Anyone ever buy from FCP Euro ?

[M6SCOTT]

BMW Control Arm Upgrade Kit (E28 E24) - E2816Piece | Write a review (http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-control-arm-upgrade-kit-e28-e24-e2816piece/reviews/new) | Report an error (http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-control-arm-upgrade-kit-e28-e24-e2816piece/errata/new)
Brand:http://dyw03owr7vs3n.cloudfront.net/assets/brand_logos/level-1-kit-see-description_logo-8a4db0957e3eaae32ad9bb68b9030ecf.gifLevel 1 Kit - See DescriptionSKU #:e2816piecePart:Suspension KitOE Numbers:31121132353, 31121132354, 31121139987, 31121139988, 31351134582, 32211135666, 32211129014, 32211136450, 33551126932, 33311130488, 33321126476, 101-4951 73199, 101-4055 67285, 101-5203 67214, 101-5251 71460,, 27419CS ID:27419 $503.25 MSRP: $1,006.50

[dwal95008]

Yes, not a bad product. I went all lemfoerder brand. Car rides smooth as butter at least a few thousand miles later.

[RSheiman]

I buy most parts from Autohaus Az, BMA and sometimes FCP if they will have the best price. Customer service has been quite good. That said, there have been people for and against these kits, my sense is more against. As suggested, Lemforder or Myle HD for OEM. Others will chime in if you want a step above ie poly bushings (where another set of opinions awaits).

[Bert Poliakoff]

Not from experience, but from being on the various boards a while. Make absolutely sure of the brand from FPC as they do carry some Chinese stuff that is pure crap and does not have much. longevity

[mauryc]

FCP used to not identify the brands they sold, and you ended up with Chinese suspension parts that have a very short wear life. The company did a good job listening to complaints and have now added quality parts and designate what brand of part you are receiving. Customer service has been good to me when I needed them. I was an FCP basher back in the day, but their company changes have softened my view.

Maury

[FCPEuro]

I think Mauryc said it best,

" The company did a good job listening to complaints and have now added quality parts and designate what brand of part you are receiving."

Over the years we completely made a commitment to quality and service by only carrying the quality brands that our BMW customers suggest which is why we now offer a 100% Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee with all our parts. Also we have just recently issued a price match guarantee to make sure we are always offering the best prices to our customers (see below):

"New for 2014: FCP Price Match Guarantee We’re committed to providing the lowest prices every day, on everything. So if you find a lower advertised price on an identical product, tell us at sales@fcpeuro.com and we’ll match it. We compare prices on over 125,000 OEM & Genuine replacement parts, so shop with confidence. At FCP we would never ask you to compromise quality for low prices. Rest assured - If you buy an item on FCP Euro and find a lower advertised price on the same item within 30 days of the purchase date, we will issue you store credit, plus 10%, in the amount of the difference between what you paid and the current price on the other site. The item must be the same item, by the same manufacturer, in the same item condition. FCP Euro only sells new, un-used items. The item must be regularly priced and excludes "sale" or "clearance" items."

As always thank you for your continuous support and if you ever have any questions or concerns we have Reps on call Mon-Sat 8am-8pm (est) at 1-877-634-0063.

Kind Regards,
Max Rossi (FCP Vice Pres. Online Support)

[86GT635]

I'm sour towards the company, based on past personal experiences.

But, the prices are hard (and now impossible) to beat. I have vowed to never buy a product from them after the last dealing with them a year and a half ago. It didn't matter what I was buying- so called new bilstein strut shock absorbers; that are repackaged defective returns being sold as new. Took 3 pairs a multiple weeks of struts to eventually give up on the expectations of new. I don't care if they had a free shopping spree- never again.

[FCPEuro]

I'm sour towards the company, based on past personal experiences.

But, the prices are hard (and now impossible) to beat. I have vowed to never buy a product from them after the last dealing with them a year and a half ago. It didn't matter what I was buying- so called new bilstein strut shock absorbers; that are repackaged defective returns being sold as new. Took 3 pairs a multiple weeks of struts to eventually give up on the expectations of new. I don't care if they had a free shopping spree- never again.


I can assure you that all of our parts are new and if you received something that was re-packaged then it was clearly a mistake and we will do everything we can to make it right for you. Feel free to email me directly at max@fcpeuro.com and I will be more than happy to look into further and rectify any negative situation for you.

Kind Regards,
Max

[RVAE34]

I buy all my OEM parts and anything else I need from FCP. Every standard replacement part for my old turbo E34 (in this month's issue if Bimmer mag) and my current touring build came from there. I feel the prices are the best and I always get my parts quick. Lately I have been buying tons of new interior parts for the touring.

[FCPEuro]

Not from experience, but from being on the various boards a while. Make absolutely sure of the brand from FPC as they do carry some Chinese stuff that is pure crap and does not have much. longevity

This was an issue several years ago. We tried the private label route and it didn't work for our customers or for us as a company. With our new website you can shop by brand including Genuine, OE, and some high quality aftermarket including Meyle. In the last 3 years we completely restructured our brand offerings to include more Genuine, more OE, and more name brands. For the most part you won't find any of our private label stuff on FCP Euro. We do quality inspection and analytics in house now which allows us to change brand offerings on the spot as well as to provide feedback to the manufacturers. We've even gone as far as to remove entire product lines due to poor performance and unsatisfactory responses from manufacturers on quality. We have made several other changes in this area as well and it was all due to feedback from our customers.

