Hificruzer226

To start I would like to say I really like their flat rate shipping! Way better than the place the charges shipping AND handling. I bought several things to test them out before I spent a ton of money with them.

My initial order wasnt huge however it was a little over $300. The website was great. The initial communication was fantastic. After I ordered I received and email the following day saying that my order was partially shipped. So I gave them a call to find out which pieces that were being shipped. When I spoke to the gentleman he was extremely knowledge and seemed to be a no BS kinda guy. At this point I was sold on fab 9 as a company, I was really excited to start getting my next order together. When we were on the phone he stated the Gates blue belt I ordered would need to be dropped shipped from Gates(meaning he didn't have it in stock and nor did his distributor). We talked about a couple things that I was gonna order next and what I had ordered I also explained that I was not in a rush since it was a project car. So my box comes in the mail, I am expecting everything minus the belt since it was the only thing he mentioned that didn't make the order. When I received the box it was also missing to other parts my fpr and the gauge for it. I sent him an email immediately following the opening of the box.
A few days go by and I still haven't got a response, so I figured like FM he is slammed at the moment. I give him a call during normal business hours and nobody answers so I leave a message.
A few more days go by and I get a package in the mail by fab9. I thought to myself well Id appreciate a response but in the end I really just want my products. I open the box and it is the fpr but it doesn't have the gauge! So I send another email.
A few more days go by and nothing no response, no email and no call. So I picked up the phone again during normal business hours and let him know the I received the fpr but I did not receive the gauge VIA VOICEMAIL!
I wait a few more days and I get the belt! Sweet finally, I open up the box and it is NOT the blue gates belt. I call him again during normal business hours goes to voicemail. At this point I know he is dodging me. I am getting very frustrated. So I send a message to him on his website were you can "send a message". On the 18th @ 6:29 pm

PLEASE RESPOND
Mar 18th 2016 @ 6:29 PM

You Said:
I ASSUME YOU HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY, HOWEVER I RECEIVED THE BELT AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE GAUGE FROM THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR.
THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BELT IT'S NOT THE GATES BLUE AS CLEARLY STATED ON YOUR WEBSITE. PLEASE CONTACT ME."

Yesterday I received the gauge. I was happy. that all parts shipped however one is wrong and he has been purposely avoiding contact with me.

Today is 3/26/16 still nothing, no response, no email, no voicemail, no phone call, no text, no tweet, no instagram fing nothing.

I sent another message on his website today asking for him to deal with this silly scenario.
HELLO AGAIN
Mar 26th 2016 @ 8:27 AM

You Said:
I STILL HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU. MY ACCOUNT ORDER STATUS SAYS SHIPPED AND I RECEIVED THE GAUGE HOWEVER THE BELT IS STILL NOT WHAT I PURCHASED. I HAVE SENT EMAILS AND HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND LEFT YOU MESSAGES. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP.


To summarize,

I really like there website, the knowledge of the person I talked to. I really like the flat rate shipping. The fast shipping. What I dont like is that FAB9 is not a good business to work with. You can really find out a lot about a company by silly mistakes, not the fact that they make them but how they deal with them.
I run an automotive shop, I know what its like on the other side. That being said avoiding customers is a horrible thing. I know he was avoiding me because he was in contact with my friend who also bought miata stuff at the same time. I also know because fab9 was posting on this forum during this time period.
If he wouldn't of avoided me and would have hit me up and said hey I cant get the blue belt I would have told him to cancel the belt. You cant just send something I didnt buy. From a business perspective I told him the only time I was able to actually talk to him right after the first purchase that I wasnt in a rush, to send 5 different packages was a waste a money especially considering I told him I was not in a rush the only time he cared to talk to me.
All in all if he would have just hit me up (communicated) I would have still been a fab9 customer. That being said purposely avoiding me and purposely sending the wrong parts I did not buy.
WTF

Since the majority of my stuff was sent tsudo fast and it was good price and my initial contact was good than it went to poop I give FAB9

6/10

Hopefully he will resolve this after seeing this now that its public since in private he couldn't care less. If it gets resolved I would amend my rating of his company. But for now I would never recommend another person to his company.

****I have updated the score (my imaginary one) since I did receive all my parts in tsudo timely fashion. They lost 4 points for not getting in touch with me until I publicly complained and for sending me the wrong thing and telling me oh well its still a gates belt. I wish I could feel confident about buying another product from them but for now I dont, my favorite companies so far is Tse and goodwin for what it's worth.

