I really didn't want to do this but they (Alta) have been warned about my dissatisfaction regarding a small but important issue. Still, they have stubbornly refused to accomodate my request. Here's the story:

As I have previously posted, I have installed their TMIC and oil catch can in my MCS. Overall, I'm very satisfied with their products and their technical assistant (Jeff) was very helpfull when I ran into problems during the install. The only problem I ran into was a slightly defective spray nozzle which is a piece of machined aluminum post. I'm sure it's just a burr inside causing a slight asymetric spray pattern (something that I could fix my self if needed). However, when I requested that replacement be sent to me, they (shipping/sales) told Jeff NO. I would have to send the defective one back first or buy one then get a credit when they receive the defective part?!?! Whoa....I explain to Jeff that I had spent over $1500 in their products in the past 4 months (TMIC, oil catch can, CAI) and am astonished they couldn't accomodate my request. Their reasoning was that customers in the past have not honored their obligation to return the exchanged part(s).

Let's look at this again....$1500 spent on their products and they are worried about getting a $10 dollar F#@$KED PIECE OF METAL BACK?????!!!!!!????? Wouldn't you think that the right thing to do is just go back to the parts bin and grab another stupid piece of metal and send it out ASAP... instead of explaing to the customer (ME) why they're right and I'm wrong????

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Jeff nor am I complaining about their product. But I'm real POed with the people who have unilaterally decided that no one gets special treatment because of a few bad apples....no matter how much money I've spent on their products.

Pardon my rant. I'm not gonna hold my breath when I can probably fix it or find a replacement my self. Thanks for listeniing.

Sid













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Hey guy,
I have to give him an amen. I have no fault with Alta"s products, but they sure fall short when it comes to customer support and technical assistance. They send you a pile of goodies and you are pretty much on your own.. If it weren't for the above guy, I never would have figured out which way to mount their catch can.. Thanks again big guy and :evil: to alta.

 

A local club member bought the Alta exhaust. Got it on the car and he said it sounded awful. As if a baffle had been damaged or disloged or something. Alta would not help him out, period. They said if you don't like the sound of the exhaust that's a personal thing and we can't do anything about that. This guy then finds someone willing to buy the exhaust from him knowing that there might be something wrong with it. Sure enough, this person said it sound awful and broken and took it off his car.

I hope Alta sees this thread as the experiences posted here aren't the only complaints I've heard of Alta. My advice would be if Alta is the only source of the part buy it off an Alta reseller that has better customer service.

Paul

 

Ok...it's a $20 piece of F$#@KED up metal. And their policy remains firm. Fine **** the customer off over 20 bucks. That's 20 bucks well learned for me. I don't care how good their products are. NO MORE BUSINESS FROM ME!!!!!!....Hope their products last longer than their company. That's more like a prediction than hope.

_________________

 

I'm with you.

I emailed them several times and phones as well..... never got responses. i left voice messages with sales, service, AND tech-support.... nothing. wrote emails to all 3 departments. nothing. This was over two weeks ago. (so if they were out of town for a race, its been enough time).

i'm convinced this company doesn't really exist. Vapourcompany!

i would like to know how the heck you got a hold of somebody there.
I was trying to get more information on their exhaust and other parts, but since they didn't want my business, i bought other products. And if it weren't for my local dealer ONLY stocking alta, i'm not so sure i would buy anything from them.

good luck with resolving that.

-ABT-

 

Was going to order some products from Alta but after reading these posts I am going to spend my money elsewhere.

 

I work for a well known telecommunications company and regardless of the cost of a defective part, we require the part back before issuing credits or replacement parts. You have to remember in order to provide better customer support, you need to determine root cause and solve quality issues. You can't do that if you rely on a customer to return something if they have nothing invested. Just my .02 though, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

>>You can't do that if you rely on a customer to return something if they have nothing invested. Just my .02 though, so take it with a grain of salt.


Nothing invested?????????? With all due respect, how about $1500????? I'm basicallly complaining about them unwilling to sending some nuts and bolts for crying out loud
Look...I'm not trying to beat a dead horse cause they've already made up my mine for me. I just feel that their customer relations department is Penny wise, Dollar STUPID

Can you imagine if it was the intercooler that was defective...........don't even want to go there.
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I had quite the opposite experience dealing with Alta. The intake they sent me had some serious fit issues that I was able to fix myself with a pair of tin snips and a utility knife. Alta was very accomodating and sent me a new "heat shield" right away without waiting for me to send back the old one. Even though that new part didn't fix the problem (it was exactly the same as the old one), I was impressed by how accomodating Alta was in dealing with the issue.

