I've bought most of my parts from Pelican and Dave at GPR. One time Pelican sent me the parts I ordered and being stupid I broke one of them. Called Tom and told him what I did .

2 days later I had a new part for free...




Beat that.

The bottom line is George is an asshole and will always be one. I will say thanks for having a few parts for us in the early days, but your still an asshole. And anybody that works for him and thinks that they can change the way that George plays his game, needs to look for a new career. I'm only speaking for myself, but I don't need anything you have to offer. The best day for the 914 community will be when George picks up his toys like the spoiled brat that he is and goes home. Jason and Jr, good luck with your next job.

T.C.

I have been a 914 owner since 11/05 ---

and I will be i need of parts before the crap weather clears and will be driving it ...

I had heard of the god awful rep of AA long before I even actually owned a 914 -- prob is AA has some parts I need ( body panels mostly ... ) but PP is stating NLA , aa says " in stock " -- and I have no idea where to turn --- I do not have the abilityor time to go out and find my own donor car

nor do I have the time to fuck about with paying for parts that may show up ......eventually as I am seeing here now what?!


anyone got a list for good reliable folks to get parts from -- PP seemed to have the basics but some stuff that is NLA is what I need !

Then order from GPR and get the NLA stuff that AA carries and none of the associated bullshit.....they have an unholy alliance....at least if ya gonna get hosed from Dave and his crew he'll call ya up and tell you are ugly too....


geeez, I gotta do all the thinking around here?

does gpr have a web site -- sorry I am still new to the 914 " circle of trust" (sorry gratuitus meet the parents referance)

Here you go;

GPR

that place has got everything!

thanks for the link


--oh and to get back the topic , as long and drawn out as it was ...

I think I might give AA a shot -- I made an order at PP -- I will be ordering from GPR -- I will give AA a chance as well -- .....but only when I am in a situation where time is not a worry I have

advice is you pay by credit card, if there is a dispute, you can usually withhold payment until resolved. Thats a lot of pull on your part cause you still have the money until the card is paid. Helped me once with AA. then again I did have a couple good transactions from them also.

filling a dispute with your credit card co is going to turn in to a long, drawn out, bullshit, hassle. you wil prob do what i did on the Limited Edition front valance (made from their own precise molds) that turned out to be the Economy Version (not their mold). i ate the part cost and shipping on that one. it turned out the precise mold version was not currently in stock when i ordered. i waved the white flag, surrendered and never looked back.

k

Credit worked fine, ordered part told it was in stock, ship that day, two weeks later no part, several calls, no return call (as promised). finally they tell me it is on the way, never arrives, call again, it is still in germany. ask how long, maybe on the next monthly container shipment from porsche! (and thatwas a maybe!)

call restoration desing, they say they can get it from porsche in germany in a week, just have to pay a small expidite fee to get it shipped from europe ($15 I think, it was $300 part) I call AA and say cancle it, they agree, then call restoration design ,and order it.

Several day later part arrives, from AA!!! Now Restoration design made me well aware there was no cancel on it, as it was aspecial order, thats fine, I agreed to it that way. So now I had a second part arriving in a couple days. I called AA for return code, and find that they shipped it the day i cancelled, after they left me a phone message after i canceled asking me if I still want it, i didnot get back to them, cause I had canceled it.

Then I tried to return it, they said just ship it, I said who will pay for shipping??? They said they would reverse it on my credit card????? That can't be done. i told them to give me a UPS number to use, and I will drop it off at the UPS store near me, using their number to pay, They told me they would call me back later if that was ok. Three more phone calls to them, no reply.

So i cancel the charge on my credit card, calle dup the card folks,a nd they had me write down what happened, and in a couple weeks the charge was canceled. i still have the spare part that A A refused to accept in return, and I never paid for it.

So thats how a credit card can help. if i had paid off the card before hand, i would have had no recourse and would have had to pay for two parts when i only needed one. No long drawn out battle, just wrote the facts down, and that was it.

Some advise I would give AA is to label the rubber kit components. Another idea is to offer a store credit to those of us who have purchased parts from you at the "old" and often higher pricing. For example...

I bought the complete rubber kit from AA about 3 months ago for $715.00. If the new price for the exact same rubbers is now $615 (these numbers are arbitrary for sake of explanation), I think you should offer a percentage of the difference as store credit. I do not know what that percentage would be, it is not about the money, it is simply a display of good faith.

my .02 worth...

