ModBargains.com Experience
This post outlines my e-mail exchange with Mike Brown, CEO of ModBargains.com after my unpleasant experience with a product I bought from them. This is the first time I have bought anything from this online store. From the moment I expressed my disappointment to the last e-mail that ends the chain. Note that I did not edit one word from all the e-mails. I will leave it to my readers on how they would interpret the conversation.
April 14 1:33PM (e-mail from me)
Mike
I just finished installing the mod and I must admit I am dissatisfied with this product (http://www.modbargains.com/product.aspx?pf_id=blackout_CF_grills_E90_PR).
the kidney grills themselves are fine, it’s the strip that you torx screw on the hood itself is the problem (i have an E90). the screws are too tight for it, and as I was screwing in one strip…snap! loose thread…so now i cannot tighten NOR loosen the screws. it doesn’t flush evenly on the hood (a little play). now i cannot scew on tightly on the other one for fear of the same thing to happen.
come to think of it. I’m upset about this considering what i paid for. this is twice the price than some similar mods found on eBay. i expected better quality than this since you seem to have a good rep with e90post.
I’ll live with this for the time being. I’m probably gonna end up putting back the OEM grills when i’m not so upset anymore.
dexter
April 17 7:48PM (another e-mail from me)
wow. real classy.
i guess this is company policy eh? “if the customer complains, ignore his communication until he just goes away. i mean, what’s the worst he could do? post it in his blog?”
April 17 11:06PM (e-mail from Mike Brown)
Is there anything you need me to do?
April 17 11:20PM (e-mail from me)
i think you should go back to the drawing board on this product for the reason(s) i just mentioned (screws too tight, overall flimsiness).
but i just got a better idea: why don’t you do a survey on forums you sponsor if the screws are too tight? if the majority is in your favor then i would accept that i probably got a fluke. i would like to say “if the majority is in your favor then i would accept that i am probably a moron” but it wouldn’t make sense because all you really need to do with it is screw it in…any moron can do that.
April 17 11:25PM (e-mail from Mike Brown)
We don’t actually manufacture the product we just distribute it. I appreciate your feedback, the next time I meet with the manufacturer I will bring this up and see if it is something they have heard about.
April 17 11:31PM (e-mail from me)
why don’t you just do the survey? are you afraid to find out that i’m right?
you know what? do what you have to do. i have the feeling i’m not going to win this one, anyway. i just felt it had to be brought up.
April 17 11:37PM (e-mail from Mike Brown)
Hey Dexter,
We’ve sold countless sets of these and it’s the first time I’ve heard of any problems with the screws. Generally, if I don’t hear from the customer of any problems with the order, that means the product is good. Never in the history of our company have I done a survey on the forums about whether a product is bad or not. It just is not good for the image of our company. However, I have definitely REMOVED products from our website because of multiple returns or the same problem continuously happening. So if I see this come up again, I will be sure to take care of it. If you are still unsatisfied, I can file a warranty claim with the manufacturer to see if they will cover this for you.
We’re here to help. We’ve built a reputation on customer service and quality products. I’m sorry I did not get back to your e-mail right away. I get around 300 per day, plus countless phone calls, and I still process some of our orders myself. We need to hire more people. I’m not about making excuses, I couldn’t have built this company to this level if I made excuses. I am just explaining the situation to you so you do not feel that you were ignored.
April 18 8:16AM (e-mail from me, last e-mail of the conversation)
you asked me what I want you to do. i tell you what i want you to do, and then you give this self-righteous speech on me? give me a break.
furthermore, i asked you to do a survey to ask the forums if THE SCREWS ARE TOO TIGHT. i did not ask you to survey if the product is bad or not. and even if i did, why wouldn’t that be good for your company? companies do surveys and focus groups all the time to know if their product is good. i do not follow your reasoning here.
like you said: customers not sending complaint does is a GENERAL indicator, not a fool-proof indicator. consider this product: screws are too tight. honestly, if i was able to screw those in without having a loose thread, you won’t receive an e-mail bitching about this product–see what i’m getting at? i am ALMOST certain this is what happened to the other customers; they MAY have thought that the screws are too tight, screwed it in brute force and it was fine and of course they move on because there’s slim chance they would have to deal with it again. but we won’t find out FOR SURE, now, will we? because you don’t want to do the survey.
you say you’re not about making excuses. in the last paragraph of your e-mail, you just did. “explaining the situation to you so you do not feel thatyou were ignored” IS making an excuse. pssshh.
you offered a warranty claim (not even a replacement, what’s up with that? i digress…). if you brought this up before your speech, i would have taken it and tell my future grandkids 25 years from now about how good a person you are. but this e-mail exchange at this point has left a bad taste in my mouth; i’m not taking up any offers anymore.
yeah, i know, this is pretty much a stale mate. but i have the satisfaction that you just lost a customer. that’s enough for me.
Popularity: 8% [?]
May 3rd, 2007 06:45
His responses to you are fine. It appears that it is you who are being a pain in the ass.
Reasoning with someone is far better than just coming across as mr angry.
May 3rd, 2007 20:30
Zorba:
me being difficult and angry? you are absolutely right. i paid a good amount of moolah for a defective product!
i did realize that asking for the survey was a stretch. however, he could have just said:
“nah…what you got is probably a fluke; the rest of customers who ordered said it was awesome. would you want an exchange instead?”
but, no…instead i get a condescending e-mail.
i would give him credit for the use of proper grammar and punctuation in his e-mails, though.
June 13th, 2008 11:21
You’re an idiot. Your post actually makes me feel more comfortable using Modbargains. You need to grow up and get over your little screws.
June 13th, 2008 21:16
Bretzky:
I think my point on the matter is ModBargains is one of those shop who are “nice” when they are trying to sell you their products; once you point out to them that the product is defective, then their true colors really shows.
Remember that I RECEIVED A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT; Sure, I could have been a little more civil when I dealt with them…but I was upset. I paid a lot of money for that accessory, after all.
The store owner could have been more responsive and gave a better handling of the experience! I did NOT even get an offer to RETURN the product! What does THAT tell you?
Am I alone on this. Of course, not. Google “modbargains complaint” and you’ll see that the way modbargains’ customer service handle complaints on a defective product is in line with my experience.
ModBargains was very smart to sponsor a lot of BMW forums. they have positioned themselves so that a forum member needs to think twice about posting a complaint thread without thinking of the risk to be viewed as the “bad guy”…because there is this thinking that “how can this company be such a jerk when the SPONSOR a lot of forums?”
You must be really proud of your post. how about using your real name next time you post an immature comment? coward.