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Summit Racing.....bad service.

I live in Reno, Nevada (Reno and Sparks border eachother) and have never had a problem with Summit. A 10 minute drive from my house, and I can talk with a real person, show them the part that I want in the catalog, show them my truck, and check that the parts are correct before I leave. I have never had a problem. Heck, I even won a Pro Comp tow strap from them during the Truckfest West show.
 
Summit

Aggravation like this is why I just deal with my local speed shop in the first place. You can inspect whatever you buy before you even leave the store, you're not dealing with UPS or waiting for your parts to arrive, and if something does go wrong you take it back and deal with a real live person, not just some "Voice" on the phone, plus you get to know the staff and find someone you trust to help you get the right parts you need for your ride. Yeah, it may cost you a few bucks more, but when you add the shipping etc. to Summit's price, it ends up being pretty close. I know not everyone has a speed shop where they live, but I bet you used to. Then everyone started using Summit and Jegs just to save some pennies, and now the local shop is gone, closed his doors, out of business and these big mail order companies know it, and now that's why it's like pulling teeth to get any satisfaction out of them now, because they know they don't have to try anymore.
 
Only problem I've had with Summit is poor packaging. One order they stuck a torque converter in an oversize box with valve covers and other misc smalls. At some point the converter came rocketing out of the box and the smalls were lost. They did replace the items but there packaging never improved.

I started ordering from Jegs, Summit is my second or third choice now.
 
I live about an hour away from the summit in sparks, and everytime i go in there i have had no problems, but thats probably because its one on one service and not over the fone.
 
ntaj*ep said:
You saying you have "been in retail" is fine and dandy but have you been in the mail/phone order retail side or the store retail side? When your only dealing with people is NOT face to face there is a certain amount of trust. That is trust on your side that the company your dealing with will take care of things. What protects the company from you? I'm sure they have been ripped off by more than one person with a scam. I think asking for the parts to be returned or bought before they send out the replacements is just and correct. I have recently dealt with one of the afore menchened companies and after damaging the part myself called and told them the story. It was not their fault and I expected no satisfaction. I did buy a new part and sent my old one back when the new one showed. I was reimburst for the part and the shipping in the end.

One point I would like to make is your not going to make the majority happy. But making this as big a deal is quite frankly waistful. You bought from them in the first place because you didn't want to pay the local or other internet price for the parts. Just like everyone else, no one buys from mail order companies for the customer service. If they did all the companies would be out of business. Instead the local stores WITH the customer service you expect (like the GM dealer stated before) go out of business, while the mail order companies thrive and grow so big the margin for error increases. Have I been burned by the big bad mail order man........YES have I gone back to them.....YES. Will I continue to give them my money? Most likely yes. Point is if you buy mail order and something goes wrong get ready for the worst, you are at their mercy and must follow their rules. There are becomming few and far between GOOD companies as the people are expecting more for less these days. Good help costs money and discount wherehouses will not be getting that help as long as everyone buys from them at those prices.
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Worked in catalog, internet, and big box operations at the corporate level for many years(many). So, yes i understand a company covering there asses in an effort to avoid shrink. One thing though....every company(not autoparts) I've worked for HAS AND WILL ship out a replacement along with a return label for the defective unit.

If Summit Racing just took a minute to review my many years of history with them (perhaps the rep can't operat a PC), then I'm sure they would see a great ordering pattern with ZERO returns.
Its great the some of you are OK with SETTLING for the back seat, but in my life, I expect the front seat! Sorry, after 4 reps, I got resolve.
If you'd ask me yesterday about Summit, I would have told you they are great......just like many of the post here today. Just wait until "tomorrow" :mad: and you'll understand.

The fact that i EXPECT a non-defective item is what makes Summit money. It does not make me an ass or complainer. Sorry but I expect what I pay for and will get it even if it means talking to a VP or Pres. Funny how things work then.
I wasted an hour to get this resolved. Hedman Cust service could not believe it. I could not believe it. You should believe it.
 
The fact that i EXPECT a non-defective item is what makes Summit money. It does not make me an ass or complainer.
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When your ready to join us in the real world, post up. The fact is there will never be a world without defect, the companies with the highest CSI ratings still have problems. I have found that the additude you portray is self destructive, you need to breath and let loose a little. Them asking for their (defective) parts back to make things right is not out of line. When it comes right down to it you payed what you thought was fair for the parts, deal with the repercussions or just buy local and pay more making sure it is "right". Making dispariging comments about the one transaction that didn't go your way, c'mon bro. Its big (discount) business. Buck up.
 