- - - Updated - - -


I buy all my OEM parts and anything else I need from FCP. Every standard replacement part for my old turbo E34 (in this month's issue if Bimmer mag) and my current touring build came from there. I feel the prices are the best and I always get my parts quick. Lately I have been buying tons of new interior parts for the touring.

Thank you for your continued patronage and support! We're extremely happy we've been a part of your build on both the E34 and your E39 wagon.

[86GT635]

You haven't stopped selling CRAP parts. CRP subframe bushings for instance- SKU #: 33311130488 $22 pair. 6 hours alldata estimate to replace at $75hr is $450. For a bushing that isn't going to be sturdy from the get go.

Max, I gotta say that's great you're reaching out. But where were you when I went through 3 pairs of struts that weren't right? Here's a 5 page thread that went on for weeks on the front page of the e34 subforum, where not once was a fcp vocal or helpful. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1813405-FCP-does-it-again Hopefully you can see and understand my reasoning for the disdain.

[FCPEuro]

86GT635,

It took a long time for FCP to earn the trust of our BMW customers over the years and we continue to make improvements to our quality and service every day. As I stated we made a commitment to listen to our customers especially the ones on the forums and we did everything possible to improve not only the quality of the parts we sell but also the service we provide to our customers so I will be sure to also look further into the subframe mount you mentioned. As head of our call center and customer service I also made several changes to surround myself with the correct people who are passionate about improving all aspects of of our company. After reading your thread I 100% agree that you should never receive any item in the condition that you received and I apologize if this wasn't taken care of for you right away. Although I don't have your order up in front of me it looks as though this happened about 2 years ago and if it was overlooked by myself or any of our staff at that time we do apologize. Once again we have come along way since then and I can assure you that we never want any of our customers to have a negative shopping experience and we try to do everything we can to rectify any problem or past situation. Please email me directly at max@fcpeuro.com with your name and possible order # so I can look into further and still try to make right for you. A bad experience is a bad experience and should never be swept under the rug hoping it goes away even if it was 2 years ago. FCP and myself are committed to being the leaders in quality and service so will always take care of any customer that is unhappy with our parts or service at any time which is why we stand by our Lifetime Guarantee. I would like to look into further and make things right so feel free to email me or contact me at any time 1-877-634-0063 ext. 204.

Kind Regards,
Max

[86GT635]

Just go away. After re reading the thread from last century and re hashing the emotions, I'm upset. FCP treated me as a long term customer, like shit.

This paragraph I wrote after speaking to your reps on the phone after receiving the second set of used defective shocks really hit home .

"I brought this up with the representative, and told him the newer style struts were more commonly used, and have a shorter shelf life. He wanted to know if I wanted those struts and the accompanying mounts to go with them. My grandfather doesn't want or need to spend extra on stuff that's not needed. The rep went to talk to the manager at this point. I'm presuming he asked him if he could supply the newer style parts as a consolation. When he came back he wanted to know if I wanted to return the parts or have more sent. "I just want something that's going to work".

So, he's having another pair overnighted to FCP so that he can personally visually inspect them, and if they are of working condition they will be sent out and should be here by Friday. He's saying that they were drop shipped. All of these parts are in a FCP box. My granddad gets on the phone at this point and asks if all of the parts were being drop shipped, the rep was pretty apprehensive about answering, just stating that it was entirely possible."

Questions were avoided and it's clear management was not interested in sending out the parts that were paid for and promised. Major fail.

[dm635]

I know the quality of your parts has definitely improved over the years. I've been driving Volvo's almost as long as the Bimmers. Parts for Volvo's like URO, MTC and a couple others were not quality. There are plenty of cheap owners that will buy the cheapest parts. But I like to order quality parts as I don't like doing the same job twice in short order. One thing that chapped my hide was purchasing the BMW suspension kit when you guys 1st started to carry them and there was not a choice of brands. Pretty got what you got including OCRAP stuff. Well within a month or less the idler arm was worse than the one I replaced. I called for a replacement, was informed I must remove the part, send back, and you'll get another. OK, car is now down since I can't steer and the replacement was the same exact part. It went directly in the trash bin. Fast forward a few years and I'll give you guys a thumbs up for turning the company around.

Now I have to add that 86GT635 and I share the same address. And you have no idea the frustration he had having spent 100's of $$$ on that order. He's ready to receive parts, install and roll. Wont bother with details. I've found other places to go for my Volvo needs, but I do still order from you.

Dave

[loxxrider]

86GT635... take it easy bud! You're being quite rude to someone you don't know and haven't dealt with at all. It sounds like you aren't informed about the company and it's new policies, etc. I'm not going to try and justify anything, but you shouldn't treat someone you don't know like that. It's hurtful.

Now, here's my opinion. I've been buying and installing parts for many european cars for quite a while. I ordered several parts from FCP for my E34 at a time when I didn't really care whether the parts lasted more than a year (it was just a beater). I bought a URO center support bearing (for driveshaft) and pretty much every part in the front end suspension. Within a few thousand miles the driveshaft support underwent a catastrophic failure leaving me stranded on a 250 mile trip. After less than one year and only a few thousand miles the control arms (especially the uppers) were totally shot. Yes, I installed them properly with the suspension fully compressed. They were also one of the low end brands from FCP. A friend was borrowing the car for a while and driving with the shot arms ruined the front tires on the car in about 500 miles! The same exact thing happened on my E36 and caused a separated tread on one of the front tires during another 250 mile trip. When approached with this problem, FCP just told me it was too late (it was over a year when I asked about replacement). This is why I will NEVER buy anything but Lemfoerder for BMW suspension parts. It cost me much more than it would have if I'd just bought quality parts in the first place.

