03Indigo Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I have placed many orders for different parts on my car, and opted to go with a local tuner shop here in Colorado, up at Flatirons Subaru. They call their shop "Flatirons Tuning" and are basically located at the parts counter. Well, I called to ask what their best price on Perrin Sways were, and I was quoted a price that seemed fair, and I was also told that they would be competitive and match pricing. Well, when I placed my order, they wanted payment in full...which i can understand...but there were none of these bars in stock, and Perrin had the bars at the powder coater so they would not be available for quite some time. I said fine, just go ahead and order them. Well, doing some more research, I found a tuner in Portland, http://www.rallitek.com, that has them for less, including shipping. The difference between the two orders came to $33.92. I asked Aaron at Flatirons to match the price...and he was FAR LESS than helpful. this was his reply to me.... You agreed to a price and I orderd these bars for you at the agreed prices. WE have all special orders paid in full before anything is orderd. The sole reason we do this is because we do not need to be stuck with inventory because a customer changes their mind halfway through the process. The best I can do for you is the price we agreed on or a 20% restocking fee of the sale price - $33 for the front bar and $41.80 for the rear bar. That is the best I can do per management. We value your business so please let us know how we can help you. Thanks Aaron well, they DO not have them in stock, they already charged me, and they had not paid Perrin for them...so there is no restocking. I was more than upset with his response and lack of effort to keep a customer, a customer that spends a lot of money on every car he owns....numbers in the thousands for mods. So, I told him on the phone that if he was gonna hold me to the restock charge, that I was stuck and would get them from him, but I WOULD NEVER use them again. He got frustrated with me, and allowed me to have a full refund. He then stated to me that he personally called the guys at RalliTek in Portland...and stated to me on the phone "there are no Perrin bars in stock, and the price is not what I quoted him". Well, once off the phone and receiving my confirmation that I was not going to be charged, I called Bernie at http://www.rallitek.com and placed my order...the exact price I quoted Aaron...and get this...they have 3 complete sets of fronts and rears in stock. So, that means that Aaron at Flatirons Tuning lied to me again....not good. I have placed my order with Bernie and my bars will be in by the first of next week at the latest. Things I have ordered in the last week: Cusco Zero2 Coilovers Cusco Type II front lower brace Cusco Type II rear lower brace Perrin Front Sway Perrin Rear Sway AVO endlinks Rota Tarmac II 18" rims. I guess the folks at Flatirons did not want a valued customer...and all for $33. The way I was talked to by Aaron was upsetting, and his final comment to me when I stated how active i was in the automotive enthusiast community was, "I don't care who you are, or how active you are, you don't matter, there are a million other people that want parts from us, so frankly, I don't care and don't want to deal with the hassle from people like you"....or something really close to that. I can't remember his exact words at this moment, but I was pretty fumed at the time. About 20 minutes after I spoke with Bernie....a WONDERFUL and helpful guy....at RalliTek, Aaron's manager, John Ware called me back and wanted to make sure i was "satisfied"....well, I was satisfied that they did not charge me for something that was not delivered, or even paid for by them yet. John wants me to come in and sit down with him face to face and discuss the issue. That is not going to happen. I will never give my patronage to Flatirons Subaru or their service or parts departments ever again. This also coming after on my first service appointment, they backed my car into another car. They fixed it great, but still, upsetting that they did not take care in the first place. This experience with their parts department was the 2nd blow in a month...POOR Customer Service, and basically I was treated unkindly by them. I expect more from a dealer, and I am very disappointed in Flatirons and their policies and employees. I just wanted to share my thoughts and experiences so that you all can make your own decisions about where to go for parts. If you are looking for aftermarket parts, I HIGHLY recommend http://www.RalliTek.com, and speak with Bernie or Sean S.....and tell them that Jon from Denver referred you...they will know why. I generally prefer to support local tuners, but after this burn, I will just send my money to a company that can provide support and good customer service. cheers jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiftyTwoEighty Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Very useful information. Will most definitely take that into account. Thanks for the heads up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 that sucks... This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.scott of suburbia Posted April 14, 2005 Share Posted April 14, 2005 WOW Jon - that is very disturbing. I actually went to Flatirons last Friday to get an AccessPORT, and I dealt with Aaron directly. Two weeks ago, I bought my LGT from Patrick, the Internet Sales Manager at Flatirons Subaru in Boulder. Patrick was FANTASTIC - he was friendly, knowledgeable, patient and low-pressure with my wife and I, and he's a really nice guy as well. We had an experience buying our car that was nothing short of excellent, and in my humble opinion, Patrick comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - I would recommend him to any of my family and friends, and to any prospective Subaru buyer. That being said, I went into the Subaru Performance Tuning counter at Flatirons last Friday to get a COBB AccessPORT and Perrin high-flow air filter. I dealt with Aaron directly, face to face. He was very informative about the upgrade and answered all my questions about possible future upgrades to my LGT. He even went outside with me