DaveVT
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2013
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- Denistone
- Members Ride
- VT 5.7 Calais S2 HBD
Hi all,
I just bought a really nice 5.7 VT Calais S2 HBD with factory fitted Manta kit. It's awesome, low km's and its been really well looked after. Don't know what took me so long to get a V8.
Anyway, this is going to be a bit of a complaint post, but I don't want anyone else to waste their cash and time.
In short don't buy the "Holden Commodore VT VX VY VZ Sedan Spoiler Boot Struts" from the GasStrutGuys if you have a factory fitted HBD Manta spoiler. They wont hold the weight and you'll spend more than the struts are worth to return them.
So......................... the full saga......
My boot wouldn't open unless I was lifting it whilst I pressed the boot release button, annoying. Obviously I needed new struts. So I had a hunt around on the forums and saw a couple of recommendations for the GasStrutGuys. Off to the internet. I went to their website and found the "Holden Commodore VT VX VY VZ Sedan Spoiler Boot Struts" $24 dollars, but was that for a pair? the web page doesn't say it, and other struts on the site that are pairs are $40-50, so it must be each. Anyway, Quantity = 2, purchased.
Shipping was really quick, I was impressed. 2 days and they were in my hand. But 4 struts, DOH. My bad, I should have contacted the company first and made sure, I'll just sell them in the forum to someone for cheap.
Then I go to fit them.....
Fitting was pretty simple, thanks again forums for the how-to. Then I pushed the boot release button on my remote.... and .... it re-locks.... damn. OK, the company must have sent the wrong ones, I'll contact them and see what happened. I go to the website, no contact details, none. Now what? I search the internet and find some gmail account that might be theirs, that doesn't work. In the end I had to find their seller account on eBay and contact them through that.
I explain that I have Factory HDB Manta kit installed and I think the spoiler is a bit heavier than normal. I ask if they have ever had a problem with a factory spoiler before, or if they sent the correct ones. They don't give me a part number to check. After a few conversations about what the problem is, they just agree that it doesn't work. They ask me to send it back to them, and they will give me a "full refund" when they receive the struts. I'd rather just make sure they sent me the right ones, but ok, I'll send them back. At least I get to return the extra pair I bought.
I'm pretty understanding, parts sometimes don't fit every application, this is pain but it happens. So I send them back. Shipping for me is a bit more expensive than it was for them to be sent to me, especially if I want to track them. But I figure he's refunding the original postage with my full refund so I'll take the hit, even though they are clearly either (a) the wrong part, or (b) not fit for purpose.
So they receive them, and in comes the refund. A partial refund. They decided not to refund the postage. So I get to pay what ended up to be $24 in total for shipping, the cost of a pair of struts. If I hadn't had stupidly ordered 2 pairs it wouldn't have been worth even sending them back.
At this stage I'm pissed that he cheaped out over $8.50, and informed him of this. I did keep it civil, kinda. I asked why I got a Partial Refund and not the Full Refund as promised. The response was that many ebayers would not agree with my position, and that "you wanted the struts to do something they are not designed to do".
Fuming now... I don't give a crap about the $8.50, I mean what am I going to do with it? buy a few red frogs? Its the principal, you said full refund. And I bought boot struts for a VT Commodore with a spoiler, to fit to a VT Commodore with a spoiler, and this is my fault??? Weren't they designed to support the weight of a VT Commodore with a spoiler? Because that's what I wanted them to do!
So, as we live in the internet age, I'm venting to anyone who can be bothered reading this entire post. Trying to make sure no-one else buys these for a VT with a Manta spoiler. I doubt he'll be updating his website to say they may not suit some applications, so beware.
In fairness the boot struts are pretty cheap and shipping was quick. So if I had a standard boot I'd probably by really happy with my purchase right now.
So, if you read this GasStrutGuys, try the following:
1. Add some contact details to your website,
2. On each page state clearly if the product is a "Pair",
3. Add a disclaimer/footnote on the VT Commodore with Spoiler page that it doesn't suit a HBD Manta Spoiler,
4. If you say you'll give a "Full Refund", do it.
5. Don't blame the customer if they have done nothing wrong.
Granted you couldn't have done 3 if you didn't know, but the other points are just good business practice.
