Legwork: https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.ph...ic=424891&st=0

Sounded like anything but poor fitment, glad I didn't jump on this at the time.

 

Just to add to the fire I have been after some parts from our vendors on here. After inquiring about various things I have ONLY found the prices here quite ridiculous, Prices ranging from 20% to 35% higher! I have shown them my better price quote for the same item and they pretty much tell me to buy theirs or get lost and even told me I am lying...

 

Why people buy 'replica' anything is beyond me.

 

Good luck on processing warranties through "gray market" (a term I learned earlier this month) vendors. Items that are sold through places who advertise prices at blow out prices are not usually covered by manufacturers warranties, and offer none of their own.

 

price?

 

All the prices I have received are from vendors that are even listed on the manufacturers web site, So there the real deal.

another example is I search ebay all the time for certain hard to find used parts. In my searching I find "deals" every once in a while on name brand things from "top notch vendors" example, I found a greddy tic single 70mm that I have been wanting at 599 shipped. I thought wow to my self thats a decent price and then noticed it was from one of our vendors. My thoughts were well maybe I can get a even better deal since I am a paid member and all. WRONG I pmd them how much for a 70mm tic and got a quote of 648 +shipping! I then wrote back and asked why they had listed one for 599 shipped? I got the response of being careful not to purchase grey market items LOL. I then posted the link to there listing, He wrote back telling me the listing was wrong and that 638 +shipping was the best he could do.

 

I being some what of a noob myself (7 years of wanting but only a few buys)
am quite fed up with finding replicas everywhere with little warrenty/customer service to boot.
I have always been a fan of Import Tuner and would indeed like for them to continue I will admit i have been taken in the past by some of thier advertisements thinking i would be getting a non "replica" but turns out i got the shaft.

So not wanting to hijack this thread but i was wondering if anyone has a couple comments about "real" companies i could look into here in the states (trying to avoid the import costs) that are reliable with good customer service.

I know im a noob and i dont really know all the good from the bad companies.
I also enjoy the fact some some companies (J's, PW) have come on here to post their own statements in this long lived heart ache.

Thanks
Nathan

 

Let me start off by saying that I'm not defending the lack or tardiness of support of JDM manufacturers for buyers stateside.

There is a big difference between a brand like Louis Vuitton and Amuse. LV has been around for over a hundred years AND is part of a conglomerate of other high-end brands. What I'm getting at is that they have a strong presence worldwide with established dealors and shops worldwide that also have a strong financial backing, etc. So, in turn, you would expect and do receive the quick support that you experienced at that LV store. Plus, they have a respected image here that they have to defend and keep up with.

On the other hand, Amuse is more akin to an upstart in the states and I'm sure they don't have anywhere near the capital a luxury brand conglomerate has. Plus, do they even have an establishment stateside or are they solely handled through official vendors (who also don't have a nearly as strong financial backing as LV and its buddies, no offense intended)? And how many people do they have working for them that could handle this situation (production and human resources), especially when compared to a corporation like LV?

Plus, say your Amuse exhaust broke and you want a warranty replacement. How many exhausts do they and their vendors actually have lying around? I'm sure they have quite a few but I wouldn't think they'd have more than a standard LV bag and there's the high probability that there aren't more than a handful in the states. I'm no expert in women's fashion, but I'd assume that with all the standalone stores they have nationwide as well as other stores that carry their products, they have a relatively high number of the same items at their disposal. And I'd also assume that it's easier for them to make another bag or repair it than it is for a machine shop to tool up and pop out another exhaust.

Both LV and Amuse are luxury items but the difference is that LV is well established in the states and has a strong(er) financial backing than Amuse. They can afford to and are expected to (by their clientele) be quick with support and handling problems. Their ease of access in the states makes it much easier for them to do so. Until Amuse becomes much more well-established in the States and has the human resources to boot, I don't think they or any other JDM company will have a quick turnaround time.

In regards to your 60" TV, the same applies (although I will argue that it probably depends on your luck as I've heard of horror stories with warranties and big box electronics stores). They have the resources to handle this relatively quickly and so does the TV manufacturer, both of who are, again, well-established companies that have operations stateside. Sure, they'll take it in the chin and fix or replace your unit but that's more than offset by the other guys around the nation/world who just bought the same TV and didn't have a problem. How many people are buying that Amuse GT-R exhaust? It's most likely that the financial impact that it'll have on the TV manufacturer is lower than it would be for Amuse to absorb the cost of replacing that exhaust.

Is it wrong for them to try to keep their bottomline from dipping farther into the red by finding reasons to deny your warranty? You can probably argue that it is. I don't like it anymore than you do. But, heck, I bet you could find quite a few car dealerships in your state doing the same thing in the next hour or two.

Again, I'm not sticking up for the actions (or lack thereof) by Amuse but I believe what I said plays a big role in it. I agree that it is pretty unacceptable how long it takes to deal with problems with a JDM aftermarket company (and even to just place an order and have it delivered) but I think this is largely due in part to a problem in logistics.

 

If I was a company who's specialty is producing high end tuning parts for higher end sports cars, and competition race shop I would do everything I could to produce the best fitting and reliable parts. If something where to go wrong and a part became defective the least I would do is foot the bill for a repair bill. I realize it wouldn't be cost effective to ship out another unit and I don't think anyone within reason would think that to be an efficient course of action. In fact I would consider it waste.

Customer service goes a long way, how do you think the big conglomerate supported retailers got to be who they are today? Goods for sale used to be an investment in utility, not the cheap disposable wares I see sold today.

You also need to take into account that people are spending $1000+ for an exhaust/bodykit etc. Which is a considerable amount. I would like to know how much of that cost is actually materials, labor and shipping. I am sure a large portion of that is name brand tax. If the shops reputation is floundering due to shabby craftsmanship, poor customer service, exorbitant pricing and long lead times... this might seem, to some, as a price to steep to pay to stop IP theft. Customers not only get to pay a hefty sum for a product, but get all the headaches and nightmares to go with it.

 

I have long ago stopped thinking that forum sponsors are able to offer us the best pricing on parts. When I decide I need a certain part for my car I go through a lot of effort to make sure I get the part I need at the price I want. If that means waiting for a sale, group buy, used piece or scouring the internet for hours or days at a time...that's what I do. Its the same "measure twice, cut once" mentality.