kashak
Ready to race!
<rant>
Clutch: Southbend Stage 3 Daily non-silent design
This is going to be a long post. If it's in a wrong section, please move it.
Didn't want the situation to escalate to this, but it is apparent that I am being ripped off.
August 30
I came back from a road trip and the same day my clutch started acting up. The shifter would not go into any gear after one of the stops at the traffic light. The pedal felt normal. I turned of my car, was able to put it in first gear, turned it back, and it went. Freak occurrence, I thought. Got home fine, hand washed the car. Turned it on - won't get into gear. Tried the same method I used before and, as I turned on the car, clutch fully pressed, car stalled. Waited till next morning to get it to H2Sport.
August 31
Tom@H2Sport suggested I take it a dealer and get the issue identified and fixed under warranty. His only guess at the time was a faulty slave cylinder. Dealer gets the car.
September 5
Dealer calls, says they replaced the master cylinder and bled the clutch under warranty and the car appears to working correctly. I get there, sign the paper, get to my car, start it - won't go into gear. I go back to the dealer, tell them it isn't fixed. They got the 2 mechanics that test drove it to come up front, and they said that it shifted fine when they took it to check if it worked. It would make sense to me since the problem didn't happen all the time - about 50/50. I leave the car.
September 7
Dealer shoots me an email - they took the tranny out and the springs on the clutch disk went:
I decided to contact APR, since I bought the clutch from them directly.
September 12
Chris@APR finally gets back to me and asks for pictures, details etc for him to forward to Southbend.
September 13
I get a reply from Chris@APR saying that Southbend needs to inspect the clutch for warranty:
September 17
I ship my clutch to Southbend from H2Sport. Same day I shoot them an email asking about time frame, to which Jon@Southbend replies:
September 24
I shoot another email to Jon@Southbend asking for an update:
September 27
The clutch was supposed to arrive by now, I shoot Jon another email to get a tracking number so that I could set an appointment to get my replacement clutch in:
APR got the clutch the same day and sent it my way, providing a tracking number.
October 2
The clutch arrives, it is installed. The clutch won't disengage. FML.
Here is an email from Tom@H2Sport to Jon@Southbend that he wrote the next day:
To which Jon replies:
Tranny is taken out the same day.
October 10
After a few calls and a few emails which got no reply, 7 days after Jon@Southbend agreed to send a label for UPS, my replacement clutch finally gets picked up. I am told by Jon that everything is on schedule.
October 17
The clutch arrived on the 12th, but it wasn't even looked at until 5 days later and a call from me. Turns out, Jon went on vacation. Dave@Southbend said he will have a look for me. Couple of hours later I get this:
September 21
After 2 months of not having a car, ~20 emails, ~20 calls, some measurements comparing the 2nd replacement to my oem setup, the clutch was installed and it worked out of the box(which now contained a warranty paper, instructions and a part number - something that didn't come the first time I got a replacement). I paid $770 for a flawless install and another $170ish for a new slave cylinder, which was requested by me.
September 23
I email Jon the invoice that I got from the install of the first replacement, which turned out to be $1200 after tax, thanks to all the bleeding. Here's what I got in reply:
I have no reason to doubt H2Sport or Ben@GeorgetownVW's work. It is a straightforward install.
Southbend has shown to: release beta-products, change stories, show complete lack of respect to customers. My requests were not unreasonable. I didn't ask to get my engine or tranny replaced. I paid $1300 and $700 for original clutch and install. I paid $900 more for something that should not be happening to a product who's front page slogan reads "There is nothing in this world that a person cannot make cheaper and sell for less and people who consider price alone are this man's lawful prey". At least not so soon. I am on a hook for $1200 more because the company that builds these clutches likes pointing fingers at everyone but themselves. To anyone who's considering Southbend in the future - you better be sure to document everything, take measurements and save all emails when dealing wiith that company. They will try or say ANYTHING to put the blame on ANYONE but themselves.
</rant>
Clutch: Southbend Stage 3 Daily non-silent design
This is going to be a long post. If it's in a wrong section, please move it.
Didn't want the situation to escalate to this, but it is apparent that I am being ripped off.
