STEEDA - NEVER AGAIN!

[Annihil8or]

I learned my lesson, I will never buy anything from those thieves ever again. I bought a strut tower brace from them which turned out to be very shoddy. The welds were a joke, the construction and design looked feeble and it was far lighter than I expected.

After I received the KB unit, which was far superior, I called my sales rep at Steeda and arranged for an RA number. I specifically asked him if there would be a "restocking fee" and he said no.

I paid the $11.50 to return the item, shipping it via UPS. They only credited me $75 which was the $99.95 less 25% restocking fee. I had never even removed the bubble wrap from their POS strut brace!

Not to mention that they charged me $39 P&H to ship the item via UPS ground to me so they made at least $27.50 profit on the shipping plus the $25 restocking fee. I guess they figure they can build crap, ship crap then even if the customer returns the crap they still come out ahead if they charge a restocking fee.

 

[Blackmagic94]

Sounds like you have issues with yourself. I have never had any complaints about the quality of Steeda or their customer service. Did you ever think that it cost money for the shipping materials, such as the box, wrapping, and catalog they sent you when you bought it. And don't forget the labor it took to package it up **EDITED BY 03DOHC** Please do not post racist crap.

 

[roushcobra2003]

**EDITED BY 03DOHC** but ya he is right i never heard anything bad about steeda. wtf u smoking

 

[hssss03]

Is that a photoshop pic of your car? that cobra in the side door looks badass :beer: :rockon: .

 

[Annihil8or]

Originally posted by Blackmagic94
Sounds like you have issues with yourself. I have never had any complaints about the quality of Steeda or their customer service. Did you ever think that it cost money for the shipping materials, such as the box, wrapping, and catalog they sent you when you bought it. And don't forget the labor it took to package it up **EDITED BY 03DOHC** Please do not post racist crap.

You "have never had any complaints about the quality of Steeda or their customer service" - what are you their public relations firm? Do you intercept all customer feedback from every transaction? It's no wonder you have never had any negative feedback with your inflammatory and hostile response why would anyone share their experience with such a closed-minded, bigoted moron? You clearly don't have the capacity to understand or comprehend any opinion that doesn't agree with your own.

I have done business with many companies on and off the internet. I own my own business and am very familiar with the costs of doing business, packing and shipping etc. So, of course, I thought of their costs etc. Obviously, you didn't think or cannot read. What I was referring to was dishonesty on the part of the rep and an excessive and unjustified restocking fee. This company is a ripoff plain and simple.

No big deal. They lost a future customer - I had planned to buy either their ball joints or their K-Member, etc.

Maybe you guys got lucky in your transactions with Steeda or maybe I was unlucky. Maybe I got a bad sales rep. Whatever. But even the sales rep's supervisor was unwilling to resolve the matter. So be it.

I am just sharing my experience. If you don't like it - don't read it.

The hostile and reactive responses posted above indicate poor judgement so the apparent affection for steeda doesn't surprise me either.

This forum is here for the purpose of sharing information, opinions and experiences. It's too bad that some morons feel the need to get defensive & hostile and post "racist crap" etc.

 

[Annihil8or]

Originally posted by hssss03
Is that a photoshop pic of your car? that cobra in the side door looks badass :beer: :rockon: .

Thanks and yes the "reflection" of the Cobra on the door and its "shadow" were both added to the photo with Photoshop (the shadow effect of the Cobra was done with a photoshop plugin).

 

[Annihil8or]

Originally posted by roushcobra2003
**EDITED BY 03DOHC** but ya he is right i never heard anything bad about steeda. wtf u smoking

You have now.

 

[Johnny Random]

Steeda blows. All they do is copy other peoples designs and mark up the price. I don't think I will ever buy anything from them.

Don't look at my sig. Does not say Steeda.

I do have two of their springs and cc plates but I did not buy them from Steeda. Got em used for a dang good price.

 

[esqeddy]

There isn't a parts dealer in this world that hasn't pissed off at least one customer. People make mistakes. Which place hasn't sold a product that is defective, forgot to include things, shipped the wrong things, to the wrong places, for the wrong prices. SHIT HAPPENS.

The true mark of the company is how they handle their mistakes. Have you called them back up and said; "Hey, you told me you weren't going to charge me a restocking fee." ? Make the call and see what they tell you and let us know.

 

[JohnsDSGVert]

I purchased a strut tower brace from Snow Performance and it is killer looking....made of aluminum, light weight, very strong, fair price, good service.

 

[Annihil8or]

Originally posted by Johnny Random
Steeda blows. All they do is copy other peoples designs and mark up the price. I don't think I will ever buy anything from them.

Don't look at my sig. Does not say Steeda.

I do have two of their springs and cc plates but I did not buy them from Steeda. Got em used for a dang good price.

True story.

 

[Annihil8or]

Originally posted by esqeddy
There isn't a parts dealer in this world that hasn't pissed off at least one customer. People make mistakes. Which place hasn't sold a product that is defective, forgot to include things, shipped the wrong things, to the wrong places, for the wrong prices. SHIT HAPPENS.

The true mark of the company is how they handle their mistakes. Have you called them back up and said; "Hey, you told me you weren't going to charge me a restocking fee." ? Make the call and see what they tell you and let us know.

Thanks for posting & I agree with you completely John, any company can (and most do from time to time) make mistakes. I am understanding of this fact and generally more tolerent because I own and operate a wholesale grocery business. In my business, and most other businesses, customer service is the one element that can differentiate a business from the competition. It appears as though Steeda makes "mistakes" as part of their standard operating procedure to enhance their bottom line profitability. First with their excessive postage and handling then with their exorbitant "restocking fee."

