Vendor issues….CCC….What REALLY goes on? (kinda long-maybe boring)

to that end, I got Ohlins from you guys due to the promised after sales support. I was promised setup specs for my GRB and you guys sent EVO info. :lol: When I said 'hello?', I got 'well, should be similar!' in response. No, an EVO is NOT similar to an STI in the suspension dept.

Good thing I've been down this road before and knew the basics.

 

Yeeesh, well that's not good. If you ever need anything, let me know and i'll hook you up. We used to not really get any support from Ohlins on that kind of thing (they were good about everything else) but they've been improving there too, which helps. Still no excuse.

Also...we've had 2 other people named Andrew work here. They're gone. I'm the original, old school Drew. Just an FYI :lol:

- Andrew

 

Yep. It's true, a lot of them make the minimum (or below sometimes) and count on the tips to survive. With that said, just b/c they serve us doesn't mean they 'automatically' get the tips... if the service sucks, then the amt goes lower. Tips is not an 'entitlement' by any means.

The best way to do is support those vendors who support you... and to be fair, should there be an issue, just contact them first and give them a chance to resolve the issues. A lot of times, it could be an unrelated issue but w/o giving them a chance to troubleshoot, 'bad mouthing' them on the forum is not going to solve anything. Now if you have given them enough chances and they failed to respond, then that's a different story.

Being tuners, we get blamed on quite a bit b/c everything boils down to the ecu... but people think that a tune can 'fix' anything so we are the first to get blamed and last to get credit. A lot of it is common sense...

example:
Car pings at high rpm => common causes... bad gas (cheap Arco or off brand), old spark plugs or coils going bad... o yeah, you did tell me that i was running out of injectos... do'h!

The opposite is true... if a company gives you poor service after they have taken your $, and you've tried all possible ways to resolve it, post it in the 'Feedback' forum and warn other members. I read on the forums all the time about this guy who gives you great support 'before the txxx' and if you have issues, he goes quiet... he'll be on the forum answering questions to other members who are seeking his future service, but he won't address any of the f/u issues... to me, that's a BIG Redflag!!!

A lot of it is common sense and common curtesy... you just have to see thru the BS and find out who's for real and who's not - then you make your decision based on that.

 

It wasn't the assembly of the Ohlins that was the issue but rather that promised 'secret sauce' Myles promise on how to set them up for our cars (preload, damper settings, measurements on ride height, etc). This ain't my first rodeo....I knew how to get on the horse. Just wanted some tips on how to ride it better.

 

Good read. Another vendor I'd add to the "good" list is TSW--been on the phone countless times with Jeff, and got numerous setup tips from Mike. Some of the stuff they sell I can get somewhat cheaper elsewhere, but they actually develop products, test products, etc., so I'm willing to pay a little bit more for the thought that went into the product, as well as phenomenal support after purchase; for the difference in price it's just not worth it to hose those guys. And if you're buying a bunch of stuff, they're always good about throwing in a little discount.

The frustrating thing for guys like me--bought a MINI just for fun, now on the endless quest to make it a bit better on the track while still being able to drive it on the street--is seperating who is trustworthy from who is not. Over time you can watch the boards and figure SOME of the bad vendors out (Palo Uber anyone?), but it can be difficult to figure all of them out--there are so many fanboys and competing agendas out there.

Anyway, TSW has been a godsend for suspension and brakes (DT and WAY have great reputations for this as well). But power delivery, there is a can of worms if I ever saw one, been wanting to go with a head and cam combo/tune/injectors for a year now, and I'm STILL not sure the best way to go (although I have an idea of which ways I DON't want to go)....

It's a huge problem for the layperson like myself--there is so much stuff out there, and so much back and forth bashing/praising, but I simply don't have the knowledge or the insight to know the safest way go about it, and I'm not close to any of the big shops, so I have to pretty much make the right choice the first time.

 

I still chase the low price. I cross shop the different vendors I've come to trust, giving preference to people I've met and talked to in person such as Way, Chad from DT, Heather from DP, and Octaneguy, but usually it comes down to shipping costs as all of these vendors are keep similar prices with the exception of specials and seasonal sales. I feel this ensures I get a good price and still support the community, it also gives Way a bit of an advantage as Indianapolis is only about 4.5 hrs from here so shipping has the added bonus of being really fast.

 

Deviant, you need to come to STL the next time Way comes to town. Usually early spring.

Mark

 

He does a regular road show in St. Louie? It'd be a hump for me, but I'd actually hold off on having work done if I could schedule some of his time.

Way is one of the people I trust unconditionally to do the work right, and I'm willing to pay a bit more to leverage that trust.

 

Let Way know you are interested. I was talking to him the other day, he plans to come before MOTD.

Mark

 

I went to one of his open-houses in ATL, that wound up being a very expensive day for me

 

Define expensive...I may be looking at an expensive COUPLE of days....

 

HMMMmmmmmmm........ Interesting!!

Just me..............................

