Vendor Feedback Thread

R.Photo · Jul 18, 2013

The other day I noticed one of the center caps fell out of one of my 19" iPd Peg reps. I kind of hesitated to call for a minute because I didn't really want to spend $30 or so to get a new one from iPd. Anyways, I emailed them the next day(July 3rd I believe) and got a response very promptly, saying that he'd throw it in a box and ship it out that day, free of charge. That's the customer service that I love and get with iPd all the time!

prienzo · Aug 6, 2013

Warning: Another positive ViVA Performance post

As many of you know, George was reselling the 928 Motorsports Boost Limiter Valve. All of the valves leak and the manufacturer (928 Motorsports) refuses to step up the plate and admit to their poor product design. George did however step up and is going to take the valve back from me and try to fight 928 himself. Thanks again George, you'll always have my business and I'm sure you have the business of others.

VOOk89 · Sep 18, 2013

I cant even explain what amazing customer service you get from viva - George
an amazing guy to deal with and emails you back as fast as he can and I mean u get replies back instantly
will do business with George anytime , makes you feel very comfortable ,really appreciate everything he has offered.

ojs · Sep 22, 2013

Over the last two years I have had a chance to work with most of the vendors that support the R in one form or the other. And I have to say though most of my experiences have be above average even when there's been a glitch or two. But one vendor in particular has really stood out as stood out way above the rest. And that is George-Viva.

George has gone above and beyond excellent customer service. He has helped me work out fitment issues and even other vendor issues that were not only not his responsibility, but even complex issues related to other vendors. I can't say enough about the man's integrity and interest in helping the R community.

fehn · Nov 6, 2013

I've been try to get a hold of Matt (phuz) but haven't had any luck. Maybe his pm inbox is full? Does anyone know another way to get a hold of him?

Saleen9090 · Nov 6, 2013

fehn said:
I've been try to get a hold of Matt (phuz) but haven't had any luck. Maybe his pm inbox is full? Does anyone know another way to get a hold of him?

Have you tried info@phuzzymotorsports.com

It's right on his website

Landru · Nov 25, 2013

Kudos To Tasca

Once again, Tasca comes through! After a minor incident in a restaurant parking lot (restaurant's fault, no less), the establishments insurance company has cashed me out for a replacement front bumper cover. Now, the insurance company quotes a refurbished bumper cover, unprimed and unpainted, for all of $20.39 less then Tasca wanted for the new, color matched part, which shipped today. Since I'm over $400 to the good, I guess the insurance company is paying for a good chunk of my timing belt.

Thanks Tasca!

Landru
2004 S60R 6MT 99,000 miles
1998 V70 GLT 156,000 miles
1996 850 GLT, 135,000 miles

Bigfieroman · Dec 8, 2013

Beware of Phuzzy Motorsports.

I bought a downpipe and FMIC from him in the spring of 2011 and had him install everything. The day after install, I got a CEL. It was from 2 codes, "ECM-24BB Front heated oxygen sensor (HO2S) bank 1 Signal missing" and "ECM-24BD Front heated oxygen sensor (HO2S) bank 1 Signal too low". These codes cause the car to stay in closed-loop and run very rich, killing performance and mileage. He and I have been in contact regarding the issue for over 2 years. Here are some things we went through:

Repaired exhaust leaks at the turbo had no effect.
Cleaning both O2 sensors had no effect.
Replacing both O2 sensors had no effect ($200 out of pocket for me).
Switching back to the stock TCV had no effect.
Thorough examination of all wiring showed no issues. Signal verified to be present via data logging.
A couple runs of data logging show the front O2 signal is present, and the reading at WOT is about 0.5 point richer with the Phuz pipe.
Replacing the Phuz DP with the stock DP solved the codes right away. I ran it like this for 2 weeks with no codes.
Replacing the stock DP with an OBX DP produced no codes. It has been running like this for about a year of the last 2.5 years.

