screwed by autoatlanta.com Options

[Curvie Roadlover]

Pelican takes care of SoCal..

Pelican takes care of Northern Ontario Canada too?
Maybe they think it's Ontario California, lets just keep it a secret.

And South east Michigan, too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[Brad Roberts]

Scott... I meant parts wise. Rich has disassembled more cars than AA has ever seen. Its doesnt take 30 people to run a business. AA might have 4-5 people.


B

[Scott Carlberg]

Scott... I meant parts wise. Rich has disassembled more cars than AA has ever seen. Its doesnt take 30 people to run a business. AA might have 4-5 people.


B

Oh I don't doubt what you've said Brad...

my point was that aa *seems* like this big, montrosity type of place.
Of course, *seems* only comes to my mind from the way that aa
likes to talk about/market themselves. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/fighting19.gif)


Can't think of a reason for anyone this side of the us to choose aa over HPH,
or GPR or PP. (pp = pelican, NOT perfomance products)

[maf914]

Hey guys, what is HPH?

I've bought from AA a few times, with mixed results, but I've decided that I'll limit business to walk in only, when I happen to be in Atlanta.

Mike

[Brad Roberts]

Its a west coast 914 parts mecca. Your better off buying local (to you) from AA.


B

[Scott Carlberg]

Mike/maf914 wrote: Hey guys, what is HPH?


High Performance House. cool name, huh?
Rich can tell you what you need to know about your 914,
and then show you how to drive it REAlly fast.

Multiple-time champion driving a 1.8! Brad prolly knows the exact number.

[silver six]

I love HPH. If they don't have the part or can't get it then it is a part that is next to impossible to get. If they do have the part then the price typically beats Pelican and saves me shipping. I typically will go to HPH first before I try anywhere else.

My complaint with HPH is sort of a "consumer experience" thing. HPH appears to be primarily an auto shop, and secondarily a parts store. So when you go there and you ask for stuff, Rich is always running around like crazy trying to take care of 5 things at once and you have to walk through the shop area and it's a total mess. I mean I have never seen a shop so messy in my life. And then to get a part you have to go with Rich into the back wherehouse where there are rows and rows of shelves and no light! Not a single hanging light! So it's close to pitch black. And Rich is holding flash light and rummanging through parts and parts spread all over these shelves. Some of them are organized in neat labeled boxes but some parts are lying out on the shelve in no particular order. He always finds what I'm looking for but it just always strikes me as a hassle that he has to hold my hand to find a part and that he's always in a rush so you feel pressured to remember all the things you need at once.

Rich even has this cool "store" area with an under glass rotating display (it rotates like a little ferris wheel; it's really cool). But even this area has no lighting and is totally messy with junk sprawled eveywhere, old stereos, posters, seats, batterys, 20 year old promotion dispays, all kinds of parts under glass or just laying out, etc. And you can't get to the "store area" without an escort because the door is locked, and it's in the way way back behind an entire yard full of parts, many of them rusting in the exposed air.

I've always thought that if Rich cleaned up the yard and cleaned up the wherehouse (or paid some kid $8 an hour to do it) then he would have the same sort of "browsing" foot traffic that Parts Heaven has. I know that there's probably a shitload of stuff I would probably end up buying if I was allowed to just leisurely browse the stacks (assuming they were organized in some way and had decent lighting; I don't think giving customers flash lights would be a workable business model). I really think that Rich could make a lot more money if he concentrated on his parts business more, and maybe did a mail order or web based business. He certainly has the parts, even if they are disorganized.

I'd probably even help him if he wanted that kind of help. But you know how it is. He's been in business for a long time and it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks. It's too bad. I sort of wish we had a clean, modern, and browsable Porsche parts store on the peninsula. I don't know why we don't. We certaily have enough Porsches here.

Douglas

[Brad Roberts]

I'll talk to you offline Doug.

The entire building has lights... he is too cheep to turn them on..ha ha..


B

[makinson1]

AA does better with mid america and east coasters.....my opinion is that they are afraid that any bad business, the customer will come down and kick the shit out of them.....

Probably right. I live in Florida now and try to be real nice to people. If I was back in Chicago, I'd go in after hours with my cousin Salvatore and do a Tanya Harding in the guy's knee caps. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

[vortrex]

I had one fine experience with AA. just don't buy the repro rubber seals...

[seanery]

Didn't this thread have another name?

WTF is up with that?

[MarkV]

Looks like someone doesn't want the secret about AA to get out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bootyshake.gif)

Like there is some way to save their reputation. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Randal]

The thing I like about HPH is that you can talk to Rich and he'll tell you the quality of the part. No BS. And prices are relative....i.e., what is the cost of something you need that comes in wrong or misrepresented.

Guess we're lucky to be in the Bay Area. We can walk in and be face to face with lots of suppliers, as opposed to hoping that the ordered parts will come, via mail, as represented.

Wish I had a $100 for every parts purchase fiasco I've had playing the long distance game.

I was lucky with AA as the first thing I bought there was crap and I haven't been back since.

One of my favorites: I got talked into buy a set of "special" brakes, off the internet, for my Suburban (heavy truck) that I have now taken back to my mechanic 10 times. Man, did I get sucked in - and it's not over yet.

Anyone else out there think we should have a voting place on this site for bad or good experiences with vendors, so that people can go and see how many people had what experiences.

It never hurts to have some intelligence about the people/companies who keep our little machines running.

[TimT]

I think Brad really wants to keep this forum vendor neutral...dont think the admins (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif) would go for an area that you could vote on vendors...

It sucks when someone has a problem with a vendor. Sometimes you live and learn...

[elmonte]

AA sounds bad enough
AA on E-bay run don't walk !!!!!

[Lawrence]

We've discussed the idea of a vendor forum. For now, the answer is no.

v/r
Lawrence

[Mr.C]

Where is HPH located? I am coming up to the bay area here soon and want to check them out.

[Randal]

Here is the contact info:

2431 Spring Street
Redwood City, CA 94063

[anthony]

Redwood City. Saturday is a great time to go visit HPH. I think Rich is there until 2pm and it's usually pretty quiet since the service shop is closed. Ask for a tour.

[seanery]

I'd say call on Saturday just to make sure.