where she bought it! She would have to do all the legwork and then write me a check. The hitch was $220+. My sister does not have the money and time to jump through all this so I tried to get them to refund to ME $150 +shipping (taking a $70+loss) and I would send them the NEW condition hitch in the box.
Their answer....NO, not only does it have to go through the original seller, the seller has to be an approver retailer of their products. They might not even give a refund, depending on where it was purchased! (who does THAT MUCH research. I thought I had already done too much.
I have a $220+ chunk of useless metal now. I might use the side plate parts to mount a fishing rod rack.
CURT Tech & Customer service and warrantee stink! If you have to buy their product, make sure you have ALL the bases covered. They will say anything to make a sale then drop you like an insurance company as soon as you need them!
My rant is over for the moment,

Thanks for reading!

 

Wouldn't having that receiver poking out from under your truck defeat the
skid plate? Install the hitch and then trim the plate to fit around it.

Also, their instructions state that you must remove skid plate:

http://sitepro12.sitepro.com/masterlibrary/31313/installsheet/CM_31313_INS.pdf

 

want to sell it???pm sent. i live in jersey

 

We'll, if you dont want it, I'll take it off your hands.

 

Sorry for your troubles, but no seller is going to refund a party other than the buyer, especially on a CC purchase.

And when buying relatively large-ticket items where fitment is an issue, researching the seller and return proceedures/policies would be, well, common sense?

Now you know. Good luck, sounds like you have buyers for it.

 

Mr Torque,
The instructions say remove the skid plate on 2007 vehicles.
I like the skid plate.
The point is that I did my due dilligence and got screwed.
yea-
I could trim the skid plate. I would have to cut out a 3 inch channel horizontally right through the middle. That would be stupid.
I'm not asking for rediculous remedies like "just remove the plate".
I could have figured that one out!

 

Mr torque,
Read your attachment and check the date!

Updated because of me!

 

Fit was not an issue after you call 4 times!

 

^I agree. If you call ONCE you should get the right answer.

 

I still don't see what good the skid plate will do when you have a receiver and hitch sticking out under the front of your truck.

 

The hitch is / was supposed to be about the center of the plate.

 

I would include a pic if I knew how. Then you could see.

 

here are some pics of one on a 2010 tacoma




here is the link.no way is that fitting with a skid plate.its huge
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/builds/54309-slygrins-minor-mods.html

 

someone does make one to fit in the center hole of the bumper. i think chaosfab???? maybe???

 

Paintditty, thanks, great pics find.

The problem is the main body (horizontal member) is too close to the skid plate. The plate is about an inch or so of interefernce with the installation. To make it fit with the skid plate is impossible (someone with a lot of free time could do something but that also is not the point).

Mr Torque wanted to debate why I NEED the skid plate. Well, I think it looks good and I dont plan to sell it or trash it. PERIOD. NEED is not the debate, unless a person has too much idle time.

The subject is the CURT customer service. I went well out my way to ensure all was right I even supplied about 6 pictures to them so they could evaluate things. All of it was a waste of time and money. To say I am a bit bitter is an understatement.

I may use the side plates to rig up a cooler/rod carrier. If I dont I will sell it.

I see I am on the losing end with CURT mfg! I could have been in a position to be neutral or positive. It was their choice.

 

They told you the first three times it wouldn't work. Turns out, they were right!

How bout dat.

 

should have done more research as the 05+ all have the same front end. why do you think just the 07's needed the skip plate removed? commen sense if you ask me. my .02

 

Eric T...too much time on your hands...Told me the first 3 and the 4th time that it would work.

The dirctions said remove the 07 plate. I did not know if the 07 plate was different than the 09. So I called 4 times to make sure. All said yes.


CURT STINKS

 

Too much time on my hands? I don't call manufacturers and argue with them until they agree with me, only to discover they were right in the first place.

They told you right, you just didn't want to listen. So they started telling you whatever you wanted to hear.