Calling MDA Owners

[Jim Downard]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Wow Doc,
Mark must really have done something to you to rant like that. I personnaly have had exactly the opposite dealings from what you've described. Mark had been extremely helpful in my purchaing process. MDA was the fourth manufacturer that looked at before purchasing. I spend 2 years investigating my purchase also. Two of the three are well respected bands out there, but each one had someone badmouthing their products as well. I looked passed that to determine what I really wanted. I ended up with MDA and have never for a second regretted my decision. I too am fed up with businesses operating without morals or common decency. I'll state this as a fact while red, white, and blue blood runs through my veins. "America is getting lazy" and I can't stand it. I was raised on a farm, my grandparents were poor, and we learned to work our nuts off and that handshake deals were more binding than paper. Integrity matters. From what I've experienced, Mark Sibley has it. In a perfect world everyone is happy 24/7, sadly though, we don't live in Utopia and we all better learn to deal with it. I know what it's like to be a small fish living in the big pond. You bust your butt trying to make everyone happy, and the one's who aren't make the most noise. That's fine, but if you have two unhappy soles (no offense guys), and 25 completely satisfied soles, is that bad. If every customer was to chime in with the same volume, both good and bad, would you still have the same feelings toward MDA. I don't know ALL of the details in the two previous instances, and I doubt seriously if I'll ever get ALL the facts, so until I know the FULL story, I'll not make judgements on others. History does show that there are ALWAYS two sides to every story.

Jim Downard

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

[ QUOTE ]
Feel better now?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm...This is your first post, huh?

If you're suggesting that my post is a rant, you're simply wrong. I may have, however, overstate the obvious.

My apologies for the long-winded overstating of obviousness!

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

[ QUOTE ]
Wow Doc,

[/ QUOTE ]

Your post suggests that I'm knocking this manufacturer for little or no reason. Not so. I stated the obvious reasons I no longer consider MDA as an option--as well as what criteria I used to make this decision. My criteria are not out of the ordinary. On the contrary, they are common--common sense.

It appears that you have resigned to the acceptance of the notion that you MUST accept poor business practices, product defects, and an apparent complete lack of organization, as it is with this case. Now, that sounds harsh, but it is wholly true--MDA's rep never denied his lack of correspondence, continued failings, or bad/missing welds.

I'm sure you do not practice Caveat Emptor in your business. Neither do I. Neither will the manufacturer I go with. Whether MDA purposely imposes this upon its customers is not in question—I’m sure it was all simple, compounded mistake after mistake. Your post suggests that this practice is normal; to be expected—something we all have to deal with from time to time. Well, we're all aware that mistakes will happen. My post simply points out that common sense says I shouldn’t START a relationship with a manufacturer who ALREADY appears to unwittingly be subjecting their customers to the effects of Caveat Emptor. In free enterprise, the best do indeed deserve to succeed—and will in the long run--the innocent buyer deserves this outcome. Heck--I hope MDA hires a operations manager who turns things around--there aren't a lot of affordable 40 manufacturers out there! Who knows--my investigation may reveal MDA as the lesser of all evils in the end!

My response simply stands in truth as common sense, friend. Let's not make this any bigger than it already is.

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Sorry, I know I'm new here but I'm looking. I was merely reflecting that perhaps you now felt better after letting off what was a large head of steam. I'm not sure that the manufacturer in question quite deserved that lengthy tirade based as it was on the comments of 1 or 2 people on this forum. I know that limited production specialist automobile manufacturing to a budget is a very complex art mainly because of the economies of scale, and like Jim said, there are 2 sides to every story.

By the way, this is my second post.

Regards,

Mark (Bolton)

 

[Chris Martino]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Doc,

I won't speak for Mark or comment on behalf as an MDA rep. IMHO, you're entitled to your opinion but if you think, for one minute that you're going to get that level of 'care', all I can say is good luck. Cobra's are a dime a dozen when compaired to the GT40's, the level of the build is 10x the complexity. The amount of supplied parts from dozens of different custom farbrication shops dictate everything from build lead-times, to part sales, to shipping etc... MDA is't Sears or McDonalds or Ford with a million trained sales reps that handel people who expect the world while not even living in the real one - small shop, small staff - huge demands. What you have surmised as MDA's so-called lack of disorganization can sometimes be due to these FACTS and mostly because they have had unprecidented and overwhelming response to a fantasic product built by a decent, good natured person that, for almost 20 years have served the GT40 commnuity.

