Tein Suspension
08-02-2012, 02:24 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2012
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Tein Suspension
Just a heads up for those looking at Tein parts. Here is the original thread
BTW, If a mod sees this I cannot log in under my old account. It was Hix.
BTW, If a mod sees this I cannot log in under my old account. It was Hix.
For the past few weeks I was working with Tein for the suspension development for the BRZ. Typically, aftermarket parts developments like this have always been enjoyable and fun. This time however, was regrettably painful.
Here is how everything happened. One day, I was informed that Tein was looking for a BRZ for their development work. When I call them, their coordinator have notify me that they were doing there development on the street advance damper. We quickly set up a date where I went by and dropped off the car. On the day of the dropped off, I have express my interest in getting their monoflex coilover, and I am willing to pay if they can get me a good deal. The coordinator said he will need to consult with his manager about my inquiry before getting back with me. During the drop off, the coordinator have also mention that they might be scheduling for another development 3 weeks later, as a result, I told him that I will like to participate that development as well if schedule allowed (I have been taking my car everywhere).
For the next 5 days, Tein went on to conduct their development. On the day of pickup, The coordinator said they have fitted my car with their S-tech lowering spring instead of the damper as promise. Their reason for installing a cheaper item on the car was because Tein management have agreed to sell me their Monoflex for $700. At the time, I thought this was fair, so I didn’t protest. The coordinator has also told me that he will get back with me if they need my car to do a second development.
The following Wednesday I called Tein again for a follow up. At first the coordinator told me that they don’t need to do another development. But our monoflex deal was still $700. Then the following week, the coordinator called me to schedule a second development for their super street damper. We quickly settle on a date. This is the turning point of this development. The next day, the coordinator called again to ask me to bring the OEM spring back when I bring my car in for a second development. They said they want to take the S-tech back because they are giving me the monoflex for so “CHEAP”. Though I feel a little uneasy for that request, I complied to that request without objection. Meanwhile, we confirm the shipment schedule for the monoflex, where our $700 agreement still stand and we talk about the detail of the transaction. Two days later, the coordinator called me again to tell me to fill up the car before I drop it off. He said their R&D team was unhappy when the car did not have full tank when I drop the car off last time. At this moment, I started to get a feeling that they were nickel and diming me. However, I still comply with their request w/o objection.
The next day, I received a call from another supplier saying that my current development will be delay, and this delay will overlap into the Tein development. As a result, I call Tein immediately to notify them of the situation, and I offer the earliest day that I can bring the car back again. The coordinator said he will have to check and get back with me. A few hours later The coordinator called me back and said they no longer need my car for the development, and we reconfirm on our monoflex deal for $700 as well as the availability date.
The following week, this Monday, I was surprised when I received a call from Tein coordinator saying that they were no longer able to offer me the monoflex for $700. Instead they can only give it to me for 20% off. At that point, I felt cheated. When I look back at all the events lead up to this point, it seems obvious that Tein was never interested in honoring their deal. As a result, I then proceed to tell Tein coordinator that this is the worst experience I have with any company for parts development. Not only that, if they were being honest, they would still save on their developing cost by selling me the monoflex because, both street advance damper and supper street damper combine cost would be equivalent to the cost of a single monoflex set. On top of that, their investment in this development is approx 2200 since they weren’t planning to install monoflex for me. While other development company have also give me not only parts in excess of 2500 (parts + labor), one company even went on and get me a rental for 2 weeks, while another company went to my location to pick up the car (they are 100 miles away). Moreover, other companies not only fill up the gas, and they even give me a carwash. I continue the conversation by pointing out that I was compliant to all of their requests, and when something happened out of my control, I notify them immediately. I then ask the Tein coordinator to discuss my dissatisfaction with his manager hoping that they would at least be professional and honor their end of the deal. Tein coordinator call me back in a couple of hours stating that the best they can do is 25% off the monoflex. They said their reason for not offering me the monoflex for $700 is because I was not able to bring my car in for their supper street development. I refuse to accept that counter offer because at that point, it is painfully obvious that they were never serious with their offers to begin with. So, I then told Tein coordinator that I will give them 2 days to rethink their decision, otherwise I will have no choice but to share my story with the 86 community.
The following day, I called Tein and talked to their operation manager. I pleaded with them with reasons and he basically told me that the reason they can’t offer me the monoflex is because there product lunch schedule was delay and thus they need to sub out the development work. He have also said that their decision for offering me the monoflex for 20% was firm and its directly from Tein’s General Manager.
Side note, the monoflex would only be avaliable afte the second development.
So what do you guys think? To me, their intention was clear as shown from their actions.
1. Developing parts is two way street. We as owners voiding all kinds of warrantee on the first year production car to help parts developers. Parts developers help us owners out by letting us be the first one to test their parts. So if they were honest in this transaction, why did they do a bait and switch with the S-tech?
2. Why did they went back and forth with the second development decision?
3. Why did they request to have the S-tech back? Were they planning to resell them??
4. Why did they request to have the car dropped off with full tank?
5. Why did they still pretend to honor the agreement for $700 monoflex after I had to reschedule?
6. Why did they tell me that they no longer need my car for second development, then later told me that I was the cause of their delay and they need to outsource.
7. Why did they first offer me 20% then 25% when I told them I was going to share my negative experience?
Personally, I now question their professional integrity as a company. If they are going to cheat out of their very first customer who is helping them get a footing in this highly competitive market, what else they are going to do to other regular paying customer? What they’ve done to me is something we can see, but what other cost cutting measures they are doing to the product behind the scene which we would only find out after the warrantee expire?
as for me, I will never recommend any Tein product to anyone in the future.
