AutoGeek Rant - Questionable Business Ethics

[a.k.a. Patrick]

I'm one of those newbies who ordered everything from AG; 5 orders over the past month

Now theres a wet dream if your a reseller...........

 

[jopa489]

Sounds like a lame situation overall. Just take your business elsewhere and move on. It's difficult to give up years of loyalty, especially when it was a (presumably) strong relationship for a long period of time. I've been ordering with DI and occasionally DD for quite a while now, and have nothing but positive remarks about each. They're both top notch.

 

[armstrongdetail]

Well I contemplated responding to this thread and against my better judgement here it goes...



The guys at Autogeek are great guys and they work very hard at being industry leaders. The hard work is in making happy customers not bashing other competitiors. Being a forum owner and around this industry for a few years now I see tactics used by one company to make another company look bad. Most of the time it is simply a well founded suspicion

 

[spamlova]

I know I don't have a lot of rep on here but I want to share one person's opinion. I would normally stay out of a beef like this but since I have had bad experiences and poor customer service from AG in the past i'll chime in.



I honestly think that if AG looses a handful of accounts and customers in these types of situations they really don't care. They are tyring to be the "WalMart" of detailing products and are really marketing to the mass population. They spend more time directing their business to the weekend detailer than to the seasoned Autopian. This is why I was initially drawn to their website years ago.... they had great tutorials for beginners, a HUGE selection of products with instructions on how to use them and a seemingly "friendly and welcoming" forum for newbies.



Do I agree that this is how you run a business? No. Do I think they're willing to "sell out" some of their respected accounts to sell to middle america? Yes.

 

[WAS]

BTW, I have to say that my experience with Top of the Line has been AWESOME. Unfortunately, due to them being in the USA, there are some things I can't order from them (simply because shipping makes it rediculous). eShine Canada has also been an excellent supplier for me, I just started using them after I found them to have products that I was looking to get from Top of the Line but couldn't due to shipping.

 

[Junebug]

The thing about Wal Mart is that they would not do business the way AG did to David. But, they don't need a "forum" full of shills either.

 

[Mikeyc]

The thing about Wal Mart is that they would not do business the way AG did to David. But, they don't need a "forum" full of shills either.

You think way too highly of Wal-Mart. They're in the news all the time for questionable business practices.

 

[Junebug]

Wal mart is tthe country's largest private employer, it's bound to get a few panties in a wad. The biggest bunch of haters are unions - and they've done such a wonderful job bringing down every company they infect. Thank God I live in the South in a right to work state! Sorry you're up in Taxachusetts, but at least ya'll replaced that friggin scum bag Ted.

 

[WAS]

You think way too highly of Wal-Mart. They're in the news all the time for questionable business practices.

Go watch the movie Food Inc. Wal-Mart actually gets praised in the movie. Believe it or not, the senior management team at Wal-Mart knows business and they know what they're doing. Do they sometimes commit questionable business practices ? Probably. Do you expect it to a certain degree, with them being the mega-corporation they are ? I know I do. I know I can save $$$ by buying as much as I can from Wal-Mart, doesn't mean I'm going to. That's why I choose to deal with smaller companies, like TOTL, eShine and others. However, when you see a company like AG doing what they do, then I might as well head to my local Wal-Mart, what's the difference at that point.



That said, there are still a lot of good companies out there, who put customer service first. I will continue to do business with those companies.

 

[paco]

WAL-MART isn't an angel either. However, this is more about personal relationshis and how Autogeek treated a good customer simply for asking a question and how it was handled.



As for Walmart, Low Prices as nice as they are greatly affecting society. Good paying jobs become low paying jobs. $$$$ just goes into the major corporation and ends up into 1 or 2 major owners vs. going into hundreds-thousands of smallers private shops. I personally feel all big box stores should be banned and allow small-medium sized businesses to strive again.

 

[2010V8Colorado]

Now theres a wet dream if your a reseller...........

Sorry to disappoint you, but it's all for personal use!!

 

[David Fermani]

As far as the incident between David and Autogeek, I think it is a shame that they wouldn't at least get with David and see if there was a resolution to the issue before it got this far. Unfortuntely, on most sponsored forums, this is the norm and not the exception. That's what I've always liked about Autopia. The moderators tend to let people hash issues out and only resort to locking threads or bans as a last resort.