Now... FCP has changed a LOT in the past year-ish. I stopped ordering from them for a long time, but have begun ordering again recently due to their new policies and I've been very happy with the products I've received (I generally only order OEM or equivalent). They offer the cheap shit parts, a mid grade, and OEM or equivalent. It's nice to have options! Of course the prices are good, and they reward their customers even more for returning. Their customer service thus far has been awesome as well. In my opinion, they are doing everything they possibly can to re-gain the trust of their customers.

I still buy from a mishmash of companies including Pelican, FCP, and lately ECS, but I'm very glad that I have gained another good option back with the restructuring that FCP has undergone.

[RSheiman]

Bottom Line: Post manufacturers for parts, let the buyer chose. Unless I see who made it, I won't buy it period!

[86GT635]

Bottom Line: Post manufacturers for parts, let the buyer chose. Unless I see who made it, I won't buy it period!



It doesn't matter with FCP, buy new bilsteins and get defective crap taped up in a used box- THREE TIMES, it could have gone on for eternity for all I'm concerned. They simply did not care. I really want to bite my tongue and I did for the author above you until now, but I don't trust the company.

I'm holding back on other issues brought forth in the past from other people that have posted on this forum, remaining civil if you will. How would any of you feel if your car was on jack stands for weeks after paying top dollar for new parts and having 3 pairs of turds sent to you with no apology until 2 years later- to save face?

[loxxrider]

Why hold back? I'm just saying don't make it personal.

I think it is best to think of FCP of a whole new company. Things are much different now. FYI, I know how it feels... my car was on jack stands for MONTHS, not weeks while fighting with Bilstein themselves who screwed me over several times. In fact, I didn't get what I actually ordered until over a year after my initial payment and service request.

[NJDave]

Agree with "86GT635" …. on my first order with FCP, they sent a BMW water pump pulley that had TWO chips in it (Unusable - Sent Back). They also sent TWO Continental belts that both had the "white" fabric cord sides fully exposed in many areas (Unusable - Sent Back). The belt cardboard "wrappers" were also heavily worn and torn, indicating they were possible "customer returns" or "defective returns" FCP had just tried to pawn off on me. Both the BMW water pump pulley, and the power steering pulley in plastic bags had NO "BMW Group" info printed on the part bags labeling, just a bunch of indiscernible numbers and such (leading me to be unsure if they were second or third party crap) …. I sent almost the whole order back to FCP for refund.

From now on it's …. ECS Tuning, Turner, Bav Auto, GetBMWparts.com, Pelican, etc.
Once was enough … NO MORE FCP euro for me!

[FCPEuro]

Agree with "86GT635" …. on my first order with FCP, they sent a BMW water pump pulley that had TWO chips in it (Unusable - Sent Back). They also sent TWO Continental belts that both had the "white" fabric cord sides fully exposed in many areas (Unusable - Sent Back). The belt cardboard "wrappers" were also heavily worn and torn, indicating they were possible "customer returns" or "defective returns" FCP had just tried to pawn off on me. Both the BMW water pump pulley, and the power steering pulley in plastic bags had NO "BMW Group" info printed on the part bags labeling, just a bunch of indiscernible numbers and such (leading me to be unsure if they were second or third party crap) …. I sent almost the whole order back to FCP for refund.

From now on it's …. ECS Tuning, Turner, Bav Auto, GetBMWparts.com, Pelican, etc.
Once was enough … NO MORE FCP euro for me!
I'm sorry to hear you ran into this issue. It sounds highly irregular but I'd like the opportunity to look into the matter and at least address the root cause of the problem.

We source directly, so we don't stock 2nd or 3rd hand parts. However, out of the thousands of parts we keep in stock we do on occasion receive items damaged or defective. Most of the time we can catch these before they hit the shelves.

PM me here or email me direct at gareth1@fcpeuro.com and I'd be happy to discuss this more. I am concerned about this and want to make it right however I can.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[DaHose]

Surprised to see such an old thread get traffic.

My experiences with FCPEuro have been great! The one time things went wrong with an alternator order, a brand new one was sent next day, at no cost to me. Every time I order a BMW factory part, that is exactly what I receive. The customer service has always been great too. Honestly, FCPEuro is the first place I look to for factory BMW parts, and I recommend them with confidence.

José

[dcains]

+1, my experience mirrors Jose's.

[bigperm206]

+1, my experience mirrors Jose's.

+1

[NJDave]

Looks like I may be wrong about FCP after all …. Even though the E39 water pump pulley did have two chips on it (on arrival from FCP), and that the power steering pump pulley had some "sketchy" look about it (the center mounting hole had a "roughness" around the inner bevelled edge (where it should have been almost "milled smooth"), left me wondering if the power steering pump pulley had been attempted to be mounted to a pump hub, and sent back to the dealer that FCP got the pulley from, or sent back to FCP and resold. Eiher way I called them this Monday, and they couldn't have been more decent. They agreed both pulleys should be returned, and that they would replace them, even covering return shipping back to FCP. I'll have to wait on the two replacements to comment on their quality (the are indicated to be BMW Genuine, and look like they originally come from the Bridgeport BMW dealership - dealer code was on the previous pulley bags.

