Here's the deal. My car became infected with the slow drop overnight as so many eventually do. I searched the forum and had two options - Arnott and RMT.I decided on RMT. Mistake number one.

Mistake number two was ordering through CARiD.com and here is why...

I found a great price, thanks to the Capital One app. $40 bucks off, combined with the already low price, gave me two front RMT air shocks for $432.57 Great deal I thought. Trust me it wasn't. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. This is where my nightmare begins.

Shocks arrive pretty fast. I get them installed. Half mile later Jag is a full on bouncy house - riding on the bump stops - bounce, bounce. So I drive back, pull the wheel and this is what the RMT air shock looks like.



The metal band that holds the airbag at the bottom came off releasing all the air. Airbag didn't blow, just the metal ring came off and brought me down. I suppose the driver side had a leak as well as it came down too. (Soapy water test of other shock revealed no leak from top. Must be somewhere around the bag itself.)

So, I call CARiD.com Irish - customer service rep - tells me, after 20 minutes, this is a warranty claim and they would need to contact RMT. I asked if they could ship two now and a return slip. No go. They would have to call RMT and let me know 5-6 business days later if this will be honored. WHAT?! Unacceptable by any means. 5-6 days to decide if I should get replacements on an order made 18 days ago on a item with a lifetime warranty as stated in the box?!

Quick note: CARiD does not sell from stock. The box, packing slip, warranty info, instructions, all come directly from RMT. In other words, CARiD is just an affiliate or drop shipper.

Continuing on with the call many, many, more minutes later I come to the conclusion I should just deal directly with RMT. Why not, it has their warranty info, email and phone inside, CARiD says give it a try. OK lets try that.

I call RMT. Can't speak to anyone. I then email RMT the same picture as above explaining my situation and simply ask for two new shocks to be sent with a return slip, and I will return the two defective RMT shocks I have. Just like many on this forum have done in the past who have praised their customer service - you my friends are what I call lucky. Unfortunately my experience did not go as well. Instead my RMT experience was a big fat zero of poor customer support.

Anywho, RMT sends me an email back stating I need to go through CARiD for warranty claims. Remember now, the shocks were sent from RMT, the packing slip says shipped from RMT to ME. The warranty info states the warranty policy, their phone number, email etc. is on all paper work. There is NO mention in or on the box even mentioning CARiD. Hence all signs of drop shipping yet, RMT product, RMT warranty, RMT should take care of right? Wrong.

Here's how RMT dealt with this...

RMT says they WILL NOT and CAN NOT honor their OWN warranty claim since I purchased them through CARiD. Seriously, even though this is their product that was defective - they insist their warranty is useless if you buy from anyone but RMT. Even though their warranty in the box does not states this. They tell me I must first go through CARiD. Which I did. They know that. They just want to play the run around game. They've seen the pictures. They spoke to CARiD. They know what's up but refused to do anything.

So, not just for this reason alone - there's more - why I recommend in my opinion to NOT ORDER FROM CARiD AND NOT ORDER FROM RMT.

For one, the RMT air shock lasted 8 minutes max. They are rebuilt so what you get is hit or miss. Understandable. However, as I write this I receive an email from RMT, and I quote;
Did you catch that? CARiD tells me 5-6 days to get an answer IF it will be covered by warranty because they send the request to RMT. Yet, RMT tells me 24 hours after they receive the request. And you know what...

The second time I call CARiD they get RMT on the line and try to do a warranty claim. CARiD & RMT both know the situation. They've seen the pictures. Yet they EACH tell me they are waiting on the other. RMT tells CARiD to send them the paperwork. CARiD says RMT will take 5-6 days if they will approve the warranty in order to send a return label. NOT a 24 hour process RMT claims. More like 2 weeks start to finish.

Reason number two NOT to order from RMT - IMO. Not because the item failed immediately - things happen - we all know that. NOT because they tell me 24 hours and it's no where close to that - businesses always tell customers what they want to here. BUT for the following reason alone.