Keith

Keith, Could it be that the new price $615. is reflective of the abscence of some of the rubber parts in the $715. rubber kit?? I personally do not know I am just asking.
CCLINRUBME

QUOTE (boxstr @ Feb 7 2006, 09:29 AM)

Keith, Could it be that the new price $615. is reflective of the abscence of some of the rubber parts in the $715. rubber kit?? I personally do not know I am just asking. CCLINRUBME

Actually, I do not know the real prices nor the contents thereof. My previous post is just a possible senerio for the sake of explaining. I do know that the complete rubber seal kit I bought was $715, and AA is comming out with new prices. The above post was simply an example of how the rebate could work.

I appreciate all the positive remarks that have been said so far. I see that this is clearly going to be an uphill battle but it's one I'm ready to do. For those who suggest a different career choice for me, unless I break my fingers with no hope of repair I'm going to keep on the current path. (No getting ideas there! ) Besides, if everyone who came here simply gave up AA would disolve in a week and then what? I don't see us as being one of the few major suppliers of 914 parts as a reason to give myself a crown and have a 'take it or leave it' attitude, I see it as a unique opportunity to make a POSITIVE impact on the community. Unfortunately as some of you have described that has not always been the case in the past. That's something I'm driven to change here and I'm NOT going to give up. My push to correct previous errors is more likely to cost me my job than me walking out on the company.

As for the suggestion above, MOST of our parts follow a set markup over cost so it would be tough to justify a return when infact that was a "fair" price when purchased. Now, I'll be the first to admit that some parts have become cheaper over the years and have not been updated accordingly and that problem is being addressed at this moment.

I'm happy to announce that we pulled together a large company meeting yesterday morning and had some very good discussion about the current state and things we can do to change. We all walked out of it with a clear goal for the future and a long set of rules and procedures that are going to be followed from today on. We're also going to make some HUGE changes to our pricing in the coming weeks and I'm sure most will be pleased with the results. Change almost always takes time so I hope those faithful will stick with us as we implement these changes. For those of you who have written us off I only ask you keep us in your peripheral view. "When you're lying on your face, it takes a stumble to get running."

QUOTE (Jason.H @ Feb 7 2006, 04:48 PM)

We're also going to make some HUGE changes to our pricing in the coming weeks and I'm sure most will be pleased with the results.

Hey everyone, don't buy anything from AA for a while. Their prices are going to be lower in a few weeks.

I'm sure your boss is going to love that one Jason.

QUOTE (Part Pricer @ Feb 7 2006, 01:03 PM)

QUOTE (Jason.H @ Feb 7 2006, 04:48 PM) We're also going to make some HUGE changes to our pricing in the coming weeks and I'm sure most will be pleased with the results. Hey everyone, don't buy anything from AA for a while. Their prices are going to be lower in a few weeks. I'm sure your boss is going to love that one Jason.

This is a battle that is unwinnable.

You can't just put on a Jason mask, and get service from anyone but George.



I didn't see a hockey mask emoticon.


M

I just want to add my $0.02.
I'm currently rebuilding the entire front suspension of my 914 and I have my list of components.

Well while I'm checking prices I am absolutly amased at the difference in pricing between AA and say Pelican or GRP.

To give you an example for front Bilstein struts
GRP $128.62 PP $143.00 AA $159.5

Steering colum bearing
GRP $19.31 PP $20.35 AA $29.64

Even with a 5% discount your the most expensive and I haven't even finish comparison shopping.

So do you think I'm going to spend my $1000.00 budget with you or someone else?

So far the there is only one item that costs less at AA and I bet it's either a typo or an old price but I won't tell you what that is so I can try to get your price before you fix it!

Hey I haven't used AA before but it doesn't look good for you. your competitors really are giving me what I need and that's parts for significantly cheaper for the same part. Hell I bet I would even save on shipping since I will probably buy all my stuff at one place.

Hey if you want me as a customer do some price matching or BEAT the competitors pricing.

and that's all I got to say about that!

QUOTE (Part Pricer @ Feb 7 2006, 01:03 PM)

Hey everyone, don't buy anything from AA for a while. Their prices are going to be lower in a few weeks. I'm sure your boss is going to love that one Jason.

Yes, I'm sure he will too. Let's be honest, 99% of those participating in this thread have no intention of buying from us to begin with so making that statement is a no brainer. This thread is 100 years away from torches and pitch forks so I doubt telling people to wait will have that large an impact. I appreciate the good humor though.

Besides that, we're going to do a lot of correcting of prices which could make them go either direction. Ooooh, suspense I'm sure. With sooo many parts to keep track of some have not been corrected in a long time, if that means they're going to be lower then sure wait it out, but if they're going to be higher then so be it.

