I just posted this over at CB.com where I found Raymond Knight, after doing searches to find info on 3G alternators. I want anyone here, who finds those same threads & posts to know what I'm going through, and I strongly suggest not doing any business with him:

I've decided to post this up after an attempt to warranty an alternator with Raymond Knight, aka RRRAAAYYY2, aka SVA Power Products. He use to be active on this forum, and others, but now seems to have disappeared from all forums altogether.

I needed a 3G alternator about 1.5 years ago. I did some searches here, and after seeing people rave about his products, I bought an alternator from him.

In under 1 year it was not charging my truck. I called him, discussed the problem, and he said to ship it back. He said it would be about 1 week for him to receive the alternator, through USPS Priority Mail, 1 day turn around, and 1 week back. I explained my truck was a daily driver and I needed the alt ASAP.

The short version of this story is that I shipped the alternator back on January 26th, and he has had my alternator since Feb 13th, and is now not returning my emails. I've been too busy to call him lately, as I've started a new job. I've sent him emails explaining my need to get my alt back, with no response. At this point, I believe I will never see my alternator again.

The story is tedious, and I could type for another hour all the details of the calls & emails I've made. The important fact is, if you are in the market for a high end alternator, and find his posts, and his customer's happy reviews, take them with a grain of salt. There is something fishy going on and I suggest no one do business with him.

You can feel free to post up. In a couple days, I will be unavailable for a couple weeks, and probably not respond. If I do get my alt back, or there is any communication from Raymond Knight I will update when I can. Understand, I've given him plenty of time and chances to make this right. If he didn't want to honor his warranty, he could have just told me to get bent, and saved me $35.00 shipping to ship his alt back to him. Regardless, even if I get my alternator back, I was deceived and lied to regarding the time frame to ship, fix, and return my alternator. I would have just bought a new one, from a reputable vendor if I had known my truck would be undrivable for 2+ months.

I wonder if he is following the Jay Allen business model.

Jay Allen - that isn't the bronco cover guy is it?

Sorry to hear your troubles man!

Jay Allen is a guy who used to be a "custom camshaft designer" and hung out a sbftech.com. He presented himself as the smartest man in the world, and was a real dick to anyone who questioned him. He did a vanishing act with a bunch of his customer's deposits after being called out.

I'm already getting the 3rd degree over at CB.com. I think I've done my last posts over there, anyone who dares to question a vendor's actions get treated like they are at fault.

I will have to check out the thread on cb.com. Sounds like you had a legitamate complaint about this guy. I am happy you pulled RRRAAAYYY2 from your signature.

Just read the thread on cb.com. I would not quit CB.com just yet - it seems that the vocal few are sticking up for a friend. You did a great job documenting the issues that you have with the seller. I am happy that you posted up your frustration and geting the word out - that is what forums are for. In the end, the thread will help you get RRRAAAYYY's attention and likely get your Alternator warrantied.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showth ... p?t=201885

That sucks. It sounds like Ray may not be with SVA anymore. No telling what was really going on there. Maybe he was cutting better deals with Bronco people and SVA didn't like it. Ray may be out of the picture but SVA should honor the warranty if Ray was their agent when the alternator was sold. What does the paperwork/receipt say?

Thanks for the support guys. It may be I misinterpreted the first few posts as a warning not to post negative things about vendors.

I only have the box the alt came in, on the label is the 800 number I called when I realized I had a problem with the alt. Ray answered, but now only his "Sunlight Financial" voicemail answers. I don't know or understand the relationship between Ray/SVA. The only info on the SVA label is the 800 number, model number, and amp rating, and "Branford, Ont, CA".

I just don't want anyone else to buy from this guy, if his service is going to suck so bad. Its only fair that people get an accurate picture of what a customer will deal with, good or bad.

sorry to hear about your trouble, i know this wont help but just some heads up.

For what its worth I bought my 3g from ryan () and have been very happy with it, i know hes not the most responsive but he usually takes his orders pretty seriously. I have read the thread over on CB.com about the harness and Ryans lack of response but I know he disappears now and then for medical stuff.. anyway I wouldn't hesitate to purchase one from Ryan if i was on the lookout for one.. or pull one from the JY. Not sure how this helps you buy thought i would chime in, in case your looking for another one - he is a bronco owner as well.