The difference in O2 readings is the cause of the code. According to VIDA, the "Signal missing" code can be caused by a >3% difference in readings between the front and rear sensors, and for some reason, the phuz front O2 reads rich.

Matt has been unable to explain why this is happening, and has now stopped responding to my e-mails. I have spent hundreds of dollars and countless hours of labor trying to fix this problem. Now I am left with a $560 paperweight in my garage. I have repeatedly asked him for a replacement pipe or for my money back, and he has refused. Buyer beware!

Saleen9090 · Dec 9, 2013

Phuz has been getting hammered lately. From the few cases I have read, he seems to be very willing to negotiate a solution from the get-go but as soon as you waste too much of his time, he just cuts you off completely. I would say all the testing you did was proof enough that the Phuz dp was causing the codes and poor gas mileage. That is pretty sh***y that he refuses to refund ANY money even though his product is proven to be defective. I would say the fact the the stock pipe and OBX kept the codes from coming back is more than definitive evidence that his pipe was defective.

OOKLA's problem with his FMIC from phuzz seems different because it seems he has made some unreasonable demands over a rusted pipe (although I don't know because all the details haven't been revealed). But this story above is the reason I will be steering clear of Phuzzy motorsports. Seems like you really got the SHAFT!

Bigfieroman · Dec 9, 2013

I was surprised too. He had a good reputation when I bought it, but he seemed to refuse to believe the pipe was the problem. I did all this troubleshooting and swapping to prove it. After I called him out on the forums last time, he reluctantly agreed to re-weld the upper bung at a different angle, and that didn't help, and he provided a replacement flange because mine was warped and leaking (he doesn't use a gasket), but that didn't solve the problem either. The last communication I had with him was basically said that my cat could be bad, and I should contact Magnaflow (he bought the cat and put it in the pipe, I have no documentation or even a receipt). Then he went dark.

The old thread:

http://forums.swedespeed.com/showth...?162192-Codes-following-DP-install-(Not-the-standard-code-that-needs-a-spacer)/

R.Photo · Dec 9, 2013

Sounds like he did do quite a bit though.... sorry for the bad luck.

Bigfieroman · Dec 9, 2013

R.Photo said:
Sounds like he did do quite a bit though.... sorry for the bad luck.

He did, he stuck in there and was a sounding board for my troubleshooting attempts, which is why I have kept this off the board so long. I didn't really think I should have been responsible for any troubleshooting once the problem reliably came and went with installing/removing the Phuz pipe reliably, but I was willing to indulge him because initially he knew more about this issue than I did. It was only when there was clearly no explanation beyond there being something fundamentally wrong with his pipe that he disappeared.

BryanO'Blivion · Jan 24, 2014

can we take a minute to acknowledge how awesome George at ViVA is? Seriously, this guy is a testament to what made America great in the day. If you are new to these cars, have an obscure technical issue, or planning a major project, you are doing yourself a disservice not contacting ViVA along the way. George is a knowledgeable, helpful, approachable businessman. He understands the root of customer service, and will do everything he can to help meet your needs. He helped me troubleshoot a costly issue, brining his personal experience with owning and maintaining Volvos. When I approached him about a service package a competitor offered, he found a way for his company to match their price while also offering a higher performance option to compliment it. George at ViVA is the type of resource every shade-tree mechanic and shed-built racer needs.

Give them a shout, you'll be glad you did.
mailto

arts@vivaperformance.com?subject=ViVA Performance Inquiry

Dietz 11 R · Mar 11, 2014

iPD, VIVA, FCP, Phuzzy, all I have had awesome experiences with!
I got lucky with my dual exhaust piece as I ordered it straight from Willy, who seems to now not be in the business.

iPD and VIVA are always there for me. Always willing to help. I've spent thousands between just these two.
FCP, ordered new spark plugs recently and got them in a few days. Enjoyed the transaction.
And Phuzzy, I just recently bought hisFMIC. Matt was there the whole time, responding to my emails promptly. I cannot see anyone having troubles with him. Really down to earth. Glad I went with him for my IC. Also, he is very willing to help with any questions that I have.

