Add BendPak to the shit list (long post warning)

Pokahpolice

TJ Enthusiast
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Apr 28, 2020
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Maine
......... Sorry for the length but typing this out is my therapy session for the day

So some of you may have seen my thread about my four post lift here... https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/let’s-see-your-garage-lift.44974/ . Well, I've been pretty pissy about it lately and figured I'd share my frustration and hopefully help someone else not go through the same.

I purchased a BendPak HD-7500BLX 4 post lift at a list price of $5,210.00. It was a bit more spendy than I wanted but it was the only lift that I found that is wide enough AND tall enough to fit my Ford Raptor but still be able to drive under. I researched for months while my garage was being built. I made sure the concrete was poured thick enough. I made sure the ceiling was tall enough. And then I found the perfect lift. I called BenPak and spoke to a sales guys for nearly an hour asking him every damn question I could think of because it's not like you can go to the store and check these things out. Finally pull the trigger and order the lift along with 2 rolling bridge jacks listed at $1,565 each total - $3,130, air line kit - $260, Caster kit $315, drip trays for $40 with a grand total of $8,810.00. They gave me a "discount" of $510 bring the balance to 8,300.00 out the door. Wow, that was a LOT more money than I planned for this lift but I figured I'd have it for the rest of my life and I want what I want.

Lift shows up and I hire a "certified BenPak installed" referred to me by the dealer for $750. I figure if I have any issues, it's on them right? So they set up the lift but have a problem with the jacks. They don't extend wide enough to sit on the ramps. The "certified" installer tells me they sent me the wrong jacks so I get on the phone with my sales guy who insists they are correct. "Certified installer" places a service call to BendPak where he's on hold for the next 4 hours. They finally get through and are told they would need to create a service ticket and get back to us. "Certified installer" insists they are the wrong jacks, shows me the issue, I agree, and he leaves with two 400lbs jacks sitting on my garage floor. I call BendPak support the next day where I'm on hold for over 2 hours and get pissed and hang up. Call my sales guy (who answers immediately) and he tells me I have to speak to support. I freak out enough for him to place a call to someone who calls me back. I'm instructed to remove the SAFETY screws and extend the jacks out far enough to fit!?! I reply back to him... "You're telling me to bypass the built in safety screw that are there to make sure the extensions don't extend past their intended use, correct?" He says "yes, we do it all the time". I return with "I'm going to need you to shoot me an email so I have that in writing".... he does. I install the two 400lbs jacks with my small tractor and we're good to go. I'm a bit frustrated but I'm very happy to have my lift up and running. OR SO I THOUGHT.

Next day I realize I never received my drip trays. No big deal and I just shoot my sales rep an email. A few weeks later they show up but don't fit. I call sales guy and he informs me I simply have to rotate the trays. I inform him that I'm not a complete moron and that the trays DO NOT FIT. He "looks into it" and returns with "looks like we don't make drip tray to fit that lift". WTF? I get a refund... great now the Jeep can leak all over my new truck! Additionally, I decide that the airline kit was useless and WAY overpriced so I ask to return it. This dickbag tells me sure but you'll have to pay a $52 restocking fee. I argue and they stand firm. I tell them to fuck off and I keep it. I just go online and leave a shit review on the product letting everyone know you get 10' of hose and 7 airline fitting for $260.

A few days later I decided to pull the Jeep in and try out the new jacks to make sure there are no issues. First issue I see is that I need about 12" casters to get enough height to get it off the ramps. I have enough to jack half the vehicle up but I'm going to need another caster kit at $315. Next I realize that the air compressor I purchased doesn't put out enough volume to get the job done. My fault, I purchased a cheap Home Depot 30 gallon. Next I get on line and order a 60G Quincy 220V 2-stage. Price tag just keeps going up on this lift. Oh well, another piece of equipment that I'll never have to buy again.

The compressor takes about 6 weeks to receive and this weekend I finally get the time and motivation to get the electrical and plumbing hooked up. Great, lets pull my wife's Lexus IS350 in and change over to the summer tires. Oh, if it was only that easy. Pull her car in and get it up in the air. Roll the jacks in place and extend the arms to the correct jack points... I come absolutely unglued! The stupid fucking arms don't extend wide enough to reach the jacking points (pic below). This is a small sports car. If you've ever seen one of these, it's tiny. How the hell do they sell jacks for this kind of money that don't extend wide enough to jack up almost any vehicle? So I jump online to find extensions. BENDPAK DOESN'T EVEN MAKE THEM!!! "Luckily" I find a vendor that will custom make them for $410 a pair. I need two so now I'm in for another $820 and at least 6 weeks lead time.

To top it all off... I figure the only recourse I really have is to go online and leave a few bad reviews on their products and customer service. LOL, you don't really think BenPak is going to allow that do you? I left 3 poor reviews one one the lift, one on the jacks, one on the airline kit. Now if you go onto the website, the reviews are all turned off for those three items. You can see reviews for other products but not those three. RANT OVER!

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I wanted to add that the lift is great. Very well built and works awesome. Unfortunately the customer service and accessories are shit... actually the accessories are also well built, they just aren't practical.
 
Leave reviews on Google or Facebook, they can't turn those off or delete them.
 
sorry dude that really sucks...I would be sick to my stomach if I dropped that kind of cash on something that didn't work as advertised. I'm sure you will get the kinks worked out in the end
 
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sorry dude that really sucks...I would be sick to my stomach if I dropped that kind of cash on something that didn't work as advertised. I'm sure you will get the kinks worked out in the end

It's only going to cost me more money. It's unfortunate that this is how the world works now. They have me over a barrel. I'm over $10K in and still don't have what I need. The sad part is, I paid a premium to buy a BendPak. They seem to have the best reputation so I was willing to pay a little extra for the customer service. What a joke that's been.
 
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Damn, I’m sorry to hear this. What a disaster, and like you said.. this just seems to be the way of the world anymore. Add ons, special tools and extra money and shit still doesn’t work right. I hope you get it totally straightened out for not much (If any) more money!
 
For $8500 why should I have to?
I’ve worked in multiple shops with 4 post lifts. I have never in my life seen someone use that style jack on a pinch weld. It works perfectly fine on the axle housing or control arms/subframe.
 
I’ve worked in multiple shops with 4 post lifts. I have never in my life seen someone use that style jack on a pinch weld. It works perfectly fine on the axle housing or control arms/subframe.

This is my first time using these style jacks. Seems to me the design is to have the arms extend to the jacking points. I’m not jacking my shit up by the control arms. Glad you haven’t had issues with it but unless I’m in a pinch, I’m all set. Subframe is a no brained when it’s available but these new cars all have plastic covers everywhere. Again, for the money I should be able to pick the car up where it was designed to be hoisted.
 
Damn, I’m sorry to hear this. What a disaster, and like you said.. this just seems to be the way of the world anymore. Add ons, special tools and extra money and shit still doesn’t work right. I hope you get it totally straightened out for not much (If any) more money!
I just ordered extensions from SVI for $820.