Thanks, I bought a harness from RJM and wouldn't hesitate to use him again. I understand small businesses can get in binds and slow down, but communication goes a long way, and I'm a very reasonable person. I've been a small business owner as well, so I probably would give more leeway than average, cause I've been swamped/behind schedule/understaffed/etc myself. But having the alt 1 month is unacceptable. I knew something was awry, when the first time I called after returning the alt, he didn't have/couldn't find the first email I sent him with my return shipping instructions.

BTW, the voice mail I left him this morning hasn't been returned either.

Right now, I'm planning on picking up a jy one from 76fordbronco, on my way home from my trip to AK. Because of where I live (in the sticks) I'm probably going to buy a new one or a rebuilt one. Today, I stopped by my old job at the body shop and a guy recommended A-1 in Denver as a reliable rebuilder. If anyone has experience with them let me know. BCB and WH also offer alts. I don't know what I'll do. I'm still holding out some hope I'll get my SVA alt back. But Mike's spare alt will help me get my truck back on the road and start diagnosing my EFI codes that I haven't been able to deal with. Who would figure, I finished my install in January, and still haven't driven the truck, really.

It just sucks, I paid over $200 to get a custom, high amp (130a at idle, 200a) alt from someone I thought was the best. Now I've spent another $35 to ship it back, and apparently loose it. Its my luck, about 10 years ago I sent a snowboard back for warranty to a company in SLC (Winterstick), the same week they folded. They didn't even return my old board, that was still a good, usable board, I just lost it, too.

Years back had one rebuild somewhere South of I-70, North of Colfax, and West of I-25. I am trying to find the place, but nothing is ringing a bell.

Generator Exchange off 44th? I really don't remember, but all I recall is they saved me a boat load of money over new.

If you get down to Monte Vista, my uncle rebuilds them. Did one for my old bronco and got some more amps out of it.

Well, low and behold I got an email from Ray just a minute ago:

Hey, got your message today, understand you are pissed. i went to the shop last week, and no one was there, but didnt see your alternator so i assumed it had been shipped back to you. Had called them a couple of times and had no answer. Went back again today to see what was up. apparently he has been closed for a couple of weeks because of a hip surgery.
I had told him you were in a rush, and i am really sorry he didnt respond faster. It is getting shipped tomorrow. Not that that has done you a lot of good a month later, my apologies.
Raymond

He obviously is not involved with SVA anymore. I don't know why he handled me the way he did, I don't know why the phone number on the SVA packaging calls his phone, if he has left. He should have been honest and maybe even handed me off to them directly. I'm still confused. But it looks like I'll finally get my truck back running!

Damn that sucked.

That is great news - glad it is all working out. The post on cb.com definitely got the ball rolling.

The best/worst part of talking about Venders on a web is that 90% of the replies defending a bashed/supported vender are peeps that never spent a dime with that vender. Its like a lynch mob without the protest signs.


I like to go local with everything when possible because of these types of issues. Glad he finally got back to you. My thoughts at first was (someone went to the hospital or died or something along those lines) because of how you described it.

The old squeeky wheel syndrome works every time, eventually.

I hate to say it, but the message I left this morning, probably made the difference. My first attempt to contact Ray, around the middle of January, was to PM him through CB.com, the same way I started my original purchase. When I called him a week or so later, he admitted he had not checked CB.com for over 1 year, so I don't think he saw today's thread.

I've been so preoccupied (for nearly 2 months) with the application process for my new job, and now, training that I only had time/energy this morning to post up my complaint. I only placed the call after someone on CB.com suggested I should call him. I made the call, because I wanted to make a point, and didn't think it would help. After my first phone contact with Ray, almost all further contact was via email, and that had been effective until 2 weeks ago. When that line of communication broke down, I assumed that I was being ignored, I had no reason to think a phone call would work.

Regardless, Ray handled things poorly on lots of levels. He should/could have left me a message or emailed me. A simple message to return a call would have appeased me, and avoided this situation. It is the vendor's responsibility to make the effort to make the customer happy, not the customer's job to actively pursue the solution. I just finished 4 days of intensive Avis rent-a-car training, and that was stressed, over and over. Avis would take my job if I ignored my customer the way I was ignored.

Or he could have responded, via my email, what was going on. Or he could have explained, from the beginning, that he wasn't really involved at the shop. I still don't understand why the 800 number listed as the tech line/SVA's only contact, is still ringing direct to him, if he doesn't know what is going on at the shop. I'll also admit that the last thing I heard was my alt bench tested OK, I still don't know if my alt was bad, or if I have a problem with my truck. I'll be glad to have 2 alts, after I pick up one from Mike, so I can see what the hell is going on.