I won't get into the handbag swinging that this thread has turned into ladies.

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Thanks, Chris.

You've provided some additional excellent insight--all of which I am aware, by the way.

I have presented no extravagant, unrealistic requests or desires--please re-read my posts if you think I have.

I have seen 4 important things here:

1. Valid complaints brought to public attention. I truly wish to thank the poor souls who earned that right.

2. The manufacturer did NOT deny the merry-go-round experience of its customers. This shows me that MDA did, indeed, make the series of mistakes after mistakes described by these customers.

3. A lack of repentance from the manufacturer. This shows me that MDA does not recognize the extent to which it has screwed up--AND that it places little value in the contentment of its customers.

4. A prideful response by the manufacturer. This shows me MDA will not admit the extent to which it has screwed up and is basically flipping us all the bird.

What I'd LIKE to see is something like, "On behald of MDA, I'd like to admit our recent disasterous dealings with customer A and customer B. We regret these mistakes and wish to sincerely apologize to the friends we've effected in this manner. These mistakes have been solely the fault of MDA and we whole-heartedly apologize. To show everyone how serious we are, and how much we value the friendship of our customers, we have made some drastic changesin our organization that we believe will place us squarely on the proper side of the line:

a. To ensure that our valued customers are not ever left uninformed, ...
b. To ensure that we never mis-up customers orders again, ...
c. Top ensure timely delivery, ...
d. In the event of changes to orders beyond our control, ...
e. In order to the proper parts and mailed in the most timely fashion possible, ...

That is NOT what I saw in MDA's response. In fact, I see absolutely no thought in reference to imposing organizational changes for the benefit of the consumer. MDA has not seen the continuing errors of its ways...until now.

 

[Julian West]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Doc,

Re your post, with the greatest respect, what a load of bollocks.

In my personal experience, I've had good service & quality parts from MDA. Sure I've had to wait for some parts, but I've also bought many items from stock. If there has been any problem's the parts have been exchanged and upgraded, FOC, with no questions. I'm happy to go back to MDA anytime.

So Doc, Are you going to slag off all the other manufacturers you're *NOT* going to buy from?? Do come back & tell us (next time you visit this planet) when you've found a GT40 kit manufacturer that can not only deliver automotive perfection, but also supplies the copious amounts of arse kissing you require as their highly valued customer.

My very best regards to you,

BTW is Waynesville anywhere near Waynettasville?

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

http://www.treats4chicks.co.uk/img/pink-jelly-handbag.jpg

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

[ QUOTE ]
Doc,

Re your post, with the greatest respect, what a load of bollocks.

In my personal experience, I've had good service & quality parts from MDA. Sure I've had to wait for some parts, but I've also bought many items from stock. If there has been any problem's the parts have been exchanged and upgraded, FOC, with no questions. I'm happy to go back to MDA anytime.

So Doc, Are you going to slag off all the other manufacturers you're *NOT* going to buy from?? Do come back & tell us (next time you visit this planet) when you've found a GT40 kit manufacturer that can not only deliver automotive perfection, but also supplies the copious amounts of arse kissing you require as their highly valued customer.

My very best regards to you,

BTW is Waynesville anywhere near Waynettasville?

[/ QUOTE ]

I apologize, sir. My posts were meant for folks who can read.

Again, my apologies.

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

It seems, from the new emails now sitting in my mailbox already, that there are several manufacturers willing to cater to my unreasonable demands and asp kissing requirements. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Julian West]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Hey Doc,

No need to apologise.

Will you please let us know which manufacturer you decide to buy from, I'd be fascinated to know.

That's assuming you are actually a genuine purchaser & not just a dreamer.

again, my very best regards,

 

[JBarryDavison]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Julian and Mark,

If that w*nker actually purchases a car off anyone I'll buy you both all the beer you can drink for a month !

What do you reckon...failed schoolteacher or a parking attendant?

BD

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

The funny thing is, absolutely no one has denied that all of the compounded mistakes have occurred...and the manufacturer only responded with excuses and pride--and no expressed intent to rectify.

