FCP Euro Lifetime Replacement Guarantee Update

[bigjae46]

I get the frustration with the change of policy. But FCP's customer service is so much better. I'm ok with paying a little more with FCP if I absolutely need something which happens because track car. ECS has failed me 3 times and left me scrambling last minute.

[oceansize]

Anecdotal but I've never had to return a part because it quit working. Not once. I currently have an M and an AMG both of which are high maintenance and carry the luxury euro tax. I do almost all of my own work but I only buy the best stuff and I only buy the best price. Maybe I'm just lucky. Obviously if you run a shop I understand you can't be so lucky. Totally different scenario. Same applies for the hard core track enthusiasts, you all have a different set of requirements.

When I first heard of FCP I immediately started using them for fluids but otherwise if their price stinks, and it often does, I move on. I will say I that I did buy an OE alternator from them a while back and it was slightly more expensive but electrical parts can be iffy.

tldr; If you aren't running a shop and you aren't going to the track on the regular then skip FCP for most everything except fluids and other small consumables. Their prices stink.

[x Spades x]

For people that aren't understanding... as mentioned, we are paying a premium (upfront costs) when buying from FCP. ALSO, it will require our cashflow to decrease TWO FOLD to have the same experience.

The old process - Buying a OE coils will have me pay $400 (or example). I buy a replacement for $420 and get a refund to my card for $420... which means I have $400 invested into FCP. Now I can buy other "life" things with my $400.

the new process - Now when I buy replacements, I'll have to buy $400 (for example). I buy a replacement for $420 (loss of $20) and a credit of $400. At this point, I have $820 invested in FCP for the same action. you will nee to exchange for a THIRD TIME to see the benefit AND all at a PREMIUM price.

Also note: Even if you get your item before 11/1, you will only be granted the return for cash ONE TIME. After this, your replacement order will be after 11/1 and therefor credit. They DO NOT reference your INTIAL purchase, as that's closed out upon your first exchange.

This is why people are annoyed... OH, along with telling us the change will happen in 7 days, so that people can't take advantage of the current policy.

This has been handled in a shady way.

[Maxima SE]

And another thing to keep in mind, not only is your original purchase costing you a premium up front, your replacement purchase is going to come at a premium also compared to other vendors. Forget it, I'm out.

[Tbonem3]

This is pretty much what it boils down to for me and some others in this thread who chose to buy these parts for way more than they could have been purchased elsewhere. We decided it was worth it to pay more upfront and never pay for it again. I don't think there is any way for them to get out of this legally. Other people may have their own reasons why they purchased from FCP and why they continue to do business with them and that is respectable too. I am not here to bash other people's view on this topic but to call some of us who are upset "spoiled americans" or "complainers when we chose to pay $550 for a pair of rotors instead of$ 380 is completely uncalled for.

Well said.

[Maxima SE]

For anyone wondering here are the original terms of the original program that legally should be honored for any purchases made prior to the start date of the new policy being 11/1.


The original program clearly states that the refund will be on your REPLACEMENT ORDER and not the original. In layman’s terms, you should not be paying for price increase to warranty the part at a later date which is always the case.

Now they want you to eat the difference. For instance I just warrantied a bad oe bmw fuel pressure regulator that in 2015 was $90. Today it is $248 and they refunded me the $248 last week so I didn’t have to pay for inflation.

With the new program, I’d have to pay the new cost of $248, and they would refund me the original $90 that I won’t see back in my bank account. At that point I would go aftermarket and just not deal with it but there are plenty of genuine bmw parts that you don’t have that luxury.

Clearly they are trying to streamline the return process make it the same for everyone regardless of the purchase date but this is not cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is pretty much what it boils down to for me and some others in this thread who chose to buy these parts for way more than they could have been purchased elsewhere. We decided it was worth it to pay more upfront and never pay for it again. I don't think there is any way for them to get out of this legally. Other people may have their own reasons why they purchased from FCP and why they continue to do business with them and that is respectable too. I am not here to bash other people's view on this topic but to call some of us who are upset "spoiled americans" or "complainers when we chose to pay $550 for a pair of rotors instead of$ 380 is completely uncalled for.

[PSUEng]

The big thing they emphasized was clamping down on return abuse. They were experiencing tons of return abuse and they are starting to clamp down on what is allowed under the lifetime policy. Exchanges will be strictly on the exact parts you bought, which I thought was already the case. They will not allow return of damaged parts due to install, which they would let slide. They will not allow returns that are excessively not within the lifecycle of the parts. The Representative explained that people would buy parts test them on their cars then return the parts that were still new for different brand parts just because they didn't like them.

I can't blame them for clamping down. It would not help keep the business solvent if they didn't. In the end if your not abusing the policy and your not planning on selling your car anytime soon then it should not affect you.

So as is typical in our country, punish the masses for the crimes of the few. At the end of the day, FCP could refuse refunds to the "abusers" and "ban them" so to speak. But it's their business so whatever, but, so typical today. OTOH, they may be realizing part prices are soaring and they don't want to / can't cover the increases. Who knows.

[thegenius46m]

For anyone wondering here are the original terms of the original program that legally should be honored for any purchases made prior to the start date of the new policy being 11/1.





The original program clearly states that the refund will be on your REPLACEMENT ORDER and not the original. In layman’s terms, you should not be paying for price increase to warranty the part at a later date which is always the case.

Now they want you to eat the difference. For instance I just warrantied a bad oe bmw fuel pressure regulator that in 2015 was $90. Today it is $248 and they refunded me the $248 last week so I didn’t have to pay for inflation.

With the new program, I’d have to pay the new cost of $248, and they would refund me the original $90 that I won’t see back in my bank account. At that point I would go aftermarket and just not deal with it but there are plenty of genuine bmw parts that you don’t have that luxury.

