I would just like to say I purchased one of his boosters and it cut my braking distance in half . But now he is thinking about stop offering his service which would be a loss to all Fiero owners . He makes a great booster at a fair cost and offers fair shipping cost and ask for a fair (returnable) core charge because he needs your old booster back to be able to keep offering his service . Unfortunately there have been a dozen or more people that have not returned their cores so he is thinking about stop making the bigger boosters which would be a big loss . So I am asking anyone who has not sent their cores back to man up and return their cores even if you did not get them back to him in the 30 day core return time (he offered to return your core charge if you returned within 30 days) if you past the 30 days then bite the bullet and lose the $50 you would have gotten back if you returned the core on time and ship back your core otherwise we will lose the great service he offers . We all know shipping cost have gone up but if you bought 1 of his bigger brake boosters you knew he needed your cores returned to be able to keep offering his service .
Perhaps he should change his strategy...ship him a brake booster before he returns you a new one. PITA all around, but if people won't play by the rules...
Instead of having a business model that requires return core service to support future sales, he could get the bracket and pushrod reproduced and have an endless supply.
I hate to be rude, but by charging a core charge and hoping the customer sends in the core, you actually invite customers to pay the charge and forget about it. A simple fix, as mentioned above, would be to require customers to send in the core along with their payment. I did it that way with the boosters that I modified, and none of the customers complained about it.
Some people can't afford to have their car out of service for the period of time it takes a core to ship and receive the replacement back. (Even from a great vendor like sardonyx247)
I hate to admit it but I'm one of those guys with the big booster I received sitting in the garage waiting to be installed. However, life, weather, job, children, grandchildren, caring for elderly parents etc., has simply gotten in the way.
All I need is a few hours, a dry day, and a friend to assist bleeding the brakes and I'll have the core sent back to him the next day. Hell, enough time has passed that if he were to decline credit for the core (due to the extended period of time) I wouldn't be mad.
Now there's an idea ---- core credit issued only on rebuildable cores returned within 30? / 45? / 60? days from receipt of the replacement unit.
Originally posted by steve308: I hate to admit it but I'm one of those guys with the big booster I received sitting in the garage waiting to be installed. However, life, weather, job, children, grandchildren, caring for elderly parents etc., has simply gotten in the way.
All I need is a few hours, a dry day, and a friend to assist bleeding the brakes and I'll have the core sent back to him the next day. Hell, enough time has passed that if he were to decline credit for the core (due to the extended period of time) I wouldn't be mad.
Now there's an idea ---- core credit issued only on rebuildable cores returned within 30? / 45? / 60? days from receipt of the replacement unit.
I am another one of the people with a shiney new booster sitting in my parts room waiting to be installed. At some point in the future I would like to install it, and I would be more than happy to return my core and get my $50 back, but I don't understand the arbitrary 30 day limit. I'm not going to go through all the trouble to box up my old booster and pay to send it back without a promise of getting my core charge back. Why should he keep the core charge after 30 days even if he gets the booster back? Doesn't make sense. I sent him an email a while back asking for clarification on the 30 day policy and it was not answered. Doesn't sound like a customer friendly policy.
Really not any different than a rebate for purchase of a product. Rebates always have time limits. If you want your money back, send it in on time. If you're not going to return the core than you are part of the reason the product will not be available to others.
Really not any different than a rebate for purchase of a product. Rebates always have time limits. If you want your money back, send it in on time. If you're not going to return the core than you are part of the reason the product will not be available to others.
This.
I will return the core regardless of the time and rebate (as long as he is accepting them). I just offered up an idea that is used by many to promote core return or as above rebate use. If I had been compelled to meet a deadline to get my $50.00 back --- that is a decision I would have had to make. Also, if a vendor with a 'unlimited time' core return window ceases production, (let's say he or she dies) could you imagine the flame war that would occur here when someone makes a core return a year down the line and is refused. Again it was just an idea already used by many auto part stores for walk in customers and they also require the original box, many times the original mount or bracket and of course all fluids drained.