There were lots of ways this could have ended differently, mostly from Ray's end of things. I could have gotten shitty on the phone with him, but I'm not that guy. I expect a certain level of customer service, I don't expect to (and won't) yell and scream to get my way. But I'm going to call a spade, a spade. I think, since I found Ray via CB.com, CB.com was the obvious place to post up my experience.

I just reread his email, and realized he probably hadn't tried to contact me at all. Above, I stated I may have ignored/missed some calls from him, but now think he never really tried to contact me until I left my message today.

Your case is solid here. We're behind you. I am just glad you're getting some movement now and I hope you have a good working Alt. from him in the next week or so. (and that your EFI issues go away!!)

J.D.

I wrote Ray to ask about this situation and his relationship with SVA. He stated he hasn't been with SVA for 4 years, and SVA officially closed their doors as of January 1st. The are only now, "somewhat operational". He didn't put me in touch with the guy doing the repair work, because "he tends to be salty", and Ray liked working with us hobbiests. Ray sounds like he is done with the industry completely now, and moving on to other things.

Its too bad, I personally know how a bad business relationship/experience can affect a guy. I wrote him a note thanking him for his work on my behalf. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

For my Colorado friends, thanks for your support. I don't think I was catching heat for my statements @ CB.com, only some inside joking that I wasn't privy to.

Ray said my alt checked out fine, but was being resoldered and rebuilt. He would "look at my pulley" to see if it could have been at fault. During the process I asked him lots of questions about what could have caused my alternator to act the way it did. I'm still not sure what was up, but I'm looking forward to getting back up and running.


Chad

Glad it is working out for you.

wrt CB.com.........I wouldn't let those guys off the hook so fast...................I truly believe they go overboard when they gang up on people that post their bad experiences with vendors under the premise "that no vendor bashing is allowed" policy

After this experience, I'm leaning towards OEM, easily replaced stuff, even though the alt may not have even been bad . I had good luck with my MSD & Edelbrock stuff. But I went all Ford with the EFI, and feel pretty good about it. When I started with my Bronco, I was, just a kid and under the impression that stock stuff was junk and all aftermarket was awesome. I know better now. I also have learned that unless you are trying to pull every .10th in a quarter mile, the aftermarket stuff won't add up to that much difference over stock stuff.

cb has a bit of the "hive / elitist " mindset that gets to allot of boards - although not as bad as some (pirate)..

I think allot of it has to do with the anonymity that comes with the internet, yes some of those guys know each other but its easy to be an asshole online.

Case in point - comments.. most are useless.. bickering and opinions..

An update. On Tuesday, John from the defunct SVA called me. He has tested it under loat and, it always performed correctly. He said his idea is that the pigtail may actually be the culprit. I told him I'd check continuity in the pig tail. He said he would send the alt back with a new pig tail. He also said that the single v-belt, under proper tension, never slipped while he was testing it under load. He said he got it up to close to 200*F and it was still producing close to 200 amps.

After testing, he has resoldered the alt, replaced the regulator, and pig tail.

Now that I'm home, I pulled my truck into the garage, and went to test the pig tail. I realized I had sent it back with the alt. So I'm not sure why John couldn't/didn't check the pig tail.

I hope, based on what John said, the alt is on the way back to me by now. He asked me to pay the return postage since the alt wasn't bad. I wasn't in the mood to argue, even though the pig tail was included with the alt. So it has cost me close to $100 and 2+ months without my truck.

Really I don't know the truth, and may never know. He may have fixed a bad alt, and made an excuse with the pig tail, maybe to avoid paying the shipping costs.

I'm going to update the CB.com thread after I actually see my alt on my door step.

Chad

I am hoping that once you get it back together it runs like a dream!

Thanks JD.

That makes 2 of us! I'm guessing that I won't see the alt till early next week. Hopefully, tonight, I'll have my 95 Mustang alt in and running. That will tell me a lot. I'll actually get to see how my EFI is working and if there are any codes I need to deal with.

Haha, it was sitting on my porch when I got home for lunch today. John had said he wouldn't ship it till, at least, Wed last week, and it would take 6-8 business days, so I was figuring on it being the end of this week or later. I guess the Canadian postal service is running ahead of schedule. It took over 2 weeks for my alt to get to them, shipped USPS Priority.

At least I didn't get to the parts store to buy a new belt to fit the pulley on the Mustang alt.

Hope I plug it in and it works, bang, zoom!