BUYER BEWARE: "Asura Design = the next ChaserAero"
10-03-2011, 09:27 PM
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BUYER BEWARE: "Asura Design = the next ChaserAero"
This is my story about the horrible customer service experience I have received from Asura Design.
The reason for my post is to inform and warn the s2ki community about a fraudulent and misleading vendor on the forums.
My conclusion to use these negative terms is based on the facts of my experience, which I will detail below.
Here's the Cliff's Notes:
1. Asura is too "busy" to reply to customer inquiry.
2. Asura misleads customers about the emissions/smog status of the high flow cat they sell.
3. Asura offers a refund, then bails on the offer.
4. Asura ships hodgepodge mounting hardware.
5. Asura ships bent gaskets (not once, but TWICE)
6. Asura misleads customers about the optimal sizing of exhaust components.
How this all got started:
It all started out when my OEM cat failed, and rattled itself loose, beheading my O2 sensor. I began looking into the possibility of a high flow cat which would be compliant with California's strict emissions/smog requirements. This is potentially a murky area, as the requirements for smog compliance have changed over the years. But nonetheless I trusted the s2ki community and forum sponsors to guide me in the right direction. The two high flow cat (HFC) options were basically Berk and Asura.
My search began on s2ki, but I found conflicting information. On many of the Asura-related threads, including the thread which Asura was the OP, there is discussion of the cat being "CARB legal" or "emissions compliant" (phrases of that nature). Because I was confused, and still learning, I assumed the best thing to do would be to contact the manufacturer, Asura, and ask some questions to get myself properly informed. I could not have been more wrong.
1.
Contacting Asura, as many already have posted, is a hit or miss situation. Apparently the owner is "busy" (who isn't...) and that's been the running excuse which set the precedent for lengthly intervals between my questions and his answers. I asked many questions via voicemail and email. He managed to mislead me in both verbal and written communication, but was careful where and how to do so (more details below)
2.
The bottom line was, I was asking Asura, plain and simple, if the HFC cat he sells would pass a smog check in California. Asura lives in California, and his business is in California, and he is in the business of selling catalytic converters, so you would assume he would be capable of giving a straightforward answer. His trick was that he would never answer an emissions related question in writing (over email) and instead would call me, then give me the run around in a verbal language battle. His dodgy response would be something like "I've never had a customer tell me that they failed smog with my HFC" . This avoidant language could only ever be true if he was "too busy" to hear all the people who told him the HFC is as good as a test pipe when it comes to smog checks.
In my first ever email to him he stated:
This is a plain and simple lie. A direct replacement would imply it holds the same emissions standards, and it does not. Its an aftermarket HFC, which he later posted in all related threads "for off road use only". Clearly he lied to me, then tried to post on all the threads to cover himself.
Asura's advertisement strategy on s2ki has been to rely on misinformation being posted on nearly every single thread (essentially free false advertising). Realistically, one cannot assume he is responsible for the content of public forums, BUT, one could assume he witnessed the misinformation, and let it slide since it stands to benefit him financially.
Based on Asura's assurances that I would pass smog with his HFC, I ordered the part. The day it arrived, I was shocked to see that it had no CARB EO#, which is essential to pass smog in California. I called him and he began offering refunds, never mentioning his misinformation campaign, or clarifying the incorrect information on the thread. I basically had to do my own research, and call the government to find out I was lied to and mislead about the product. If course, I tried to pass smog, but I failed smog twice.
3.
On two separate occasions, Asura offered me a refund. He never mentioned the terms of the refund. He just said, "if you want, send it back and I will refund you your money". He never said it had to be "unused", and he never clarified any terms/conditions (e.g., "you may only return as a result of the part having a defect"). So, after failing smog, I contacted him to accept his offer for the refund. All of a sudden, he then changes his mind. I later find out he changed his mind because he was "upset" and felt I was "badmouthing" him on the forums. In reality, I simply posted a narrative of my experience with him. He dug his own grave. I would have posted positive reviews if he has given me a positive experience. I'm only dealing the cards I was given.
I need to point out that he REFUSES to accept a return at this point, based on the cat being used. And the only reason it was used is because I installed the cat with hopes of passing smog (which he indicated would not be a problem) and found out it was non-compliant after the test.
4.
