Here is the latest. I just got home, and my wife tells me there is a FedeX for me.......
I look at it, and before opening, see it is from Auto Atlanta........priority Saturday delivery to boot.............I debated whether i should open it, for i truly expcected to see the hose kit i returned sent back to me.
Well, I opened it, and there was a colorful set of hoses,.......green, red, gray, and black.........and cartoon enclosed showing what went where. Also, there was this typed note from George Hussey.
"I sincerely appreciate the banter and the controversy! It humored me greatly. Being outrageous is fun sometimes and it certainly does not hurt OUR business!!!!!
Enclosed is a vacuum line kit i personally supervised. There are only the appropriate colors continental the OEM provides as the red ones were discontinued long ago. I think that the parts pickers made you one with thicker charcoal 9mm hose instead of the rust 9m vacuum hose. I hop this is satisfactory, as these hoses are quite expensive and there is some good value for you here.
Please do not hesitate to call me personally ( I think you will be quite surprised!) if you have any tech questions and hopefully some day you adopt a 914!"
Also enclosed was a pack of peanut m and m's. So true to my word, I am now satisfied and will not rant any more. But I must admit, at present they are not on my "go to " list........
I would like to thank the forum, for without you we all know this would have been swept under the rug. I now have the hoses i wanted for the price i paid........although the long way about. Hopefully lessons were learned by them . I know for every 1 person that complains there are 10 more...........
Avoid Autoatlanta.com for parts
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JohnConnolly
- Posts: 3336
- Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2000 12:01 am
though I am primarily in the VW Industry (not 914), I see this kind of behavior all the time. When I see people bring up how long they have been "helping" their industry, to me that simply means they haven't done anything recently that is worth mentioning. Too many people, shops, and stores falling back on "their history", and they think they can treat people however they want now because of "their reputation".
bullocks. What have you done for us lately?
John
Aircooled.Net Inc.
bullocks. What have you done for us lately?
John
Aircooled.Net Inc.
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raygreenwood
- Posts: 11914
- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am
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Paul Illick
- Posts: 824
- Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2000 12:01 am
Re: 914 world headquarters
Sorry Ray, but I have to disagree. He deserves no credit at all. He had the parts and the payment and apparently intended to keep both. That's when people call the police. But then he came under public pressure, so one or the other had to go back to the customer. And since he wasn't going to take any bucks out of his pocket... No, someone who does the right thing only when they're forced gets no credit in my book.
This thread has been viewed over 1200 times. Now that all us whiners have heard you describe your slimey business philosophy in your own words it means you can take about 1200 names off your mailing list. Along with all their friends and customers. An observation, George. At some point arrogance turns into stupidity, and you're way past that.dr914 wrote: You as a group are only a very small but vocal? group who get together and work yourselves into a tizzy talking trash.
Only if we choose to do business with you. There are other good vendors with more integrity. You can read my name quite plainly, and you'll find it along with my address and phone number in your customer files. So please do me the honor of putting me onto your whiners list.dr914 wrote:I am dr 914 and we are playing by my rules.
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raygreenwood
- Posts: 11914
- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am
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bottomend
- Posts: 655
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:01 am
To Ray Greenwood; You are truly a gentleman and to you Curious George, you are simply a genitalman...
Being brand new to this whole German powered vehical world, I'm in a unique postion to make some observations...
I bought a vehical last December only knowing that the engine was behind me and I'd better keep looking for the radiator befor it goes dry. I quickly became taken in with the simplicity and engineering that went into the design and building of these vehicals. And I also fell in love with the way they look too!
I've encountered two completely different types of people involved with aircooled cars...One is like the people on this board who take time out (from driving, maintaining, fixing and developing) to help each other for the benevolent enjoyment it brings. It feels good to do good.
The other is like Curious George... I dont think I've been lied to or hung up on or condesended to or ripped off more in my life than from the people who pass themselves off as fellow enthusiast of these cars. I take that back... it is second only to the actual business I'm involved in... The Music Industry. I'm a Musician/Recording Artist and "my" industry is notorious for financially enslaveing it's talent (me included). It seems to me, the more passion that is stirred inside a person, the more people like the unevolved man-monkey Curious George, jump at the oppertunity to exploit this passion. Shame on you. I really mean that. SHAME ON YOU! To feed off of someones dreams and desires makes you the absolute lowest form to have a functioning central nervous system (even this is up for debate...)
You should be delighted that someone else shares the same sensations as you when they open the hood or open the throttle. It's obvious that you delight in only parting them from thier money. At some point in your life you may have had passion, but it has left you and now you replaced that void with arrogance. I pity you... you've lost (assuming you ever had it to begin with) the hold on a gift that not everyone gets a chance to experience. The vast majority of the people in the world wake up each day either wondering what they are going to do or why they are not doing it.
