freeman_j wrote:
Believe it or not I am totally messin' with all of you.

You guys get riled up way too easy. We are all into the same hobby. How we choose to pursue it is our own choice.

and

freeman_j wrote:
It was just the more replies I got the more fun it was to twist them around and reply back. Besides, I need to build up my posts so I can use the arcade. J/K

Pretty lame coverup for some severe back pedaling

freeman_j wrote:
I asked out of curiousity. I saw some of the tintmaster guys from Fargo at some of the car shows with the colored tint on their cars and was curious about how much it costs. Personally I think it is ricey, but that's my opinion.

I was mainly using the tint as an example of crazy prices. I wasn't talking about labor either (I guess on the tint I was). I was talking about the mark up on parts. They don't need to sell at cost, but they don't need to sell $100+ over either. If their business is suffering that bad where they need to do these huge mark ups to make up for it, they need to get out of business. That's just common sense to me.

As I said earlier I do my own mods so I am not worried about labor. I just thought maybe it would be more convenient to run down the street and pick up the parts then to order them online. Besides like I said earlier, half the parts you buy from the local shops are ordered online by them so you are basically paying a middle man. Even if I have to pay for shipping I still save tons of cash ordering online for myself and alot of companies don't charge for shipping so that's even more cash saved.

Also, it is stupid to use the quote: "You have to pay to play" because with the money you could save by avoiding these shops you could "Play" a hell of alot more.

I am just venting because I would rather go into a shop a deal with a real person, but I am not willing to get ripped off to do so.
i dont know if it was said already... but you must not understand that these buisnesses have whole sale accounts which gets parts some what cheaper than any joe schmoe who goes on the internet to buy the parts. so unless you got a whole sale account, you are paying right around what you would pay to get them off the internet.

If you think Cali is so great move there, if you don't like it here get the hell out

freeman_j wrote:
Believe it or not I am totally messin' with all of you.

You guys get riled up way too easy. We are all into the same hobby. How we choose to pursue it is our own choice.

I have been into the import scene since 92' and have seen alot of things change for the good and some for the bad (mainly because of that damn movie). I have been doing the online ordering thing for over ten years now, that's why I know it and defend it. When I first got into the scene it was the only way, besides mail order and 1-800 #'s, to get parts unless you were from Cali. I can totally see all of your points and I am fully aware how buisinesses work. Most of the shops around here are pretty cool and have some really good people working for them.

It was just the more replies I got the more fun it was to twist them around and reply back. Besides, I need to build up my posts so I can use the arcade. J/K

I do hate ND though, not cause of the people or scene or anything, but because of this damn weather.

Thanks for making my work day fly by.

This is the lamest post ever. You are quite the tool.

You guys get riled up way too easy. We are all into the same hobby. How we choose to pursue it is our own choice.

I have been into the import scene since 92' and have seen alot of things change for the good and some for the bad (mainly because of that damn movie). I have been doing the online ordering thing for over ten years now, that's why I know it and defend it. When I first got into the scene it was the only way, besides mail order and 1-800 #'s, to get parts unless you were from Cali. I can totally see all of your points and I am fully aware how buisinesses work. Most of the shops around here are pretty cool and have some really good people working for them.

It was just the more replies I got the more fun it was to twist them around and reply back. Besides, I need to build up my posts so I can use the arcade. J/K

I do hate ND though, not cause of the people or scene or anything, but because of this damn weather.

Thanks for making my work day fly by.

You come here and start bitching and running your mouth if your so unhappy with everything do it yourself. wait you already said you couldn't.

do you realize that the import market in california or down south is like the size of all the cars here?

shut the fuck up or leave.

02AccordEXV6 wrote:
I'd personally rather support the local shops and buy from them, rather than waiting weeks to months on parts that I want for my car, that you can't guarantee will be in the best condition when you recieve it.

Never had any problems. Have you ever actually ordered anything from the internet?

integra_gsr98 wrote:
Do we hope and pray our parts arrive, no. We order from legit distributors who have quality repuations in the industry. In order to provide good prices to customers we have to make buyins that sometimes only start at $1000 and go all the way up to $10,000 or more.

If you had any idea what it is like ordering parts for the average consumer you would know that $10 markup isn't really worth the time when you tend to spend multiple days discussing options and so on with each individual customer.

