HDP

iTrader: (2)

Someone in shipping made a boo boo...

Kevin T. Wyum

The Bureau processed a total of 22 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 22 complaints closed in 36 months, 11 were closed in the last year.

These complaints concerned:

1 Advertising Issues
BBB Definition:

Advertising Issues - Claims alleging print or electronic media advertised claims or practices misrepresent the service or product offer.



2 Sales Practice Issues
BBB Definition:

Sales Practice Issues - Claims of alleged sales presentations made in person or by telephone that contain misrepresentations of the product or service, high pressure sales practices, failure to disclose key conditions of the offer, and verbal representations not consistent with written contractual terms or agreements.



3 Guarantee or Warranty Issues
BBB Definition:

Guarantee or Warranty Issues - Claims alleging failure to honor the terms regarding guarantees or warranties.



3 Product Issues
BBB Definition:

Product Issues - Claim alleging a product does not meet the expectations of the complainant, including defective merchandise.



9 Refund or Exchange Issues
BBB Definition:

Refund or Exchange Issues - Claim of alleged failure to honor company policy or verbal commitment to provide refunds, exchanges, or credit for products or services.



4 Customer Service Issues
BBB Definition:

Service Issues - Claims of alleged delay in completing service, failure to provide promised service, inferior quality of provided service, or damaged merchandise as a result of delivery service.



BBB Definition:

Customer Service Issues - Claims alleging unsatisfactory customer service, including personnel's failure to provide assistance in a timely manner, failure to address or respond to customer dissatisfaction, unavailability for customer support, and/or inappropriate behavior or attitude exhibited by company staff.

jayk

How many items do you think they've sold?

Kevin T. Wyum

I think they've sold about a million times less than the following company and have 6 more complaints filed. Take a wild guess who this is : )

The Bureau processed a total of 16 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 16 complaints closed in 36 months, 7 were closed in the last year.

These complaints concerned:

1 Sales Practice Issues
BBB Definition:

Sales Practice Issues - Claims of alleged sales presentations made in person or by telephone that contain misrepresentations of the product or service, high pressure sales practices, failure to disclose key conditions of the offer, and verbal representations not consistent with written contractual terms or agreements.



1 Delivery Issues
BBB Definition:

Delivery Issues - Claims alleging delayed delivery of ordered merchandise.



1 Product Issues
BBB Definition:

Product Issues - Claim alleging a product does not meet the expectations of the complainant, including defective merchandise.



2 Refund or Exchange Issues
BBB Definition:

Refund or Exchange Issues - Claim of alleged failure to honor company policy or verbal commitment to provide refunds, exchanges, or credit for products or services.



6 Customer Service Issues
BBB Definition:

Service Issues - Claims of alleged delay in completing service, failure to provide promised service, inferior quality of provided service, or damaged merchandise as a result of delivery service.



BBB Definition:

Customer Service Issues - Claims alleging unsatisfactory customer service, including personnel's failure to provide assistance in a timely manner, failure to address or respond to customer dissatisfaction, unavailability for customer support, and/or inappropriate behavior or attitude exhibited by company staff.



5 Service or Repair Issues
BBB Definition:

Repair Issues - Claims of alleged incorrect diagnosis of a problem, delay in completion of repair, inferior workmanship.



BBB Definition:

Service or Repair Issues - Claims of alleged delay in completing service, failure to provide promised service, inferior quality of provided service, damage merchandise as a result of delivery service. alleged incorrect diagnosis of a problem, delay in completion of repair, inferior workmanship.

ehos

I read through 16 pages and I didn't see any pics. Can you please post the inside of your IC so we can compare?

I think a few other people asked for these pics as well.

Kevin T. Wyum

I'll let someone else that's a little better with a camera handle that, I have someone in mind already I'll let that person post details about it before next week.

BTW that company with only 16 complaints compared to 22 is Walmart for North Carolina. 22 complaints actually going to the point of being filed with the BBB is pretty extreme in less than 3 years, think what you like.

fritts

iTrader: (5)

You have to understand what your getting into when it comes to products coming from them. So far though quite a few people have had positive experiences with the IC alone. Quality of my unit and of some others that have posted, has been great. I am not talking about the piping here but just the core. As to customer service, their sales attitude and warranty, I accept a little risk for something that costs so little. A thousand dollars in price difference is worth it to me.

TwinTurbo_SE7EN

I think everyone understands that your IC setup is going to preform better than the xspower IC setup. What a lot of people are realizing is that, to them, the price difference is not worth the extra couple degrees of cooling ability. And now you are down to bashing the company that competes with your IC setup? Great. Competition is better for the consumer anyways.

jayk

I imagine Walmart can also swallow the cost of keeping irate customers happy. I don't think anybody is claiming this is the best all-out intercooler or that buying from them is the same as buying from a major vendor. Its just a viable and cheap alternative to the over-priced options (think $400 for the pettit cold-air intake). So far nobody has posted any actual negative results of dealing with the vendor or the product that is shipped.

