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      05-24-2018, 05:07 AM   #67
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QUOTE by Nezil

To be honest, I'm disappointed that so many people who aren't even customers of FabSpeed are giving their staff a hard time when they're being so transparent.

Just because I'm not a customer doesn't mean I can't have a opinion on how they handled the situation. Most of us that have commented we're trying to help Steve figure out what the problem was in the beginning of this post.
I would be pissed if I spent $1400 on a dp and couldn't get it to fit properly. When I make time to install parts I like to get it done the first time around. Most of us have kids and wives and free time is hard to come by. You don't mind spending a ton of money on a part and having to dedicate hours and hours of your time to install it and take it out and reinstall it but most people do.
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      05-24-2018, 09:18 AM   #68
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Hey guys,

We wanted to thank everyone for their feedback, whether it was kind or harsh words, it’s all valuable information that helps us become a better company.

You are all completely welcome to form your own opinion based on the matter, but the one thing I would like to refute is that it took push back from the community and users banding together in order to get action from us. We take our customer service very seriously. We know we are not impervious to mistakes, but we pride ourselves in actively working with our customers in order to fully solve their problems and ensure they are a satisfied their experience.

After we saw the initial issue posted, we contacted the customer before they had the chance to contact us. We never claimed there was no way the product was out of spec, we just said in our opinion it was not the best place to start in order to find the most likely issue. In our opinion, one defective product does not indicate a likely fault in the assembly process. We did not have any issues with the product before we changed the cone, and we continued to have no issues after we changed the cone. That aspect is not related to this incident, as the issue with the jig occurred independently and well after that change was made.

As soon as we saw the second case of this incident we shifted our entire stance as we now had more information. One issue is an isolated incident, two issues is a pattern. We identified the problem, admitted we are at fault, fixed the compromised jig, are actively reviewing our fabrication process to ensure this mistake does not reoccur, and are working with each individual customer to compensate them based on their circumstances. We do not discuss customer’s compensation publicly, whether it is a hypothetical situation or real; if they wish to do so, that is their prerogative.

Again, we want to thank everyone for their feedback throughout this incident. This was a valuable learning experience for us and we will take all of your feedback into account when dealing with similar situations in the future.

You are all entitled to form and share whatever opinion you decide. We just ask that everyone remain respectful, especially to each other and especially if you disagree with one another. At the end of the day, we are all just car enthusiasts trying to share our passion with like minded individuals.

Take care,

Phil
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      05-28-2018, 06:19 AM   #69
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Interesting read.. hope OP gets taken care of.

Things go wrong sometimes. The issue is not resolving them appropriately and in a timely manner.
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      05-28-2018, 10:49 AM   #70
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Chiming in since I just encountered the same issue with my sport cat downpipe. I even had a Fabspeed catless that came off the car to compare to. I was installing on jackstands in a garage and my end solution was a longer bolt ($1 at Lowes) and slowly tightening the brackets together like the OP (see pics). Fabspeed did a great job being responsive after I initially encountered the issue and worked with me on resolving. Although this isn't the route I wanted to go while installing an expensive item in a cramped position on the ground, the quality of the product is excellent.



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      05-28-2018, 10:47 PM   #71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by heimbo View Post
Chiming in since I just encountered the same issue with my sport cat downpipe.
So, going forward, assuming Fabspeed is resolving the install issues with the defective downpipes as they occur, are they actively "recalling" these before they are sold? Do they have some method to identify how many these are still out there prior to customers finding out during the install?
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      05-28-2018, 10:48 PM   #72
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All downpipes we have in stock are being sent out to Fabspeed to get fixed
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      05-28-2018, 10:52 PM   #73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
All downpipes we have in stock are being sent out to Fabspeed to get fixed
Cool, good to hear.
I work at a major tier 1 supplier and know how big a nightmare this is. Mistakes happen. How a company executes the recovery plan speaks volumes.
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      05-29-2018, 10:26 AM   #74
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Quote:
Originally Posted by abdiel View Post
So, going forward, assuming Fabspeed is resolving the install issues with the defective downpipes as they occur, are they actively "recalling" these before they are sold? Do they have some method to identify how many these are still out there prior to customers finding out during the install?
I ordered sport cat through my mechanic 4+ weeks ago. Arrived Monday of last week, but still waiting for a return call from Fabspeed Motorsport to find out if this is one effected. Not confident given the order/build time frame and really hoping this doesn't take another month+ until it is installed on my car.
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      05-29-2018, 11:21 AM   #75
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PNK View Post
I ordered sport cat through my mechanic 4+ weeks ago. Arrived Monday of last week, but still waiting for a return call from Fabspeed Motorsport to find out if this is one effected. Not confident given the order/build time frame and really hoping this doesn't take another month+ until it is installed on my car.
Look the pictures in this thread to see the differences in the downpipes. It's pretty apparent which is the new design vs old.
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      05-29-2018, 11:30 AM   #76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XutvJet View Post
Look the pictures in this thread to see the differences in the downpipes. It's pretty apparent which is the new design vs old.
It's not the new vs old design that caused the issue, it was damage to the jig after production started on the new design. If you have an old design, you're unaffected, if you have a new design, you might be affected, but only Fabspeed will know the answer to that.
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      05-29-2018, 01:19 PM   #77
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nezil View Post
It's not the new vs old design that caused the issue, it was damage to the jig after production started on the new design. If you have an old design, you're unaffected, if you have a new design, you might be affected, but only Fabspeed will know the answer to that.
Next time order from a shop that keeps it in stock
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      05-29-2018, 02:20 PM   #78
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Figured I'd give my perspective on this whole situation. My goal here was not to drag FS through the dirt, but to share my experience with this community. As I mentioned before, if it were not for this forum, I would not have purchased the FS Sport Cat - probably wouldn't even have known about it. So even though FS took a bit of a beating here, these forums also generate a lot of sales for them so I think seeing both sides is fair.

