Alba, their pipes, and my situation...

[greenmachine]

Oh yeah, my bet is you will get a new pipe. Just be nice to them & dont lose your temper........I know its hard when dealing with something like this.
If you make them feel bad for this incident they will take better care of you.
I wouldnt threaten them with internet bashing, that will get you cut off with a quickness. my $.02

[Gunnslinger]

Rob,
 I just pm'd you with some info,as for everyone else-remember this is a big company and they get alot of people who claim the product is bad and then show pics and then send something totally different and expect to get new product for stuff they did not take care of or use the correct way.These pipes are made to use on the track and if you are taking care of your bike these things do not happen for the most part,but,some things do happen and this is when you see what kind of company you are dealling with.As for ALBA,we have been dealling with them since about 3 years ago and we have had our own situations with some products but as long as we could send in the part and let them see what happened they have always(even before we were sponsored by them)made sure to make it right!!!!Alba has made sure that we are always running and has always found a way to get us the right product at the right time with the best quality-some things get by and they WILL take care of it if they see it is not rider error but product error..I will tell everyone that if you call Kevin or any of the other parts personel or even The owner himself(Corey) you will get nothing but experienced and helpful,caring atv'rs who will get things moving the way they should.I know guys,this sounds like a corporate commercial,but,in all of my deallings with ALBA i have never been let down and when i call i know i am speaking with someone who knows what an ATV is.

Thanks for listening and they are working on Rob's situation as we speak,
Toby

[450rcrazy]

 I am a manager at a performance part manufacturer.We also normaly require some one send a part in to us for review if they have a problem . The review normaly consists of us trying to figure out what caused the failure ,Material,assembly,design,or abuse. If we find it was abuse we try and figure out a way to protect the product and make it more durable and able to better handle this type of abuse.9 times out of 10 if it was abuse we will still send the customer a new or barely used part to fix their situation in good faith they will still recommend our product to others, bottom line is a person who abuses or does not take care of their stuff will never admit to it or do not relize what abuse is becouse they were never taught how to respect and take care of things.We have a saying at work that states take care of a customer weither they were wright or wrong and they may tell 1 person how great you treated them tell them you cant help them and they will tell everyone they know how crappy they were treated. Fasteners comming loose on race vehicles is the #1 cause of most part failures and the #1 cause of crashes (in drag racing anyhow) .A lot of people do not know how to properly use loctite either, bolts and nuts must be cleaned in acetone or MEK to remove all oils and must be dried before applying loctite , you should wait 24 hrs before using what you have loctited.The red ultra high temp loctite is all that will work on exhaust and brake parts but is almost impossible to remove once applied. blue is the easiest to dissasemble, red and green can be removed with enough heat. I have seen exhaust on atv's crack like this before it normally starts with a loose header bolts and then the donut ring starts wearing ,eventually the rider notices and tightens things up,But it will begin to loosen and wear on the donut ring somemore,eventually the nut bottoms out on the stud making the rider think its tight  but its not slowely the vibration allows the pipe to rub against the exhaust coller allowing it to etch into the tubing ultimately reasulting in failure.I am in no way accusing Ride ! Rob of this becouse I know he is a maintainance freak and regularly checks his bolts , this is more of a warning to others about what can happen.

   Sorry I strayed off my topic a little its the A.A.D.D. I suffer from. Anyways its the product reviews that help us find better ways to build our products and improve performance.We will almost always replace a customers part with a exact part or a better one.No company is perfect but give them a chance to make things right before you threaten or bash them they may surprise you.There is no way a designer can prepare for all things a product will go thru during initial design work ,it is the everyday user that will push it to the max and show you the products weekness and give you a better Idea of things that need improving.

  sorry to go on and on I have just been at the other end of the phone a few times and know what it takes to work these things out.The worst thing to say (before giving ample time to correct the problem) is I am gonna tell everybody how crappy your stuff is or post about how bad your part is all over the internet , becouse every company deals with customers you just cant satisfy no matter what you do and generally its the people that start off saying those things written above , at which point the company decides why bother trying they are gonna bad mouth us no matter what if they havent already.