As far as the Continential ContiTech belts … I had a conversation with tech support at Continential USA, and they stated that the occasional white colored "cord" being seen on the belts outer edging, was normal in manufacturing these days. It's just the way the belts are cut or something like that. Previously, I had two belts on the E39 that were on since I originally got it from the dealer (back in 2002 - now only has 60k, with being stored every winter since) …. and the older Continential belts didn't have any of the white cord edging exposure like the new ContiTech belts do (years back the belt edging was solid black).

So all in all, I would now rate FCP high on my list for parts for BMW. You sure can't beat their prices, various discounts, and friendly customer service, and lifetime parts replacements ….. I'll have to see what happens when I get my replacement pulley order in the next week or so.

Guess my beef with FCP was that, It was my first time ordering from FCP, and I should have given them the benefit of the doubt. it was also late Friday when I received my order from UPS, and FCP closes early Fridays (and not open Saturdays), so I had no one to bounce this issue off of …. I suppose I was just pissed that my E39 was going to sit another week or so waiting for replacement parts.

Sorry FCP for the blow-up …

[SprCpe]

I have bought all my suspension parts from FCP and have had great service from them. I didn't buy the low budget "Kits" stick with OEM or better. The problem as I see it any more is not the vendor, it's the manufacture. You buy a brand name part from the vendor because you want the better quality, than you find out the manufacture has subbed out the product build to who know where.

I bought a set of Bosch OEM plugs for the coupe last week, I wanted to stay with those good German plugs for the car ;-) got the plugs home and started reading the info on the plug itself, manufactured in Russia, go figure.


Thanks FCP for the good service I've got from you, I always appreciate your help.

[FCPEuro]

Looks like I may be wrong about FCP after all …. Even though the E39 water pump pulley did have two chips on it (on arrival from FCP), and that the power steering pump pulley had some "sketchy" look about it (the center mounting hole had a "roughness" around the inner bevelled edge (where it should have been almost "milled smooth"), left me wondering if the power steering pump pulley had been attempted to be mounted to a pump hub, and sent back to the dealer that FCP got the pulley from, or sent back to FCP and resold. Eiher way I called them this Monday, and they couldn't have been more decent. They agreed both pulleys should be returned, and that they would replace them, even covering return shipping back to FCP. I'll have to wait on the two replacements to comment on their quality (the are indicated to be BMW Genuine, and look like they originally come from the Bridgeport BMW dealership - dealer code was on the previous pulley bags.

As far as the Continential ContiTech belts … I had a conversation with tech support at Continential USA, and they stated that the occasional white colored "cord" being seen on the belts outer edging, was normal in manufacturing these days. It's just the way the belts are cut or something like that. Previously, I had two belts on the E39 that were on since I originally got it from the dealer (back in 2002 - now only has 60k, with being stored every winter since) …. and the older Continential belts didn't have any of the white cord edging exposure like the new ContiTech belts do (years back the belt edging was solid black).

So all in all, I would now rate FCP high on my list for parts for BMW. You sure can't beat their prices, various discounts, and friendly customer service, and lifetime parts replacements ….. I'll have to see what happens when I get my replacement pulley order in the next week or so.

Guess my beef with FCP was that, It was my first time ordering from FCP, and I should have given them the benefit of the doubt. it was also late Friday when I received my order from UPS, and FCP closes early Fridays (and not open Saturdays), so I had no one to bounce this issue off of …. I suppose I was just pissed that my E39 was going to sit another week or so waiting for replacement parts.

Sorry FCP for the blow-up …

It's all good. We'll always take care of our customers. If there is an issue with an order or something didn't go right on an order I don't mind if it makes it to the forum. It gives everyone an opportunity to talk about it and there are times we definitely get it wrong and I'll be the first to admit to that. At the end of the day if an order isn't perfect we want the chance to get it right and fix whatever went wrong. In regards to the pulleys, I've seen the OE pulleys chip before. BMW does not do a good job packaging them and they are typically loose in the boxes when we get them in. Sometimes the pulleys will be sitting under other inventory we receive in (we usually get stuff delivered in big boxes on pallets) and the original packaging gets mangled. Most of the guys who work in our distribution center know to check the pulleys for chips or any surface damage if the packaging has been compromised but it looks like one may have gotten through. I'm more than happy to replace that for you and get it sent out. I'll check it personally before it goes out as well. And in regards to the belts, all of the serpentine belts are like that these days but I like the explanation Contiental was able to give you on that.

[ShapeShifter]

I gave up on FCP years ago. I use ECS, BMAParts ot Ticher BMW.

I recently bought a SuperSprint muffler for my M3 ($1800) from ECS and one of the tips got damaged during shipping.
ECS sent a replacement same day, had a tracking number before I got of the phone. A1+ customer service.

A big plus with ECS is the awesome photos of almost ever part listed.

[tschultz]

I have had no problem with ECS, FCP euro or any others I have used :confused

[FCPEuro]

I gave up on FCP years ago.

I'm sorry to hear that. What issues did you have if you don't mind my asking?

[walczyk]

I've used fcpeuro for my volvo parts and it was fine but now I use eeuroparts (direct pickup is great in CT). I think FCPeuro is a step above partsgeek, but all these issues of re-packaging and shipping out parts sounds very partsgeeky. Partsgeek sent me cheaper parts in the more expensive boxes, it was ridiculous and obvious. I didn't have the time to ship it back so I argued to have the prices adjusted and they did that, after many weeks. The guy who got sent the same shit shocks repeatedly has a very legitimate axe to grind.

