Don't buy from American Automotive Equipment (LONG)

[dr_hunt]

There has been alittle bit posted by grumpyvette regarding these folks previously. I didn't catch that until after it was too late. So, here is the situation I have for you all to read.

 

I purchased the TP-09 lift from American Automotive Equipment on March 31, 2008. These guys (http://www.americanautomotiveequipment.com) So, I got it on April 10, 2008, inventoried it, put it up later, and hooked it up. I was missing two of the feet that you use to go on the end of the arms that touch the frame and some brackets for the over height limit switch. So that switch was not installed. I contacted them via phone and email on April 10 2008 about the missing items and was told that they would ship them out. When I put it up as per the instructions ran it up and down twice and left it alone.

 

11 days later, received nothing, so I called them again on May 21, 2008.

 

Went to use it to change oil in the jetta , put the car on it, hit the button and when it got high enough,(I'm pretty tall 6'1") I let go of the button. But the lift wouldn't stop going up, the button was stuck on! Ruh roh, no limit switch, so I hit the breaker but not till after the lift had gone all the way up and quit. Good thing the car is low otherwise it would have smashed the top of the car. Motor was smoking. So, now the car is all the way up. Hmmm, so I changed the oil, pulled the safety stop lanyards and lowered the car. Tried the lift again and nothing, the motor was fried.

and then sent an email describing the above situation on May 2, 2008 and left another voice message. Nothing, no call back.

 

Then on May 5, 2008 I get an email saying "Sorry your having problems, I'll have a technician call you." Well nothing, no call, no email, nothing.

 

So, since I hadn't heard anything I called them again and sent another email on May 6, 2008. No response, so I decided to just fix it myself and took it to telco electric on May 6, 2008. So I had the motor rewound, and the switch replaced. $346.00 later and another trip to Alb to pick it up. So about $500 by the time you figure fuel in it I have it back. I also had a buddy who is a machinist make me two feet that were missing, he machined them out of billet steel for $200 just so I could use it. I didn't want to chance making something that would fail on me.

 

So, I disputed the charge on my credit card with my card outfit on May 6, 2008. Provided them with copies of the emails and I got temporarily credited the $$$ back.

 

So, today, yes today, the lift folks call me, but not suzie, some other gal. She says "What can we do to fix it?" I said: "Pay me back the $700 extra that I got in it and send me the brackets for the overtravel switch and we will call it good." She says; "Nope, we don't do that sir, we will send you a new power unit and we will send you the missing items but I don' know what brackets they are since they are not listed in my parts list." I said; "You don't know what brackets it takes to mount this? Suzie told me that they would ship them, so either you have them or you don't, right?" She says; "We don't have them." I said; "Nope, if your going to take that stance I'll keep the power unit I paid to rewind, my two machined feet and you come get the lift and refund my whole $1640.00! No sir, we can't do that, all we can do is replace the power unit and provide the missing items. Ok, well since it took you from April 10 from my first email to May 20 to get back to me, you dont have the overtravel brackets, and your not willing to take the lift back and refund my $$$, then you can just have a very nice day, goodbye!

 

So, the short of it is that I contacted them numerous times, they refused to let me return it and refused to send me the missing items, so they can eat it.

 

So, the long of it is that it works, not completely properly, but it works. I'll have to figure out how to mount the overtravel switch somehow. But at least I don't have to pay the $1640!

 

So, if your in the market for a lift buy one someplace else, these guys are less than what you'd expect from a smoking pile of cow dung!

[Evan Purple240zt]

Thanks for the warning, sorry to hear of your situation!

[Darrel]

grumpyvette gave his impressions on what he wanted for a lift. I thought it was a sticky. Here's the thread.

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=127124&highlight=lift