sorry for being so distant the past couple weeks. We have had family staying at home, and since I barely get the opportunity to see them I spent every waking moment with my cousins, uncle and aunt.

Christmas and New Years was good, had a blast, but don't really want it to end.....

down to business.....

I just had a pretty crappy experience with Alta. As you know I ordered a Cold Air Intake and a Turbo Inlet Tube in November. The CAI shipped out, 2 weeks in shipping, and arrived 9th of December. It's awesome, looks good, sounds good, performance gains are noticable. However, the day after I ordered my intake I was called to say that the turbo inlet tube was on back order and I should expect to receive it in 3-4 weeks. I was ok with that, I looked on the bright side and figured I would get the ability to experience the car with just the intake, and then see a difference with the inlet tube later.

Soooo.... 4 and a half weeks after placing my order and being told 3-4 weeks I would have it, I still didn't have it. I sent over an email saying that I have not heard anything and when will I get it. After being ignored for over a week by the sales rep, I sent a nasty gram threatening to take my business elsewhere. I get an email today saying that the machine used to produce the part was broken and they were in the process of getting a new one and it would take an additional 4 weeks before they could send the inlet tube out. (6 weeks from now I would have it).

When were they planning on telling me that? They offered to keep me on backorder, give me the credit towards a different product, or refund the money. I just asked for the money back.

I will strongly reconsider placing a future order with a company who charges my card, sets an expectation of 4 weeks, doesn't tell me about the change in plans, then ignores my email until I send a nasty gram.

<rant over>

 

PM Adam (ADAMSALTAMINI) on these forums. He has been extremely helpful and responsive to all of my questions and set up a return for me.

 

sucks you're having all those probelms...

they should have been keeping you in the loop.

 

If they pride themselves on customer service, they would have called, emailed or sent a notice of some sort to ask you what you wanted to do!

Ranting understandable.

 

DChap, sucks to hear about that.

Happy 2009 Everyone, hope it's better than 2008!

 

+1

someone told me and I'm going with it... 2008, not so great, 2009, going to be fine!!!

 

So have been thinking about stripes alot lately, i never realized that stripes came with one of the many packages i ordered...
I contacted Otto's and explained the situation and I would like the stripes.
With Chad at Otto's just sent me an email and said no problem!!! It has been 6 months since I purchased Nugget and she will now be getting her stripes thanks to Chad and Holly at Otto's...They rock!

 

Which stripes did you choose?

 

Please post pictures.

 

grrrr.... my drivers side window has decided to stop working properly.... now it won't auto-up, AND the 1/4" rolling down/up it does as you open and close the door.... is no more.... you know... I really hate my dealer and really don't want to have to take it in.... GRRR

 

After long consideration, i have decided on the wide black with the thin white on either side... this would match my black seats and white piping.
what do you think?

 

looks like the same as yours toolazy.

 

That just happened to me. They had to replace the unit at the driver's side kickpanel - I forget what it is called but they surely know about it being a problem. I would close my door and the window would roll up OUTSIDE the molding. Also the window would drop down halfway when using the 1 touch up...it would go up and come back down...they are related problems.

I think it would look great. I personally prefer the sport or viper stripes vs. the bonnets but considering $500+ vs. free there was nothing to consider.

 

that sounds great gemgirl. They'll definitely look nice with your seats. I've been considering getting black viper stripes, but ultimately decided against it.

 

thanks everyone, i will post pix when i get it done! they are being put on this Saturday!!!

 

It has been a crazy 2.5 weeks but boy did my MINI get a workout!

I'm now at 11558 miles (I checked at lunch) after a trip from New York City to Colorado (for skiing and Xmas) to Boston (for NYE and shenanigans) and back to real life. Pretty much everyone I encountered gave me the same reaction, "You are going to do what?!? Drive?! In that small of a car!? Through the snow!?"