[Bert Poliakoff]

Soda blasting is a very easy type of material. Soda blasting is good for paint removal. It will not remove bondo or rust. Lots of pros and cons, but I have restored a "few" cars and use the blasting as a last resort. The reason being is that 2 guys and two galons of real hi end stripper and a box of single edged razor blades can strip the entire outer shell of the body in +/- 4 hours. If you are totally tearing the car down, and I mean down, electro chemical dipping does it all

[NJDave]

Well "FCP EURO MEMBER"
FCP Spokesman on this forum


Fool me once, shame on me …. twice … shame on you.
Guess I got ahead of myself, giving FCP the benefit of the doubt, a few days ago!

Here it is Friday afternoon, just like last week when the first FCP package arrived *and I got the "chipped" BMW Genuine water pump pulley.
Well, just like last week, the second package arrived, with my newly ordered BMW Genuine water pump pulley (last weeks was returned for a refund) …. and THE SECOND water pump pulley also now arrived with a large "chip" in it,
like the FIRST ONE received last week. The water pump bag was also plastered with multiple BMW shipping labels, lending one to ask where does FCP gets its parts from anyways?!

I also noticed that an INA Hydraulic tensioner (also received from FCP yesterday), was also defective, as shipped. The top metal/plastic bushing is simply loose and moves around in the aluminum housing too much. This bushing should be tight in the upper aluminum housing of the tensioner. When the tensioner is installed with the whole lower AC tension unit, the AC belt idler wheel had too much "slop and play", and felts like it would rattle and bounce the idler wheel around if run with the belt attached (compared to the 15 year old hydraulic tensioner taken off my E39, that doesn't have any "slop or play" in the top metal/plastic bushing … unlike the new INA one FCP just sent me - that's going back to FCP too).

I'll have to wrap this up, saying (since dealing with these last two orders from FCP), that I now have absolutely NO confidence in continuing to order my BMW parts from FCP. i would still highly recommend ECS Tuning, Turner, Bav Auto, GetBMWParts, Pelican, your local BMW Dealership parts, etc., over FCP.

Looks like I'm just going to have to go over to the local BMW dealer in town, and pick up the water pump pulley from them instead.




All I can say with FCP is … buyers beware … (FCP) fool me twice, shame on you!
- First-time customer & last-time customer

[DaHose]

Trolls? Ok look, you got a problem with a vendor, that's your business. Insult members trying to help, you make it our business.

If I have problems, I would say so, without acting like a jerk to other members. Don't count on my help in the future.

Jose

[NJDave]

Trolls? Ok look, you got a problem with a vendor, that's your business. Insult members trying to help, you make it our business.

If I have problems, I would say so, without acting like a jerk to other members. Don't count on my help in the future.

Jose

Got a point there … nothing personal.
Trolls was not the right term (since removed)

[smtguy]

Nothing but great service and pricing from FCP Euro! I always check them first.

[FCPEuro]

Well "FCP EURO MEMBER"
FCP Spokesman on this forum


Fool me once, shame on me …. twice … shame on you.
Guess I got ahead of myself, giving FCP the benefit of the doubt, a few days ago!

Here it is Friday afternoon, just like last week when the first FCP package arrived *and I got the "chipped" BMW Genuine water pump pulley.
Well, just like last week, the second package arrived, with my newly ordered BMW Genuine water pump pulley (last weeks was returned for a refund) …. and THE SECOND water pump pulley also has a "chip" in it, like the FIRST ONE received last week. The water pump bag was also plastered with multiple BMW shipping labels, lending one to ask where does FCP gets its parts from anyways?!

Looks like the talk about FCP "quality control" is just that … talk.
FCP: "Most of the guys who work in our distribution center know to check the pulleys for chips or any surface damage"
Looks like NO ONE in FCP shipping checked to see water pulley "chipped pieces" laying in sealed bag!


I also noticed that an INA Hydraulic tensioner (also received from FCP yesterday), was also defective, as shipped. The top metal/plastic bushing is simply loose and moves around in the aluminum housing too much. This bushing should be tight in the upper aluminum housing of the tensioner. When the tensioner is installed with the whole lower AC tension unit, the AC belt idler wheel had too much "slop and play", and felts like it would rattle and bounce the idler wheel around if run with the belt attached (compared to the 15 year old hydraulic tensioner taken off my E39, that doesn't have any "slop or play" in the top metal/plastic bushing … unlike the new INA one FCP just sent me - that's going back to FCP too).

Can't help but wonder if there is just something "not kosher" about FCP, and where, and how, they get their parts. Are their parts "second hand" dealer returns or rejects, or wholesale distributor returns? But what ever, there are way too many issues in my ordering quality parts from FCP, and I now have absolutely NO confidence in the BMW Parts FCP sells. i would still highly recommend ECS Tuning, Turner, Bav Auto, GetBMWParts, Pelican, your local BMW Dealership parts, etc., over FCP.

Now I'm just going to the local BMW dealer in town, and pick up the water pump pulley from them.

All the FCP "discounts" and so called "Low prices" just aren't worth the hassle ordering from FCP (as others on this forum have said as well).
Gotta wonder if all the FCP "discounting and price reductions" aren't just something (like Pennys and Macy's do) to make you feel like your getting a bargain, when in fact you really aren't, especially in the hassle your may get into
with some of these parts from FCP.