Those with a "passion" never have to think about that question. Those with passion tread with respect and humility around others who also have been blessed with it.
It's obvious by the way you responded to this mans problem that your puffed up and self inflated ego doesn't allow you to enjoy what little your eyes percieve. You're that proverbial guy on the road who cut's me off and then gives ME the finger! SHAME ON YOU.
In closing I'll say this...These cars that now support you will not be around in numbers enough to support your children or your grandchildren. I sincerly hope they will not follow in your foot steps. Please allow them to grow up unscathed by your foul influence.
Being brand new to this whole German powered vehical world, I'm in a unique postion to make some observations...
I bought a vehical last December only knowing that the engine was behind me and I'd better keep looking for the radiator befor it goes dry. I quickly became taken in with the simplicity and engineering that went into the design and building of these vehicals. And I also fell in love with the way they look too!
I've encountered two completely different types of people involved with aircooled cars...One is like the people on this board who take time out (from driving, maintaining, fixing and developing) to help each other for the benevolent enjoyment it brings. It feels good to do good.
The other is like Curious George... I dont think I've been lied to or hung up on or condesended to or ripped off more in my life than from the people who pass themselves off as fellow enthusiast of these cars. I take that back... it is second only to the actual business I'm involved in... The Music Industry. I'm a Musician/Recording Artist and "my" industry is notorious for financially enslaveing it's talent (me included). It seems to me, the more passion that is stirred inside a person, the more people like the unevolved man-monkey Curious George, jump at the oppertunity to exploit this passion. Shame on you. I really mean that. SHAME ON YOU! To feed off of someones dreams and desires makes you the absolute lowest form to have a functioning central nervous system (even this is up for debate...)
You should be delighted that someone else shares the same sensations as you when they open the hood or open the throttle. It's obvious that you delight in only parting them from thier money. At some point in your life you may have had passion, but it has left you and now you replaced that void with arrogance. I pity you... you've lost (assuming you ever had it to begin with) the hold on a gift that not everyone gets a chance to experience. The vast majority of the people in the world wake up each day either wondering what they are going to do or why they are not doing it.
Those with a "passion" never have to think about that question. Those with passion tread with respect and humility around others who also have been blessed with it.
It's obvious by the way you responded to this mans problem that your puffed up and self inflated ego doesn't allow you to enjoy what little your eyes percieve. You're that proverbial guy on the road who cut's me off and then gives ME the finger! SHAME ON YOU.
In closing I'll say this...These cars that now support you will not be around in numbers enough to support your children or your grandchildren. I sincerly hope they will not follow in your foot steps. Please allow them to grow up unscathed by your foul influence.
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porsche_914_freak
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 12:01 am
wow some of you guys are really anal.
i can totally understand where AA is comming from. we have a poop list of customers where i used to work as well. alot of people are "tire kickers"
or want to buy but dont have the money (hey if you had the money you wouldnt be driving a vw 914 would you?). i know i wouldnt. id be sitting high (low really) in a brand new 911 or somthing.
i refer to these people as "anal" because they nit pick any little thing wrong. omg a hose doesnt have the right stripes?!?! who really cares, its just a hose, it wont make you go faster with or without the stripes. your car isnt going to explode because your hose doesnt have a red stripe across it you know.
personally i would rather have the same colour hose, maybe it would cost a bit less to produce them and that would benefit me. but the colour doesnt really matter. your not supposed to be looking at the colour of your hoses, your supposed to be driving around watching the next curve as your approach and power slide it.
seriously, some of you guys need to calm down, these 914's are just vw's afterall. its not like your driving some rare valuable car that is really worth restoring.
i have done buisness with aa in the past, and will do so again in the future. their "no nonsence" attitude appeals to me. i dont like bs'ing about this and that and LaLaLaLa, i need a part they have it and i buy it. i just wish they were not so expensive, i mean half the parts are just vw. vw is the peoples car, made to be cheap.
AA, you can put Joe Smith of West Palm Beach on your non-poop list.
i have also bought from pelican parts before, they are also a good place. they have better prices, but i think they cater to the more anal of the porsche people. (just look in their forum for examples!) they dont refuse buisness or have a shitlist like aa does. that could be good or bad depending on which viewpoint your looking at.
i usualy just buy from the place thats the cheapest, or who has the part in stock.
i can totally understand where AA is comming from. we have a poop list of customers where i used to work as well. alot of people are "tire kickers"
or want to buy but dont have the money (hey if you had the money you wouldnt be driving a vw 914 would you?). i know i wouldnt. id be sitting high (low really) in a brand new 911 or somthing.
i refer to these people as "anal" because they nit pick any little thing wrong. omg a hose doesnt have the right stripes?!?! who really cares, its just a hose, it wont make you go faster with or without the stripes. your car isnt going to explode because your hose doesnt have a red stripe across it you know.
personally i would rather have the same colour hose, maybe it would cost a bit less to produce them and that would benefit me. but the colour doesnt really matter. your not supposed to be looking at the colour of your hoses, your supposed to be driving around watching the next curve as your approach and power slide it.
seriously, some of you guys need to calm down, these 914's are just vw's afterall. its not like your driving some rare valuable car that is really worth restoring.
i have done buisness with aa in the past, and will do so again in the future. their "no nonsence" attitude appeals to me. i dont like bs'ing about this and that and LaLaLaLa, i need a part they have it and i buy it. i just wish they were not so expensive, i mean half the parts are just vw. vw is the peoples car, made to be cheap.
