Importing APR products from the US

[mikinoz]

He who cries first on expensive local price is that last to stop whining when their OEM warranty is voided.

Every industry faces sales erosion from personal imports. And if you want to do that method your welcome to. But questioning why is really a bit pointless.

[Bug_racer]

Yes, if the business you bought it from was sufficiently insured.
IMO, that's the reason for that law. The workshop that fitted the faulty part is responsible for it. Believe me, I don't like it either.

Because, it means that the customer would be suing the workshop that fitted the faulty part not the chan**hong manufacturer somewhere else while you can claim from your insurer. IMO, that's the purpose of that law. What your insurance cover and what not is something you can find later, but the first thing what the insurance does; they check how they can void the claim (said simply).

I've never had to claim anything of my insurance under these circumstances, because I’ve always preferred to lose the customers who come with the part in the hand that they bought who knows where. I choose my suppliers wisely.
I'm not saying that you don't and my post wasn't about the businesses that import the parts and offer the warranty for them.

The individuals that import the parts themself are the risk for the business.
Hence, having the right partner as your parts supplier with the right quality parts (products) is important.

For others:
I know some could say, it's all about the balancing the risk, but I don't gamble.

I just spoke with fair trading and they have said this is not correct .
Whoever brings the parts in is responsible for them , so if a customer brings in the part they are responsible , if the workshop brings the part in from overseas they are responsible for it . They said you can not burden a workshop who can not asses faulty goods if they dont have the equipment to test them . The blame lies in whoever is the importer or if purchased locally the local importer / manufacturer .

[Ideo]

He who cries first on expensive local price is that last to stop whining when their OEM warranty is voided.

Every industry faces sales erosion from personal imports. And if you want to do that method your welcome to. But questioning why is really a bit pointless.

Yep. Because we all know that there is no issue with OEM warranty with fitting local parts either...

That's a bit of baseless scare mongering there.

[gh172]

I've imported several APR parts from the USA. So far I have the APR Intercooler, APR HPFP and APR RSC catback exhaust. While the Intercooler and HPFP are fine, my APR RSC catback exhaust is driving me crazy. It makes a noticeable humming noise during cold starts. Possibly a problem with the baffles in one of the mufflers. Unfortunately due to the fact that I bought it from the States, I'm unable to get it fixed under warranty. That's the downside to importing directly from the US.

[kryten2001]

Mate is it only for 30 seconds or so then it quietens down?

If so its normal, it's not the exhaust rather the engine. During cold starts there's a flapper valve near the exhaust manifold that significantly alters the note of the exhaust.

[gh172]

Your right, it is only during the first 30 seconds. Is this just with the APR system as I didn't hear it when I had a Milltek installed?

[kryten2001]

Who knows, maybe, each exhaust sounds a bit different. You can even detect a note change on the standard exhaust.

Don't worry though it's not the exhaust so you are all good.

It may have been there on the other exhaust but you just didn't notice it.

[gh172]

Definitely always noticed a change to the note at cold starts. As in its quite a bit louder, its just that with the APR it sounds like a humming sound. Like a pronounced wind travelling through pipe kind of sound.A guy on another forum mentioned he had a similar sound and turned out to be a bad weld on one of the baffles inside the mid muffler. APR exchanged his catback. I'm hoping your right in this circumstance as I've no warranty.

[kryten2001]

Yeah mine makes a loud rasping sound, then when the flapper valve does its thing after 30 seconds or so it returns to 'normal' (if you can call it that). I wouldn't stress about it mate.

[gh172]

I know what you mean about the rasping noise, unfortunately its not that. This sound sounds like a very low tone flute.