to my car and showed me how to install the air filter, all the nuances that came with it (moving cables out of the way, etc.), and gave me tips on cleaning it. I'm a novice at all this stuff, so he was very helpful. So, all in all my experience with Aaron was a very good one. Granted, he may not be as 'customer savvy' as Patrick, but he was pleasant to deal with. That's not to say that I at all don't believe your account or that Aaron is at all justified in his response to you. I'm not defending anybody but rather just relaying my experience. I find this disturbing because if I had a transaction with them and I needed to return the product like you have, I fear about Aaron being kind about returning the product. It just seems very 'Jeckyll and Hide' to me. Since my experience has been great overall with Flatirons, I'll continue to be a customer of theirs - however I'll be more cautious now than before. Thanks for your account of the issue. D.SCOTT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03Indigo Posted April 14, 2005 Author Share Posted April 14, 2005 well, I got my Accessport from them as well, since pricing is the same everywhere and they had one in stock. At the time, Aaron seemed helpful, and nice enough, but the more I talked with him, the more I found out about their "policies". He states that since I bought the Accessport from him, that I was fully aware of the restocking fee...well, I did not read the invoice from a month ago, and when I talked to him on the phone, he simply said he had no sways in stock...so he would have to order one in for me. Well, if you have no inventory, then everything becomes special order, and everyone is subject to the return policy. That is bad business in my book. Other dealers have better stock, and even more knowledge. Aaron was not familiar with the differences between the OBXT and the LGT...which are NONE, he stated that there are no bars out for the Outback when I picked up my Accessport from him...the same day they destroyed my rear bumper during a service appointment. So, I got online here, figured that they were the same, then informed him. Well, he is the tuner that works at a Subie store, so he should have known that they were the same....so I informed him. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but as this unfolded, I find out more and more that he has basic knowledge, but as for real tuning, he is useless.....I have had others that have come forward and told me this as well in the last week. My main concern from him was the lies, on several occasions, and the way he deals with customers....he values no-one or my money. Well, that means I am going somewhere else. For this, his manager got involved to fix the problem, but I would not allow it to be fixed as I have done business with someone else. I wanted to get my car from Flatirons, but thought Shea was the internet person, not Patrick...every time i contacted them, Shea contacted me...but her responses were delayed, so I bought the car from someone else in the time it took her to respond. Maybe my case is the exception, I know they have won customer service awards, but so does every dealership, they all have their little plaques on the wall, if you know what I mean. Maybe your situation was the exception, and you are getting better treatment. When they damaged my car, they told me I need to cut them a break, that I need to work with them.....EXCUSE ME? I need to work with them, they damaged my car, so fix it. After it was fixed, and yes, they did a good job fixing it, they would not cover the original factory warranty on the paint. They said that if there was ever a problem, just bring it back to them, and they will fix it. I said, what if I move in the next 3 years. And they said, just bring it back. Well, it took me over an hour of discussion with the Service manager, forget his name right now, but he has a funny last name, and he finally put in writing that they would cover the cost of replacement or repair from any subaru dealership. Come on....that should be a given when THEY damage a 1 month old car... So, maybe my breath stinks, maybe being a bit scruffy is not good enough for them, maybe they just hate me, but why is dealing them and their mistakes sooooo difficult? What happened to customer service? I have NEVER been treated so bad by any dealership, or the employees. Aaron states he is a different part, not a part of Flatirons Subaru...then I told him... "when you charge my credit card, the charge comes up the same as sales, service, or parts, so you are in fact, the same company". He had NO comment to that. Go there if you want, but be careful, and be prepared to argue if they screw up. Also, make sure to walk around your car VERY well before leaving, including looking at the engine. Another member on the board had an issue with an oil cap from a different dealer. So maybe it is all the subie dealers, not just flatirons, but they are the only ones local I have dealt with. cheers jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 14, 2005 Share Posted April 14, 2005 They hate me too because my breath stinks as bad as Jon's, but I have since been using Listerine, once a week! :lol: j/k... Seriously, it seems to me that these people just won't learn from their mistakes. Few yrs ago they messed up my car so I got SoA involved (who wants to see the letter I got from SoA?). I ended up going somewhere else and some body (or people) ended up being fired. I thought they would have changed after that. This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KA81 Posted April 14, 2005 Share Posted April 14, 2005 I DO!! ...