You’re totally right Scott. This whole controversy could have been avoided completely but because incompetent management is in place and is allowed to delegate their authority incorrectly; they failed. It would have been totally different if Meghan had the proper product knowledge in the 1st place and didn’t delete my post and ban me because of it. Now they have mud on their faces because they chose to push away from the problem instead of confronting it. We’ve all witnessed countless threads where an unhappy AutoGeek customer complains and all the Geeks go running in to put out the fire. That failed this time. I wonder why?

But in the end, it's just a web forum. That's it - it isn't a democracy, it's a privately run business venture. If they want to ban you for that, so be it. If they want to ban you because your name is David, so be it. If they want to ban you because you're black, then so be it (as long as they don't say it out loud, lol).



Shifty business for sure, but not much you can do.

You’re right also. It’s their forum and they run it the way they want. This thread is to expose them so people don’t have to waste their time trying to figure it out.

Well David, didn't I tell you that their "forum" was full of shills and wannabees. I was through when they started the "XXXXX" when I posted something about Blackfire. The only house brand worth a crap is Souveran - and Terry from CMA invented that. The rest of their stuff is rebadged, overpriced and just average or below. Don't sweat it man, like somebody said, after the noobs find Autopia or TID - they will avoid the geek like the clap.

Yeah Jimmy, you’ve been warning me about the Geek for a long time. I’m sorry I had to learn the hard way. It’s just a shame that a company that so many people (including me) looked up to had to turn their backs on a customer after they screwed up so publicly.

as my old boss's son would say, "that ain't right". they start a thread and show a picture of you when you visit AG, and you've been a good customer for years, and there isn't any resolution/chance to this before you get banned?. that's like a slap in the face. david.. i do appreciate your honesty and your input, you are valuable source to the detailing community. it's someone else's loss, not yours...

Thanks BigAl! That’s what I’m saying. You should have never bumped that thread over there to begin with. Right after you did, people mentioned that I was banned and they immediately deleted it.

Instead of taking the time to assess the issue and amend any problems, AG probably lost more respect and potential consumers in the process of ignoring this event. Unfortunate for them.



Dave, we've never met nor talked, but I've seen your work and help throughout these forums countless times - a very commendable thing to do.



Good luck to you,

Thanks for the kind words SilverJag. I take pride in my experience, background and ability to share the truth. Somehow, others feel that’s a detriment to them.

As a business owner myself, what would hurt the most is a cut at the Achilles. Just dont buy from them, stop recommending them, and stop visiting their forum? Move on..........I had a situation with Menzerna USA probably 5 years ago (I wont get into the detail), which really upset me as well. I refuse to even use their products (even if there offered for free), nor will I recommend them, nor would I ever sell them. I moved on, no biggy......

Right Patrick. I’ve cut off all chances of ever doing business with them again. I hope others can read this and do the same. I’ve e-mailed every customer and forum member that I’ve ever recommended to them and linked this thread to them. The amount of private responses echoing the responses on this thread are staggering.

Wow.....and I was upset about being banned for saying "queer" on here! I'm sorry to hear of your troubles......and glad you are opneing the eyes to everyone on here of the integrity adne thics of the pther party involved. Looks like I won't be buying anything from them anymore (seriously....I don't like giving money to people like this). DetailedImage will be getting ALL of my business from now on!

Yup. Spread the word wherever you can.

DI is great, Greg is a great guy to deal with and if i email him i get a response back pretty quick. There are also many other reputable retailers out there also that work the same way, no realy shortage of them in the detailing sector as i know many reputable ones.

I’d be willing to bet that all the other retailer’s business has increased after this scandalous thread. It’s hard to recapture lost customers with such an epic fail. What’s the old saying about an unhappy customer….?

Dave - it's a business. I never trusted them after Detail Fest 08 (major photoshop on their show cars) and it looks like their overall business ethics caught up with them. I've bought pretty much everything in the last year from DI or CMA anyways, and I've been 100% satisfied.

Heck, you go to school right across the street from their store in Boca and bought tons of stuff throughout the years. Imagine what’s going to happen when you tell all your car club friends about this! Oh, and speaking of Photoshop; remember all the swirls and rids in that Gray 300C @ Detail Fest 2 years ago? :grinno:

Wow, unreal.



They will never get another dime out of me. I cannot believe Mike would ignore you like that though.



Could never stand AG either. Seems there board is filled with a bunch of members who post a bunch of off topic garbage. A lot of shills over there as well and a lot of bashing of products they do not carry.



