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Autoloc Hoffman Group

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 27 Tall T, Aug 31, 2010.

  1. 27 Tall T
    Joined: Dec 16, 2005
    Posts: 327

    27 Tall T
    Member
    from Butler Pa.

    I did a search of the Hoffman group, and wished I had checked them out before I made a purchase. I bought two linear actuators for my 55 F100. After a couple of months one failed. I called them and got a RA # and returned it for repair. It was out of warrenty because it sat around awhile before it got used. They said expected repair time 1 month. I bought another one so i could get back in service. Called them yesterday , one month later they are backed up at least 1 month. Same story every time I call. Anyone having better luck with customer service? :(
     
  2. I have had the same issues with them and I live in Oregon. I bought 2 bear claws (big) and popers as well as kits after I paid with a card and told it would be four days
    after two weeks I called and was told there out of stock and wasnt sure when they could ship. Thank god Bobs in Salem worked with me and I didnt have to take it the shorts.
     
  3. Halfdozen
    Joined: Mar 8, 2008
    Posts: 632

    Halfdozen
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I spent a bit of time on their website researching Zirgo fans recently. Seems to be a bit of snake oil happening there, with their cfm/ current draw claims.
    Then my email inbox started to fill up with spam from them. Apparently their "unsubscribe" function doesn't work very well...
    Then a friend bought a Helix Mustang II front end kit from them. It's rubbish- ugly mig welds with no penetration, 4.8 grade metric fasteners for lower control arm pivots. Dangerous stuff, IMO.
    Personally, I wouldn't buy a postcard from Hoffman Group.
     
  4. Lotek_Racing
    Joined: Sep 6, 2006
    Posts: 689

    Lotek_Racing
    Member

    Their stuff is junk from China. I've had nothing but problems from the electrical parts I've bought from them.

    Shawn
     

  5. I see them advertise in R&C a lot. I also see ads from different company names, but with similar products and similar ad formats. I've always wondered if they were all part of the same company. I also always assumed their stuff was Chinese junk.
     
  6. And similar addresses. They are snake oil salesmen. Unfortunately there is a HAMBer who works for them. Cheap plastic knock-off import shit.
     
  7. gearheadbill
    Joined: Oct 11, 2002
    Posts: 1,318

    gearheadbill
    Member

    100% agree.....totally crapola!!
     
  8. oldspert
    Joined: Sep 10, 2006
    Posts: 1,263

    oldspert
    Member
    from Texas

  9. LOWBLAZERO1
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 435

    LOWBLAZERO1
    Member

    generally a place that runs it's business using many different names is something you should avoid. two that come to mind are:
    -autolok/zirgo/keep it clean wiring/hoffman group
    -aim industries/chassis tech/airbagit.com
    that's my take on it, some may disagree, but generally this is a good rule of thumb.
     
  10. badshifter
    Joined: Apr 28, 2006
    Posts: 3,535

    badshifter
    Member

    All of the above, x2. Almost exclusively cheaply made knock off products. Avoid if at all possible.
     
  11. Their advertisements do have that look of the overly flashy/chintzy. Just too many products to focus on doing anything exceptionally well. I did purchase a Zirgo fan of evilbay several years ago for an off topic rig. I actually like it and it has not failed from driving in many different environments. I did my own relay set-up for it though using a heavy duty relay from a Ford Taurus if memory serves. I run it pusher style, and it still cools quite well.

    I don't know if any of their products will be going on the 1940 though.
     
  12. Lotek_Racing
    Joined: Sep 6, 2006
    Posts: 689

    Lotek_Racing
    Member

    I've had three replacement igntion switches from them. The plastic rear housing comes loose from the metal front housing and allows the contacts to move out of position. I finally fixed the problem by installing a Cole-Hersee switch. Looks the same but better quality.

    I've been through two of the mechanical brake light switches as well. The contacts seem to burn very easily in them. It was only switching two brake lights. Now it trips a relay that trips the brake lights. Nothing in the package said to use a relay and you would think the contacts would hold up to a pair of 1157 bulbs.

    That being said, the customer service has never been a problem. The faulty units were replaced with no questions.

    Shawn
     
  13. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,263

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Had a customer bring a set of their solenoids for a shave job on a Riviera. I reluctantly installed them. They lasted just past the warranty period.
     
  14. prost34
    Joined: Mar 28, 2009
    Posts: 347

    prost34
    Member

    JUNK,with bad customer service,,,
     
  15. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Got a Zirgo from Summit not realizing it was Hoffman. Almost made it a month before it burned itself up. I got it because they claimed it was 3000cfm, I wanted a little more airflow over the 1200cfm one that is back on there. Their claim of 3000cfm is complete bullshit. Summit didn't even bother replacing it, they just refunded my money.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  16. kingpins
    Joined: Apr 27, 2009
    Posts: 623

    kingpins
    Member

    complete junk.....shady ass company.....
     