I have to say folks, I continue to be pleasantly surprised by our little cars. Not only did I seat myself and my best friend who came along for the skiing, with the seats down we were able to quite comfortably fit 1.5 weeks worth of clothes, ski equipment, and myriad of electronics while still being able to see out all the back windows. The MINI was able to punch right through freezing rain and sleet I encountered on my first trip across Ohio. While in Colorado I had phenomenal control and traction in the MINI as we crossed several snowy mountain passes and I took the lead, even in the company of several SUVs with 4X4, when we were traversing the unplowed county dirt roads (approx 4-6 inches) to our cabin. My friends and family were floored at how well the MINI out performed the SUVs especially because we had to dig an Altima out of the snow in a gulley after it slid off the road (even with chains on).

On my way back I caught up with the nasty Xmas weekend snow storm in Kansas and actually teamed up with another NFR MINI with some pretty ladies from Missouri and plowed right on through the storm for about 200 miles at 60mph while everyone else was slipping and sliding in the right lane at 35mph.

I was in NJ for about 18 hours and then headed up to Boston without looking at the weather forecast first and caught the really "fun" parts of the NYE snows we had here in the Northeast. Again, I had no problems at all even as the rest of the world was hiding at home because of the "dangerous roads."

Sure I have DSC, and All Season tires, but I don't consider either of those to be extraordinary in terms of affording me the kind of stability and control that the MINI offered. As I said, I was simply thrilled all around. I am pretty sure with a decent set of snow tires, the MINI could go just about anywhere in the snow!

Best of all though, I have to say, is that for all my travelling, I only spent $172.04 on gas over 4569 miles (at an average price of $1.71 using 93 when I could, 91 when I could only find that). Beats flying anytime! I would have paid that same amount for the stupid new baggage fees alone!

I hope you all had fantastic holidays and weren't afraid to get out there and drive in the snow yourselves!!

 

Zonedguy- all i can say is wow!!
sounds like you had a fantastic time and you MINI had even better of a time!

 

awesome about the stripes, it will look great.

 

toolazy... happened to Altoid also, it's a quick fix. I think it happens when the door seals get iced up and snag on the window when it tries to auto down when you open the door.

 

Update on Alta: Christina finally got back to me about my order and what they can do. They said either stay on the back order list, have a gift card for a future purchase or a refund to the card. I hinted that the only thing I wanted was an exhaust but mentioned it was too expensive. No offer was made as far as a discount goes... which sort of erks my chain. They are sending me my money back, no appology, no offer of a discount towards a future purchase, no nothing.

So yeah, Alta customer service is not really high on their list at the moment.

 

I can attest to that.

I've got a sweet set of Dunlop Wintersport 3D's on my car right now and I am unstoppable.

We've gotten a good bit of snow here in Seattle so far, and the city doesn't know how to deal with it. They don't really plow, their theory is that people will drive on it, compact it, and then everyone just drives with chains on until it melts.

Stupid idea, considering all of the accidents I saw, and the fact that all of the roads have insane potholes (well worse then PA) due to everyone driving with chains.

I didn't touch my chains. I drove around, on ice, up and down insanely steep hills, through unplowed 12" of snow where I was actually plowing... the plowed snow started coming up onto my hood.

I drove onto the top of a parking garage where they hadn't plowed. A subaru forester was stuck, I had no problem driving around him.

presently surprised.

 

well I went in to the dealer to have the window looked at, and I must say the SERVICE people at my dealer are very nice. I really like them. The window is all fixed again, hopefully it will stay that way, I have read that many peoples do not keep working.. mine was only a software update and initialization, no replacement parts..

Also when I went in they told me that the tailpipe recall was now mandatory, as in, if you come in for any service they will have to swap out the pipes...I told him I really didn't want them changed, he understood, but said he had to, so I let him, but I also requested he give me the originals. He had no problem with that, and he said, "the screws are still in them, in case they find their way back onto your car"

all in all quite pleased!

 

haha nice guy... good service. Are they going to get put back on?

I also had to have mine swapped out, I don't mind the new set up.

 

wow he is quick.... i just sent adam a pm as i still havn't had the money refunded, within 5 minutes of my pm he called me back on the phone haha.

give you updates soon.

 

I haven't decided yet... They may just stay as is....they really don't look different, just short...but I can always go back