Originally Posted by RockhoundF150

No bull review. I wasn't going to post this on both forums, but instead of handling criticism I was insta-banned on the SSI forum and I am pretty disappointed to be quite honest. I've tried to be the least intrusive customer Shawn has had, send emails instead of calling, if he doesn't follow-up I just write it off as him being busy but he's always been a pretty nice guy on the phone. You guys can go through my post history and read about some of my issues, and I have always defaulted to a problem being something wrong with my truck and ME trying to fix it first, and when people say call Shawn I always do so after trying to fix it myself and emailing so I don't bug the guy.

I've been less active now since I returned my truck to stock in October of 2014 due to cruise control surging and pinging on the top end. I sent Shawn an email with my problems along with a video of the pinging noise, he requested my last tune revision file name after which I never heard anything back. I was fed up at this point and never followed up again. Sold my tuner to another forum member and was done as I was going to sell my truck.

All that said, I never sold my truck and contacted Shawn a few days ago to ask if I bought a used tuner on eBay, could we get my tune working correctly. I got a two word email that said 'of course.' I bought the used tuner off eBay and sent Shawn an email asking what I needed to provide him to get the tune right for my vehicle this time. I followup with a phone call today. I basically get a 20 minute lecture from the guy on how guys running $XX tunes expect the world. I brush it off, ask him what I need to provide him to get things right for him on my end - try and make it as easy for him as possible. and he ends the discussion with '$XX for two tunes, I'm getting off the phone before I say something I shouldn't, have a nice day.'

Keep in mind, I've paid $XXX for the previous generation of tunes plus a $XXX upgrade when a new tune version came out and we never got the truck running correctly for an extended period of time. Now, it's another $XX to maybe fix the truck on top of getting an attitude with me? Nearly $500 on tunes only doesn't entitle me to the world, but it at least get me up and running reliably. Apparently that's another $XXX bucks though and passive aggressive comments about me being a cheap skate eating at Taco Bell and bottom scraping his time.

Could something be endemically wrong with my truck? Of course. I don't know what, though. No issues at all since going back to stock, and there were also no issues with the tunes I got from 5* when I first bought the vehicle but who knows. No effort at all to give me any suggestions on that front however. Also, no heads-up that me buying a used tuner off eBay would require purchasing tunes, again. That being said, $XX bucks is not much money, but I think I will just keep the truck stock at this point as I've never quite been treated that way before by a vendor and it really surprised me.

TLDR

$XXX for original tunes in 13 ( 0299 underboost occasionally, pinging resolved in upgrade with reduced timing )
$XXXto upgrade tunes in 14 ( 0299 frequently, resolved via tune after verifying hose clamps were all tight -clamps were NEVER loose - very bad cruise control surging )
( Tune total - $425 )
$XX for brisk sparkplugs ( when Rodney was working for Shawn) which had the tips fall off in 14
$XXX for an RX catch can without any installation parts ( when Rodney was working for Shawn ) in 14 ( money returned )
and now $XX for the tunes that will work with refusal to just fix earlier tune

I had always considered Shawn to be fun to talk to on the phone and extremely receptive to issues, but this last conversation really surprised me. Maybe Shawn was just having a ****ty day and I can understand that and a lot of people are happy with his tunes.



Edit

to clarify I bought the catch can and the plugs directly from the SSI website. The problems I had with both were subsequently blamed on a prior employee. I think Shawn would argue that he did me a big favor returning an unused, incomplete product purchased directly from him. I don't see how that's a favor. I ordered a catch can from the SSI website, it came incomplete and after numerous correspondence asking for parts or a refund I got one like a month later. I guess that's great though? If anyone wants a screenshot of the PayPal invoice I'd be glad pm or post if asked and allowed.

edit

Attached is a screenshot of the order, directly from the SSI storefront at the time, that he did be a 'huge favor' returning after 2 months ( one month of asking SSI employee for parts, another for refund ) of trying to get parts or a refund. If he wants to try and hold that over my head, he's welcome to try

http://imgur.com/8gsL8Qj

edit - correspondence timeline

4 emails, 1 video sent, 1 call with message left while he was sick and another call returned when he got better and nada - plus two other phone discussions directly about this issue prior - don't know what else I could have reasonably done. I will shoulder some of the blame though. I thought this was too much persistence on my end at the time. - edit - apparently I called TOO much trying to get my truck fixed and running right, not the opposite in which I didn't call enough - maybe he can make up his mind.

