Engineered Automotive
08-09-2011, 02:26 PM
#1
6th Gear
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Engineered Automotive
This is just my story.
Bought some spacers from a shop (Sports Car Boutique) referred by a friend because they have it in stock. Took them home and then took them to another Shop (Engineered Automotive) to have them install and perform an alignment and an oil change before i take my car to the track just to be safe.
dropped my car off there in the morning on my way to work, in the afternoon they called back or something saying that they took two hours trying to align the car with the spacers and it won't align. they said they can't put the spacers in and said the spacers don't fit.
after i got the message, i told them to align the car and just give me back the spacers so i can take them back to Sports Car Boutique and maybe there is a mixup there.
got the bill from EA charging me for oil change, alignment and 2hrs of labour Attempting to fit the spacers.
the next day i took the spacers back to Sports Car Boutique and see if they gave me the wrong spacers, they checked and it's the right ones, they took the car in for 10 minutes, washed the wheels and placed the spacers. no problem at all, no alignment issues and they didn't even charge me.
so i went back to Engineered Automotive, and see what's going on they said they need to talk to their manager. I told them if i gave them something that's not right then i won't mind paying those 2 hrs of labour but the spacers are the correct ones, and it took the other shop less than 10 minutes to install them something must be wrong there..... i demanded a refund of the 2 hrs labour.
Engineered Automotive called Sports Car Boutique and verified that they only took less than 10 minutes to install the same spacers and i didn't make this all up. then their response after dragging this issue for more than a month is that it's still not their problem of ATTEMPTING for 2 hrs trying to fit a brand new spacers, and they did nothing wrong.
$200 is not a lot of money but it's a matter of business, if it's my fault and given them wrong spacers then ok but charging me 2 hrs of labour and making me run around so many times and said they did nothing wrong.
Bought some spacers from a shop (Sports Car Boutique) referred by a friend because they have it in stock. Took them home and then took them to another Shop (Engineered Automotive) to have them install and perform an alignment and an oil change before i take my car to the track just to be safe.
dropped my car off there in the morning on my way to work, in the afternoon they called back or something saying that they took two hours trying to align the car with the spacers and it won't align. they said they can't put the spacers in and said the spacers don't fit.
after i got the message, i told them to align the car and just give me back the spacers so i can take them back to Sports Car Boutique and maybe there is a mixup there.
got the bill from EA charging me for oil change, alignment and 2hrs of labour Attempting to fit the spacers.
the next day i took the spacers back to Sports Car Boutique and see if they gave me the wrong spacers, they checked and it's the right ones, they took the car in for 10 minutes, washed the wheels and placed the spacers. no problem at all, no alignment issues and they didn't even charge me.
so i went back to Engineered Automotive, and see what's going on they said they need to talk to their manager. I told them if i gave them something that's not right then i won't mind paying those 2 hrs of labour but the spacers are the correct ones, and it took the other shop less than 10 minutes to install them something must be wrong there..... i demanded a refund of the 2 hrs labour.
Engineered Automotive called Sports Car Boutique and verified that they only took less than 10 minutes to install the same spacers and i didn't make this all up. then their response after dragging this issue for more than a month is that it's still not their problem of ATTEMPTING for 2 hrs trying to fit a brand new spacers, and they did nothing wrong.
$200 is not a lot of money but it's a matter of business, if it's my fault and given them wrong spacers then ok but charging me 2 hrs of labour and making me run around so many times and said they did nothing wrong.
08-09-2011, 03:51 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
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Sorry for your trouble, I agree about the principle. You might want to give them a rating on the rate your mechanic website (no affiliation):
http://www.mechanicratingz.com/faq.jsp
http://www.mechanicratingz.com/faq.jsp
08-09-2011, 04:12 PM
#3
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You made three mistakes... First Why dint you just have SCB do the Work for you? Second Mistake EA does not have a Good Rep, i find them Snobbish after talking to the Employee's that work there... Third Mistake you should have done some digging here and gone to EU Autowerks in the First Place. They would get the Spacers for you from SCB anyways... Next time go to EU Autowerks, they buy parts from SCB all the time...
08-09-2011, 07:14 PM
#5
Race Car
That's awfull having to pay for incompetence. Hope you warned 'em they would be trashed on rennlist.... which by the way will come up on any google search. There are a bunch of companies I would never deal with because there have been issues raised on forums.......
08-09-2011, 11:18 PM
#7
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Hmmmm.
Were they trying to fit the spacers for 2 hours, or trying to get the alignment within specs with the spacers for 2 hours?
