Fabspeed exhaust tips - avoid

[RJKflyer]

Bought the Fabspeed dual stainless tips for my 997.2TT, from VividRacing in the US (only apparent way to get them).

After 3 months, they were horribly tarnished, so had to revert to the stock ones. See the pics for the unusual crazing to the surface. (not been on track either with them). And that swirling/crazing is not down to me trying to clean them!

After much correspondence, Fabspeed's position is that:

(A) Finish isn't covered by warranty (what!!!!)
(B) It would be non-refundable if I were to mail back to them, irrespective of them being faulty.

It will cost me USD150 to send them back and I can only assume that even if FS were to replace them, they would do the same again.

These are poor quality, not fit for purpose, and you're on your own if the finish fails. Thank God I didn't buy an exhaust...

There's not a mark on the OEM tips after 6 months of being back on.

Bottom line is that I have wasted USD700 plus tax plus shipping plus import duty, and have got a rubbish product that isn't fit for purpose.

The only acceptable solution for me would be a refund. If they sold in Europe, they'd be breaking Consumer Law, but clearly reputation isn't an issue when distance selling.

Perhaps they're made in China. Certainly the stainless looks like it comes from there!

 

[RJKflyer]

And, FWIW, there's been a pretty rapid and agreeing set of responses to my post on Rennlist.

 

[tscaptain]

Interesting. As you know Richard I have the black chrome ones on mine. They have been on for 2 years and 18,000 miles. While the inner faces have suffered some heat wear and tear, and have a sort of mottled effect, they still look reasonably ok and nothing like the one in your photo. The outer surfaces have some minor blemishes but given the c**p that gets thrown up at the back I guess that to be expected too. Given the temperature of the exhaust gas I suppose anything will tarnish and they still look better than my OEM ones did after 6 months. But I fear chrome plating is not what it used to be wherever they are made.

 

[garyw]

That is rather poor produce and more annoyingly poor service! [:'(]

 

[RJKflyer]

Interesting. As you know Richard I have the black chrome ones on mine. They have been on for 2 years and 18,000 miles. While the inner faces have suffered some heat wear and tear, and have a sort of mottled effect, they still look reasonably ok and nothing like the one in your photo. The outer surfaces have some minor blemishes but given the c**p that gets thrown up at the back I guess that to be expected too. Given the temperature of the exhaust gas I suppose anything will tarnish and they still look better than my OEM ones did after 6 months. But I fear chrome plating is not what it used to be wherever they are made.

Yes Alan, I recall your fairly positive comments. They're stainless and not chrome and I am now wondering whether s/s has to be a much higher grade than these jokers use for turbo use - I've measured 300 deg C after a brisk run, and goodness knows that they are at 200mph.

Curiously Porsche OE ones are chrome-plated on the turbo (and maybe stainless on other models?), and I'm on my third set of those, as the previous ones tarnished and the chrome pickled off (where the black painted inner lip was). My 'secret' with this set (as it was hard to get them done under ExW as opposed to MfrW) has been to strip the black painted edge off with thinners and then GTechniq wheel treat them!

 

[RJKflyer]

I have now been contacted personally by Fabspeed. Their senior marketing & sales guy taken immediate and full accountability for this issue, and we have achieved resolution.

It transpires that my tips have been identified as from a small production run where Fabspeed have subsequently learned that there was a risk of surface contamination during the process which coats the stainless with ‘hard chrome’.

In turn this could result in a premature failure of the finish, which is what I have been unlucky enough to experience.

As a consequence Fabspeed are recovering the faulty tips from me, at their expense, and liaising with Vivid to secure a full refund.

Fabspeed did offer replacement tips by return, but given the distances involved we mutually concluded that a refund was a more prudent approach in order to minimise everyone’s expense and complexity.

I am pleased that Fabspeed have stepped up to handle this issue promptly and effectively, and for their open and forthright approach: hopefully, we can look to this as exemplar of how Fabspeed will be perceived point forward.