Actually, I see you quoted this instance of a NAMer claiming a "bondo filled" PU scoop in another thread (the one Passat started when he got his PU CF hood scoop), but I cannot find the original posting of it (I think it was by MarioKart; I'll keep looking), so we could see just how long ago it was and if we are talking about the very same scoop.

 

I cannot say that I disagree with your logic. As I said, I think they reconsidered the whole deal when I complained and sent mine back simply about this badge issue.

 

The light bar is just about their only product that I've never heard any complaints about, and given their apparent practices of re-badging and re-selling other company's products, it really has me curious whether this is another one of those products.

 

Rally,

I'm curious, because I think you or maybe someone else insisted (or maybe only speculated) that these lugs are not even made by PU; that they come from Gorilla, along with the wrench. Has anyone seen or heard of complaints that the ones from Gorilla also rust?

 

If it was someone else's light bar product, don't you think given the size of this community and the publicity PU has poured into this one item in particular that someone would have figured that out by now? Also, I've not seen anyone say anything other than the wheels/lugs/wrenches are relabeled, but are there other items that PU has been accused of rebadging? I do not know anyone producing scoops or wings that look like theirs or did I miss something?

 

Maybe my rusty lugs will become collector's items.

 

Well, most of the PU "bling" (wings, scoops, etcetera) is probably their own design, but it seems like the "hardware" (wheels, lugs, wrenches) is re-labeled. The light bar seems like it would fall under the second category. I know that at one time there was a poster that alluded to finding the light bar from another source, and a PU rep claimed (as usual) that it was the *other company* that was infringing on PU's design, and that they were suing the other company, and would "end up owning the other company". Of course, like their other "lawsuits", there's been no followup, and I haven't been able to find out who the other company was.

 

Wasn't me...I've never seen gorilla's lugs. But they do offer chrome ones.

 

Are you referring to those three people that posted on the happy PU thread?

 

As Arte Johnson once was famous for saying "Very interesting".

 

Really, there were only 3?

 

Just so none of the doubters here think this is all just some drama I enjoy drawing out, here is the latest e-mail below. Of course, I still don't know which item is in this particular package, because as seems the norm these days they fail to specify.


Mr. Blackman,
Product arrived Friday, One of your two packages were shipped via FedEx.
Tracking #xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.You will be notified when the second package is shipped.
Thank You

 

OK, I just thought it may have been you. It wasn't an accusation.

 

And with any feedback at all from those who enjoy the drama, I sould be in 4th gear pretty soon.

 

Well, the second package arrived today and I am sort of stunned. Maybe I should have been prepared. While I got a brand new set of lugs, I do not see anything special about them. The heads are all solid (no openings to rust), but none of them require a special key to install or remove either, so a locking element does not exist. Giving PU a benefit of the doubt here, I'm asking them why they think these latest ones satisfy the product requirements (or if this is yet another mistake), but I am surely losing faith this has any chance of being worked out. :impatient Since I think there was nothing wrong with what I wrote to them today or how I expressed it, here is the e-mail after I received these lugs below.

I can almost hear the comments flowing now. Should PU come back with any sort of logical explanation or make good, you'll hear about it.



Bryce:

OK, you can see from the below notification that I received the latest set of replacement lugs, but I am totally bewildered by what I received. All these lugs have closed heads. So? Fine, there is nothing to rust, but they also do not provide any form of security either. The sole reason I purchased the original PU tuner lugs was the fact that a key was needed to remove them; they were locking lugs that provided security for my wheels. Did I receive the wrong item this time? Weren’t these new lugs also supposed to be a form of locking lug too? Please look at the passage from your earlier e-mail of 8/29/07 that is immediately below; it indicates a closed head, but that it also is one that requires a “key”. My e-mail continues below the reproduced passage.


