Mike
I'm not going to crap on the OP's thread anymore than I already have. He asked a question, I left my unsolicited opinion (for which I apologize) and I will leave it at this:
Mike, you contradict yourself here. Which is it? Do they not monitor, or monitor and choose to not respond? To say they are too far-reaching or busy to do a little customer service damage control on arguably one of the most influential Porsche forums on the internet isn't asking too much.
As has been stated by Can and others, Bilstein should include that ridiculous little washer. The deletion of one metal ring causing catastrophic failure is just a little bit absurd to me. Installer error or not, Bilstein should pony up the $2 dollars and include/integrate that piece into their shocks.

Obviously, as a vendor, you're more well informed as to the monitoring practices of your equipment manufacturers, but from the viewpoint of one lowly consumer (who has had a less than stellar interaction with said company which I will not go into), it still doesn't look like they give a hoot.
'Nuff of the negative energy. I'm on vacation dammit!

 

Ugh. C'mon. Are you really going to take it this far?

Ok, they monitor what I point out to them. They are not scanning internet forums all day like I do.

I pointed them out the thread about Derek's car. They would then give me information to post since I was the company that sold him these components. I am responding for them since I represent them.

What is it that you needed them to say that I already have not?

They have a dealer network for situations just like this. I am a direct dealer and this is the tyep of hands on service you get when you buy from me. Derek and I have been emailing almost once a day since this whole thing started.

Nobody wants this resolved more then me.

Well l just need you to have a little faith when I say that they very much "give a hoot."

 

Personally, I think Bilstein should have sent Derek a new shock. They are a major company and can certainly afford it. It would have done wonders for their PR but instead they decided to analyze and determine cause while leaving the consumer hanging for an overly long time. Instead, I bet their sales of damptronics for 997tt have dropped. I've certainly held off from buying a set not because of quality issues, per se, but because of Derek's description about the way his situation has been handled.

 

Well said. While not an apples to apples comparison, I certainly give credit where credit is due. Some companies just 'get' customer service.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ml#post2714965

 

For what it's worth to everyone:

1.) Bilstein HAS agreed to rebuild my passenger side front shock (I am satisfied with that); however, the time frame is VERY long...I think it's been almost a month since they said they'd rebuild it...still no shock...I gave in and bought another one because I'm so ready to get back on the road
2.) Everyone now knows the DRIVER's side front shock broke in EXACTLY the same fashion as passenger side shock (less than 3 hours after I got the car back); the magic washer WAS installed on the drivers side (personally viewed it myself)
3.) I've been told by Mike at AWE that Bilstein wants to personally call me (this was on March 18, still no phone call from them). I have a business myself, and I guess to me, a phone call takes about 5 minutes? Maybe it's just me, but tomorrow will make 5 days and no call...seems a little long.
4.) Don't believe I'll be sending the drivers side shock back to Bilstein...they can't use the "magic washer" issue on me and am sure they'll find some other "installation error" reason why this one broke (and don't get me wrong...it VERY well may have been installer error, I'm just not willing to wait another 6 weeks or so to get a "rebuilt" shock back from them). I'll probably bite the bullet, but another damn shock and be on my way. I will be sending the drivers side shock to a metallurgist for my own curiosity. I have also asked Mike, at AWE, to ask Bilstein "who manufactures the steel rods for their coilovers?"; no response yet (have a feeling they import it from China...but even if it is from China, I SERIOUSLY doubt Bilstein would admit to that...betting a million bucks they're going to tell me it's made in Germany).
5.) I am having the stock suspension put back on the Porsche and will be driving to Houston to have a specialist tuner install them (will be calling Cannga before my trip and get some works of wisdom from him as well).