Psa: do not buy from tomei usa or any of their distributors

[lewisfk]

I read through the thread and I'm very disappointed with Tomei USA, but this what you get from greedy ass people who care only of profit.(quantity over quality) Why haven't FrSport, Enjuku, or any of the big suppliers acknowledged this and mad efforts to ensure the customers they are getting genuine Tomei parts? As of to day; here is a link to Tomei USA distributors.

http://www.tomeiusa.com/dealers2.html#usa

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by lewisfk

I read through the thread and I'm very disappointed with Tomei USA, but this what you get from greedy ass people who care only of profit.(quantity over quality) Why haven't FrSport, Enjuku, or any of the big suppliers acknowledged this and mad efforts to ensure the customers they are getting genuine Tomei parts? As of to day; here is a link to Tomei USA distributors.

http://www.tomeiusa.com/dealers2.html#usa

Why?

Because they have zero control over this nor do they have any financial interest to care. Because none of this is really an issue, because US consumers don't change their buying habits.

We can spend all day talking about why but people here just see a brand that is marketed. Do people really think exhausts or gaskets from Japan are as cheap as they are?

In all honesty if Tomei USA only bought from Japan, they would've closed up shop 10 years ago.

[brndck]

Originally Posted by mav1178

Why?

Because they have zero control over this nor do they have any financial interest to care. Because none of this is really an issue, because US consumers don't change their buying habits.

We can spend all day talking about why but people here just see a brand that is marketed. Do people really think exhausts or gaskets from Japan are as cheap as they are?

In all honesty if Tomei USA only bought from Japan, they would've closed up shop 10 years ago.

Wtf are you talking about??? Tomei USA has only been in existence a few years. Before that, they were literally outside sales people for Tomei Japan. Tomei USA absolutely has control of where they source goods from, and they decided on their own, to have an outside factory start making “tomei” products, and selling them to the American market.

ONCE AGAIN SINCE NO ONE CAN READ.

THIS ISNT A JAPAN VS USA ARGUMENT.

THIS IS A TOMEI USA SOLD PRODUCT TO CUSTOMERS WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING AUTHENTIC TOMEI JAPAN PRODUCTS, BUT WERE INFACT GETTING UNAUTHORIZED PRODUCT NOT MADE BY TOMEI JAPAN.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by brndck

Wtf are you talking about??? Tomei USA has only been in existence a few years. Before that, they were literally outside sales people for Tomei Japan. Tomei USA absolutely has control of where they source goods from, and they decided on their own, to have an outside factory start making “tomei” products, and selling them to the American market.

ONCE AGAIN SINCE NO ONE CAN READ.

THIS ISNT A JAPAN VS USA ARGUMENT.

THIS IS A TOMEI USA SOLD PRODUCT TO CUSTOMERS WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING AUTHENTIC TOMEI JAPAN PRODUCTS, BUT WERE INFACT GETTING UNAUTHORIZED PRODUCT NOT MADE BY TOMEI JAPAN.

Wow, I really think you need to re-read what I wrote.

When I said “they” I mean all the dealers. The only entity that cares is Tomei USA, and they turned their autonomy into “sourcing our own products and selling under the same brand name”

Your post illustrates my point and the fundamental problem: where are the goods imported from? People got so stuck on a brand that they didn’t even realize the logo changed long before they swapped out part numbers.

“Tomei” is just a name of a highway between Tokyo and Nagoya, and Tomei Powered Inc screwed themselves by not properly protecting their IP and brand. Tomei USA as a company has never changed hands since the mid-2000s (look it up, it’s on the California Corporation search website), it’s the owners of the US operation that changed how they sourced products.

The true unknown is whether Japan granted US full authority to source their own parts with royalty or profit sharing to Japan. All this reminds me of the split between Phase2Motortrend and Circuit Sports, they both carry the same parts now sourced from the same suppliers under two different brands. Tomei does the same thing except the split is across an ocean.

I know the players. I know who supplies them. I know the suppliers are told they are supplying two locations of the same company. I know a lot more about this than I wish to know, and I ultimately know that for dealers in the US, all they see is a brand, certain sales and profit margin per year, and that’s all they care. By taking the moral high ground and yanking a brand, it could be worth upwards of $1,000,000 a year of sales at 30+% margin for the top dealers in the US. I’m sure that’s an easy business decision to make.

Anyhow, don’t be blinded by a brand, that’s all I will end with. That’s what consumers are hung up on.

[lewisfk]

Originally Posted by mav1178

Why?

Because they have zero control over this nor do they have any financial interest to care. Because none of this is really an issue, because US consumers don't change their buying habits.

We can spend all day talking about why but people here just see a brand that is marketed. Do people really think exhausts or gaskets from Japan are as cheap as they are?

In all honesty if Tomei USA only bought from Japan, they would've closed up shop 10 years ago.

Who gives a shit about Tomei USA, I was wondering what Enjuku, FRSPORTS, etc are going to do with their current stock of defective parts. Many companies would still sell them as original Tomei parts to make a profit, while others would ship back for a refund. Some companies would slap a lawsuit on there asses. Just my opinions tho!

[spooled240]

Originally Posted by lewisfk

Who gives a shit about Tomei USA, I was wondering what Enjuku, FRSPORTS, etc are going to do with their current stock of defective parts. Many companies would still sell them as original Tomei parts to make a profit, while others would ship back for a refund. Some companies would slap a lawsuit on there asses. Just my opinions tho!

Unless those items were sold under the name or affiliation with TomeiJapan, that would be a tough case. We all just assumed they were (still) of the same entity and I'm pretty sure TomeiUSA knew that which is why we never saw a huge PSA announcing this. They knew it was going to do nothing but negatively impacting their business.

[brndck]

Originally Posted by lewisfk

Who gives a shit about Tomei USA, I was wondering what Enjuku, FRSPORTS, etc are going to do with their current stock of defective parts. Many companies would still sell them as original Tomei parts to make a profit, while others would ship back for a refund. Some companies would slap a lawsuit on there asses. Just my opinions tho!

Might wanna ask THEM. Especially if you’re a customer who bought through them and had a cam break or an oil pan that leaks.

Not holding my breath for FRSport to do anything useful, but Enjuku will probably still be in business next year so THEY might give a shit.