10-13 - email and call about surging and pinging - says he will forward me a tune
10-15 - I forward my email so he can email me the tune easily again
10-16 - follow-up for the tune fix from phone call two days before
10-16 - asks for another call, I call
10-16 - forwards file, says no idea how it will work
10-16 - I say thanks
10-19 - I let him know the truck still shudders on cruise badly, 3rd gear clunks, medium to brisk acceleration results in pronounced cyclical shuddering between 75 and 95
No response via email - may have talked don't remember and I don't have it in my notes
10-24 - sent a video of the truck pinging at high end
10-24 - shawn replies hes been sick
10-24 - shawn requests tune file name
10-24 - I forward tune file name with no further replies

1-19 - ask Shawn, before buying a used tuner, if he thinks we could get my tune working correctly as I've not sold my truck
1-19 - Shawn replies of course
1-19 - I say thanks, I will buy the used one off eBay
1-25 - I let Shawn know I got the tuner, and ask him what he needs to me to get me running correctly
1-26 - I call Shawn and he lets me know it's XX bucks to fix my problem


Prior to that multiple calls and emails between 5-20 and 7-22 for P0299 underboost condition which was eventually solved via tune. Brisk plugs that SSI sold me failed on 6-14 and were replaced with OEM. Misfires around that time were isolated to the failing of the plugs, but detonation continued which was never fully fixed.

edit

TDDR

I never wanted an upgraded tune. Fix the old one. Refused because I waited THREE months after he refused to respond to my last email about it. Offered to upgrade to a new tune which would fix all my problems for $$$. IF he would have told me that in advance, no problem. 20 minute rant about how I'm a terrible customer because he can't tune my truck and then asking for $$$ isn't a good service model.

So, in the end. Don't plan on going on vacation, overseas business trip, or even get deployed serving our military because when you come back, a new version of the tune will be out and you get to pay to get your old one 'upgraded' if anything is wrong.

Originally Posted by GUS.975

As much as it sucks to say, I've had almost the exact same issues and experience. Thought I was the only one. Took it to the dealer to try to get my truck fixed because apparently my truck is the problem. They went over it and checked everything. Stock tune it runs mint. Tuned it does all sorts of surging and weird shifting.

I told Shawn several times I don't know what else I can do. Sent him videos, data logs, emails, calls. It never goes anywhere. He sent me one back in December and I've been running it, its slightly better but not 'fixed'

I also, paid the upgrade fee once and an extra $100 one other time. On top of my initial purchase. Shouldn't a data log be able to pin point or narrow down an issue, if there is one? Guy at the dealership drove with me and watched the datalogger when tuned and showed me what it was doing, (blowing off boost under load) and he was saying everything is tight and fine with turbos etc but whatever it was doing that for, it was being told to do that by the tune. I told Shawn that and he got mad and told me to go elsewhere. I honestly believe if you don't praise him out the ***** you get nowhere. He takes all criticism personally, when all I'm doing is giving facts and trying to fix the problem. Just like his website says, "we'll make it perfect" or whatever.

Send 3 data logs and 2 minutes later i get a "looks good" email. That's all it says. Doubt you looked at it, at all. Especially after the ford tech showed me sudden drops in boost pressure and he showed me the solenoid valve being cycled on and off rapidly. Weird how he didn't notice that on the data log.

Anyways, If I do find something wrong with the truck one day, then my bad I guess but I've done everything I can to try.

LET tunes aren't bad either. Tried a few of them. Erick does a good job. Great service too.

Originally Posted by zx12-iowa

Then again let sells lifetime tunes to get people to buy those tunes. But then again it seems like you are following up,with that tuner and having a dialogue versus waiting a long period, etc.

Originally Posted by BoostEd6

Same song and dance. The ssi/socal diablo guys will flood this thread like all other negative tune threads to get it locked. I also find it ironic a self proclaimed tuning genius can't operate business via email. I guess that's a good way of keeping everything "he said she said," when stuff goes down hill like it did with Rodney. Minimal evidence. OP glad to hear LET is taking care of you, he's cleaned up after ssi before and gone out of his way to do so (on this very forum).

Originally Posted by BenCronin04

I'm an SSI customer, and I think I give a fair play to both sides. I understand why OP is frustrated, I would be too at first. But the fact that he gave up and then months later came back with a different device and wanted his tunes back for no additional cost, that's where I think the line was drawn. All in all its a **** situation. I'm sure the guys at SSI wanted his truck to perform well, who wouldn't?

Originally Posted by BoostEd6

Ben, you only addressed one issue I pointed out. The fact is you and others support a bad business whom has swept dirt under the carpet for years.
Edit: this is partially moderator related as mods here and .net deleted Shaun's drunken rants which crossed many boundaries. Customers need to see whom this man is and what his business stands for.