VividRacing = Really bad experience
Sep 8, 2006, 12:19 PM
#1
VividRacing = Really bad experience
This is a little long but I wanted to make sure the story was told in its entirety for accuracy's sake. Also I already spoke with the vendor and notified them I'd be posting about this.
A little over a month ago I got a quote from Matt at VividRacing for a Chargespeed rear bumper since mine had been rear-ended and was getting replaced. I got the quote for $720 shipped and a couple weeks later decided to go ahead and get the bumper from him. He told me that he had sold the last one he had in stock but could get me another one, but I'd have to wait until early-mid September for it. I told him that would be fine and I would wait for the new one.
After another week or so, I give my body shop Matt's info so they can order the bumper and have it directly shipped to them. First mess up was that they spoke with Evan and he gave her a higher price. I call and attempt to get this resolved. Matt say he will fix the price and refund the difference.
Another week goes by and my bodyshop says that there has been no credit regarding this bumper. So I call Matt up again. NOW he tells me that he can't do the same price because it will be getting shipped directly from the distributor in CA once it hits the LA port to the bodyshop and therefore he will need to add CA tax on top of it, for a total of $796. I asked him that I didn't really care about how he gets his $720 shipped quote and asked him to honor his original price. He said he'd look into it. He come back and offers an extra $25 off and thats it. I told him no. I asked him why he needed to charge the sales tax to begin with being that I was buying from him and his company is in Arizona and got no good response. Also, I suggested that he have the bumper just get shipped out to them along with the rest of the bumpers coming in (which is still 2 weeks away) and then he could ship it back out to me from Arizona. He said that he would then have to pay shipping twice and therefore it'd cost more. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the original quote was for one that he already had out in AZ. So if anything, it would be CHEAPER for them to send it directly to me from the LA port.
Anyways, I tell him to cancel the order since he won't honor his original quote and asked him if he would indeed credit the ENTIRE amount back. He assures me that he will and that he will fax me a copy of the cancelled invoice. A few days goes by and I receive no fax. So I call again and get ahold of him after over 20mins on hold. He faxes me the invoice. And what do I see? A CANCELLATION FEE OF 5%!!!
. So I call AGAIN and ask him why he charged this after he assured me he wouldn't. I think at this point Evan gets on teh phone and says "its company policy" I then asked him if its company policy to quote one price, then charge a higher one. I told him that I'd post my bad experience if they didn't refund the money and he seemed completely indifferent about it.
I'm just pissed that I based a purchasing decision on a quote Matt gave me, then was charged a higher one and given a really weak explanation. Then to add insult to injury when I cancel the order because I don't agree to the new, higher price, I am charged a cancellation fee. I really feel this is bad business and will never recommend them to anyone. The money isn't that much an issue, its the principle that matters to me.
A little over a month ago I got a quote from Matt at VividRacing for a Chargespeed rear bumper since mine had been rear-ended and was getting replaced. I got the quote for $720 shipped and a couple weeks later decided to go ahead and get the bumper from him. He told me that he had sold the last one he had in stock but could get me another one, but I'd have to wait until early-mid September for it. I told him that would be fine and I would wait for the new one.
After another week or so, I give my body shop Matt's info so they can order the bumper and have it directly shipped to them. First mess up was that they spoke with Evan and he gave her a higher price. I call and attempt to get this resolved. Matt say he will fix the price and refund the difference.
Another week goes by and my bodyshop says that there has been no credit regarding this bumper. So I call Matt up again. NOW he tells me that he can't do the same price because it will be getting shipped directly from the distributor in CA once it hits the LA port to the bodyshop and therefore he will need to add CA tax on top of it, for a total of $796. I asked him that I didn't really care about how he gets his $720 shipped quote and asked him to honor his original price. He said he'd look into it. He come back and offers an extra $25 off and thats it. I told him no. I asked him why he needed to charge the sales tax to begin with being that I was buying from him and his company is in Arizona and got no good response. Also, I suggested that he have the bumper just get shipped out to them along with the rest of the bumpers coming in (which is still 2 weeks away) and then he could ship it back out to me from Arizona. He said that he would then have to pay shipping twice and therefore it'd cost more. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the original quote was for one that he already had out in AZ. So if anything, it would be CHEAPER for them to send it directly to me from the LA port.
Anyways, I tell him to cancel the order since he won't honor his original quote and asked him if he would indeed credit the ENTIRE amount back. He assures me that he will and that he will fax me a copy of the cancelled invoice. A few days goes by and I receive no fax. So I call again and get ahold of him after over 20mins on hold. He faxes me the invoice. And what do I see? A CANCELLATION FEE OF 5%!!!
