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Reviews Views Date of last review
14 12133 7/25/2008
Recommended By Average Price Average Rating
21% of reviewers $430.00 2.5
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Description: The entire PaloUber Mini product line is meticulousy designed and engineered to provide the finest quality parts.

The worlds finest Mini Cooper S accessories are available to you from our Newport Beach, California location. All of our Mini Cooper accessories have been designed by Palo Uber encompassing three core elements...

High performance improvements to the Mini Cooper S

Esthetic enhancements improving your comfort

Visual dynamics.

These three elements have been the foundation from which all of our Mini Cooper accessories have been developed and engineered from.

Returns
We will not accept unauthorized returns. Please contact us whenever there is a need for adjustment. Returned parts must be in clean, unused, original condition, packed in the original packaging, and received at Palo Uber Mini within 5 days of date of sale. We will not accept returns after 5 Days. No return will be accepted without invoice/sales receipt number or date of sale. We will issue you a return authorization number that must be marked on the return package. Our shipping & receiving department does not accept packages without return authorization number. Returned items will be inspected before a refund is issued. There are no returns on Special Order parts. There are no refunds on electrical parts unless part is deemed defective by Palo Uber Mini. NO RETURNS ON USED PARTS!

A 25% restocking fee will be charged/deducted on all returns, regardless of whether the item was ordered in error by telephone or on Palo Uber Mini web site.
Keywords: perfomance mods aesthetic enhancements visual dynamics
Web site: http://www.paloubermini.com/


blackie
5th Gear

Registered: October 2006
Location: forgetaboutit
Posts: 835
Review Date: 10/19/2007 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 2 

 
Pros: out of the box their products look good....
Cons: high price/questionable quality/inefficient customer service, at best

This is a vendor review from someone who has actually purchased and used or attempted to use a variety of products from the Palo Uber (PU) line. I mention what one would think obvious, that I did buy several PU products, but many who have criticized PU have been labeled by this vendor as never having purchased anything from their product line, so please note that I have made several such purchases. I have already reviewed in this forum two of the parts I purchased; one was favorable (the Carbon Fiber hood scoop) and the other was unfavorable (the tuner lugs).

I was surprised to see that this vendor has up to now NOT been reviewed in this forum, although plenty of threads do exist within NAM about them. Just use the search function with the words "Palo Uber" or their initials "PU" and you are sure to find them. In my experience, most of the comments I have read have been overwhelmingly negative. This vendor has been accused by many on NAM of selling very high-priced parts of inferior quality, although their site proclaims they only manufacture the finest quality merchandise. They have also been accused of very poor, even abusive, customer service. While I have had one positive experience so far, I have had far many more negative ones, including customer service that was uneven at best; initially (upon telling this vendor their lugs had rusted, not once, but twice) I was falsely accused by PU of damaging their tuner lugs by using “air tools”, when all I ever did was hand-tighten them with a wrench.

Rather than repeat what can easily be found in numerous NAM threads with a little research, before you consider this vendor (whose products often do look very enticing, which was how I got drawn in) please make certain you take note of the comments within such threads from NAM members. Just to give you a piece of the good and the bad, I have posted photos of the PU CF scoop, as well as their tuner lugs that rusted (badly, as can be seen) and the easily damaged lug wrench socket and lug key. After this everything that follows is straight off the vendor's site, which should give you the flavor of their pitch, as well as the restrictive nature of the PU return policy and their disclaimer. Good luck in doing business with Palo Uber!

Between my vendor review above and my product reviews in this forum of the PU CF scoop and the PU tuner lugs, as well as my many comments about PU in several NAM threads (mostly under 1st generation modifications), you should get the picture that I gave this vendor every opportunity to cure their problems or issues, but in the end I was mostly just rudely disappointed.

UPDATE as of 5/2/08 DING DONG, THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD -
Quote:
Originally Posted by IB Vendor Setup
Administrator

Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 2
Gallery
NorthAmericanMotoring.com announces the discontinuation of Palo Uber as a NAM vendor for inadequately addressing concerns previously highlighted by Mark. We wish them the best of luck in the future.

