Strafe - Worst Customer Service
Former G35driver Vendor
iTrader: (15)
request was sent for a call tag. I will keep you updated. Have the item in same box ready to ship back. How about keeping to email so I can respond better and not in this thread making it larger or more pages? Cool with you?
After about 4 months of driving with fiberglass bumpers many factors can create stress cracks. Some come from material or some come from driving or parking lots, speed bumps, typical road debris or driveways. The movement of the car itself and driving habits affect the fiberglass . There isn't a way to possibly know and Strafe or the manufacturers can't warranty anything after it is on the vehicle,
I can understand how you feel though. Myself and Dustin are customers of these same parts we both mod our G35's just like the rest of you and we pay body shops to do our work for us. We both have had good work done and a few bad work issues. We don't pick and choose which item we get off the shelf. I think the forum forgets that we buy the same things as the members . My own wide body front bumper has a few stress cracks I knew it would happen after dragging the front on my driveway. I'm back to the shop to have them fixed.
We always advise every customer what do do on our website. It is listed in terms and conditions...
Choosing a good shop and good work is one of the most important things a person can do to make everything look good. Prep and Paint is 1 of the most important areas that people see. This is the 1 area I tend not to try and shop lowest price. I shop quality and products used even if it costs a bit more in the end.
I can understand how you feel though. Myself and Dustin are customers of these same parts we both mod our G35's just like the rest of you and we pay body shops to do our work for us. We both have had good work done and a few bad work issues. We don't pick and choose which item we get off the shelf. I think the forum forgets that we buy the same things as the members . My own wide body front bumper has a few stress cracks I knew it would happen after dragging the front on my driveway. I'm back to the shop to have them fixed.
We always advise every customer what do do on our website. It is listed in terms and conditions...
Choosing a good shop and good work is one of the most important things a person can do to make everything look good. Prep and Paint is 1 of the most important areas that people see. This is the 1 area I tend not to try and shop lowest price. I shop quality and products used even if it costs a bit more in the end.
Could the authentic kz front get stress cracks since its not fiberglass? I am not too much knowledgable about body work.
Former G35driver Vendor
iTrader: (15)
Any Paint can crack If stress or proper prep work isn't taken. I'm not a expert on Paint nor cracks..I just know from my own experiences with fiberglass. I wish I was a painter I could save a lot of money.
After about 4 months of driving with fiberglass bumpers many factors can create stress cracks. Some come from material or some come from driving or parking lots, speed bumps, typical road debris or driveways. The movement of the car itself and driving habits affect the fiberglass . There isn't a way to possibly know and Strafe or the manufacturers can't warranty anything after it is on the vehicle,
I can understand how you feel though. Myself and Dustin are customers of these same parts we both mod our G35's just like the rest of you and we pay body shops to do our work for us. We both have had good work done and a few bad work issues. We don't pick and choose which item we get off the shelf. I think the forum forgets that we buy the same things as the members . My own wide body front bumper has a few stress cracks I knew it would happen after dragging the front on my driveway. I'm back to the shop to have them fixed.
We always advise every customer what do do on our website. It is listed in terms and conditions...
Choosing a good shop and good work is one of the most important things a person can do to make everything look good. Prep and Paint is 1 of the most important areas that people see. This is the 1 area I tend not to try and shop lowest price. I shop quality and products used even if it costs a bit more in the end.
I can understand how you feel though. Myself and Dustin are customers of these same parts we both mod our G35's just like the rest of you and we pay body shops to do our work for us. We both have had good work done and a few bad work issues. We don't pick and choose which item we get off the shelf. I think the forum forgets that we buy the same things as the members . My own wide body front bumper has a few stress cracks I knew it would happen after dragging the front on my driveway. I'm back to the shop to have them fixed.
We always advise every customer what do do on our website. It is listed in terms and conditions...
Choosing a good shop and good work is one of the most important things a person can do to make everything look good. Prep and Paint is 1 of the most important areas that people see. This is the 1 area I tend not to try and shop lowest price. I shop quality and products used even if it costs a bit more in the end.