   thank  you for reading.
Matt

[IndustryMike]

I also had a problem with my Alba pipe for my LTR that I purchased late last year. The weld broke on the pipe. I called them and they said they would need to inspect it before making a decision. I sent it back and was suprised on the level of customer service they gave. They sent out a new pipe as soon as they recieved and inspected it. It was a hassle being without it, but they stood by their product and had a new one sent to me; some company will won't give you the time of day. I work in the Motorcycle/ATV industry and I myself would ask to inspect it, so I understand the situation. Giving threats on something simple is un-needed and only prolongs the process of getting what you want and ends in un-wanted stress on both sides.............................Industry.

[AmericanRobster]

When the time is right I plan on going with HMF 

[Ride1Rob]

I understand what you guys mean in your posts, but there's nowhere in my post where I'm bashing their product. EVERYTHING I stated is fact. THe pipe is falling apart and it's not because my bolts aren't tite. If you read the Emails, I was given the runaround and was even quoted on getting another pipe for $325 or $80 for the header. Doesn't sound like they were so worried about taking care of me until I got upset. As far as bashing them, all I did was to tell others what I'm going through and let peeps determine for themselves. I stated how much I loved the performance of the product but if it won't hold up it's no good. The guy Marc seems to be pretty Genuine and I stated that when I posted this.

If they were so worried about me sending them false pics there are ways around that. Did you see the pics that I posted? Does that pipe look abused to you? If they weren't sure that the pics were genuine then why ask me to send pics in the 1st place. I've spent 10 days going through this when all they had to do was ask me to send the pipe to them from day 1. There are several reasons why I should be upset. 1) Is the pitiful warranty of 6 months, 2) If it required inspection they should have had me send it to them Last week on the 1st email, 3) There's more than one issue with the pipe. 4) Someone tried to get me to pay $325 for another pipe and didn't even consider my situation until I got pissed. 5) Cory (who Gunnslinger states is the owner) emailed me saying he's seen this before so it's not uncommon.

[Bigscrb15]

Keep on it Rob! They will do whats right or they will lose customers. You are right in that you have not bashed their product, all you have done is post how they treated you and there is nothing wrong with that.

[450rcrazy]

I understand what you guys mean in your posts, but there's nowhere in my post where I'm bashing their product. EVERYTHING I stated is fact. THe pipe is falling apart and it's not because my bolts aren't tite. If you read the Emails, I was given the runaround and was even quoted on getting another pipe for $325 or $80 for the header. Doesn't sound like they were so worried about taking care of me until I got upset. As far as bashing them, all I did was to tell others what I'm going through and let peeps determine for themselves. I stated how much I loved the performance of the product but if it won't hold up it's no good. The guy Marc seems to be pretty Genuine and I stated that when I posted this.

If they were so worried about me sending them false pics there are ways around that. Did you see the pics that I posted? Does that pipe look abused to you? If they weren't sure that the pics were genuine then why ask me to send pics in the 1st place. I've spent 10 days going through this when all they had to do was ask me to send the pipe to them from day 1. There are several reasons why I should be upset. 1) Is the pitiful warranty of 6 months, 2) If it required inspection they should have had me send it to them Last week on the 1st email, 3) There's more than one issue with the pipe. 4) Someone tried to get me to pay $325 for another pipe and didn't even consider my situation until I got pissed. 5) Cory (who Gunnslinger states is the owner) emailed me saying he's seen this before so it's not uncommon.

I am sure they will take care of it for you,A lot of times its all about who ya talk to,If they dont take care of it please tell us becouse I have an Alba pipe on my 450r and if they screw you over I am selling it on ebay or cutting it in half and sending it back to them proclaiming it as junk it all depends on how i feel at the time.

[Ride1Rob]

Keep on it Rob! They will do whats right or they will lose customers. You are right in that you have not bashed their product, all you have done is post how they treated you and there is nothing wrong with that.

