majic
02-12-2007, 10:59 PM
Here’s my story, if you want to read the abridged version, just scroll to the bottom of this post. So in Nov of 2004 I bought my car. The first mod I wanted to do was HIDs. I researched and researched and I guess I didn’t research enough. But at the time I was not willing to drop ~600 or so for a Phillips kit which now come to think of it I probably should have done. At that time (March 2005) the HID market was still slow with a few shady sellers here and there and only 1-3yr warranties. Here comes Xtec. I followed M3F and for some reason I didn’t trust M3-GT (Olivier). I had NO PREVIOUS dealings with him but just how he approached things on the forums. I was on the fence about Umnitza (Matt) and his sales tactics but other forums (bimmer forums) seemed to have almost NOTHING but praise for him (maybe it was the better market where people would actually spend $1K on a CF intake or some ridiculousness). Anyway, a good friend of mine recommended Umnitza to me and I decided to get my HID kit from him. In no way I blame my friend ;) I guess call it poor judgment on my part, it was like choosing the lesser of two evils when it came down to Olivier and Matt b/c there was SO MUCH bickering going on M3F it was quite confusing for the customer (me) especially that they were both touting the lifetime warranty on the product (a KEY selling point for me at the time)
The shadiness started with the destination shipping address. My dad was coming over for Easter so I wanted matt to send the kit to my dad in the USA. I was getting emails like “oooh the shipping guy messed it up, no worries I’ll take care of it :)” It was getting annoying but what could I do? I forked the $ over already :( .. so 2 days before my dad was to leave USA the kit hadn’t arrived yet! Matt said he sent it overnight or next day or whatever, I have all the emails just too lazy to dig them up now. Well what do you know? It showed up at MY HOUSE in Canada. No duties thankfully but nonetheless a big WTF?
The kit wasn’t shrink wrapped but I didn’t make much of it b/c I didn’t see other kits. Until there was a thread how the base of the bulb wasn’t fitting right and how it was metal. Ummmm, mine was plastic. This is when I really started to get worried. I got in touch with Jim from Apexcone (NA distributor of xtec kits) and asked his advice. Supposedly (and I say that b/c at the time I had no clue who to believe) Jim supplied Olivier and Matt with the Xtec kits but the relationship with Matt soured and he was no longer getting the supply from Jim.
Jim told me that the bulbs were NOT Xtec bulbs and that I should get my $ back from Matt and get a proper Xtec kit. When I confronted Matt all he said was “oh my guy must have messed up and he shipped you the Xtec ballasts and Prolumen bulbs” to which Jim replied (to me) that those bulbs weren’t even Prolumens but some cheap Chinese knockoffs. I was torn. Having shelled out a hefty sum on an Xtec kit that wasn’t I wanted the bulbs replaced to which Matt replied that I’d have to send the stuff back and he’d send me replacements. Since I already had installed the kit and I really liked the colour (oh another thing, I requested 5000K and in the end I THINK I got 6000K but b/c I liked the output – white with a purple tinge – I kept it) I chalked it up and left it alone.
Through the various email conversations, I was obviously upset and started questioning if I’d ever get the kit warrantied *knock on wood* that something should happen. Jim assured me that he would honour the warranty on the Xtec ballasts but I was SOL on the bulbs.
Fast forward to today.. or a few months back. One of my ballasts failed. When I started diagnosing, the other one died. Time to RMA this shit. I emailed Matt, his response “we don’t deal and haven’t dealt with Xtec for over 2.5 years” BULLSHIT it was about 1.5yrs since I bought them when I got in touch with him early December. He told me to deal with the manufacturer directly. So I figured, hey Jim can help me out right? Yes and no, I sent the ballasts to apexcone (since Xtec is gone now, they make redesigned Xtec ballasts under the apexcone brand – apparently better or whatever). They were nice enough to ‘take care of me’ after Matt rejected me. Oh I forgot the kicker, Matt said he’d sell me some ballasts at his cost for $80.. AHAHAHAHAH.. that is EXACTLY what apexcone told me he would try on me!!!
Anyway.. a few weeks later the ballasts arrive at apexcone and GUESS WHAT, the SERIAL NUMBERS do not match anything Jim sold to Matt, EVER. SO what does this mean?
