Bad experience with a custom bonnet job

karthik247 · 25th November 2009, 19:27

Since i posted about the money i had paid Harrie in this thread.. Here's an update.

I got an SMS from Harrie stating the reason for not contacting me and gave me two options, to take the tires or a refund. I opted for the latter and he said he would refund the money by Saturday. Once that happens, i'll post another update.

james · 25th November 2009, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise

James, I really appreciate you for the way you are handling this thread in a very matured manner

Thanks mate!

I just hope fellow members will learn from my experiences and wont trust people blindly!

Quote:

Originally Posted by karthik247

he said he would refund the money by Saturday

Thats great news, Karthik.

He'll be in coimbi for the next two days. Hope he manages to transfer the money before leaving.
I am waiting to hear from him.. I guess he will try getting in touch with my friend but my friend is going to tell him to deal with me/ demand a refund immediately!!

Jaggu · 25th November 2009, 22:40

Well we also hope that the refund happens and the matter is brought to an end at the earliest.

Best wishes in finishing the paint job and you guys enjoying the Mivec experience, do post a review of the car also.

james · 25th November 2009, 23:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Best wishes in finishing the paint job and you guys enjoying the Mivec experience, do post a review of the car also.

Thanks for your wishes, Jaggu!

We have run into a small roadblock WRT the bonnet paint kaam. But its nothing that cant be fixed.
There isnt much to post about right now as the experience isnt great! Ill surely post the experience once the engine is rebuilt and the turbo goes in. It should perform like a mivec should then!
Its going to be a slow rebuild process as my friend is going to be on the ship for 3 months and told RD karthik to take his time.. But it should all be completed in 3 months. The garrett and hks stuff has already arrived at RD and the we'll drive the car to blore in the 2nd or 3rd week of dec..
Regards
Zahin Aranha

blacmagic · 26th November 2009, 00:54

James, do you really need all that jazz on the hood? the stock Lancer is a beautifully built car. as long as your temp needle stays constant around the halfway mark, your cooling system is alright. you receive copious amounts of headwind when your car moves which should be enough to cool your engine down.
you may 'feel' a lot of heat emanating from the engine bay, but that happens with engines with [relatively] high specific outputs.
high compression = more air for a given amount of fuel. more air = more heat. it will only mean that your radiator fan will kick in more often, thats all. I used to experience the same feeling with my 1.3 OHC engine, but it never degenerated into a problem.

coming to the transaction, if I was a seller and was going away indefinitely, I would inform my customers. if I get paid for something, I dont rest till I justify that payment. if I pay for something, I dont rest until that payment is justified. the amount is irrelevant; its the principle. maybe this behavior is anachronistic in todays hectic world.

I did see the car in RD when I was there the last time. hope it gets built to its full potential and you receive your refund. I suggest you close the chapter after that and move on because no amount of dissection will undo the past. if Harrie didnt mean to cheat you, he could have said nothing more than he already has said. if that isnt the case, he will get what he deserves somewhere down the line. chuckle quietly when that day comes.

move on and enjoy the MIVEC.

PS: all the cooling babble in the first paragraph is based on my extremely limited understanding of IC engines that I happened to pick up from my build. anybody is free to correct me if Ive slipped somewhere.

PPS: it is true that paint isnt shipped eagerly as it is flammable. but that begs the question: how do paintshops get all their stock?

james · 26th November 2009, 13:25

Update: I still havent heard from Harrie. he sent my friend an email saying that he has already bought the paint and cannot return it as its a 'custom mix' and all that jazz.

Harrie, i have sourced the paint. We dont need anything from you! Please REFUND the money Arun paid for the paint. He has emailed you his icici a/c details.
Please do this before you leave to Hospet/wherever as i have already paid the painter for the paint.
Thx

Guite · 26th November 2009, 14:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacmagic

PPS: it is true that paint isnt shipped eagerly as it is flammable. but that begs the question: how do paintshops get all their stock?

That would be like asking how do petrol pumps get their stock? Hope you get my drift.

Since part of the issue here is transporting paint let me share my experience of buying spray paint from out of town. Now I am aware that spray paint and liquid paint are not the same, so considerations may be different too. Anyway I bought spray paint from a supplier in Chennai through e-bay. He did courier it to me but it came entirely via surface transport.

regnex · 26th November 2009, 14:53

So surprised this forum dragged to ten pages withing a few days, and nothing about modifications and accessories much

, Typical I BLAME, U BLAME situations.

james · 26th November 2009, 18:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacmagic

James, do you really need all that jazz on the hood? the stock Lancer is a beautifully built car.
I did see the car in RD when I was there the last time. hope it gets built to its full potential and you receive your refund. I suggest you close the chapter after that and move on because no amount of dissection will undo the past.