All I can say with FCP is … buyers beware … (FCP) fool me twice, shame on you!
- First-time customer & last-time customer
Dave,

I sincerely apologize again for this. I'm not sure why this pulley chipped in transit. We may just need to bubble wrap these since they seem to be fragile and from what I can tell, this has not been a problem with this specific part in the past. And I'm not just a spokesperson for FCP Euro but I also manage the BMW Parts Catalog. Everything on the website for sale is my responsibility.

In regards to the labels on the bag, BMW does that internally. You can see the label where it says the customer is FCP Euro on it. That means BMW sold it to us as the customer on their system. The multiple labels is not uncommon and if sourced second hand the customer info would say something different. Every label on the pulley bag is done by BMW. That is their labeling system, not a secondary seller.

In regards to the INA tensioner plastic bushing being loose and pivoting, that is not a defect, that is how INA designs them now. The part from the dealer is 100% identical in the design. This however is not the same as BMW originally installed on the vehicle so when comparing the two you will see that difference.

I'm sorry you feel like you have been fooled. However, I understand where you are coming from on the customer side. I don't think the pulley would have been shipped in that condition, I truly believe it happened in transit. I'm PMing you with a resolution.

[samsonevickis]

Well I don't normally weigh in, but considering I deal with Brian on a weekly basis, I think spending $10,000-$20,000 annually at FCP I should say something.

I, like a few others didn't like FCP Groton, but FCP Euro courted me hard going back to the beginning of their change in direction. Needless to say, it worked, I used AutohausAZ exclusively prior and FCP has been my exclusive online supplier since 2013. While I do get damaged or wrong parts I can say that FCP has done it least out of all my suppliers, including Advance Auto and my local BMW dealer. Far more importantly when I have had the wrong part or issue, there is no worry that they will be right there to take care of it. For all the complaining other Dave did, he said more positive about the company than negative, they stood behind their parts twice. When Pelican messed up an order twice back in 2010 for me they got verbally angry with me, like it was my fault the parts were defective. Then there was the subpar AutohausAZ customer service... I am loyal to FCP, Brian and Dan before that. I really enjoy the ease of ordering and great phone service, for when I need to order a part for a client but don't have time for the site or even email.

In closing, I like them and when I have had the rare issue they have taken great care of me. In fact I personally think their new lifetime warranty system is a bad idea, but they did it anyway! So Im not some shill. haha

I use them.
BMW Dave

[NJDave]

[QUOTE=samsonevickis;… "So Im not some shill. haha"


Hmmmm ….. One has to expect, that after any company/customer experience in forum "warning" posts … you'll always get the company "shills" to show up at some point after you post!
It's how they continue to get company part discounts.

[SprCpe]

[QUOTE=samsonevickis;… "So Im not some shill. haha"


Hmmmm ….. One has to expect, that after any company/customer experience in forum "warning" posts … you'll always get the company "shills" to show up at some point after you post!
It's how they continue to get company part discounts.


NJDave,

Not a "shill" here either, I can't tell you how long I have been buying from FCP but it seems to me the 1st time I saw them was on eBay, they were selling budget suspension kits, which lots of folks do. I checked with them and asked if they had higher quality parts, they said sure, it will cost you LOL, that's usually the case. I have bounced around, as most of us do looking for parts but always check with them at some point because it seems like I can find quality parts at a reasonable price and if I had a problem they have always worked with me to make things right. I have bought a lot of stuff over the years, not just car and I've found in so many cases when an item is damaged, it's usually in shipping, stuff just gets bounced around, what I appreciate is when a vendor, who ever they are says Op's sorry for the problem, we will get a replacement right out to you, as opposed to them saying well it was damaged in shipping, talk to the shipper :-( I've had that happen.

I just ordered a replacement water pump for the coupe, I'll take a couple pictures when it shows up and post them, I sure hope I'm not jinksing myself here, I need my pump...

Good luck with your project.

[FCPEuro]

"So Im not some shill. haha"


Hmmmm ….. One has to expect, that after any company/customer experience in forum "warning" posts … you'll always get the company "shills" to show up at some point after you post!
It's how they continue to get company part discounts.


At the end of the day we do our best to take care of customers even when things don't go smoothly, even if this is at a loss on our end in terms of profit. Our customer service department is processing a refund on your second order today in total for the order. As a measure of good faith I am shipping another pulley at no additional cost to you as I promised in a PM I sent to you on Saturday with a proposed resolution.

[FCPEuro]

Well I don't normally weigh in, but considering I deal with Brian on a weekly basis, I think spending $10,000-$20,000 annually at FCP I should say something.

I, like a few others didn't like FCP Groton, but FCP Euro courted me hard going back to the beginning of their change in direction. Needless to say, it worked, I used AutohausAZ exclusively prior and FCP has been my exclusive online supplier since 2013. While I do get damaged or wrong parts I can say that FCP has done it least out of all my suppliers, including Advance Auto and my local BMW dealer. Far more importantly when I have had the wrong part or issue, there is no worry that they will be right there to take care of it. For all the complaining other Dave did, he said more positive about the company than negative, they stood behind their parts twice. When Pelican messed up an order twice back in 2010 for me they got verbally angry with me, like it was my fault the parts were defective. Then there was the subpar AutohausAZ customer service... I am loyal to FCP, Brian and Dan before that. I really enjoy the ease of ordering and great phone service, for when I need to order a part for a client but don't have time for the site or even email.