- Alvin, Director of Business Operations
I can just imagine these PU folks saying "You'll miss us when you don't have us to kick around anymore". NOT!
gnatster
Curmudgeon

Registered: January 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3448
Review Date: 11/1/2007 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: Very skilled at charging excessvily high prices for rebadged goods
Cons: Firm lacks honesty

My dealings with this group are well documented, preform and advanced search using my user ID and antenna. I have nothing good to say about this company. They are a discredit to the Mini Community in my opinion.
Minibeast
4th Gear

Registered: March 2003
Location: Fort Lauderdale
Posts: 302
Review Date: 11/4/2007 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Quick response to consumer questions and problems
Cons:

While I've seen several posting over the years bashing each of our vendors, lately Palo Uber has been the step child for which some are now out for.
Personally, they have always treated me fairly and quickly. I purchased their light bar a year ago, and had some difficulty in the install but finally figured it out with their assistance. They even sent me a replacement bar at no cost. No company on this planet is perfect, but the good ones work with their customers to correct any problems there may be and this is what Palo Uber has done for me.
blackie
5th Gear

Registered: October 2006
Location: forgetaboutit
Posts: 835
Review Date: 11/7/2007 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: typically looks good, on the surface
Cons: they ultimately will bail out on the customer

I just read the latest review , which makes these folks seem like any other vendor (as in, they all have problems, but the ones that work with you to resolve them are the ones to stick with and up for) . Well, I only made reference (in my initial review) to the many threads about PU in the forums some of which will document my personal experience with this company. In a nutshell though, I tried to get UBER to make good on their now famous rusting lugs more than once and each time they failed to provide me with a product that measured up to their lofty claims . They also have a standard routine of dirty tricks , which include blaming the customer and simply frustrating the daylights out of you . I have their CF scoop and so far so good ; it looks good and seems to be a quality product, but I would NEVER deal with these folks again after the grief and double-talking and double-dealing they gave me over their rusting lugs.
1nf3rn0
6th Gear

Registered: April 2005
Location: Ann Arbor, MI and Oakhurst, CA
Posts: 6701
Review Date: 11/11/2007 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: None.
Cons: Lies, neglected promises, and guilt trips....

I was installing a hood scoop which had the wrong hardware packaged in it. When I called Palo Uber to discuss their error, they tried to tell me that i was installing it wrong. When they finally conceded that they were in error, they tried to blame the error on mentally disabled workers in the shop... In order to remedy the the situation, palo uber told me to buy a new set of hardware which they would reimburse me for. I bought the hardware, but there was no reimbursement. When I called them, they gave me the run around. In the end, i never was paid. They are a dishonest company and nobody should give them their money.
TheRaven
1st Gear

Registered: January 2007
Posts: 18
Review Date: 11/12/2007 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: None
Cons: Lies, They blame consumer for any problems, Products are marketed as "premium" but are often substandard quality

About a year ago, without sufficient research on my part, I made the mistake of purchasing a Palo Uber product. The product in question was advertised as a Palo Uber black powdercoated aluminum shorty antenna.

What I (and everyone else that made the same mistake) received was actually just a plain aluminum antenna available PAINTED BLACK. I have worked with powdercoated products in the past, and this was clearly not powdercoated.

A little perturbed, I contacted Palo Uber, who at first ignored me. Later on as complaints piled up among other buyers, they claimed that it was a "bad batch from the powdercoating company" and promised to make things right. A blatant lie, since the antennas weren't powdercoated to begin with. During the time I waited to see if I would receive a replacement, I noticed that the paint actually disintegrated off the antenna, exposing the plain aluminum underneath. Not only was it painted, it was painted badly with no prep work done to the metal surface to provide any grip to the paint. They couldn't even get that part right.

When I asked them about this, I was told that it was my use of cleaning products that was to blame for this issue. After much hassle they eventually sent me a new antenna....which had the same issue.

Bottom line - Always do your research and stay FAR FAR away from Palo Uber.
MidniteCoop
4th Gear

Registered: March 2007
Posts: 580
Review Date: 11/15/2007 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Unique products, eager to resolve issues when they arise.
Cons: None

I've been ordering from Palo Uber for a while now.
I must say, with all the negative that floods the site about this vendor I on ly have had positive experiences with them.
I talk to them on the phone regularly after ordering a few products from them they have been real eager to work with me to fix any issues that may arise.
All products have installed smoothly for me and I am very pleased with them as well.
kevshootz
3rd Gear

Registered: August 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 152
Review Date: 11/20/2007 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: nothing at all
Cons: dont return calls, claim to be a quality product but they dont have pictures after 6 months to show me what this stuff is.

