Ok looks like the BBS story has finally come to a conclusion...
11-26-2001, 11:49 PM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Ok looks like the BBS story has finally come to a conclusion...
I spoke to the President of BBS America today...I called him last week and explained the situation. I gave Eric a week to do something for me and he never called me back...so I called BBS and actually got a call back from the Pres. We spoke about the situation on the phone for a while and he said he'd look into the problem. So this morning I figured I'd do the proactive thing and give him a call to see what was going on.
Well it seems there's an explaination and a resolution which has come out of all this. It seems as so often is the case coughAUDIcough coughAoAcough, coughAudiGermanycough...there is a disconnect between the parent German organization and their international operations. Mike explained that they'd weighed several wheels and came to findings which were very much in line with my own...the wheels are considerably heavier than the 23 lbs figure which was the previously established weight. A bit alarmed they contacted Germany and word back from BBS Germany was that the wheel has been altered because they wanted to certify the wheel for use on the larger Audi cars like the A8/S8 and even more so some of the Mercedes cars (same lug pattern) which are heavier than our cars. As a result of wanting to go after the Merc and top end of the Audi range with that wheel they were required to increase the load bearing capacity of the wheel to work with those heavier vehicles. Downside for us, heavier wheels...up side for them and A8/S8 and Merc owners is they too can safely sell and use respectively the BBS CH wheel for those cars.
So it seems...consistent with a few peoples claims that the wheel was in fact once a few pounds lighter than it is today...if you happen to have these good for you, I did not get a set of those :-/ I was open to the idea that the wheel had been changed I said so in some of my posts...and it turns out that was in fact the case. It's unfortunate that it took an investigation prompted by the whole forum blow up in order for BBS America to finally be able to put the updated figures in their books...but it seems this is a common theme with German companies who appear to have their American operations seemingly kept in the dark regarding what is arguably vital information. I shudder to think how long it would have been before Dieter und Hans would have sent their friends in North America the new information? Maybe they're still angry with us over Dubbyah Dubbyah II ;-)
Anyhow Mike has agreed to take my wheels back directly...and they're picking up the shipping both ways. So it's nearly a zero balance...in the end I'm still below zero cause I spent nearly 1/2 a work day doing the whole weights and measures thing...but I suppose I'm reasonably satisfied by the offer to buy them back and I have every intention of taking them up on that offer.
Anyhow just figured some of you would like to hear the conclusion of this whole story...it was quite the saga. If we can take anything from this...it simply reinforces that old somewhat cliche Latin expression, "Caveat Emptor" or Buyer Beware. Not everything is always as it seems...manufacturers are fallable and sometimes they will post downright inaccurate information. So I applaud their willingness to take the wheels back now, but still stand by my assertion that the approach was all wrong, I don't think I'll find many here that will argue that point.
BTW - It's not really over till the check clears ;-) I'll keep ya posted.
Regards,
James R.
Well it seems there's an explaination and a resolution which has come out of all this. It seems as so often is the case coughAUDIcough coughAoAcough, coughAudiGermanycough...there is a disconnect between the parent German organization and their international operations. Mike explained that they'd weighed several wheels and came to findings which were very much in line with my own...the wheels are considerably heavier than the 23 lbs figure which was the previously established weight. A bit alarmed they contacted Germany and word back from BBS Germany was that the wheel has been altered because they wanted to certify the wheel for use on the larger Audi cars like the A8/S8 and even more so some of the Mercedes cars (same lug pattern) which are heavier than our cars. As a result of wanting to go after the Merc and top end of the Audi range with that wheel they were required to increase the load bearing capacity of the wheel to work with those heavier vehicles. Downside for us, heavier wheels...up side for them and A8/S8 and Merc owners is they too can safely sell and use respectively the BBS CH wheel for those cars.
So it seems...consistent with a few peoples claims that the wheel was in fact once a few pounds lighter than it is today...if you happen to have these good for you, I did not get a set of those :-/ I was open to the idea that the wheel had been changed I said so in some of my posts...and it turns out that was in fact the case. It's unfortunate that it took an investigation prompted by the whole forum blow up in order for BBS America to finally be able to put the updated figures in their books...but it seems this is a common theme with German companies who appear to have their American operations seemingly kept in the dark regarding what is arguably vital information. I shudder to think how long it would have been before Dieter und Hans would have sent their friends in North America the new information? Maybe they're still angry with us over Dubbyah Dubbyah II ;-)
Anyhow Mike has agreed to take my wheels back directly...and they're picking up the shipping both ways. So it's nearly a zero balance...in the end I'm still below zero cause I spent nearly 1/2 a work day doing the whole weights and measures thing...but I suppose I'm reasonably satisfied by the offer to buy them back and I have every intention of taking them up on that offer.
Anyhow just figured some of you would like to hear the conclusion of this whole story...it was quite the saga. If we can take anything from this...it simply reinforces that old somewhat cliche Latin expression, "Caveat Emptor" or Buyer Beware. Not everything is always as it seems...manufacturers are fallable and sometimes they will post downright inaccurate information. So I applaud their willingness to take the wheels back now, but still stand by my assertion that the approach was all wrong, I don't think I'll find many here that will argue that point.
BTW - It's not really over till the check clears ;-) I'll keep ya posted.
Regards,
James R.
11-27-2001, 01:14 AM
#5
Thanks for the finale. But NOW I have to go and weigh mine again for sure,
because, like I said, my initial weighing of them had them pretty low. It's like a "first edition" baseball card now: collectible. I wonder if we'll see used BBS CHs for sale listed as "series 1" and "series 2" now. 
Seriously, though, you did a great service for our little community. When I replace my summer tires in the spring, I'll take the opportunity to weigh my wheels at an accurate facility and let everyone know what I come up with. For what it's worth, mine were purchased last February, so I don't know if that was the "old" design or not. Hmmm...
Thanks again James.
Seriously, though, you did a great service for our little community. When I replace my summer tires in the spring, I'll take the opportunity to weigh my wheels at an accurate facility and let everyone know what I come up with. For what it's worth, mine were purchased last February, so I don't know if that was the "old" design or not. Hmmm...
Thanks again James.
11-27-2001, 05:58 AM
#7
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what about your pain and suffering? ;)
Looks like you got the incorrect information part taken care of, but what about the ******** who came on the forum and basically said you had **** for brains? I'm not saying you should be out to sue the hell out of BBS, but what he did/said was waaaaay over the line.
