Best or Freedom?

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

I am about to order a 6 lane 40' track not the 48' we will be using the wizard timing system with Grand Prix Master Software.

I am leaning with the Freedom because of concerns with the best track "spring" clips and the Best tracks "curve".

I was going to order the 48' version but thought about the new stopping section would help keep the cars together at the end and I want the time differential from car to car to be close and exciting for the boys.

We do not have district racing yet but we plan on it now

Best or Freedom?

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

LOL asked and answered in the same day.
After reading and reading and reading we went with the six lane 40' Freedom track.
1) Storage
2) No artifical curve
3) Swift response to questions asked
4) All the reports I have read here!
THANKS!

[Panzer]

Frog Guy:
Welcome aboard.
This topic was flogged (sorry, I couldn't resist) sometime back by our most knowledgeable members, Humvderby, gpraceman, and WarpSpeedINC

Check it out: http://derbytalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=900

For your info over the summer things slow down a little on this and the other PWD message boards. Be patient, they will pick back up again in the fall.

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

Thats is SMASHED Frog <GRIN> I found that one after I posted this thread. So sorry! We ordered the Freedom 40' six lane track. THANKS!

[PWD]

It would be great to hear how you like the track once you receive and set it up.

I had some alignment problems with our Best track but Best have been good working with me on resolving. I have some new pieces but have not tried them yet. Will pull the track out in October and see how things look.

I don't think the curve with the Best is a problem. We had problems with the alignment of the straight aways. Best sent some new pieces last year and I am anxious too see how it fits together this year.

The stop section and start section are what really shines with the Best track. Best I have seen with any track IMO.

-Stev-

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

We have yet to receive our freedom track that we paid for early in summer. Strange great communication before the order now cant find out when we will receive it.

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

Sorry to report we still have not received our track and our first event with it was to be this coming Tuesday. I was told last week it would be shipped Monday for Friday delivery and that I would receive a tracking number. No response to email or calls all week.

You guessed it no tracking number and no way to know if it is arriving today so I have to take off work to sit here and hope it comes.

I will report if it comes as promissed, I hope it is just a strange miss-communication.

[Bad Brad Racing]

I to ordered a 40' Freedom track in late June for our church. I finally got someone to pick up the three weeks ago and they told me the track would be ready the following week. That was two weeks ago. We have not missed an event yet but time is getting short. They did not delay in charging the credit card and it's causing me quite alot of explaining to the folks at church since I had to really beg and convince them to purchase the track.

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

I did manage to get Gary on the phone no easy task mind you. He said they were having problems at the sheet metal shop with a large press they use. He offered to send what he had made up and then the parts to put it together. Not that that would do anything now that the event was lost.

Our welcome home cub event was okay but not having the track really hurt the first event of the year. Many boys brought ther cars to run on our new super duper track that was not there.

I just got him on the phone he said Monday or Tuesday he should be able to ship! Hooray!

One can only hope his quality of workmanship that is well known will make it all better in the end. Because this track should last 40 plus years so what is a few weeks?

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

I was told last week he would ship this last Monday Sept 12.
I called today Sept 14th for the tracking number only to find out it has not been shipped. He said he had a person in his office and would call me back in a few minutes. Well no call back so far no email nothing.

We can use the timer and the old track I guess.

[Scoremaker]

I really think that Best Tracks need to get there act togther. That's not good customer service at all. If I was you I would get at lease half of my money back or free shipping and free drilling for my timer. Also not calling you back thats bad to. I work in Retail and the customer is always first no matter what. If I was you I would have told them to send my money back and also buy a track for someone else. It looks like they do not care about there customers and whats going to happen when Derby season start. They may do it another Pack. Well Frog I really hope you get your track and good luck.

[Bad Brad Racing]

This statement came right from the Piantedosi web site.

[Delivery
We ask that you please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. We will and have responded to many emergency requests but would prefer to reduce stress (yours and ours) with appropriate planning. We have delivered in excess of 10,000 tracks since 1991. We have yet to miss a derby.]

It appears they need to change the above statement about never missing a derby.
I purchased their product based on the reviews on this forum, the testimonials and Guarantee as stated on their web site and the fact that I thought their track more suited the needs of our organization. It was not based on price as the difference between Freedom and Best is negligible for a similar length track. Frog, I to have e-mailed them and got no response. As I posted previously I did get someone to answer the phone once and was given the next week story. It appears the are at least 2 tracks that have not been delivered as expected. Yours and mine. It would not bother me as much but my credibility is on the line with the people at our church as much as theirs is with me. They should at least give us some reasonable explanation to why I have not received the track after 3 months as opposed to the 3-4 weeks.

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

Scoremaker we should be clear it is not Best Track with the delivery issues it is Piantedosi.

We ordered the track Jul 12, 2005 and I can see a few days for the pack check to arrive and clear then the 3 to 4 week clock start. We are well past that and not getting any real information from them. They knew the date of our event when we ordered in plenty of time. BUT IN THEIR FAVOR TO BE FAIR here our first "event" that we told them we needed the track for was not our derby it was our welcome back to school pack party / recruitment party. Thus their web site is still correct we did not miss our "derby" per say.

Our plan was to have this new track with the timer all set up you know really fancy to get the boys rev-ed up about Cub Scouting events like the big derby. We had other events as well, ultimate Frisbee, bottle rockets a craft new tee shirts ice cream the works.

I am still not worried we will receive a high quality track. The issue is the communication after the sale is no where near the fantastic communication before the sale. That is what is the burr under my saddle well and missing that first event, already building the box, having a new expensive timer we can't use and all the pack parents looking at me funny at the parents meeting last night. Because I could not tell them what is going on with the $1,085 (before shipping or timer and box with the fancy plywood all in all we are out over $2,000.00) I talked them into spending on this great investment in our pack. We plan to offset the cost by renting the track out and the operator (me) to other packs for the next few years until it is paid for in rental fees. A commitment I made even though my son will no longer be Cub next year.

Like I said before a few weeks in nothing because this thing should last 40 to 80 years or more with 99% of its life in a box collecting dust. I am very grateful Mr. Piantedosi even makes the units because there is not a lot of money in them for the work it takes to make and market them, I see it as a service / product out of dedication. If you take his web site touting more then 10,0000 tracks in 15 years of track production (the web has them starting to make tracks in 1990) lets give a fair average of say $600 per unit that's only $400,000.00 per year gross, $6,000,000.00 dollar business in 15 years. Not much for the effort don't you think?

Perhaps he is just burned out for a while, I do not know companies have problems from time to time it is this time with Piantedosi. I hope it gets worked out soon though last night was not fun.

All he really needs to do to remove the burr is communicate then ship our track. I am 100% sure we will receive a quality unit.

I just received a call from Diane from Piantedosi a really great lady, she went over the situation with me and I am sure we have come to an agreement that both Piantedosi and Pack 519 will be happy with.

Follow up report in two weeks. Where I am sure I will be a happy camper with a great track!

[Bad Brad Racing]

Contact made with Piantedosi. Told track should be ready in 2 weeks and will here from them by middle of next week.

[Watch-out-for-that-frog]

Did you receive your reply this week