Yes I know I am a very difficult customer, but this is my review for others to know.

psyber_0ptix

iTrader: (4)

I also had a bit of difficulty communicating with them. Never received my idler/tension pulleys or belt but got a water pump I didn't order instead.

I ask for a quote on something, it goes unfulfilled. Great prices, shitty communication. Great development for big cash items but they let customer service fall to the wayside at least for us smaller mortals.

The fab9 coils where a terrible decision for my setup though many have seemingly had luck. My fault for trying to take the easy way out.
I've had extremely awesome experiences with other vendors, the customer service that is worth spending a little extra for. 949 and tse.


Sorry Fab, great products, but you lost a return customer. Maybe hire one person to handle all internet relations instead of just product publicity?



Thanks Hifi for posting this, I thought I was the only one.

Arca_ex

iTrader: (2)

When I bought my COP kit from them, one of the coils that came with the kit was defective and wouldn't attach to the spark plug tip.

Since it shipped two weeks behind schedule and I had a dyno appointment, I had to go to a motorcycle junk yard and pull a used one to use until a replacement came. The o-rings and plastic sheaths on the coils melted after one track weekend and started arcing out from the coil body. Never heard back from them, never got the defective coil replaced, gave up and now that shitty COP kit sits in a box in my garage.

OneTwo

iTrader: (2)

Same here. Good prices, cool products, awful follow through.

I have ordered multiple times from them and sometimes stuff shows up really quick. Other stuff gets "lost in the mail", emails aren't replied to, promises broken, etc.

The last fiasco I had has convinced me to send my business elsewhere. It's not worth saving $20-30 bucks to deal with the headache.

Hificruzer226

Damn I thought I would be defending myself on this forum from fab9 lovers. It looks to be a different story. I wish some more of these experiences come in to light as well as positive ones, though I am noticing a trend.
Its clear fab9 needs to hire someone for ordering and customer relations . Hire someone friendly and responsible that will keep the order in your shop because from the outside it looks like a cluster ****.

OneTwo

iTrader: (2)

Agreed, they just need some help with fulfillment. Website looks great and the products are gorgeous. Pricing is great too, just be prepared to wait and follow up some.

I have a feeling these are the typical growing pains of a vendor and they will get it sorted out.

Hificruzer226

I hope so because they have good ingredients but are missing 50% of the recipe.

I also want to make it clear for anyone reading my thread realizes I am not bashing them, I am explaining my transaction and thoughts of my experience.

Onyxyth

iTrader: (2)

I've definitely had to send more than one email to get a response from fab9, but I've ordered many things from them and never had a problem actually receiving the products. Just have to ask 2-3 times before getting a response to emails. But when I do get a response it's within minutes, so I'm almost curious if he's even getting those unanswered emails. I always use the contact us form on the website, maybe it's broken, lol.

They definitely have great prices and the best website out of all the Miata vendors. TSE's website is pretty good too. 949's is real bad, sorry. FM is somewhere in the middle.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

I've ordered a bunch of stuff from Fab9 over the past couple years. Usually without issues. In the couple times I haven't gotten a quick response I usually PM him on Facebook either by his company name "FAB9 Tuning" or his actual name. He's never failed to respond within a couple minutes this way.

It's been a while since I've ordered though. The FB link is kind of hidden at the bottom of his web site.

Hificruzer226

Im happy to hear positives , though emailing him from his actual website, emailing him from the email he sent me during my initial order and calling the number listed on his website are all 3 good forms of contact.
I am not a facebook person and I wont be . If you open a line of communication to a customer than you must monitor those wether its just one or 50 different types. Though I will take your advice and try to get a hold of them via FB, which is BS BTW.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

His phone #, according to his FB page, is (202) 810-3229. No idea if it's current or not. Just trying to help you out... EDIT: Sorry, reread and saw you had left a VM so obviously you know the #.

Girz0r

iTrader: (1)

Having ordered a single order from Fab9, which came through perfectly. My opinion may have little weight to it.

But as for knowing the history behind the company I feel this review is of opinion rather than true judgement.

Brian is a great guy, and IMO they're slammed from offering the great range of products that they offer on top of handling customer support. When dealing with customer support of a small scale company that just started not too long ago. Everything in this review is 'normal' within my eyes.

Fab is a refreshment in terms of the mx5 community and I hope they go very far. In a way their product placement is a spawn of this very community and offer what every true mx5'r wants for their build.

