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D3 Cadillac - shocked

22K views 109 replies 42 participants last post by  newcadman 
#1 ·
I am really shocked at the customer service at D3. It has made wonder how in the world they are still around and is this situation for real. I wrote them the straight forward and courteous email below and received absolutely no response. I know their reputation in customer service wasn't the greatest but I felt I would give them the benefit of the doubt. After receiving no response, no parts, no follow through, I am left to be done with the situation.

I have wanted a D3 carbon fiber hood and ordered it, for simplicity, through 21st Century Muscle Cars. They would be installing everything while my car is there anyway. 21CMC has been very transparent with me and diligent with D3. After being told that D3 had a hood for me, 21CMC told D3 that they would only pay for the parts with a tracking number. That was 2 weeks ago. They blame it on not having a box to ship it in. Yesterday, I asked 21CMC to get all the other parts: front end splitter, rear diffuser, LED inlet lights, side skirts. D3 said they had to go look to be sure the parts were all there then would call back for payment. This brings us to today and nothing.

Is this for real? Do they really survive like this? Is there more to this story I don't know? Their front line, Greg, has been courteous and will talk to us. But, this doesn't add up. Here is a copy of the email I sent to the owners with no response whatsoever. This was a fair amount of $ to be "trying" to spend, about $6k.

*******

James and Tim,

Thank you for reading my email. I run a couple of businesses and I am
asking you for the bottom line of my situation. Sometimes in my business,
the only right answer to give is the bottom line response that it can't be
done. So that is what I am asking you for today.

I realize you probably have no idea what is going on with my situation so
I will try to keep it concise and comprehensive. Simply put, I want and
D3 Carbon Fiber Vented Hood. I have asked for it since October. The
order may have come in to you from 21st Century Muscle Cars in November, I
am not sure now and it really doesn't matter - call it 4 or 5 months.

The update that 21CMC provided to me from D3 has essentially always been
the same, "a couple more weeks". I have done a very large amount of
business with 21CMC so I trust what they tell me. I have 2 known
experiences with D3, a friend who needed a replacement hood because of a
flaw (it took many weeks to resolve, and my own experience (4-5 months of
trying to spend thousands of $). So please understand my only experiences
have not been the greatest. Still, I believe it can be made right.

I just want to know, can I get a hood, can it be soon? Or, do I just need
to do something else? I am asking just to be leveled with and with
complete transparency. Tell me to buy someone else's hood if that's the
case or just level with me with a real timeline.

Additionally, I may have given up some leverage (if I actually had any to
begin with) by asking 21CMC to go ahead and get the other thousands of $
of D3 parts from you guys so they can at least be on the car while my car
is in their facility for work. I also ordered the front splitter, side
skirts, air inlets with LEDs, and rear diffuser.

After a month or so I took it upon myself to contact the front line of D3
for updates. They were the same updates 21CMC was providing to me. They
have always been courteous and helpful to the extent of letting me know
there were QC measures impacting production. I have to believe that has
been worked through.

It was suggested to me by a friend that there may be a shift for D3
providing parts to Cadillac dealers and that volume is the issue here.
Congrats if that is the plan, I think it will move a lot of parts for you.
But, I need a real answer and real timeline. In my business, everything
stops with me, I have the highest interest in my company. I am asking the
same of you.

Thank you for your time once again.

******

How does this go unanswered and without any follow through and they remain in business?
 
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#73 ·
Furnish labor AND parts is the idea here. They are missing out on a profit point. If they ordered the parts and sold them to you at cost plus markup, then they stand to benefit. I don't take my spark plugs into my dealer and pay them labor only to install them (although they still will make a handsome profit!).
 
#78 ·
Luna you are a tool. Keep twisting what I say to match your tortured viewpoint. I commented on a post by Gary Wells that had you opening your big stupid yap, and a couple of other people obviously NOT getting his point. So I clarified from my experience, which on whole, has been good with D3, and extensive over the years. I'm not even defending shit, just clarifying your attempts to manipulate what GW had to say to fit your ongoing with hunt. I really feel sorry for you.
 
#79 · (Edited)
I will continue to post and make you look like the biased dumbass that you are whether you like it or not. I could care less if it gets your vagina all in a knot.

