Thread: Do not support Overkill.

Not saying the guy is bonkers ... just saying we were working with him to make it right. Analysis, discussions take time. Replacements were made relatively quickly to try and remedy the problem. After we continued to work with him he goes and post something like this??
Its not like we said " hey bud too bad no returns make it fit", we had replacements made, emailed back and forth, spoke on the phone and then we get blindsided with something like this? That is ridiculous and unfair and we wont take it.

Yes you did. A restocking fee plus shipping for a large item is effectively saying you won't accept a return. That is not working with the customer. I don't care how common it may be in business. It's a common "fuck over the customer" tactic. Did you guys have a management decision about this weighing all the pros and cons of implementing this policy? I'd go back to those cons you listed and stare really hard at the one that says "will piss off customers who're already inclined to be upset".

So you sell parts that can be bought elsewhere, for less, and send the wrong parts and then get mad when you wont help the customer? Either you get these parts form that source or you bought a set and then copied them. If neither of those is the case then you at least stole pictures form another website...

What research? I guess searching the net for the best design to steal is research...

IN the OP's case you sent the wrong parts. Your fault not the customer. Pictures of the installation were sent.. they are obviously the wrong ones. What needs to be discussed besides how to work out shipping the wrong parts back and getting the right parts?

This is the return policy. Either way we were continuing to work with him, in fact he just received another replacement the other day to try and fix the issue.

I do believe that is what they worked out initially.

However, I think I've said enough on this matter. OEM shouldn't have to deal with me anymore, I'm not their customer. I've said my piece. Anything OEM says* is just going to dig them deeper in my opinion so I'm ducking out of this while the getting's good.



*Short of "We're refunding you completely, immediately. Keep the exhaust or we will arrange for UPS to come pick it up from your place."

Good point. We are dont with this as well.
Fuel, either send back the system or continue to work with us to get it right.
This is our only offer.

Bottom line everyone wants to know (Forum's moderatorship and administrators, as well as contributors and visitors alike) is this:

What are you, OEM, doing to rectify this situation at present? Are you still hellbent on no longer dealing with the customer that posed a VALID complaint? Or are you just going to pull the wool over your eyes and say "it's only one out of 100, he can get bent"?

If you're not willing to eat shipping/"re-stocking" fees since it CLEARLY didn't fit, then what?

Yes we charge a restocking fee, why you might ask. Well its simple really. Most parts are made to order, in fact 90% are made to order, so truly you are getting a one off part every time you order, that's why it takes a couple weeks to get parts sometimes. I do understand that a restocking fee is frowned upon but its something we have added. Weather customers like it or not, its parts of how we do business. It states this very clearly on our site.

Now I do understand that the system is having a few fitment issues, thats why we sent out a new midpipe asap, like I said everything is custom built so it can take a week or two to get the part out. As stated, exhaust systems are not always 100% perfect and we understand this, but there is alot of tweaking that can be done to make it fit. Now you might say tweaking, who and why should I tweak. Well its simple really, our systems are custom made, every system is different (with options), so sometimes the hangers need to be bent or bolts need to be purchased to make it fit better. Also every car is not made the same, some get into accidents and that can throw the system off as well. If there are small parts that need to be made or a small weld that needed to be added, we would have gladly paid for the extra work, just send us the receipt.

I understand his side, believe me I do but at the same time, we are a small company doing what we can to make it right. He has always been delt with very professionally. In fact I told him to call me when he got the new midpipe to make sure everything fit well. I do understand that this is a public forum and to each his own thoughts.


With all this said, the option was always there to send it back for a restocking fee, weather or not he wanted to keep trying to make it fit was up to him.

Just a note - because fuelcutoff wants a refund, it's paypal that requires him to send back the exhaust, not overkill.

That doesn't explain the 30% restocking fee, which makes me scratch my head because I am a small ebay business and every single time paypal has taken the side of the buyer when something goes south (usually because of the shipping company) paypal gives a full refund upon my own reciept of the defective product.

To me, even one red flag on my record shows SO poorly on my ebay profile, no longer that shiney 100% you know? I believe OEM needs to realise that if they are spending all that money on 5 engineers and a million dollars in cnc machines, that reputation is a huge part of how they are going to pay back the loans and pay those salaries right? I mean, let's face it, squeezing a few pennies (in this case $500) isn't going to make or break your business guys; If anything this 'time you spend eating and going to the bathroom ' costs you just as much in a day (if you do in fact have 5 true engineers working for you) than it would have been to take the restocking fee and shipping.

I will say this however, the adequate response to this coming from a guy who has managed a number of retail stores is this.

1) Agree with the customer on item X, it shouldn't have fitted/worked/didnt work the way it did
2) Using nice cheap words you say this: I understand your frustration, I have person XXX looking after that product X right now as we speak
3) Your new product X will be done by the end of the day, sent with extra fast shipping so we get you on the road as quickly as possible, you will receive the tracking number first thing in the morning.
4) All we ask that you purchase it on your credit card while the item is in transit until we recieve the defective unit, since every computer company does it this way, xbox does it this way, etc. This is not too much to ask. If the customer makes a scene, THATS when you stick to your guns on your replacement policy.

Restocking fees should NEVER exceed 15% on something, especially on something you the company screwed up, not the end user. If you have to, say that you're already totally committed to the customers satisfaction, ask for their patience as you iron out the kinks in mfg BECAUSE you're a small business, and calm them down by offering them a free powdercoat, or 15% off their next purchase, whatever it is that would make them happy, other than a refund because you'd rather see this fixed for future customers rather than returning it and risk having someone else with the same problem. That way you're quasi-partnering with them and making them feel important.

This will ensure your customer satisfaction, and let's face it guys, you can easily with your rediculously delicious creative brains of yours - find something you can make out of the old exhaust f up.

The thing is, a company has to be totally proactive on this stuff. If you have a policy in place, like on a disclaimer page on your website, you can alleviate a lot of these types of issues. Have like 4 seperate drafts made up so you don't have to spend the time doing this with EVERY single customer right? One for returns, one for defective products, one for warranty, and one for polite 'sorry we dont do that because you're being unreasonable', only to be pulled out when all else fails, and keep a record of it all so that you can be blameless when things like this DO come to the top.

Mark. Is it Mark? Matt?

IMO you should handle all PR situations. Don't let bluebomber/Brian touch them in the future.