Thank you all for the awesome experiences with the R. Not once have I had a bad transaction.

Burr75 · Jun 3, 2014

I think I am done with IPD. 4 years ago I sent my ECU for programming while I was on vacation, with plenty of time for it to be tuned, returned, and installed while I was gone for a week. Upon returning I contacted my mechanic who told me that they never sent it back. I called IPD and they found my unprogrammed ECU under a pile of papers on someone's desk. They apologized but did nothing else. Not even a free t-shirt. Later I ordered my Air Management System, and it came apart at the seams. I returned it for replacement, only to have that one come apart as well. They have since discontinued the AMS, probably because it is a POS, and now will not offer anything for it. Viva, FCP Euro, Tasca, and the others with whom I have dealt have been excellent. All have offered excellent service. I wish IPD would do the same.

CKAVolvo · Jun 4, 2014

Burr75 said:
I think I am done with IPD. 4 years ago I sent my ECU for programming while I was on vacation, with plenty of time for it to be tuned, returned, and installed while I was gone for a week. Upon returning I contacted my mechanic who told me that they never sent it back. I called IPD and they found my unprogrammed ECU under a pile of papers on someone's desk. They apologized but did nothing else. Not even a free t-shirt. Later I ordered my Air Management System, and it came apart at the seams. I returned it for replacement, only to have that one come apart as well. They have since discontinued the AMS, probably because it is a POS, and now will not offer anything for it. Viva, FCP Euro, Tasca, and the others with whom I have dealt have been excellent. All have offered excellent service. I wish IPD would do the same.

Burr

Try giving a call to IPD and talk to Chris. I'm sure they will work something out.

rmorse · Jun 4, 2014

My brother ordered a bunch of crap from George at Viva, to be shipped to my house for his 06 VR. I dropped off his car and box o' parts, and realized that the new clutch was missing. My brother hit up George, who IMMEDIATELY assumed all fault (he forgot to include it in the order to Volvo) and rush shipped the clutch to my house. No BS, just straight ownership of the (minor) mistake and took care of the issue right away.

10/10

Saleen9090 · Jun 11, 2014

IPD sent me some peg reps and forgot the hub-centric rings. I did not realize that I needed them and rode a little wobbly for a week before investigating (also got new tires at the same time and figured it was a mis-balance). While it was unfortunate they were forgotten, IPD found a thread started by me and sprung into action. They overnighted the suckers. So my experience was somewhat disappointment followed by joy. Everyone makes mistakes so I don't hold it against them.

urinalcake · Jun 11, 2014

Everyone has a bad day. I had requested a price match on brake pads from FCP and the original sales rep I had been emailing just decided to go radio silent for two days, so I placed the order with IPD. The following day it seems that the sales reps colleague picked up the dropped ball and reached out to me, albeit a tad too late to make a difference. But I will continue to use both of them since I have had good overall experience with both of them.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

Saleen9090 · Jun 16, 2014

IPD also took my advice of mentioning on the sales page that all IPD peg reps require hubcentric rings. I asked them to add that because had that information been there when I ordered mine, I would have never installed them without the rings. I usually read a webpage in full before ordering or installing anything. Hopefully this will prevent someone else from installing the wheels if the hubcentric rings are accidentally not shipped.

http://www.ipdusa.com/products/4909/115262-ipd-pegasus-replica-wheel-17-inch-hyper-silver

Vendor Feedback Thread

R.Photo

prienzo

VOOk89

ojs

fehn

Saleen9090

Landru

Bigfieroman

Saleen9090

Bigfieroman

R.Photo

Bigfieroman

BryanO'Blivion

Dietz 11 R

Burr75

CKAVolvo

rmorse

Saleen9090

urinalcake

Saleen9090

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