The fact of the matter is this guy posted his terrible experience with D3. Gary then replied that D3 has generally asked him to buy the parts & then schedule an appointment. Those are the facts and they are indisputable.

Now, pay attention here, as this may get confusing for you...

Either Gary was posting this because he was recommending this as a way of successfully dealing with D3, &, by extension, a solution to the poster's problem, or it was a horribly random post, easily misinterpreted.

Then, you chime in with brilliant comments like,
I don't think you guys are getting it. If they don't stock the parts on hand, you order them according to what you want. When they arrive at D3, they will install. Jesus.
, which appears to be completely irrelevant as the parts were in fact stocked by D3 (if the OP is lying, that's a different discussion, but it sure as hell doesn't seem like it).

Oh, and please explain how that and this

They furnish parts that they carry, and source things the customer wants that they do not, like in my case, certain heads and a particular cam. They order them for me and I pay. When they arrive, the car goes in for the work. What is so hard to fathom here? If it isn't a part out of their catalog, or something where I am deferring to their judgment call on associated significant parts (rockers, rods, whatever) that they must order in for me, why shouldn't I pay for those items up front? They won't ask you to order up spark plugs or fluids or bullshit like that. C'mon.
are NOT defending D3...

Unless, I suppose, you meant to reply only to Tinman, but that would be the most moronic tangent I can think of. Further, if this was the case, it's just another attempt by you to defend D3 and how they operate. Standard operating procedure for you...

"I'm not even defending shit"

Umm, yeah you are...rofl
 
#87 ·
Not necessary, James.
I just happened to have the headers already.
I also already had the AlkyControl kit.
D3 did tell me that if I wanted them to do the install on a "AeroForce" gage to buy what I want and take it to them.
I have no problems with that philosophy depending upon part, cost, availability, etc., etc.
Quite a few speed shops, not necessarily D3 only, prefer the customer to buy the product.
 
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#89 ·
I think this should show that the OP is/was lying and in my personal opinion I'd have to say that the OP is a rat hole account for someone to get the flame war restarted on a vendor that someone is disappointed with. I can appreciate the person having the bad experience to give a bad review, and those with good experiences to give good reviews but I can't for the life of me understand why people dedicate their online existence to flaming someone/something.

May just be me but I don't expect everyone to be happy with me and I can't expect every person to be happy with a vendor. Some people are just un-pleasable (not a word). I think all those twisted up in this need to take a giant step back... (Tropic Thunder fans could finish this quote.)

Dr. Design said:
Hello, Hmm, this is interesting and seems very strange. I would like to look into this as we never make appointments unless we have the items in stock or en-route. We are currently out of stock on the STS-V pulley and we have been for several weeks. We are producing additional units now, but you certainly shouldn't have been given a scheduled install date or time for your vehicle. This would have been indicated to you prior to even scheduling an appointment with our staff. When did you say you called and when was your install date scheduled? I don't see anything for a pending STS-V pulley install. You indicated you came in when? The last STS-V that came into the shop was for wheels and tires... In addition to that he already had a pulley on his car. It would appear that you are new to the forums and this is your first post.... The STS-V section of the forum would have been better suited if you needed information regarding STS-V pulley products and install. Thank you, Dr. Design D3 Cadillac
 
