Did a search here and they don't sound too popular but no reasons given. I've decided to get APR chip and seems like they're the only ones in the So Cal area or does anyone know of somewhere else I can go? TIA.

 

has been an absolute nightmare that is still ongoing. Where in So Cal do you live?

 

There aren't any other options that I know of for APR in SoCal (closest other option being New Dimensions to the north).

On the other hand, there are more options for chipping in SoCal if you don't want to go APR. Jeff Moss does GIAC right here in west LA and Eurocode Tuning does REVO stuff.
<a href="http://www.ecodetuning.com/">Eurocode Tuning</a>

*Edit: Also forgot Oettinger chips in Century City done by CEC.
<a href="http://www.cecwheels.com/">Claus Ettensberger Corporation</a>

 

What were your problems?

 

David from EuroCode Tuning and Jeff Moss from Torque Factory are both AWESOME.

 

3 Saturdays ago I drove to Hartmann to get an APR chip along with an Intrax cup kit. Got the chip installed..... took the suspension kit home to have my mechanic install it. Mechanic tries to install it, and says right away that the front shocks are incorrect. To make a long story short, Fabryce at Hartmann INSISTS that the part is right and berates my mechanic and basically calls him an idiot. He was TOTALLY unwilling to consider the possibility that he was wrong and had given me the wrong parts. After 3 hours of trying, my mechanic gave up..... I had to take the parts back home. I checked teh part numbers with the Koni catalog, Fabryce gave me the shocks for a New Beetle rather than a TT. I proceeded to e-mail him at Hartmann about the problem with the part numbers. He fires back an e-mail again saying that my mechanic is an idiot, and then insisting that he was LOOKING at the catalog and that the part number is right. THEN after 20 minutes, he e-mails back and says that indeed he gave me the wrong part. He wanted to order the right parts and then give me a 50% discount for him to install the suspension for me. Note that his 50% discounted installation price is significantly higher than my mechanics fee (and my mechanic is a former audi tech). My wife and him argued on the phone and basically agreed that he would order the proper parts and then install them for $50. Anyways, 3 weeks have passed and he claims he doesn't have the shocks yet. The man is impossible to reach by phone. He is bad about answering messages and also not good about answering e-mails. Dealing with Hartmann has been such a ridiculously frustrating experience that I will never buy an APR product again. At this point, I'm just hoping he'll get me the right shocks and put them in and not stiff me on the whole thing and stick me with Beetle shocks.

 

I have four 1.8T cars with two Neuspeed chips, one APR chip, and one GIAC chip. All 4 cars are modded with parts from various shops. The ONLY shop that I've ever had problems with is Hartmann. All the others have been great.

 

I'm in St Barbara. Where are above mentioned shops located?

 

I know it won't do anything but if enough people tell them how terrible they are they might do something. They are reluctant to act because Hartmann gives them their suspension stuff or something like that.

 

Check the links in my reply