If you want to continue more lengthy conversations about this PM me. But it would be moot since you'll try to refer me to you lame a$$ policies and conditions clauses.
Oh, by the way, you mentioned it should have been taken to a reputable body shop to be done right. This body shop isn't just a collision center. They had several custom one-off jobs in the works when I toured their shop. I was referred to this shop from several auto hobbyists at our local cars n coffee meets who had some very impressive body work done as well as high grade paint jobs done. I got to know the owner personally and would refer ANYONE in the Las Vegas valley to them on account of the marvelous work I've personally seen them put out.
Last edited by GAU-8; Mar 18, 2012 at 11:47 AM.
Former G35driver Vendor
iTrader: (15)
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Every Company has terms and Conditions to include the Authentic Body kit Companies. I understand about the POLY front. We don't make any products.
The Poly front became available to US shortly after your order. We didn't even have any input in the design or when it was to be made. We share parts with other Vendors on here as well. Some items become exclusive until a company makes their quota on their investment. If the bumper had cracks when it was shipped to you it would have been warrantied within the 24 HR period after box was opened and inspected. We aren't blaming you and we aren't saying you did anything while driving. I did not accuse you and I didn't say you specific. I spoke generic. I'm not arguing or accusing you of anything. We just can't be held responsible for anytime after the box gets opened and you inspect the items past the 1st 24 hr period.
Trying to separate emotion from facts . I know that is hard after spending money hard earned . Every Company needs protection too. There are many people out there who scam companies and these disclaimers get written because of them. who suffers? The honest customer.Strafe and VIS and other vendors have no way of knowing what happens to a product after the boxes are opened and that is why the boxes have instructions what to do right away. That helps us to fix any issues.
Sorry I don't remember the transaction. Really I don't. Sorry you feel like we treated you bad. It is your right to feel the way you do.
These are on VIS shipped Boxes
Are there any Vendor on here without terms and Conditons? Or Disclaimers? Credit Card companies ask for these all the time. When doing Charge backs or disputes this either will help a Customer or Protect the company. We don't make these things up to mess over any Customers. These are in place for legal reasons and the nature of doing business. We don't like Our hands being tied either. The small number of bad customers or stolen credit cards or products creates this for everyone. Sorry.
We've been through this over the phone and over emails. What you must not remember is in that 4 months, the car had less than 400 miles on it since installation, has a metal under tray holding the lower edge in place and hadn't even seen the interstate. I drive 4.5 miles round trip to work at speeds no higher than 45. I'm military and live across the street from the base. I have a second car that our family uses for long distance driving. This thing is cracking in areas where it shouldn't normally crack. I can send photos of the bottom edge of the lip to prove it hasn't made contact with even a bumper block. I called your shop after I showed it to my body shop. They said they would strip it and provide proof to you that it was cracking due to defects during construction but that I would have to pay for the work. You all refused to accept that it was material failure, that my body shop installed it wrong causing it to crack. I can show pics of the installed part and show it's gapped perfectly all the way around. There are no incorrectly placed fasteners or attach points anywhere. But you know what? I'm not going to entertain any arguing about this, because each valid complaint posted in this thread has received nothing but references to your terms and conditions. It's all your legal B.S. that makes people like me not want to mod a dang thing. I spoke with you guys for over an hour about my desire to have this rep in poly instead of FG and you guys told me you had NO plans to make the Nismo in poly. Then a short time after I got the FG one installed, what do you guys do? Introduce the poly version. So now I'm stuck with a $1200 nose that looks like a$$ until I can come up with another chunk of change to get it sanded, filled, and repainted. Had there been a shred of accountability or trying to work with my body shop to correct this, I'd be happy to refer people to you. But even if you had the BEST product in the world at half the cost of any competitor, I'd still refer them somewhere else on account of the crummy customer service.