In closing, I like them and when I have had the rare issue they have taken great care of me. In fact I personally think their new lifetime warranty system is a bad idea, but they did it anyway! So Im not some shill. haha

I use them.
BMW Dave

Thank you for your continued support and business. Sicne you've been with us for a long time you have seen the changes that we have made over the years. We are far from perfect and we do get things wrong here and there but we are always striving to improve where possible. If you ever need anything please feel free to reach out to me as well.

- Gareth


what I appreciate is when a vendor, who ever they are says Op's sorry for the problem, we will get a replacement right out to you, as opposed to them saying well it was damaged in shipping, talk to the shipper :-( I've had that happen.

I've been there personally and I refuse to let a customer deal with a problem like that on their own.


I just ordered a replacement water pump for the coupe, I'll take a couple pictures when it shows up and post them, I sure hope I'm not jinksing myself here, I need my pump...

Let me know when you place that order. I'll keep my eye on it for you.

[SprCpe]

Thank you for your continued support and business. Sicne you've been with us for a long time you have seen the changes that we have made over the years. We are far from perfect and we do get things wrong here and there but we are always striving to improve where possible. If you ever need anything please feel free to reach out to me as well.

- Gareth



I've been there personally and I refuse to let a customer deal with a problem like that on their own.



Let me know when you place that order. I'll keep my eye on it for you.

Ordered it last Wednesday, standard freight USPS, it shows as being out for delivery today :-) pretty quick from one side of the country to the other. Thanks, I'll let you know when it gets here.

[SprCpe]

Ordered it last Wednesday, standard freight USPS, it shows as being out for delivery today :-) pretty quick from one side of the country to the other. Thanks, I'll let you know when it gets here.

Water pump came in, back on the car and the coupe is running :-)

[Bert Poliakoff]

QUOTE=NJDave;29750802][QUOTE=samsonevickis;… "So Im not some shill. haha"Hmmmm ….. One has to expect, that after any company/customer experience in forum "warning" posts … you'll always get the company "shills" to show up at some point after you post! It's how they continue to get company part discounts.[/QUOTE]
NJDave,

Bud you should know who you are talking about before you open your mouth Other Dave is as good and straight a guy as you will meet. Maybe you should go over to the Mye28 forum where the guys there thrive on ripping people a new one.

[Vila]

I have bought quite a few parts for my 2002 Z3 from FCP Euro and all were exactly the manufacture and high quality I would expect and I like the life time warranty. In fact I just replaced the Throttle housing I got from them and everything went great with the install.

They advertise that they are from Connecticut, but one interesting thing I have noticed with two of my orders. One order came from California and the other just shipped yesterday from a local BMW dealership just 25 miles from my house.

I have bought parts from suppliers from A to Z, but I generally look for specific brand parts and get them from the cheapest supplier or if I am buying multiple parts I will get them from the one with the overall lowest price including shipping cost and lately that has been FCP.

I have only ever had one issue ordering from either Pelican or AutoGeeks and that was for front brake piston for my Z3. The only manufacture I could find that supplied only the pistons was Centric, who ever the #$% they are, and I didn't want to spend the money for entirely new calipers. Two pistons arrived in a box with no filler and they were in thin plastic bags. One of the two was damaged so I sent one back after going through their ridiculous return policy and waiting two weeks. I got a replacement that was also damaged and when through the same again. Sent that one back and finally got a second good unit. I will never buy anything Centric product. Brake pistons should come in descent packaging like heavy cardboard boxes or even better bubble wrapped and boxed individually. I question whether they even left the factory undamaged.

As far as where the parts are actually manufactured, even brand name parts are made in numerous factories all over the world, Unless it says the part is Made in Germany you may get a part made by a German company that has factories in locations like "Russia" and I doubt suppliers like FCP Euro have control over that. If the part has a German flag next to it on a suppliers website does that actually mean it was Made in Germany or is it from a German supplier that may have made the part in one of their factories in another country. Do any of you really thing all the parts on a BMW made in Germany came from suppliers who actually made all the parts in Germany or are some of the parts from German companies who actually made the parts in other countries. I will say I will not knowingly buy parts made in China even if it is from a well know supplier with factories there. Example: Volvo cars made in China, no way even if I liked Volvos.

[parlant]

Hi Everyone,
I also want to put in a good word for FCP Euro. Very good customer support and the lifetime guarantee sends a very positive message to the market in relation to customer satisfaction as the primary driver of their company as an ongoing concern. I've been historically a Pelican customer but lately I've preferred the stock sourcing and availability on FCP and competitive pricing. I've spent quite a few thousand on parts for a number of Bimmers from '73 to 2002, for the past 15 years. It seems like lately, the OEMs themselves many times produce a lot of sub-par stuff for the secondary market. This is something that the parts sellers have nothing to do with, as far as I've seen.

A few years ago I heard that the original BMW parts do go through a more stringent quality control prior to redistribution and I've always been a bit skeptical of that but lately I've seen that for most cases, the original BMW-packaged parts (especially mechanical, electro-mechanical, and unsprung mass related) do last more. Generally speaking, there seems to be a pretty clear trade-off between quality and price, with few parts types where the trade-off is beaten (trim parts, non-unsprung, non-mechanical, etc.).

[FCPEuro]

They advertise that they are from Connecticut, but one interesting thing I have noticed with two of my orders. One order came from California and the other just shipped yesterday from a local BMW dealership just 25 miles from my house.