Did you catch that in the RMT email they mention not once, but TWICE "I should TRY ordering from RMT directly next time"?

There is no place is business for mockery when a customer is unhappy with a product or service. So if I ordered through RMT to begin with what, the air shock wouldn't have failed? Or if I had ordered directly at a higher price they would honor the warranty that came in the box faster? That because I did not order from RMT directly this is what I get? Dropship or not, the warranty that came in the box should be honored in the same manner. If it's not DON'T PUT THE WARRANTY IN THE BOX. or at least put a disclaimer at the bottom stating if you ordered from anywhere other than RMT THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY.

So to make a long story short, IMO STAY AWAY FROM CARiD & RMT. I instead just gave up and requested a refund and will be ordering Arnotts. I would ask if anyone had a discount code for a set of Arnott's but trying to save a buck is what got me in this mess to begin with.

 

I bought Arnott replacements and they were horrible. The day after install my car was sitting lopsided, the right front was bad and the car was sitting on the tire. I called Arnott and got the same run around as you did with CarID. I finally got a new shock to replace the old one and guess what, it was bad too. I called Arnott and went through the same process again. After receiving the 3rd shock for the right front, it too was bad, I spoke with someone at Arnott and they said that they had found that many of a certain batch of shocks had bad seals and that it would be a few MONTHS before they would have a new batch in. I can't wait a few months so I asked for a full refund of all 4 shocks, they did allow me to send them back, but the labor now on this project cost me for removing the old worn out shocks, installing 4 new Arnott shocks, then having the right front removed and replaced 3 times, then having my car towed to my Jag Mechanic 1.5 hours away to remove all 4 Arnott shocks and then he converted the shocks to regular shocks.

I spent about an extra $1500 in labor to remove and install the shocks so many times, not to mention the time I had to spend on the phone with Arnott and time to take my car in and out of the shop and towing fees each time.

After the conversion, I have never had any trouble with them again. I also just recently bought another 2008 XJ Vanden Plas that had 52,000 miles on it and the shocks are starting to drop overnight and I will be converting ALL of them after the 1st of the year. Never will I go through the agony of trying to replace them with factory spec air ride shocks EVER AGAIN!

Do yourself a favor and have them converted but be sure to get a certified Jag Mechanic to do it so they know how to bypass the warning light on the dash.

GOOD LUCK!
Tina

 

Sorry to hear about your bad run of luck, for me it was a bit different,

Issue with the front shocks, shipped them back, and paid for a new set.

Had to pay full retail, along with a copy of their receipt.

After they got them, they refunded me all the money, including the shipping.

 

I would have been happy to do just that. Unfortunately t was told by both customer service reps at CARiD that a warranty claim had to be filed since they were already put on the car and not damaged in the delivery process. I tried to work with them on several options but received the same canned response. Even asked to speak to a supervisor and was told there is no one else that could help me. Really?

The email I received from RMT came across as rubbing salt in the wound. Insinuating if I had bought directly from them there would not have been an issue. Buying from them directly wouldn't have guaranteed the shock wouldn't have failed - unless they intentionally dropship defective shocks for other retailers who sell them cheaper. Hope that's not the case. I understand the return process might have been a lot better buying directly, but that's beside the point. There is no reason they could not have taken care of the warranty claim directly. If they're not going to - don't put the multi-page warranty booklet that includes the phone number and email in the box. Instead a simple note to contact the retailer would suffice.

Better yet, if RMT is going to dropship for other retailers they should do so operating as a blind shipper. Really surprised CARiD does not do this. Obviously because most manufacturers charge extra to blind ship items. Anyhow, was just a bad day overall as one of my servers was hacked and phishing Microsoft. Yea 2020!

 

I'm thinking maybe the original Bilstein air shocks are not so expensive after all ! At least they work and last a long time.

