Blau story

[Rbade12 at aol.com]

I recently replaced springs and shocks. I got the Koni shocks from shox.com  
[dealt with twice, always cheapest and accurate, they didn't have and couldn't 
 get, at this time, the H&R springs I wanted]. So, I ordered everything  else 
from Blau [they're about 100 miles north of me so I get stuff quick and,  
hey, they only screwed up an order once before, wrong distributor rotor, which I  
had to eat because I didn't look at it for months after recieving it]. The  
ordering process went OK until the front shock kit came up. At that time they  
were out of the the "better quality" strut mount but had a stamped version  
that they'd installed in "lots of 20v's"[I said at that time there aren't "lots" 
 of 20v's around]. This strut mount in the kit with bearing, boot, and stop 
would  be $90-ish, the same approximate cost of the true 20v mount alone. Well, 
I  questioned that at the time, explaining over again what car I had, what  
their website says, she insisted it would work on my car. I even called back  
about an hour later to go over it again, she said it would work. You know the  
ending, it was wrong. This started a 2 day process of calls, waiting for  
calls back, emails and unanswered emails. They sent me an email that said, "we  
don't take parts of kits back, but, in your case we'll make an execption". That  
quote made me angry, as I felt it implied this was my fault. I sent an  email 
to them explaining my position, who I'd spoken to, time frames and the  fact 
that I had to complete the job with the OE piece [which is in very good  
condition]. They then did the right thing, they apoligized, credited the  piece and 
gave me 10% off my next purchase. I will use them again,  however, 
unfortunately, I know that I have to be better prepared and able to  tell them exactly 
what I want. Which isn't the way dealing with an "Audi  specialist" should be!
 
The tool kit I rented from them for timing belt replacement had a rear  seal 
puller in it instead of the front puller. I don't think the dude I spoke to  
about that understood what I meant.
 
So, that's my story, really not much of one now that I read it, although at  
the time it was a big deal. Anyone have a true horror story?
 
Bob