Earlier this month I purchased oil temp and oil pressure gauges, then spent this time looking for the best way to install them. I came across the Mini Madness oil cooler adapter plate, and it was priced at $26 on their website. So I ordered it.

This morning I get an email that says, "Price is 225 for the adapter plate and fittings not 26. Must have been a glitch or something. Do you still want it?"

What can I do? I am a sales supervisor at one of the highest selling electronics stores in the nation and whenever we make a mistake on our pricing, we have to stand behind our mistake, discount the price, then fix it so it doesn't happen with another customer. What can I say to Mini Madness to get this resolved in a fair manor?

 

Well, retailers aren't technically liable for unintentional errors in their advertisements or listings. If the electronics store you work for honors erroneous prices, they're doing it out of goodwill and not legal necessity.

Possibly you can ask MM to discount the price of the plate, but I don't think you're going to get it for ten cents on the dollar just because of a mistake in their listing.

 

I would venture to say your hands are tied... They're the vendor so they can make a mistake and choose whether to stand by it (and take a hit) or loose a customer...As as sales supervisor, I would assume you'd know this would be the outcome If it were me, I would ask to either A.) give me a break on pricing since it is their mistake or B.) look elsewhere and walk.

As a manager/co-owner of a small family owned business, if I were in MINI-Madness' shoes, I would try to come to some sort of resolution (be it take the $200 hit for it being my fault, or give them break on pricing). Actually, this did happen between me and a client. I offered her the item at the price I had misquoted (I was far off on my estimate), and she accepted, but then sent me a check for the difference, b/c she understood we are all humans and make mistakes

Just my $.02.

EDIT** I don't see the adapter plate on their website, so maybe they took it down to fix the problem...

 

Thank you for your response. I thought since we did it, we had to. I guess I'm just going to count it as a loss and save up for the whole oil cooler. It doesn't look like a very nice oil cooler. Now I feel bad posting this when I can really see both sides clearly now.

 

I understand this as well, I even put that in an email I sent them.

Thanks for the responses, you guys are helping me feel better.

 

I've visited MINI-Madness before and was surprised it was a very small shop run by one guy and has a couple of guys help him do the installs. George is very personable and easy to deal with. I have no complaints dealing with him. Perhaps if you give him a call and have a chat. I know advertising companies make mistakes and many advertisers print disclaimers on their advertising so they don't get burned when they are surprised that the ad shows a different price than what they submitted. I'm sure MM and you can come to an amicable agreement.

 

I hope you don't think I was attacking you. I was just laying out some things from my perspective. I hope everything goes well for you

 

Thanks beken,

I'm not really one to negotiate a price. I emailed what I would do at my job if this were to happen and got no response. I made the rash decision to post it on here, which I do feel bad about now. I was just trying to get some advice.

I starting thinking that it may be a small company and the policies I'm used to are from a billion dollar 10,000+ employee company. Also the way times are right now, it would just be a better decision to save up for the whole oil cooler, and pay the full price.

I emailed George and apologized for being rude and not thinking clearly. I really hate rude customers and I try not to become one. I really wasn't thinking and went from calm to upset pretty quickly.

 

I don't feel that way at all. I needed others perspectives and thats what I got. It was very helpful and I feel I made the right decision in email George and apologizing.

 

 

Dang! I like this site and the people that post here.
Mini's seem to bring out the best in people.

 

yeah, that's it. when someone acts like a tool here (which is often), what's the reason then?

 

Well.. according to Dr Freud.. they have what is commonly known as mini-aggression. This phenomenon comes about when someone buys a mini. Some people get truly overexcited from the raw power, handling and control they have of this car. It oozes through their bodies, pulsing on the map of twisties and loops of their veins. Eventually this feeling of control and power leaks over onto their cyber life. Coming to fruition in these boards. They type aggressively not concerned with who or what they may bump into. Brain cell neurons begin to fire independantly, as they think of their mini. The raw power combined with the control they are so used to having with the mini show's here. They aren't thinking of anything.. just the mini and what power they have over it. They figure if they can handle their car that way.. they can come to a forum and act that way too lol.
Treatment? Get out there and motor.. don't let anyone upset you.. enjoy the ride because in reality we only get one!

 

That's like....way over my head. I have a headache now. I think I'll go jump in my car and go for a drive.

 

I think it may be more like: People consider their Mini's as family (children?); when the Mini hurts (something broken), they hurt. People that hurt tend to lash out as a first response. After some soothing words from cooler heads post some help/advice, they tend to calm down and get a little more rational about it.
Mini's are an emotion generating car, after all. (Fun! Love! Joy! Excitement! Warm Fuzzies!)
-s-

 

I bought the package - plate, hoses, cooler - and added a PermaCool oil thermostat so it didn't over-cool the oil. My thoughts:

- George is a great guy; cool and helpful, and I had several calls with questions
- It's a fair bit of work for one person to intall an oil cooler system (I also added oil temp and pressure gauges)
- The plate is a beautiful piece of work in design and appearence
- Use some bearing grease to hold the rubber "o" rings in place that seal the plate to the engine so they don't displace or fall out as you mount and bolt up the plate
- hose barb and clamp fittings are not my preference and I wound up using braided hoses with swagged fittings; if I had it to do over I would buy the plate and get the cooler and hoses seperately (personal choice only as the kit will work fine as delivered)
- MM is a small business; my assumption is that giving away products is not an option for them
- The MM web site shows $225 for the plate and $500 and something for the kit; $26 for the plate only wouldn't pass the reasonableness test for price to value (too low a price for the value)

I like oil coolers and am pleased with my interactions with MM/George and the installation outcome. YMMV