AA, you can put Joe Smith of West Palm Beach on your non-poop list.
i have also bought from pelican parts before, they are also a good place. they have better prices, but i think they cater to the more anal of the porsche people. (just look in their forum for examples!) they dont refuse buisness or have a shitlist like aa does. that could be good or bad depending on which viewpoint your looking at.
i usualy just buy from the place thats the cheapest, or who has the part in stock.
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bottomend
- Posts: 655
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:01 am
>>"I sincerely appreciate the banter and the controversy! It humored me greatly. Being outrageous is fun sometimes and it certainly does not hurt OUR business!!!!!
It's like a game to this guy. Heres some proof...
>>>Also enclosed was a pack of peanut m and m's.
>>>I would truly like to see some constructive action by all of you (maybe go out to the garage and work on your car instead of talking about it!) and ease the abuse that seems to enable you.
Where I'm from buddy, you'd be scratching out letters on a drawing tablet with a pencil stuck in the remnants of what was once your big fat mouth.
>>>It is not my policy to satisfy everyone, life is too short and I certainly do not need the money.
I'm glad you added that last line. I think it kinda sums it up for the people reading this forum.
>>>wow some of you guys are really anal.
i can totally understand where AA is comming from.
Mr.Freak, you also appear to have a heart of gold as it pertains to customer service... Let me know where you work these days and I'll be sure to approach it with the same caution due a Chinese resturant in downtown Toronto. (apologies to the folks up north...)
It's like a game to this guy. Heres some proof...
>>>Also enclosed was a pack of peanut m and m's.
>>>I would truly like to see some constructive action by all of you (maybe go out to the garage and work on your car instead of talking about it!) and ease the abuse that seems to enable you.
Where I'm from buddy, you'd be scratching out letters on a drawing tablet with a pencil stuck in the remnants of what was once your big fat mouth.
>>>It is not my policy to satisfy everyone, life is too short and I certainly do not need the money.
I'm glad you added that last line. I think it kinda sums it up for the people reading this forum.
>>>wow some of you guys are really anal.
i can totally understand where AA is comming from.
Mr.Freak, you also appear to have a heart of gold as it pertains to customer service... Let me know where you work these days and I'll be sure to approach it with the same caution due a Chinese resturant in downtown Toronto. (apologies to the folks up north...)
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raygreenwood
- Posts: 11914
- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am
914 freak...just to give you a little background...you really should drop by this place sometime when you are in Atlanta. They do have an amazing selection of 914's. At least they did last time I personally went to the lot. They had some factory racing versions, at least one 914-6 and several 6 coversions, as well as some truely exotic variations....and also some run of the mill "not been restored yet". This was in 1995...I don't know whats on the lot now. With parts and all...truely not a bad place for 914's. Nevertheless......if they run true to form, its a flip of the coin wether this piss you off on the first visit....wether you are kickin tires or show up with a check book.
Isn't your favorite type of parts customer the one that shows up with cash and a correct part#?
Isn't your favorite service customer, one that shows up with a good understanding of the car and the pains you will have to endure for a given procedure...and cash?
That makes no difference (at least in my experience) at AA. I'm not kidding when I said they hung up on me twice.....simply because (a) I wanted parts for my 411/412 (and I had the part #'s to work with...which were the same part #'s they have for 1.7L Porshe parts.....AND was a cash customer) and (b) Because I would not relinquish my credit card # to buy the catalog and join the mailing list.
They would not stoop to taking the part # I ofered...checking their stock list and letting me to show up at their parts desk to offer them cash....because I was a VW driver!!?...or was it because I was not spending enough money that day!!?.
The people who are pissed off in this posting have had similar experiences. This is not a fluke....and I am not a tire kicker. In fact...I was not even in the market for a 914. I simply wanted to BUY something they had! Was I wasting their time by reading off a part # so I could part with my cash?
If you could put up with that...you are a better man than I. Me...? I didn't even bitch about it....I simply took my money elsewhere. Ray
Isn't your favorite type of parts customer the one that shows up with cash and a correct part#?
Isn't your favorite service customer, one that shows up with a good understanding of the car and the pains you will have to endure for a given procedure...and cash?