Price matching.

Jason, I'm glad that you found my jab to be amusing. It is nice to see that you can maintain your sense of humor.

If you want some constructive criticism, here's mine. I've bought a lot of auto parts, almost all of them over the Internet. I also know a few things about the inner-workings of the on-line auto parts business.

Here is my list of the most highly known 914 parts suppliers. I know there are others but these are the big four. With my list, you will see why I deal with each one.

GPR - Good people to deal with that know and love the 914. The main reason that they are my first pick is that I have a real-time view into their inventory online. No surprises.

Stoddard - Established Porsche parts business that has always maintained a good inventory of parts for our cars. The Stoddard inventory is near-time (they update nightly). If I see something in stock when I place an order in the morning, I have a high confidence that it will ship that day. I've never been disappointed.

Pelican - I used to buy from Pelican. However, I stopped purchasing from them after I ordered a part that their site said was in stock. It was a very minor item, but not having it available ruined some of my plans. I will not order from them again until they provide a real-time or near-time view into their inventory. Soome people say that you should call them to check on items. That is something I refuse to do. It defeats the whole concept of self-service via the Internet and untimately adds to the cost of providing the part.

AA - Where do I start? First off, I've never bought anything from your company. Based upon the horror stories that I've heard, I've kept my distance. However, the same thing that I said about Pelican goes for you as well. Give me a view into your inventory and I might reconsider. Oh, and your prices suck too. Pick any item from the list of parts show in the link in my signature and compare prices. You always come out higher for new OEM parts.

FYI, I started placing an order with PP on the Internet, and when you order, it tells you "28 in stock" or "1 week delivery time" etc. So they seem to have put in some kind of real time inventory information system.

QUOTE (Jaiden @ Feb 7 2006, 04:16 PM)

I just want to add my $0.02. I'm currently rebuilding the entire front suspension of my 914 and I have my list of components. Well while I'm checking prices I am absolutly amased at the difference in pricing between AA and say Pelican or GRP. To give you an example for front Bilstein struts GRP $128.62 PP $143.00 AA $159.5 Steering colum bearing GRP $19.31 PP $20.35 AA $29.64 Even with a 5% discount your the most expensive and I haven't even finish comparison shopping. So do you think I'm going to spend my $1000.00 budget with you or someone else? So far the there is only one item that costs less at AA and I bet it's either a typo or an old price but I won't tell you what that is so I can try to get your price before you fix it! Hey I haven't used AA before but it doesn't look good for you. your competitors really are giving me what I need and that's parts for significantly cheaper for the same part. Hell I bet I would even save on shipping since I will probably buy all my stuff at one place. Hey if you want me as a customer do some price matching or BEAT the competitors pricing. and that's all I got to say about that!

Check the club store lately???

Rich

Another nice thing would be a toll free number to call. I haven't ordered anything from AA in LONG (did I say long, I meant, long) time and when I did the order was messed up, long story short after the 5 calls on my dime to fix their mix up I gave up on them. Each call lasted 10 min or more while I was put on "hold" while they searched for my shipping order.

I wish you guys luck, you have a hard road in front of you.

I gotta say that aside from a few of the prices being high.....the parts I have ordered got to me on time and in the shape I expected.

Not to say people/bizes cant make errors...I am the owner of one and it aint easy

Josh

Jason,

Go kick some ass and make it happen.

I get you are going to give it a go at AA.

I sincerely wish you the best on your endeavor.

And the way you responding back in the last several instances to this thread is pretty good.

I have NO issues with you.

I hope you get the power to get this straightened out.

I have been trying to put myself in your shoes for a couple of days.

Man.... you have your work cut out for you.

Yet it can be done in time if you are given the resources.

I AM FLAT OUT AMAZED AT THE RESPONSE FROM SOME OF OUR NON-CLUB MEMBERS. TRYING TO HELP YOU GUYS FOR FREE JUST TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY HAVE ANOTHER GOOD SOURCE FOR PARTS.

Or whatever their personal reasons are.

This forum has to be the most forgiving and giving place I have ever been on the net.

Just like you... we will see what happens in time.

Little note of interest. Pricing is one way to market.
LOYALTY to a vendor is everything...

Regards,
Clayton Clark

You can take your spandex suit and cape off now Clark.

QUOTE (SLITS @ Feb 7 2006, 04:45 PM)

You can take your spandex suit and cape off now Clark.

