Total Automotive Performance - Review

Where to start?

I had been looking to upgrade my suspension for some time, and had been in contact with several vendors and manufactures both in Canada and the US. Located in Nova Scotia, the local options are limited. The freight costs to ship a complete system would keep me in the lower to middle end budget types. But wait, by chance I caught a Tacoma World post on a Icon Vehicle Dynamics group buy sponsored by Total Automotive Performance. The best part, I got in on the last day.

Based on the pricing offered, it worked out to around 30% off. That brings one the most expensive suspension options down to the price of the lower end kits.

With my order placed on 31 October, all that was left was to wait for the shipment. Due to shipping cost, I used a shipping address listed in Maine, which would allow me to get the free shipping offered for the continental USA. This left me with a roughly a 900 kilometre (560 miles) round trip, which I was hoping to do before we got into winter.

December 3rd; a month and a half later; the kit made it to Maine. There was some snow on the ground, but nothing too severe. Time-wise I fared better than most, as orders were still being completed well into January. This is of course based on the posts of those in the thread.

The other great thing about this TAP group buy, was the raffle. But rather than keep track of who had placed orders, they left it up to the buyer to PM, or email them your Tacoma World username and order number. That's a bit screwed up. Shouldn't they have been keeping track of who ordered?

They were also under pressure to provide a freebee bonus item along with the orders, as others had done with some of the Black Friday group buys. They agreed. And for those who's orders had shipped, they would send it along by USPS. This never happened. In fact it was brought up several times, with the posts being ignored, or the poster being reminded how great of a deal they got. It was a great deal, but that doesn't excuse a vendor promising something and pretending it didn't happen.

So now we make it to the day of the big raffle. Their random number draw was great... I won twice! That wasn't supposed to happen. So to correct their mistake, I got the first prize my name was drawn for; 3rd. Which was fine, I had no real interest in the other two. For 3rd place I won a Icon tow strap, and bag, plus Icon T-shirt and hat.

One month later, and still no prize. Seemed odd. So I sent a PM to Chas of MRT the TAP rep who started the group buy thread. No reply. I gave it some time and seen he was online. Another PM was sent. Still no reply. We all know how the PM system works on here. It's hard to say you didn't get it, or missed it, as the PM notifacation window pops up to say you have mail. That's fine, I thought I better try the other rep TotalAutoParts. I got a PM quickly, and was told that they didn't have an Icon strap, but would send a Smittybuilt strap and Icon bag. I got another PM about 5 hours later saying that my prize was sent, but returned at some point due improper paperwork, and would be resent. I would like to think that a business would inform a customer before shipping items that a substitution had to take place, not after the fact. I also think that when holding prize draws, they should already have the prize they claim to have. Also odd how it was resent the day after I started to PM about this.

My shipment from TAP arrived today, contents of the box: 1 Smittybuilt tow strap and an Icon bag, not the Icon bag from the picture; so maybe vendors in certain situations, should be using real photos like the Tacoma World buy and sell section to prove they have the items in question, instead of being allowed to use stock photos. What wasn't in the box? No promised Icon T-shirt and hat.

How do I rate the price I paid for my Icon suspension system... great. How do I rate TAP... poor, and found wanting. Vendors on Tacoma World have always been held to a high standard. TAP fails this litmus test.

Would I buy from them again? No.

Would I suggest them as a vendor to others? No.

 

[FONT=&quot]Hello Highland Logan,[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]There is no doubt, and you are correct, that the raffle did not work out as planned. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]We apologize to everyone that was involved for not doing a better job.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]We are always striving to improve ourselves and appreciate feedback from members [/FONT][FONT=&quot]like yourself. We like to think that customer service and support is one of the ways that [/FONT][FONT=&quot]we differentiate ourselves. Communication with customers and members is important [/FONT][FONT=&quot]and we make every effort to provide options beyond the just the forum available.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]If given the opportunity to earn your business in the future, I am confident you will have [/FONT][FONT=&quot]a much better experience.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thank you from all of us at Total Automotive performance.[/FONT]

 

Who the hell cares about a raffle? Not like you bought tickets. Ungrateful mofos around here, you got a good price on your stuff right??

I've bought Rigid's from TAP with no issues and EXCEPTIONAL pricing and customer service. People like you are why vendors choose not to do group buys - run the risk of tarnishing their names over something that was supposed to be a "bonus." GB's are difficult for all of these vendors to handle whether it be distributors not able to support the unusual demand or small staffs being over-saturated with the amount of customers and communication across multiple platforms playing middle man. (PMs, Emails, Phone calls,online orders etc.)

All for a smaller profit because they pass on some of their margin to give you a better deal, and whiny customers who received the correct product but the freebie didn't match the picture? it's like Russian roulette for small vendors and I don't blame most for not wanting to run GB's.

 

Please god tell me you are trolling us!? TAP has sold me multiple Rigid deals cheaper than any place would even entertain...then hooked me up with my weathertechs for my Audi to boot. There was a minor hickup with that order, but they took care of me as it was extremely understandable. You may not know what it is like to have anshit ton of PMs, but I know what it is like to have 5ish a day from retards like you asking what size tire will fit on stock suspention.....I could only imagine what their PMs look like. Enjoy your suspension that you are robbing your country on taxes to ship to Maine to obtain. This is 'Merica and we don't owe you shit..dont ya know?