I can see those 2 hours being wasted if they repeatedly try to get the alignment within spec with those spacers on. I cannot however see them spending 2 hours to simply try and make them fit on the car. I've never been to SCB but I assume they do not have an alignment rack there and all they did was bolt the spacers up correct?
If this was in no way a misunderstanding and they did in fact attempt to fit those spacers for 2 hours unsuccessfully, then something isn't right, I'm a bit surprised too, as regardless of employee attitudes I've always thought of their quality of work to be pretty high. Maybe it was a misunderstanding that was lost in translation somewhere along the lines and they were simply trying to get the alignment within specs for those 2 hours after bolting the spacers on. I guess a sure-fire way to get to the bottom of this is to check your alignment with the spacers on now, just to feed our curiousity anyway.
P.S. Pics of car with spacers please
Were they trying to fit the spacers for 2 hours, or trying to get the alignment within specs with the spacers for 2 hours?
I can see those 2 hours being wasted if they repeatedly try to get the alignment within spec with those spacers on. I cannot however see them spending 2 hours to simply try and make them fit on the car. I've never been to SCB but I assume they do not have an alignment rack there and all they did was bolt the spacers up correct?
If this was in no way a misunderstanding and they did in fact attempt to fit those spacers for 2 hours unsuccessfully, then something isn't right, I'm a bit surprised too, as regardless of employee attitudes I've always thought of their quality of work to be pretty high. Maybe it was a misunderstanding that was lost in translation somewhere along the lines and they were simply trying to get the alignment within specs for those 2 hours after bolting the spacers on. I guess a sure-fire way to get to the bottom of this is to check your alignment with the spacers on now, just to feed our curiousity anyway.
P.S. Pics of car with spacers please
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08-10-2011, 11:02 AM
#8
Drifting
This company will come to find out that was the most expensive $200 they ever made. $200 x their rep in the dumpster. From what I have seen around here - members are quite honest when it comes to these things - most are not drama queens or tight wad's. Fair price for a fair wage for a fair job. If this company NEEDS that $200 that MUCH then I hope they choke on it. Someone must not being doing too good if customer service replies are basicly FU. They have lost this customer and any future service work along with most likely a lot of others who come to this site. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I thought the 'new' economy got rid of this type of thinking in the auto service industry? Guess there will be a few more shaken out before it's all said and done.
08-10-2011, 11:39 AM
#9
Race Car
Not that I really care but .....
He stated that they put the spacers on, but couldn't align the car with them.
SCB just stuck them on without checking alignment.
Sorry, but details are missing here.
He only has a couple of posts and doesn't even tell us what kind of car he has.
You can't put spacers on yourself?
He stated that they put the spacers on, but couldn't align the car with them.
SCB just stuck them on without checking alignment.
Sorry, but details are missing here.
He only has a couple of posts and doesn't even tell us what kind of car he has.
You can't put spacers on yourself?
08-10-2011, 01:46 PM
#10
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Whatever SCB can do for your car, (they are not a full mechanic shop), they will do well and stand by their job and their clients. THey always go the distance for the client, even if things don't always work out...and they will direct you to others if they themselves do not offer the services.
I am sorry to hear about your story, but as 911 Rod says, everyone has a story, good or bad.
I am sorry to hear about your story, but as 911 Rod says, everyone has a story, good or bad.
08-10-2011, 02:11 PM
#11
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I bought rear spacers from SCB and they took the time to try a few different sizes on until I was satisfied then installed both sides. Above what I was expecting them to do.
How could spacers affect alignment?
How could spacers affect alignment?
08-10-2011, 02:31 PM
#12
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Whatever SCB can do for your car, (they are not a full mechanic shop), they will do well and stand by their job and their clients. THey always go the distance for the client, even if things don't always work out...and they will direct you to others if they themselves do not offer the services.
FYI they usually send Customers to EU Autowerks.
08-10-2011, 04:38 PM
#13
Rennlist Member
I do not know the guys at Engineered Automotive, but hey, maybe the mechanic was having a bad day. It can happen to anyone 
If it were my shop, I would tell the OP that he will get a discount on his next service/maintenance bill and move on.
If it were my shop, I would tell the OP that he will get a discount on his next service/maintenance bill and move on.
08-10-2011, 04:40 PM
#14
Rennlist Member
I've heard nothing but horrible things about Engineered Automotive, its too bad they are an authorized Dinan supplier and most BMW guys go there or Cross Avenue (just as bad I heard). Courtney and Dominic at EU Autowerk are definitely the ones to go too.
08-10-2011, 07:31 PM
#15
Rennlist Member
Tough house.