  17. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,187

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ

    Another vote for the junkpile.
    So, let's turn this around.... Spal makes good fans. And as far as door solenoids go, 60's - 80's Mopars are hard to beat.
    Rebel Wire harnesses rule. Bosch makes good stuff.
    Cole-Hersee switches are good, so are NAPA ones.

    Who else makes good stuff that Hoffman offers?
     
  18. CHOPSHOP
    Joined: Jun 26, 2005
    Posts: 1,919

    CHOPSHOP
    Member
    from Malden,MA

    you might want to try again- Race (who used to work for Gennie Shifter) works for them now- Im sure he will be turning things around. Glad he will be working somewhere I deal with again.
     
  19. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    If he can't turn around the quality of their products it won't matter. It's crap right now.... you can be the guinea pig. :eek:
     
  20. FritzTownFord
    Joined: Apr 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,020

    FritzTownFord
    Member

    They have a great busine$$ model. Just let other companies spend their money and time to engineer a good product, spend more money establishing a market for it, and then Hoffman just copies it (as cheaply as possible in China). Low overhead = big profits. I think they call that Pirating in other markets.

    Hell, even SEMA won't confront them about the rip-offs because "they are SEMA members". It's a fact.
     
  21. brigrat
    Joined: Nov 9, 2007
    Posts: 5,615

    brigrat
    Member
    from Wa.St.

    I also bought a Zergo from Summit, don't need any surprises on the road so how do you tell a Summit Zergo from a Hoffman?
     
  22. chaos10meter
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    chaos10meter
    Member
    from PA.

    I purchased numerious items them them on a Merc build and am really satisfied with all the things I ordered.
    Maybe I'm Lucky or something ?
     
  23. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    They're Hoffman, Summit just carries them...
     
  24. Hey that's a proven business practice. it has sure worked for Speedway.

    as others move to China we lose big time. I used Bob Drake for 40 years hate to call them now.

    everyone says buy American, as so many trusted names sink to pressure to stay alive competing against cheaper products.

    The good news is, good old American rodders can still fabricate their own stuff using Chinese steel and sub-standard chinese fasteners.
     
  25. hipkatgreaser
    Joined: Aug 29, 2007
    Posts: 164

    hipkatgreaser
    Member

    Also look out for autohuase on gaybay, that's their store on there also. Not impressed with their actuators.
     
  26. I was building a truck as a feature build up for a major magazine. They agreed to sponsor the solenoids for the doors. They sent a pair and they wouldn't open the door, not enough pull. The Editor called them and they said send them back and they would send their heavier duty adjustable versions. They wanted the other ones back first. Told them that with the magazine deadline we couldn't wait that long. So they said they would send them COD and refund when they got the others back. They didn't seem any more powerful and they never did refund, even with mutlipls requests. We had a similar issue with a set for a customer, same results and "Customer Service" .
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2011
  27. henryj429
    Joined: Jan 18, 2007
    Posts: 1,063

    henryj429
    Member

    I bought their power window kit. It was so poorly made that I didn't even install it. I did get my money back, but it cost me round-trip shipping.
     
  28. j.r. Nice
    Joined: Sep 23, 2008
    Posts: 90

    j.r. Nice
    Member

    So glad I found this thread. My AUTOLOC EXPERIENCE

    Last year I bought a set of linear actuators for a tilt-nose project. They sat around for a while, because of other projects. I finally installed them. They worked several months but the nose would bind up during the close cycle. I assumed it was me and the flimsy fiberglass.

    While I was blowing it apart to final paint/detail , one of the actuators fell apart. Bearing disintegrated. Called them and was in their hell-on-hold que for a total of an hour. Finally got thru. Bottom line, no repair parts, no service, and they blew-off the 1 year warranty because I was over 2 weeks. They maligned the $1500+ I had spent with them

    I ordered 2 similar actuators from an Ebay seller. Same ones except less than 1/3 the price ($56 vs $199). If you are gonna get Chinese crap, it's only fair to pay Chinese crap prices.

    As I was inspecting the old ones, I noticed they gave me a mis-matched set.

    New ones installed and work perfectly and there is NO binding. (they are sequentially numbered)

    Also, their relays (motor controllers) wouldnt support the load. Another waste.

    I have their electric window motors in another car. They were a bitch to install because they required significant modification to make them work.
     
  29. So when are Brian Brennan at Street Rodder and Rob Fortier at R&C going to tell this (group of) companies ... "hey, we sure like your advertising dollars, but your products are crap and we can't, in good conscience, foist them on our readers anymore. Get your act together, and we'll reconsider." We all stay on top of the kind of shit on the HAMB, but there are a lot of guys -- and shops -- that don't. Just as the HAMB has become our advocate, the mass hot rod media should serve everyone.

    Excuse the rant, we gotta look out for our brothers and sisters.
     
  30. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,187

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ

    Yeah, I think the magazines owe it to the readers to weed out the rubbish. Someone else will advertise in that space, probably better quality.
     

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