We sometimes utilize drop-shipping to fulfill orders when we don't carry stock in our warehouse or if it will take longer to bring the item in just in time than it is to simply drop-ship. However, some of our stock in our physical warehouse comes from the same vendors that will drop-ship for us. We can't keep 100% stock on everything we sell but we do stock items based on their sales velocity. For those items we will import them/buy direct from the manufacturer. If sales volume is slower and isn't classified as a top mover we will usually JIT (just in time) or drop-ship it to the customer. It's nice to have fulfillment options and flexibility from time to time based on operating conditions.

- - - Updated - - -


Hi Everyone,
I also want to put in a good word for FCP Euro. Very good customer support and the lifetime guarantee sends a very positive message to the market in relation to customer satisfaction as the primary driver of their company as an ongoing concern. I've been historically a Pelican customer but lately I've preferred the stock sourcing and availability on FCP and competitive pricing. I've spent quite a few thousand on parts for a number of Bimmers from '73 to 2002, for the past 15 years. It seems like lately, the OEMs themselves many times produce a lot of sub-par stuff for the secondary market. This is something that the parts sellers have nothing to do with, as far as I've seen.

A few years ago I heard that the original BMW parts do go through a more stringent quality control prior to redistribution and I've always been a bit skeptical of that but lately I've seen that for most cases, the original BMW-packaged parts (especially mechanical, electro-mechanical, and unsprung mass related) do last more. Generally speaking, there seems to be a pretty clear trade-off between quality and price, with few parts types where the trade-off is beaten (trim parts, non-unsprung, non-mechanical, etc.).

It depends on what it is in all honesty. We sell a few parts that we list as "OEM Supplier" which have the BMW markings manually removed from them. These types of parts generally speaking either come from the manufacturer of the part who is contracted by BMW or in some cases the part is actually sold off by BMW into the market. In the case of where the part is sold off by BMW it's usually because of overstock on their end. They have contracts with suppliers that stipulate a certain volume. If they can't move the volume due to demand or a shifting market place they will sell off their stock under the condition that the part is neutralized and anything linking it to BMW is removed. Sometimes this is the only way to get an OE part without going to the dealer.

[parlant]

We sometimes utilize drop-shipping to fulfill orders when we don't carry stock in our warehouse or if it will take longer to bring the item in just in time than it is to simply drop-ship. However, some of our stock in our physical warehouse comes from the same vendors that will drop-ship for us. We can't keep 100% stock on everything we sell but we do stock items based on their sales velocity. For those items we will import them/buy direct from the manufacturer. If sales volume is slower and isn't classified as a top mover we will usually JIT (just in time) or drop-ship it to the customer. It's nice to have fulfillment options and flexibility from time to time based on operating conditions.

- - - Updated - - -



It depends on what it is in all honesty. We sell a few parts that we list as "OEM Supplier" which have the BMW markings manually removed from them. These types of parts generally speaking either come from the manufacturer of the part who is contracted by BMW or in some cases the part is actually sold off by BMW into the market. In the case of where the part is sold off by BMW it's usually because of overstock on their end. They have contracts with suppliers that stipulate a certain volume. If they can't move the volume due to demand or a shifting market place they will sell off their stock under the condition that the part is neutralized and anything linking it to BMW is removed. Sometimes this is the only way to get an OE part without going to the dealer.

That's interesting reference, thanks for sharing.
Best,
Pedro

[Mjbrox]

I am getting ready to overhaul my coolant system. Apparently there is a change from 2005 to 2006 that I almost missed. It took multiple phone calls to reps before I got a guy named Kyle on the phone. He was helpfull, others where not.

In filling out the Credit Card info now.

[RSheiman]

A while back, I saw Lemforder control arms for my M6 at 30 bucks on the FCP website so I jumped on them. I received OCAP arms so called FCP and they said they had listed Lemforder in error and then.......paid for shipping of the OCAP arms back to them and sent me Lemforder arms at no additional cost. I think that says it all.

[pgh880]

Never tried FCP. I get mine from PelicanParts , Bavarian Auto and of course Maximillian Parts . Very satisfied service from these 3 part vendors .

[badfrad]

Yeah and the phone system is same one the IRS and county tag office use, they don't answer without 10 prompts, and if you hit zero, it starts the 60 second intro again. Designed to put us in our place, 'who's in charge?' They are!
And you can't email without loading car make model vin and on and on.
These folk don't want to talk to anyone...

[SprCpe]

I've used FCP Euro over the years. Always had good service, did have a problem with an incorrect part shipped once but they handled it well. One of the vendors I use, always reliable.

Not sure if that helps you but I like them.

- - - Updated - - -

Is this a really old message?

[DesktopDave]

I like FCP too, they're helpful. I've never used their automated phone system, I always try to avoid those lines.

I'd suggest dropping them an email, that's usually worked best for me. Seems to find a real person every time, although it takes a day or two.

[e24mpwr]

Is this a really old message?

lol - it is, but a relevant topic.

Now that Bav is going my three are FPC, Pelican and Maximilian. I'm generally going to give those last two, especially Maximilian, a shot at anything I'm buying. Paul and Saul at Max are great, and they know our old cars pretty well and can suggest money-saving alternatives, so I think it is important for people like us to support people like them. (I have a bunch of stuff on the way for my oldest spawn's X5 from Max)

But all three have treated me well.