If you want to continue more lengthy conversations about this PM me. But it would be moot since you'll try to refer me to you lame a$$ policies and conditions clauses.
If you want to continue more lengthy conversations about this PM me. But it would be moot since you'll try to refer me to you lame a$$ policies and conditions clauses.
The Poly front became available to US shortly after your order. We didn't even have any input in the design or when it was to be made. We share parts with other Vendors on here as well. Some items become exclusive until a company makes their quota on their investment. If the bumper had cracks when it was shipped to you it would have been warrantied within the 24 HR period after box was opened and inspected. We aren't blaming you and we aren't saying you did anything while driving. I did not accuse you and I didn't say you specific. I spoke generic. I'm not arguing or accusing you of anything. We just can't be held responsible for anytime after the box gets opened and you inspect the items past the 1st 24 hr period.
Trying to separate emotion from facts . I know that is hard after spending money hard earned . Every Company needs protection too. There are many people out there who scam companies and these disclaimers get written because of them. who suffers? The honest customer.Strafe and VIS and other vendors have no way of knowing what happens to a product after the boxes are opened and that is why the boxes have instructions what to do right away. That helps us to fix any issues.
Sorry I don't remember the transaction. Really I don't. Sorry you feel like we treated you bad. It is your right to feel the way you do.
These are on VIS shipped Boxes
Are there any Vendor on here without terms and Conditons? Or Disclaimers? Credit Card companies ask for these all the time. When doing Charge backs or disputes this either will help a Customer or Protect the company. We don't make these things up to mess over any Customers. These are in place for legal reasons and the nature of doing business. We don't like Our hands being tied either. The small number of bad customers or stolen credit cards or products creates this for everyone. Sorry.
Last edited by Strafe Automotive; Mar 18, 2012 at 12:25 PM.
I understand all this. I never said you can't protect your company from frivolous liabilities either. But cracking after 4 months seems a bit wrong. What torqued my jaw was that the body shop was willing to work with you (not through me, but directly with your company) to determine whether it was cracks in the materials or poor prep and paint. You wrote back and flat out refused to accept any responsibility for the cracks. I no longer have the email as I went through this a year ago. I can't afford to pay the body shop up front for stripping the bumper so you can see the damages. If you had worked a deal with the body shop to make corrections to the product, I'd most definitely feel differently about this overall. I thought there was a workmanship guarantee on the material. I have a warranty from the body shop on their workmanship. But they showed me that if it was the paint not going on properly they would have corrected it at no charge. So I'm stuck in the middle between a company willing to correct the problems and a company that flatly refuses to accept their bumper is faulty.
Since you keep telling everyone in here that you deal with vendors mainly, tell me who made my Nismo FG rep bumper then? I was under the assumption you were making this in-house. I had the Nismo ducts glassed in as well. Another reason I thought it was made in-house is that it was sold to me as a "Strafe Nismo rep sedan bumper" Not VIS or whatever other company you deal with. So if it's a Strafe bumper made by someone else, that's rather misleading. So either you don't stand behind your own product quality or you are renaming a product made by someone else and not willing to accept responsibility for their quality of craftsmanship.
I'm not letting emotions guide me here. Look back and see if I made a thread about the level of service I got overall. I didn't. I kept it in emails and when I realized you all don't give a flip about the customer, I dropped the subject and just vowed to at least be there to forewarn anyone planning to buy from you what they might expect to get in customer satisfaction. This will be the last product I buy from your company. I would have been willing to buy your product even if it were priced higher than competitors simply for good customer service. I have in the past with other companies. Customer service is part of the equation when considering overall cost of a product. My time is worth money. My car is worth money. My being dissatisfied costs you money. My being without my car for another week while poor craftsmanship gets repaired costs me time and more money. I think I speak for most everyone here that has run into issues in dealings with your company is that making the customer suck up the cost of your company doing less than satisfactory customer service will eventually cost your company a solid reputation for taking care of the customer.
I'll just pay more to get this bumper repaired and make sure not to have any dealings with your company.
