Hinson Motor Sports

[Rich Z]

So I'm in the process of buying tools and parts for the time when I have to replace the clutch on my C5Z. I also noted that the driver's side engine mount is bad (another fine example of Pfadt products) so I need to replace those mounts as well.

I found a set that looked decent from Hinson Motor Sports and had good reviews, and decided to order them today. Also ordered a set of heat shields for them as being close to the headers I suppose they are a good thing to have. So I went to their website, read everything to make sure I was getting the ones I wanted, and placed the order, paying via PayPal. Everything went without incident, and I got the usual email notice that they have received the order. So I'm looking over that emailed invoice and see the following at the bottom of it:

"FOR RACING PURPOSES ONLY. These competition parts are sold "as is" and without warranty of any kind. Purchaser acknowledges that the installation of these parts will cause his/her vehicle to be unable to be lawfully used on public highways and assumes all risks and expenses thereof. Buyer recognizes that motor racing is a dangerous sport and that participants therein incur and assume the risk of bodily injury, death, or property damage."

Oh really? Putting their motor mounts on my car will cause it to be illegal for use on public roads? Hell, I don't acknowledge that AT ALL. And those parts are "as is" without any warranty of any kind?

Bullcrap with that! I fired off an email immediately and told them if that is the case, then cancel my order and refund my money.

Now I've heard good things about Hinson, and I believe I have purchased from them in the past, so this took me by surprise. I can't recall any other seller I have purchased automobile parts from ever making a disclaimer of that sort on the stuff they sell. But in any event, looks like I'm going to have to look for a PLAN B for the engine mounts for the Z.

 

[85vette]

Heat shields are included with the Creative Steel mounts.



Policies

Warranty

Creative Steel stands behind its products; should there be a defect with one of our products, we offer a one year replacement parts warranty to the original purchaser on all 8.8 components and a life time warranty on all urethane parts. For all warranties customers must show proof of purchase, shipping is not included on warranty parts. It is at Creative Steel’s sole discretion to decide what is covered under warranty and what is not.

 

[Cor66Vette]

Could that have been a "generic" disclaimer? You know, something that appears on all their invoices?

But you cancelled, right- so I guess you got all that sorted out.

 

[Rich Z]

Here is the further correspondence:

On Tue, Dec 29, 2015 at 3:20 PM, Rich Z wrote:

"FOR RACING PURPOSES ONLY. These competition parts are sold "as is" and without warranty of any kind. Purchaser acknowledges that the installation of these parts will cause his/her vehicle to be unable to be lawfully used on public highways and assumes all risks and expenses thereof. Buyer recognizes that motor racing is a dangerous sport and that participants therein incur and assume the risk of bodily injury, death, or property damage."

Bullcrap, too! If you are not going to warranty what you sell, then you are not going to get my business.

Please cancel this order and refund my money if that is the position you are taking on what you sell.

Rich Z.

On 12/29/2015 4:35 PM, Shipping Dept wrote:
> Rich -
> I don't understand what you're trying to state or what your concern is... Hinson Motorsports does and always has warrantied the performance parts they sell online and over the phone. Your copy and paste message above is called a disclaimer, it means all warranty returns or issues are handled on a case by case basis. We've been in business for over 10yrs and haven't had an issue with our parts or customer service with warranty issues. Once again Hinson Motorsports products come with a warranty on a case by case basis and all orders come with a 30day return policy. Please let me know if you would like me to cancel your order or move forward with it.
> Your order is scheduled to ship today.
> Thank you,
>
> Shipping Department
> HINSON Motorsports Inc.
> 4675 Appaloosa Drive
> Irondale, AL 35210
> hinsonmotorsports.com
> 205.909.9402

On 12/29/2015 6:26 PM, Rich Z wrote:
> Exactly. By "case by case basis" that means you can wash your hands of any responsibility whatsoever for the products you sell and the customer has absolutely no recourse. So you CAN just tell me to go fly a kite if those motor mounts I get are defective in any way.
>
> I've rubbed elbows with enough attorneys to recognize that my accepting the order with that "disclaimer" basically neuters any rights I would have to satisfaction if the products prove defective in any way. Sorry, but I do not knowingly buy merchandise under that sort of handicap. If you want to continue with this order, you will need to send me an invoice WITHOUT that disclaimer attached to it. Otherwise I am legally bound (and I mean that in the strictest definition of the word) as accepting that merchandise "AS IS" as it states. Which, quite frankly, I have no intention of doing. I've had my fill of getting garbage from sellers over the years, so although you have a good reputation, mistakes happen, and I have to protect my own best interests.
>
> Sorry, but I buy from a lot of companies, and they do not engage in this sort of legal nonsense. This is raising red flags on the field in my opinion, so if that is your game, I'm not playing. You either stand behind what you sell, IN WRITING, or you do not.
>
> Rich Z.
>
> ps, sorry, I could not reply any sooner, as Comcast dropped off line right after I received this email from you.

On 12/30/2015 9:26 AM, Shipping@HinsonMotorsports.com wrote:
> Your order from Hinson Super Cars with order number 109446 has been refunded.

So that is that.

As for it being a "generic disclaimer", regardless, they are demanding that I confess to driving my car on the street with illegal modifications and accept no responsibility for the quality of what they are selling in order to do business with them, if that is the case. I decline that "honor". I will not do business with any company that uses such a "backdoor" disclaimer unless I specifically know IN ADVANCE to paying that this is the stipulation I have to agree to beforehand. There was no indication on their website about this prior to my placing the order, and actually directly contradicts what they state on their site concerning warranty. In my opinion, it is just bad form to state that you will warranty a product prior to the order being placed and then afterwards after having received payment for the order, make a disclaimer that states exactly the opposite.

 

[Cor66Vette]

Well, you got the order cancelled and money refunded.

Now, like you stated, it's off to "Plan B".

 

[Rich Z]

Heat shields are included with the Creative Steel mounts.



Policies

Warranty

Creative Steel stands behind its products; should there be a defect with one of our products, we offer a one year replacement parts warranty to the original purchaser on all 8.8 components and a life time warranty on all urethane parts. For all warranties customers must show proof of purchase, shipping is not included on warranty parts. It is at Creative Steel’s sole discretion to decide what is covered under warranty and what is not.

Yeah, this one looks like it's going to be my PLAN B. Thanks....

 

[Rich Z]

Got the Creative Steel engine mounts in yesterday. Even with the heat shields included, they were still substantially less expensive than the Hinson units.

 

[85vette]

They look very similar to the ones in my Caddy. I've had them for about 2 years now, probably 10-15 thousand miles and no issues. Of course I don't do burn-outs and power shift like you do.....

 

[Rich Z]

They look very similar to the ones in my Caddy. I've had them for about 2 years now, probably 10-15 thousand miles and no issues. Of course I don't do burn-outs and power shift like you do.....

LOL! No, not me. Matter of fact, I'm thinking that maybe I SHOULD drive that way a bit to see if that will really help seat in that clutch. Perhaps I've just been babying it way too much.