MadMan ll

What’s up with him? I ordered a set of wheels and tires from Goodwin Racing. I was looking for the Enkei RP-F1 wheels with the widest tire I could get fit on the rear. I settled on Toyo T1R 205/45/16 for the front, Toyo 225/40/16 for the rear. While placing another order I saw the Toyo 245/40/16, called Brian to let him know that I was returning the shipment and wanted the 245’s. Now, follow the emails...

Hi Craig,

You gave me a call earlier and indicated you changed your mind on the tire and wheel combo you want and requested a quick calculation of costs for the change. In our phone call you were still changing your mind on sizes so we didn’t nail it down but I wanted you to understand that I won’t know what UPS charges us to bring the shipment back until it actually gets back here and they bill us for the refused shipment. My guess is that cost of the swap in ship costs alone (before we figure out which wheel and tire combo you want and we pay our mount and balance guy again) means roughly another $135 for ship costs back from east coast, plus another $140+ to ship the bigger combo of 16x8 from west coast to east coast. Depending on which 16x8 combo you end up with our total cost for the swap could easily be something north of $400.

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
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Hi Brian,

To clarify, I didn’t just change my mind, I called looking for the widest tire I could put on the rear, after talking to a phone rep (inserted comment: I didn’t know that I was talking to Brian, I thought it was a sales rep) I was told 225’s, and I ordered based on that information. Then, while ordering other parts from your site, I saw the 245’s, which is was what I was looking for to begin with. I feel like I didn’t get complete information on the phone for buying what I was looking for.

When you get the packages back, please send me the price for just canceling the order, along with the complete price for buying and shipping this combination, added to what you’re charging me for canceling the first order:
F: ENKEI 16x7 RP-F1 35mm offset, Toyo T1R 225/40/16
R: ENKEI 16x8 RP-F1 35mm offset, Toyo T1R 245/35/16
With/without caps price

Thanks,
Craig
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To clarify....you spoke to me...not some random phone jockey!

You said you wanted this staggered combo, you were quite precise about what you wanted at the time, and never asked me for the widest. I would NEVER volunteer or suggest a staggered setup because usually it is a handling mistake.. and would been happy to volunteer that opinion if asked. On the other hand, when a customer tells me what he wants, I also don’t waste lots of time trying to talk him out of it. I would have been happy to suggest the 16x8 combo if you had actually asked me about the widest that would fit in 16....because we stock and sell that combo every day (in contrast, the 16x7s we had to order up from Enkei). Moreover, that 16x8 is not exactly hidden on the website....it is in the combo section, the wheels, the forum gallery, etc.

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
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I did ask for your advice, I asked about tires (Azeni vs Toyo) and I did ask about the widest TIRE, not wheel, I even mentioned that it was for aesthetics more than anything. And no, 245 Toyo’s are not exactly hidden, however their is no logical arrangement of tires or wheels, they skip all over the place, so customers have to play hunt and seek.

I try and purchase from you, Brian, because I like to give my business to smaller stores that are committed to their products and their customers, rather than go with the superstores. However, in talking with you I get the feeling you don’t care about your customers needs (at least this one), for example, in this reply, that doesn’t tell me much except that I should have looked at your site closer, and you don’t waste your time to give advice.

Craig
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“I did ask about the widest TIRE, not wheel,” Well, the 225 is the widest tires that will fit on that 16x7 wheel. So, if that came up in the conversation, then that answer is still accurate today. Can’t get the 245 on the 16x7....that tire needs the 16x8. But there I go giving advice again when, according to what you say today, I don’t care.

Your email below is a thinly veiled attempt to cover that you got caught with your pants down here...making up a phone rep that didn’t exist so you can false claim you were somehow “misled” and avoid taking personal responsibility for changing your mind. I suggest it is much easier to admit the truth, that you simply changed your mind on some aspect of the combo. After all, how many times did you change your mind yesterday in our phone conversation about the front tire size? First you are pulling the power steering and asked me what I thought about tire size given that fact, and I was happy to give my advice ...that I would not go beyond a front 205 width if the power steering is coming out because parking lot speeds would be very difficult. Did I show any reluctance in giving that advice that would support your argument below that I don’t care about customer needs and giving advice? You know the answer...so why be dishonest today about my willingness to help customers? Then you changed your mind in the middle of the conversation yesterday and said you would leave the power steering in and that freed us up to consider 225s up front, and I suggested you simply go 245 on 16x8 all around if the power steering is staying in the car. Thus, yesterday your actions in seeking more of my advice revealed that you know I do care about my customer needs and giving advice....and your statements to the contrary today are not honest.