Since you keep telling everyone in here that you deal with vendors mainly, tell me who made my Nismo FG rep bumper then? I was under the assumption you were making this in-house. I had the Nismo ducts glassed in as well. Another reason I thought it was made in-house is that it was sold to me as a "Strafe Nismo rep sedan bumper" Not VIS or whatever other company you deal with. So if it's a Strafe bumper made by someone else, that's rather misleading. So either you don't stand behind your own product quality or you are renaming a product made by someone else and not willing to accept responsibility for their quality of craftsmanship.
I'm not letting emotions guide me here. Look back and see if I made a thread about the level of service I got overall. I didn't. I kept it in emails and when I realized you all don't give a flip about the customer, I dropped the subject and just vowed to at least be there to forewarn anyone planning to buy from you what they might expect to get in customer satisfaction. This will be the last product I buy from your company. I would have been willing to buy your product even if it were priced higher than competitors simply for good customer service. I have in the past with other companies. Customer service is part of the equation when considering overall cost of a product. My time is worth money. My car is worth money. My being dissatisfied costs you money. My being without my car for another week while poor craftsmanship gets repaired costs me time and more money. I think I speak for most everyone here that has run into issues in dealings with your company is that making the customer suck up the cost of your company doing less than satisfactory customer service will eventually cost your company a solid reputation for taking care of the customer.
I'll just pay more to get this bumper repaired and make sure not to have any dealings with your company.
Former G35driver Vendor
iTrader: (15)
I see clearly what you are saying or trying to convey. We do care we state our position as does most companies that deal with bodykits Our terms. Clearly the Terms and Conditions of any company is not being read or understood at the time of sale. Strafe has its terms clearly stated up front our policies. Strafe and a few resellers don’t make their own products in house. We have been around since 2009 and at this time a search or it is well known Strafe makes no products. We have exclusive products made for us or available to us. We actually allow or know who tries to get around that and order from someone else. We are made aware and actually allow the part to be sold. This works the same way for Strafe if BAUS has a product we don’t offer a request is made to them and we sell their items. So as far as the Nismo you purchased it is either a Carbodykits front or a VIS front. POLY Sedan Nismo’s come from 2 places. Strafe mainly sells from the company who made Arch’s products or we get the KDP one sold by BAUS. The 2 came out around the same time. CF ducts are made by another company. When a person gets their items it’s pretty clear where it was made and unless it is poly it comes in a VIS box.
Bodykits are the hardest products to sell and stress “As_Is” the problems and issues Strafe has is customers expect more than as –is and the costs to make these products the way they want them to fit or look isn’t cheap. This is why we sell at discounted prices. This is why Strafe gets so many complaints. Because we stand by the terms and body kit fitment or other issues associated with them. Customers we try to educate you in the process and this is where Strafe and the Consumer has the most issues.
I’m going to include a few other companies Terms and decide if we are any different besides Price which is why the purchase was made and yes you expect customer service. Emotions stem from finding out or the expense of Body shops prices to make these things look great actually is the issue. That isn’t Strafe’s fault. I know people tend to think it is our fault. We always stress reading anyone’s Terms. I will now show we aren’t all that different in terms.
From a few companies we all know.
http://www.tnaauto.com//terms.asp
http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/t...tions-i-6.html
http://www.jpusaco.com/conditions.php
http://www.aitracing.com/index.php?r...formation_id=5
http://www.seiboncarbon.com/terms/
http://www.shineautoproject.com/materials/
http://www.visracing.com/newcatalog/...onditions.html
http://www.stillen.com/page.asp?siteusagepolicy
http://www.visionautodynamics.com/in...formation_id=7
Bodykits are the hardest products to sell and stress “As_Is” the problems and issues Strafe has is customers expect more than as –is and the costs to make these products the way they want them to fit or look isn’t cheap. This is why we sell at discounted prices. This is why Strafe gets so many complaints. Because we stand by the terms and body kit fitment or other issues associated with them. Customers we try to educate you in the process and this is where Strafe and the Consumer has the most issues.