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustler753 Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 So..they are really that much of an ass eh 03Indigo? So you are really close to me as I am a college student at CU and I have to take my subaru to flatrons to have it serviced. So far they have been real nice regarding the service department but yeah, the tuning department was a bit "ass-holeish". Hopefully they won't give me the same attitude when I go to them to purchase some goodies for my leggy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03Indigo Posted April 15, 2005 Author Share Posted April 15, 2005 I don't live in Boulder, I am closer to other dealerships, but went there due to their "reputation". They were less than accomodating to me both times, for service and Aaron for parts. If you are going to buy goodies, go through the internet, prices are cheaper anyway. good luck with your service through them, most find them to be a good dealer, but after damaging my car, then asking me to pay for the oil change, I could not believe it. They wrecked my car, and I had to pay for the change. They gave me a free change for the future, but I am not going back....so much for trying to make someone happy. That service that day should have been free in my opinion, and I said that, and they said there was NOTHING they can do about it, so they comped the 7500 mile service....what ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 rustler what do u study? This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 I DO!! ...lol sorry had to rotate the picture to make it fit the upload requirement. This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KA81 Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 hahaha, thanks for posting it ...now my neck hurts ..:lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 ...now my neck hurts ..:lol: tide and stef, are you reading this? why 800x600 but no 600x800? file sizes should be same. This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.scott of suburbia Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 HA! It's nice to have a tablet PC with a flip-screen that rotates the screen for you. Damn gt_ltd - you're ruuf-less! Makes me wonder if the changes they made were effective after hearing this. I wonder if they ended up replacing a rotten apple with another rotten apple.... D.SCOTT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 oh, i bought my car there and let them service it for almost 4 yrs, so i guess i qualified as a loyal customer. This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KA81 Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 (10) i took my car to another dealer and either they fixed it or the problem just disappeared automatically. they didnt tell you what the problem was? sounded like a very serious problem i would have kept the torque wrench and called it a "gift" ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 they didnt tell you what the problem was? i forgot to ask... but I think they tore everything apart and might have fixed it "by accident" when putting it back. dunno... it's also possible that SOA asked them not to say anything in fear of a lawsuit from me? sounded like a very serious problem just imagine your car stalls on I-25 because the damn thing is stuck to the floor! This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUD Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 GT_LTD: You must be one very laid back person. The slamming of the door AFTER the rash display of impatience (unnecessary) would have set me off. I would have gone straight to PPL and had them take legal action. It is the disposition of men to desire that which he cannot have, hence my un-quenchable wet desire for Shakira! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03Indigo Posted April 17, 2005 Author Share Posted April 17, 2005 agreed, you have more patience than me, I would not have gone back, and it seems that once you "question" their performance or give them a less than gleaming review, they slate you and the quality of service drops. After my first service there, amazingly, I never received an evaluation from them, but I did write to SoA, no response from them as of yet. Wondering if I should write them again about the parts department.... The more I read about your story, and my experience added to that, the more they frustrate me. Is there ANY dealer that can be trusted? I am beginning to think that the answer is NO. This makes me sad. I just want to find a good tech, someone that will help me take care of my car when it needs service....as I do not want to change my own oil, etc. Oh well, maybe it is time to start doing my own services.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 i went back b/c i didn't know they got to read my survey... otherwise wouldn't have gone back... This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossodave Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 For local performance tuning you guys should check out Super Rupair in Boulder. Apparently they are good and they just installed a new dyno and are doing 2 runs for 20 bucks until the end of the month I'm going to go down there tomorrow for an alignment since I just installed tein s-techs on my LGT and nobody here in FTC seems to be able to do it. Dellenbach (dealer) doesn't count because they are the cream of the crop when it comes to crappy customer service. http://www.superrupair.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03Indigo Posted April 20, 2005 Author Share Posted April 20, 2005 I have heard about super rupair...an old audi guy is gonna dyno his new STi with stage 2 there on Friday around lunch time. He is doing catless tomorrow, and with cats on Friday. or something like that, I might be reversed. Their set up seems top notch and I have heard nothing but good things about them as well. Time will tell though. If my girlfriend is recovering from her knee surgery scheduled for thursday, I might try to get away for a bit on Friday before I head into work, so I can go see the STi do it's thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGT Chris Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Super Rupair is the place to go in Boulder! Gary, the owner, is a very cool guy and just loves Subbies. He drives around in a 05 STi! 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Luxomissle waGONE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 do they charge more than stealers? This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbroo Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 Sorry man I could of told you that Flatirons Subaru cares about money and thats it bunch of upitty smug bastards, they dented my door when I had a fluid recall on my GT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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