Clearly they are trying to streamline the return process make it the same for everyone regardless of the purchase date but this is not cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bmw m3 s50]

Spoke to FCP today, and it appears that returns will be issued in store credit which will apply towards future purchases. It shouldn't make a difference if your keeping your car for the long haul because odds are your going to need something in the future. If you own multiple euro cars then that credit could be used on parts for other cars not just the car which the part is being replaced. So essentially instead of getting your money back on the first part replacement and spending money on future parts, you will not get your money back on the part replacement but won't spend money on the future part.

Even though they wouldn't admit why they did this, I am betting it's because of the numerous amounts of refunds probably being issued on a daily basis. Could be because credit processing services wouldn't allow it or is charging for excess refunds or simply their business accounting model.

I do not see the big deal if you don't receive the money back in the present but then do not to spent money in the future.

The big thing they emphasized was clamping down on return abuse. They were experiencing tons of return abuse and they are starting to clamp down on what is allowed under the lifetime policy. Exchanges will be strictly on the exact parts you bought, which I thought was already the case. They will not allow return of damaged parts due to install, which they would let slide. They will not allow returns that are excessively not within the lifecycle of the parts. The Representative explained that people would buy parts test them on their cars then return the parts that were still new for different brand parts just because they didn't like them.

I can't blame them for clamping down. It would not help keep the business solvent if they didn't. In the end if your not abusing the policy and your not planning on selling your car anytime soon then it should not affect you.

[EthanolTurbo]

Store credit is sweet. I could read their T&C and see how long they will leave that credit to your name. If they sweep that $ at a certain point, they will pocket those credits if you sell the BMW and no longer buy parts from them...

In some states it is illegal to have store credit expire at any point.

[Albino09]

Hmm, that is a solid point, I looked at it like you were warrantying the part from 2020 even if in 2024. IF they go about it the same way you stated above then yes I agree with you.

Since the method of completing a warranty is first initiated by buying a replacement, I believe each replacement restarts the warranty clock. So it doesn't matter if you've replaced the brake pads 5 times, the warranty is not linked back to the original part but the most recent purchased replacement.

Slight upside is, if the parts are increasing in cost over time you are receiving slightly more back in store credit each time. Honestly, in practice I don't find it as severe as some are making it out to be. I've just sent back an oil change kit, which will result in $72 of store credit being loaded to my account. I'm going to need another oil change in the future, which will require no out of pocket on my side besides shipping. Anyway, this is all personal use case and not really worth arguing which is better or worse. Will work for some and not for others.

[Norocehcap]

Wow some people here really up on their high horse throwing shade at people for using FCP lifetime warranty inside an FCP lifetime warranty forum thread lol, especially when this is FCP's main advertising point. I 100% use this for fluids also so I guess I am one of the stingy cheap people in here as well . 2 weeks ago I sent back 4 liters of brake fluid and a set of OE wiper blades, that $100 refund is better in my pocket then FCP's bank account. I am also the horrible person (lol) who sends oil and filters back, an oil change on my 911 costs $168 and once again that money is better in my pocket then theirs. I have both paid for shipping myself and also used PayPal's free returns which is almost gone and even paying for shipping is still worth it to me because even an extra $50 at the end of the day is free money for me . Feels like Rennlist in this thread where money doesn't matter and everyone is/acts rich lol. Regarding the change to store credit I will continue to use FCP and send back anything I possibly can to them and use the credit on my 2 BMW's and my 911, its slightly worse but still the best deal out there. Do I buy some stuff from ECS and others, absolutely, if I find a good deal or its not something that I think will be replaced.

[Obioban]

I can't be mad at FCP, with how many of their car parts I've warranty swapped. They've been covering my track rotors/pads/fluids for years now, and I've been using them for long enough that pretty much anything that breaks on my car is covered by them.

I'm sure their business model is built upon most people not keeping the car long enough to do things like rod bearings, cooling systems, etc more than once, and fluids more or less being a marketing expense. Sadly for them, people like me have had the same car for 18 years, with no intention of selling or stopping driving/tracking, which throws a wrench in the works a bit

[Sergmann]

It was only a mater of time before they made some change to this policy. I for one have been reaping the rewards of free track pads for 5 years now. First with the stock calipers and now with the 996 stuff. In all honesty the reason I went 996 Brembo is because I could source pads from FCP. I buy almost all my parts from them at a premium because I almost feel obligated since I am benefitting from the pads. Now I will likely just go to the cheapest supplier. FCP has grown so fast in large part due to the highly advertised lifetime warranty. Its what made them standout from the numerous other suppliers selling the same parts. Its an unfortunate change and one that will likely affect my future purchase decisions.

All that said carparts.com now offers lifetime replacement. Possibly this an option for those looking to source basic maintenance parts?

https://www.carparts.com/customer/lifetimereplacement

[PSUEng]

I remember asking FCP one time if they priced matched--found a better price on ECS. They said, no, because they have a lifetime warranty. This particular part I thought, I may never need to replace it. So, i went with ECS. Now I do buy from FCP because they have great customer service and easy returns, and put out some great DIY videos.

However--recently I bought from ECS and I'll say, that was the nicest packed car parts box I've ever received. And, I had to call for some help on some backordered items and they were very helpful, and sorted it all out. All that said, I still shop around--FCP, ECS, and GBMW parts. I've always been skeptical of this FCP "lifetime warranty" and am not shocked on them changing the terms. I'd be OK with a full warranty for what I paid for the part and I was surprised they actually offered not only that, but a free exchange for a new part, even if the price increased. I don't run enough miles on this car to wear stuff out like some might, but FCP is still a great choice IMO.