 

>>I had quite the opposite experience dealing with Alta. The intake they sent me had some serious fit issues that I was able to fix myself with a pair of tin snips and a utility knife. Alta was very accomodating and sent me a new "heat shield" right away without waiting for me to send back the old one. Even though that new part didn't fix the problem (it was exactly the same as the old one), I was impressed by how accomodating Alta was in dealing with the issue.


Andy, that was what I was expecting from my past experience with vendors. I could understand if it was the expensive intercooler (who would want to risk loosing $1000?), but pissing me off over a $20 piece???

I understand their position but feel that this policy is short sighted and misguided. Ultimately, word will get around. They will realize that saving a few dollars while loosing customers is not a good business case.

I will get off my soap box now

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How come there is not a vendor feedback forum? I know I have some to share, both good and bad.

 

yeah I had problems with them regarding shipping. When I emailed about products been shipped to me, after 2 weeks waiting they did nott reply. Products did turn up after 5 weeks. Even though Im in Oz, I did pay extra for shipping to be couriered yet got regular post and therefore ripped off. Good products though.

There should be a vendor feedback forum

 

>>I work for a well known telecommunications company and regardless of the cost of a defective part, we require the part back before issuing credits or replacement parts. You have to remember in order to provide better customer support, you need to determine root cause and solve quality issues. You can't do that if you rely on a customer to return something if they have nothing invested. Just my .02 though, so take it with a grain of salt.


--good point, but you work for a telecommunications company, with probably thousands of customers and who knows how big your infrastructure is. Alta is really a smaller business, with an extreme limited number of clientele. They should still be operating on the "customer is always right" policy.

I would expect the aforementioned policy with MINIUSA, but not with a small (almost mom-and-pop-ish) Alta.

-ABT-

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My friends in the WRX and EVO crowd have had the same problems with communication/customer service from Perrin Performance (Same company as Alta) :???:

 

Hello to the NAM public!

I apologize for not responding directly to this thread earlier. First let me address the initial issue raised by MSFITOY. No one in our firm discredits your purchase(s), the value of your business and that you have a valid warranty problem with your intercooler. However, although the item in question is valuable and integral to the total package of the top mount intercooler, the sprayer is not crutial to be able to drive the vehicle during the very reasonable amount of time for the part to be replaced. Jeff offered to send a replacement item as soon as the original was received or to charge a nominal fee for a replacement and send it along with a call tag for the defective item. When the defective item was received your account would have been immediately credited. Not only would you not have been charged for any shipping you would not have been without the piece for any length of time. Agreed though that your account would have been short $20 during that period of time. Also, you mention that "I'm basicallly complaining about them unwilling to sending some nuts and bolts for crying out loud ", there is a little more to it than that. Excluding the replacment cost if there is a problem with the part we need to inspect it and get it fixed. Meaning if a more significant problem exists in a batch of squirters, we want to take the steps to insure it doesn't happen again. The cost of the part is only part of the concern for getting it back. The original offer(s) still stand call our offices and speak to Jeff at ext 202. He would be happy to get the squirter on its way to you as early as this afternoon. (Sidenote: He is leaving for the International Auto Salon to represent the tech. dept at our booth there tomorrow. If you miss him he will return April 8th.)

Couple other quick notes. Andy@RossTech: Thank you for the rebuttal. In your situation you had a potentially defective part, pictures to substantiate the claim and as memory serves scheduled dyno time the following afternoon. Based on that we did send the item to you. (Thank you also for returning it!)

ABTsportsline: I have no idea where and how you are basing your supposed statements of fact. We are a small company that produces parts for several types of vehicles. We are not a "mom-and-pop-ish_ type of firm. However, I wish that we were even more so. Being able to meet with each of your employees on a 24hr basis would be great! Instead I am stuck meeting with each individually and having to schedule that time. A small company yes, a local dime store no. Our items are made to the highest levels of quality found in the performance aftermarket today. Also, with less than one half of one percent warranty concern let alone return. My ext. is 203 and I welcome the opportunity to speak to you about any unresolved questions about our products. No vapors here!