August 30
I came back from a road trip and the same day my clutch started acting up. The shifter would not go into any gear after one of the stops at the traffic light. The pedal felt normal. I turned of my car, was able to put it in first gear, turned it back, and it went. Freak occurrence, I thought. Got home fine, hand washed the car. Turned it on - won't get into gear. Tried the same method I used before and, as I turned on the car, clutch fully pressed, car stalled. Waited till next morning to get it to H2Sport.
August 31
Tom@H2Sport suggested I take it a dealer and get the issue identified and fixed under warranty. His only guess at the time was a faulty slave cylinder. Dealer gets the car.
September 5
Dealer calls, says they replaced the master cylinder and bled the clutch under warranty and the car appears to working correctly. I get there, sign the paper, get to my car, start it - won't go into gear. I go back to the dealer, tell them it isn't fixed. They got the 2 mechanics that test drove it to come up front, and they said that it shifted fine when they took it to check if it worked. It would make sense to me since the problem didn't happen all the time - about 50/50. I leave the car.
September 7
Dealer shoots me an email - they took the tranny out and the springs on the clutch disk went:
I decided to contact APR, since I bought the clutch from them directly.
September 12
Chris@APR finally gets back to me and asks for pictures, details etc for him to forward to Southbend.
September 13
I get a reply from Chris@APR saying that Southbend needs to inspect the clutch for warranty:
September 17
I ship my clutch to Southbend from H2Sport. Same day I shoot them an email asking about time frame, to which Jon@Southbend replies:
September 24
I shoot another email to Jon@Southbend asking for an update:
September 27
The clutch was supposed to arrive by now, I shoot Jon another email to get a tracking number so that I could set an appointment to get my replacement clutch in:
I shipped it from H2Sport and they shipped it to APR? :mad0259:
APR got the clutch the same day and sent it my way, providing a tracking number.
October 2
The clutch arrives, it is installed. The clutch won't disengage. FML.
Here is an email from Tom@H2Sport to Jon@Southbend that he wrote the next day:
To which Jon replies:
Tranny is taken out the same day.
October 10
After a few calls and a few emails which got no reply, 7 days after Jon@Southbend agreed to send a label for UPS, my replacement clutch finally gets picked up. I am told by Jon that everything is on schedule.
October 17
The clutch arrived on the 12th, but it wasn't even looked at until 5 days later and a call from me. Turns out, Jon went on vacation. Dave@Southbend said he will have a look for me. Couple of hours later I get this:
I am sorry, but what the fuck? Grease causes slipping, not disengagement issues. I shoot an email back quoting Tom's email to Jon. Then I get this:
Ah, so the story changes. Still some stuff about slipping...oh well. The pressure plate was not bolted down all the way. Except it was (Tom took some pictures and made a little punchmark before sending it back to Southbend, along with some measurements). When this was brought back at Dave, he ignored it. Well, I thought, I'll just wait for Jon to come back.
September 21
After 2 months of not having a car, ~20 emails, ~20 calls, some measurements comparing the 2nd replacement to my oem setup, the clutch was installed and it worked out of the box(which now contained a warranty paper, instructions and a part number - something that didn't come the first time I got a replacement). I paid $770 for a flawless install and another $170ish for a new slave cylinder, which was requested by me.
September 23
I email Jon the invoice that I got from the install of the first replacement, which turned out to be $1200 after tax, thanks to all the bleeding. Here's what I got in reply:
Slipping issues, yet again. Wrote a polite reply with a few questions:
To which he replied:
Yes Jon. How about the fact that I had to get a replacement in the first place? Not defective? Didn't know clutches were supposed to take a shit so soon? I guess I should be thankful for getting a replacement at all, huh?
I have no reason to doubt H2Sport or Ben@GeorgetownVW's work. It is a straightforward install.
Southbend has shown to: release beta-products, change stories, show complete lack of respect to customers. My requests were not unreasonable. I didn't ask to get my engine or tranny replaced. I paid $1300 and $700 for original clutch and install. I paid $900 more for something that should not be happening to a product who's front page slogan reads "There is nothing in this world that a person cannot make cheaper and sell for less and people who consider price alone are this man's lawful prey". At least not so soon. I am on a hook for $1200 more because the company that builds these clutches likes pointing fingers at everyone but themselves. To anyone who's considering Southbend in the future - you better be sure to document everything, take measurements and save all emails when dealing wiith that company. They will try or say ANYTHING to put the blame on ANYONE but themselves.
</rant>
