Dealer Butchered BedRug on Install...Advice?

[RickBullotta]

Just, wow. I'd love to meet the neanderthal who thought that was a good job.

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[Smokewagun]

I’ve installed about 10 BedRugs. I ALWAYS remove the hardware, feel behind the rug to align the screw holes in the rug with the nutserts. All there is are the 16 holes for the cleat plates, and 8 holes for the tie-downs. Then, the two ovals for the bed lights and square for the light switch. When I cut out for the power panels, I cut the hole small, then enlarge once I know where, and can see, the actual panel is. The pre-punched cuts in the BedRug NEVER align for me, thus I never use.
You can only industrial Velcro the crap around the openings, or glue with double-sided tape or mastic.
Regardless, that installer would be buying me a new BedRug. Thankfully BedRug will sell him just the vertical band, not the complete rug.

 

[Meathead]

I feel your pain. I ordered a 22 King Ranch and ordered bed rug also. Dealer said since I was a good regular customer they would do the install for no charge. Lesson learned, you get what you pay for. I'm done with the dealer and won't go back. I figure I will take it out and see what I can do to rectify the rush job the "installer" did.

 

[Smokewagun]

Gimpy, get them to replace the vertical zip-on panel, c’mon up to Illinois, and I’ll install it for free.

 

[fordtruckman2003]

I agree with above get dealer to buy the side panels and DIY it or go somewhere else. I've never installed a bed rug in my life and I could do better than that mess.

 

[GimpyHSHS]

Long post incoming, but I want to address some of the comments (thanks to all that took the time to weigh in!)

How much did they charge? That is BS

The Ford Install is only $60 extra...of course, you do pay more for the BR itself buying from Ford vs BR, but it's not bad. That's what made buying from Ford so appealing; very cheap installation done by a dealer.

The bedrug DOES come just slightly less than pre-cut. The backing material has pre-determined impressions for the final cutout for each object.

I installed my own. It is more difficult to get perfect alignment for the smaller objects like the LED lights and switch. And the thickness of the bedrug, while it is one aspect that makes it tough and hold up well, in turn makes it difficult to get the components that do not have screw fasteners to snap in properly.

The components like the ProPower panel and the bed hooks are easier to get a nice result from because the thickness of the bedrug is easily accommodated. In fact, those components serve as the main anchoring points for the rug itself.

I wouldn't want to be the installer for a customer, to be honest. No employer is going to be happy with you if you take the time and care to get a polished install of the bedrug. I had sore fingers for days. And I also had to use a heat gun to get things to follow the flow of the bed structure well.

Interesting. I didn't know the specifics on the marked pre-cutouts. Still, though, it obviously isn't too much of an issue not using those, since there are a lot of trucks out there with no bed lights, power in bed, etc.

I do understand what you're saying...I looked at what it would take to install it myself and said, "Eh, I'm good...I'll pay the dealer and they'll do a better job than I could..."

Sounds like another instance of, if you want the job done 'right', ya gotta buck-up and DIY.

Not so sure this is a candidate for a 'dealer re-try', even if a 'free' starting-with-new second go-around, I'm thinking perhaps not, but I'll admit to being a picky S-O-B about such.

I think I'd be inclined to request a new-in-box replacement, write-off the paid installation cost as a lesson learned, warm-up the heat gun, and have the Tylenol handy for the end of the day.

Oh, and I'd be prepared to have some empathy for the installing tech when all is said and done.

Maybe that's the solution...though I don't think I'm gonna let it slide without install money back. I would if they go ahead and put the new one in and just leave the bedlights and stuff uncut, I'd be ok. But it's not really my fault that they don't know how to install it properly, ya'know?

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but this is a big dealership, so I guess I'm having a hard time being sympathetic.

Where ever you got the pictures of the good job, I would go back to that truck and take a buttload more pictures. That will give you something to show them for comparison. Obviously the installer has not done many/any of these before so good close up photos of all the fitting spaces will give you some ammo to get a new BR and deal with it yourself.

You should also find some BR authorized dealers and tell them and show them what happened and ask what they would charge for a good install. 4 hours might be a $400 - $500 job but use this as a guide. If they install BR on a regular basis they may have it stream lined down to a 2+ hour job and charge about $300. Good luck.

Yeah, when I got there to get it, the Service Writer told me she'd never heard of this or seen one before. They were flabbergasted and kept asking why I wanted carpet in the bed.

I'd be fine with paying more for a very nice install...I just figured there was a Ford part, dealer-installed, for a very reasonable price...why wouldn't I go that route?

Great responses above

I personally would go back with the pics of a proper install like you have and go to the Shop Manager direct. Show him/her the pics, give him/her the choice to either install a brand new BR as shown in your picture examples, or a full refund to go elsewhere. And then remind him/her politely you always fill out the QC reviews that get sent to you by the dealership and Google, etc. Going in swinging and flailing at them the initial complaint doesn’t always pay off, will you go back there for further service on this truck?

I do plan to go back for future service...to be clear, I was very respectful in my email. I don't do the whole, "let's start yelling until we get our way" thing.

Here's what I said:
"I hope you’re doing well. I got your contact info from _____ in Service, who I worked with last Friday. She helped me get the service scheduled and was an absolute pleasure. Please don’t take this as critical of her (or really anyone else there; she did tell me that she’d never seen one of these installed, and I think this was an honest mistake all around. I just want to get it fixed).

Anyway, I’ll try to be brief, I had used the Ford Accessories site to purchase a BedRug and Dealer Installation. It came in last Wednesday and I dropped the truck off to have it installed on Friday.

