Why not to buy remote clutch bleeders from Eastcoast Performance
10-18-2009, 11:26 AM
#1
Why not to buy remote clutch bleeders from Eastcoast Performance
Cliffs notes: Eastcoast sold me a defective bleeder that cost me a tow and another R&R of the transmission. They ignored my phone calls, hardly responded to email/PM, and finally decided that they will not provide me a refund. Thanks guy, way to stand behind your product! Pretty sad to lose a customer (or many) over a $60 part.
Long story:
They sold me a remote bleeder which I had installed by an LSx specialty transmission shop when I installed my twindisc, RPM transmissions. When I ordered, Mike answered the phone on the first ring, was very hospitable and helpful, and they processed / shipped my order in a very reasonable time frame. The piece looked good, I was happy.
After I had the clutch install done, RPM was having a hard time getting the bleeder fitting to seal after the install, but it finally did with EXTREME tightening (as recommended by Mike Yeager when I called with my concern). That speed bleeder stayed sealed for about 5 days before I lost all of my clutch fluid onto the ground / exhaust and was stuck in rush hour traffic. Yay, tow it home. Whatever, no big deal, I can take care of it. So, I get under the car to get everything rebled and sealed back up. Again, I had a very, very hard time getting it to seal. No matter what I did, it kept weeping. The only thing that I could think of was that it was a defective speed bleeder, so I purchased another identical piece. I had the same problem with the newly purchased bleeder, so I swapped back to the original one. At this point, I believe that there is a machining problem in the fitting that is preventing it from sealing. I made sure everything as thoroughly cleaned and gave it hell tightening it again. Finally, it seemed sealed. Well, it was, for about 5 days again.
This time I dropped it back off at RPM transmissions to take a look at it and their diagnosis was that the bleeder was junk and needed to come out. Fortunately, RPM has absolutely incredible customer service and are very easy to work with. While they didn't entirely foot the bill for replacing it (I didn't expect them to cover anything, it wasn't their part that failed), they covered the vast majority of the cost for R&R of the transmission to pull the slave and change the bleeder again. The bleeder was replaced with a stock style bleeder and I've been enjoying the car ever since.
The cost of the part is insignificant, but because of all of the troubles that it caused, I wanted a refund. After I had talked to Mike about the problems twice and his advice was "well, just tighten it more, these don't fail!!", he simply stopped answering or returning my phone calls. The couple of times that he did answer, he was "busy" and would call me back later. haha. To be fair, he did try to call me once and I missed the call, but that was early on in the incident. His messages implied that he would refund the cost, but he wanted pictures of the bleeder. Rather than sending him pictures, I just sent the part back since I just wanted a refund, didn't want another since I obviously am not pulling the transmission again. He now insists that I didn't return their part because the bleeder is not the one that they shipped to me (which I am pretty confident is BS, but I suppose it is possible that RPM changed it while working with it before I got it back). Regardless, he has refused any sort of refund, but if I can provide the original bleeder, he can send me a new one. Gee, thanks Mike, that is very helpful. Another bleeder that will probably fail that I will never use since my car is up and running great WITHOUT your part.
Was it really worth losing business over a single $60 part? Give me a break, man.
To recap: Eastcoast performance = fail. RPM transmissions = win.
And FWIW, I used several remote bleeders in the past on my swapped cars and never had any trouble with them, so I wouldn't discount remote bleeders based on the above story.
Long story:
They sold me a remote bleeder which I had installed by an LSx specialty transmission shop when I installed my twindisc, RPM transmissions. When I ordered, Mike answered the phone on the first ring, was very hospitable and helpful, and they processed / shipped my order in a very reasonable time frame. The piece looked good, I was happy.
After I had the clutch install done, RPM was having a hard time getting the bleeder fitting to seal after the install, but it finally did with EXTREME tightening (as recommended by Mike Yeager when I called with my concern). That speed bleeder stayed sealed for about 5 days before I lost all of my clutch fluid onto the ground / exhaust and was stuck in rush hour traffic. Yay, tow it home. Whatever, no big deal, I can take care of it. So, I get under the car to get everything rebled and sealed back up. Again, I had a very, very hard time getting it to seal. No matter what I did, it kept weeping. The only thing that I could think of was that it was a defective speed bleeder, so I purchased another identical piece. I had the same problem with the newly purchased bleeder, so I swapped back to the original one. At this point, I believe that there is a machining problem in the fitting that is preventing it from sealing. I made sure everything as thoroughly cleaned and gave it hell tightening it again. Finally, it seemed sealed. Well, it was, for about 5 days again.
This time I dropped it back off at RPM transmissions to take a look at it and their diagnosis was that the bleeder was junk and needed to come out. Fortunately, RPM has absolutely incredible customer service and are very easy to work with. While they didn't entirely foot the bill for replacing it (I didn't expect them to cover anything, it wasn't their part that failed), they covered the vast majority of the cost for R&R of the transmission to pull the slave and change the bleeder again. The bleeder was replaced with a stock style bleeder and I've been enjoying the car ever since.