Now there's an idea ---- core credit issued only on rebuildable cores returned within 30? / 45? / 60? days from receipt of the replacement unit.
That's exactly how he does it: He says you'll get credit for the core if its returned within 30 days. Its in the first post in his thread. Seems reasonable to me.
I didn't know that was in his original thread. I ordered his product based on comments made in an install post. He might even have it in his paperwork but if it is, I didn't read it. I will still return my core as I want him to be able to keep his operation up and running. If he sends me a core refund out of the kindness of his heart that's up to him. I am not going to piss and moan over a couple of dollars when the terms of the sale have a stated policy. Life is to short. I was planning on doing the Grand-Am brakes as part of the upgrade but again, time is hard to come by so I will try to get the booster done and get the core back to him so that we don't lose a vendor that offers a great product.
[This message has been edited by steve308 (edited 01-23-2017).]
I thank all of you for responding , now he well know that we do not want to see him stop making a good product . He does this just to help out Fiero owners and I am sure he is not making money off us because if you price a S-10 conversion kit and buying a new booster then spend the time to do the work to mount the conversion kit to the new booster yourself you would be spending more money on purchasing the new booster and the kit and add in the time (time is money) you put into doing the conversion . I think most people think it will take a day or two to do the swap with this pre made bigger booster , I know I did . But when I finally went out to the car to do it I was pleasantly surprised that it took myself and my son 2.5 hours to get the swap done and that included making many dumb mistakes (like dropping a mounting nut 4 times before putting something down to catch the nut , forgetting to replace the fresh air tube that runs under the booster , etc.) . You do not have to take the brake lines off or loosen them in order to get the old booster out and the new one in ,so you do not have to worry about the time consuming bleeding the brakes . We have 3 more Fieros we are going to do this swap on and I am sure the next ones will get done even quicker , I figure 1.75 -2 hours top to complete the job .
I understand it's his right to establish any policy he wants, but it's my right not to give away parts for free. He has my $50 I have my core. I guess it will stay that way forever.
If he really wants to stay in business and he is low on cores he would offer $50 to anyone that sends in a booster as long as it's in rebuildable condition. The Fiero Store and other vendors do this all the time. Often I will box up a set of cores and send them in for cash. If for whatever reason people can't meet the 30 day deadline, a lot of folks just are not going to do it. Expecting people to send you hardware for free is a bit unrealistic.
[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 01-23-2017).]
Just go and buy the custom shaft kit from Rodney and new booster ( from summit as suggested by Rodney) . It costs a bit more but fits and works perfectly.. Curtis
I just checked car-parts.com. there are 33 of these that are available from $25 up. Looks like if he quits offering this product, it won't because of no availability of cores.
Some people can't afford to have their car out of service for the period of time it takes a core to ship and receive the replacement back. (Even from a great vendor like sardonyx247)
I hate to admit it but I'm one of those guys with the big booster I received sitting in the garage waiting to be installed. However, life, weather, job, children, grandchildren, caring for elderly parents etc., has simply gotten in the way.
All I need is a few hours, a dry day, and a friend to assist bleeding the brakes and I'll have the core sent back to him the next day. Hell, enough time has passed that if he were to decline credit for the core (due to the extended period of time) I wouldn't be mad.
Now there's an idea ---- core credit issued only on rebuildable cores returned within 30? / 45? / 60? days from receipt of the replacement unit.
You don't need to bleed the brakes. You can unbolt the master from the booster without ever opening up the lines. It's really only about an hour job.
You don't need to bleed the brakes. You can unbolt the master from the booster without ever opening up the lines. It's really only about an hour job.
Thanks for the info --- a couple of members did in fact PM me with that fact and a couple of additional tips. What I didn't disclose in my post was I intended to do either a Grand am or Lebaron brake swap when I did the booster so calipers, rotors, front hub prep and the brake bleed along with other task were part of the big booster change.