I’m going to include a few other companies Terms and decide if we are any different besides Price which is why the purchase was made and yes you expect customer service. Emotions stem from finding out or the expense of Body shops prices to make these things look great actually is the issue. That isn’t Strafe’s fault. I know people tend to think it is our fault. We always stress reading anyone’s Terms. I will now show we aren’t all that different in terms.
From a few companies we all know.
http://www.tnaauto.com//terms.asp
http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/t...tions-i-6.html
http://www.jpusaco.com/conditions.php
http://www.aitracing.com/index.php?r...formation_id=5
http://www.seiboncarbon.com/terms/
http://www.shineautoproject.com/materials/
http://www.visracing.com/newcatalog/...onditions.html
http://www.stillen.com/page.asp?siteusagepolicy
http://www.visionautodynamics.com/in...formation_id=7
Former G35driver Vendor
iTrader: (15)
And Ours which every Customer agrees to at time pf purchase. I'm sorry but We don't make this stuff Up. This truly is the hardest part after the sale and this is where besides some stock issues or shipment of wrong items People hammer Us. ( not to mention in the past I ruling with emotions on my shirt sleeve.)
Installation of Aerodynamics
All aerodynamics is manufactured with 100% fiberglass or poly. Due to the material used in production, the body kits will NOT be a direct bolt-on. Keep in mind these parts are hand-crafted and it is nearly impossible to consistently have a 100% perfect laminate. Air bubbles and pinholes are minor imperfections common with composite parts. Bondo and putty are often used to fill in these imperfections, while a coat of primer gives an added even fill throughout the surface. We do our best to spot these imperfections before they leave the facility. These minor imperfections can be easily taken care of through the proper prep and paint process as well. These body kits may require prepping, sanding, shaving, filling gaps, or other extensive body work. These modifications may include removal or cutting of the reinforcement bars. By complying with our policies, customer understands the procedure and possible difficulty in installing the body kit. We HIGHLY recommend that a professional body shop with fiberglass & Poly Urethane body kit experience perform the installation. Refunds will not be issued due to poor fitment of the body kit. If fitment is off by extreme margins, a refund will be considered. All prices, materials, design, color, contents included with a product, and product specifications are subject to change without notice. Some product images may be shown with optional items that are sold separately.
WARRANTY
All products come with the warranty that is applied directly by the manufacturer. Strafe Automotive does not offer any of their own warranties and are not responsible for product failures or failures due to installation. All products are intended for race use only as suggested by the manufacturer and should be installed and set up by professional service centers ONLY. As stated above we are not responsible for shipping cost other than by our own mistake of incorrect shipping. Any item that is altered or changed from its original state without the consent of the manufacture will not be able to be returned or receive warranty support. The warranty of a product is facilitated by Strafe Automotive; however we can only enforce the manufactures decisions. Warranty/Return claims must be made within 24 hours of receipt date. Failure to do so will result in a waiver of customer's right to return the merchandise. By law, a dealership is not allowed to void a warranty based upon having aftermarket parts installed on a car. When you add an aftermarket part to the car, the aftermarket part will void the warranty of ONLY the stock part it is replacing. Strafe Automotive will not back warranty request due to shipping damage, improper handling, installation, abuse, neglect, accidents, modified, painted, or competition use. No labor or inconvenience may be included in any warranty claims. Warranty claims apply to the parts only and do not cover labor, installation, paint, or other incidental charges.
I hope this educates us all and we can show the forum members we are trying and what they are getting into with most companies on bodykits. We will continue to try and get the best Price and We will continue to improve Customer Service. I hope that all this helps to educate the members on "Body Kits and what to expect...
