Bad experience with APR & Drive Auto Works

[RockJGC]

Decided to get my A5 APR tuned at Waterfest today. It turns out that APR teamed up with Drive Auto Works to help with tuning at the show.

So I walk up to the booth and tell them that I want to get my car tuned with stock, 91 octane, and 93 octane programs and they tell me immediately that my car can't be flashed with more than a single program, so they would give me 93 octane and nothing else. No stock tune, no 91 tune, nothing but a 93 tune. When I questioned that, they told me that there's no room left in the ECM to run more than a single program because Audi used up all the memory in the ECM. At this point, I knew the guy from Drive Auto Works was completely full of shit and I started to get annoyed, but I played along anyway, I told him to go ahead and tune my car with the 93 octane program. He said sure, the price is $450.00.

APR advertises their Stage 1 tune for $399.99 and tuning at the show is supposed to be offered at cost minus 10 to 20%. Now I realize that shops will often charge labor to flash tunes, but APR's show discount should have been less than $400 out the door. Anyway, I let the guy charge my credit card and then went back to tell him tnat I changed my mind and didn't want the tune anymore. He reversed the charge on my credit card and as I was walking away, I decided to talk to the guy doing the actual tuning. I told him that I knew for a fact that my car can have multiple maps and didnt appreciate the BS story I was being given. He told me that I was right and that the other guy was confused and thought I had an A3 instead of an A5. (I'm 95% sure that was also a lie about the A3 not being able to have multiple maps)

It was at this point that i realized what these assholes were doing. Since they were flashing at a show, they were charging people a flat $450 to flash just one single program file and moving onto the next car. They were completely full of shit and were just looking to push as many cars through as quickly as possible.

So I went back to the guy doing the tuning and told him that I didn't appreciate the BS that they were trying to sell me and that I knew better. He asked me what I wanted and i told him that I just wanted stock, 91 and 93 programs and he said no problem, we'll do that for you. So in the end, i did pay $450 to get that done.

But I'll never step foot inside Drive Auto Works, that's for sure. Those guys are complete con artists. It just sucks that they try to bullshit customers for no reason other than to make a quick buck.

The car feels great though. Even on the 91 map, the car pulls so much harder in 6th gear on the highway. No downshift required to pass. The APR tune feels great. It just sucks that I had to have swim through a sea of bullshit to get it done.

[Neil F]

Interesting. Generally I have seen positive for them in the threads for recommended shops.

How was waterfest in general?

[RockJGC]

Interesting. Generally I have seen positive for them in the threads for recommended shops.

How was waterfest in general?

It was good. Pretty big turnout and the weather was good on Saturday. I didn't go back on Sunday because it rained off and on all day.

As far as Drive Auto Works, I'm the kind of person who's done with them if they try to screw me the first time I deal with them. So check this out---- right after I got my car tuned, this guy pulls up in a VW Golf. He had just won the Waterfest raffle, so he had $1,500 that he had to spend at the show. So he decided to get his car tuned by APR. While his car was being tuned, i was talking to him and his son. I asked him what else he was planning to buy with his raffle money after his car is tuned. He told me there was no money left. He spent the full $1,500 getting the APR tune. WTF? I asked him what he got and he told me that he got Stage 1 91 & 93 octane tunes. He also got valet, fault code clearing, and security programs.....all for $1,500. I cant believe they were screwing people at the show. The guy was still happy though because it was won money, but still....those guys are scumbags.

[papadelogan]

He spent the full $1,500 getting the APR tune. WTF? I asked him what he got and he told me that he got Stage 1 91 & 93 octane tunes. He also got valet, fault code clearing, and security programs.....all for $1,500. I cant believe they were screwing people at the show. The guy was still happy though because it was won money, but still....those guys are scumbags.

I hope the owner of that shop is notified about this and I HOPE that they were not at the show, and that this will be new information to them, AND they do something to make it right. Cheating someone out of $1000... that's just horrible. But maybe this thread will get around, make it to other Audi\VW forums and if/when it does.... I expect that it will cost Drive Auto much, much more than the $1000 they cost that one customer. Sometimes it's just an employee or two trying to "do a good job for the company" and boost up profits. But in today's world, where information like this can reach thousands of people overnight.... WOW. Makes me glad that I'm nowhere near that shop. But again... I hope this isn't the norm for that shop and that they find that person with the Golf and do something to make it right.