When examining the mounting hardware Asura included with my $300+ part, I noticed the bolts he included to attach the HFC to the exhaust were completely different. Not sure how big of a deal this is, but its a bad sign for quality control when 1 out of 3 bolts in my order look completely different. See pictures below:
5.
When I first opened the box the Asura HFC came in, I was shocked to see the included gasket completely folded in half. I'm talking about a legitimate crease, and folded in half like "step 1" in your kindergarten teacher's oragami book. I went ahead and used the gasket in good faith, assuming it was a simple mistake. After he denied me the refund on the whole cat, leaving me stuck with a part I reluctantly would have to put back on my car, I asked for a new non-bent gasket to be shipped to my door. Asura has the nerve to send me another BENT gasket.
Here's the first gasket I was sent:
Here's the second gasket I was sent:
6.
When I consulted Asura to determine the appropriate size of the cat, he mislead me once again. He assured me a 3" cat would be the ideal match for my Comptech header and exhaust. Naively, I believed him. It wasn't until later research that I found out that he was completely inaccurate. The bottom line is, Asura is supposedly knowledgeable of the components on the S and he took advantage of my obvious lack of knowledge.
You have been warned s2ki.
Asura will laugh at you all the way to the bank.
================================
EDIT: Below, I have compiled all negative reviews posted about Asura in the bottom of my OP. There has been far too much trolling and irrelevant negativity against me, personally. This thread was never about me, but about one man's poor customer service.
Been having a hard time myself...
[/quote]
[quote name='chViETnk;21037250]i do agree, you cant get ahold of them because they are always "busy" and it did take longer than what they told me to ship it out.[/QUOTE]
EDIT: NOT SUPRISINGLY, I RECEIVED A HUGE AMMOUNT OF REPLIES THAT AGREE WITH MY EVALUATION OF ASURA. SO MANY, IN FACT, THAT I COULD NOT FIT THIS AMOUNT OF QUOTES WITHIN ONE POST. SEE BELOW FOR THE CONTINUED LIST OF HORRIFIC ASURA CUSTOMER SERVICE.
The reason for my post is to inform and warn the s2ki community about a fraudulent and misleading vendor on the forums.
My conclusion to use these negative terms is based on the facts of my experience, which I will detail below.
Here's the Cliff's Notes:
1. Asura is too "busy" to reply to customer inquiry.
2. Asura misleads customers about the emissions/smog status of the high flow cat they sell.
3. Asura offers a refund, then bails on the offer.
4. Asura ships hodgepodge mounting hardware.
5. Asura ships bent gaskets (not once, but TWICE)
6. Asura misleads customers about the optimal sizing of exhaust components.
How this all got started:
It all started out when my OEM cat failed, and rattled itself loose, beheading my O2 sensor. I began looking into the possibility of a high flow cat which would be compliant with California's strict emissions/smog requirements. This is potentially a murky area, as the requirements for smog compliance have changed over the years. But nonetheless I trusted the s2ki community and forum sponsors to guide me in the right direction. The two high flow cat (HFC) options were basically Berk and Asura.
My search began on s2ki, but I found conflicting information. On many of the Asura-related threads, including the thread which Asura was the OP, there is discussion of the cat being "CARB legal" or "emissions compliant" (phrases of that nature). Because I was confused, and still learning, I assumed the best thing to do would be to contact the manufacturer, Asura, and ask some questions to get myself properly informed. I could not have been more wrong.
1.
Contacting Asura, as many already have posted, is a hit or miss situation. Apparently the owner is "busy" (who isn't...) and that's been the running excuse which set the precedent for lengthly intervals between my questions and his answers. I asked many questions via voicemail and email. He managed to mislead me in both verbal and written communication, but was careful where and how to do so (more details below)
2.
The bottom line was, I was asking Asura, plain and simple, if the HFC cat he sells would pass a smog check in California. Asura lives in California, and his business is in California, and he is in the business of selling catalytic converters, so you would assume he would be capable of giving a straightforward answer. His trick was that he would never answer an emissions related question in writing (over email) and instead would call me, then give me the run around in a verbal language battle. His dodgy response would be something like "I've never had a customer tell me that they failed smog with my HFC" . This avoidant language could only ever be true if he was "too busy" to hear all the people who told him the HFC is as good as a test pipe when it comes to smog checks.
In my first ever email to him he stated:
"They are a direct OE replacement for the factory cat."