But if you can give me one example of anybody in this business who spends more time giving customer advice I would like to hear it. Got one example of anybody who responds faster and more thoroughly?

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
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Unsolicited comment I just got in the email from another customer:

“PETTIT shorted me the clamps that are supposed to be in the kit. I wish those guys were as organized or accessible as you. J”

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
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I must add that I am disturbed that instead of simply admitting you have changed your mind (which you did again several times in our phone conversation yesterday as you went back and forth on front tire size choice depending on whether you would pull the power steering), you feel it necessary to make up a phone rep who doesn’t exist, and advice that didn’t happen, and lash out at me with bizarre false claims about my willingness to give customer advice. I promote that 16x8 combo all over the wheels section, the combo section, and the forum section. It is difficult to believe that anybody could have surfed any of these sections for more than a few minutes without finding reference to the 16x8 wheel combos. The suggestion that you were misled in any way about the existence of the wider setup is not well supported by the facts. Those facts include that other customers are buying that combo daily, making it a best seller here. If it is so hard to find, why does it sell daily?

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
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I have now invested over an hour to pull the conversation from the phone log. As indicated in our voicemail, we record all calls. You asked about widest tire that would fit on the 16x7....not the widest that would fit on the car. Even more interesting is my answer: “225 is widest we go on 16x7....need our 16x8 version to go wider.” Perhaps you were not paying attention at that moment but the bottom line is that you NEVER asked what was the widest tire that would fit the car...and obviously I was trying to suggest that something wider existed.

I am ready to accept your apology for the “misled” and “don’t care” crap when you are ready to step up and be a man about it. Also still willing to help you get whatever look you ultimately decide you want on this combo, despite your lack of candor of the last two days. Perhaps you had a bad week on the job, perhaps your dog bit you this week, I don’t know. Either way, ready to move forward productively when you are.

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
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Tried to call you just now. Left voicemail. I have been in this business since the 80s and never had a customer suddenly act so bizarre and start making obviously false accusations so I figured I would call and seek to find out the real cause...because all the evidence we have here is that we faithfully took your order, I personally spent quite a bit of time discussing your questions by phone without the slightest hint of rushing you, and we sent you precisely what you ordered.... In fact, it was near a week before the order shipped because we had to get the 16x7 wheels from Enkei, so there was lots of time to make changes to the order and hear any concerns or additional questions yet you waited until the eve of delivery to suddenly claim you had been “misled” by a phone rep who doesn’t exist. And you made no attempt to address the most obvious question in response to the “misled” claim: why wouldn’t we have sold you the wider 16x8 combo that we stock and sell every day? Why would I “misled” you about the widest combo we have when that is one of my favorite choices...I am the guy who first figured out that combo would fit the Miata (as detailed in our forum RP-F1 thread), and that combo we keep in stock?

We are closed on weekends but I still respond to emails from the road at events. Be back in the shop Monday if you want to return my call.

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
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Wish I could post his long, long, long, voicemail, but here’s my email reply:

Brian,

I have never had a vendor send me so many aggressively toned emails, accuse me of making things up and acting bizarrely, tell me they’ll accept my apology, and call me out to act like a man (not a smart thing to tell a Marine), plus a long voicemail, all in one day. Is this your idea of how customer service works?

Take a look at this rash of emails you’ve sent, plus the long rambling phone message, with a clear, rational mind, and think how they will read on every Miata forum.

I, for one don’t need to deal with this, there are too many places to get Miata parts. I just got home after back to back tours in Iraq, and I get this kind of drama over tires? You got to be kidding me.

Please cancel my order.

Craig Smith

Well, that's it. Just thought I'd share

NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you are indecisive and changed your mind... I don't see how this is Brian's fault or problem. I'm still not very sure what the deal is.