I was very disappointed when I went to get it. Here are photos of the installation:

*photos of my install compared to the above*

I bought through the Ford site just so I could do dealer installation and have it installed properly. Right now, I have a BedRug that is not installed properly and that I'm not sure will ever BE able to be installed properly. Please tell me what we need to do so that we can get this fixed."

Then he replied back with what he did. I have not replied to him yet, I wanted to collect some opinions and see if I was being the unreasonable one first. Lol.

Looking at the Ford accessories website, it looks like they only charge $60 for the install which gives the mechanic about 20-25 minutes to get everything completed. The result you got is terrible and unacceptable, but I think that a large portion of the blame lies with Ford setting unrealistic labor times and essentially asking people to work for free.

The mechanic absolutely should have done a better job, even with the allotted time, but you still won't get a fully polished install in only 25 minutes. I think they should have either refused the job, or given you the option to pay extra to have it done properly.

Yes, it's normally $120 for install. Buying through the Accessories site reduces the install cost to $60. I'm fine if you say that the time vs money ratio is unreasonable, but (to me) that is between Ford and the dealer. Two huge places, at least compared to little old me.

From what I can tell, they choose to participate in the Accessories program (not all dealers are on there, at least). I'd be surprised if they don't get some other perks for that...although maybe they just get more business like mine. But if that's the case, it doesn't seem worth it and they need to unenroll, not just half-@55 the work in the hopes I won't come back lol).

I feel your pain. I ordered a 22 King Ranch and ordered bed rug also. Dealer said since I was a good regular customer they would do the install for no charge. Lesson learned, you get what you pay for. I'm done with the dealer and won't go back. I figure I will take it out and see what I can do to rectify the rush job the "installer" did.

Yeah, I am glad I paid the $60, because at least I can say that I had certain expectations for it. Sorry to hear about your experience.

After someone made a suggestion above, I looked more, and there's a truck accessory place nearby my dealer that shows to be a BedRug distributor. They even have photos on their site of a BedRug install that looks very nice. Worst case, I will get the dealer to replace the vertical part and take it to them.

Thank you again to all!

 

[Atlee]

I bought my Bed Rug from a local chain business that sells caps, tonneaus, bed liners including the Bed Rug.

I thought they did a pretty good job, but then again, my truck didn't have bed lights and extra stuff like that.

They did make a mistake when they covered the electrical panel. When I pointed this out, they just cut around the electrical panel, leaving a flap that will cover the panel. I like the way it turned out. When I'm not using the electrical receptacles, they are covered/protected by the flap.

The rug cost me $459.99 + install of $50.

 

[GimpyHSHS]

UPDATE: I went back by the dealership yesterday and spoke to the Service Manager. It was a very pleasant experience. I think that's in part because I was extremely apologetic and friendly and so was he.

My apologies to him for the trouble were/are sincere. I'm normally the type of person that doesn't send food back at restaurants, doesn't complain about it, and still tips well. Call me spineless or a pushover, whatever, but I'm really not...I just don't usually let little things get to me. I feel bad for making a big deal out of a few bad cuts on a product that will be under a tonneau cover 98% of the time anyway...but I also feel bad that I let myself spend so much money on a truck in the first place so the desire for it to be juuuust right is winning out right now.

Anyway. I took him out to the truck and he climbed in and started looking. He agreed the cuts were off and it didn't look right. At first, he started to suggest that I could leave the truck and they would try to fix it with the BR in there now. But, ultimately, he and I both agreed that the chances of reusing the existing one were slim, and that a new vertical part would need to be ordered.

He did comment that Ford only pays the dealer for 7/10s of a labor hour (and that he has asked how they come up with those numbers, but has never gotten a clear answer). He said that 7/10s of a labor hour is how their Technicians get paid (no hourly pay). He had talked to the Tech that installed it, who basically said, 'There's no way I could've done all the fancy cuts and install in that time'.

I very lightly pointed out that that was between them and Ford, which he agreed on...but I also said that I certainly didn't want to take money out of a Tech's pocket either, and I totally understand where that guy was coming from. I wouldn't have minded paying a little more to get a very nice install, but for the cost of the BR, I didn't feel like I could accept it being done that way. If there was some doubt, I'd have been fine with them reaching out to me and asking me how I wanted it done.

Maybe this was a mistake, but being the spineless, pushover guy I am...I made a couple offers. I told him if they would order a new vertical part to go around the walls and install it with no cuts, I would finish doing those myself. My attention to detail on arts and crafts isn't good, but I have friends with steadier, more patient hands.

I did make it clear that I didn't want to do that, though. I would rather tip a technician to do the whole thing proper if there were no rules against it (he said there weren't). I'm at a weird spot in my life where money has been slightly more accessible than time, and what free time I do have I try to relax a bit or I have to work on the racecar (the main motivation buying this truck was to replace my 1983 F-100 that I have been using to tow my cars for the last few years. With the age of the truck, I was pretty much having to prep both a track and tow vehicle before every event, plus I couldn't travel too far because I was worried about breakdowns (even though it's a solid truck...it's just old). The new truck's goal in life is to cut that down to track car only and let me use some free time to go race more. But I digress).

We ended the conversation with him saying several times, "No problem, we'll get you/it taken care of." So hopefully we can make it work. I'll give an update if/when I get it done.

Thanks again to all!

 

[Snakebitten]

You aren't spineless or a pushover.
You ARE a gentleman though.

And regardless of what the world wants us to believe, being a gentleman accomplishes more far more often than not.

 

[Aron]

I installed my own bedrug...and it turned out about like Gimpy's photos. I can confirm that if you're doing this for the first time, it's really easy to get the cuts a bit out of alignment once the rug is pushed flush with the sidewall.

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