Thumper

 

I've bee watching this and I agree with the OP all the way! I own a a body shop and hate it when people have home done paint jobs then ask us how to fix them. Personally, I let them lay in the bed they've made. I have a business to run and people rely on me for their livelihood. If you didn't come to me in the first place don't call my phone and ask advice after it's too late.

When it comes to buying parts, I'd rather pay a bit more than save money and be on my own if there's a problem. Being loyal to a vendor will usually get you some loyalty back. I have customers come to my shop even if my estimate is a bit higher because they know I'll provide great service. Likewise, I'll help them out on other things when possible. It has to be mutual. I have one salvage yard I deal with (because he has a great inventory) but I swear I think he'd rather spit on me then take an order. I always feel like I need to take a shower after I deal with him. But dang if he doesn't have things others don't.

If there is an item I want and a MA sponsor has it, I sure try to buy it from them. Supporting the MINI community is important to me.

 

I don't have a problem trying to find a good deal on a particular part, if I didn't shop around I wouldn't be doing my part as a knowledgable consumer.

Example: I needed tires for my R53 and had it narrowed down to a couple of brands - one of which my local NTB sold. I found my best deal online - including shipping - and called the tire dealer, told him the price and asked him how close he could get to it. He was within a couple of $$ per tire, so I went straight to him and had them installed. Saved me over $100 and the local guy got the business, plus I bought the lifetime warranty replacement from him for $10 a tire too, so win/win all around as far as I'm concerned.

Shopping for price is not an evil thing, IMHO.

I do see the point of the brick and mortar guys, and I do think that the MFR needs a consistant approach in their sales and pricing to their downstream vendors.

Oh, and the reason I called the NTB guy was that they do a good consistant job on the install, no damaged wheels and the tires are actually balanced right from the beginning. But I'm still gonna shop him!

 

Shopping for price is not at all evil.

Shopping for price and purchasing from the lowest cost and then going to someone else for support that also sells the same product but did not have the lowest price is evil.

For example, you want a widget that is sold by many and is on ebay too. You buy the lowest price ebay one from a faceless entity. You have a problem with the widget on install and try to contact the ebay seller to no avail. So then you call a shop that sells the same widget looking for help.

That is evil.

 

Glad to see the community is finally tired of the garbage we have had preying on us for some time.

I have been screwed over more in the 6 years of minidom that my life combined. It's sad really and I have to accept the choice I made to get involved with those people.

However, I'm just pleased people are finally seeing the light.

Support the guys who do this for a living. The main thing people confuse. This is a JOB/CAREER for many, NOT a HOBBY.

 

Vendor vs EBAY..

I ,myself, see no issue!! IF I have the skill to install a product, and there are 3-4 places selling it.. I will go to the cheaper! I find it hard to understand how a person can expect help from and Ebay Item. The reason I am looking at Ebay IS because of the pricing for the same products. yes?? If there is a vendor that has the same thing, I ask if he can match the price, IF he can NOT, then I buy the less expensive. I have too, as my budget is/ must be tighter than most. Then I install it, or have the local shop install it, if I can not. I think IF you venture to the Ebay/ Craig's list listings... you should KNOW there will be no support!! and if the part is defective, there might be an issue with returns. BUT..... that is the chance to buy a product $100+ cheaper or more!!

The MINI community is small, as well as the choices of products and Vender's.
If I am having a good response and parts from a vendor that I will need help with , I will always go to a helping trusting vendor. But IF I can get the same this for a LOT LESS, I have to go elsewhere. An I think most are like me!! We have to do what we can! AND we should know about support after sales!! And the reason for the low cost!!

Most vender's will help out even if you dont buy their stuff... knowing well enough that the networking and being the good helper will generate a following. and Customers in the future. And there is always the opportunity to not answer.. or help if the guy is becoming a pain... yes? I try to help no matter what the questions... but then that


is Just me................................

Thumper

Merry Christmas...

 

I'm living the perfect example right now. Our local Firestone store does the alignments and A/C charges for my shop. My F250 needed new tires and Firestone was one of the brands I was looking at. I have an account at Tire Rack and probably buy 5-10 tires a month with them. I mentioned to the Firestone dealer I needed new tires and he offered a price to me for the Firestone Wilderness A/t's that was slightly over the Tire Rack price. I bought from Firestone because I know he values my business (As does josh at the Tire Rack, I'm sure) but he was also gong to throw in a front end alignment. One more example of mutual loyalty and working together.

Now, I had also had a noise in the front end of the truck, turns out the right side ball joints were bad as well as the right side hub bearing. I went and looked at it. Scary! Moral of the story, if I had bought tires somewhere else and mounted and balanced then at my shop, I'd have never found the bearing/ball joint problem. Thankfully I did.

 

I only became aware recently about the controversy surrounding AutoXCooper. It appears he has now been banned from NAM:
MINI COOPER :: North American Motoring - AutoXCooper.com says GOOD BYE NAM