#90 ·
Well....I'm a new member to this forum and I've also been wondering about other people's experiences with D3. I just wanted to chime in on my own experience with D3 both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE. I'm not here to bash D3 at all, just wanting to share my experience.
I too am a small business owner so I definitely am able to understand BOTH sides of each situation as a customer and as the service/materials provider. Now as a new CTS-V owner, I found D3 through online forums and since I live relatively close to D3, I thought I'd contact them for all my planned modifications. (I've owned several performance cars and have modified them all so I'm not a newbie when it comes to dealing with performance shops....especially highly reputable ones)
From the beginning, their customer service has been top notch when it comes to over-the-phone communication, answering questions, and giving recommendations on modifications. They've also been able to work with me on their pricing to help me budget for doing my modifications in stages. My first mod was a Corsa Sport axle back and I had also planned on doing the Kooks x-pipe with removal of the secondary cats. However, after further thought while waiting for the Kooks x-pipe to be manufactured, I changed my mind and decided to not go with the x-pipe. D3 was more than kind to let me cancel that order and they didn't give me any beef about it at all (positive service experience). The Corsa's sound great but definitely not loud enough for my personal taste....so more must be done. lol
This is where the negative experiences thusfar have started to accumulate. I decided to purchase their D3 Stage 2 intake and Stainless works LT headers, high-flow cats, and x-pipe. After several back and forth phone conversations with their sales rep regarding small details and questions I had, I was finally able to ok them to place the order for the full SW system. To date, I've been waiting ~2-3 weeks for their Stage 2 intake due to a hold up in their "manufacturing process" of the intakes (for which I tried to be as understanding as possible...but 2-3 weeks?). In addition, it's been 7 full days since I've asked them to SIMPLY PLACE THE ORDER for the full SW exhaust system. With both email correspondence and phone calls back and forth with the SAME sales rep, the order has still NOT been placed. The excuse I've been given is that they're really busy with getting everything ready for 1) their Cars and Coffee event and 2) and upcoming race event in Texas.
Now don't get me wrong, as a business owner myself, I understand when a business is busy and you have a lot on your plate. HOWEVER, this does not justify why it's taking over 7 days to simply pick up the phone and call SW to get my order placed. Honestly, how long could that really take? 10 minutes at most to place the order factoring in you were put on hold once or twice? Really, to call up SW (which I'm sure they have a VERY established working relationship with already) and say "yes, I'd like to place an order for a full SW LT header system with hi-flow cats, x-pipe, and all proper connecting pipes for a 2013 CTS-V coupe....thank you very much". Hmmm....I really wonder if that would even take 30 seconds....let alone over 7 days so far.
Since they also told me that it takes SW ~4 days to manufacture the part and then another 5-7 days to ground ship it to them, the additional wait time for me is another ~2 weeks AFTER the order is placed.
Now you would think that the order would have been placed by D3 already especially since we've had correspondence back and forth over email AND over the phone during those 7 days with me questioning whether they've placed the order or not. But nope....the SW order has not been placed yet.
This is where I'm very frustrated as a consumer and also confused as a business owner. Being "too busy" is NOT an excuse for not placing a customer's order for over 7 days which should realistically only take about 30 SECONDS.
I hope they'll remember that it's all customers that keeps you in business and their "positive" experiences that help you grow your business in the future. I may not be able to drop 20K into one build like I'm sure some of their customer's "race cars", BUT that doesn't mean us "common" customers shouldn't treated as important.....at least this is the unfortunate impression that they're giving.
I truly hope that D3 comes through and resolves this issue promptly and that we can move forward with all this as water under the bridge. This post is just for those of you who are also considering D3. Thanks for letting me vent my frustrations as a new member to this forum.

----------

And sorry for high-jacking this OP's thread....just thought my experiences may be relevant as well.
 
#92 ·
Update: Got an email from the rep at D3 this morning. My order has finally been placed with SW and the air intake is in it's final stages of manufacturing for one specific part.
It was a friendly email with the "real" explanation as to why they hadn't ordered the SW system until now. The order has been placed and NOW I'm happy again....anxiously waiting for it to get here and installed.
 
#93 ·
I had D3 do some work on my 09 V back in 2012 when I lived in Cali. I live in Texas now and I have not had a single issue with the work they did to date. They provided excellent customer service and the guys were very thorough in explaining what was going to be done and they delivered. Thumbs up for D3 on the awesome work they did on my car.
 
#103 ·
Sorry to disappoint you Gary, but you would be too late, since contact has already been made.

On that note, thanks for the reminder. Be sure to let everyone know when your Buick goes on sale. After all I'm sure you want to make sure that your disclosure will be in full in case there should be any memory lapse / oversight/ unreported mishap(s) on your part. I trust you concur.
 
#104 ·
The Buick will pretty much already have been sold when I put it up for sale.
I'm sure that the buyer will be fully aware of all pertinent info.
You're the one that told me that you wanted to make contact to alert him, not the other way around.
I think that it was very nice of you to warn him about the particular car that he was interested in.
 
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