If I were you i would try and give them another call. You did not do aything wrong, I kept an eye on that htread closely.

Thanks, but no thanks. 2 PM’s and a phone call are plenty in my book.

It is VERY possible that he is being instructed to do so, whether he likes it or not. Mike is a great guy and he has done a LOT for AG and MOL!



Sorry to hear about this David.

Ohh, I wouldn’t doubt that for a minute Rasky. I guess he was just too scared to reply and say that it’s way over his head and his hands are tied. But……NOTHING.

Wow, after reading a thread like this and seeing all the negative comments from top pros about them, I am very surprised that they are in business. I never knew this many people disliked them.



I hope they realize that this thread is on googles top search engine and when you type autogeek this thread comes up. You would think they would resolve this issue fast and learn from thier mistakes.



I wish you the best of luck David, and sorry to hear you were treated like this.

Thanks Ryan. I always appreciate your support. You’re a pillar to the detailing community.

A regrettable situation, for sure.



David, what could they do now that would make you happy?

I have a feeling that no matter what, they have lost some business from several members, even if they do somehow make ammends.

There’s not a single thing they can do to earn back my business. My integrity will never allow me to stoop to that level.

I'll say this, I buy from autogeek because I get good service from Matt and Jason and Megan. heck I even got a birthday present from them...But, I feel this situation has to be handled with care, its a sad event that happened.



I buy from Detailed Image, and from Autogeek. I wouldn't change the way I do business and who I buy from over something that happens to someone else. I am sorry this happened but it wont change who I buy from. However I will say this, if this sort of thing happened to me (read: if I was David Fermani), They'd be hard pressed to get my business again.



I know how they could get my business back though... (wholesale account with no minimum order amount!)



David I am sorry this happened to you, and I hope this gets resolved with all parties involved to yours and their satisfaction. Best wishes :2thumbs:

Thanks bwalker! I will say this much; Matt has been nothing but a gentleman prior to this ordeal. He’s a class act and has always treated me right and speaks the truth. Meghan IMHO could learn a lot from him. (detailing, ethics and customer service)

Thats unfortunate Dave, especially about Mike P ignoring you and how you went out of your way to help him with his truck. To be honest I have been very satisfied with their service in the past but will no longer do business with them, not that I have even purchased anything from them recently. Never been a fan of their forum, and I always had sensed that their attitude was "my way or the highway." I see this as the beginning of a huge backlash on AG & their forum

Thanks for supporting the cause Josh. You’re another one that goes to school right across the street from their store. I guess we won’t be going to any more Detail Fests?

Well, I am sure they will lose a couple bucks over this thread.

Yup, I’m certain of that.

I just started reading this thread about 10-15 minutes ago, and clicked on the link to the AG thread and was able to see it. I just tried it again and it seems that it's either been completely deleted or locked/restricted from viewing. Rather shady, if you ask me.

Shady if you ask me too.

I have been trying to steer people AWAY from Autogeek as long as possible. Great to see that I'm not the only one that refuses to ever buy from them again. There are too many TOP NOTCH vendors out there for ANYONE one to buy from AG and their crew.



Their shady and unethical tactics are finally coming to light. It's about time.

Thanks P1et – I remember the whole scandal a while back with you too. This isn’t the 1st time they’ve made bad choices about banning valuable members.

WOW... interesting..



I've been buying mainly from AG the passed 12 months... looks like they may be losing another customer out of this fiasco. I don't really give a crap about the core issue of if it's a true Menzerna product or not (time will simply tell if its good or not) .. it's about how they treat their customer for asking a question and subsequently "avoiding" them.. black balling David for no apparent reason and then putting a gag order on Mike..



I get it.. I just don't need to support it. :bolt



I guess Eshine, DI, ADS etc and others are sure to win out as a result of this stupid position by AG... Bet they are all doing their happy dance now :bounce



It always amazes when well established companies get such a huge chip on their shoulders that they forget what got them there in the first place was customer service... :wall

Right paco – Hit them where it hurts and let the other vendors who don’t pull crap get the business.