Thanx Scrb15 and everyone else whether you agree with what I'm doing or not.

I am sure they will take care of it for you,A lot of times its all about who ya talk to,If they dont take care of it please tell us becouse I have an Alba pipe on my 450r and if they screw you over I am selling it on ebay or cutting it in half and sending it back to them proclaiming it as junk it all depends on how i feel at the time.

(LOL) Don't go that far! Try to enjoy the pipe! But if it craps out on ya, think about me then (lol). I'll keep you guys posted on what happens. I wasn't able to ship it out today b/c I was busy removing the bearings out of a motor for a rebuild. Will have it shipped out on thursday.

[Inyourdraft2000]

If they dont take care of you I will cancel the order for 30 of these Alba pipes I ordered and was gonna resale them on Ebay.....lol   j/k

I think they will hook you up bro......You have done the right thing......

[Chuck_Norris]

here is the reply I got from ALBA regarding the E-mail I sent them.

BILL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HEADS UP INFORMING ME AS TO WHAT IS BEING POSTED ON YOUR WEBSITE REGARDING OUR COMPANY AND THE PRODCUTS WE MANUFACTUER.  I NEVER EXPECTED THIS TO ESCILATE TO THE LEVEL IT HAS, ESPECIALLY FROM A CUSTOMER THAT IS LOOKING TO RECEIVE ANY TYPE OF HELP OR WARRANTY FROM US.  OUR STANDARD COMPANY PROCEDURE TO WARRANTY ANY PRODUCT WE MANUFACTUER IS TO HAVE THE PRODUCT RETURNED TO US WITH A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL INVOICE.  UPON INSPECTION AT OUR FACILITY, WE CAN TRY AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM SO SEE IF IT’S A RESULT OF MISUSE, NEGLECT, MODIFICATION OF THE PRODUCT, OR IF IT WAS TRULY A MANUFACTUER DEFECT.  IN THE PAST WE’VE RECEIVED PARTS BACK FROM CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE OBVIOUSLY BEEN ABUSED AND NEGLECTED AND THEY STILL EXPECT US TO WARRANTY THE PRODUCT WHEN IT IS CLEARLY NOT OUR FAULT.  OUR STANDARD WARRANTY IS FOR 6 MONTHS AND IS VOID UNLESS PROOF OF PURCHASE IF PROVIDED.  IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, ROB HAD ORIGINALLY ASKED US FOR THE PRICE TO REPLACE THE TWO PARTS AND ONCE WE QUOTED HIM, HE COMPLETELY TURNED AROUND AND EXPECTED US TO WARRANTY IT (IT KIND OF THREW ME THROUGH A LOOP).  EVEN THOUGH HIS PIPE IS WELL OVER 6 MONTHS OLD AND HE ISN’T ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH AN INVOICE, I NEVER ONCE TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD NOT WARRANTY HIS PIPE AND MULTIPLE TIMES SAID THAT I WAS WILLING TO WORK WITH HIM TO GET THE PROBLEM RESOLVED.  AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HEADS UP AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED BEFORE IT GETS EVEN MORE OUT OF HAND.  THANK YOU.

 

Marc Caravaggio
Parts Manager
Alba Action Sports
(858)486-4380 X.204
(858)679-7947 fax
 

[Ride1Rob]

here is the reply I got from ALBA regarding the E-mail I sent them.