Asura's advertisement strategy on s2ki has been to rely on misinformation being posted on nearly every single thread (essentially free false advertising). Realistically, one cannot assume he is responsible for the content of public forums, BUT, one could assume he witnessed the misinformation, and let it slide since it stands to benefit him financially.
Based on Asura's assurances that I would pass smog with his HFC, I ordered the part. The day it arrived, I was shocked to see that it had no CARB EO#, which is essential to pass smog in California. I called him and he began offering refunds, never mentioning his misinformation campaign, or clarifying the incorrect information on the thread. I basically had to do my own research, and call the government to find out I was lied to and mislead about the product. If course, I tried to pass smog, but I failed smog twice.
3.
On two separate occasions, Asura offered me a refund. He never mentioned the terms of the refund. He just said, "if you want, send it back and I will refund you your money". He never said it had to be "unused", and he never clarified any terms/conditions (e.g., "you may only return as a result of the part having a defect"). So, after failing smog, I contacted him to accept his offer for the refund. All of a sudden, he then changes his mind. I later find out he changed his mind because he was "upset" and felt I was "badmouthing" him on the forums. In reality, I simply posted a narrative of my experience with him. He dug his own grave. I would have posted positive reviews if he has given me a positive experience. I'm only dealing the cards I was given.
I need to point out that he REFUSES to accept a return at this point, based on the cat being used. And the only reason it was used is because I installed the cat with hopes of passing smog (which he indicated would not be a problem) and found out it was non-compliant after the test.
4.
When examining the mounting hardware Asura included with my $300+ part, I noticed the bolts he included to attach the HFC to the exhaust were completely different. Not sure how big of a deal this is, but its a bad sign for quality control when 1 out of 3 bolts in my order look completely different. See pictures below:
5.
When I first opened the box the Asura HFC came in, I was shocked to see the included gasket completely folded in half. I'm talking about a legitimate crease, and folded in half like "step 1" in your kindergarten teacher's oragami book. I went ahead and used the gasket in good faith, assuming it was a simple mistake. After he denied me the refund on the whole cat, leaving me stuck with a part I reluctantly would have to put back on my car, I asked for a new non-bent gasket to be shipped to my door. Asura has the nerve to send me another BENT gasket.
Here's the first gasket I was sent:
Here's the second gasket I was sent:
6.
When I consulted Asura to determine the appropriate size of the cat, he mislead me once again. He assured me a 3" cat would be the ideal match for my Comptech header and exhaust. Naively, I believed him. It wasn't until later research that I found out that he was completely inaccurate. The bottom line is, Asura is supposedly knowledgeable of the components on the S and he took advantage of my obvious lack of knowledge.
You have been warned s2ki.
Asura will laugh at you all the way to the bank.
================================
EDIT: Below, I have compiled all negative reviews posted about Asura in the bottom of my OP. There has been far too much trolling and irrelevant negativity against me, personally. This thread was never about me, but about one man's poor customer service.
Originally Posted by [Very popular and trusted member of the s2ki commmunity who wishes to remain anonymous'
On Oct 6, 2011, at 11:45 AM, [Anonymous] wrote:
Whoa. Crazy. I've met him in the past. He's always seemed shady. I'm sorry bud.
Whoa. Crazy. I've met him in the past. He's always seemed shady. I'm sorry bud.
Originally Posted by davidc1
Based on what you are saying, Asura screwed you, plain and simple. No doubt about it.
He would know very clearly that to be legal in CA, it not only has to pass the sniff test, but has to be submitted to the CARB for approval and issuance of a registration number. If what you say is true of your conversations with him, he completely mislead you.
Out of all the claimed conversation back and forth, there is really only one most important piece of information that should have been communicated from the seller to the buyer. And this piece of info should be communicated even if the seller doesn't ask the question specifically.
This piece of info has been communicated loud and clear on almost every single performance engine part and some accessories (such as headlights) I've seen sold in CA for the last 30 years by virtually every legitimate company I've come across.
And that is always something to the effect of:
"Not legal for highway use in the state of CA. For off-road use only."
If that wasn't communicated (and again, the buyer doesn't need to ask), then the seller didn't do his job. It's that simple.
He would know very clearly that to be legal in CA, it not only has to pass the sniff test, but has to be submitted to the CARB for approval and issuance of a registration number. If what you say is true of your conversations with him, he completely mislead you.
