Not impressed!! Austral Honda (QLD) Parts Dept - the EK bodykit saga inches along
In a related earlier thread here:
http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71780
I was making the decision to purchase a front and rear lip for my EK hatch. Finally decided to go the easy way and pay a bit extra for OEM.
Quoted me around 600+ and I thought well two pieces of plastic, despite including shipping, that's really pricy- , but at least I know it'll fit.
Bit the bullet and gave my card number, and it arrived today, so I went to collect it. Got there, waited for a while, finally warehouse guy brings front and rear lip, front in plastic wrapping, rear in box, wrapped in foam with hardware. Front lip had no bolts, nuts, anything. Warehouse guy says I've got to go out back, get you your other item. I figured it was nuts and bolts.. he came back with a large box.. wtf.
Turns out it was sideskirts! I told him I didn't place an order for sideskirts, he said speak to Phil, who placed the order. Phil came out, and I told him I didn't order sideskirts, he said 'what we agreed to on the phone, very *explicitly* (he said this word a lot of times. Must have only recently discovered how to use it and was overrevving), was that you wanted the front lip, rear lip, and sideskirts.'
Now, really, why would I order stock sideskirts from Honda when my car already has stock sideskirts on it? He kept on going on about how he couldn't send it back because it was a 'special order item' and I was trying to explain I didn't agree to buy it! He was saying I ordered it on the phone and I was telling him I most certainly didn't.
Anyway, I also mentioned the lack of hardware for the front lip, which should have come in a box with all the parts (like the rear lip, like the sideskirts even). Not loose and on its own. I asked if he could go check, he stepped out of the door, glared at me like I'd insulted his mother and muttered "this is ridiculous. People ordering things and saying they never ordered them".
So he came back, said there was nothing else that came with it, maybe I have to go to some hardware store or something (now I have no choice do I?).
Now, that's not even the end of it. Asked to open the sideskirt box to see what was inside. I expected primed, unpainted sideskirts, like the invoice said. I figured worst case scenario, I flog it off at a loss here or on ebay. The sideskirts that came out were *metallic blue*. I drive a black EK. And didn't even order this d*mn sh*t in the first place! He said, well, maybe that's all they've got, so they shipped it. And I thought, well, if I *had* ordered it and did want to use them, I'd have to sandblast off the metallic blue, prime it, and paint it too?
And you should have seen the look on this *ssh*le's face as he was trying to get rid of me.
Asked for the manager, he wasn't there, but jeez he would have got an earful if he was. It wasn't a lack of customer service, more like the most outwardly rude, self-righteous and condescending service anyone could get.
Eventually, I managed to get the money credited back, the front and rear lip came up to around $400 (more realistic than the $600 I thought I was in for thanks to his nonsense), albeit at a loss with the hardware. Anyone with tips on what hardware I need to install the front lip, please let me know, thanks.
On the bright side, karma worked in my favour. I work in a TAFE, and just so happens a colleague knew who to contact in spraypainting. Spoke to him about painting the lips, and he said no worries, bring them down tomorrow, and he'll fix me up within the week. No charge too. I reckon I'll send some beer down his way for the effort.
So yeah. Sorry about the rant! Just needed to vent.