. So I call AGAIN and ask him why he charged this after he assured me he wouldn't. I think at this point Evan gets on teh phone and says "its company policy" I then asked him if its company policy to quote one price, then charge a higher one. I told him that I'd post my bad experience if they didn't refund the money and he seemed completely indifferent about it. I'm just pissed that I based a purchasing decision on a quote Matt gave me, then was charged a higher one and given a really weak explanation. Then to add insult to injury when I cancel the order because I don't agree to the new, higher price, I am charged a cancellation fee. I really feel this is bad business and will never recommend them to anyone. The money isn't that much an issue, its the principle that matters to me.
Sep 8, 2006, 12:47 PM
#4
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I have had nothing but problems ordering from them either. Granted they gave me a good price with free shipping, it just wasn't worth the hassel of getting the wrong parts. lets see:
1) ordered sway bar, they sent wrong sway bar without hardware!
2) ordered exhaust, missing test pipe
3) ordered intake, sent me old model that did not fit
Anyways, I won't be ordering from them any more!
1) ordered sway bar, they sent wrong sway bar without hardware!
2) ordered exhaust, missing test pipe
3) ordered intake, sent me old model that did not fit
Anyways, I won't be ordering from them any more!
Sep 8, 2006, 12:49 PM
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I guess when you become a Platinum vendor you can get away with anything. There are a couple out there that shouldn't be allowed to be on here because of shady business practices.
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Sep 8, 2006, 12:58 PM
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Thanks for the heads up and sorry for your troubles. I cant stand it when people quote you one thing then change it, then REFUSE to work with you on it. Hope it all works out for you and once again thanks for the heads up, being a new member its kind of hard to choose which vendors are good and which are shady.
Josh
Josh
Sep 8, 2006, 01:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Warrtalon
Not sure why people still go there after all the horror stories on this forum. I guess either people are new or forgot how they're one of the most hated shops in the Evo community.
Sep 8, 2006, 01:17 PM
#10
I had absolutely no idea they ran their business this way.
I know that the Moderators and Admin on EvoM have been tightening up the forums and not allowing inappropriate comments from the members lately, thus returning EvoM back to a forum where the members support each other. I figured they would do the same with their vendors, or at least they should start. Having a couple less vendors isn't going to cause the servers to shut down.
I know that the Moderators and Admin on EvoM have been tightening up the forums and not allowing inappropriate comments from the members lately, thus returning EvoM back to a forum where the members support each other. I figured they would do the same with their vendors, or at least they should start. Having a couple less vendors isn't going to cause the servers to shut down.
Sep 8, 2006, 01:47 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by Warrtalon
Not sure why people still go there after all the horror stories on this forum. I guess either people are new or forgot how they're one of the most hated shops in the Evo community.
Sep 8, 2006, 02:13 PM
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just got ot put in my 2 cents, VIVID RACING IS THE WORST PLACE I HAVE EVER ORDERED FROM!!!. I ordered from them about a year ago when i got my first Evo8. I ordered a set of Nologoy Hot wires from them (YES, i know that they are junk...NOW) anyway when i ordered them they told me over the phone it would cost $200.00 for the nology hot wire set and i absolutly needed a set of 2 step colder plugs to run them in order to get a minimum of 10 hp gain and a maximum of 25hp gain (I know, I know.. i was stupid back then) so it would be an extra $20.00 for the plugs so the total came to $220.00 even.... I asked isnt there tax? the guy says "that is with tax, it comes to $220.00 even." so i asked how long it would take he replies 3 to 5 business days.
Long story short i got charged $252.00 that is with the tax he didnt add and the shipping he didnt add, plus it took 2 weeks to get to my house.
OOHHHH!!! and this is for anyone that wants to get Nology hot wires for there car. On an AWD Dyno where i went to college for my degree in Automotive technology, With my car bone stock, I ran my car without the plugs and sparks plugs with two pulls i made 219WHP on the first pull and 218WHP on the second pull. then with the car still on the dyno i installed these AWESOME Nologyy Hot Wires and 2 step colder plugs... then did 2 more pulls. The first pull i made 208WHP and the second pull i made 204WHP. AWESOME.. I made -11WHP!!!!
Long story short i got charged $252.00 that is with the tax he didnt add and the shipping he didnt add, plus it took 2 weeks to get to my house.
OOHHHH!!! and this is for anyone that wants to get Nology hot wires for there car. On an AWD Dyno where i went to college for my degree in Automotive technology, With my car bone stock, I ran my car without the plugs and sparks plugs with two pulls i made 219WHP on the first pull and 218WHP on the second pull. then with the car still on the dyno i installed these AWESOME Nologyy Hot Wires and 2 step colder plugs... then did 2 more pulls. The first pull i made 208WHP and the second pull i made 204WHP. AWESOME.. I made -11WHP!!!!
Sep 8, 2006, 02:18 PM
#15
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You shouldn't have had to pay tax since you were out of state, what a rip off! And luckily I always paid them with paypal so they couldn't change their mind later.