Any seat experts.. reinstalling OEM cloth seats?

[gooby]

Long story short, went to get katzkin leather and incompetent katzkin dealer installed an off-brand leather that I did not want and has not rectified it. Smells and feels like shit compared to the katzkin's I thought I was buying. Done with the headache and am tempted to forget the whole leather idea and throw the factory medium dark slate cloth back on. Is this possible? Ebay has new pull off kits for $200. Wondering if these are easily installed if I take it to an installer and pay him the usual $600 for seat installs. No effect on the airbags, right?

So frustrated, going on 5 days now with chinese leather in my brand new truck that I was bait-and-switched into paying for when I was handed katzkin warranty card for my product that actually was not! Didn't find out until I got home it was a generic roadwire leather kit. So stressful. I just want my truck back without this smelly headache inducing product. Should I try and get katzkin still or just be done with it and go back to OEM cloth if that is even feasible? I don't want it to look all jacked up, hopefully a good installer can get the cloth looking like it did from the factory. Thoughts?

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[dolsen]

I didn't FULLY removed the seat covers on the rears when I added my rear heated seats, but they were pretty easy to pull up and put back down. I am not sure why there would be any issues reinstalling factory seats covers.

If I was going to go through the trouble of swapping them out and paying for install for a 2nd time, I would make sure I get what I wanted, because I know I would change them a 3rd time to get what I want.

 

[Rockman5159]

if you buy new take offs make sure that the plastic rods are still in place. I have seen in the past where installer just cuts the rod supports off on the old covers. Its a time comsuming process,but definately doable with patience .

 

[Zyvin]

I'd get a lawyer, because katskinz are nice.

 

[roblectric]

Try the attorney generals office. Maybe they can put some pressure on the shop owner to do the right thing.

 

[astrand1]

Try the attorney generals office. Maybe they can put some pressure on the shop owner to do the right thing.

Yeah this does not seem right. Have you reached out to katzskin directly? They might want to know if one of their installers is installing another product and passing it off as theirs.

 

[Henfield]

Its easy to look up Katskin dealers on their website. If they aren't there chances are good, the place you went to lied.

That's lawsuit material. Small claims courts are easy to use.

 

[gooby]

It's a long convoluted story, but the gist of it is that I went last week to the main katzkin installer in S FL. I am super picky, I did a lot of research and called up to see if I could go check out the product. I found a f150 being worked on and toured the facility. I like the feel, look, comfort and smell of the katzkin seats I saw. I went on the website with the salesperson and decided I would prefer a factory match to my truck in lunar gray. The options were they had a black and gray or they said we also have all gray factory match as well. I went with the factory match. I arrived the next day, dropped off my truck. Picked up my truck and noticed the color was off, it felt way different and smelled like formaldehyde mixed with dead animal. I figured I just made a huge mistake with all of this, and i went inside.

She handed me the invoice and a katzkin warranty sheet. I signed the invoice and paid it on my phone.

I arrived home and called katzkin to complain because the quality was clearly way off. I figured maybe the different color scheme was the issue. The lady informed me it was not a common complaint and upon telling her my invoice info, she seemed hesitant. I went out to the truck and sure enough, I have 'roadwire leather' in my truck.

Next morn i contacted the installer. They said it was a misunderstanding and told me the two are equivalent and thus they didn't seem it was necessary to tell me they were putting roadwire leather in my truck. Someone who went to a katzkin installer, saw nothing but katzkin, toured the katzkin options, and then paid the katzkin price. Apparently I was suppose to know another leather company even existed at this facility, or know the 9 digit SKU number on the invoice(nowhere does it state the brand of the product) lead back to roadwire leather.

After much negotiating with the manager, he agreed to replace it and "waive the fee for taking off the roadwire". For $185 more I could get what I actually thought I was buying, because they had to now order from katzkin and ordering costs more money for them. I said no, he eventually caved and agreed they would order, but it could take at minimum a week, likely longer. I don't know if he ordered the product. It has been 6 days and I have not driven my truck because the smell is tbh, nauseating. I was fed up with the nonsense and filed a chargeback on my CC and provided all documentation, including the katzkin warranty sheet I was handed that duped me into paying the invoice and not raising hell right then and there. Now I am on their terms. I am furious to say the least. The truth is they did not have what I wanted (factory match katzkin) on hand, so they put in another product and tried to deceive me into paying $1700 for something I did not want. It is a cheaper and inferior product as well. If they order, it costs them more money. So they are scumbags to say the least. I hope the CC company sides with me and I can be done with this crap, and go to another local installer and get what I wanted done.

I did contact katzkin, was told I would receive a call from the VP of sales, and have not heard from him. Presumably the dealer has spoken to them, I don't know, nor do I care, at this point. I will let chase bank handle it. Worst case I end up out an additional 1.6k and leave a 1 star review. i can't imagine I lose the claim given the info I provided and the deceptive practices of the business, and the lack of immediate resolution.

Frustrating because the katzkin I viewed in person on another customers f150 checked all my boxes. Apparently everyone has had a great experience with this place, so who knows. I've got zero tolerance for bs and scams, and will be contacting the other local shop to setup an appointment to have my leather removed and either replaced with katzkin or back to OEM cloth.

 

[dolsen]

What a cluster fuck. Hopefully it all ends up good. I have done a few charge backs in my life and I have never had one denied. I also always have good supporting evidence. It sounds like a pretty clear case to me and, IMO, I think you'll get your money back. Unfortunately it is not up to me

 

[H4ppyB34r]

Something is wrong with the dealer and the kit you got.

I wanted Katzkin for my truck, but it had a 4 week lead time. Roarwire was a 100% match for the Katzkin pattern, and it was real leather, I saw the kit as it was getting installed, and it was available within the week.

Dealer\upholstery shop installed it the day after my truck was delivered, and I couldn't be happier.

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