 

So a couple of weeks ago my 2004 XJ8 dropped to her knees and of course I checked out and suspected everything else before I looked at the front shocks because both had been replaced two years ago with RMT replacements. As an aside, if one strut blows the others are unlikely to stay at full extension so it is important to properly test all struts individually to find the leak(s). As these are described as having a limited lifetime warranty I tried calling RMT but could not get a reply. Then I mailed their customer service who put me through to their warranty department which answered with voicemail. I left a message and got no response.
Two days later I got hold of customer services and a nice woman sent me a link to their warranty replacement form, explained that many of the office staff were working from home because of Covid and assured me I would get a response from the warranty form submission wthin 24 hours. It seems that the staff there ONLY respond to warranty forms. Customer Service also told me that they could not relay messages to the warranty department
The link worked perfectly. It sent me to a google form which I completed and submitted. I immediately got a receipt from google forms to acknowledge the submission.
The next morning I got an eMail from RMT warranties asking me to call them.
By now I had packed up the faulty strut and was ready to mail it to them. The lady I spoke with said she would send me a prepaid label for the return and told me to drop the strut off at a UPS pickup. When I asked if I could buy a replacement and get reimbursement after they had examined my return, she said yes but suggested a $200 deposit by credit card would get it shipped to me immediately. They would reimburse the deposit when they received the core.
To my amazement, the replacement shock arrived less than 24 hours later and when I checked the tracking for my core, RMT received it after 24 hours also.
I fitted the replacement the same day and it inflated perfectly and my Jag is now off her knees and prowling around again. I mailed RMT to let them know and am now awaiting their response on the deposit.

Here are my learnings.
I have built and managed customer support centers and understand how it should work. Covid has definitely thrown a lot of systems and processes into disarray and RMTs response have been a bit tardy but under the circumstances maybe a three or four day turnaround is understandable.

When I originally bought my front two struts from RMT, they cost less than half of other rebuild replacements and 20% of the Bilstein's. They both worked fine for two years until one of them had a problem. A lifetime warranty is unusual these days and I was prepared to pay for a replacement. Though my car is in magnificent low mileage condition the cost of new replacements with eCats would be a massive percentage of the cars value.

I could have gone with coilovers but really wanted to keep the car as original as possible, Even if I dont get my deposit back (which I think I will) I still got a great replacement including two way shipping for $200. If the replacement only lasts another 2 years I will be happy.

Finally, there is a good reason Arnott doesnt refurbish these struts any more. I suspect it is the unknown nature of the cores they are working with. I for one am grateful that RMT is still doing this at an affordable price.

The warranty and third party vendors is an interesting point. When I received my replacement, there was a three page document included which explained their warranty policy. It does explicitly state that the warranty is not transferrable or available through third parties. I assume that in your case CarID have an advantageous pricing which carries some penalties such as them dealing with warranty paperwork and shipping.

In conclusion, I hope RMT can straighten out their internal communications and customer service departments because we classic Jag owners have few options if we want to keep our cars as built and on the road. I will post again when I find out the results of my struts postmortem.

Steve

 

CARiD's customer service is certainly lacking. In fact, both reps who ultimately came to the conclusion it would have to be a warranty claim were rather confused on what to do. They both just told me it would take 5-7 days to get a decision on the claim. It took encouragement on my part to get the Rep to call RMT while I was on the line to speed up the process. Which they did, only to come back with the same 5-7 days response. I asked if it would be easier if I talked to RMT and they said "try it". Which I did but couldn't get anyone on the phone. Once I emailed RMT the pictures I did get a quick reply. No help however, they simply blew me off since I bought from CARiD, told me I would have to deal with CARiD, and recommend I buy direct from them next time. Not even an apology that their air shock didn't last 10 mins.

CARiD approved a refund. I have a refund confirmation. Except they said I would have to wait 2-5 days for them to send me a email that contains the return label I can print out. When I asked why they couldn't just send the return label now they said it had to be approved. Again, makes no sense. I actually have an email with the confirmation number and right below it - I kid you not - it states "Please allow 1-2 business days to review this request. Once approved, a confirmation will be sent to your email." So the confirmation number two lines above is what?