Iv bought a lot of parts from Summit everything comes out of the Sparks Nv store. I have had good fast service, usually next day, and only one problem in the many years I have bought parts from them. I had a similar header problem with them. But it was no biggie. I simply did what they asked. Stuck the return lable that was included with the invoice on them sent them back. Had a new set within a week. They even included a summit hat. :)
So whats the big deal.:dunno:
Thats the price you pay sometimes for mail order. It would be great if they would inspect every part for defects before they ship it out. But Summit expects the part manufacture to do that. Rightly So. I knew their return policy before I bought. I have no problems with it. It is similar to most other mail order Co. I have dealt with.

How many times has everyone here gone to the local parts store and been handed the wrong or defective part? How many trips back and forth did it take to get the problem resolved? How many idiots did you have to talk to?
How many posts are up here on CK5 about "Stupid parts Guy":rotfl:
 
It is completely and totally reasonable that summit wanted the first, defective, set back. How do they know it's defective until they can look at it? If every story just shipped out a replacement, no questions asked, they'd all go banrupt. People would get a good product, and say "Hey... it's messed up. Bring me a new one." So without recieving the old one someone could end up with two good ones and just sell the second. It makes total sense and from what you described, nobody said anything was your fault, they just wanted the defective part back so they could ship you a good one. Now as far as payment for shipping, did they offer? Because if they offer to ship the faulty set back, then there's really no problem. If not I'd be pissed. However, I really don't think you were mistreated in all of this. It's just business, they can't trust you that the ones you have are messed up, so they want them back to see for themselves. If there weren't assholes in the world... that wouldn't be the case, but there are. :dunno:
 
jakeslim said:
Worked in catalog, internet, and big box operations at the corporate level for many years(many). So, yes i understand a company covering there asses in an effort to avoid shrink. One thing though....every company(not autoparts) I've worked for HAS AND WILL ship out a replacement along with a return label for the defective unit.

If Summit Racing just took a minute to review my many years of history with them (perhaps the rep can't operat a PC), then I'm sure they would see a great ordering pattern with ZERO returns.
Its great the some of you are OK with SETTLING for the back seat, but in my life, I expect the front seat! Sorry, after 4 reps, I got resolve.
If you'd ask me yesterday about Summit, I would have told you they are great......just like many of the post here today. Just wait until "tomorrow" :mad: and you'll understand.

The fact that i EXPECT a non-defective item is what makes Summit money. It does not make me an ass or complainer. Sorry but I expect what I pay for and will get it even if it means talking to a VP or Pres. Funny how things work then.
I wasted an hour to get this resolved. Hedman Cust service could not believe it. I could not believe it. You should believe it.
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I'll bet they have TONS of little things go wrong... I sure as hell wouldn't wanna check everyone's history to see if it's "clear". That's just dumb, chill out... and send them the part back, it's really not that big of a deal. And hey, I'm pretty sure the rest of us back seat riders could had it shipped out before you got finished fuming at all the reps... it woulda been easier...
 
Navy and Summit

I have dealt with Summit on behalf of the Navy and have had no issues with them. We ordered some Husky winches from them and the whole transaction went smooth with them. The Navy side of the house is a different story....typical paperwork lag and nobody wants to do it....we got our winches and the SEAL's were able to do their thing so we were happy. Just my 2 cents worth...
 
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I have to agree with some of the others and say that it is not unreasonable for Summit to want the defective parts back first before they send you a replacement.

It is also unreasonable to expect Summit to open the factory packaging of all their suppliers to inspect the parts for defects and damage........

But with that being said, I have had experience with many large retailers putting defective merchandise, which had been returned, back on the shelf, only to be resold to somebody else. This is caused mostly by lazy staff that does not want to go to the hassle and paperwork of getting a credit issued by their suppliers for defective merchandise.
 
But with that being said, I have had experience with many large retailers putting defective merchandise, which had been returned, back on the shelf, only to be resold to somebody else. This is caused mostly by lazy staff that does not want to go to the hassle and paperwork of getting a credit issued by their suppliers for defective merchandise.
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You aren't by any chance talking about Pep Boys are you :haha:
 
1)Sure I could have removed them, find a new box(threw out old), packed them up, call them back to arrange UPS, wait till they receive, they send me replacement , i reinstall.

2)Sure I could have let them charge me for another replacement set. They send. I remove defective side, install new replacement, package up and call them to arrange UPS pickup and for a refund to charges.

Whats wrong with both of these options? I am managing there problem. They need to do the work, risk the replacement shipping, and yes and hope I send back. That is not my problem. I am not the business owner. They have established a ZERO liability customer service rule and cover themselves at expense to customer service.
I would believe that they do not understand what they lose in customers by doing this since it is difficult to measure a metric such as this. Sure they save on some parts of the balance sheet, but they are losing on the other. ONE rule of business is that business is built on return customers.

I chose this option:

3) They send out a new set immediately at no charge(ransom), I remove defective side and replace in box, call for pickup. Done.


