Tom,
Certainly the SHO Shop has contributed greatly to the SHO aftermarket, however being one of a select few organizations offering parts for our cars is still no excuse for poor customer service and items of questionable construction and durability. There is certainly no shortage of Taurus SHO enthusiasts or SVT Contour enthusiasts who have had ill dealings in the past, either with defective parts or extreme difficulty getting parts at all. Several people I know as well as myself have left phone messages only to be ignored. People have placed orders, only to wait weeks or months for the items that were advertised as either in stock or due "any day now." Personally, my last SHO Shop experience was about a year and a half ago when I ordered the cold air snorkel...it took 3 weeks to get this "in stock" part and it was far from the bolt-on item it was advertised to be. I had to do some minor cutting on my 95 MTX just to get it to fit properly...the mounting holes did not line up correctly, and within 2 months the paint was flaking off...that was because there wasn't any sort of primer applied before the finish coat. Frankly, for $120.00 I expected a LOT more than a what I received.
Before that, I contacted SHO Shop about an MTX y-pipe. Despite the many reports I'd heard about poor fitment and cats burning out within months I decided the cost was right, so I called and left messages not once, not twice, but THREE times. I left my name, the organization I was with and the item I wanted to buy. Two days and no return message, so I called Performance Plus, ordered their y-pipe and had it two days later, and that pipe continues to serve dutifly under my 89
For the past two years, the SVT/SHO Society has contacted the SHO Shop in regards to Spring Zing...a national convention featuring the two main cars SHO Shop deals with...Taurus SHO's and SVT Contours. We've contacted several organizations about participating as a sponsor...it's certainly not for everyone and we completely understand not wanting to participate, and we hold no misgivings to these businesses as such. However, from ALL the businesses we contacted we received at the very least a polite phone message/conversation or email thanking us for the offer and declining to participate, but from SHO Shop there wasn't a single message. Not a call, email, or even a simple no thanks.
Obviously I'm not alone in my ill dealings, of which I'm sure you're aware. I've met several people in person from both the SHO and Contour community and many more online through this forum, the Contour Enthusiasts Group and SHOtimes.com who've not had the best experience with SHO Shop. And I must be completely honest here...the only reason I'm purchasing these pulleys is because my SHO sees some agressive driving, both at the drag strip and road course so accessory wear is a real concern to me. I do not want to upset the balance on the crankshaft by underdriving the crank pulley, so the SHO Shop was my only alternative, and this was a long, drawn out choice for me, even with the driving conditions my SHO sees. I choose to order through SHO NUT because in my opinion they set the bar for excellence, quality and customer relations in the SHO aftermarket community. Every dealing I've had with Nick and Josh has been flawless...they've gone WAY out of their way to keep me a satisfied customer, and in return I've given them (and will continue to do so) my own business time and again, as well as the business of countless other SHO enthusiasts both inside and outside my organization.
Tom, I do want to commend you for addressing us here at SHOforum. I can certainly appreciate the contributions that the SHO Shop has made to the SHO community. I know it makes for difficult business at times, catering to a select group of enthusiasts, and it's commendable to see the SHO Shop still in business and turning a profit (I assume) after all these years. I also want to commend you HIGHLY for attempting to make amends to the significant damage done to the SHO Shop reputation over the past few years. I think you have a good start, coming to the enthusiasts and talking to them directly, but I'm sure you understand that there is a LONG way to go. At this point I feel it will take more than just words and pep speeches...at least it will for me. It's time to make better products at reasonable prices, maintain strong customer service and honor orders in a timely manner. I understand that sometimes items are backordered, but there is simply no excuse for the big delays many of us have experienced when an item is labeled as in stock or arriving "any day now."
Tom, once again let me say thank you for addressing the board. It is refreshing to know that SHO Shop is at least attempting to build some new bridges. I hope you don't see this message as a flame...just an unhappy customer voicing his concerns.