Blacmagic, The vents will definately help with the heating problem. ive seen a normal lancer and know for sure that it doesnt heat up as much as this car. Plus the vents look nice imho.. It looks better and neater than the lancers that have hoods with the plexi glass and are flooding the town here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by regnex

So surprised this forum dragged to ten pages withing a few days, and nothing about modifications and accessories much, Typical I BLAME, U BLAME situations.

Thanks for yor useful and constructive comments, regnex. The thread name reads "bad experience with a custom bonnet job' and i guess with a bad experience, its quite natural for a blame game to start, dont you think so?

EDIT: I still havent heard from Harrie regarding the paint/refund!

blacmagic · 26th November 2009, 18:53

James, are you referring to a green Lancer with a plexiglass hood by any chance?
what I mean to say is do absolutely nothing to the hood. it looks beautiful when bone stock and even the one that this specific car came with was nice and understated with that little opening to one side. if you want those central vents to go for jazzy looks, I dont have anything to say. if - however - their purpose is to cool, all Im saying is that its quite unnecessary. the radiator should be sufficient. get a bigger radiator if you can find one.

also, a little suggestion: now that youve made your expectation crystal clear, just post an update if Harrie makes a refund. I think it should be safe to assume that the matter is hanging until then.

ashwinsid · 27th November 2009, 14:23

Harrie's profile says: Last Activity: 26th November 2009 19:31.

@James, did he PM/email/call/sms you regarding the refund?

james · 27th November 2009, 20:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashwinsid

Harrie's profile says: Last Activity: 26th November 2009 19:31.

@James, did he PM/email/call/sms you regarding the refund?

Ashwin, i havent heard from him as yet!

I wonder if he has refunded Karthik's money as promised!

theEnd · 28th November 2009, 03:05

Very good of you to bring it up james. People who sell goods or services, whether through a store or online, should show some basic decency towards their customers. I've always believed in the old saying, "the customer is king". No point keeping quiet about bad service. You're saving a lot of other people from a bad experience by publicizing this information.

Harrie, I can see that you have many explanations for failing to deliver what you promised (even after payment). If you are repeatedly late in delivering goods (or dont deliver goods at all), you should question yourself to see if you really have the resources and time to go about selling car parts and delivering them to other cities/towns. Its clear that you dont treat your clients well, and coming up with personal problems as an explanation for bad service is no excuse. If I went to a restaurant and ordered a chicken soup (and paid in advance), and got no soup for the next 1 month, would it be justified if the chef told me "I'm sorry but I had to go attend to my other kitchen, as it provides me my bread and butter"?

Harrie, give the man his money back and stop promising things that you cannot deliver upon.

vdiatech · 28th November 2009, 08:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by theEnd

Very good of you to bring it up james. People who sell goods or services, whether through a store or online, should show some basic decency towards their customers. I've always believed in the old saying, "the customer is king". No point keeping quiet about bad service. You're saving a lot of other people from a bad experience by publicizing this information.

Harrie, I can see that you have many explanations for failing to deliver what you promised (even after payment). If you are repeatedly late in delivering goods (or dont deliver goods at all), you should question yourself to see if you really have the resources and time to go about selling car parts and delivering them to other cities/towns. Its clear that you dont treat your clients well, and coming up with personal problems as an explanation for bad service is no excuse. If I went to a restaurant and ordered a chicken soup (and paid in advance), and got no soup for the next 1 month, would it be justified if the chef told me "I'm sorry but I had to go attend to my other kitchen, as it provides me my bread and butter"?

Harrie, give the man his money back and stop promising things that you cannot deliver upon.

Well said, its amazing how Harrie has still not given the refund! Harrie might have some good clients and sometimes deals do go sour for some reasons. Its not fair that the 'good clients/friends' take a dig at James and vouch for Harries reputation and blame James . Even the best do make mistakes and its only unfair to blame James and its only fair to arrange a quick refund!

OT: I have recently been at the receiving end of a VIPER FFE (Free Flow Exhaust ) transaction that went sour and has left my car un-motorable. I did leave a few messages on some thread and the tuner's faithfuls/friends just pounced on me! Hello! here is me, I got a bad product , my fault ? I lost the will to write a detailed review but ofcourse, I will only advise others about the tuner (if asked) from my experience !

beejay · 28th November 2009, 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdiatech

OT: I have recently been at the receiving end of a VIPER FFE (Free Flow Exhaust ) transaction that went sour and has left my car un-motorable. I did leave a few messages on some thread and the tuner's faithfuls/friends just pounced on me! Hello! here is me, I got a bad product , my fault ? I lost the will to write a detailed review but ofcourse, I will only advise others about the tuner (if asked) from my experience !

Vditech, I think you should just pen a review of your experience, Why bother about his friends who are here? All of us are not friends with all tuners and people like you should come out with honest facts for the better good of all here.

This thread has been going and going and going. Now this is more like a Skoda buying experience. I love some of the Skoda's and think they are brillinat machines and make for a great drivers car, yet the stories make me think twice as I wouldnt want to take a chance.
Now, the same applies to the tuner mentioned here.

