Autotech Systems Reviews (%countItem)
Autotech Systems Rating
Address: 115 Amber Way Dr, Catawissa, Missouri, United States, 63015-1286
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Hello, We have had several issues with the equipment provided by lift superstore/autotech systems. The equipment did not meet the standards represented by the salesman Jim Denneny. We have had problems with every piece of equipment purchased from them with some problems presenting immediate and serious safety hazards. We contacted Autotech systems/lift superstore about these issues and they sent techs out to address, eventually. Each call for assistance was met with the instant diagnosis that the techs misused the equipment. This was before seeing the issue or asking any questions with regard to diagnosis. On one such occasion we had a hose leak. On the phone call, Jim suggested my tech used the lift incorrectly. He sent his techs to service the leaking fluid, but the leak continued and became worse in the following days. When I called him back, he suggested that one of my guys tampered with it because, "Well, they just don't leak or have problems. GM uses them thousands of times per day." After that discussion which I documented, he told us on a separate lift (same problem) a month later that there was a batch of those lifts including the first one that leaked that had a well documented problem/defect that had been going on for some time. We have had equipment rated to 8,000lbs (rolling jack) compromised when used per instructions at less than half of that weight. We have had the safety features like locks fail and the lifts lose pressure at the same time which could get somebody killed. The challenge is that there are many more examples of issues with the defective equipment, but we can't get reliable information from Jim. Because of that we sent a demand letter for the equipment to be removed and the cost to be refunded. We received no response to our letter that was sent via certified mail (receipt was verified) in over two weeks. Autotech systems/lift superstore has also refused to support the equipment we have at our shop now. We are stuck with broken equipment which is daily impacting our ability to conduct business. We have spent well over $50,000 on this investment and are unable to capitalize on it. We want our money back and the equipment taken out. Of course, this will need to be coordinated since we have to run what business we can out of the shop now. We need to be contacted.
Over the last 9 months, we have responded to any service
request at Complete Auto within 1 day to make any repairs needed, including overtime and
weekends. However, many of the repairs were necessary due to misuse, improper
lifting practices, and abuse of product by their (Complete Auto) mechanics (for example –
lifting a vehicle that is over the rated capacity of the lift or utilizing less
than all 4 arms to lift a vehicle). My
team and I have witnessed firsthand these practices, and have digital photos to
support those claims.
Autotech Systems will continue to make any repairs of
manufacturer’s defects for the remainder of your warranty period, which ends on
April 18, 2020. We will not continue to make repairs at no charge resulting
from damage due to the misuse and abuse of the product. Any work performed that
is not covered by the warranty will be billed at our customary service rates.
Over the last 10 years, we have installed hundreds of these
lifts with fantastic customer reviews. We have performed more service calls in the Complete Auto facility in the last 9 months than we have performed for any other customer.
No other customer has had more than 1-2 service calls in the past year.
*** has stated that the lifts are “unsafe and not of
commercial quality”. The lifts that were installed are Automotive Lift
Institute (ALI / ETL) Gold Certified – the respected safety and quality
standard of our industry. I have pulled a segment directly from the ALI website
and copied below outlining the program:
Automotive Lift CertificationLook for the Gold Label
There’s more riding on
your vehicle lifts than cars and trucks. If you’re the technician who relies on
a lift to get your job done every day, your safety is riding on it. If you’re
the shop owner, service manager or dealer whose livelihood depends on your
technicians’ safety and performance, your business is riding on it. With so
much riding on your lifts, it’s crucial that they are chosen with care.Since 1993, the ALI
Lift Certification Program has made it easy for lift buyers to choose lifts
that have been third-party tested and proven to meet the safety and performance
requirements outlined in the safety standard ANSI/ALI ALCTV (current edition) “Safety
Requirements for the Construction, Testing and Validation of Automotive Lifts.”
Intertek (Cortland, N.Y.), *** Laboratories (Baltimore, Md.) and ***
Rheinland (Newtown, CT) are the third-party Nationally accredited testing
laboratories authorized to test lifts to determine whether they meet the
ANSI/ALI ALCTV standard (current edition).Lift testing includes
verification of the structural integrity of all the lift’s systems and
components, proper function of its controls and load-holding devices, proper
lowering speeds, and overload protection. Part of the testing process involves
loading the lift to 150 percent of its rated load capacity and ensuring that no
visual deformation of any of the lift’s structural elements or components
occurs. Instructional materials must also meet requirements outlined in the
standard. In order for a lift to be certified, the manufacturer’s production
facility also has to meet quality control requirements. Lifts can be tested and
certified regardless of where they are manufactured and whether or not the
manufacturer is an ALI member.Lifts tested by the
authorized laboratories and found to meet all of the requirements outlined in
the ANSI standard receive a gold “ALI Certified” label and are listed in the
ALI Directory of Certified Lifts. ALI certification is a buyer’s only
guarantee that a lift meets the industry safety and performance standards. Note
that certification is for an individual model of lift, not the lift
manufacturer. If a manufacturer has one ALI-certified lift, that does not mean
that all of its lifts are certified.Unless mandated by an
authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), lift testing and certification is
voluntary for manufacturers. Responsibility for buying certified lifts rests
with the customer. Be an educated consumer! Always look for ALI’s gold
certification label before buying a vehicle lift.
I have attached a copy of the letter sent to Complete Auto earlier in January 2020 by Certified Mail outlining our position. *** has confused the issues in his statement. We had repaired the hose leak on the 2 post lift the next day after he contacted us. The 4 post lift was damaged for a 2nd time due to misuse and overloading by the technician. During my discussion with ***, I made reference to the fact that we have 3 lifts at the GM Plant in Wentzville that are exactly the same model 4 post, one of which was installed over 9 years ago (one other is 5 years old). Those lifts are operated (cycled) over 100 times daily - more than 10 times the typical use in a repair shop. We have had very few issues, mostly from lack of maintenance during that period.
We pride ourselves in providing the utmost in customer service and go beyond expectations, however we cannot continue to repair equipment that is being abused or utilized incorrectly.
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
There are inconsistencies between the letter from Lift Superstore and facts that we've discovered. As mentioned in our complaint, we were blamed which was his default response, before ever coming to the shop to troubleshoot, except when he told us there was a batch of lifts with a known material defect. I'll outline some of the aforementioned differences below.1. The letter says we are the only business having issues. we have relationships with local businesses experiencing the same issues we have had2. They mentioned the lift use being incorrect. We dispute that red herring as what they are claiming we did would not have caused the issues we have had3. In my time there, we use the equipment exactly as instructed and as outlined in the provided lift point manual, emphasizing correct lift points and lift usage after my conversation with Jim at our training sessionIn summary, I'll recap our points. We are not the only business having the issue. The misuse he mentioned would not cause the poor workmanship by Lift Superstore, that was noted by the company that took the lifts out, even if misuse had occurred. The towers of the lifts would not bend from doing what they're suggesting we did. The hoses wouldn't be loose and leak fluid. And if we were doing what Jim is saying we did, we would be having the same issues with our current lifts, which we are not. Same techs, same techniques, different equipment and a different result. We are not asking for something for nothing. We are asking for a full refund of the purchase price and now since we had to pay another company to remove their lifts, we are asking for the cost of removing the lifts to be covered. In return for that refund, we will gladly give them their equipment back.
Sincerely
This company installed a lift that I purchased from them, and this lift was not level, The company is giving me a huge runaround stating I will have to repay for the service. This company should stand behind their products and offer workmanship warranties.
We called this customer three times to schedule to go out; we did go out to make an adjustment on his lift. We also fixed a small leak.