I will always insist on 3. They can and will do it because bottom line there is a break point where any business fears losing customers. It just amazes me how difficult it is with Summit.
The phone converstations were shallow, not helpful(tone), "it was my problem", and there was nothing else they could do. I challenged them and at the right level achieved ....................customer service.

By the way I'm over this now, but yesterday i was fuming! LOL.....AND I WILL NEVER FOLLOW THE PACK....leads to a BORING LIFE and you only have one!

I got my headers today, swapped out the bad one and the ups guy is picking up tomorrow all at Summits arrangement. Many things in life are "dictated " to us.....your choice if you follow are lead the way. :blush:
 
You're right... I think they shoulda sent the Pres. of Summit to your house with some pizza and beer, had you watch a game... and have him install it! Power to us! :woot:
 
Mail order

What you may fail to realize is the way they're looking at it is.

1) It IS your problem, since their truck runs just fine, and you're the one stuck with the defective parts.

2) Too many people try to screw these places over by saying they got a "Defective" part, when in fact it was their lack of wrenching skills that got the part broke in the first place, so they want to see it first before they send out a new one.

3) They already have YOUR money, and the minimum wage dude on the phone doesn't really care. (See item #1)

MY option, which I will use EVERY TIME is to do my business with the local speed shop and keep my money in MY town. Most chain places can order the same parts Summit sells,if it's not in stock already, and YOU don't have to pay the freight and usually it's available overnight, and there's a warm body to deal with when something goes wrong.
 
IMHO it is not unreasonable expecting Summit to inspect the product before shipping....

On the same note it is unreasonable to expect Summit to send a replacement part before receiving the defective part.

I have dealt exclusively with Summit and have received defective parts but that was resolved by ordering a compatible replacement and returning the defect.

when i got my direct port nitrous kit and it was incorrectly packaged at Holley and 4 sets of 2 different sized flare nozzles instead of having 4 sets of 4 sizes which would allow presetting 3 different power levels.......
after customer service opened a kit at Summit they discovered i was right and sent me the missing jet packs at no charge without requesting i send the other jet kits back.

Maybe I'm on their highly valued customer list, i don't know but i would rather deal with them than pay $50 bucks more for the same carburetor at JEGS.

JEGS is substantially higher on everything they sell compared to Summit.....nuff said
 
I work for a parts store and have to do the same thing that summit did to you and i am face to face with the customer. No one is trustworthy anymore not even people you have delt with for years. I just have found out that a guy that has been spending hundreds of dollars a month in the store has recruited one of the employees to start short baging. i witnessed for myself and we are now trying to fire the employee,but there is nothing we can do to the customer. there is now protecton for the company but the employee. not trying to step on anybodies feelings but i piss a lot of people off all the time doing this for a living. I have actualy had some one brinng back an alternator that had been installed and wanted me to give him back his money because that was not his problem. i had to tell that i was not the one diognosed his problem and that i did tell hime that this would fix his car. if i would have taken it back i would have had to throw in the trash can. there is nothing the company can do with a used part. you wouldn't want to go in a store and buy a part get home open the box and it has already been on a car before. what i am getting is there are a lot of people out there that have no idea of what they are doing and when they screw up they want the company to pay for there mistakes. I don't think so. thats i going to take money out of pocket when it is time for raises and such when the time comes.
 
I've spent thousands at Summit and never had any problems with them. Had a few problems with parts and they took care of them quickly. The only thing that sucks now is some of the parts you order online comes from the other place!They do not tell you either. I missed a great Mud bogg because I ordered some Hose fittings from them and when the order arrived only 1/2 of them were there. had to wait a week for the rest. Could have gotten them from jegs alot sooner...........................................................
 
For the most part Summit has been good to me.A little slow sometimes...Sorry to hear you had problems...
 
Always been good to me!

I've been using Summit for over 10years, and never had a problem.

My most recent order I returned a tranny pan because I decided not to use it. I exchanged it for a B&M cooler. I just received a notice that the cooler shipped (same day they received the return). I noticed were 2 parts listed so I checked the order, and I'm getting a free hat. That's cool in my book.

A couple of years ago I had an order that never showed up at my door. The UPS tracking showed it as delivered. I couldn't find it anywhere. The driver said that he checked all neighbors and they didn't have it, and he said it was delivered to our house - not the wrong address. Well, Summit went ahead and sent me new stuff even thought all the evidence presented to them said it was delivered to me.

I also had problems with Hedman headers. It was on my Cuda. Come to find out the headers are made for 383 & 440 blocks. Problem is the 440 has a raised deck and the 383 doesn't. So the collector was hitting the tranny pan flange. The guy at Summit tech knew exactly what my problem was because he had just helped a buddy with a similar install a couple of weeks ago. It impressed me when the tech dude had hands on experience.

I thought it was funny you were mad at Summit because Hedman manufactured a faulty part. I also think their return policy was completely reasonable.
 
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