Just go and buy the custom shaft kit from Rodney and new booster ( from summit as suggested by Rodney) . It costs a bit more but fits and works perfectly.. Curtis
This is my big booster kit using a new booster from Summit:
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Mine is a much better product. I use the OEM rod and I include the bracket, and no threaded rod to EVER come undone, yours comes undone=zero brakes and people die. Odds may be small but why ever risk it. You only made your kit as a stab at me you piece of **** , after I asked if you failing 88 bearings were made in China, you should refund everyone who ever bought them. You failed to make the boosters and I took the spot. You had the market, but gave it up. So I took over and made a better product than you ever could.
I tried to stay out of this thread, but DICKman can't resist to try to sell his crap when it comes to me, you are only posting in this thread as I said your "mera" was a kit, which it is. Everyone can check the time stamps.It is just like you, I post anything about you and you go attack my threads, you low life. You can't even do your own R&D you want others to test your crap and even want them to write your install instructions for you with your extremely high mark up. Go suck a goat.
To address the rest of the thread, I have the core very well spelled out in my first post, which has not been edited for years. I take the same stance as EVERY auto parts store or parts yard, 30 days, you go in 31 days later and they say no, you go in 6 month to a year and a half later and they laugh at you (Jscott) yes you did pm me, but 6 months later, give me a break. You also said what a great product, I will give you a positive rating in the mall(free) and you couldn't even do that. I sold the boosters for years with out a core charge, but when I ran low, and wanted every Fiero owner to have one so I had to, Everyone has always had the option to send it first to avoid the core charge, but I wanted to cut down on the down time. I used to get all my cores back, but the last year no one would send one in even after promising they would, they/you only hurt other Fiero owners. I did this service only to help Fiero owners, not for profit(dickman). So you all can feel what you want.
Dave, you are always the one to start these arguments between us. Why?
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
How did I start this one? Someone mentioned using my kit so I posted the link to my kit. Why is that offensive to you?
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
My shop guy will be here soon. Tuesdays and Thursday are my shop days. Some Saturdays also.
PS: Most everyone here knows the "you ripped me off for a dollar" story. Or should I tell it again? All this stuff between us here starts with your "you ripped me off for a dollar".
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
It was fraud anyway you look at it, then you tried to blackmail me, just shows the low life you really are.
I get the feeling this guy does not like me.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Fraud? My web page clearly stated a $10 minimum. You placed an order for $7. I charged you $8. If I ordered off someone's web page knowing that they had a $10 minimum and my order was only $7 I would be grateful they only charged me $8 and did not charge me $10. Yet to you I am a bad guy. By placing that order you accepted the terms of my $10 minimum order amount then bash me for 20+ years that I charged you less than $10.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Not to take sides but both big brake booster approaches should work. There are advantages to both. Sardonix offers a redone GM booster with a one piece rod while Rodneys kit calls for an aftermarket booster that has a threaded rod with an adapter that is IMO not likely to become unscrewed. Both versions have been used with success. Both vendors enjoy good ratings so just choose which one is right for you while ignoring the sharp rhetoric..
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
Mine is a much better product. I use the OEM rod and I include the bracket, and no threaded rod to EVER come undone, yours comes undone=zero brakes and people die. Odds may be small but why ever risk it. You only made your kit as a stab at me you piece of **** , after I asked if you failing 88 bearings were made in China, you should refund everyone who ever bought them. You failed to make the boosters and I took the spot. You had the market, but gave it up. So I took over and made a better product than you ever could.
I tried to stay out of this thread, but DICKman can't resist to try to sell his crap when it comes to me, you are only posting in this thread as I said your "mera" was a kit, which it is. Everyone can check the time stamps.It is just like you, I post anything about you and you go attack my threads, you low life. You can't even do your own R&D you want others to test your crap and even want them to write your install instructions for you with your extremely high mark up. Go suck a goat.
