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  • Report:  #24306

Complaint Review: GEX International Corp - Baldwin Park California

Reported By:
- Burbank, CA,
Submitted:
Updated:

GEX International Corp
15245 Nubia Street Baldwin Park, 91706 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-423-1869
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
April 23, 2001, purchased a "new" turn-key engine for my 1971 VW Bus. Turned in original core for refund. Paid over $3,000.

May 2001, picked up engine. Had the wrong parts on it. Never received spec sheet as stated on GEX website. ENGINE RETURNED FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Picked up engine, still had missing parts and RETURNED FOR THE SECOND TIME. Told by GEX that "you'll have to find those pieces yourself." Workmanship was shoddy in places. Pointed that out to them and then they repaired while I waited (BTW, this was an issue that had been brought up and supposedly repaired during return # 1). Asked for spec sheet again and was told it would be mailed to me. Also asked for core refund and was told that we don't know where your core is but it had a cracked case. I said I wanted to see it and they could not locate it.

Installation of engine stopped due to more wrong parts. (Wrong clutch disc) Paid for missing and wrong parts at an auto store with my own money.

Had engine installed. At start up engine was mis-firing and would not run properly. Took it to 3 different shops to have it checked out due to many opinions about what the problem was. Jim at Just Volkswagons in Sun Valley did many tests and found that the #3 valve was not moving properly the way a typical engine valve should move when running. We called GEX and spoke to Otis, the company service rep. He had our mechanic run more tests before he agreed to take the engine back. Engine Pulled and RETURNED FOR THE THIRD TIME.

Called Otis on July 23, 2001 and was told that the engine is fine and that the valves were "just tight." Otis said that our mechanic gave us false information. Otis said that GEX had done a compression check and that all 4 cylinders were at 125. He then stated that all that was needed to be done was a carburater adjustment. We asked for a print out of the compression readings and he said no. We said that we would only pick up the engine IF we could see it run on their test machine above 2,500 rpms to see it running properly as Otis had stated it was doing. He said to come out that afternoon, then hesitated, and then wanted us to make an appointment for another day and would call us back in half an hour. We called back after over half an hour and he said to come in tomorrow (7-24-01) at 3 pm.

We go out to GEX. Engine run for us on test stand. Otis states that they found a problem with the engine which they fixed, but he would not elaborate on what the problem was. Engine sounded OK for the first time since purchased. At this time we decided to purchase the Extended Warranty in order to protect ourselves considering all the problems we had experienced with this "brand new engine". And finally received spec sheet as we stated we had never received it through the mail. They printed it as we waited.

Took engine to our mechanic who upon inspection stated that it looked like they had cracked open the case to do work on the inside of the engine (however we can only "speculate" as our mechanic had marked certain bolts to see if they case was opened and they had been moved and GEX never stated what work they had completed). Engine reinstalled at our cost again. Engine runs OK until April 2002.

April 16th, 2002 car was taken once again to our mechanic due to a strange tapping noise in running engine. Mechanic did a valve adjust check, oil pressure check, compression test and a fiber-optic and stethoscope check. He said it sounds like piston slap or loose cam (which was his original diagnosis less than a year before for the mystery problem that was "repaired" by GEX). Contacted GEX because we had the extended warranty and we found that Otis was no longer with the company and Gary was the new service rep. Gary stated that the engine was covered by the extended warranty but would not agree to our mechanic fixing the problem because it was less cost to GEX for them to repair themselves. We stated that we were hesitant due to all the problems and aggravation and loss of time and work GEX had caused us throughout this whole ordeal. Gary stated that he had no documentation of our previous returns, so we had to explain the whole saga. His recommendation was that we return the engine to GEX for them to repair. Due to all the problems we suffered in the past, Gary agreed to have the engine picked up from our mechanic and taken to GEX for repair. ENGINE PULLED AND RETURNED FOR FOURTH TIME.

May 6, 2002 Gary stated that engine had to be completely rebuilt. Basically, the camshaft was falling apart. Received documentation from GEX on all parts and work that was done. Engine was returned to our mechanic and retinstalled at our cost yet again.

May 22, 2002. Sent fax to Gary at GEX asking for payment in full for costs associated with pulling and reinstallation of engine due to the fact that as with all other problems we had experienced it was shoddy workmanship/parts that caused the engine to fail. Also asked for paperwork stating that the extended warranty we had originally purchased would be extended for an additional year from the date of the rebuild. Response requested by June 5, 2002.

June 11, 2002. No response to date. Called and spoke to Gary at GEX. He stated that GEX would not reimburse us for our costs. That he had "had our engined repaired in the cheapest, quickest way possible in order to get it back to us quickly." Asked regarding the extended warranty. Gary stated that the extended warranty was only good from the original date of purchase and that GEX would not extend it for another year. I pointed out that any reputable company would cover it. He said if you had a part repaired on your refrigerator they would not extend the warranty. To which I replied, excuse me, this was not the repair of one part, this was a rebuild of an entire engine and it could have any multitude of problems as we have experienced since the first time we picked up this engine. And, don't try and tell me that if my brand new refrigerator from Sears had a problem and they had to replace the motor, not one small part as you are trying to make it sound, that they would tell me that the warranty was only good for one more month because I had purchased the warranty 11 months ago. As a reputable company they would cover that motor for 12 months.

To summarize (from the GEX website online catalog), I paid for a "Turn Key (that uses) only the finest premium quality components available and are hot run, tested and COMPLETELY DIALED IN....." so that I could have a ".....simple cost effective, alternative to countless greasy hours of work."

What I feel that I have received for my money (way beyond $3000 at this point), my time, my frustration, my lack of a reliable vehicle, my countless hours of greasy work, is a rebuilt, problem plagued engine without a warranty. And there is a big difference between these two.

Steve

Burbank, California

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