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Vick Auto... Oh No!

8K views 33 replies 15 participants last post by  lgbalfa 
#1 ·
As many of you know I am building a motor for my S3. I ordered "Motronic" pistons from Vick Auto only to find out (thanks RJ) that they are not but older Borga style and they could not even tell me the manufacturer! I told them they advertised them as Motronic but they were full of nothing but double talk and started having a fit about me sending them back and would not supply me with a shipping label. I personally will NEVER do business with them again. I was warned that they sell inferior parts and this is a perfect example. Do buy from these losers.
 
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#2 ·
It is true you saw the word "Motronic" in our 2-year old print catalog. Of course you purchased the product through our webstore. The webstore listing has a different, more current description and a high resolution image of exactly the product you received.

Products may differ as we reorder them from our suppliers or manufacturers. This is common. We do our best to keep our webstore descriptions & images accurate. Here's the point: In your case, the webstore description & image was accurate. It is common knowledge that print catalogs will fall out-of-date as inventories change.

At no time did we "have a fit" about you returning the pistons. We just felt it was not fair to ask us to pay for the cost of return. We told you we would refund you for the pistons just as soon as they are returned (per our Terms of Service).

We hate to lose a customer. You are a nice man who has purchased quite a lot from us. If you wish to talk again, please call

-Jerry Phillips
owner, VICK AUTOSPORTS
 
#3 ·
Your so called "description " online is no description at all. I am sending them back this morning with the realization that you dont typically deal with parts that are to OE standards and go with the cheapest supplier. Not even knowing the name of the manufacturer of your products scares me. I gave your rep an opportunity to do the right thing and it did not happen. I am sending your piston/ liner set back this morning. I was tempted to send the whole order back but am not. You want to do the right thing? You have my number.
 
#6 ·
It just irks me when a vendor responds that way. Whether they want to admit it or not there surely was some misrepresentation on their part. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and asked them to refund my money. Is it that difficult for them to email me a shipping label for their confusion? The guys on the phone were less than courteous.
 
#7 ·
The large print giveth, the fine print taketh way...

RETURNS FOR DEFECTIVE ITEMS If you receive an item you feel is defective and the part is uninstalled, call for a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. The return must be initiated within 30 days of your receipt of the product. Return shipping will be at purchaser’s expense. The item must be in good condition. Include a copy of the invoice. Use a new box. Prepay and insure the package. Save the shipping receipt. If the part is found defective, Vick Autosports will determine whether to send a replacement or issue a refund. Individual components of a kit may not be returned. No returns on electrical items, fuel injection parts, books, manuals, tools, shop equipment, racing, Special Order, or used items.
 
#9 ·
Was told the Borgos are 9.7, just like the Motronics but the issue is dome shape and questionable quality. I wa t something that is of OE quality or better. No one could tell me who the manufacturer is....
 
#11 ·
I believe it very pertinent to bring unprofessional actions and queries about vendors important issues and of interest to those that may be affected. Unless the poster has ulterior motives.
 
#12 ·
When I'm looking for a part that is very specific and pricey I try to avoid situations like this by first researching thoroughly and then calling the vendor and talking to them. All the big parts places - Centerline, Vick, Classic Alfa, Alfaholics and the DiFatta Brothers are all extremely knowledgable and helpful. They'll tell you what they know (and what they don't) about the parts they carry. A lot of these parts are pretty rare and the vendors pick them up where they can. If you were concerned about the manufacturer of this part you should have asked before hand.

The Vick website has a very clear picture of what you were getting and they are quite obviously not the flat-topped Motronic pistons. I agree that it would be a nice "goodwill" gesture for them to pay return shipping, but I also see their point that they shipped you the correct product without defects and you simply changed your mind after the fact once you learned more about what you really wanted.

As far as the proper Motronic pistons with the flat tops go, Classic Alfa and Alfaholics don't seem to carry them either and the descriptions of what they have are just as cursory. Calling either one of them "unprofessional" would just be a flat lie. Centerline DOES have the proper Motronic pistons you are looking for along with a more wordy description. I would suggest you order those - although the price is, unsurprisingly, ~50% more than the pistons you bought from Vick.

For the record I've always had good dealings with Vick though my "go to" suppliers are Centerline and Classic Alfa.
 
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#13 ·
I spent most of my working life in the auto parts business, most of that specializing in imported car parts.

In the beginning, the early 70s, return policies were quite strict. No return on non-stock items. Handling charge for the return of normally stocked parts that the customer decided not to use. No return on any installed part. No return of electrical parts except for provable warranty.

This was necessary for the small businesses to survive, and to continue to provide the critically necessary supply of hard-to-find parts for the low-production cars that we served.

Then, along came Walmart, and other mass merchants, and later Amazon, Rock Auto, etc. These mega-large distributors redefined the concept of customer expectations. Consumers now believe they have a legal right to no-cost, unlimited returns.

There is no such legal right.

Whether a company is well advised to adopt such customer-centric policies is open to debate. I know well the economics of both large and small scale businesses, and do not believe the small, specialist operations can be profitable while offering Walmart, no questions asked, return policies.