And if you are thinking of using them, well, you probably won't have my experience, but decide if its worth it.
Rant over......
I just bought a really nice 5.7 VT Calais S2 HBD with factory fitted Manta kit. It's awesome, low km's and its been really well looked after. Don't know what took me so long to get a V8.
Anyway, this is going to be a bit of a complaint post, but I don't want anyone else to waste their cash and time.
In short don't buy the "Holden Commodore VT VX VY VZ Sedan Spoiler Boot Struts" from the GasStrutGuys if you have a factory fitted HBD Manta spoiler. They wont hold the weight and you'll spend more than the struts are worth to return them.
So......................... the full saga......
My boot wouldn't open unless I was lifting it whilst I pressed the boot release button, annoying. Obviously I needed new struts. So I had a hunt around on the forums and saw a couple of recommendations for the GasStrutGuys. Off to the internet. I went to their website and found the "Holden Commodore VT VX VY VZ Sedan Spoiler Boot Struts" $24 dollars, but was that for a pair? the web page doesn't say it, and other struts on the site that are pairs are $40-50, so it must be each. Anyway, Quantity = 2, purchased.
Shipping was really quick, I was impressed. 2 days and they were in my hand. But 4 struts, DOH. My bad, I should have contacted the company first and made sure, I'll just sell them in the forum to someone for cheap.
Then I go to fit them.....
Fitting was pretty simple, thanks again forums for the how-to. Then I pushed the boot release button on my remote.... and .... it re-locks.... damn. OK, the company must have sent the wrong ones, I'll contact them and see what happened. I go to the website, no contact details, none. Now what? I search the internet and find some gmail account that might be theirs, that doesn't work. In the end I had to find their seller account on eBay and contact them through that.
I explain that I have Factory HDB Manta kit installed and I think the spoiler is a bit heavier than normal. I ask if they have ever had a problem with a factory spoiler before, or if they sent the correct ones. They don't give me a part number to check. After a few conversations about what the problem is, they just agree that it doesn't work. They ask me to send it back to them, and they will give me a "full refund" when they receive the struts. I'd rather just make sure they sent me the right ones, but ok, I'll send them back. At least I get to return the extra pair I bought.
I'm pretty understanding, parts sometimes don't fit every application, this is pain but it happens. So I send them back. Shipping for me is a bit more expensive than it was for them to be sent to me, especially if I want to track them. But I figure he's refunding the original postage with my full refund so I'll take the hit, even though they are clearly either (a) the wrong part, or (b) not fit for purpose.
So they receive them, and in comes the refund. A partial refund. They decided not to refund the postage. So I get to pay what ended up to be $24 in total for shipping, the cost of a pair of struts. If I hadn't had stupidly ordered 2 pairs it wouldn't have been worth even sending them back.
At this stage I'm pissed that he cheaped out over $8.50, and informed him of this. I did keep it civil, kinda. I asked why I got a Partial Refund and not the Full Refund as promised. The response was that many ebayers would not agree with my position, and that "you wanted the struts to do something they are not designed to do".
Fuming now... I don't give a crap about the $8.50, I mean what am I going to do with it? buy a few red frogs? Its the principal, you said full refund. And I bought boot struts for a VT Commodore with a spoiler, to fit to a VT Commodore with a spoiler, and this is my fault??? Weren't they designed to support the weight of a VT Commodore with a spoiler? Because that's what I wanted them to do!
So, as we live in the internet age, I'm venting to anyone who can be bothered reading this entire post. Trying to make sure no-one else buys these for a VT with a Manta spoiler. I doubt he'll be updating his website to say they may not suit some applications, so beware.
In fairness the boot struts are pretty cheap and shipping was quick. So if I had a standard boot I'd probably by really happy with my purchase right now.
So, if you read this GasStrutGuys, try the following:
1. Add some contact details to your website,
2. On each page state clearly if the product is a "Pair",
3. Add a disclaimer/footnote on the VT Commodore with Spoiler page that it doesn't suit a HBD Manta Spoiler,
4. If you say you'll give a "Full Refund", do it.
5. Don't blame the customer if they have done nothing wrong.
Granted you couldn't have done 3 if you didn't know, but the other points are just good business practice.
And if you are thinking of using them, well, you probably won't have my experience, but decide if its worth it.
Rant over......