Keep the comments coming--this way we can all see who the lowdown folks really are, rather than filtering through blown sunshine for answers.

[ QUOTE ]
I trust that the forum is serving the proper purpose, that is, to help owners get things resolved, and is not being put to poor use here with name calling and mud slinging. Doing so would be an abuse of the service and does none of us any good.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the "Consumer Watch" forum, people. The category is explained as follows: "Consumer experiences related to GT40s." I say folks should have the right to post and discuss their experiences here, as the category suggests. I agree, Ron, folks ought to be able to post here in discussion of this manner without others who don't have any valid points to make putting this forum to poor use as you described. Maybe we need another category: "Name Calling and Slander Battleground"; "Anything goes except common sense."

 

[40 Bud]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

So, Doc, what has been your experience with MDA?

 

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

[ QUOTE ]
So, Doc, what has been your experience with MDA?

[/ QUOTE ]

You must have missed this:

[ QUOTE ]
This is the second post I've personally seen about MDA and its inferior product and—possibly worst of all—absent customer support. They are probably completely unaware that they are missing the most necessary component of success: organization.

I'm new, as you can see, and I'm the guy these companies need to cater to if they expect continued existence.

MDA is OFF-OFF-OFF my list. I'll never consider an MDA again--and for obvious reasons. MDA will never be able to overcome this permanent record of their continued failures here. In life and business, failures like this will happen. Second chances sometimes never come. In my mind, MDA is simply accumulating accurate responses to their product here which will take them somewhere. They’ve gotten on the wrong bus.

If anyone out there is interested, I'm looking for a builder who will give me ACCURATE info about their kit as opposed to blown sunshine. I realize that kits/parts take time to deliver. But receiving a bumper sticker in the mail with a short letter saying that my manufacturer appreciates my patience, in the mean time, as I continue to wait patiently for my kit/parts to arrive helps. Yes, I realize that my manufacturer is just trying to keep me happy, AND I APPRECIATE THAT!!! You can’t make this happen without simple, professional, basic, common-sense organization.

I’ve visited B&B cobra here in Missouri, and they, to me, are a good example of an organized manufacturer who builds a quality product. I contacted them about a plant tour on a date I specified, I arrived, witnessed their imperfect but wholly functional shop complex early on a Saturday morning, and never got the hard sell. I received a tour with an intelligent builder who simply forgot to comb his hair before he rolled out of bed and met me at his shop! Bad hair was an understatement. But B&B’s physical shop appeared logically-organized and efficient--and they weren’t a white-glove establishment and hadn’t jacked the price of their kits up to support overkill organization and beautiful landscaping.

The company I go with needs to know the secret: I am more important than the product they deliver...AND that the product they deliver MUST be TOP notch and offer ME something other top-notch builders don't. Ask me what I want, explain to me advantages and disadvantages of all of the choices before me, and throw in stuff like bumper stickers, sound dampening material or free powdercoat here and there—without me even asking! It’s YOUR job to make me happy—and keep me that way. YOU must maintain this relationship and expect to be the end that will flex and accommodate and keep me happy. Say what you will, but this is the way free enterprise grows; this is how your business grows and earns the Holy Grail: good word-of-mouth advertising.

I feel like I’m teaching basic marketing and ethical business practices to grade schoolers…let’s move on…

Most of us here on this forum are honed professionals. I have never run my organization in the manner MDA obviously does: with a complete disinterest for organization. MDA’s obvious practices are a recipe for repeat well-deserved disasters like the two I’ve read about there.

I say again: It's me you need to please—with your correspondence, service and product.

I want to build a 40--but if it comes down to it, I'll actually choose a cobra roadster or coupe before I will ever go with an unorganized manufacturer and his inferior product. I’d take up knitting first.

As consumers, getting what we pay for is always a gamble—and we ought never take unwise chances. I certainly think that businesses who do what MDA does should will get exactly what they earn...eventually. I have no loyalties here yet—so I can say that with complete believability. This ought to be empowering information for others seeking a GT40 manufacturer like me. You don’t HAVE to be the brunt of an unorganized manufacturer’s folly. Just make wise decisions based upon common sense—and recognize when someone’s blowing sunshine up your asp.

I’m looking for perfection, and I know that that’s NOT what I’ll ever actually wind up with. But that doesn’t mean I set my sights lower. My bean has NATURALLY written off MDA as an OBVIOUS bad pick.

