HappyFrog

iTrader: (17)

Hello

I've had a rather unusual experience with *a UK supplier* lately that I would like to hear an opinion or two about, I've bought most my parts there during the last two years and I'll have to say up till now I've been fully satisfied.
Last year I bought a stainless exhaust system (downpipe w/ cat, center section, silencer). Well, at least I thought it was stainless, the flange on the silencer was falling apart after a year on the scooby.
http://www.stutterihedegaarde.dk/jsn/exhaust.jpg

So I wrote a mail about my experience (April 6) and attached an image, then.... nothing. No reply, no call, no nothing. I mailed them again after a couple of weeks (April 27), this time a bit disappointed. Next day they replied that the mail was caught by their spam filter due to the attached image and apologized for the inconvenience. Right, okay, that sounds plausible.

There was no doubt this was a warranty issue, so they would like to have the exhaust in for inspection. I'm located in Denmark though, so shipping forth and back and having the fix done would cost more to everyone than just buying a new silencer would. After a couple of mails, it was decided that I should have it fixed locally instead and that they would cover the cost.

So I had it fixed and shipped the flange. They hadn't seen the problem before so they would like to see it. This was sometime during May, so when we reached the end of June I mailed them again to hear what was going on.
14 days later I got a reply that they received the flange "and although it looks like its started to decay, this hasnt affected the integrity of it". WTF? What do I care, I bought a stainless exhaust, not an almost stainless exhaust that still has integrity. They thought the repair cost sounded expensive too.

Right, I was on holiday at the moment so I didn't see the mail undtil 14 days later and I replied that I thought it was expensive too, but I had it repaired nevertheless (I had 3 offers and chose the cheapest which eventually cost me 926DKR or £110). I did have the repair done before they approved the quote, but wrote them that I would be satisfied if they just refunded what ever it would've cost them to fix it and return it to DK which sounded fair to me (I also suggested they offered me a pair of brake discs with a fair discount instead). This was July 29.

10 days ago (Sep. 7) I mailed them again to hear what was going on, but haven't heard from them yet.

What would you have done if you'd been treated like this? I'm still hoping the best, that's why I haven't revealed the name just yet, but I'll have to admit I'm a pretty tired of waiting.

I know it is a bit unusual since it was fixed overhere instead at *their place*, but why bother having the flange shipped if they weren't going to do anything anyway. I think they had their chances to do what ever they thought was right, so I'll be taking my business elsewhere. If I haven't heard from them by the end of this week, I'll reveal the name and (real girly angry that I am) mail them a link to this thread.

Can anyone suggest a good supplier btw? I'm beginning a new engine project very soon, so I'll be needing a lot of parts during the winter (exhaust, fmic, injectors, fuelpump, regulator, etc.).

Best Regards
Johnny
Denmark

Boyakasha

iTrader: (2)

Looks like a standard flange welded onto a stainless pipe, so the flange is acting as a cathodic protector so will rust faster.

Poor show, you should get a full refund or a new system.

Butty

iTrader: (2)

I can't think of any SS systems I have bought that didn't come with a "lifetime" guarantee of sorts (5/10/25 years).
That flange is a manufacturing fault and should come under a guarantee.

Nick

Pavlo

Looks pretty sound to me. Not unusual for a stainless exhaust to have mild steel flanges as not many laser cutting machines can cut 10-12mm stainless very well. Yes it's corroded, but still intact, worry about it later if it becomes a problem, although some paint would have helped in the first place.

mit

iTrader: (10)

I've had various stainless systems over the years, on different cars, cheap and expensive, and i've never seen one go this bad after a year.
Was it advertised as a 'full' stainless system? If it was, then thats grounds enough for a refund, as clearly it's not.

HappyFrog

iTrader: (17)

I don't think there is any doubt about the flange was faulty, the rest of the exhaust is in mint condition. The flange has already been cut off and shipped to the supplier, so it isn't really a question if it's a warranty issue or not (the exhaust comes with a complete 5 year warranty) and the supplier did promise that they would cover the cost.
But today four months later they have gone completely silent except from the one mail in July where they bitched a bit about the price and that the flange would've held up for some time.

