Issue with chromer...what would you do.

[yodie001]

I bought this bike in Sept of 2010, it was a new 08 left over. Put less than 500 miles on it, tore it down that winter and sent the wheels off to a site vendor to have the rear widened and then front and rear chromed. It took 3 MONTHS to get every thing back. The 3 months sucked, but the thing was that they sent me someone else's wheels. The wheels were etched with the chroming date...they were chromed in 08 (later to be verified by the chromer). So why the helll did it take 3 months for me to get a wheel that was chromed back in 08??? And why the helll did I pay and wait to have MY wheels chromed and get someone elses wheel that was chromed back in 08. I realize that chrome doesn't last for ever and the fact that I was given wheels that were chromed 2+ years earlier is B.S.

After waiting so long I was just happy to have something to get my bike rolling again so I let it go. This was April of 2011. Ride the bike for the 2011 season and put it away for the winter. Pull it out in March 2012 for a wash and notice the wheels look like SHITT!!!! dull, spots coming through. I'm PISSSED. Contact the vendor, he says to send them to the chromer and see what they can do. I pull them off, pull all the bearings out, package and ship all on my dime.

Chromer says the problem was a chemical reaction. Very odd/funny because I don't use any different cleaner on the wheels...I simply wash with car wash soap. ALL of the other chrome on my bike still looks PERFECT.

Chromer tells me the wheels are pitted and will not be perfect but that they will rechrome. Why they didn't polish out the pits, I dont know???? It took almost 2 months to get them back. They arrive and look pretty good over all. This was end of April 2012.

Yesterday I was washing the bike and I find this!!!! So...what would you do if you were in my shoes???

[yodie001]

This is what Parking lot replied to another post about the chrome:

Not the cleaner..thats yer chromer..i use industrial wheel acid on my chrome..shiny as the day it was new...ive heard if your chrome peels..its your chromer...id be beating on em..
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[BiggG]

That sucks.......and looks more like some bad chroming work IMO.

I'd be on the phone with them again !!!!

Who's the chromer ???

[BassOverflow]

That is NOT cool man. Certainly looks like the chromer. And even if it were the wheels, it's STILL not your problem because those aren't even your original wheels! WTF! Total BS and I would be PISSED enough to go visit the chromer in person no matter how far away they are.

[Jbat]

I would raise some serious he!!, WTF happened to your original wheels anyways?! Why you wouldn't get your own shite back is beyond me. I would def be on the phone with the chromer and the vendor.


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[gchalifo]

I'm not a metal specialist, but I believe the same applies to chrome, that applies to painting. If your prep work isn't done properly, your substrates will not adhere properly, whether it's PAINT or CHROME or POWDER coat.....

pitting?? I would think even if the surface is pitted, as long as the metal is preped properly, the chrome would stick.....but you would see the pitting as an imperfection or dimple in the chrome. Same with paint....any sand paper scratches that are too deep will show up right through the base paint, and when you clear, you'll see the scratch lines even worse....clear kind of magnifies imperfections....

So, bottom line, the chromer is rushing through the prep work....find a new chromer, or paint or powder coat your wheels...

[randy_ny]

I never would have accepted those wheel the minute I found out they were not my original wheels..... You're going to have quite a fight on your hands trying to get this resolved now..... Anytime I send something out to be chromed, I grind a little mark somewhere where chrome will not be covering it, I take a photo of that mark, and I supply the photo with the parts to be chromed to the person doing the chrome. Just so he or she knows that I am expecting my SAME parts to be returned. That way my only issue I will have with them is a poor chrome job like you are going through now.

What you need to do is let us know who did the chrome for you. I for one, would be happy to fire off an email to them to say we are watching how they handle this with you. Just as good business practices, and happy customers drives business up for a business, poor business practices will drive potential customers away..... Shine the light on them.


And and actually after writing this,, I remembered one last thing......
When you mark your parts and send the photos of the mark and your parts to the chromer, do a second mark somewhere else that you haven't told them about......
That way if they try to duplicate the one mark they know about, they'll never know where you placed the second mark.
Then you'll know if they truly are crooks.

[gchalifo]

Hmmm, I like this Randy!, good call....

Originally Posted by randy_ny

I never would have accepted those wheel the minute I found out they were not my original wheels..... You're going to have quite a fight on your hands trying to get this resolved now..... Anytime I send something out to be chromed, I grind a little mark somewhere where chrome will not be covering it, I take a photo of that mark, and I supply the photo with the parts to be chromed to the person doing the chrome. Just so he or she knows that I am expecting my SAME parts to be returned. That way my only issue I will have with them is a poor chrome job like you are going through now.

What you need to do is let us know who did the chrome for you. I for one, would be happy to fire off an email to them to say we are watching how they handle this with you. Just as good business practices, and happy customers drives business up for a business, poor business practices will drive potential customers away..... Shine the light on them.

[mr_noize2]

Yeah, looks like your wheels were not properly prepped before they re-chromed the wheels. I but the chromer will say that it was temperature or something scratch the wheel.

If they did not strip and polish the wheels before chroming, I would expect issues like this. While you will most likely have to pay for shipping both ways, I would request that they refinish the wheel(s) or do a exchange for new ones.

[gilly]

I have chrome stock wheels and the rear has been modified to a 10" rim from Cycle Image and the chrome is about 6 years old and is still in decent shape. I would say poor prep contributed to your problem from the chromer and should be re-done for free and the shipping should be there problem. No excuse for that kind of work.