Ill do a separate review on the Tein S-tech springs in another thread.
sorry for the long novel.
Here is how everything happened. One day, I was informed that Tein was looking for a BRZ for their development work. When I call them, their coordinator have notify me that they were doing there development on the street advance damper. We quickly set up a date where I went by and dropped off the car. On the day of the dropped off, I have express my interest in getting their monoflex coilover, and I am willing to pay if they can get me a good deal. The coordinator said he will need to consult with his manager about my inquiry before getting back with me. During the drop off, the coordinator have also mention that they might be scheduling for another development 3 weeks later, as a result, I told him that I will like to participate that development as well if schedule allowed (I have been taking my car everywhere).
For the next 5 days, Tein went on to conduct their development. On the day of pickup, The coordinator said they have fitted my car with their S-tech lowering spring instead of the damper as promise. Their reason for installing a cheaper item on the car was because Tein management have agreed to sell me their Monoflex for $700. At the time, I thought this was fair, so I didn’t protest. The coordinator has also told me that he will get back with me if they need my car to do a second development.
The following Wednesday I called Tein again for a follow up. At first the coordinator told me that they don’t need to do another development. But our monoflex deal was still $700. Then the following week, the coordinator called me to schedule a second development for their super street damper. We quickly settle on a date. This is the turning point of this development. The next day, the coordinator called again to ask me to bring the OEM spring back when I bring my car in for a second development. They said they want to take the S-tech back because they are giving me the monoflex for so “CHEAP”. Though I feel a little uneasy for that request, I complied to that request without objection. Meanwhile, we confirm the shipment schedule for the monoflex, where our $700 agreement still stand and we talk about the detail of the transaction. Two days later, the coordinator called me again to tell me to fill up the car before I drop it off. He said their R&D team was unhappy when the car did not have full tank when I drop the car off last time. At this moment, I started to get a feeling that they were nickel and diming me. However, I still comply with their request w/o objection.
The next day, I received a call from another supplier saying that my current development will be delay, and this delay will overlap into the Tein development. As a result, I call Tein immediately to notify them of the situation, and I offer the earliest day that I can bring the car back again. The coordinator said he will have to check and get back with me. A few hours later The coordinator called me back and said they no longer need my car for the development, and we reconfirm on our monoflex deal for $700 as well as the availability date.
The following week, this Monday, I was surprised when I received a call from Tein coordinator saying that they were no longer able to offer me the monoflex for $700. Instead they can only give it to me for 20% off. At that point, I felt cheated. When I look back at all the events lead up to this point, it seems obvious that Tein was never interested in honoring their deal. As a result, I then proceed to tell Tein coordinator that this is the worst experience I have with any company for parts development. Not only that, if they were being honest, they would still save on their developing cost by selling me the monoflex because, both street advance damper and supper street damper combine cost would be equivalent to the cost of a single monoflex set. On top of that, their investment in this development is approx 2200 since they weren’t planning to install monoflex for me. While other development company have also give me not only parts in excess of 2500 (parts + labor), one company even went on and get me a rental for 2 weeks, while another company went to my location to pick up the car (they are 100 miles away). Moreover, other companies not only fill up the gas, and they even give me a carwash. I continue the conversation by pointing out that I was compliant to all of their requests, and when something happened out of my control, I notify them immediately. I then ask the Tein coordinator to discuss my dissatisfaction with his manager hoping that they would at least be professional and honor their end of the deal. Tein coordinator call me back in a couple of hours stating that the best they can do is 25% off the monoflex. They said their reason for not offering me the monoflex for $700 is because I was not able to bring my car in for their supper street development. I refuse to accept that counter offer because at that point, it is painfully obvious that they were never serious with their offers to begin with. So, I then told Tein coordinator that I will give them 2 days to rethink their decision, otherwise I will have no choice but to share my story with the 86 community.
The following day, I called Tein and talked to their operation manager. I pleaded with them with reasons and he basically told me that the reason they can’t offer me the monoflex is because there product lunch schedule was delay and thus they need to sub out the development work. He have also said that their decision for offering me the monoflex for 20% was firm and its directly from Tein’s General Manager.
Side note, the monoflex would only be avaliable afte the second development.
So what do you guys think? To me, their intention was clear as shown from their actions.
1. Developing parts is two way street. We as owners voiding all kinds of warrantee on the first year production car to help parts developers. Parts developers help us owners out by letting us be the first one to test their parts. So if they were honest in this transaction, why did they do a bait and switch with the S-tech?
2. Why did they went back and forth with the second development decision?
3. Why did they request to have the S-tech back? Were they planning to resell them??
4. Why did they request to have the car dropped off with full tank?
5. Why did they still pretend to honor the agreement for $700 monoflex after I had to reschedule?
6. Why did they tell me that they no longer need my car for second development, then later told me that I was the cause of their delay and they need to outsource.
7. Why did they first offer me 20% then 25% when I told them I was going to share my negative experience?
Personally, I now question their professional integrity as a company. If they are going to cheat out of their very first customer who is helping them get a footing in this highly competitive market, what else they are going to do to other regular paying customer? What they’ve done to me is something we can see, but what other cost cutting measures they are doing to the product behind the scene which we would only find out after the warrantee expire?
as for me, I will never recommend any Tein product to anyone in the future.
Ill do a separate review on the Tein S-tech springs in another thread.
sorry for the long novel.
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