Scheider Electric, Square D, Sq D, B & K Wholesale, One Source Distributors, Kaman Direct After many promises failed to provide us with a cost of a custom switchboard section that only they could provide in order to control the sale to a preferred customer on a public bid job San Bernardino California
On Tuesday I requested from the Scheider home office via http://www.schneider-electric.us a contact to help me get a price for a special switchboard add-on that was named only to be provided by them. I was referred to Kaman Industrial in Colton, Ca 909-824-3390 as this was their local company representative.
I talked to a Jack Smith at Kaman and got his email. Afterwards I emailed the plans and specs. The public works job was for a generator and an addition to an existing switchboard for a drain station owned by Los Angeles County Public Works. Some general contractors had asked me for a price as a sub electrical contractor to provide and install this equipment. All I needed from Square D by Schneider was the addition for the switchboard that already existed. Jack told me they'd have a price I could use later that day or the next day and he'd email or fax it.
It's now Thursday afternoon and no one has responded. I talked with Jack Smith and he said his boss was handling it but had gone to lunch. Despite numerous requests I never heard from Jack's boss.
I contacted Scneider Electric's home office and was forced to use an online message center where I got a response to contact the local rep. Kamen again. No help.
I looked up Kaman to find other offices than the one with Jack in San Bernardino and called one of their offices in Victorville. A lady named Lynne Erdahl tried to help me and was very kind but after a while she said I had to go through another company that handled Sq D named B & K Wholesale in Rancho Cucumonga.
I called B & K Electric Wholesale. After talking to three different people I was referred to a Bill McDonald as this job was only his and no one else could help me. His phone went to voicemail despite numerous attempts -I finally left a message. An hour later I called again but through the receptionist. Bill finally shakenly answered the phone. He said he knew nothing of the job. When I asked him how that could be in that others in his office referred me to him after hearing my request, he became real nervous. He told me to send him drawings and he'd see what he could do. I haven't heard back.
This is the old mafia game of controlling the public work construction business to a few pals. Maybe even getting kickbacks. You see the job required this section only by Square D and Scneider who owns Square D has "exact and only us" distributors which you must use, Those distributors control the business to their favored allies who probably kick them back money or presents. Who knows.
Well it's after bid time. We wasted 40 manhours and a lot of other supplier's time all week because of this poor service.
NEVER EVER USE SQUARE D OR SCHEIDER!!! THEY ARE NOT HONEST!!!!! OR AT LEAST DANGEROUSLY DISORGANIZED!