LX Mode Grille- knockoff or original???
01-23-09, 08:31 PM
#46
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OK!!! today i took off the grill and i looked on the back. there is NO LX-Mode stamped on the back 
OR maybe i did not see it. could you take some pictures on the back of the grill for us to see? I want to see where exactly is the stamp. Here is some more pictures of my grill for now if that would help.
even the base has the instructions.... how come you did not get any instuction
OR maybe i did not see it. could you take some pictures on the back of the grill for us to see? I want to see where exactly is the stamp. Here is some more pictures of my grill for now if that would help. even the base has the instructions.... how come you did not get any instuction
why did you have to do that, i almost forgot about it, now it's just more on my "to get" list this summer
I am definitly getting the L emblem with it though
01-23-09, 09:16 PM
#47
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Something else that didn't make sense to me was that the vendor said that he could get me a LX Mode grille with the original box and information sheets, just as others have posted in this thread, for $700! Or I can keep the one I paid $400 for. I just laughed at him. He's basically saying that I have to pay an additional $300 for authentic packaging! What a joke!
01-24-09, 12:22 AM
#50
Today I spoke with one of the head salesman of the vendor I bought it from. He said that they have a contract with LX Mode to buy it directly from the manufacturing warehouse instead of from LX Mode. As part of the contract, they are not to use LX Mode boxes and information sheets in the sale since they are getting it from the manuracturing plant. He told me that it would be degrading the LX Mode brand name if they put it in authentic boxes and sold it for a lesser price since they are getting it direct from the warehouse. He also said that their company has a very close personal relationship with LX Mode, yet they couldn't even negotiate to have some original information sheets thrown in with the grilles that they are buying directly from the warehouse. If I say much more I'll be giving away who the vendor is, which I'm really tempted to do at this point! I still haven't been able to speak with the manager as my message apparently was never received for him to give me a call.
He told me that it would be degrading the LX Mode brand name if they put it in authentic boxes and sold it for a lesser price since they are getting it direct from the warehouse. He also said that their company has a very close personal relationship with LX Mode, yet they couldn't even negotiate to have some original information sheets thrown in with the grilles that they are buying directly from the warehouse. If I say much more I'll be giving away who the vendor is, which I'm really tempted to do at this point! I still haven't been able to speak with the manager as my message apparently was never received for him to give me a call.
01-24-09, 01:32 AM
#52
they could get a deal with LX-Mode company. that could be why they gave you that package and it is cheaper. it is hard to believe that our vendors sell knockoff stuff without telling us if it is replica or authentic. BTW, does your grill have 6 slants on the grill? from your picture that you posted, it looks like you have 5 slants on the grill and I have 6 slants on the grill. OR my eyes are just playing a trick on me.
01-24-09, 01:50 AM
#53
interesting updates on the grille. here are some information i gathered and also what i think
first of all, having a stamp in the back doesn't mean anything. i can't stress enough on this
good point. in #6, OP said
so initially they said lxmode shipped them in boxes incorrectly, but now they are shipped from manufacturers instead of lxmode?
i can't comment much on the comment about the vendor going straight to the manufacturers, it could be true, could be false, though i think it will be very awkward. lxmode is really shooting themselves in the foot since by telling the vendor to directly get it from manufacturer, lxmode actually loses money on sales, and at the same time giving up their design, isn't it? i can't see a logical reason for that to happen. maybe more stories to under table deals that i don't know of, who knows. but if i were lxmode, for sure i'd keep my design and manufacturing proprietary. if some vendors want to buy big quantity, i will maybe give deeper discounts
secondly, if what the vendor says is true, that they are getting it from manufacturer as unfinished products, then with all due respect, that is NOT lxmode products. lxmode's name is not on there, period. so the vendor cannot claim it's lxmode products at all in any form. that's in line with how lxmode doesn't allow boxes or information sheets bundled, and thus degrading their brand name, right? that is basically saying vendor cannot say the grilles are lxmode.
that's my opinion. some people might argue saying they are from same manufacturers anyway, but that doesn't put the authenticity on it, since it's not through lxmode channel.
btw, i received photos of some authentic lxmode grilles directly from lxmode. boxes are same as those shown already. the wrapping is very tight two layer foam covers with bubble wrap, and on the foam cover there is actually a label showing it's the lxmode grille (this is one for the gs). and then there is a package with installation instruction and also warranty card information
they might not be useful anymore, but good for reference
first of all, having a stamp in the back doesn't mean anything. i can't stress enough on this
Something doesn't sound consistent here. If I recalled, you said initially when you talked to them, they gave you the run around about the mismatching boxes between the IS and GS and therefore, you did not get the authentic packaging. But now they are saying there is no authentic box to begin with since they are purchasing directly from the Manufacturing warehouse?