Out of all the claimed conversation back and forth, there is really only one most important piece of information that should have been communicated from the seller to the buyer. And this piece of info should be communicated even if the seller doesn't ask the question specifically.
This piece of info has been communicated loud and clear on almost every single performance engine part and some accessories (such as headlights) I've seen sold in CA for the last 30 years by virtually every legitimate company I've come across.
And that is always something to the effect of:
"Not legal for highway use in the state of CA. For off-road use only."
If that wasn't communicated (and again, the buyer doesn't need to ask), then the seller didn't do his job. It's that simple.
[/quote]
Originally Posted by Neutered Sputniks'
...I agree that ASURA is a pain in the ass to get in touch with (I've had my own issues)...
...ASURA is certainly difficult to get in contact with and his customer service isn't top notch...
...I am certainly not an ASURA fanboi. Not in any way...I'll never buy from him again...
...it's difficult to get in touch with the shop (yes, it is. I know this, I've experienced it - worse than you had it, I'm sure)...
...ASURA is certainly difficult to get in contact with and his customer service isn't top notch...
...I am certainly not an ASURA fanboi. Not in any way...I'll never buy from him again...
...it's difficult to get in touch with the shop (yes, it is. I know this, I've experienced it - worse than you had it, I'm sure)...
...I read many good things here about Asura Designs... So I decided to buy the 3" dual exhaust last month. That was a mistake....
...Second, I'm 'glad' to see that I'm not the only person having an issue with Asura right now. Now I can be a little more sure about who I dealing with...
...As I moved the box, I heard everything inside clank together and fall to one end. Considering how poorly the items were packed...
...The resonator and 1 of the mufflers were dented. Everything was scratched...
...gasket was mangled and torn...
...mounts were not long enough. Not long enough by a lot...not only do I need longer hangers, but every 1 of the 4 hangers needs to be a different length. Come on Asura, "made in China" assures better quality control...
...I call Asura. No answer. Call again later. No answer. Call Tuesday. Same. Send an email. No reply. All week, I send emails and call...
... Asura has seemed shady to me...
...For those of you that have had good luck with Asura, you're lucky. You really shouldn't berate the OP because his luck was not the same as yours....
...Second, I'm 'glad' to see that I'm not the only person having an issue with Asura right now. Now I can be a little more sure about who I dealing with...
...As I moved the box, I heard everything inside clank together and fall to one end. Considering how poorly the items were packed...
...The resonator and 1 of the mufflers were dented. Everything was scratched...
...gasket was mangled and torn...
...mounts were not long enough. Not long enough by a lot...not only do I need longer hangers, but every 1 of the 4 hangers needs to be a different length. Come on Asura, "made in China" assures better quality control...
...I call Asura. No answer. Call again later. No answer. Call Tuesday. Same. Send an email. No reply. All week, I send emails and call...
... Asura has seemed shady to me...
...For those of you that have had good luck with Asura, you're lucky. You really shouldn't berate the OP because his luck was not the same as yours....
Being the person that unfortunately helped eklipz98 get in contact with Asura I can attest that he was misled, just as I was misled. I was told "who else makes a carb legal hfc for the S2K, only I do(Ashish) because I love this car, I don't make any money off of this crap."
eklipz98 would have been a happy customer if he had been informed that the hfc isn't carb legal and that it's not good practice running a 76mm cat on a 63mm exhaust.
eklipz98 would have been a happy customer if he had been informed that the hfc isn't carb legal and that it's not good practice running a 76mm cat on a 63mm exhaust.
10-03-2011, 11:50 PM
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EDIT: I ENDED UP FINDING SO MANY QUOTES OF POOR ASURA CUSTOMER SERVICE, THAT S2KI STOPPED ALLOWING ME TO FIT ALL THE QUOTES IN ONE POST! I AM NOW USING THIS POST AS OVERFLOW, FOR THE LONNNNNG LIST OF NEGATIVE REVIEWS OF ASURA:
...About a year and a half ago I bought one of Asura's exhausts for my car. When it arrived the packaging was terrible. Bolts and gaskets spread out in the box and part of the exhaust hanging out of the box...
...So I took the exhaust out and installed it. Guess what? It sat horribly uneven and pushed my bumper out. So I contacted him about the issue. He claimed it was damaged by fedex. So after a claim was filed and the exhaust was shipped back he sent me another exhaust. And it didn't fit properly either...