To address the rest of the thread, I have the core very well spelled out in my first post, which has not been edited for years. I take the same stance as EVERY auto parts store or parts yard, 30 days, you go in 31 days later and they say no, you go in 6 month to a year and a half later and they laugh at you (Jscott) yes you did pm me, but 6 months later, give me a break. You also said what a great product, I will give you a positive rating in the mall(free) and you couldn't even do that. I sold the boosters for years with out a core charge, but when I ran low, and wanted every Fiero owner to have one so I had to, Everyone has always had the option to send it first to avoid the core charge, but I wanted to cut down on the down time. I used to get all my cores back, but the last year no one would send one in even after promising they would, they/you only hurt other Fiero owners. I did this service only to help Fiero owners, not for profit(dickman). So you all can feel what you want.
Since you dragged me into your mud slinging post, which will eventually end in the trash, let me say that I just went and gave you your positive feedback in the Mall. Sorry it took so long.
Having said that, you are not Autozone or O'Reily's and should not expect to have the same policy as an Autoparts store. You are just some guy working out of whatever and begging for cores back so you can continue selling your product. Your policy sucks. We are not professional mechanics, we are human beings with lives and don't always have time to install your product within 30 days. If you want to keep making these, (and I don't care if you do or not) you should have a more customer friendly policy.
... Have a nice day.
[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 01-25-2017).]
I don't see why there has to be any arbitrary time limit.
In theory the 30 day limit should encourage people to send them back quick, but that's not how the hobby car business works. Most of us have a car that hasn't left the garage in months if not years. I slowly accumulate parts and when I get time, which isn't often, I will work on it. Yeah the booster is a one hour job, but I intend to do the big bore master, the grand am/ lebaron upgrade along with braided lines and all that other stuff. Trying to work around your 30 day time limit just isn't going to happen.
If you intend to continue to make these you will need cores, or you can manufacture the parts yourself, either way it's not a good business model to be dependent on other people to keep your business afloat. If it were me I would put a thread in the mall something like "Send me your brake booster and I will send you $xx dollars" And you will have more than you know what to do with. I did that for clusters when I was building firebird harnesses and I had clusters out the wazoo.
When I started this thread it was not for other people to advertize their own product or someone else to advertize another companies product that is just wrong and rude . I started this post to try and get the people who bought his bigger booster to return the cores , if you read his information about paying for it , it also stated the core charge and the shipping cost shipping cost and that he needed your old core back . It was your choice no one forced you to buy his booster , but if you did buy one you need to hold up your end of the deal and send back your old booster within the 30 days to get your $50 core charge back If it took you longer than 30 days then you should still send the core back just do not expect your core charge to be refunded ( it took me over 30 days because I was in and out of the hospital but I still sent back my core not expecting to get $50 back) because that was the deal . If you did not like his terms you should have asked him if he would accept the core later and still get your core charge back before you purchased it . He gave his reasons for needing the cores returned . He is not mass producing these boosters (would you buy a hundred boosters and parts not knowing how many you would actually sell) , he does it on the side to help fellow Fiero owners get better braking power . And I opened this topic just to ask people to send back their boosters back so he would not quit making them , this was not for people to advertize their own product 4-5 times . everyone knows you offer a kit . But buying your kit means you have to buy a booster from someone else which leaves the buyer waiting for 2 items to come in the mail and the buyer has to do modifications on that new booster which voids the warranty on that booster and you make it sound like the kit can be installed in no time but it is not that easy and takes more time away from the buyer. The booster sardonyx247 offers comes to the buyer ready to install as soon as they open the box ( no parts to assemble or modify just loosen your master cylinder unbolt the old booster , slide it out , hammer some sheet metal on the car to make room for the bigger booster and slide in the booster from sardonyx247 and tighten it down to the firewall . He never ask anyone to send him their boosters for free he states clearly that you would get your core charge back , but you should not expect him to return your core charge if you do not send yours back within the 30 days .I guess what I am trying to say is you should only respond if you purchased this bigger booster and did not bother to return the core , not to advertize for another company or your own company , and do not ***** about his terms if you bought his booster ( you read the deal and had the info up front you have not got a reason to complain . I joined this forum to get to know other Fiero owners and learn about ideas and where to get parts , but I see a lot of petty bullshit and name calling like a bunch of punk kids and people hijacking the topics just to complain about other people or sell their own products and a lot of people are trying to sell their used parts way over priced like they have the only one available . This was advertized as a family friendly site , I bought Cliff a beer when I joined but I would bet over half of the members have not pitched in at all or only one time , and not at least once a year . I would not blame him if he just shut down this site because I am sure he did not want this to be a battle zone between members or a place for people to over charge and rip members off . I think it is a shame that some of you have nothing better to do then complain about other members . Car clubs use to be where everyone got together like family and had a good time trading ideas and checking out what club members were doing to their cars . If you do not have something good to say then just shut up and keep it to yourself . It is a shame a few people can ruin it for everyone .
