Forewarning that this will be a lengthy post/rant:
Well, I ended up emailing CTS Turbo (difficult for me to make phone calls throughout the day because I'm always on-road for my job).
I got a response from Clay. He claims that all HFC's and test pipe's are designed this way, and that he has yet to see one with the mounting bracket I'm talking about. Clearly, he has not seen any other HFC or test pipe other than the one made by CTS Turbo (including the factory cat that includes this bracket). He also said that he has no plans of revising his product because they feel that it works (we'll see how they hold up over time). I responded to his email with the first picture I posted above, showing the Eurocode HFC with this bracket, and the factory cat with this bracket. I did not receive a response from Clay in regards to this (guess I had a valid point).
I waited a couple of days, and decided that since I could not get a valid reason as to why their HFC was designed this way, I was going to return it. I couldn't justify installing a part on my car that did not include all factory mounting points. If this bracket wasn't needed, I'm sure that Audi wouldn't have included it in order to save building costs. I emailed Clay and asked how I go about returning the item. He responded immediately to this email, while still ignoring the email where I proved him wrong.
He proceeded to explain to me that there are no returns after 30 days, and that normally a 35% restocking fee applies. He was willing to accept the return and charge me a 20% restocking fee (minus the cost to ship the HFC to me originally). This is written on their website under their terms and conditions. The refund is also given in store credit only, and has to be used within 90 days.
My wife ordered this over the phone back at the end of November (as a Christmas gift), and specifically asked Clay about the return policy, as she knew I had my heart set on an 034 Motorsports HFC. Clay explained that they stand behind their product 100% and that it could be returned, no problem. Clay didn't explain any of their terms and conditions over the phone, and instead assumed that my wife had gone on their website and read them. Trust me when I say that my wife would never go to an automotive performance website. She had to get my buddy to arrange this purchase (which he also did over the phone with Nik), so that she ordered the correct part.
While I understand the shipping to me not being covered, and the fact that I'm responsible for return shipping, I do not agree with the restocking fee. Not only was the restocking fee never mentioned to my wife when she asked about the return policy (she wouldn't have bought it unless there was a no-hassle return policy), this part was never installed. It was taken out of the box, looked over, and placed back in the box (with original packaging, etc). I can understand a restocking fee being applied to a computer, etc, as the company now has to repackage the product, and discount it as an 'opened box' item. This results in a loss of income for the company. I get that. But this piece was in the exact same shape that I received it in, including the original box it was shipped in, etc. I could see a restocking fee being applied if there was damage to the item or something, but I don't understand why this was going to be charged to me. The other reason I don't agree with the restocking fee is because I wasn't returning the item 'just because'. I was returning it because I was not happy with the design. I offered to do an exchange with CTS Turbo for a revised edition of their HFC (with the mounting bracket), and Clay explained that they had no plans to revise it. I just wasn't comfortable putting a part on my car that didn't include an important mounting bracket. I tried my best to resolve this without returning it (as I was otherwise happy with it), and made Clay aware of this.
I responded to Clay, explaining that I disagreed with the restocking fee, and stated the reasons above; to which I got no response (again, because I had a valid point).
My wife decided that since she was the one that originally spoke to Clay over the phone regarding the return policy, that she should be the one that calls him and talks about this.
She barely got a few words in before Clay raised his voice to her, cutting her off, and explaining that their terms and conditions are clearly stated on their website, and that he didn't care that she did not go on their website to read them, etc. She requested that the refund be for the full amount (minus the shipping cost), and that it be reapplied to her credit card, instead of as a store credit. That's when Clay shouted "pack it up and ship it back then!" I was in the other room when this call took place and could hear my wife clearly. I can vouch for her that she never once raised her voice, and that she was polite and professional about the situation. Obviously, her attitude changed slightly when Clay began shouting at her and being rude, but at the most, she became more stern with her demand. Clay, on the other hand, did not maintain professionalism throughout this conversation.
I got all of my money back, except for $56. I'd like to assume that this was for shipping, however, I was able to ship this item back to them through UPS (same company they shipped it to me through) via next-day air for less than $56. CTS Turbo shipped this item to me via UPS standard (ground service- much cheaper). I paid published rates, and CTS Turbo has a UPS account, and I'll assume that they get a decent discount on rates from UPS. So, either they are paying WAY too much for shipping, or I didn't get all of my money back from them. I'm going to assume that I didn't get all of my money back (which is the reason that I am not a satisfied CTS Turbo customer). If this would've been handled differently, then I obviously would've given credit with how well this situation was handled.
To Clay: Please enjoy the money that you dishonestly, and unprofessionally made off of my wife and I. Maybe you could put it towards an educational course in customer service? You do need it.
I suppose, for me, it was money well-spent to learn a valuable lesson in the importance of customer service when dealing with vendors. It has really made me realize just how professional, friendly and customer-oriented that the businesses I typically deal with are (EuroSport Tuning and Pfaff Tuning). I have also dealt with Eurocode Tuning and AWE Tuning, and I must say that their customer service is top-notch as well.
Buyer Beware!
), and 3 nuts (to mount the HFC to the down pipe). There aren't any bolts included in this kit. I was under the impression that you needed to replace the bolts where the HFC is attached to the down pipe as well. Am I wrong?
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Originally Posted by TCHUN003
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