Clayton (circa 1976)

What are you talking about... Bro

That is the best picture I have ever had of ME...

This jealousy thing is getting out of hand....

I look bad ass in spandex and balloons covering my tits...

Hell... You oughta see me in your G string left over from WCC back in 1923.

Jealous pig..

Twystd1



And yes... I am a grateful human. I once had nuttin....

Now I have my own personal Slits doll..

Hey Aaron... you have that picture of my Slits doll?????

Allan...... Your next.....

QUOTE (914Jr. @ Feb 7 2006, 01:22 PM)

Price matching.

Shopped with AA 4 times, they got it right 3 of those times. Took about 5 months to clear up that last mistake...Oh well...If they had something I needed and couldn't get locally I would shop them again. Probably just call though, I can't find anything on that web site...

Price matching! every vendor I've ever asked has price matched. Performance Products actually prints it in there catalog. PP has done it for me too, I found a part for less somewhere called and asked Tom and he said sure. Then I drove over and picked it up.

Lucky to live in the LA area because I can drive and pick up any part I need from Pelican or Performance.

I don't really have a need for anything to shipped, just more expensive that way...

Jason, I'm just curious if George has ever visited this site himself. If not, maybe you should suggest that he does. I find it hard to believe that he doesn't know his rep here, but I find it equally hard to believe that he doesn't feel the need to correct it!? I am with some others who wish you the best of luck, and if things do indeed turn around I will be the first to start buying from you guys again, and post my positive or negative experience right here. But until I hear from others, I won't go down that road again. Been there, done that.

i've called a couple of times and AA wouldn't come close to the PP price.....so now, i drive over there, talk to George or one of the gents behind the counter, cry about the price being high and they'll usually take some $ off!! sometimes asking for the best price will work...sometimes not...BTW i'm a sales rep in the garbage business and usually try to get the best price on a lot of things i buy

QUOTE (Mike D. @ Feb 7 2006, 05:14 PM)

I don't really have a need for anything to shipped, just more expensive that way...

depends on the total cost, really. no taxes paid on out of state shipped items.

QUOTE (meares @ Feb 8 2006, 06:43 PM)

BTW i'm a sales rep in the garbage business and usually try to get the best price on a lot of things i buy

WOW you sell garbage?!?!

You must be one hell of a salesman!

QUOTE (Mark Henry @ Feb 8 2006, 03:53 PM)

QUOTE (meares @ Feb 8 2006, 06:43 PM) BTW i'm a sales rep in the  garbage business and usually try to get the best price on a lot of things i buy WOW you sell garbage?!?! You must be one hell of a salesman!

insert stromberg joke here

QUOTE (Mark Henry @ Feb 8 2006, 02:53 PM)

QUOTE (meares @ Feb 8 2006, 06:43 PM) BTW i'm a sales rep in the  garbage business and usually try to get the best price on a lot of things i buy WOW you sell garbage?!?! You must be one hell of a salesman!

quit picking on the guy

yeah!!!can you believe people buy it?!!! it sure does stink!

Do you know Tony Soprano?

QUOTE (scotty b @ Feb 7 2006, 06:22 PM)

Jason, I'm just curious if George has ever visited this site himself. If not, maybe you should suggest that he does. I find it hard to believe that he doesn't know his rep here, but I find it equally hard to believe that he doesn't feel the need to correct it!? I am with some others who wish you the best of luck, and if things do indeed turn around I will be the first to start buying from you guys again, and post my positive or negative experience right here. But until I hear from others, I won't go down that road again. Been there, done that.

Here? It's been on every 914 related forum I've ever dealt with since 1995. You would have be deaf, dumb and fucking blind not too....

They could be only beat out by the thieves at Motor Schiester or rudeness by Patrick Motor Sports....

Jason,

Boy do I wish you luck. I just came back to this thread and what a difference a day makes. I am glad you are showing a smile in the face of all this anger. I have had my problems with AA also but I am willing to try again. (someday) So without all the anger I will tell you why an average teener, like me, won’t deal with you anymore.
I got my first 914 in ’94 and in the car was an AA catalog. Young and ignorant I ordered stuff. Things were ok but not without disappointment. I lost that car about 2 years later in an unfortunate smelting accident. My second 914 soon followed and more parts followed. You have always been expensive but Tweeks was worse and I didn’t know of anyplace else. So I put up with the BS, high prices, slow shipping, and calling it bad customer service would be giving it to much credit. So I went and I found other places.
I look at you guys from time to time and I have even called a few times. So while those are the reasons I went away, I have stayed away for a few others:
1) Your website is terrible. Hard to navigate and out of date.
2) Your prices are just too high. Your margin needs to be adjusted or your suppliers need to change. You choose.
3) Phone attitude. Loose the “we are the industry GODS” attitude on the phones. Other people know about Porsches' and 914s and are a darn sight easier to talk too.
4) Customer service. Get some.