I don't know if you can update or change the subject of this thread, but I don't think the issue is with APR, just Drive Auto Works. The employee(s) of DAW are the ones that told you BS and cheated that other guy - APR is just the product.

[RockJGC]

I hope the owner of that shop is notified about this and I HOPE that they were not at the show, and that this will be new information to them, AND they do something to make it right. Cheating someone out of $1000... that's just horrible. But maybe this thread will get around, make it to other Audi\VW forums and if/when it does.... I expect that it will cost Drive Auto much, much more than the $1000 they cost that one customer. Sometimes it's just an employee or two trying to "do a good job for the company" and boost up profits. But in today's world, where information like this can reach thousands of people overnight.... WOW. Makes me glad that I'm nowhere near that shop. But again... I hope this isn't the norm for that shop and that they find that person with the Golf and do something to make it right.

I don't know if you can update or change the subject of this thread, but I don't think the issue is with APR, just Drive Auto Works. The employee(s) of DAW are the ones that told you BS and cheated that other guy - APR is just the product.

I agree somewhat, but let me be clear that APR and Drive Auto Works were working together in the same booth. Employees from both companies were wearing their company shirts. They were all working under APR canopies/tents. There were three guys with APR shirts who were doing the actual tuning. The guys doing the paperwork and collecting the payments were all wearing Drive Auto Works shirts.

Yeah, it was a frustrating experience. I walked away happy that I got the tune, but extremely annoyed at the process and the level of BS that was being thrown at me.

[papadelogan]

I agree somewhat, but let me be clear that APR and Drive Auto Works were working together in the same booth. Employees from both companies were wearing their company shirts. They were all working under APR canopies/tents. There were three guys with APR shirts who were doing the actual tuning. The guys doing the paperwork and collecting the payments were all wearing Drive Auto Works shirts.

WOW.... that changes things a bit. APR people *MAY* not have been aware of the money side. *MAY*.... so there's a chance they were completely in the dark. But maybe not. But what is still 100% certain is that at least some the Drive Auto Works people are shady in the extreme. Probably not all employees, but certainly the ones talking to customers and giving pricing at Waterfest this year. I have no friends\family in that area that I would need to warn off that company, but I think the larger Audi\VW scene would be better off knowing about this, as well as the owner(s) of the company. Maybe the owner(s) are not aware, maybe they were there and know 100% what happened. At this point, it's about how (if) they respond and make things right.... whatever that might be.

[6ixof1]

Wow that's wack! I had my S5 tuned at Waterfest 24 4-5 years ago. It was just APR doing the tunes. I'll be sure to stay away from Drive Auto Works. A good shop is hard to find.

[RockJGC]

Yeah, I just thought it was a shitty way to deal with customers at a show. And they did absolutely take advantage of the guy with the Golf, but like I said, he still walked away happy because it was "free" money to him. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he was getting raked over the coals....I just let the guy be happy.

[Izzyz28]

Copy everything you've said here and post it straight onto their Yelp page. They will either explain themselves thoroughly and the post can be edited and taken down, or they'll ignore it/bullshit some more. Double-fuck any company that tries to jerk people around.

[Chriscapo9]

Copy everything you've said here and post it straight onto their Yelp page. They will either explain themselves thoroughly and the post can be edited and taken down, or they'll ignore it/bullshit some more. Double-fuck any company that tries to jerk people around.

This Dude Bashing Drive and Dion is a complete Bullshitter ,I'm calling this Dude out even Though this thread is crazy OLD . I have been using them for years and just look at their Reviews . 4.9 STILL!!! you are the LIAR... I live in Philadelphia and the 2hour ride blows But my Audi Goes No where else ... Why didn't you post it anywhere ? PINOCCHIO

[RockJGC]

This Dude Bashing Drive and Dion is a complete Bullshitter ,I'm calling this Dude out even Though this thread is crazy OLD . I have been using them for years and just look at their Reviews . 4.9 STILL!!! you are the LIAR... I live in Philadelphia and the 2hour ride blows But my Audi Goes No where else ... Why didn't you post it anywhere ? PINOCCHIO

Sorry, moron.....you can believe whatever floats your boat. What I said is 100% fact and 100% true. Just because you like them doesn't mean they didn't try to screw me over at Waterfest or the guy with the Golf who overpaid for his tune with his free prize money.

Why didn't I post it anywhere else? Where did you want me to post it? The only place I post any Audi content is Audizine. Try not to be so ignorant next time.