Oh man...be sure to let us know how THAT goes...

 

I guess this is where you have to be an informed consumer. Do some homework & check on what you are buying. I've never see any retailer say our stuff is rebranded & not of the highest quality.

Caveat Emptor....

 

Coupled with the fact that the items being rebranded seem to be the bottom of the barrel, but then are represented with claims like this one:

"If you are seeking the finest performance tuning you have found the solution... PaloUber"

They also claim:

"The entire PaloUber Mini product line is meticulousy designed and engineered to provide the finest quality parts"


OK, so it doesn't specifically claim that they're designed by PU theselves, but the inference is clear... there are also claims that some of their products are unique to PU or that they use a "propritary material" or that they are the "only destributor in the world" for other items, and every time this claim has been made someone here has shown another item NOT made by PU that looks exactly the same - usually the photo PU uses is some other company's PR photo with the brand name removed!

I second (third?) the suggestion to ditch the PU parts now while you can get them off the car, but if you decide to keep them then I wish you the best of luck.

 

For the record, I've had a PU antenna on my car and I’ve never had any problem with it rusting or fading. I've had plenty to complain about (obviously from what is in this thread), but when there hasn't been a problem, I'm not going to tell you otherwise. I'll also worry about this second set of lugs, if and when they become a problem and if they do not become a problem, then what? I got lucky? I got a "good" batch? All I'm saying is, "if" things work out how would that be possible based on the allegations flying around in here? Everything they make would have to be crap; if what those disparaging PU is true, nothing of theirs could possibly be any good. It would seem that the truth has to lie between these two extremes. Frankly, I hope it works out, as the alternative would be a pain in the rear and taking the pre-emptive approach and not trusting it at all and simply dumping the lugs also seems too extreme a solution.

 

I disagree that it must be an either/or proposition... PU products don't necessarily *have* to be crap - I just think that it's very highly likely that they are, based on the sheer volume of complaints. But that's neither here nor there for me personally (and I can only speak for myself) because I honestly think that they make false advertising claims. I'm not talking overblown hyperbole... that could be forgiven, as it's true that nobody would ever claim their products to be "second best"... I'm talking about PU literally putting up a photo culled from someone else's web site and claiming in the next breath that the item in question was a PU original, not a re-brand. It simply was not true.

In my opinion, and I can't speak for anyone else, nor would I try to, I think that if a vendor feels that they have to lie to sell a procuct then they obviously don't respect me as a customer enough to get my dollars. There are plenty of other vendors out there that don't resort to these tactics, and I choose to support them instead.

OK, I'm done. Seriously - best of luck with the lugs - I really do hope they give you nothing but great performance and not another moment's trouble. Cabrio MINIs absolutely must spend as much time as humanly possible on the road.

 

I think to be fair the person you referred to does not "worship everything PU". I think they qualified within this thread why they were satisfied and it was not anything like, "if it is PU it must be great stuff". However, like you, I also would have liked to have heard some comments from at least a few of those 150+ satisfied PU customers within this thread too.

Either complaining is just far, far easier to do (or at least a lot more fun) or there aren't many satisfied customers. Like I said, my own personal jury is out for now; PU did the responsible thing and replaced everything, but these items holding up over time without the same or similar issues will be the only true test.

 

Thanks for the well wishes; you and me both on the "hope"!

 

BTW, another issue cropped up today at the dealer, one having nothing to do with PU. Anyone else have the problem of the MINI emblem on the center of their steering wheel coming off?

Mine suddenly seemed to be lifted at the corners of the wings, much more on one side in particular. I hadn't noticed this before getting ready to leave the dealership after having 2 tires replaced (and these run flats are a PITA; they seem to get damaged from potholes pretty quickly - I'm so glad I have the tire insurance, but when that is over after 5 years I think I will switch to non-run flats and pop a donut in my cabrio boot). The corner(s) seemed to have lifted as the MINI emblem was dented in the center.

Upon looking at it the dealer immediately suggested I must have pounded the center of the steering column in an attempt to use the horn (and this sounds like the same playbook discussed in this thread; it is immediately misuse by the owner). Truthfully, I have used the horn (which I know to be off the center and to the sides of the steering wheel) maybe a couple of times; also I had never seen either the dent or the lifted emblem corner(s) before I was ready to leave today (and we all know how we notice every little new thing that appears on our beloved Minis immediately).

I know the service department road tested the vehicle after replacing the 2 tires, so am I to suspect them on this damage? In any case I was told this was some big deal due to the air bag; it is not just a matter of replacing a dented emblem and that the dealer was going to have to work through their "rep" (whatever the hell that means) to get a full steering wheel replacement authorized.

I'm in no hurry on this, but the lifted corner(s) will defintely be catching on my sleeves, etc whenever they pass over the column. So, anyone else know anything about this issue?

 

Now off to search for a thread on the MINI emblem on the steering wheel.