-----Original Message-----

From: Carol [mailto:gabbianos2003@yahoo.com]

Sent: Wed 8/29/2007 11:52 PM

To: Andrew Blackman

Cc:

Subject: Palo Uber


Andrew;

<snip>


I have ordered your tuner lugs from london which we do not stock here. There is no inside hole, as the key fits the outside shape of the lug. Thus cant rust. The guys in europe use them during winter to prevent mud and salt getting in the tuner opening.

I will of course exchange them for you at no charge and include your socket which fits on the end of your Uber wrench.

<snip>


Kind Regards, Bryce


I did so want to see this come to a happy ending and while I received the scoop and am satisfied there, these lugs remain a significant problem. Frankly, without a very logical and clear explanation of where we failed to communicate or where and how this latest mistake occurred, with very prompt correction of it, I would wish to return these latest lugs to you, as well as my last rusted set, as well as the special PU wrench, as I would no longer have a need for it (the only reason for purchasing this special PU wrench was to use it with the special PU lugs, which initially required a larger socket head), and have my money for the lugs and the wrench refunded (or credit cared credited). Of course I’ll pay the shipping back to you for all the lugs and the wrench, but I need a response on how we proceed so I know what I need to do next. Thanks you for trying to work this out, but it seems without a locking headed lug we are at an impasse.

Andrew B. Blackman

 

There was a guy at the track this weekend with the P.U. Tuner Lugs, has had them for about 6-8 mo, nice and rusty on the inside.

Another local guy has tried them as well. 1st set...rusted. P.U. replaced them claiming "bad batch" Replacements rusted in a week. He's gone studs with lug nuts.

 

I'd be asking for a call tag to pick them at their expense and a full refund. I'd also be calling the CC Company to have this all on record in the event a dispute resolution is needed.

 

I've already spoken with the credit card company for exactly the reason you stated, so it is on record in case I need it to be. As to having PU pay return shipping, I'd like them to, but in order for the credit card company to be of any assistance, you have to have attempted to work out the problem (well, that is certainly not an issue) and you have to have returned the item(s) or at least attempted to, so if PU will refuse to pay return shipping, I'd have little choice other than to absorb that hit. I can almost anticipate the PU response, given that they have shipped various items a few times already at their cost and even some of the return trips, so if they offer great, but I really doubt they will and just want this resolved already and I don't want to delay this by asking they pay the shipping and be sidetracked.

 

Say one thing...You are persistent...

 

I also don't get the concept that non-open ended lugs can't rust. I have seen rusted close ended lug nuts You still have to use a socket, and if its a poor quality chrome finish, that will subject it to water....and then rust.

Sorry to hear things didn't work out.....i was hoping that they would surprise me on this one and make it all work out.

So it sounds like we are at about 10-12 "bad batches" and have yet to hear of anyone confirm any good batches.

 

On top of the strange disconnect on what was to be sent vs. what I actually received, I have not heard a peep of a reply to my e-mail either. At times PU has taken a day or two to reply, which always seemed a little strange :impatient , but given that Bryce has been ill I've considered that a possibility as to why. Sometimes you get things signed by Bryce and sometimes they are not at all indicated, so I wonder who is doing what over there. It does not exactly give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. Still, if the silence remains deafening, this is moving towards a head-on collision.

 

I hear you, but I thought they should get one last chance. They have had it and it has not turned out well. I'm becoming a believer in some of the PU anti-hype from here, even if their scoop seems to be a real good product; I finally received the un-badged edition and it looks great, fits well, and I have no complaints. It is the way that PU handles the problem items though that will bring this company down.

 

...and I think I'll be making a full-blown product review too when all the chips are finally in, with photos. I do NOT want to do that though until I know what is happening with the return of what I have in hand, so how the situation is ultimately addressed can be included.

 

These lug nuts sound great!
Oh, if only you were selling them . . .

 

sadly enough.....PU will continue to sell these faulty parts and people will unknowingly pay way too much for such a junky product only to find out a few weeks later that their pretty lugs are covered in rust.