Honestly, it sounds like a new person needs to be hired to either handle internet response/customer services IMO.


This thread should of been posted under Fab9 manufacture - Here

Arca_ex

iTrader: (2)

It was, but it looks like they decided to delete it instead of address the problem, then a mod brought it back and moved it to a section where they don't have power.

Hificruzer226

I hope this is not there norm. I hope they are better than this, but guess what... to me and a few others they werent.
This is a judgement based on what happened not my opinion of what could have happened.

Update I got a message from fab9 stating that they have moved and that's why they could not communicate. However I did not buy a standard v groove gates belt I bought their blue series, so why would you send me something inferior and tell me sorry they don't make it but the one got s the vgroove. No I don't want that send me a call tag I'll return it back and when you get it return my money it's simple. The belt should have never been shipped. Also tey belt that was supposidly being drop shipped from the manufacturer had fab9 return address on it lol. So what is the truth and what is opinion?

Everything would have been perfectly fine if he just picked the phone or sent me an email and said hey I can't that belt, did you wanna do something else? I would have probably bought something more expensive from him. It's just dirty man just dirty. I have heard back from him yesterday but even after reading my review he said
Not hey dude I sent you something inferior to what you bought my bad I was trying to get whatever I could, I see that it was a mistake did you wanna return the belt or keep it?

Though he did apologize for the miscommunication which is fantastic, he gave a reason great. I still got a hamburger even though I ordered steak.
Deleting my review was dirty too.

This is the third vendor I have reviewed in detail and fab9 is the first to delete. To be fair it was the most negative of reviews.

On each one of my reviews I have tried to abundantly fair, level headed and open minded. I run an automotive company and I am subject to reviews all the time. The bad ones tell you how to make your business better, listening and learning from them not deleting them makes you a better company. Typically a bad scenario with a customer is the best way to earn a customer for life because if you show them when **** happens your still there to resolve, help and support them.
It's stupid, it really wasn't a big deal he just kept making it worse. Don't send me something I didn't buy.

nitrodann

I think you will find that Fab9 are not able to simply delete the thread, a mod or admin has for some other reason.


I wish my small business had the issues Fab9 have, having such a great product and so many customers that a few miscommunications happen.

This is very normal for a successful business in its infancy, Im sure it will be sorted and you may find that other more pressing things have their attention as higher priorities, though you dont notice those because the team at Fab9 are on top of those already.

Increasing communication is no doubt on their priority list for the near future.

Dann

Hificruzer226

A mod I will not say who pm'd me to let me know that fab 9 did delete the thread and the mod that informed me told me he placed it in this section just so you know. Miscommunication was only half the problem the other half was sending me something I didn't buy that was not as good as the one I purchased without my permission. If you think fab9 did the right thing than you are sadly mistaken.
It is something small but also illegal lol. It is a review of my experience so that others can know what went down that I did not deal with when I bought from FM, Goodwin racing,949, trackspeed and racingbeat.

nitrodann

It sounds like an honest mistake and general small business teething.

My experiences buying from Fab9 all 3 or 4 times have been awesome.

Experiences with FM for example though havnt.

Dann

Hificruzer226

Them not responding is understandbe to a point, sending me a black belt and not the blue one is kinda of obvious even if your colorblind.
I really like fab9 I just don't like the bait and switch and when I call them out they still pretty much told me tough luck. When they finally got back to me after I wrote a public review. I wish things went well I really really do, their prices are great parts from other members have generally said they are awesome. The website is cool, the knowledge of the person I talk to was outstanding. There are things I have already said that I really like about them. But you can't deny they need to fix their "honest mistake". However they havent, and in the response they didn't offer to. I really wish things went better I really do.

I had a snafu with FM and they immediately fixed it and answered the phone when I called. I am not saying fab9 is a horrible company, I am not saying everyone else is perfect. I just wish that Fab9 didn't make the mistakes they did and I wish they would fix the one that they should.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Sponsors have mod powers in their company section. I don't know who moved it.

TheBandit

iTrader: (8)

I've had mixed encounters with Bryan and Fab9. I've always gotten the parts I needed, but sometimes it does require contact which can either be very quick or very slow.

I also believe that this has a lot to do with how busy they've become, but whether that makes it acceptable is a matter of opinion. He's received plenty of orders from me, so although frustrating at times I've found it to be cost effective.

Hopefully this may be seen as constructive criticism, and helps him continue to grow his business and our aftermarket options.