Apexcone has my ballasts and they want $20 to send them back to me
The ballasts don’t match anything Jim sold to Matt
Matt either sold me COMPLETE fakes or he sold me product he got from someone else (distributor outside of NA) – I think the former
So, now my plea to you guys.. how can I fight this mofo in the USA? Do I have any rights when it comes to doing business with a US based business? Umnitza is not listed in the BBB but has had 1 complaint against him http://www.goldengatebbb.org/commonreport.html?bid=75038 . If anyone can help, please let me know.
Whatever you do, STAY AWAY FROM UMNITZA!!!
Thanks for listening and I am looking to see what you guys have to say.
The shadiness started with the destination shipping address. My dad was coming over for Easter so I wanted matt to send the kit to my dad in the USA. I was getting emails like “oooh the shipping guy messed it up, no worries I’ll take care of it :)” It was getting annoying but what could I do? I forked the $ over already :( .. so 2 days before my dad was to leave USA the kit hadn’t arrived yet! Matt said he sent it overnight or next day or whatever, I have all the emails just too lazy to dig them up now. Well what do you know? It showed up at MY HOUSE in Canada. No duties thankfully but nonetheless a big WTF?
The kit wasn’t shrink wrapped but I didn’t make much of it b/c I didn’t see other kits. Until there was a thread how the base of the bulb wasn’t fitting right and how it was metal. Ummmm, mine was plastic. This is when I really started to get worried. I got in touch with Jim from Apexcone (NA distributor of xtec kits) and asked his advice. Supposedly (and I say that b/c at the time I had no clue who to believe) Jim supplied Olivier and Matt with the Xtec kits but the relationship with Matt soured and he was no longer getting the supply from Jim.
Jim told me that the bulbs were NOT Xtec bulbs and that I should get my $ back from Matt and get a proper Xtec kit. When I confronted Matt all he said was “oh my guy must have messed up and he shipped you the Xtec ballasts and Prolumen bulbs” to which Jim replied (to me) that those bulbs weren’t even Prolumens but some cheap Chinese knockoffs. I was torn. Having shelled out a hefty sum on an Xtec kit that wasn’t I wanted the bulbs replaced to which Matt replied that I’d have to send the stuff back and he’d send me replacements. Since I already had installed the kit and I really liked the colour (oh another thing, I requested 5000K and in the end I THINK I got 6000K but b/c I liked the output – white with a purple tinge – I kept it) I chalked it up and left it alone.
Through the various email conversations, I was obviously upset and started questioning if I’d ever get the kit warrantied *knock on wood* that something should happen. Jim assured me that he would honour the warranty on the Xtec ballasts but I was SOL on the bulbs.
Fast forward to today.. or a few months back. One of my ballasts failed. When I started diagnosing, the other one died. Time to RMA this shit. I emailed Matt, his response “we don’t deal and haven’t dealt with Xtec for over 2.5 years” BULLSHIT it was about 1.5yrs since I bought them when I got in touch with him early December. He told me to deal with the manufacturer directly. So I figured, hey Jim can help me out right? Yes and no, I sent the ballasts to apexcone (since Xtec is gone now, they make redesigned Xtec ballasts under the apexcone brand – apparently better or whatever). They were nice enough to ‘take care of me’ after Matt rejected me. Oh I forgot the kicker, Matt said he’d sell me some ballasts at his cost for $80.. AHAHAHAHAH.. that is EXACTLY what apexcone told me he would try on me!!!
Anyway.. a few weeks later the ballasts arrive at apexcone and GUESS WHAT, the SERIAL NUMBERS do not match anything Jim sold to Matt, EVER. SO what does this mean?
Apexcone has my ballasts and they want $20 to send them back to me
The ballasts don’t match anything Jim sold to Matt
Matt either sold me COMPLETE fakes or he sold me product he got from someone else (distributor outside of NA) – I think the former
So, now my plea to you guys.. how can I fight this mofo in the USA? Do I have any rights when it comes to doing business with a US based business? Umnitza is not listed in the BBB but has had 1 complaint against him http://www.goldengatebbb.org/commonreport.html?bid=75038 . If anyone can help, please let me know.
Whatever you do, STAY AWAY FROM UMNITZA!!!
Thanks for listening and I am looking to see what you guys have to say.