Do any of you people even read the threads before you reply????

I was told earlier if I ordered from the internet that I would have to hope and pray that my parts arrived. So I replied that the shops order from the internet also. Do they hope and pray? No! Well neither do I. Got it yet. I have never had to wait more than 5 days for a part that wasn't a special order item. I don't care where you go, if it is a special order item, you are going to wait. I guess I save myself the "discussing options fee"* (sarcasm, not literal. I don't need anybody telling me there is no such thing as "discussing options fee" duh)* by doing my own research.

I, and I repeat, I would glady order parts for someone for a $10 fee (rearranging the wording so the kids can finally understand). I am not saying the shops only should mark up $10. They should find better distributors than NOPI. There are hundreds of quality legit, internet shops that sell way below what NOPI charges.

freeman_j wrote:
I didn't say they should only mark up $10. I said, I would gladly order parts for people for a $10 mark up at home.

I have never had any problems with a real internet company (I don't EBay). Where do these shops get there parts? Do they hope and pray they arrive? Same thing.

I'd gladly remove my own windows if it is going to save me a ton of money. Unless you are doing major engine work every install is pretty basic.

Do we hope and pray our parts arrive, no. We order from legit distributors who have quality repuations in the industry. In order to provide good prices to customers we have to make buyins that sometimes only start at $1000 and go all the way up to $10,000 or more.

If you had any idea what it is like ordering parts for the average consumer you would know that $10 markup isn't really worth the time when you tend to spend multiple days discussing options and so on with each individual customer.

And then when you reinstall your own windows and fuck them up there goes your warranty on the tint. There is a reason things are done the way they are done.

On the colored tint subject, there's some wrong info posted already and I'll clear it up right now. Colored tint is usually one layer of film, not two, unless the shop does a clear layer to protect the colored stuff. So you might think it's still the same amount of work? Nope. The film that the colored stuff is made out of is a bitch to work with compared to normal smoke shades of tint. So the tinter must be much more careful working with it and putting it on the windows, and on top of that, the colored stuff is much more expensive as well. Now if you want mirrored or colored mirror tint, that's even more expensive for the tint and for labor because it's a HUGE bitch to do. The mirror shit is like tinfoil, any wrong little move and it's got pinch marks and creases, not to mention that mirrored tint shows EVERY last piece of dust. Tint prices here in Fargo are expensive yes, but like the others said, you get lifetime warranty against EVRYTHING. If you get it tinted and go out to your car and bust out a window, that's usually covered as long as the shop has some type of abuse warranty. Compare the work done at a local tint shop here to one of your places down south you talk about. It can't look good when you pay $99 for a bunch of dirty bastards to come and put tint on your windows on your lunch break outside in the wind!

You're bitching about the $600 tint job is ridiculous, you obviously have no idea what all goes in to doing color tint. As I remember correctly Kirk got his regular tint done at Team for $213, which is pretty damn good. Now think that there are two layers in color tint, double the price. Now you're at over $400, plus the bitch of labor that goes in to installing it.

Please be done bitching about the local shops in town. I'd personally rather support the local shops and buy from them, rather than waiting weeks to months on parts that I want for my car, that you can't guarantee will be in the best condition when you recieve it.

papmurph wrote:
dude you are a retard, if you think that these shops hope that they're products just come, then why the hell would they back them. fuck this post your pissing me off way too much i'd rather go to work, hope you don't fall in a hole and there's nothing to complain about.

Before you reply RETARD, read the quote that I am replying to.

papmurph wrote:
if you go to tintmasters, they use parts from nopi.com, so you're saying parts are cheaper online, bull. you go to shane and ask him how much an exhaust would be for your car and it would be the same price as online. And dude you're not getting ripped off, these places do really good quality work, so if you don't want to pay this much move south or to cali and get made fun of.

It's called a internet search engine, NOPI sucks, they already mark up the price then your beloved tintmasters marks it up even more.

Plus after some of the things I have heard about tintmasters I wouldn't let them guys near my car with. no names but, ask about about the 500 mile road trip to get a UTEC tuned because of major issues with the car running poor, 8mpg!!! That's one of many stories I have heard, so where is this exerptise you guys so dearly pay for.