...When I questioned him [Asura] again he suggested maybe the car that I bought new had been wrecked. Um...NO! The car was never wrecked. He then said there wasn't anything he could do because the exhaust was used because I installed it and drove it down the road. I took it to my buddy at Johnson City Honda who is a tech. He tried it on his S and guess what? It was crooked...
...So I pmed a member who had bought the exhaust to ask if they also had fitment issues. I never bad mouthed. I guess they are buddies. So coming home from school I get a call from Asura. He trys to be mean about me badmouthing him on the forum...
...So I took the exhaust out and installed it. Guess what? It sat horribly uneven and pushed my bumper out. So I contacted him about the issue. He claimed it was damaged by fedex. So after a claim was filed and the exhaust was shipped back he sent me another exhaust. And it didn't fit properly either...
...When I questioned him [Asura] again he suggested maybe the car that I bought new had been wrecked. Um...NO! The car was never wrecked. He then said there wasn't anything he could do because the exhaust was used because I installed it and drove it down the road. I took it to my buddy at Johnson City Honda who is a tech. He tried it on his S and guess what? It was crooked...
...So I pmed a member who had bought the exhaust to ask if they also had fitment issues. I never bad mouthed. I guess they are buddies. So coming home from school I get a call from Asura. He trys to be mean about me badmouthing him on the forum...
There needs to be an air of credibility and openness about the products. From what it sounds like, Asura wasn't entirely honest with their information, and needed to resort to phone calls in lieu of in writing to give an answer that only beat around the bush...
...I think you should have realized Asura was just selling you snake oil, and returned the product (while being entitled to b*tch a little on the forums, especially if he didn't cover the shipping costs)...
...for most of these sellers, customer "service" about vanishes when you bring up that you want a refund...
...In summary, I think Asura sounds like a shady seller (who makes parts with fitment issues, and who cannot package a product properly)...
...Asura is the reason customers can become wary of purchasing aftermarket parts...
...I am not trying to defend Asura, I think his products, packaging, and service sound downright shady and subpar...
...I think you should have realized Asura was just selling you snake oil, and returned the product (while being entitled to b*tch a little on the forums, especially if he didn't cover the shipping costs)...
...for most of these sellers, customer "service" about vanishes when you bring up that you want a refund...
...In summary, I think Asura sounds like a shady seller (who makes parts with fitment issues, and who cannot package a product properly)...
...Asura is the reason customers can become wary of purchasing aftermarket parts...
...I am not trying to defend Asura, I think his products, packaging, and service sound downright shady and subpar...
10-04-2011, 12:06 AM
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Thanks man! If I was going to do it, I had to do it right.
Love your Bruce Wayne avatar BTW!
10-04-2011, 01:13 AM
#7
i didnt read the whole thing but just my 2 cents, you are not gonning pass emissions in california with any other cat then oem. you should have done your research and have known that to begin with. aside from that i do own one of their asura 3" hfc and am satisfied with their product(my gasket wasnt bent like yours at arrival, not sure about the bolts as i used my previous bolts) and i do agree, you cant get ahold of them because they are always "busy" and it did take longer than what they told me to ship it out.
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10-04-2011, 02:23 AM
#8
The way I understand it, all aftermarket cats are illegal even if they do pass emissions. To use an aftermarket cat legally, it must be replaced by a shop and they must certify in writting on a government form that the OEM they are replacing will not pass emissions. California has the toughest laws in the nation and had you lived somewhere else, you may have passed state law but would still not be in compliance with federal law.
I think the only thing you could have tried, would have been to have the OEM removed and the aftermarket installed professionally but it would still have to pass the emissions test.
I think the only thing you could have tried, would have been to have the OEM removed and the aftermarket installed professionally but it would still have to pass the emissions test.
10-04-2011, 05:10 AM
#9
Registered User
Wow, that is awful service for sure. He should damn well know that his reputation is worth a LOT more than the profit he's going to make off this one cat. He should have just given you a refund up front and avoided this whole mess.
I also agree that you probably should have known better to install an aftermarket HFC and expected to pass smog in California. Let this be a lesson to others I guess.
I also agree that you probably should have known better to install an aftermarket HFC and expected to pass smog in California. Let this be a lesson to others I guess.
10-04-2011, 08:25 AM
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One of my main points in this post was that the owner of the company, who knew it wouldn't pass, told me it would pass. I was silly enough to trust him when I did my research.