BILL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HEADS UP INFORMING ME AS TO WHAT IS BEING POSTED ON YOUR WEBSITE REGARDING OUR COMPANY AND THE PRODCUTS WE MANUFACTUER.  I NEVER EXPECTED THIS TO ESCILATE TO THE LEVEL IT HAS, ESPECIALLY FROM A CUSTOMER THAT IS LOOKING TO RECEIVE ANY TYPE OF HELP OR WARRANTY FROM US.  OUR STANDARD COMPANY PROCEDURE TO WARRANTY ANY PRODUCT WE MANUFACTUER IS TO HAVE THE PRODUCT RETURNED TO US WITH A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL INVOICE.  UPON INSPECTION AT OUR FACILITY, WE CAN TRY AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM SO SEE IF IT’S A RESULT OF MISUSE, NEGLECT, MODIFICATION OF THE PRODUCT, OR IF IT WAS TRULY A MANUFACTUER DEFECT.  IN THE PAST WE’VE RECEIVED PARTS BACK FROM CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE OBVIOUSLY BEEN ABUSED AND NEGLECTED AND THEY STILL EXPECT US TO WARRANTY THE PRODUCT WHEN IT IS CLEARLY NOT OUR FAULT.  OUR STANDARD WARRANTY IS FOR 6 MONTHS AND IS VOID UNLESS PROOF OF PURCHASE IF PROVIDED.  IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, ROB HAD ORIGINALLY ASKED US FOR THE PRICE TO REPLACE THE TWO PARTS AND ONCE WE QUOTED HIM, HE COMPLETELY TURNED AROUND AND EXPECTED US TO WARRANTY IT (IT KIND OF THREW ME THROUGH A LOOP).  EVEN THOUGH HIS PIPE IS WELL OVER 6 MONTHS OLD AND HE ISN’T ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH AN INVOICE, I NEVER ONCE TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD NOT WARRANTY HIS PIPE AND MULTIPLE TIMES SAID THAT I WAS WILLING TO WORK WITH HIM TO GET THE PROBLEM RESOLVED.  AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HEADS UP AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED BEFORE IT GETS EVEN MORE OUT OF HAND.  THANK YOU.

 

Marc Caravaggio
Parts Manager
Alba Action Sports
(858)486-4380 X.204
(858)679-7947 fax
 

Marc is correct in his posts, almost anyway. I asked how much a can and a header was. I didn't ask to be quoted on the full system. I figured that I could simply replace the can and the header and problem solved. They stated they didn't sell them like that so he volunteered to quote me on the price of getting another full system. READ THE EMAILS AS THEY SPEAK VOLUMNS! And if you guys did read it you can remember where I posted that I was moving on to something more durable. He (Marc) asked me to send it in because he didn't want me buying another brand. Like I said, He seems to be Genuine. Me posting this has gotten me some help from some awsome peeps and had I not posted this those calls wouldn't have been made. Thanx for all you guys that are trying to help with my situation.

[Chuck_Norris]

here is a clear example of what can be done when we as ATV/OHV riders get behind for a common goal. Imagine the same strength behind the fight for our riding areas and the Florida ATV Association. We are stronger in numbers and our voices can be heard.
On my own accord I contacted ALBA in support for what I felt was a poor business practice. With the understanding that I went through the same thing with White Brothers. I know that there is always an opportunist to get something for free or just work the system. I believe however each scenario should be assessed  on a case by case basis. Good Luck Rob

[53yfz450]

Rob,
 we have not boght new pipes every couple of months,and have had a problem or 2 but they have always fixed and all we have had to do was send them back and they were fixed.They are the best performing pipe and we have had all of them HMF,S P A R K S and the rest and they were not as good as the ALBA,you brought the right brand,the only thing imeant about the pics is that they get alot of pics that look sincere but they end up finding out that this is not the same pipe,they will take care of you!!!!!

Toby,jake's dad

[Ida_Mann]

here is a clear example of what can be done when we as ATV/OHV riders get behind for a common goal. Imagine the same strength behind the fight for our riding areas and the Florida ATV Association. We are stronger in numbers and our voices can be heard.
On my own accord I contacted ALBA in support for what I felt was a poor business practice. With the understanding that I went through the same thing with White Brothers. I know that there is always an opportunist to get something for free or just work the system. I believe however each scenario should be assessed  on a case by case basis. Good Luck Rob

 

Id@

[450rcrazy]

Rob I think they will take care of you and if they do I believe you should  continue to use their product .If they replace it in good faith you should use it in good faith and tell all how they made things right . However like I said before if they tell you to p!ss off let me know and I will spread the word everywhere. 