Expecting an unlimited time limit is totally unreasonable. Am I supposed to hang on to core fees that don't get sent back for the rest of my life? I am not a corporation with unlimited cash flow. The real person effect comes into play as you described. I asked for cores on the honor system when I sold short shifters, With a refund upon receiving them. I think I got 2, so I knew that wouldn't work.
Besides, the Fiero Store, when they buy cores is only for store credit, not cash. And I have given discounts for multiple boosters sent in.
It is not a business, but trying to help other Fiero owners. When I did yours, I did everything I could to help you keep the stock 84 look, I feel like I did you a good service.
BTW the bigger bore master is a bad idea, as Orge spells out in his cave, the braided lines do work well, Just trying to help you on your brake upgrades. As Fieros do need help in the brakes, 80 brakes don't cut it anymore, thus why I offer this service. Think of me as you will, you are entitled to your opinion.
Edit to add: I did give back a core fee over 9 months later, but he contacted me very quickley and we worked out a deal. Just sayin'
[This message has been edited by sardonyx247 (edited 01-26-2017).]
sardonyx247 - Thanks for the respectful response and bringing some civility back to the thread.
I don't suggest you keep and escrow account for cores and a huge accounting nightmare. But it's common sense if someone sends you a core worth money you send them the money. I don't understand the problem, what am I missing? Either you buy the cores or you have to get them some other way, it's just a cost of doing business. If you don't want to call this a business I give up and so should you.
It costs time and effort and money to box up something and send it to you, not to mention the intrinsic value of the part. Why do you expect after 30 days someone will do this out of the goodness of their heart. Maybe some will but obviously most will not.
Oh and regarding the big bore master, in conjunction with the grand am brakes it makes sense. You increase the size of the slave you need a bigger master, unless you don't mind a rock hard pedal with little travel. I don't agree with The Ogre on everything and he kind of went off the rails on his brake section. I read it and I don't agree with everything he says in there.
I guess your thread was directed at folks like me.
I'm not complaining about the policy, I understand it's his right to do anything he wants.
But I'm trying to explain the policy is a bit unreasonable.
Since he himself says he's not a business, but then he compares himself to an autoparts store, so which is it?
If he's doing this on a small time basis to help out the community it is appreciated. He did get me a booster that matches my original and it's all set up and ready to go. Great.
But for me life intervened and I didn't get it installed. I didn't expect him to keep my $50 in escrow, I don't care what he did with it. But cash is fungible, why is it so hard to peel off a fresh $50 dollar bill and refund a core charge years later if he still needs the cores to make new ones?
I honestly don't understand the issue. Unless he's retired from making them then I understand because the cores are now useless, but at the top of the thread you state he still needs them, so I repeat, I don't get it?
He needs them then give people their money back and he will be up to his eyeballs in cores. He created this problem and he can solve it easily.