Oh well, live and learn. Really would like to keep the air ride and not go to coil overs. I've read coil overs give a decent ride but not like the air shocks. My car is low mileage but currently weighing cost to value of replacements right now.

 

An awful lot depends on the shocks condition they get to rebuild.

A set off of my 04, which was from the Carolina's, were sent in to be rebuilt.

Got them back, put them on the 07, with good results, still work well.

But have developed an occasional clunk after two years.

A set of rears bought from them, leaked after a week, leaving the car on the stops.

Sent back for a refund, put Arnotts on, suspension is good now.

Their new air compressors are just under $200 delivered, the one on my 04 is running great

 

CARiD agreed to a refund instead of waiting weeks to process a warranty claim and receive replacement shocks. Although I did get a email with a confirmation number quickly, it will be another 1-2 days before I receive another email that includes a return label to print out. It seems the confirmation is not really a confirmation as directly below it states; "Please allow 1-2 business days to review this request. Once approved, a confirmation will be sent to your email" I am currently on day 2.

So right now I am waiting on the confirmation of the confirmation I already received to see if my confirmation is confirmed

 

That's the issue!
The (expensive) alternative: when you buy new B4 Bilstein's, you bite the bullet, but thereafter you are safe for a long long time...

 

My issue wasn't with the shock shaft that they don't replace in the rebuild process, where the condition of the core matters most, it was with the thin metal band that held the bellow which they do replace. Whatever the cause, the metal band snapping or was too loose to begin with, it came off releasing the air making it completely useless. After hours of replacing both front shocks I made it less than a mile. Not long enough to judge the condition of the core they rebuilt.

 

I have been considering this option of OEM B4 Bilstein air springs. Can anyone recommend a reputable vendor or where to buy them? I believe only the "comfort" model is available, right? Are they still being produced, or have they been on a shelf for years?
My XJR front has one original stiffer spring , and one replacement Arnott that clunks. The dissimilar dampening/rocking and noise is not pleasant.

 

Rockauto has Bilsteins right now for $753.79. Where did you buy your Arnott? I thought they came with a lifetime warranty?

 

Have had great results with partscontainer at NEWPARTS.COM with the Arnott shocks
Free shipping

 

As a serial entrepreneur I feel sorry for entrepreneurs who shoot themselves in the foot and never know it. So I took a few minutes and wrote the following to the listed owner of rebuildmastertech.com. It will be interesting to see if he responds on this thread.

-----------------------

Dear Andrew Limpert

In today's world, reputation on car enthusiasts' forums means you win or lose sales without ever knowing how they found you and why they decided on your product... or not

See https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-avoid-240654/

Right now, my 2004 XJ6 is running fine, so I don't need your service. But when I do, I won't even contact you - or CARiD. You lost me on the forum post and the hassle is not worth the risk.

However, as a serial entrepreneur I feel sorry for you, so I am going to make a suggestion. Join the forum and post a reply. Also, look carefully at the allegations. If the warranty comes back to you, don't hide behind CARiD or officious procedure that your company made up, just solve the customer's problem. Also take it on board - why did the part fail 8 minutes out of the box? You want to get that part back ASAP so you can explain to the world what happened and what measures you are taking to prevent it happening again.

In your reply on the forum post how customers can make most effective use of your company (and it is not to go through CARiD). It also is useful to mention that X% of your sales go onto cars with no problems and no subsequent issues. It is only the unhappy customers who air their complaints on forums, thus they give an inflated impression not proportional to real-life experience.

Always always think through the customer's eyes, not your own. If the customer is wrong, gently suggest why they need to buy eyeglasses (that's a joke). So if the customer was unreasonable - say returning a core a year late, explain (a) it's not within the agreed policy, but also (b) why you have such a policy. Reasonable people will read your reply and judge "the vendor is OK, the customer is unreasonable. I feel safe with them... the complainer is an idiot".