I'm one of those newbies who ordered everything from AG; 5 orders over the past month. From reading on their forum, I was fat, dumb, and happy with my choice of buying from them. I get stuff in 2 days from them which is one of the reasons I really didn't look anywhere else until I stumbled onto this forum. Since, I have ordered from ADS and Proper Auto Care. All this being said, I'll wait until this is issue is resolved BY Autogeek before I will order from them again. This is kinda like Toyota still denying they have a problem with electronics. However, this is more about personal relationshis and how Autogeek treated a good customer simply for asking a question and how it was handled.

Right! From the looks of it, I wouldn’t count on ever ordering from them again.

Does not seem like it will be resolved.

Nope. I don’t think so.

What a bunch of xxx wacks sorry for your trouble David. I won't be ordering from them either and I will cancel my subscription to.

Thanks ramtough. Go for it!!

Sounds like a lame situation overall. Just take your business elsewhere and move on. It's difficult to give up years of loyalty, especially when it was a (presumably) strong relationship for a long period of time. I've been ordering with DI and occasionally DD for quite a while now, and have nothing but positive remarks about each. They're both top notch.

You presumed right. It went from hot to cold in 5 minutes.

I know I don't have a lot of rep on here but I want to share one person's opinion. I would normally stay out of a beef like this but since I have had bad experiences and poor customer service from AG in the past i'll chime in.



I honestly think that if AG looses a handful of accounts and customers in these types of situations they really don't care. They are tyring to be the "WalMart" of detailing products and are really marketing to the mass population. They spend more time directing their business to the weekend detailer than to the seasoned Autopian. This is why I was initially drawn to their website years ago.... they had great tutorials for beginners, a HUGE selection of products with instructions on how to use them and a seemingly "friendly and welcoming" forum for newbies.



Do I agree that this is how you run a business? No. Do I think they're willing to "sell out" some of their respected accounts to sell to middle america? Yes.

I’m glad you also saw through the smoke and mirrors.

The thing about Wal Mart is that they would not do business the way AG did to David. But, they don't need a "forum" full of shills either.

Spot on Jimmy!

 

[David Fermani]

Well I contemplated responding to this thread and against my better judgement here it goes...



The guys at Autogeek are great guys and they work very hard at being industry leaders. The hard work is in making happy customers not bashing other competitiors. Being a forum owner and around this industry for a few years now I see tactics used by one company to make another company look bad. Most of the time it is simply a well founded suspicion

Welcome to Autopia Troy! :welcome



I see you've selectively chosen to respond by diverting the attention away from the real problem; which is AutoGeek. Unless you're referring to AutoGeek's tactical attempts at making other companies/individuals look bad by spreading fallacies paralleled by their own self induced ignorance!



By the way, for full disclosure; Troy Armstrong is the Co-Owner if Detail City and has a vested interest in AutoGeek's success:



Detail City - Auto Detailing Supplies, Car Care Products & Automotive Accessories

Detail City Customers,



We would like to offer our sincerest thanks for your business over the years. We have decided to close our store in order to concentrate our efforts on building and growing the Detail City Forum at Detailcity.org. Please visit the forum for car care tips and advice.



We encourage you to shop at Autogeek.net for all of your car care products & auto accessories.



Warm regards, Troy Armstrong

 

[gmblack3]

So I guess Troy is just another shill for the geek.

 

[PSU 98]

I haven't been on for quite a while and I just caught this thread :nervous: I'll just add that for similar reasons I haven't placed an order with Autogeek in quite a while, and much prefer to use DI or CMA for my product needs.

 

[Lone Ranger]

David, I'm sorry you had this experience.



We may have to change the name of the thread to "Greatest Detailing Secrets Revealed"

God knows there's .............Many of them.....:tribe:

 

[BigAl3]

you win some & you lose some and we know where some stand. i will say this though.. the bottom line is to watch and spend your heard earned $'s with those that deserve and appreciate it. you got to remember that your money is your voice and how you spend it is what makes a big difference. i know with the economy the way it is, it's made me think alot more about things, and every single dollar counts these days...

 

[wfedwar]

You know, until this thread I thought maybe AG just didn't know how to moderate a board, so I stopped going to the board but still continued to do some business with them. Now, it appears the problem is deeper.

 

[porta]

I have and never will - do business with AG. Keep up the good work, David!

 

[nosbusa1700]

The bad thing about it. AG's so big and has so much money, they could likely care less. Is what my thought is.. Could be wrong.



It's too bad that it has gone this far.



Maybe you could contact Max. At least he's the owner. Maybe you guys could talk things out.



Then again he may stand behind his employees and not care either. Hope that's not it.