So, as consumers, we can choose who to give our business to, and whether there is value in rewarding the smaller merchants that provide unique and important services.

My personal limits exclude crooked dealing, rude behavior, and poor service. I have no objection to paying more for good service. I expect first-quality parts without exception, and avoid vendors who provide lowest-cost components to attract that sort of business.

None of this is specific to Vick’s. I’ve never done business with them, as the high-quality, brilliant service vendors I use have done a great job of keeping my loyalty.
 
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#14 ·
Listing different products under the same part # is very misleading. Since I am a newbie to Alfas and was asked to buy Motronic pistons for my application, that is exactly what I did. Until yesterday, I could not tell you what the design difference was or why it was different. When I called Vick ( BEFORE my order) I got no help and was instructed that all ordering was done online. Look at it from any perspective you wish but it boils down to I did not get what I believed I ordered and I got nothing but flak and bad attitudes when I asked them to rectify the situation. I have lost all faith it their ability to supply a quality product with sufficient descriptions of what they are actually selling, not to mention the customer service and lack of loyalty to a long time patron as I have been in the past.
 
#15 ·
I believe this is the perfect forum. The public is exactly who should know of my experience. Let them decide for themselves. Millenials? Really? My kids aren't even millenials....
 
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#17 · (Edited)
Millenials!

Twitter? ***! You don`t need that, texting or facebook etc. Call your contact and speak with them.

But I have to admit Millinials are expecting everything their hearts desire as they have lived in this era that gives them everything!

I`ve learned to pi$$ and moan, not from my 5 ex-wives but millinials!

The military draft should be a requirement for these kids. Was for my generation and the ones before...

Now the Millinials wear so much tatting that the military won`t take them, or most corporations.

And I won`t buy from them.
 
#19 ·
If a vendor improperly labels a parts and sells it. They should be responsible for the return. Their picture shows the 10.5 to 1 high compression pistons. But the description states they are the 10 to 1 pistons.

Not all Alfa owners are going to know from a picture if the part is correct.

It is up to the seller to accurately describe the part being sold. If they are using a generic picture. Then they should state that.

If they don't know the difference between the piston styles. Maybe they should not be selling them.
 
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#23 ·
I'm not making assumptions. But describing them as to what they have always be called. Alfa called them 10 to 1 and most people know that they are the flat tops or also known as the Motronic pistons.
 
#24 ·
I spoke to Vick Auto last week.

The gentleman who answered the phone kept trying to tell me that my 92 is a Quadrifoglio model when I told him the Quadrifoglio ceased production in 1990.

He said "We are the experts with these cars".

I didn't feel like arguing with him but his information is obviously not accurate.

Thanks
 
#25 ·
I am a little disturbed by what I see as a misrepresentation of a product, between what their catalog states, what the website states and what the picture shows. I will admit I dont know that much about alfa piston design or the high performance applications, but I am certainly learning. I rely a lot on the " people that know" on this website and hopefully the vendors I patronize.
I am more disturbed by the way they handled the situation. Maybe there was ignorance on my part and some ambiguous marketing on theirs. As an individual that has bought thousands of dollars of merchandise from them I would expect better treatment. We do live and learn and I have learned valuable lessons during this fiasco. I am sure they will be fine without my business but I felt it necessary to alert others to my experience so they may be more cautious than I in future dealings. I have been a business owner my whole life and I pride myself in not only providing a superior service but to listen to, understand, and do what is in my power to make my clients comfortable and happy. I have held an A+ rating with never one complaint. It is a matter of ethics.
 
#27 ·
Yup. I wont buy from them again either. They sent me an Xmas wreath and some cheezy aluminum sign, I just tossed it. There are a few things that I might have bought from them in the future but after the way they treated me, no way. I have learned some lessons about vendors since embarking on this Alfa venture.
 
#28 ·
A few years ago there was an interview in Hemmings with the guy who owns Vick and he made it clear that his objective was to be the lowest cost Alfa parts vendor. I thought 'The Eckerd Drug of the parts world". But he may be on to something given the number of Alfisti who are tight wads.
 
#31 ·
I recently had a bad encounter with Vick Auto as well with an aluminum radiator for my Lancia Scorpion. My very competent mechanic was having issues getting a fitting to seal properly, a weld was encroaching on the sealing area. Called up politely asking for advice from the owner, who immediately got defensive and told me the mechanic had no idea what he was doing. I admitted I hadn't actually seen the issue myself and offered to take a photo to send along, he told me not to bother, just get a new mechanic. Ultimately, we seem to have solved the issue -- no thanks to Vick Auto. My last call, I had some specific questions about some suspension parts they sell and was similarly blown off -- they just couldn't be bothered and seemed to feel I was wasting their time. Asked about their warranty on parts, they wouldn't give me a straight answer about duration or what the warranty covers.

Since all this, I've found out from other customers that Vicks radiators ultimately start leaking from cracked welds. No warranty offered. They've lost my business.
 
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