hippo and dog

Mods, please merge this post and subsequent posts with the original thread if found. Thanks!

**I couldn't find the old thread, so here is my contribution. a culmination of all things that happened since ~February 2010.
****


I originally purchased a hardtop from Russ with chaser aero. The first one they shipped to me broke.



Then they shipped me another hardtop with really bad fitment. I've been trying to work with this hardtop for the last ~6 months trying to get it to fit right. I've exchanged pm's with other hardtop installers to get tips, HardTopGuy himself, and reinstalled this thing several times. I even had my friend who used to work at a body shop help me align it. But even with a good install, a bad quality product won't fit right.

I'll try and present this as factually as I can and I'll try not to let my frustration with Chaser aero get in the way of my objectivity.

My initial problems were well documented in an email I sent to Russ to try and resolve my issues:

My Email to Russ:
Here are some other problems in addition to:

-they shipped me seals that had the protective backing (to keep the adhesives from sticking to the packaging) shifted so the adhesive backing had lost their adhesivity (is that a word?) Anyway, the gap due to their manufacturing defect let air, water, rock, ice cream, small squirrels, etc. into the hardtop.

-Killer wind noise in the windshield area as soon as I hit 60mph. Here's a video of me at 70mph.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvCcBoKtWuc [/media]

No, my hardtop strikers were not worn. I even did the vacuum tube trick but that did nothing. I even tried hardtop strikers. After talking to HardTopGuy, we diagnosed that it was due to the quality of the uneven mating surface.

HardTopGuy
Though, I should note, the hardtop strikers did help a bit. It lessened the intensity by what I would guess 20%, but it starts the wind noise at 40mph. Worse. Now I get to deal with wind noise at city driving speeds.

Also, I remember Russ posted something about how it was their fault that they stacked the hardtops on top of each other while it was cooling, thus making the hardtop concave. Result? It lets air and water in. I temporarily put seals in there to block the air and water. So Chaser aero admitted it was their manufacturing fault and has done nothing to help the owners who had this problem due to their bad products.

No surprise, russ never returned an email, phone call, or whatever. Last Contact I had with him was April. Because of the wind noise and leaks, I basically had this hardtop stashed in my living room all this time. I was pretty upset that I spent this much to have a living room conversational piece.

Then there was that guy Zack. he flopped.

Then now there's Shawn. Initially Shawn gave me GREAT customer support in trying to help me with these issues. He suggested that I try to bend down the rear part of the hardtop by putting weights on it and leaving it out on the sun all day.

I did do that.



It was 105F in sacramento.

However, that did not help much. It temporarily closed the gap by what I would guess, 1/8" of an inch, however, the hardtop concaves back to its 1" gap in cold weather.

Shawn also told me to get hardtop strikers. I did, and that didn't help. Refer to a couple of lines up, just before the video. Although he did offer me $50 chaser aero credit. (Yeah right, as if I would ever buy their products again).

So I ask Shawn to help me out with the gap in the rear. Originally, I had bought seals to help patch up the rear, but Shawn tells me to take them off before I put the weights on. so I did. However, his solution got me nowhere. I spent $15-$20 on those seals that help close that gap. He tells me to take them off, So I asked him for replacement seals in the rear. After all the frustrations I got from their bad quality hardtop, I thought it wouldn't be unreasonable for me to ask for seals in the rear. I originally came into this thing looking for a refund. Now I'm just asking for a seal in the rear.

Before I asked Shawn for seals in the rear, he was great in replying my pm's and questions. After I sent him that request, he doesn't reply back for 1.5 weeks. My ears are dying from the wind noise. So, I ping'd him in his for sale thread.

I said:
He sent me the following pm. Obviously, he was upset and his subject titled was that my post was uncalled for. Uncalled for? what? These are facts. I have a hardtop that has bad fitment!

Chaser:
Do you know why I feel the need to say bad fitment and bad quality? Because the hardtop I received is a bad quality product. I would have kept things in private messages if he would respond earlier, but my ears are aching for a solution. (As of now I'm not driving with the hardtop. my car is quieter with a soft top)

Chaser:
0.13"? This is a 1 inch gap that I'm talking about. Air and water is getting inside my car with this hardtop on. I don't consider this a petty issue.