The cost of the part is insignificant, but because of all of the troubles that it caused, I wanted a refund. After I had talked to Mike about the problems twice and his advice was "well, just tighten it more, these don't fail!!", he simply stopped answering or returning my phone calls. The couple of times that he did answer, he was "busy" and would call me back later. haha. To be fair, he did try to call me once and I missed the call, but that was early on in the incident. His messages implied that he would refund the cost, but he wanted pictures of the bleeder. Rather than sending him pictures, I just sent the part back since I just wanted a refund, didn't want another since I obviously am not pulling the transmission again. He now insists that I didn't return their part because the bleeder is not the one that they shipped to me (which I am pretty confident is BS, but I suppose it is possible that RPM changed it while working with it before I got it back). Regardless, he has refused any sort of refund, but if I can provide the original bleeder, he can send me a new one. Gee, thanks Mike, that is very helpful. Another bleeder that will probably fail that I will never use since my car is up and running great WITHOUT your part.
Was it really worth losing business over a single $60 part? Give me a break, man.
To recap: Eastcoast performance = fail. RPM transmissions = win.
And FWIW, I used several remote bleeders in the past on my swapped cars and never had any trouble with them, so I wouldn't discount remote bleeders based on the above story.
10-18-2009, 11:25 PM
#7
Racer
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i've had a remote bleeder from ECS on my c5 for the past 2 years (3 clutches and 2 engine swaps/ thats apart 5 times ) with no issues.
Is East coast perfomance and ECS the same place or am i mistaken??
Is East coast perfomance and ECS the same place or am i mistaken??
10-18-2009, 11:54 PM
#8
Eastcoast Supercharging is usually referred to as ECS.... I don't think it is the same place. I don't know that there is necessarily anything wrong with their part, maybe I just got one that had a fitting with a machining flaw, who knows. My biggest problem was their complete lack of product backing and customer service.
Last edited by Hockyz; 10-18-2009 at 11:56 PM.
10-19-2009, 12:22 AM
#10
Race Director
10-19-2009, 06:38 AM
#11
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jul 2007
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St. Jude Donor '09-'10
I personally have bought MANY parts frm Mike at Eastcoast Performance and never had any bad issues. I have once received a part that was not right, and Mike did me right by me by getting me another part PDQ!
10-19-2009, 11:30 AM
#12
Drifting
Member Since: May 2006
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If I was in Mike@ECP's shoes and you shipped me a remote-bleeder that was different from the one sold (You said it was possible RPM "changed" the bleeder) I would unfortunately refuse a refund as well. If a refund or exchange is to be issued the product needs to be in original unaltered form aside from the flaw (lots of vendors have this policy). Do you have any pics at all of what you shipped back to Eastcoast Performance?
10-19-2009, 05:16 PM
#13
Former Vendor
I agree that is funny!!!
Just an FYI...We do back everything that we sell...PERIOD. But if you return a product to us that has been altered with inferior parts that YOU MR. JOHN ORR Changed, and then you dont return the original parts to us so we can analyze (definition)"(v): to expose underlying structure by separating into components"....
WE do not have a Totally, dont ask dont tell Refund Policy...Especially when you return parts that are not sold by us...
There's not a vender nor a Real Business out there that will do that!!
You are right, If what he's saying was true, Its Not, I guarantee that!!They are a great vendor, and so are we(Eastcoast Performance)..
Dont let 1 views out of 1000's of corvette customers we have serviced, have you make a decision thats not correct...Please Dig alittle deeper before you do so, I Mike Yeager ask this of you, thanks
Out of many 100's of these sold, we have never had this problem before...If he had sent back All the correct items he was sold then more than likely we would not be here...
No we are not the same, but we do work together alot....
Thanks Bill....
Yes you are correct...
We will always take care of anyone that supports us, or even if you dont, we still answer all your questions and take plenty of time with you..
I cant say it any better then this(above)...Thanks:coo l:
WE do not have a Totally, dont ask dont tell Refund Policy...Especially when you return parts that are not sold by us...
There's not a vender nor a Real Business out there that will do that!!
You are right, If what he's saying was true, Its Not, I guarantee that!!They are a great vendor, and so are we(Eastcoast Performance)..
Eastcoast Supercharging is usually referred to as ECS.... I don't think it is the same place. I don't know that there is necessarily anything wrong with their part, maybe I just got one that had a fitting with a machining flaw, who knows. My biggest problem was their complete lack of product backing and customer service.
Yes you are correct...
If I was in Mike@ECP's shoes and you shipped me a remote-bleeder that was different from the one sold (You said it was possible RPM "changed" the bleeder) I would unfortunately refuse a refund as well. If a refund or exchange is to be issued the product needs to be in original unaltered form aside from the flaw (lots of vendors have this policy). Do you have any pics at all of what you shipped back to Eastcoast Performance?
:coo l:
10-19-2009, 05:31 PM
#14
MONARTOR
done and done
10-19-2009, 05:32 PM
#15
"AlohaC5" Senior Member
Mike, I agree with you - if the customer either (1) altered your part or (2) returned a part that wasn't yours (defective or not) - then the customer is WRONG. I should have waited till I heard both sides of the story. Thanks, Mike
10-19-2009, 05:33 PM
#16
Administrator
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CI 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
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St. Jude Donor '03 thru '24
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Each side of the dispute has posted their version of the dispute, so I'm closing as per the rules on unresolved disputes:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/foru...-disputes.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/foru...-disputes.html
10-19-2009, 06:54 PM
#20
Former Vendor
I dont know what that means, but lets rock on...!!
Please Savewave & Grumpy, dont close this thread...Not yet until I post pictures, thank you....Mike