Overall, am I a satisfied customer? I'd say "meh, I guess".

I love the way the the Sport Cat performs and sounds. So that I am happy with.

The install process obviously sucked - there's no way around that. I value my time, and don't like wasting it - the first install attempt was a waste of my time. The second was alright, once I knew that I would have to find a way to make it work going into it and was smart enough to pay to rent a lift.

The way FabSpeed handled it - I'll give them an 8/10. Their customer support specialist can be a little difficult to get a hold of. I played a lot of phone tag with him. I will say that every time I did talk to them, they were nice, courteous and seemed to genuinely want to help. I was pretty sure (even in my first post) that I got a bad part. The response from FS was to try again - line up the pipes and try to make the bracket fit. This is where I should have just asked to exchange - If I trusted my own instincts, insisted that there was something wrong and asked for an exchange/repair I'm sure FS would have let me return it.

After I got it installed, I was mostly satisfied - not exactly ecstatic - but it was on and everything seemed to be working fine. I was a little nervous about the bent bracket, but I think it will be fine.

Once FS realized that there was an actual issue with their part they offered to repair the DP (and pay for shipping) but that would involve swapping the DP two more times - putting the factory one back on again and shipping the Sport Cat back, then putting the repaired Sport Cat on a final time - this would total 4 DP swaps. For me, the time and cost associated with this just was not worth it so I'll just deal with the bent bracket. I think FabSpeed's issue resolution is fair. Sometimes shit happens, they eventually found the issue and offered to fix it.

I will add that this M235 is my baby. It's the first car that I bought, let alone my first BMW. I treat it very well. I bought the FabSpeed Sport Cat because I only wanted to mod my car with parts of the highest quality. For knowingly paying a premium, I expected better - but at the same time feel like I got a little dose of reality. Sometimes parts don't fit, and things don't work - any modification is a risk. I will definitely be more hesitant to modify my car from now on. Even "simple bolt on's" can cost you a lot of time and hassle.

I am happy that this thread led to a realization of the issue and consequent fix. So hopefully no one else will have endure the frustration of being stuck under their car trying to figure out what the hell is going on. In my mind, that's a positive outcome so I'll chalk this up to a win for the forum.
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      06-16-2018, 06:51 PM   #79
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Steve, just be aware that by forcing the clamp to fit you have potentially put extra stress on your turbo housing/manifold and gaskets. Their warranty might cover their own product breaking, but good luck getting them to cover labour on re and re of turbo gaskets, manifold, turbine housing etc should issues develop down the road.
Personally I would just bite the bullet and replace it with one that is built properly.
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      05-15-2019, 12:50 PM   #80
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Sorry to bring this up from the dead, but have all issues been resolved? Debating between this one and a few of their competitors but reading 4 pages on how FS handled this entire thing is not too confidence inducing. Are new sport cats free of these issues? Thanks
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      05-15-2019, 01:51 PM   #81
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https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1546935

Never mind. Mind made up more easily than i thought.

Thread on M2 board: guy throws a cel on a FS Catted DP that is still in warranty. You can imagine what happens next and the actions taken by FS. So much for paying premium for a product that is advertised as "Guaranteed No CEL".
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      05-15-2019, 02:46 PM   #82
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Quote:
Originally Posted by O Haiii View Post
https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1546935

Never mind. Mind made up more easily than i thought.

Thread on M2 board: guy throws a cel on a FS Catted DP that is still in warranty. You can imagine what happens next and the actions taken by FS. So much for paying premium for a product that is advertised as "Guaranteed No CEL".
Get the HJS Euro 6 downpipe. It not much more and of a much quality and better HJS cats to boot and nearly the same flow. No CELs and OEM build quality and looks as well.
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      05-16-2019, 09:11 PM   #83
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If you're going to make your buying decisions based solely on a few bad online reviews, I'm surprised you've ever bought anything. Plenty of great reviews out there as well. I love mine.
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      05-30-2019, 12:37 AM   #84
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Figured I’d update this to share the (late) resolution. I kept the sport cat with the bent bracket on for about a year. I recently had to remove it for some warranty work. Called up FabSpeed, told them I had the sport cat off of my car and asked if they’d still be willing to repair it since it’s still under the 2 year warranty. They said if I shipped it back to them they’d repair it and ship it back to me. So FabSpeed is honoring their offer to repair the Sport Cat a year later and cover the shipping. The package goes out tomorrow so hopefully that’s the end of this saga.

Last edited by stevemg9; 05-30-2019 at 12:33 PM.. Reason: FabSpeed Covering Shipping
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