Reputation is everywhere, so on your down time, instead of watching Netflix, do google searches of your company name or initials and the word "forum". Join every forum, declare you are the manufacturer, and address the issues... even if the posting was 5 years ago. Answer every one. And the BBB. And any other place where people make comments (including CARiD reviews and Amazon if you sell there).

Technology has changed, but the basic principles of business have not.

Good luck and stay in business.

 

Thank you for the Rock auto tip.
The front single replacement Arnott was on the car when I bought it. I think the other is a stiffer original. The mismatched spring rates in front makes the car ride unevenly I believe.

 

UPDATE:

OK. It's been a week since CARiD agreed to refund my purchase of two air shocks. The RMT air shocks in which one lasted a whole 10 minutes on the car. Anyhow, they sent me a confirmation number for my refund request and I was to wait 1-2 days - as per their email - before receiving another email for a return label.

2 days later when I call CARiD after not receiving one, CARiD tells me it may take 5-6 days and to call back next Wednesday if I have not received the return label in my email.

Today is next Wednesday and have not received it. I call CARiD once again. CARiD puts me on hold to call RMT - the manufacturer - to ask about the authorization for the return label. While I am on hold, I take it upon myself to email RMT since they have responded quickly to my last emails. I ask what's the hold up on the return label.



CARiD rep comes back on the line and say they can not get anyone at RMT on the line. Of course I ask to speak to a supervisor. None available. Someone will call me back. RMT replies:



And well, you can see how it looks and how I took it. There was no explanation or added info contained in the email. Just a link to my post here on the forum. I took it like anyone would in my situation and when I call them out on it they reply 15 minutes later explaining what their lack of words really meant and clarify:



Hmmmm. K. I would be a bit easier to give RMT the benefit of the doubt if they were even somewhat helpful in this situation other than keep reminding me to order from them next time. So I ask for a bit of help and receive a response.





Lastly, it seems from RMT, that CARiD is giving me the runaround and not taking customer service seriously.



Now does this change my mind about RMT? Not so much. The air shock failed in less than 10 minutes - I understand things happen. But... could they have helped resolve this? Absolutely. Were they eager to? Not at all. I did not appreciate the numerous times of reminding me I should have ordered directly from them. That wouldn't have made the shock not fail if I had. And, sending me a link to my post here with no explanation when I was asking what the hold up was, well we all know how that looks.

And for CARiD, very surprised with them being a vendor here that they have probably the worst customer service I have ever dealt with. And still dealing with. I will update on CARiD's response.

 

As promised. Here is the outcome of my strut post-mortem by RMT. The mechanic says he strut seized due to wear and tear and is therefore not covered under warranty. I replied. the car is a trailer queen and has done less than 1000 miles since strut replacement. I requested that the warranty rep (Angelina) forward my mail to the owner. She replied with a copy of the warranty documents. She also said that they had discounted the warranty deposit by 25% (To be fair, they also paid for shipping of the old strut for examination).
In my case, it was over two years since I fitted the original RMT strut despite the low mileage in that time. I am not happy with their customer service or their poor response to my calls and messages. In future, If I have a cost effective alternative, I will take it
Steve

 

Since it was getting near closing time and no supervisor from CARiD had called, I sent them a copy of RMT emails and called once again. After explaining no call, no labels, the RMT emails, the rep then put me on hold as she called someone in support. While on hold I received an email with the return labels. The rep then got on the line and asked me to check my email. They had no explanation as to why I had to wait a week when RMT said they sent the authorization back on the 9th, why I was told they had not received the authorization, or why I was basically lied to the entire time.

I will be sending off these air shocks tomorrow. Now let's see how long it takes CARiD to complete the refund. Anyone care to guess?

 

I agree with the TERRIBLE handling of the strut sales both by Carid and RMT as described with the copied emails in the present thread.
Will never consider buying from them!