This Donzi Upholstery Work Is Unacceptable!

[Carl C]

This is definitely a bit of a mystery and you sure don't deserve to go through it twice . By any chance do those spots coincide with EXACTLY where your knees would be when kneeling on the seats to open the engine hatch ?

No. The damage is starting in an area off center.

[Greg Guimond]

No. The damage is starting in an area off center.

I'm guessing it was NOT a PPI made cushion. Only Donzi Direct would know for sure the different vendors that they have used over the years.

[mattyboy]

Sucks you have to go thru this again
Troubleshooting a mystery can be a pita but you must eliminate everything that has not been replaced. The cushion has been replaced would two different cushions show the same issue? Highly unlikely but I guess it could but then the front seat should show the same issue. Some common denominator is causing this eliminate has much as possible your cleaner is it the same bottle as used on the old one? Is the boat uncovered in you garage at times may be something is dripping on the back seat? I would not eliminate lotions I ruined a brand new shirt and fitted hat with sunblock think about why it is the backseat only could it be the way people lounge on the backseat could it be a spot where their heels rest and when they move or get up they dig their heels in? Just some thoughts

[Carl C]

Sucks you have to go thru this again
Troubleshooting a mystery can be a pita but you must eliminate everything that has not been replaced. The cushion has been replaced would two different cushions show the same issue? Highly unlikely but I guess it could but then the front seat should show the same issue. Some common denominator is causing this eliminate has much as possible your cleaner is it the same bottle as used on the old one? Is the boat uncovered in you garage at times may be something is dripping on the back seat? I would not eliminate lotions I ruined a brand new shirt and fitted hat with sunblock think about why it is the backseat only could it be the way people lounge on the backseat could it be a spot where their heels rest and when they move or get up they dig their heels in? Just some thoughts

I don't know, Matty. I really don't. Nothing is dripping on it. After the last seat failed I've not used any magic erasers or any cleaner on them. Just wiped down with warm water. The rear seat backs are also cracking at the top all around. They are the originals. The back seat has not seen anything that the fronts ones haven't. I was kind of upset when I spotted that new damage last week. We often sit on the back seat and rest our feet on the front ones turned around and the front seats are holding up.

[Greg Guimond]

Put it in a box and send it to Arko in Lake Havasu and have them build you a new one if PPI or DD won't give you a free one. 10 years from now it will still look like new.

[Greg Guimond]

Or if you have more time and can wait until off-season you could send it to Sturgis in Texas ........ http://www.sturgisdesigns.com/

[yeller]

That's crazy Carl. I couldn't believe your old one failed so quickly and now the new one fails in a couple years???
I can't tell for sure by the pics but it looks to be a thin vinyl and the reason it failed prematurely. I'd have to see it in person to know for sure. There are many different grades of vinyls.

It's not going to have failed because of what you use or how it's used, or the fronts would show similar wear.

I would definitely contact PPI directly and give them a chance to make it right.

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Carl ....................maybe i am out of line but ....................would you consider having the seats redone here in Mich by people ( two ) who have done past work for Skater , with one person being Semi retired , and the other being full time ?

[Carl C]

I don't know what I will do yet. I will start the ball rolling with PPI but the seat will wait until this winter. The vinyl is tearing at the seams. The threads are still intact.

[DonziJosh]

To Carl (and all),

I'm sorry about this problem, but in all fairness, this is the first we've heard of it.

Every single piece of DonziDirect upholstery has been produced by PPI. Here's a picture of Carl's aft seat in December of 2011, the day I inspected it at the PPI shop: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater We inspect each and every single piece prior to shipping.

I'll be happy to look into your issue and see what we can do about correcting it. The first pic I saw was of Carl's original seat, not the replacement seat that we produced. I'll get with the shop and see what they think caused this problem.

In the past three years we've shipped a few hundred pieces of PPI upholstery to customers around the world, and this is only the third potential warranty issue we've ever encountered. One was a customer who wasn't happy with the finishing of the stapled edge on the bottom side of his Classic bucket seat and the other was a shipping damage issue, (and proven as such because we photograph every piece we ship). Both issues were resolved to the customers' satisfaction.

This is obviously not a widespread problem or everyone would know about it because there are lots and lots of Donzi Classics out there with our upholstery in them.

So, Carl, let me go to work on this and we'll be in touch.

(Edited because I could only see the main photo of the old upholstery until I logged in and went back to look.)

[Tidbart]

Josh,

I don't think anyone would put a blame on you, nor necessarily PPI. We are all aware that you sell, the stuff and PPI makes it. We also realize that PPI doesn't create the product, such at the vinyl, etc., that they use in their upholstery. Who knows, it could be a defective product from the manufacturer.

We all hate to Carl have to go through this a second time. And we all are damn curious as to what has occurred. Hopefully, a cause can be pinpointed and this matter resolved amicably.

Bob

PS, Didn't mean to speak for you Carl. Just speaking in general.

[BUIZILLA]

Carl... I have a question...

when you or your passengers embark, or disembark, do they step on the seat cushion bottom and then the gunwale?

thats probably how we ALL do it, just curious

[Holy Smokes]

I'm usually silent on these issues, but I have concern that you felt it necessary to call out two shops (Donzi Direct and PPI) that have not even had the opportunity to investigate and attempt to remedy the issue. In addition, the "shock value" of ripped seams in the photos is not even from the work they completed.

Let's allow these providers with rather excellent resume's handle it from their end before dragging them through the muck.

My $.02

[gcarter]

I'm usually silent on these issues, but I have concern that you felt it necessary to call out two shops (Donzi Direct and PPI) that have not even had the opportunity to investigate and attempt to remedy the issue. In addition, the "shock value" of ripped seams in the photos is not even from the work they completed.

Let's allow these providers with rather excellent resume's handle it from their end before dragging them through the muck.

My $.02

+1 I agree! I hate it when my customers do that to me.

[Tidbart]

I'm usually silent on these issues, but I have concern that you felt it necessary to call out two shops (Donzi Direct and PPI) that have not even had the opportunity to investigate and attempt to remedy the issue. In addition, the "shock value" of ripped seams in the photos is not even from the work they completed.

Let's allow these providers with rather excellent resume's handle it from their end before dragging them through the muck.

My $.02

I tend to disagree. From what I have seen, nobody is "calling out" these two shops as if they have done something sinister or underhanded. DD supplied it and PPI made it. It is a plain fact and mostly obvious. Most know they both are stand-up companies. Nobody knows what has caused this issue, however, we would like to learn.
The original photo was not put there for shock value. It has been posted before and it was explained that something similar is happening again.

I believe now there are a couple more photos of the current issue.

B


PS, Also, this is one of the more interesting threads that this site has seen in ages, so let's keep it going.