That makes no difference (at least in my experience) at AA. I'm not kidding when I said they hung up on me twice.....simply because (a) I wanted parts for my 411/412 (and I had the part #'s to work with...which were the same part #'s they have for 1.7L Porshe parts.....AND was a cash customer) and (b) Because I would not relinquish my credit card # to buy the catalog and join the mailing list.
They would not stoop to taking the part # I ofered...checking their stock list and letting me to show up at their parts desk to offer them cash....because I was a VW driver!!?...or was it because I was not spending enough money that day!!?.
The people who are pissed off in this posting have had similar experiences. This is not a fluke....and I am not a tire kicker. In fact...I was not even in the market for a 914. I simply wanted to BUY something they had! Was I wasting their time by reading off a part # so I could part with my cash?
If you could put up with that...you are a better man than I. Me...? I didn't even bitch about it....I simply took my money elsewhere. Ray
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raygreenwood
- Posts: 11914
- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am
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wellington
- Posts: 314
- Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2002 12:01 am
Great news. Hats off to this forum and all associated with it. The power of publicity is what prevailed. At least what was promised was delived. As for the comment that it doesn't matter what colour the hoses were..., maybe he should have sent 40$ Canadian, its still 40$ right. He bid on coloured hoses, that is what he should get period! By the way Toronto is safe, I have family there.
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Vgonman
- Posts: 635
- Joined: Wed May 01, 2002 1:01 am
914 freak,
You are right a hose is a hose, unless you paid for colorful hoses, which i did. I had hoses on the 412 that worked...........but as you may or may not know a 74 412 2dr with the manual transmission was everything a 1.7l 914 was......except more of a "luxury" car at the time..........not to mention a heck of a lot rarer! ..I am restoring it nicely, and have spent the time to powdercoat my intakes, tin, etc. I felt that the colored OEM hoses would add that little "showroom new" effect. Now that i have the correct hoses, I was right. It will add to my car...........I would not have paid $40 for hoses under any other circumstance.
There are a lot of suppliers out there, some are more expensive than most. My tiny shop uses Rocky Mountain Moutorworks ( I am a vendor for them)..they give vendors great prices, but long before i started my little shop, i used them even though there prices were high........Why? SERVICE.and not with a grunt either..........it is the norm. You call, they tell you whether in stock or out of stock, and ship that day. No questions, no problems. every time. I have had similar experiences with Aircooled. net, Fisher Buggies in Tampa ( great source for carb jets on east coast), and a little supplier called German Automotive in Fletcher NC. I have used Pelican Parts before, too with great results. If I am going to pay a premium for parts, service is not demanded, it is expected. Every time. Too many options for me to put up with bad attitudes.
I call my local Vw dealer with part numbers all the time......they treat me great, give me discounts, promotional items, etc........however the other VW dealer 15 miles away could care less to help me. Even with part numbers. I spent 2k at my local dealer last year and zero at the other..........
When I work on a customers car, I do not bend them over and break a glass rod in their butt. I strive to do timely repairs, pointing out and or fixing other little things i discover while i am working. Seems to work to treat the customer with the same attitude you expect.
You are right a hose is a hose, unless you paid for colorful hoses, which i did. I had hoses on the 412 that worked...........but as you may or may not know a 74 412 2dr with the manual transmission was everything a 1.7l 914 was......except more of a "luxury" car at the time..........not to mention a heck of a lot rarer! ..I am restoring it nicely, and have spent the time to powdercoat my intakes, tin, etc. I felt that the colored OEM hoses would add that little "showroom new" effect. Now that i have the correct hoses, I was right. It will add to my car...........I would not have paid $40 for hoses under any other circumstance.
There are a lot of suppliers out there, some are more expensive than most. My tiny shop uses Rocky Mountain Moutorworks ( I am a vendor for them)..they give vendors great prices, but long before i started my little shop, i used them even though there prices were high........Why? SERVICE.and not with a grunt either..........it is the norm. You call, they tell you whether in stock or out of stock, and ship that day. No questions, no problems. every time. I have had similar experiences with Aircooled. net, Fisher Buggies in Tampa ( great source for carb jets on east coast), and a little supplier called German Automotive in Fletcher NC. I have used Pelican Parts before, too with great results. If I am going to pay a premium for parts, service is not demanded, it is expected. Every time. Too many options for me to put up with bad attitudes.
I call my local Vw dealer with part numbers all the time......they treat me great, give me discounts, promotional items, etc........however the other VW dealer 15 miles away could care less to help me. Even with part numbers. I spent 2k at my local dealer last year and zero at the other..........
When I work on a customers car, I do not bend them over and break a glass rod in their butt. I strive to do timely repairs, pointing out and or fixing other little things i discover while i am working. Seems to work to treat the customer with the same attitude you expect.
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