25th November 2009, 19:27	#136
karthik247 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR, HYD Posts: 2,710 Thanked: 30 Times	Update Since i posted about the money i had paid Harrie in this thread.. Here's an update. I got an SMS from Harrie stating the reason for not contacting me and gave me two options, to take the tires or a refund. I opted for the latter and he said he would refund the money by Saturday. Once that happens, i'll post another update.
	() Thanks

25th November 2009, 22:40	#138
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,908 Times	Well we also hope that the refund happens and the matter is brought to an end at the earliest. Best wishes in finishing the paint job and you guys enjoying the Mivec experience, do post a review of the car also.
	() Thanks

26th November 2009, 00:54	#140
blacmagic BANNED Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 221 Thanked: 12 Times	James, do you really need all that jazz on the hood? the stock Lancer is a beautifully built car. as long as your temp needle stays constant around the halfway mark, your cooling system is alright. you receive copious amounts of headwind when your car moves which should be enough to cool your engine down. you may 'feel' a lot of heat emanating from the engine bay, but that happens with engines with [relatively] high specific outputs. high compression = more air for a given amount of fuel. more air = more heat. it will only mean that your radiator fan will kick in more often, thats all. I used to experience the same feeling with my 1.3 OHC engine, but it never degenerated into a problem. coming to the transaction, if I was a seller and was going away indefinitely, I would inform my customers. if I get paid for something, I dont rest till I justify that payment. if I pay for something, I dont rest until that payment is justified. the amount is irrelevant; its the principle. maybe this behavior is anachronistic in todays hectic world. I did see the car in RD when I was there the last time. hope it gets built to its full potential and you receive your refund. I suggest you close the chapter after that and move on because no amount of dissection will undo the past. if Harrie didnt mean to cheat you, he could have said nothing more than he already has said. if that isnt the case, he will get what he deserves somewhere down the line. chuckle quietly when that day comes. move on and enjoy the MIVEC. PS: all the cooling babble in the first paragraph is based on my extremely limited understanding of IC engines that I happened to pick up from my build. anybody is free to correct me if Ive slipped somewhere. PPS: it is true that paint isnt shipped eagerly as it is flammable. but that begs the question: how do paintshops get all their stock? Last edited by blacmagic : 26th November 2009 at 01:06.
	() Thanks

26th November 2009, 13:25	#141
james BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 597 Thanked: 645 Times	Update: I still havent heard from Harrie. he sent my friend an email saying that he has already bought the paint and cannot return it as its a 'custom mix' and all that jazz. Harrie, i have sourced the paint. We dont need anything from you! Please REFUND the money Arun paid for the paint. He has emailed you his icici a/c details. Please do this before you leave to Hospet/wherever as i have already paid the painter for the paint. Thx
	() Thanks

26th November 2009, 14:53	#143
regnex BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Goa, Margao Posts: 145 Thanked: 10 Times View My Garage	So surprised this forum dragged to ten pages withing a few days, and nothing about modifications and accessories much, Typical I BLAME, U BLAME situations.
	() Thanks

26th November 2009, 18:53	#145
blacmagic BANNED Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 221 Thanked: 12 Times	James, are you referring to a green Lancer with a plexiglass hood by any chance? what I mean to say is do absolutely nothing to the hood. it looks beautiful when bone stock and even the one that this specific car came with was nice and understated with that little opening to one side. if you want those central vents to go for jazzy looks, I dont have anything to say. if - however - their purpose is to cool, all Im saying is that its quite unnecessary. the radiator should be sufficient. get a bigger radiator if you can find one. also, a little suggestion: now that youve made your expectation crystal clear, just post an update if Harrie makes a refund. I think it should be safe to assume that the matter is hanging until then.
	() Thanks

27th November 2009, 14:23	#146
ashwinsid BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 181 Thanked: 34 Times	Harrie's profile says: Last Activity: 26th November 2009 19:31. @James, did he PM/email/call/sms you regarding the refund?
	() Thanks

28th November 2009, 03:05	#148
theEnd BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 534 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	Very good of you to bring it up james. People who sell goods or services, whether through a store or online, should show some basic decency towards their customers. I've always believed in the old saying, "the customer is king". No point keeping quiet about bad service. You're saving a lot of other people from a bad experience by publicizing this information. Harrie, I can see that you have many explanations for failing to deliver what you promised (even after payment). If you are repeatedly late in delivering goods (or dont deliver goods at all), you should question yourself to see if you really have the resources and time to go about selling car parts and delivering them to other cities/towns. Its clear that you dont treat your clients well, and coming up with personal problems as an explanation for bad service is no excuse. If I went to a restaurant and ordered a chicken soup (and paid in advance), and got no soup for the next 1 month, would it be justified if the chef told me "I'm sorry but I had to go attend to my other kitchen, as it provides me my bread and butter"? Harrie, give the man his money back and stop promising things that you cannot deliver upon.
	() Thanks