Given the price charged for their shoddy strut tower brace, either one of these charges alone would have been excessive. However, both charges combined are a complete rip-off and add up to almost half of the price charged for the brace. With these "policies" in effect, all they have to do is ship out their inferior products, have customers return them and still make 45-50% profit on the sale even after the customer returns the item!

As far as speaking with them in an attempt to correct the problem: As a matter of fact, not only did I speak with the original sales rep:smmon:, but also his supervisor:smmon: in an attempt to correct the problems. They flatly refused to correct the situation stating that these charges are their "policy."

John, I assure you, this thread would never have been started had I not given them at least two opportunities to solve the problem.

So the "true mark" of :xpl:Steeda is a SH*T STAIN! They are not interested in changing the way they do business because many people tolerate it. High restocking fees are becoming more and more common and in my opinion the companies charging them should be avoided.

Therefore, I have disputed the charges with my credit card company which will correct the situation for me. The purpose of posting this thread is to warn others of Steeda's sleezy and deceptive business practices - Caveat Emptor!

Annihilator aka Robin

 

[SALEEN039]

Originally posted by esqeddy
There isn't a parts dealer in this world that hasn't pissed off at least one customer. People make mistakes. Which place hasn't sold a product that is defective, forgot to include things, shipped the wrong things, to the wrong places, for the wrong prices. SHIT HAPPENS.

I have delt with Steeda for 5 years now.....Yes they have some good and bad products. I purchased camber / caster plates and they were garbage. I used them for a month and threw them in a box in my attic. My point is that all companys offer good and bad products. I have had great customer service from them and that is why I still deal with them. Always research before a purchase and you will make a better decision about the part in question to order. I have always posted questions about purchases in this forum and on other sites and get great results from that. Sorry you had a problem. It happens to the best of us........

 

[Annihil8or]

Originally posted by SALEEN039


I have delt with Steeda for 5 years now.....Yes they have some good and bad products. I purchased camber / caster plates and they were garbage. I used them for a month and threw them in a box in my attic. My point is that all companys offer good and bad products. I have had great customer service from them and that is why I still deal with them. Always research before a purchase and you will make a better decision about the part in question to order. I have always posted questions about purchases in this forum and on other sites and get great results from that. Sorry you had a problem. It happens to the best of us........

Thanks for the advice. I agree about the research wholeheartedly. I usually do my homework on both parts/services/companies to an almost excessive degree. In this case, I relied on photographs of the Steeda strut tower brace and their advertising which stated that their brace would fit with "all aftermarket superchargers."

Since I was considering the KB supercharger and since Kenny Brown's people were telling me that their basic strut brace would NOT accommodate the KB supercharger, and that, due to declining sales, they were no longer manufacturing the brace that would fit with a KB SC, I decided to try the Steeda brace.

It was only upon physical examination that I realized that the flimsy and shoddily constructed Steeda unit would not even begin to accomplish one of the primary reasons I wanted and needed the strut tower brace to begin with: To provide structural reinforcement for the strut towers due to the increased loading created by the coilovers I had installed.

The Steeda unit not only would not serve this purpose in the least but it would certainly cause a weakening of the strut towers due to its mounting method/location. Furthermore, it would hardly serve its basic design purpose (as a strut tower brace) due to its inferior construction and the fact that it is only a two-point mounted unit.

After seeing the Steeda unit first hand it became clear that the structural reinforcement of the strut towers was more important, in the moment, than the future ability to install a KB supercharger. Especially, with the Apten's potential being revealed, the Kenny Brown brace seemed like a better way to go.

It's too bad that Kenny Brown is no longer manufacturing their (far more robust than Steeda's) strut brace which does accommodate the KB SC.

The bottom line however, is that in spite of all of this, Steeda took advantage of the situation by charging their high S&H charges and then icing the cake with a 25% restocking fee for a total of $47.50 in combined charges over and above their actual shipping cost. This does not include the profit built into their brace price which must be huge given the inferior quality of their unit. When one considers that the item in question has a price tag of $99.95 at least half of which must be profit, I would estimate that their profit on this item is 200% or higher. Hardly what I would call a good deal.

Besides, the dishonest, rude and deceptive way in which they dealt with me, combined with the rude response from the sales department supervisor, were both inexcusable and unjustified in my opinion.

I realize that some have had favorable (for them, based upon their own expectations and judgments) experiences with Steeda, more power to them - enjoy! Some people enjoy going to the dentist or proctologist. Not me. Neither did I have a "great customer service experience" with them, they flat lied to me

My purpose is to warn others who want better parts and accessories for their Cobra than what Steeda will deliver. Also, to caution my fellow members that Steeda is deceptive and that they do sell inferior parts, and charge exorbitant S&H and restocking fees and use all three as profit centers.

As you pointed out, I must accept the ultimate responsibility for this bad experience, which I have done now. Hopefully, this thread will save others from a similar experience.

 

[dougwg]

Originally posted by Annihil8or
Some people enjoy going to the dentist or proctologist. Not me.

:lol:

 

[Annihil8or]

Originally posted by hssss03
Is that a photoshop pic of your car? that cobra in the side door looks badass :beer: :rockon: .

I like your new sig! Very cool...:beer: :thumbsup:

 

[SolidSnake]

Wonder what all the editing is about?

 

[Annihil8or]

Apparently, 03DOHC utilizing his infinite editorial wisdom, managed to save us all from the hateful, retaliatory, racist and inconsequential ramblings of a couple of mental midgets who have room temperature IQ's. Evidently, their defensive loyalty to Steeda is borne of the same consciousness that posted the content which was removed.

If you really want to know ask the Admin. Suggestion: Don't waste your time, it's not worth the effort.