Returns / Warranty FAQs

To answer this question, we must first clarify how Warranty Coverage works.

Automotive product warranties cover “verifiable MANUFACTURER DEFECT” with a remedy of either REPAIR  or REPLACEMENT of the same product. NO OTHER COSTS ARE COVERED: no labor, no towing, no compensation for inconvenience, injury or other incidental or ripple-effect costs…and no refund either (except at the discretion of the manufacturer or retailer in cases where the remedy options of repair or replacement are not available). Defect issues are typically discovered either upon inspection/during installation OR when a product fails to function properly during normal use. Warranty coverage is also only applicable to the original purchaser of a product. 

If you buy some parts and then you commission them to a 3rd party to install them, then even if you are the one who contacts us or the manufacturer to report product defect or failure, the symptoms/scenario/info being provided is no longer being made with first-hand knowledge and observation by the original purchaser. This can make it difficult — and sometimes impossible — to verify an issue as “failed due to defect” vs. “failed due to damage caused in the course of incorrect istallation”.  

Most mechanics are good, honest people, but they don’t always have the level of experience with a particular aircooled VW project that (despite their best intention to provide you with the service that you seek) they may not be truly qualified to do.  And the reality is that if you buy your own parts for a project (usually people buy direct to save a few bucks) instead of buying those same parts through the mechanic doing the work, then that mechanic has no vested interest in being held financially responsible for breaking or incorrectly installing a part that they did not SELL to you. 

An example of this is if you buy new rotors for a brake job to get done on your VW. A professional/experienced mechanic would know to inspect the hub prior to install attempt to see if there might be fissures or casting inconsistencies. If there is evidence of casting abnormalities or fissures, it would be at THAT point that photos should be taken and a potential warranty issue reported. If the inspection is NOT done, and then the hubs crack during installation, then it becomes much more difficult to determine if the crack occurred due to defect or if it was due to improper installation technique. Even if hubs are sound upon inspection, they may still crack if they are not tapped on slowly, carefully and evenly. Did your mechanic do the pre-install inspection? Did he use the correct tool for the job? (a mallet, not a hammer.) Did he apply the correct amount of even tapping pressure? or did the hub crack because the fit is tight (which it should be) and he indiscriminately and impatiently pounded on the rotor to force it on? And would he/she admit it to you if they had?

We call this a “3rd party install” and they are everyone’s worst nightmare because nobody wins when caught in the Bermuda triangle of car owner, parts supplier, and mechanic (licensed, experienced or not). If you are using a mechanic or auto-shop, let them source and sell you the parts — that way THEY  have the responsiblity of dealing with any defect or warranty issues instead of you! Remember it’s part of a mechanic’s livelihood to make a bit of profit on the parts that they recommend and use in the coursing of providing you with their commissioned repair or restoration services.  You should look at the bit extra you may pay as “responsibility insurance”, because in essence, that’s what you are paying for…for the mechanic to be responsible for the integrity of the parts they put on your car.

“Cores” are the used parts that may be returned for credit after you have purchased a rebuilt product us. Not all cores are rebuildable so return of a core does not guarantee that you will receive a core fee refund. We send cores to our rebuilders for assessment and if accepted as “rebuildable” then they can be used to create a remanufactured part. 

The core charge and core return system that is prevalent in the autoparts world is a great way to recycle, and in the classic VW parts world, it helps to keep some no-longer-manufactured-new products available.  Cores are only returnable if explicitly stated in the product listing, and the core return must be requested and sent back to us on a timely basis (within 90 days). Please read our full CORE RETURN POLICY details and request a Core Return Authorization before attempting to return a core. 

We ask that you send us your order and tech questions by email instead of calling us. Your email is directed to the appropriate person or department and will be answered as quickly as we are able (response time depends on the nature of info you are asking for AND on the volume of email inquiries we are experiencing).

We provide all customer care and product support by email because not only does customer care and tech assistance by phone tend to be about 20 times more time consuming than the same questions answered via email, but verbal conversations also result in higher error rates and misunderstandings. Email correspondence provides a written record of all info related to each customer’s needs and situation (vehicle info, project goals, timeframe of parts needs, and specific service and parts requests). We refer to your correspondence and order history to be able to serve you better, AND it gives you a written record to refer back to as well, so that you don’t have to rely on your memory to recall what service commitments we have made to you.

We rely heavily on email as the most efficient and accurate way to serve our customers. Please only contact us by PHONE if email is not possible for some reason, or if your situation (or tech question) is so complicated that it cannot be explained in writing.