 

Finds a place willing to sell to Canadian and ship to BFE Maine, and wants to bitch about customer service

 

This ^^

People and PM's on this site are ridiculous. At one point I was averaging 40 pm's a day. That doesn't include the dozen or so duplicate or triplicate from the same people asking if I got their PM. As you may not be able to imagine, trying to keep up with all of that is very difficult and may not happen that same day. In the two years I have been selling here I have had over 18k messages come through my inbox.

Let alone you complaining about something extra(free) they're giving you, give them a fair chance to get back to you and make it right.

 

Just so we're all clear.

If a company says everyone gets a bonus item with your sale, they don't have to provide one? When a company says we have the following items as raffle items, they don't really have to provide them?

Sure the price was right, so what. I'm talking about business ethics. You don't like the review because you got everything you were promised, good for you... golf claps all around. I suppose if they neglected to ship everything they said you would get, you would still be 100% happy?

I posted this because what what stated for the group buy did not happen in full.

You have a good review for them post it somewhere else.

 

It's the point... You made a post which has the intent to totally slander someone who does business primarily on this website, and maybe a few others over a free product. These guys cater to Toyotas and a few other vehicles and that's it... They're not fucking Walmart, and they're not McDonald's, don'tcha know ey ? You were told you'd get basically get an equivalent product in a different bag because there were no more left, sounds like you got "the equivalent product in a different bag" and still want to bitch..... But hey, we get it, it was your purchase, your deal.... Slander away

 

Here is the deal, I was in on that group as well and it was full of broken promises. And then it was locked after people did not have all there stuff they were told they would get.

It started when TAP said this was their last groupbuy of the year and would be there best prices. All the vendors on here have several deals on icon stuff and this one was no different. However icon was trying to stand out and ADDED the raffle. TAP also specifically stated they had issues with their last group buy but they were prepared for this one.

They were not prepared at all. There were significant shipping delays. Things didn't ship as promised. Probably Icons fault but TAP hyped it up saying they were "Prepared"

So now you have pissed off people with no product. How does TAP handle this? They move to the deal section and start another special on Icon that is an even better deal on the price, and includes a free spanner wrench. (Just a spanner I know but like me I am sure most of us paid for one with our order)

So now we have a bunch of people with no stuff and the same company is selling the product for cheaper.

TAP in a last ditch effort apologizes and says they will include a bonus item to encourage people to keep their orders and not cancel.

Then they never have the raffle, people complain they say we will have it "this weekend" and it will be done on video. It never happend that weekend, I think like a week later they just post results, no video, and the OP is on there twice. TAP doesn't even notice. They then fix it after people call them on it.

I'm confident they never would have sent the OPs raffle item if he never said anything.

I didn't cancel and go for the better price because TAP said they were going send something extra, the bonus, for the trouble. I thought they were making it right.

Never got that bonus item.....

My icon suspension is great, I got a FAIR price, and I say fair because TAP and others sold them cheaper while I waited for my order to ship.

I liked how they pulled the whole print a shipping label and give you tracking but the order didn't ship until a week later.

TAP has great prices and probably good service. They just completely F'd up that groupbuy and jerked around their customers in the process with broken promises. I can and will find other places to buy from at the same price that won't take my money and have a major shipping delay while back dooring me while they sell it to the next guy for cheaper.

Not how you treat some one when they are spending around 2000 dollars on a order.

 

Slander is stating false claims, I'm not making false claims.

As to butthurt. Seems others have more butthurt than I do.

I made my review, they gave an apologize. I stand by my review.

 

This thread will probably get deleted, just like the Thegenerik1 thread earlier.

 

I got good service from chas and if you have an issue you can always go on Facebook and ask about it.

 

Appears we won't have to worry about TAP anymore.

 

First experience with TAP was positive buying some Rigid lights. They stood by their price and the light was delivered without issue.

Second experience with TAP I got a price quote on some husky mats. Two days later I was ready to buy but the price jumped $60. I have little respect for a business unwilling to stand by their quote.

Would I buy again? Maybe, but tt would need to be one heck of a deal that is executed flawlessly.

 

They are gone from this forum.

 

Hahaha I was wondering why they still hadn't gotten back to me about my rear icon shocks that I asked for a price quote months ago. Whatever I ordered em' elsewhere anyway.

 

Yeah I had a good experience with Chas but oh well you can't screw over your customers.

 

TAP Auto and MRT Motorsports ran by the same guys promised raffle items for last years SocalTacomas meet. We agreed to terms, took their logo and put it on our event shirts. Event day came and they were a no call/no show. Wasn't until days later after a few calls/emails/pm's that Chas stated that he broke down and couldn't make it. Both parties have been placed on our vendor blacklist. Just because a vendor sells items cheaper than others doesn't make them a good vendor. I will pay more any day to support long standing vendors on this site. In other words, if you buy Icons/Kings/Fox for cheap through a random group buy on here and call/email Downsouth Motorsports about valving recommendations why don't you just throw DSM a bone and buy it from them to begin with? Support the vendors that support the community.