Chaser:
none of your pm's back to me told me anything about where to buy upgraded seals. does anyone know? shawn presented himself as a business professional, yet my factual complaint on his for sale thread took him personally. I don't have a grudge against Shawn, just Chaser.

Chaser:
The wind noise I got from my hardtop is definitely wrong. Check my video. That is loud.

With that said, I'm never going to buy from Chaser. And I hope this serves as a warning to others. Again, nothing against Shawn. He initially provided me with great customer service and seemed to be a nice guy, but it stopped as soon as I asked for seals.

and I know it isn't just me. I've exchanged pm's with 3 other members who have the same problems and even one of them talked to the owner of Chaser. They told me it was not a pleasant experience being belitted by the owner of chaser.

And as a side note, it seems to me, a "new" rep comes into s2ki, makes a couple of sales, dissapears, then gets taken over by another "new" rep.. makes some sales, dissapears...


PLEASE BUY YOUR HARDTOPS FROM MORE REPUTABLE MANUFACTURERS

305s2k

QuagmireS2k

This does not surprise me. I am not a Chaser basher. All that i see is poor quality from them though. They go through more employees than Mc Donalds.

jemje2006

so true.

GavinSSAP1

Here we go again!

ChaserAero

I am going to make one post in this thread to back up the company in which I work for. A company that I stand by our products.

Here is a gallery of apparently our "non fitting" hardtops that we have generated throughout the s2ki community

http://aerokits.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=3

They look bad right? terrible fit?...from the looks of them..they look pretty awesome......

Actually here is some posts and PMs I received from customers that were pleased with the fitment of our tops. The personally went out of their way to compliment me on how they liked there top so much.


The second one is a PM and the first one is a quote from a previous thread...so Im assuming you are already searching to see if these are true...so go ahead and search away. Our tops are quality, I sent you page long PMs on what I thought you should do with the top to make it fit better. I even consulted our install tech and got his opinion and relayed it to you.

Im very sorry that you feel our top "doesn't fit". We've had great success our customers are happy with our product and Im sorry you dont feel the same way..

----Shawn

GavinSSAP1

Your post, Shawn, really does nothing for you, I'm sorry to say. You have 3-4 cars there in which you showcase the fitment, and to be honest, there are a couple that still look bad.

The issue here is the customer service I think and judging by the PM's you sent back to your customer, you are sorely lacking in that area. I am speaking as another automotive industry professional (read trim shop) and quite honestly, I'm offended that you and your shop buddy would belittle a paying customer like you would.

If we completed a full custom interior for a client and then told them to their face that if they complained about a problem regarding said interior, then they're just being petty and we won't speak with them, we would receive a horrible reputation.

It's one thing to back up the company you work for and I admire that you're standing up for Chaser and that you believe in the product you sell. However, to take that tone to a customer who has paid you for a product, is completely asinine, rude, and just a down right bad business practice.

Unfortunately, at this point, I think most people are just out on a witch hunt with you guys but you guys need to make it right with the customers who have had bad fitment issues with your tops. I mean, is $15-20 rear seals worth losing potential customers over? If you were so inclined to stand up for the company you work for, I would assume you know the answer to that question.

Best of luck with future customers though. Hope you guys get all this straightened out.

SOHCmyDOHC

Shawn why not step up to the plate and take care of the OP? He was willing to keep things "private" and when you started to ignore him he calls you out... Nothing wrong with that.

Man up... Fix his issues or offer a refund. Plain and simple.


Sorry JCJT but that HT looks worse than what you described to me. Looks like shiet...

Personally i think the weight thing may have helped a little when the top was still new. Now the resin has cured and its too late.

Can't the admins revoke his sponsorship? At least until issues get settled.

Seattle2k

I agree, the fitment on several of those look like crap.

Chaser has had problem after problem here on S2KI....They're chasing the money, and then running away.

04S2kSS

you get for what you pay for..

The company should still stand behind there product and offer to refund or replace with something that is going to work properly....


Dre