I hope you will take this in the way it is intended, as constructive criticism, and use all of our comments to better your product. Call me when it is fixed.

QUOTE

Mark Henry Posted on Feb 8 2006, 03:53 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUOTE (meares @ Feb 8 2006, 06:43 PM) BTW i'm a sales rep in the garbage business and usually try to get the best price on a lot of things i buy   WOW you sell garbage?!?! You must be one hell of a salesman!

Like these guys?

Can somebody put this on "classic" status?

I have a great deal of respect for 914s and the fantastic (bright, charming, super-cool) folks that drive them.

Its frustrating that so many people appear to have been screwed by AA, likely way more before the Internet and this site banded 914 folks together.

A bad rep is tough to fix, potentially impossible.

I mean this in the best way.... good luck.

Hello all, a fairly newbie here....
I have been dealin with AA since 94 off n on....
And I have a love / tolerate.......Relationship........
But at this point it took me 1.5 hours to read all these posts.....
All n all the damage has been done to many Teenerz out there.....
The folks that posted from AA have got enough info to work with for years to come......AND they are employees not George...So Kudos to them for 'Healing the Hurt'......
So at this point if you DO order something..Deal with them, and test their resolve...
Go forward and get the conditions of returns and exchanges from them, and hold them to it...The olde adage 'Parts is Parts'....still holds true though......
If you have P.P. Or Perf Prods/ GPR/or a parts recycle house you are content with, grand then!!!
If you want a Porsche sticker on the box and need it from Germany try a Dealer near you.....
Point being is, it IS your choice,,,We ALL have our 1rst 2nd 3rd choices
etc...for how we purchase our prized parts...
Now exercise your right of choice..And Do what works for you!!
Thanx for reading..Have a GREAT DAY!! Spring and Teener weather is on the way!!

Sanford and Son kicks ass!!!

So, since this thread has started, has anyone bought anything from AA yet? Is anyone brave enough to? Perhaps we should all toss in a dollar or two, and order some random part, then post the experience here to see how it goes.

Personlly, until I hear many success stories and no horror sotires, I will never order from AA. Pelican has always been good to me, so I see no reason to change.

Good luck,

QUOTE (914runnow @ Feb 9 2006, 12:51 AM)

I have been dealin with AA since 94 off n on.... And I have a love / tolerate.......Relationship........ Point being is, it IS your choice,,,We ALL have our 1rst 2nd 3rd choices etc...for how we purchase our prized parts... Now exercise your right of choice..

-914 runnow-

Your post confuses me. To tell the scorned masses of AA that we have a choice is not news. We made our choice to get better service and better prices from other dealers. If you have a love / tolerate, and tolerate is the operative word, relationship you too have a choice. To tolerate a business that deals with a car, neigh a lifestyle, just strikes me as wrong. You are the one doing yourself a disservice by not checking out other vendors.

But the broader point I think you were trying to make is give them a shot and see what happens. And some people might as time goes on. But if a business wants to do better then they should know what to fix. And I think they are getting the hint by their involvement in this thread. If the only opinions offered here were “AA sucks” then your point would hold up. But in saying “AA sucks and here is why….” I hope they get the message and try to fix the things that are wrong.

I used to purchase from AA. I, too, got tired of the " We are the All Knowing, All Powerful, Wizards of 914s". "And by the way, we have you by the Parts". So I purchased there untill I found other options and left AA behind. I looked behind the curtain and the "Great Oz whose name is George" no longer held sway over my purse strings. I consider myself open minded. I will go look at the AA website. I will get an AA catalog in the mail. I did not say I would make a purchase. I said I was open minded and I would consider it. Don't sell me parts, make me a customer.
MSG L

I love this thread

QUOTE (mike_the_man @ Feb 9 2006, 06:21 AM)

So, since this thread has started, has anyone bought anything from AA yet?  Is anyone brave enough to?  Perhaps we should all toss in a dollar or two, and order some random part, then post the experience here to see how it goes.

wow, what an innovative and enlightening thread!

NOT

enough with the frickin'

i'll step up and be the "non-biased" guinea pig.

jason,

pm me your email address so i can tell you what i need to order.