Installation of Aerodynamics
All aerodynamics is manufactured with 100% fiberglass or poly. Due to the material used in production, the body kits will NOT be a direct bolt-on. Keep in mind these parts are hand-crafted and it is nearly impossible to consistently have a 100% perfect laminate. Air bubbles and pinholes are minor imperfections common with composite parts. Bondo and putty are often used to fill in these imperfections, while a coat of primer gives an added even fill throughout the surface. We do our best to spot these imperfections before they leave the facility. These minor imperfections can be easily taken care of through the proper prep and paint process as well. These body kits may require prepping, sanding, shaving, filling gaps, or other extensive body work. These modifications may include removal or cutting of the reinforcement bars. By complying with our policies, customer understands the procedure and possible difficulty in installing the body kit. We HIGHLY recommend that a professional body shop with fiberglass & Poly Urethane body kit experience perform the installation. Refunds will not be issued due to poor fitment of the body kit. If fitment is off by extreme margins, a refund will be considered. All prices, materials, design, color, contents included with a product, and product specifications are subject to change without notice. Some product images may be shown with optional items that are sold separately.
WARRANTY
All products come with the warranty that is applied directly by the manufacturer. Strafe Automotive does not offer any of their own warranties and are not responsible for product failures or failures due to installation. All products are intended for race use only as suggested by the manufacturer and should be installed and set up by professional service centers ONLY. As stated above we are not responsible for shipping cost other than by our own mistake of incorrect shipping. Any item that is altered or changed from its original state without the consent of the manufacture will not be able to be returned or receive warranty support. The warranty of a product is facilitated by Strafe Automotive; however we can only enforce the manufactures decisions. Warranty/Return claims must be made within 24 hours of receipt date. Failure to do so will result in a waiver of customer's right to return the merchandise. By law, a dealership is not allowed to void a warranty based upon having aftermarket parts installed on a car. When you add an aftermarket part to the car, the aftermarket part will void the warranty of ONLY the stock part it is replacing. Strafe Automotive will not back warranty request due to shipping damage, improper handling, installation, abuse, neglect, accidents, modified, painted, or competition use. No labor or inconvenience may be included in any warranty claims. Warranty claims apply to the parts only and do not cover labor, installation, paint, or other incidental charges.
I hope this educates us all and we can show the forum members we are trying and what they are getting into with most companies on bodykits. We will continue to try and get the best Price and We will continue to improve Customer Service. I hope that all this helps to educate the members on "Body Kits and what to expect...
You keep saying poly. I have fiberglass. The box it came in was a generic brown reinforced cardboard box. No names of any manufacturer anywhere on the box. No manufacturer stamped or written on the product either.
Former G35driver Vendor
iTrader: (15)
Ok ..really I don't remember the transaction. You can email me. I can then maybe recall where it came from and we can put you in touch with the maker and see what they want to do for you.
You know... I was pretty content to just let this play out but this dependence on the terms all of a sudden is going to make me throw up. If I see one more 4cking mention of some BS disclaimer written by any number of flunked out law students who now do landscaping on the side I'm going to whack a snake.
Just like you said- these policies are in place TO PROTECT YOU FROM THE IDIOTS AND THE **** BAGS. They are not a blanket waiver that authorizes you to disregard everything that falls outside of a very, very tight envelope. It gives you the flexibility to evaluate the concerns of the honest and well meaning customer while protecting yourself from those looking to screw you. Sometimes a couple sneak through... and yeah, sometimes you have to dig some money out of your pocket. That's why they call it RUNNIN A BUSINESS and not WINNING THE 4UCKING LOTTERY.
Just like going to the bar... It is written on the door of almost ANY bar that you'll ever walk into that "they reserve the right to refuse service to ANYONE." This allows them the right, as proprieters, to throw out idiots so that the fun happy drinkers can stay and empty their pockets into the cash register while the door monkeys can throw the gargoyles out. It doesn't mean that I walked around throwing everyone out because I had the right to.
This blind dependence on this absolutely ridiculous documentation- across the board- is frightening. The rest of this post isn't even worth writing.
Last edited by Eno; Mar 19, 2012 at 04:59 PM.