[450rcrazy]

here is a clear example of what can be done when we as ATV/OHV riders get behind for a common goal. Imagine the same strength behind the fight for our riding areas and the Florida ATV Association. We are stronger in numbers and our voices can be heard.
On my own accord I contacted ALBA in support for what I felt was a poor business practice. With the understanding that I went through the same thing with White Brothers. I know that there is always an opportunist to get something for free or just work the system. I believe however each scenario should be assessed  on a case by case basis. Good Luck Rob

 

[Chuck_Norris]

this is worth saying again

here is a clear example of what can be done when we as ATV/OHV riders get behind for a common goal. Imagine the same strength behind the fight for our riding areas and the Florida ATV Association. We are stronger in numbers and our voices can be heard.
On my own accord I contacted ALBA in support for what I felt was a poor business practice. With the understanding that I went through the same thing with White Brothers. I know that there is always an opportunist to get something for free or just work the system. I believe however each scenario should be assessed  on a case by case basis. Good Luck Rob

[TRX450R_Racer]

Get a new one, sell it on ebay, then buy something else.

[Ride1Rob]

Well, I shipped the pipe out to them this morning. Guess we'll see what they have to say when they get it. Gonna post more pics of the pipe so you guys see what they're going to see off of the bike.

[Alba450]

Well, I shipped the pipe out to them this morning. Guess we'll see what they have to say when they get it. Gonna post more pics of the pipe so you guys see what they're going to see off of the bike.

They should replace it...

They will clearly see that it has nothing to do with neglect.  It's probably just a defect.

[greenmachine]

WHy would you say their warranty is crappy. You only get a 6 month warranty on a brand new $7,000.00 quad.
Sounds like the ball is rolling though. Truly, they dont have to do anything since you didnt keep records of the purchase. A warranty statement is a legal binding contract you enter when you make the purchase.
Good luck, I still say you will see a new pipe in a week or so

[450rcrazy]

WHy would you say their warranty is crappy. You only get a 6 month warranty on a brand new $7,000.00 quad.
Sounds like the ball is rolling though. Truly, they dont have to do anything since you didnt keep records of the purchase. A warranty statement is a legal binding contract you enter when you make the purchase.
Good luck, I still say you will see a new pipe in a week or so

 I agree the original quad warranties are only 6 month. I had an extended 3 year warranty on my 450r and just read the good bad and ugly section BARNEY'S ST.PETE SUCKS  and that will tell you exactly what crappy customer service is like. My 3 year extended warranty wasn't worth the ink printed on the paper.

[Ride1Rob]

WHy would you say their warranty is crappy. You only get a 6 month warranty on a brand new $7,000.00 quad.
Sounds like the ball is rolling though. Truly, they dont have to do anything since you didnt keep records of the purchase. A warranty statement is a legal binding contract you enter when you make the purchase.
Good luck, I still say you will see a new pipe in a week or so

Is say it's crap b/c there are pipes out there with 2 and 3 year warranties. In terms of the 6 month warranty  on the quad, they do give you an option for a 3 year. And you're right! They don't have to do anything. I didn't think they were and that's why I posted in my email that it was probably a waste of time and I was ready to move on. Marc wasn't willing to see a customer unhappy and move to another product so he's trying help me out.

Anyway, these are pics of the pipe right before they were shipped today. Alil dirty, but no abuse...

http://www.uploadhouse.com/viewfile.php?id=221309

http://www.uploadhouse.com/viewfile.php?id=221310

http://www.uploadhouse.com/viewfile.php?id=221311

http://www.uploadhouse.com/viewfile.php?id=221312

http://www.uploadhouse.com/viewfile.php?id=221308

[Ida_Mann]

now, granted I don't ride as much as you, but I've had my yoshi pipe on my 400 for 2-3 years and not even one little sign of coming apart like those.

Id@