I agree with Blackie. I had to write them many emails and left several messages before anyone returned my calls.

And all I wanted to see was a picture of the scoop for the R56 on a car, not a dark picture of it sitting on some marble counter.

They told me they don't have a picture of it on a car.

What the ****!? What an odd company.
DmOcRsI
2nd Gear

Registered: April 2006
Location: Fullerton, CA
Posts: 140
Review Date: 12/30/2007 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: None.
Cons: Outright lying in their advertisment.

I do not own any PU products; however my decision to review is due in part that I do not need to purchase products from a company that outright lies about their products.

I have extremely good relations with my wheel sponsor Sportmax Wheels (soon to be XXR Wheels) and within that I'd like to welcome everyone to compare wheels on their website http://www.sportmaxwheel.com/wheels.shtml to compare their wheels with those advertised on PU's website.

I'd like to specifically point out Style's 003, 006, 009, and 962... these wheels have been around for years now and were designed and constructed overseas in Taiwan. They are not a bad wheel at all; they are all cast with the exception of the 003's and are fairly strong. But they are in NO MEANS "...designed by Palo Uber and engineered in Europe by our specialist." That is absurd... even more absurd than their selling price between $1,495-$1,690. I mean, even the forged 003's can be found for $850.00 for a set.

"This is the rim others have attempted to imitate, but no other manufacturer comes close to our arch spoke curvature..." OUTRIGHT LIES!!!
PortMCS
4th Gear

Registered: November 2006
Location: Union, NJ
Posts: 531
Review Date: 1/13/2008 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: none
Cons: Much!

After reading all the negativity and bad reviews of thier rebadged products (and there are LOTS of bad reviews on PU) i can confidently say i will never buy anything from these clowns!
rustyboy155
Captain of the BS Police

Registered: August 2005
Location: SoCaL (Agoura Hills)
Posts: 3905
Review Date: 4/21/2008 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: $430.00 | Rating: 2 

 
Pros: Didn't fall apart!
Cons: Price, Complexity of Install, Lack of Customer Support, False Advertising Practices

I ended up buying the Palo Uber Light bar because it was one of the only bars that I could accomplish what I wanted to with. Unfortunately Palo Uber doesn't stand by their products and gave me very little support with my installation when I ran into difficulties installing it with my Aero Bumper.

Palo Uber's complete lack of consumer support on Palo Uber's behalf will prevent me from ever buying another product from this company.
Bahamabart
6th Gear

Registered: February 2005
Location: Miami, Florida
Posts: 3189
Review Date: 4/22/2008 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: not aware of any
Cons: questionable advertisng / promotion / business ethiques

First, I have not purchased anything from PU for two reasons, the threads I have read and the fact that I find PU website misleading.

From the PU website (http://www.paloubermini.com/1136050.html) “All of our Mini Cooper accessories have been designed by Palo Uber encompassing three core elements...
  1. High performance improvements to the Mini Cooper S
  2. Esthetic enhancements improving your comfort
  3. Visual dynamics.”
I am under the impression that Palo Uber doesn’t exist but made up for marketing purposes.

Oner is able to find numerous of their products sold under a different label. It is clear that PU is sourcing products and branding them as their own "unique PU design". If the website said “hand selected by PU” I would not have an issue but the claim is “desgined by PU”.

They use this unique design element to justify a premium for their products - brilliant however its false advertising.
Bahamabart
6th Gear

Registered: February 2005
Location: Miami, Florida
Posts: 3189
Review Date: 5/17/2008 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 0 

 
Pros: n/a
Cons: n/a

Just to document for future NAM members. PU was dropped by NAM as a vendor in 2008 for the way they represented and conducted themselves.
daegerter
2nd Gear

Registered: November 2006
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 110
Review Date: 7/25/2008 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 4 

 
Pros: the product did finally get to me
Cons: way overpriced, incompitant employees

yeah... paid $300 for a CF hood scoop, got to me in about 3 weeks, called multiple times and they were flat out stupid


 
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