Anyone following my experiences with the KW variant coilovers I bought from THMotorsports knows how incredibly unhappy I am with the handling of the problem I have had. I have posted in different spots over this board to alert potential customers away from them. Some of my posts have been mysteriously deleted.
Although my problem was suspension related, It stands to reason that the horrible customer service I received would apply to other parts or order types as well. Before making a major purchase, feel free to read my posts or email me .
It seems like he was unhappy with what he bought because he didn't go do his homework and expected his money back for his uneducated purchase. He bought a racing part for a DD car and expected luxury comfort. That doesn't happen with automotive performance parts.
The only thing I did not do my homework on was choosing a vendor. So guilty, I guess. Part wise, I reviewed all available product literature, spoke with local vendors (who in hindsight I should have used), and received a lengthy sales pitch from THMotorsports before ordering. All agreed I was buying the right part for my intended goals and setup.
The KW Variant 1 Coilovers are not a race part. They are made for DD street cars specifically. THMotorsports sold them this way, the KW literature states this, and the following email quote from Tom Edge of KW states:
"I actually drove an SRT4 V1 equipped car a little over a week ago. Certainly this is not a kit I would use on something race oriented, but that wasn’t what it was intended for. Without the ability to adjust the dampers, the car is soft but certainly was not a hazard to driving, both regular street or spirited."
Maybe some posters should do their homework (including THMotorsports who claimed it was a race part on one of it's responses) before posting. I did not buy the SRT4 or the coilovers for comfort, just balanced street performance.
To sum a lengthy problem, my specific set of coilovers are either defective or extremely disappointing. The car feels uncontrolled and unplanted despite many hours of troubleshooting with THM and KW. THM offered poor customer service and has demonstrated a weak knowledge of what it claims to be a major product line for them. They have misled customers into thinking that the KW setup is identical to Mopar (even though it is documented that they are not) and have spent more time trying to convince this board that my issue is a matter of preference rather than admitting they contributed to the problem. Subject matter experts including Mopar engineers have tested my setup and faulted the coilers for my problems.
Sounds more like a problem with the manufacturer KW than the retailer THMotorsports.
The vendor was extremely slow to refer me to KW North America and first insisted that KW Germany solve the issue. No responses for over a month until, after reminding them I was still waiting several times, they deferred my to KW North America. By this time it was too late for a refund. Convenient.
The vendor in question repeatedly misrepresents this product as identical to the Mopar units and did so at the time of sale. This led me to believe that they would perform in a similar manner and they apparently do not; I can not say this for sure because I have not been able to reach a conclusion as to whether my set is defective. Spec wise, however, the ride height, spring rate, and even valving are different.
The vendor would rather spend its time trying to marginalize my problem than to look at itself and fix the problem.
On the other hand I had excellent service from TH. They handled my unusual requests with no issues, and two different employees got back to me in a very quick manner with whatever information I required. I haven't had a chance to post my experiences as my car went into the shop shortly afterwards on an unrelated noted. Based on my experience I would have no problems whatsoever recommending TH to potential customers.
It seems in this situation you had a product which didn't meet your expectations or was potentially setup incorrectly from the factory. Me personally, I realize that most shops selling parts have not had a tremendous amount of experience installing or using the parts they advertise. They go by whatever is presented to them by the distributors of said parts or the manufacturers. Instead of spending your time pursuing TH you would have been far better off contacting the actual manufacturer of the product to address your concerns directly. If you feel they are defective, get KW to acknowledge this so TH can address it. With something as entirely subjective as suspension a retailer isn't going to be able to determine if something is defective through a remote diagnosis unless there is something glaringly obvious.
While this may not seem ideal, in my 10+ years of retail experience I've found this to be the most productive avenue to pursue when dealing with a retailer/distributor who doesn't manufacture the product they are selling, regardless of whether I am the consumer or the retailer.
Ok, so a board update... Eric has picked up the ball and we are now dealing with the German owner of KW. I am pleasantly surprised that he has went forward and pleaded my case with the highest authority out there. If we get a solution in a timely manner I will be impressed.
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It has been over a month re-dealing with Eric from THMotorsports. It has been almost a half year since I bought the coilovers and raised the issue originally. I am still at the same place I was a month ago. I now have over 100 emails exchanged with THM, Kw America, and Klaus (owner) of KW Germany. It is an elaborate game of pass the buck. To his credit, Eric is trying to get resolution from KW, but they are very uninterested in helping. Also to his credit, he offered to stop by my place when he visited the area on business to look at my car. This is just talk right now, and I hope that all his effort is not just wasted by only performing an inspection. I hope that he brings parts and tools to repair the problem. I do not expect this from a vendor; It would be extraordinary.
To his discredit, THMotorsports has very little pull with the manufacturer - they can get replies to emails from KW, but have not been able to do something as simple as firming up a resolution that involves replacement parts. The easiest remedy to my situation would be sending out a replacement/exchance set of coilovers to swap for the defectives. For whatever reason, this has not happened despite months of troubleshooting. I would advise anyone that is being told that the "excellent relationship" that they advertise with the manufacturer is little more than a marketing ploy. maybe it will allow quicker delivery times on new orders, but when it comes to troubleshooting, forget it.
KW passed me around from person to person. Each person at KW asked the same questions and had me run the same test. Each person looked at the spec sheet and asked me to raise or lower the car. When the test results did not solve the problem, they passed me onto another person. When no one else could solve the problem, I made my way up the chain to the owner Klaus. He was content to ask the same questions and offer no real solutions. He even had the balls to suggest selling me a new set of V3 adjustables instead of replacing my defective set. No one seems to be concerned that I have had an awful and defective product for so very long. KW FTL.
The latest is that there is yet another email from Edward waiting on a Klaus response. This email supposedly asks for quick resolution. It was sent over almost two weeks ago. Kw America is at SEMA this week. THM is going to talk with them there. I have lost hope that any of this will amount to anything that helps me out.
So again, its a KW problem, not Thmotorsports whose name your dragging through the mud.
Wrong. THMotorsports deserves to be discredited for two major reasons:
1. They sold and advertised the coilovers as Mopar exact equivalents. This has been proven untrue beyond a reasonable doubt. The KW versions are different in very significant ways. They are not necessarily bad, just very different. This fact alone should entitle all customers who bought KW Variants from THM under these false pretenses to a refund in full. This is blatant false advertising. Read my posts for these details.
2. They sold and advertised that their tight relationship with KW would be valuable to customers experiencing problems. I have a half of a year experience and over 100 emails that proves otherwise. In the half year I have been involved those stating otherwise have not been a victim of a defective product and have not had to go through the process of troubleshooting that I have. Most supporters that I have observed praise this vendor based on transactions where everything went smoothly and they received a good product; at worst there was a minor mishap that was easily fixable. The ability of a vendor to deliver a product and troubleshoot minor problems is only part of what makes them great; the truest test of customer service is how they respond to a significant failure.
3. Number three is not a solidified reason (yet). After this horrible experience with KW, will THMotorsports change their selling practices to reflect an honest view of the KW brand of customer service? Or will they shrug this off as a isolated event and continue to claim there are no problems with the world's greatest product, KW?
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