 

OK, I found one really on the mark thread regarding the MINI wing emblem on the steering wheel, but it was of NO help. It was from well over 3 years ago and it had 5 posts, 4 from the thread-starter who wanted advice on how to replace a dented emblem. The 5th and final post was him being told to not mess with it due to the airbag.

 

I've seen several threads on this problem - the dealer usually says that it's caused by slamming the center boss (to blow the horn) and denting the emblem. I always push the center boss with my thumb againstthe side and mine's still 100% flat so there might be something to it...

If you need to mess with it/replace it and you're worried about the airbag, disconnect the negative battery terminal in the boot first - with no power the airbag can't fire in tghe unlikely event that you trigger it. You'll lose your stored MPG data and you'll need to reset your clock afterwards, though...

 

Well, that is what the dealer said, but I didn't have it when I brought it in that morning, so it had to have happened at the dealer. Yet, try convincing them of that one. Bottom line though, I will not take "NO" as an answer. I know it wasn't there before they had it, but it is a "he said, she said" type of scenario now.

 

BTW, thanks for the advice.

 

I got a sort of interesting e-mail from Bryce regarding the slamming PU takes here on NAM. Rather than summerize it for you, I'd simply prefer to post it verbatim. He did not say it was confidential and the accusations it contained were made without actual attribution of names to blame. Still, I told him I'd like to post it for a couple of reasons and asked if he had a problem with me doing that, although I don't know that I need his permission. I don't have a reply as yet. Anyone care to comment?

 

Don't do it unless you have his permission. If he intended his response to be public he'd post it here. Posting a private e-mail in public is completely classless, IMO.

 

PU is completely classless so you're not exactly taking it down to their level

 

Thanks for the opinion. Given that the company did the right thing from a customer service perspective by attempting to make good (forget for the moment what may or may not occur with the replaced items in the long-term, because we don't know the future) I think he was entitled to be asked and why I did ask and, as he is ill, not hearing back immediately is not surprising.

Your reply supports asking for permission, although I think saying he would post it if he intended it to be public is not part of the discussion and very different than minding if the recipient does it. I already have (and I have seen e-mails like this) at least quoted from in part before and earlier in this thread I posted both sides of the e-mail conversation in full (2 e-mails; mine to them and them to me), but you said nothing then about it. I also think that was a very different situation, as you were seeing a customer service response to the problem, that exhibited the types of replies that others had said they had received, rather than a more personal one that comments about the treatment PU receives on NAM. Was that different in your opinion or similarly inappropriate?

 

While I was concerned about how the products performed and the initial PU response that I received that contained many excuses, in the end they made good (again, before responding that the replacements will have similar problems, we don't know the future). Others here claim getting treated far differently (as in, a complete lack of cooperation and ultimately PU failing to replace the parts or refund the costs), but I cannot label how they handled my issues as classless.

 

hahah you can't label it classless that for the first few emails they were trying to place blame on you and insisting that it was your doing rather than take blame for it?

It's cool and all that you got the parts evevntually, but you had to go through a lot. At a classy company you would make a call or send and email and receive back a polite apologetic response and have the parts within a week. All of this not to mention that you were duped into paying twice what the part was worth based on lies. Lies don't seem to be a classy thing to do either.

I'm sure we've all seen forms of his response to you. My guess is that he brings up the point that they have many happy customers. And i would venture to guess that he may have said that many of these happy customers are things like doctors and engineers and somehow related that to them knowing quality . And I'm sure he wrote something about the bashers never having done buisness with them .......although one doesn't need to do buisness with them to see that their wheels are fakes ,that there is a problem when the lugs rust, or that their prices are far to high for the low quality of parts.

Edit: this is not to say that i think you should post it. I think it's completely up to you....i just don't think they have handled themselves with class.

 

I'm still waiting for an answer from PU as to why, if their wheels are designed exclusively for the MINI as they claim, they have an eight-hole, dual-pattern lug bolt design and require centering rings to fit properly on the MINI hub.

Any wheel truly designed "exclusively for the MINI" should only have the 4X100mm bolt pattern, and should fit on the 56.1mm MINI hub without the need for centering rings.

 

I do not know anything about the history of this issue, but from what I read above, it sure sounds like a legit question.

 

Well, I thought it classless too when they responded initially too, but we did talk and clear the air and considering they have since tried to make it right, I'll reserve any further judgment.

 

a legit question we all know the answer to......there is absolutely no difference between palo uber wheels and sportmax wheels which is a cheap import wheel maker. If Palo Could prove otherwise, they would have.

 

If their e-mail is in response to what is being said on NAM, then I say post it on NAM... Of course I aint no Doctor though...

 

I'm curious, but is there a history of actual threats about litigation by PU against posters for things said here? I ask based on what I thought was being said about such things. Has anyone been threatened or sued?