It seems to me that there should be more moderation of vendors squabling with each other and trying to crush innovation and alternative products.

TwinTurbo_SE7EN

I would also think that since Walmart doesnt make any of the products they sell, that you have the majority of the complaints going through the actual manufacturer and not the seller.

Kevin T. Wyum

Down to bashing? I just did a cut and paste of a name search from the Better Business Bureau and the same from a company 10,000x their size because someone suggested 22 complaints filed in under 3 years was small because of how massive the volume of SS sales are. I didn't say anything about the product or performance or anything else. Do all the wishfull thinking you want, I won't get into any debates about this stuff anymore as I'm 99% certain of turning all the IC stuff over to someone else. Someone that's as nice as nice can be so I can move on.

No I'm not trying to hurt your SS Autochrome duct group buy either. I obviously wasn't trying to help SS Autocrime but I was doing a BBB search for an unrelated criminal check item and decided to run a bunch of names out of curiosity. I think I actually ran their name once before.

Kevin T. Wyum

If it makes you feel any better I also searched the following,

PFS had no complaints
RX7 Store had no complaints
Pettit I couldn't find a company registration for
Gotham had no complaints
Rotary Performance had no complaints
Spearco had no complaints
Rotary Extreme I couldn't find a company registration for
Turbonetics had no complaints
Mazdatrix had 1 complaint
KD Rotary I couldn't find a company registration for
RX7 Heaven, two different ones had no complaints

There was only one related place I could find with a bad record and that was Hayes Rotary with 9.

Microsoft on the other hand has over 3000 in the last 3 years : ), Jim?

Point being 22 is a lot

TwinTurbo_SE7EN

then I give you this.

I had a good transaction with them. However, that doesnt garuntee everyone will.

primerGrey

iTrader: (13)

"Autocrime"? Yeah, bashing.

I almost bought a front mount IC, then Kevin convinced me not to.
I almost bought a v-mount IC, then Kevin convinced me not to.
I almost bought a SMIC for 1/5 the price of the one Kevin designed (and, one can assume, derives royalties from), and now he is trying to convince me not to.

This is all about business, Kevin. Your business. Here's hoping for 100%.

HDP

iTrader: (2)

Why? I don't recall anyone asking for your help to uncover any info. That, I believe, was your ploy to discredit and discourage future business. As a matter of fact, why the hell are you still even posting in this thread? You said you would not offer your duct separately, so that should have been the end of your dealings with this thread. You seem to always surface when the spotlight is focused elsewhere trying to "playa hate". You start with the name calling and then you attemp to post "evidence" to back your statement... big ******* deal!!! Speaking for myself, I don't give two shakes of a donkey's *** what info you "dug up" from the BBB. My experience with SS Autochrome was good and the product I received was good and I feel the results from the product I received will be good and dollar for dollar value, I KNOW it is better than your product. You seem to make it a habit of attempting to discredit everyone who poses opposition. Rather than talking about how good your product is, you would rather talk about how bad everyone else's is. You should become a politician because you sure know how to make others look bad in order to make yourself look good (if you consider being below average good).

Kevin T. Wyum

You wouldn't happen to have a bias would you? Sniping did you say? Introspection time my man.

What's the Autocrime thing?

As a self described cheap bastard you probably bought the wrong used car.

BTW both Guido's house of hot rods in CA and Rocko's bathroom remodeling in Cleveland have no complaints with the BBB and this place has 22 formal complaints?

The best bet is to probably just do a google search of XSpower or SS Autochrome and see what the world at large has to say, not some jerk like me trying to stop people from buying their high end gear. I did laugh at their compressor housings that were actually just glued together castings though. I can see where all the BBB complaints come from after doing a google search though.

Kevin

P.S. My business isn't Intercoolers, RX7's or anything remotely related to cars.

primerGrey

iTrader: (13)

I agree anyone buying from SSAUTOCHROME should do so with their eyes open. These guys are clearly running an operation very, very close to the ground.

And to be symmetric about it, anyone unfamiliar with Kevin should search these forums. He designed what was once (a long time ago) the highest performing RX7 intercooler, and has repeatedly posted negative comments about any and all improvements that came after. Front mount, vmount, whatever. All I know about Kevin is what I have read in this forum - there is a pattern to his posts that people should be aware of.

