Why I will never be purchasing from FT86 Motorsports again

[Trollhart]

Originally Posted by Wally86

I bet if you had drawn the issues to their attention in the 30 day period they state on their site, your experience would have been completely different.

...since then they could simply shift the issue one link further down the chain, and probably even fend off the customer until they receive a replacement or refund from the maker (or even just drop-shipper) of the wing, holding themselves completely harmless.


I'm aware that this community is mostly US-based, so I am not too sure about the applicable laws there, i.e. if that 30-days-warranty holds any water, but regardless of jurisdiction, this treatment of a customer (longstanding or not), is just bad form and I personally am deterred from ever buying anything at that place.

[Ohio Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by villainous_frx

My thanks was actually in relation to this part of his post specifically.

[supporting local communities]

My reaction still stands. The fact that he is local and buys local shouldn't entail a preferential treatment when he has an issue. Again, should the buyer from across the country not get the same treatment just because he is far away?

Customer service that depends on which customer is being served or the specific customer service representative you happen to encounter is not something that needs to be encouraged.

[knapper]

Originally Posted by Ohio Enthusiast

My reaction still stands. The fact that he is local and buys local shouldn't entail a preferential treatment when he has an issue. Again, should the buyer from across the country not get the same treatment just because he is far away?

Customer service that depends on which customer is being served or the specific customer service representative you happen to encounter is not something that needs to be encouraged.

You are missing the point.

I appreciate your input, though. And your desire to pin down why it won't fit. I believe that it is combination of the physical flaws on the underside, as well as the general shape of the wing (warping) that is making it this way.

I am not asking for preferential treatment, I am asking them to consider that this was coming from a long standing customer who has spent thousands there. I worked in sales for two decades, and I 100% would provide bigger discounts to regular customers, or allow people I knew to return things outside the window, heck I even went above about beyond and spoke to them with respect! Imagine that? Its called good customer service.

Difference in opinions here, regardless of the result, which is clearly that I paid $$$ for a product that is now essentially a paperweight to me without modifying it possibly fit, nobody that speaks that way to anyone deserves my business. If someone else had posted this, I would be saying the same thing.

EDIT:

Just to be clear here, this is not a "pity post", and I am not upset and making this thread because I think he should have just given me what I wanted; I am making it because I am in shock that that is how the owner of a business chooses to speak to customers.

[knapper]

Originally Posted by Wally86

I bet if you had drawn the issues to their attention in the 30 day period they state on their site, your experience would have been completely different.

Had I known of the issue, I would have. And as of right now, I have yet to install a flux capacitor in the FRS.

[knapper]

Originally Posted by TommyW

5 months after receiving a product is way too long a timeframe to file a complaint. The only comment I would have is the vendor could have used a bit softer language.

Perhaps, but given the circumstances I did not have the option to test fit it on the car until Spring. Is that FT86's problem? No, but how he chose to communicate, and to basically state "buy more expensive stuff"... incredibly unprofessional and rude.

Had he delivered his side in a professional manner, I would have never made the post. And being that this came from the owner, it speaks volumes about why there have been so many others with poor experiences. I guess I was just lucky up to this point.

[Ohio Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by knapper

You are missing the point.

I appreciate your input, though. And your desire to pin down why it won't fit. I believe that it is combination of the physical flaws on the underside, as well as the general shape of the wing (warping) that is making it this way.

I am not asking for preferential treatment, I am asking them to consider that this was coming from a long standing customer who has spent thousands there. I worked in sales for two decades, and I 100% would provide bigger discounts to regular customers, or allow people I knew to return things outside the window, heck I even went above about beyond and spoke to them with respect! Imagine that? Its called good customer service.

Difference in opinions here, regardless of the result, which is clearly that I paid $$$ for a product that is now essentially a paperweight to me without modifying it possibly fit, nobody that speaks that way to anyone deserves my business. If someone else had posted this, I would be saying the same thing.

I can understand where you are coming from and I think you understand where I am coming from. I don't agree with you and you don't agree with me, and that's perfectly fine.

As a constructive suggestion, I wonder if the wing will confirm to the trunk better once fully installed (i.e. not just a test fit). Is it supposed to be adhered with double sided foam pads or are there actual fasteners used?

[RToyo86]

Originally Posted by Wally86

Their responses were curt but it's very possible that you're both in the wrong.

And yes, you should have tried testing fitting it in the middle of winter to make sure it fit. Or maybe I'm the only one that doesn't store their car for winter and loves putting mods on asap.

Some cheap stuff does work but you really have to do your homework. The "buy once cry once" folks will show no sympathy for your post.







EDIT since you posted s'more:


Everyone's tolerances for dealing with bad customer service is different for sure.

Our winters are pretty shit locally
Had a couple goood 25+cm snow dumps this year and being the nation's capital they salt the hell out of the roads.
I'm about done with driving mine though the winter. Mostly just because of wear and tear winter adds.

[NoHaveMSG]

As wrong as it is, you kind of don't have a leg to stand on being so far out of the return window. There responses are pretty shitty though and I wouldn't buy from them solely based on that. I have taken care of a lot of things for my customers out of the return/warranty window but you are 5X past.

This is also why I always pull parts out of the package and inspect them when I receive them.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by RToyo86

Our winters are pretty shit locally
Had a couple goood 25+cm snow dumps this year and being the nation's capital they salt the hell out of the roads.
I'm about done with driving mine though the winter. Mostly just because of wear and tear winter adds.

To be fair, they can't control the weather anymore then the OP can.

[RToyo86]

Return window is definitely long, but I understand that wasn't why you made the post.

Stinks to hear since I recently had a good email chain with Simon when my exhaust order went into limbo after they changed distributors.

And again when I ordered a front pipe which they discontinued.

[knapper]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

To be fair, they can't control the weather anymore then the OP can.

Again, I think you and Ohio are missing the point of my post. I understand that I am outside of the return period. And I am not asking for FT86 to invest in weather changing equipment so that I can test fit product more easily in the winter months, because that would be ridiculous.

The point of my post was to show how the owner chooses to speak to customers. End of story.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by knapper

Again, I think you and Ohio are missing the point of my post. I understand that I am outside of the return period. And I am not asking for FT86 to invest in weather changing equipment so that I can test fit product more easily in the winter months, because that would be ridiculous.

The point of my post was to show how the owner chooses to speak to customers. End of story.

I addressed that in my 1st post

[knapper]

Originally Posted by Ohio Enthusiast

I can understand where you are coming from and I think you understand where I am coming from. I don't agree with you and you don't agree with me, and that's perfectly fine.

As a constructive suggestion, I wonder if the wing will confirm to the trunk better once fully installed (i.e. not just a test fit). Is it supposed to be adhered with double sided foam pads or are there actual fasteners used?

It just uses 3M tape, no fasteners, but no matter how hard I press down, or where I place it, the wing does not fit snug enough for the double-sided tape to even make contact with the car around 90% of the edges. Especially since there are raised areas in several places.

Being that I am keeping it no matter, I may try to sand it down a bit in the high spots and wait until a really hot day to see if that helps.

[knapper]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

I addressed that in my 1st post

Yes, sorry, I only saw your second one there.