Oh and great first post. Come on here and accuse/talk bad about a vendor. I expect you to have a long stay here.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Hmm. Welcome to the accusatorium?

I've met Brian before, back in San Diego. Genuinely nice guy. But everyone has their limits.

(I'm half-tempted to call and ask him for the phone log, so we can all have a good laugh.)

neogenesis2004

iTrader: (12)

I'm inclined to side with Brian, and not just because he share a decidedly great first name with me.

Rennkafer

iTrader: (3)

After reading through the whole thing, I have a couple observations:

1) Brian is really bugged that a customer is unhappy, and really bugged by your assertion he doesn't care about his customers. While maybe a little overaggressive in resolving the issue, I can see why he's upset.

2) Given Brians comments after he pulled up the phone log, it looks like you simply asked the wrong questions, and weren't paying attention when he made suggestions.

He's right, you should apologize...

jayc72

iTrader: (14)

You are wrong, and he's not taking your ****. I see no problem.

zoomin

iTrader: (16)

Craig, you made yourself look like an ***, have a nice day!!

Nagase

iTrader: (6)

Seriously. o.O

If you're convinced you're right, ask for the phone log. And make sure to post it here!

FRT_Fun

iTrader: (19)

Doesn't look like you are gettin any love from m.net or mt.net. It is not a good idea to bash someone well respected when you are brand new.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

He's understandably mad as well because it sounds like he had to order some of the parts for your setup...as well as deal with returning parts...and then you tell him he's a horrible vendor to boot.


I've ordered the wrong parts before because I didn't listen clearly to explanations when I thought I knew what I wanted and what I was talking about. I was man enough to realize I'd gotten exactly what I'd asked for.

You should have left well enough alone instead of trying to hang it on the vendor...especially one that actually answers emails and tries to address every issue.



I think I'm putting my next order in with Goodwin just to make sure he knows the Miata community he supports is still behind him.




btw...pulling the I'm a soldier I don't have to put up with this card is pretty damn lame. We all have tons of respect for those that have served, and it's usually because they do what they do and never ASK for the recognition and respect.

Gotpsi?

iTrader: (5)

Your an ***! Brian is cool and always willing to give advice, even to annoying people like me that call like 6 times before buying anything.

buffon01

iTrader: (9)

Looks to me is OP's undecision and lack of comprehensive skill lead to this misunderstanding. I have never dealt with Brian or his business, but I would consider his reaction as normal. OP pointed the finger and accused before trying to solve the problem in orderly fashion.After all he's not shipping you a bag of chips.

Anyway welcome enjoy your stay!!!

dustinb

I've dealt with Brian and he was was very good.

jedduh01

iTrader: (4)

Craig, You are the un informed buyer.... Did you do your own research, for hard facts of what fits on where? What tire size goes best with what width. Talking to sales info on a phone, can give lots of informaiton where the buyer can easily get confused. But ultimatly... you as the buyer need to be just as responsible for what you purchase, as what the seller gives you.
Take a look at your own ordering actions and see what you did and couldhave done better vs. instantly blaming the seller.

cueball1

iTrader: (13)

Looks like you pushed the wrong buttons with Brian and Miata forums. Sucks to be you.

Madboy

A Marine owns a miata? Don't you get made fun of for that?

Scuba_Steve

iTrader: (4)

Perhaps one of the google gods on the foum should post all the personal information on Craig Smith from NC

cueball1

iTrader: (13)

I just wish he'd post this in the tire/wheel section of CR. It's sponsored by Goodwin. I'm sure this would go over great there too.

Ben

iTrader: (33)

And to add some logic to this very ill fated "plan", why would you ship back the 16x7 225 pair across the country again? You think they care if they're labeled front or back?

But there is no logic here. If there were logic, you'd have ordered the same size wheel and tire all around, and you would have ordered man's tires like RS2 or RS3. T1R FTL.

Thank you for your service. If you were brighter, perhaps you would have gone to a different branch.
(I kid--my dad was Marine LRRP in 'Nam and used to say that about himself)

dstn2bdoa

iTrader: (18)

I purchased some lug nuts from Brian some time ago. After a mix up in the shipping, he quickly and apologeticly made things right. No additude, just good customer service.