My reply was factual and quite polite but here you are making assumptions and accusations again.

1- We are an exhaust system manufacturer. 1 vehicle = 1 SKU . We have many other SKUs for different exhaust systems.

you have one product for us. Is what I meant.

2- Any time you buy anything, including exhaust systems from other companies, you are taking a risk. Such is life. We do our best to mitigate that risk for you by offering a no hassle return policy and lifetime warranty. Furthermore, had you expressed this concern politely, I would have gladly offered to refund 100% of the purchase price +shipping, if the product was deemed to be sub par. In fact, I remember offering free installation and dyno runs to anyone willing to come here in person.

Fair enough. “Had I expressed this concern politely.” Your conditional gratitude is a nice after thought.

All of this should have been part of your very first post, after engaging with us First.


3- We did do market research. We sell dozens of these kits to the Micra Cup series so the development of the product was well justified.

When tailoring this to the street oriented version did you ask us what changes we’d like to see ?


4- Again with the accusatory language...we are not "slinging" anything nor are we trying to recuperate losses from another contract. We break even selling to MIA, not that that is any of your concern. We have been doing business with the gentlemen from MIA for years and agreed to forgo our profit on the exhaust systems because it is a good promotional opportunity for our Cortek brand. that is a winning situation regardless of whether or not we sell street systems.

5- The "REAL" Micra cup exhaust is a racing piece that does not necessarily have the most pleasing sound for long highway drives or daily commuting. The ONLY thing we change is to fill the muffler with a material that is more suitable to street use and offers better sound absorption of the higher frequencies. We do this to offer a BETTER product for street use rather than race.


6- We're not "clearing house at the beginning of the race season". I was pretty clear that we are only discontinuing the street version of the exhaust system and that we will continue producing exhausts for MIA, as usual.

7- I'm not washing my hands of anything. If I was doing so, I wouldn't be here correcting your many assumptions. I'm simply saying that we don't make money selling the exhaust system at the liquidation price so we will be discontinuing the street oriented system. I would encourage anyone who wants the race version can buy through MIA, same as before.

Cool. Didn’t know that.
Did you actually say if you want the real real deal you can purchase via MIA before now? Maybe? I cant even remember. And I literally do not care to go back and look.


8- We made what the Micra Cup series asked for, not whatever I wanted. It seems that the most offensive thing we did was to adapt that system for street use and then offer it to a community that has few readily available exhaust options. If the system is not to your liking then don't buy it...that's fine. I'm not here to push anything on anyone.

There are lots. Well, at least as readily available as your is. It has to be ordered and shipped then installed. Kinda a moot point.

Readily available to me is walk in buy off shelf walk out the door.

Everything with micra is order and wait. We don’t even have recall parts readily available lol

9- As I said, if our product is not what you're looking for, that's fine. The fact is that our offering was priced similarly or lower than other options and the quality/price ratio is quite good. You don't have to believe that but there is no need to jump all over our posts with sly remarks and negative assumptions to dissuade others from making their own decisions. It's commendable that you want to stand up for your community but WE'RE NOT ATTACKING IT. I don't know how to make that more clear.

And that’s with the shop/manufacturer/ and me all getting a little slice of the pie. Which I disclose.

It was more of an exercise to show that it can be done almost anywhere.

So people know just about any shop can do what was done here it is not special in any way really, let’s be honest. It’s an exhaust any shop anywhere could fab up in a couple ours and done for a reasonable cost.
No need to buy a “micra cup car not cup car street version “that’s meant for off road cause it deletes the OEM resonator making it non compliant basically coast to coast.
And you can get a noncompliance muffler and exhaust a lot cheaper and save the shipping.

You attempted to offer us something special which we quickly realized wasn’t as special as you made it out to be.

10- Yes, we have a take it or leave it approach. It's a polite, no pressure approach. 'This is what we have available. If you're interested or have any questions, we're here to help'...that's the exact attitude we came to the forum with. It's not arrogant or pushy, it's low key. That's why the hostility is so confusing.

Why are you taking it as hostility?
I do kinda want to say it’s low key something alright. Lol that may come off as attitude because I’m putting your words back in your mouth but it’s more about literally responding so you know I read it all.

11- Yes, you could be wrong and you are. The Micra Cup exhaust is a marketing exercise and a mutually beneficial deal between Rawtek and MIA. As I've said we have known the gentlemen at MIA for years and I have no information that would lead me to believe they are looking for a different supplier. I don't know where you're getting these ideas but they are getting on my nerves. Though I'm sure that much is obvious.

I’m not trying to “get on your nerves” I’m sorry if that’s how you are feeling.
I’m glad you set me straight though.



Lastly, it's not really that "cutthroat out there"...just in here, lol. We get along very well with our clients and in fact, much of the competition. The world is a big place full of different people with different priorities.

Your priorities seem to be budget

If you actually took some interest in the forum, did even some research on the threads pertaining to exhausts you’d know “budget” is a priority for micra owners.

I also deal with a company named “budget exhaust” so that was why I mentioned that word much. But also, so that other forum members/micra owners knew of a reasonable shop to approach on their own. Apparently they get it. They literally named their business after it lol.

It’s just a micra ten grand tin can
A sub $300 if possible bolt on axle back was probably the most acceptable range.

And one piece is difficult to install in the drive way and cost more to ship
It doesn’t make sense, to me anyways.

and busting my balls so it's quite obvious that we'll not be doing business together.

I’ve been asking question and getting answers.
I know it’s not just me so that can feel like your getting attacked.

But really that’s potential customers and ppl that are actually very good at what they do. The knowledge our enthusiasts gather is rather impressive. Some of them don’t leave there moms bsmts for days while researching lol fan boy knows who he is. Lmfao... I don’t mean this literally but figuratively.


That's ok. All I've asked from the beginning is for the opportunity to inform interested parties about our company and product offerings without being badgered by those who are not interested.

Your taking this very personal right now. I meant the aftermarket automotive industry. Margins are small market is niche and sales are seasonal. Business is tough. I was being empathetic.
You took that as though you are cutthroat with clients or customers and then stated “just in here” implying the forum.

The fat mad black lady in me is screaming “***** yous in my house talking that ****?!?? “ - meant for comical relief. But also relays my shear disbelief at this.


A simple "I'm not looking to spend that much" or "I'd rather stick with a mainstream brand" or "I'm on the fence. What's your warranty/return policy"...etc. would all have been welcome responses to our introductory post and would have saved us all a lot of time and effort. Instead, we're called "rednecks", "slinging" crap parts on unsuspecting Micra owners. I hope you can understand how frustrating that is.
Oh I surely can.

I, at no point, called you a redneck.
I literally just used sling instead of sell. Cause I didn’t want to constantly write sell. Also because it did convey, some what, with after thought, how you approached us, and conducted your sale.


In the end, the Micra community is quite a small market spread out across a big country. This forum is the best place to reach out to that community so, if we can't get a fair shake here then there is no sense in pursuing it.

We have 4 or 5 street kits left.

Best regards

Ricardo Galerio
President
Rawtek Performance Fabrication Inc.