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Summit Racing waited until my most expensive purchase ($9000, ZZ502 create engine) to refuse to make good on a product problem NOT of my making After 20 months of trying to resolve an issue caused by a defective $9000 ZZ502 create engine, I sent a letter of complaint to Paul Sergi, Chief Executive Officer of Summit Racing Equipment in Tallmadge, Ohio, hoping that my letter would bring suggestions for resolution. Unfortunately, the response to my letter was as disappointing as all of the interactions I have had along the way.

The history: In March 2011, I purchased the engine which I now know was defective. Soon after installing and running the engine for short periods, I noticed that the starter no longer engaged with the flywheel properly, preventing the motor from being restarted. I spent hundreds of dollars over several months: new gears, shims and a new starter, custom built by a local expert. Eventually, the actual issue was discovered. Unfortunately, the new create engine was defective and had or either developed cracks where the starter attaches to the block.

Summit Racingโ€™s first position on the defective and cracked block issue was, โ€œโ€ฆit is a GM issue, not a Summit problem.โ€ My position was and remains that we purchased the โ€œdefectiveโ€ engine from Summit Racing and that Summit should have dealt with GM while exchanging the engine or refunding my cost.

During 2011, I had extensive discussions with Summit tech reps. Summitโ€™s second position was that there was โ€œโ€โ€ฆ.too much torque from the starter.โ€ After months of delay, many man-hours of effort and hundreds of additional dollars, I had to find a way to restart the engine to complete the project.

During the eventual repair process(grinding out crack), a welder with over 30 years of experience discovered that the new create engine was defective. He had found a โ€œsand holeโ€ in the affected area, and there were cracks where the starter attached to the block. We relayed this information to Summit tech folks and they asked for proof. The block had already been wielded and โ€œsand hole,โ€ photos were not possible. I offered to send a letter from the wielder, but Summit tech wanted photos. Once again, I was compelled once again, after months of delay, many man-hours of effort and hundreds of additional dollars, to act on my own to find a way to restart the engine to complete the project.

Summit Racing did offer and did send another starter, which I did not ask for or want. I repeatedly pointed out that I should have been offered a new/replacement engine or an offer of a refund or a rebate or some compensation for my expenses to repair a problem caused by a defective product which they had sold to me. Finally, after receiving my November, 2012 letter, I received a final phone call from Summit offering me $300.00 followed by a Legal Release to be signed in order to receive compensation for my expenses to repair a problem caused by a defective product sold to me by Summit Racing. This is what happens when you get lawyers involved in Customer Service.

Some have argued that the quality and level of customer service has decreased in recent years, and that this can be attributed to a lack of support or understanding at the executive and middle management levels of a corporation and/or a customer service policy. Summit Racing can keep their $300.00 offer to make-up for all the delay, the many man-hours of effort and additional dollars I had to put forward to complete the project. Rather, I will do what I can to illuminate how Summit Racing poor customer service can change the entire perception a consumer has of an organization. I prefer to allow my experience illustrate why Summit Racing has among the lowest ratings in the Reseller Ratings and the Better Business Bureau Automotive Categories.

Monetary Loss: $11000.

Location: Windber, Pennsylvania

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Guest

I've been dealing with summit for 8 years and have never had a problem ! if i return something ?

no problem !

refund ? no problem and i feel I've always been treated special .

Guest

My issue was in the $150 range, but I will never use summit again. I will also get rid of any kind of items with their name on it.

They sent a part to my old address after I had updated it on the order form and on my online store profile. They refused to send another one or compensate me in any way or offer any help at all, said that it was an online order so their hands were clean.

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