My box looked nothing like that. It was all white with nothing on it but the UPS tag and a very small sticker that had GS 350 and GS 430 on it. I called the vendor on it and they said that LX Mode ships it to them in boxes that are reversed marked: IS grilles in boxes labeled GS and GS grilles in boxes marked IS. This makes no sense to me. They kept saying that LX Mode has their logo on the the bottom inside part of the grille, but a good knockoff manufacturer would have the same thing so that didn't prove anything to me.
i can't comment much on the comment about the vendor going straight to the manufacturers, it could be true, could be false, though i think it will be very awkward. lxmode is really shooting themselves in the foot since by telling the vendor to directly get it from manufacturer, lxmode actually loses money on sales, and at the same time giving up their design, isn't it? i can't see a logical reason for that to happen. maybe more stories to under table deals that i don't know of, who knows. but if i were lxmode, for sure i'd keep my design and manufacturing proprietary. if some vendors want to buy big quantity, i will maybe give deeper discounts
secondly, if what the vendor says is true, that they are getting it from manufacturer as unfinished products, then with all due respect, that is NOT lxmode products. lxmode's name is not on there, period. so the vendor cannot claim it's lxmode products at all in any form. that's in line with how lxmode doesn't allow boxes or information sheets bundled, and thus degrading their brand name, right? that is basically saying vendor cannot say the grilles are lxmode.
that's my opinion. some people might argue saying they are from same manufacturers anyway, but that doesn't put the authenticity on it, since it's not through lxmode channel.
btw, i received photos of some authentic lxmode grilles directly from lxmode. boxes are same as those shown already. the wrapping is very tight two layer foam covers with bubble wrap, and on the foam cover there is actually a label showing it's the lxmode grille (this is one for the gs). and then there is a package with installation instruction and also warranty card information
they might not be useful anymore, but good for reference
01-24-09, 04:21 AM
#54
Rominl, keep in mind one thing:
Paint wise, LX-Mode is selling ONLY gunmetal, and the vendor is only selling painted (NON-factory gunmetal) grilles. That may be part of the marketing scheme on LX-Mode's part, so that they don't have to worry about having x number of paint codes and the facilities for painting special colors on the car.
Now, with regard to the chrome, this justification can not be made.
Paint wise, LX-Mode is selling ONLY gunmetal, and the vendor is only selling painted (NON-factory gunmetal) grilles. That may be part of the marketing scheme on LX-Mode's part, so that they don't have to worry about having x number of paint codes and the facilities for painting special colors on the car.
Now, with regard to the chrome, this justification can not be made.
01-24-09, 05:25 PM
#56
Rominl, keep in mind one thing:
Paint wise, LX-Mode is selling ONLY gunmetal, and the vendor is only selling painted (NON-factory gunmetal) grilles. That may be part of the marketing scheme on LX-Mode's part, so that they don't have to worry about having x number of paint codes and the facilities for painting special colors on the car.
Now, with regard to the chrome, this justification can not be made.
Paint wise, LX-Mode is selling ONLY gunmetal, and the vendor is only selling painted (NON-factory gunmetal) grilles. That may be part of the marketing scheme on LX-Mode's part, so that they don't have to worry about having x number of paint codes and the facilities for painting special colors on the car.
Now, with regard to the chrome, this justification can not be made.
01-24-09, 09:43 PM
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they could get a deal with LX-Mode company. that could be why they gave you that package and it is cheaper. it is hard to believe that our vendors sell knockoff stuff without telling us if it is replica or authentic. BTW, does your grill have 6 slants on the grill? from your picture that you posted, it looks like you have 5 slants on the grill and I have 6 slants on the grill. OR my eyes are just playing a trick on me.
01-24-09, 09:46 PM
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Something doesn't sound consistent here. If I recalled, you said initially when you talked to them, they gave you the run around about the mismatching boxes between the IS and GS and therefore, you did not get the authentic packaging. But now they are saying there is no authentic box to begin with since they are purchasing directly from the Manufacturing warehouse?
01-24-09, 09:56 PM
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I agree completely with the assertion that the vendor shouldn't sell them as lxmode. This is what I said to the vendor and he said that is why they used to sell the same grille under their own name. I still will not put their name out there, but many of you know which vendor came out with a "similar" grille not too long ago and put their name on it. From what they told me, that grille is the lxmode grille but they were not allowed to use the lxmode name to sell it. He then told me that just recently they were given permission from lxmode to start using their name when selling the grille, but apparently no boxes or information sheets are included. According to the vendor, this is why they don't sell "their" grille anymore.
01-25-09, 12:27 AM
#60
Rominl,
I agree completely with the assertion that the vendor shouldn't sell them as lxmode. This is what I said to the vendor and he said that is why they used to sell the same grille under their own name. I still will not put their name out there, but many of you know which vendor came out with a "similar" grille not too long ago and put their name on it. From what they told me, that grille is the lxmode grille but they were not allowed to use the lxmode name to sell it. He then told me that just recently they were given permission from lxmode to start using their name when selling the grille, but apparently no boxes or information sheets are included. According to the vendor, this is why they don't sell "their" grille anymore.
I agree completely with the assertion that the vendor shouldn't sell them as lxmode. This is what I said to the vendor and he said that is why they used to sell the same grille under their own name. I still will not put their name out there, but many of you know which vendor came out with a "similar" grille not too long ago and put their name on it. From what they told me, that grille is the lxmode grille but they were not allowed to use the lxmode name to sell it. He then told me that just recently they were given permission from lxmode to start using their name when selling the grille, but apparently no boxes or information sheets are included. According to the vendor, this is why they don't sell "their" grille anymore.
If this is the vendor that I think it is, I got my WALD kit from them. AND when I went pick it up, the kit was in the original WALD box and with WALD installation instructions.
I have lots of respect to the vendors here. However, if the vendors can't provide any recourse for the buyer when the question of authenticity is presented. Furthermore, if collectively the explanation has begin to weaken itself down. I think we have a problem here, because now we can't deal with the vendors with the peace of mind that we used to have here at CL. That would be a shame.
Last edited by GSXOTIC; 01-25-09 at 10:00 AM.