Enzothemaddog: Without your name I had a hard time trying to track this further. My only thought would be that due to customs clearance and other issues beyond our control may have hindered the delivery of your items. My apologies although I am happy that the parts are working to your satisfaction.

cparker: I ask you to poll more people than those responding here to get a much better picture of our abilities to handle your requests. Better yet speak to any of our valued dealers around the world, they too are ready and able to help.

Finally, I have put this out here before and I am doing it again for any people that may have missed it in the past. We (ALTA Performance Group and its employees) are happy to help in anyway possible, whenever possible. Every e-mail, telephone call etc. is returned in as short a time as possible. (If you are having no response to e-mail our junk filters may have eaten it. PLEASE call to follow up if you do not receive a response within 24 hours.) We do NOT skip, delete or non-respond to requests for information. If we don't answer, we won't have any customers and trust me we like customers. Feel free to contact me directly with any further issues at 503-643-4677 xt 203 M-F 9-6 Pacific Time.

Adam
SALES MANAGER
ALTA PERFORMANCE GROUP
503-643-4677 xt 203
adam@altaminiperformance.com

 

Adam

I appreciate the response. I understand the "junk mail" theory, but that still doesn't explain the phone calls. I will be calling you this week, directly dialing your extension. But if you do not have your extension listed on your website, how does one reach you? it seems you never get a hold of anyone in each department. And you might want to check your voicemail system. I did leave messages in tech support, sales, and some other department leaving my name, phone number, and what i was calling about. No one called me back.

Might want to lift all filters off your email as well - just think of how much business you could be losing, if this many people ALONE missed your responses.

I don't hold grudges, so if we can make things right i will be singing a different tune. Look forward to talking to you.

Cheers
-ABT-

 

ABT Sportline: I look forward to speaking to you. I will be out of the office from March 30th through April 7th and returning on the 8th. I (along with the rest of our sales staff) will be in our booth at the SEMA International Auto Salon in LA. If possible stop by the booth and I will take the time to talk to you personally. I am not familiar with the geography but assume you (AMS) are within reasonable distance from the convention center. I checked my voice mail along with sending an internal e-mail to all parites involved and there is no record of your call. (At least no one identifiying themselves as being from ABT or AMS.) As I mentioned before we want and need to speak to customers, dealers etc., whenever possible. It is foolish to think that we would intentionally not return e-mails, phone calls and the like. Also, if you prefer e-mail me directly your phone number and I will call you form my personal cell phone. (As I would do for any of our customers!) Chat soon.

Adam

 

I had the exact same problem with ALTA. I bought their CAI from outmotoring after a month the filter split. I e-mailed ALTA and outmotoring, Alta responded within a couple of hours. I told them it was may daily driver but they told me to take off the intake and put the stockone on till they could get my filter and send a new one.( getting the lower screws in was hard and if I took it off It was staying off and being returned) I was really happy with the intake though. outmotoring returned my call a few hours after and sent off the filter and even offered to overnight it. My experience after all this I trust outmotoring and would buy from them again. But will I buy any more alta stuff???? not really sure but I definately will give other companies first look.

 

I am having the same experience with Alta currently. I placed an order for the cold air intake over the internet on the 29th of March and thought that I would be recieving an e-mail confirmation of the order. None came. I called and left a message on Tuesday the 30th to get a confirmation. No response. I sent an e-mail on Tuesday night to get information. No response. Called on Wednesday and left a voice mail. No response. Emailed on Thursday. No response. At this point I was concerned that I had placed an order with a company that did not exist, so I called the credit card company and asked if they had dinged my account yet. They said yes on the 3oth the day after I placed the order. It is now Friday night with no repsonse. When the credit card dispute department opens in the morning of Saturday, I will contest the charge on my account. I have left them one last message informing them of this. IS ANYBODY OUT THERE! They sound like great products. I guess I will buy a K&N Typhoon.

ALAN : :evil: :???:

 

Alta's not there right now... They are at a show in Nevada (i think... not sure where it is). They will return the 9th of April. They left the 30th of March. Chances are your card was charged "automatically", and will probably be shipped automatically. But this is why you can't reach them at the moment.

I would give it two weeks before i'd aggressively pursue this thing.

good luck