VVME Problem - New Ballast Meltdown *PICS* - *Updated*
5th Gear
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 7,728
From: noob from NY
RE: VVME Problem - Right out of the box
for how cheap vvme is, the quality is actually pretty good. it's sorta like buying a ratchet at the dollar store to replace your control arms. sometimes the ratchet will stay together, sometimes the thing just snaps lol. but really, vvme products seem to be very good compared with pricing.
rsbljan: i doubt the customer service is any good with them. you will have to send them the ballast and bulb back and they'll send you a new ballast and bulb. you have to pay for shipping it to china though, it says that under their policy. i hope things work out for you.
rsbljan: i doubt the customer service is any good with them. you will have to send them the ballast and bulb back and they'll send you a new ballast and bulb. you have to pay for shipping it to china though, it says that under their policy. i hope things work out for you.
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 337
From:
RE: VVME Problem - Right out of the box
Look, I wasn't expecting them to be god's gift to HIDs, but I did expect a working product. I figured with as little as I drive the car, no big deal if they're not the greatest. And poor customer service would be a step up. It is at least more than "We strive provide warranty support you HID, we ship new ballast and bulb for $70" and then a link to a paypal site. That's NO customer service. WTF mate....
I'm not going to post the emails that have been exchanged, because I've filed a greivance through paypal and stopped pay through my credit card. Once everything is wrapped up, I'll possibly post what absolute trash I've been given for options, and the emails that state the "no faith" in thier own product.
Just keeping everyone in the loop.
-Ryan
I'm not going to post the emails that have been exchanged, because I've filed a greivance through paypal and stopped pay through my credit card. Once everything is wrapped up, I'll possibly post what absolute trash I've been given for options, and the emails that state the "no faith" in thier own product.
Just keeping everyone in the loop.
-Ryan
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 18
RE: VVME Problem - Right out of the box
ORIGINAL: rsrbljan
Just got an email from VVME. Absolutely no parts support. No free warranty replacement will be issued.I have to pay $35 for a new bulb, and $35 for a new ballast. that's $70 total, andI paid $90 for everything.... just a heads up, that's the most they'll do. their warranty is a "discount" on new parts according to them.
thought everyone should know. bad product out of the box, and it's gonna cost another $70 to make it right. i CAN NOT refer them to anyone, nor recommend you give em a shot.
Ryan.
Just got an email from VVME. Absolutely no parts support. No free warranty replacement will be issued.I have to pay $35 for a new bulb, and $35 for a new ballast. that's $70 total, andI paid $90 for everything.... just a heads up, that's the most they'll do. their warranty is a "discount" on new parts according to them.
thought everyone should know. bad product out of the box, and it's gonna cost another $70 to make it right. i CAN NOT refer them to anyone, nor recommend you give em a shot.
Ryan.
Pretty simple eh?
I bought an HID kit from a vendor on the Mazda3 forums over a year ago and have had 0 problems, I paid a whole $195 shipped. The kit has Lifetime Warranty on ballast and 1 year on the bulbs. Step up and buy a better kit if you are concerned about the quality. Never buy from a vendor that has NO inventory on hand and drop ships from China.
When I do the A4, i will get factory HID's for $300 and do it right...
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 337
From:
RE: VVME Problem - Right out of the box
Well, for everyone's knowledge about price vs quality, I pulled my ballasts out of a McCulloch kit that I have with h1 bulbs. I purchased the kit for $275.00 about a year ago (previous car, since sold). I wanted to see who the manufacturer is. It's the same manufacturer, hella. the overall design is almost a clone, but it has a single joined cable back out to the bulb instead of 2 seperates.
we know that the service is crap, but It looks like i just got a fluke.
the ballast from the $70 vvme kit is the same manufacturer as $275 McCulloch.
we know that the service is crap, but It looks like i just got a fluke.
the ballast from the $70 vvme kit is the same manufacturer as $275 McCulloch.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,670
From: Binghamton, NY
RE: VVME Problem - Right out of the box
Not a big surprise. My Philips kit that was on my Z was a $500 kit about 8 years ago, and it also had the single heavy cable from ballast to bulb. Probably also a McCulloch ballast - fwiw, I had zero issues with that kit for the five years I used it.