Enough said.

[/ QUOTE ]

My experience with MDA stopped dead in its tracks after the third derrogatory post (*consumer problems not denied by MDA) I witnessed. Do you think folks ought to be able to post here in discussion of this manner?

This has got to be the most rediculous series of posts I'm ashamed to say I've been a part of.

 

[Chris Martino]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

**CAUTION**

For other rookie (newbee's) keep this thread in your back pocket. First, this is a well knit group of GT40 enthusiasts who have been there and done that - first word of caution - don't insult their intellegence by pretending to know what they do, you'll pay in the end as Doc has made himself out to be the text book example of someone who has limited knowledge. Second - no manufacturer in this community builds or markets a bad GT40 replica on the whole. They are part of the tight web that is weaved about this community and we do what we can to support one another in our efforts, try to help one another out and compliment the hard work of both the builders and manufacturers alike. What Doc fails to see is that many of the forum members have gone to the aid of these individuals to assist them, as Mark has by sending parts free of charge. Doc should also notice there is a very strong alliance to Mark and MDA, as he is probably quite aware of by now.

Companies like MDA give those VERY lucky enough, a chance to experience the thrills of owning the next best thing to the real deal. Doc, give these guys some respect and you'll quickly gain the same back in return. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif No hard feelings.

 

[Howard Jones]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Wow!! Hell. I would have gotten out the ol tig machine and welded up the little missing spot myself rather that done all that typing. Would have been faster too!

One thing is for sure. There's more to it than callin up the GT40 kit man, uppackin the boxes, bolt it together, win Le Mans. Chill out. This fix it/ figure it out you own self stuff is what makes a GT40 better than all them cobras.

Maybe you would be better of with a factory 5.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Brian Kissel]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

Howard ! strange you mention Factory Five. I was just on a site tonight where ther was a lot of bitchen going on. It seems the quality of the bodys, had really taken crap. See Factory Five isn't the fix all answer either. I think it was factoryfiveonline or something like that. But one of the owners was on there talking about the trouble. They said, they had to remove two moulds from production. Other people were talking about 1/2" body gaps and the like. If anybody really wants to read it I'll look up the post. Hell, that was easier to find than I thought. Here it is: trouble in paradise (Factory Five) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Regards Brian

 

[Howard Jones]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

I really don't know much about factory 5 other than they are known to be fairly simple and quick to build. I was talking to a bunch of them once at a goodguy show and they were all commenting on the record to finish a build. It was messured in days, something like less than 30 or so. When I told them that my car had taken several 1000s of hours they just all went silent.

To anybody who is reading this and getting frightened off from building a GT40. Don't be, but please take your time and go and look at these cars in person. Talk to the owner AND the builders. All of the current car suppliers have very good cars for you to build. Any of them including MDA would be a wonderful machine if you do a good job.

I supect that most people at one point or another find themselfs wondering what they got themselfs into but that is just part of the deal. These cars are the most complex kits you can build so just enjoy the process of learning about them. Fly around the country if you have to and look at them. It would be best to visit a few in progress as well.

Read every word on this forum if you can. Just about everything that can happen has, to one of us here. I think that you will find that most if not all got resolved fairly quickly. There were many times I could have gotten mad about one thing or the other. Instead I asked for help got it and learned somthing in the process as well as made many new friends. These cars will take a couple of years or so to do right. They are not Factory 5's

No bad intended on F5's.
Just a very different thing all together.

 

[Lukas Matzinger]

Re: Calling MDA Owners(poor souls)

[ QUOTE ]
Howard ! strange you mention Factory Five. I was just on a site tonight where ther was a lot of bitchen going on. It seems the quality of the bodys, had really taken crap. See Factory Five isn't the fix all answer either. I think it was factoryfiveonline or something like that. But one of the owners was on there talking about the trouble. They said, they had to remove two moulds from production. Other people were talking about 1/2" body gaps and the like. If anybody really wants to read it I'll look up the post. Hell, that was easier to find than I thought. Here it is: trouble in paradise (Factory Five) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Regards Brian

[/ QUOTE ]

Brian,

Did you really read through the whole thing...? Guess you missed the top, where it said the date of this post: 2002! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Lukas