Kevin, you have shown yourself to be a far from unbiased observer. I can only take you at your word that you don't benefit financially from the sale of the ASP intercoolers. That leaves me scratching my head why you keep posting negatives about every other alternative.

sonix7

no ****!! Kevin, post some results? give us some numbers on the recorded performance of ASP vs. SS autochrome? shut us up, cause until then I am going to agree with everyone on this great forum. You definately have a disposition on the other "competing companies" for intercoolers. My intercooler looks almost identical to the ASP, where is the difference? The welds are solid, the core is bar and plate(just like 95%of the intercoolers out there). Why should someone pay $1000.00 dollars more for no solid proof that the ASP delivers 4 times as much performance, since it is priced 4 times higher. Give up, Kevin, I bet E-bay companies have tons of BBB cases, people don't read, people are crooks and you never get to see the product in person. That in itself could be the cause of many dissatisfied consumers. Please don't discount the fact that NO ONE has had one bad thing to say about this IC and there is no proof ASP is better. That is coming from those of us that has "PURCHASED" one of these. That has to count for something. I for one will admit when I buy a piece of **** product, luckily this is not it. It looks really bad that you always have something to say "negatively orientated" about this subject. You are just driving people to buy other products, since all you can do is give hypothetical proof that this is a piece of ****. Just PROVE it or move along. To all you guys that don't understand supply and demand, people don't buy what you claim to be the "best" they buy what is available and what is a good price, regardless. Show me where one of these intercoolers failed?? one?
SHOW ME!! otherwise I am not hearing this bullshit, proof is in the pudding.

Tim Benton

iTrader: (1)

Would a dyno test be conclusive if one set up made more HP than the other? I doubt the dyno has a setup to measure the inlet and outlet temps or pressure drops across the core...just curious.

Tim

HDP

iTrader: (2)

That is a very good idea. I'm certain no one here is expecting more HP from the XSPOWER SMIC but we (SS Autochrome customers) know for a fact whatever the difference in gains are between the two, is not worth the $1200 +. We assume more improvement over stock and everything for under $500 is more appealing to cost conscientious buyers and THAT is the point we are trying to get across to Kevin.

rotorbrain

im gonna add my .02 here. . . im not understanding why its such a big deal to put "cheap bastard" parts on your car. . . i mean. . . if its done tastefully, then whats the deal? the intercooler doesnt look like a piece of crap (w/o the "xs power" logo on there) when its in the car. . . with a good duct on it. it looks good. . . and im SURE it performs better than the stocker. if thats what someone is looking for, then by all means. . . go for it. these arent racecars people are building. . . its their personal rides. if it was an all out track car. . . yeah, get the good stuff, cause it counts. . . but the fact that someone spends less money on something for their car is no reason to jump in and make a fool out of yourself.

sean has done a great job with that duct. hes made it look good. . . and made the intercooler look good. . . performance is right around the corner. if it doesnt perform well, then by all means. . . get something else. . . its cheap and can be corrected. ive done this several times. . . turbos, injectors, ignition amps, plug wires, ENGINES!!!! come on. . . everyone tests out things. . . and then finds something better.

sonix7

and that is that.:smiley_12

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

IMHO, these words are even more true now than they were a few years back, given that the average value of the car is far less. If my car were only two or three years old, just off warranty, I'd probably be more cautious with the aftermarket, and concientious about quality over cost. But given the car's age, with some things , it can be like putting a $500 saddle on a $50 horse.

Kevin T. Wyum

Odd you just signed up for the forum a month ago. So you used to go by a different screen name and just changed it for some reason? Who were you before?

I think you really need to read my posts more closely, especially since you appear to be suggesting your some kind of expert on my posting history. I stated "I obviously wasn't trying to help SS Autocrime" about 5 posts up, heh I just figured out where the Autocrime thing came from, my bad and I'm actually sorry about that mistake. I was thinking of typing criminal check later in that sentence. When have I ever claimed to be unbiased on this topic? That's like claiming Chuck is unbiased about Vmounts. Of course each of us likes our own product better and has a bias. I have also clearly stated in this thread for such a low price the SSAutochrome import was probably a good deal.

Finally where did you get this goofy idea that I claimed to not make any money off of my IC's? (well except when M2 was selling them I guess(joke)). I said it's not my business as in I do something entirely different for real income. Of course I don't do it for free. It's just less than 1% of what I do each year and the only auto related thing.


I agree 100% with everything you said. I did think it was funny that part of the thread was how to sand off the logo and hide where it really came from.

Not unless done in a wind tunnel, although it would demonstrate in a round about way pressure drop without measuring it directly.

The flow and efficiency numbers for both of my IC's are well published and easily found with a search. You think I'm going to pay for one of the Chinese cores and then pay a competent test facility to test it for you? Are you nuts? Well of course you are based on your post here. The burden of proof isn't on me. My numbers are out there and have been for a long time, you're the patsy thinking it looks just like it so it must be the same. You're making the claim it's just as good, prove it yourself. Of course I'm biased, everyone is, do a google search for XSpower and SS Autochrome and you tell me what you find. Ignore anything I have to say. In the end the simple fact is you do get what you pay for. Kick and scream and deny it all you like, you got race proven superpower.

rotorbrain

hehe, not hiding the maker. . . just getting rid of an ugly logo. . . same reason i sand the greddy off of my TB elbow. same reason i dont put stickers on my car saying, "i gotz dis from dem yo!!!"