I'm just really annoyed that they promised to pay up one day and the next they decides to keep quiet and see if the problem disappears.

Pavlo

The flange is not faulty, it's mild steel (ie not stainless steel) so it will rust.

Was it advertised as having stainless steel flanges?

HappyFrog

iTrader: (17)

What's the point in having a stainless exhaust if the joints will deteriorate?

It was the only flange that rusted, everything else on the exhaust was fine including the rest of the silencer and the supplier agreed it was a faulty flange before I had it cut off.

Pavlo

It is worse than I would expect, but it's quite normal to see that on a lot of machine made stainless exhausts within the UK. Exhausts made in far east seem better in that respect but often have thinner flanges that bend and leak.

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

So you guys are saying that a s/s exhaust isn't really s/s as the flanges aren't sounds to me & I'd be well unhappy to see my £1000+ exhaust rusting away like the OP's

TX.

my94wrx

iTrader: (4)

my magnex back box has got a mild steel flange and has gone rusty, but does not effect its function the hold and seal the exhaust.

Mikkel

Have to agree and if I was the OP I would be very angry. From the one side of the story we have, it sounds like he has been more than a reasonable customer and has provided the supplier with ample opportunity to put it right.

You wouldn't think there was a recession on with companies treating loyal repeat and potentially future customers with such disregard.

HappyFrog

iTrader: (17)

This one wasn't just a bit rusty, several layers of material broke off when it was cut by the welder who fixed it. It was only a year old I remind you and all other flanges hadn't deteriorated one bit. I would be disappointed if this happened to any exhaust no matter what material was used or how cheap it was for that matter.

I'll agree with the supplier that it probably would've survived for some time, but I've had french cars that deteriorated less than this

HappyFrog

iTrader: (17)

Oh well, I wrote them this morning I consider my money lost and this case closed. They received the flange in May, so I think I have been as patience as I could be.

The supplier was ScoobyWorld and I for one will not buy parts from them again if this is how they handle warranty issues. Too bad really, because they've been really quick at answering questions and ship parts.

Mikkel

I'm amazed. I've had nothing but good experiences when buying from them. Their customer service is always first class in my experience.

I've used them several times and will continue to do so.

HappyFrog

iTrader: (17)

I've placed orders for about £2500 during the last two years, so I'm pretty amazed myself - and I agree that their customer service when buying is first class.
But I'm even more amazed that they didn't take the offer of selling me parts with a discount instead of a refund, they could have got out of this without costing them anything.

I'll be needing a full refund and a really good excuse before I'll consider them again.

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

Says it all when you mention scoobyworld, they were advertising falsley for years that H&S made their centre section with resonators in, I spoke to H&S to be told they dont, again more false advertising by SW, Im really not surprised they way they have treated you either,
I know there are some that are happy with the service they give but I know of a lot more who are not, When I had my issues they did nothing but make out it was my fault.

HappyFrog

iTrader: (17)

I got a mail from ScoobyWorld just now, they claim my mails were caught by their spam filter - thanks to whoever alerted them about this thread :-)

I'll update this when we find a solution.

HappyFrog

iTrader: (17)

Alrighty, they've given me a discount on the full amount on the discs I suggested earlier. Case closed at last.

Again, thanks to whoever mailed them this thread, I never got around to send it myself and it probably would have been caught by the spam filter anyway

bushiwarrior

i'm really suprised at scoobyworld in this case tbh.Being from a metal work background i cant see why they manufactured mild steel flanges to a stainless body,looks like someone cocked up here big time.Scoobyworld usually are quite good.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Most stainless exhausts I've seen have mild steel flanges, some maybe aluminised but even then they will still eventually rust.

Seeing the flange is 10-12mm thick, it will take a LONG time to rust through. I'm talking decades here. More chance of the baffles rusting through, welded joints failing, or bolts to rust through long before the flanges.

Although it seems the material in this particular case is substandard (or batch maybe?).

Pavlo

It's a normal practice amoung exhaust manufacturers.

phil739

iTrader: (30)

scoobyworld is only round the corner from me , and have a very good rep on here and on other forums ..
and used them myself and very happy with there products and customer relations

just a shame on this occasion it took a thread nameing and shaming them to sort it out