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The Sonax Saga: The Death of an Alcantara Interior


Sven
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Hi All, it's been a while, but some of you may still remember me...and my Ebony Black ride (yup, Ronin's still with me) :)

But I'll say hi and stuff in the LOY in a minute, to keep this thread OT. It's a rather sad story. Hopefully none of you will have to experience the same...

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It's been five years already since I first laid eyes on 'Ronin' - my beloved Audi S8. All this time he's proven to be a faithful and reliable companion. Every time we go for a short spin or a long travel abroad, he manages to put a smile on my face.

I clearly recall the day we met, as if it were only yesterday. The sleek black car immediately drew my attention, for me the other cars might as well have been invisible.

The lovely Black & light grey interior won me over just as quickly. The comfy Recaro seats in gorgeous leather and Alcantara immediately fitted me like a – very special - glove. A test drive was next, and the first words that came to mind whilst calmly driving along the country roads were 'understated power & luxury'. But just a slight blip on the throttle, and the immense torque and power became apparent. Hmm, maybe not that 'understated' after all… Once we arrived at the motorway on ramp I depressed the loud pedal just a bit more. Again I was pleasantly surprised by this phenomenal power, paralleled only by an equally impressive grip. Before I knew it I was traveling at speeds that are highly illegal in most countries…

I'd fallen in love with this car within minutes; this had to be the one. I tried to play it cool with the salesman, but my mind was already made up. A week later, after some thorough checks and tests he was mine. I've been all over Europe with the car since then, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Those of you who know me a little bit, know how well I'm looking after my pride and joy. Every bit of maintenance that might be necessary or beneficial has been done, and I'm detailing as a hobby, so the car has been maintained like the best. I'm not bragging when I say the S8 is in tip-top shape, inside and out.

Until recently that is…

Since day one I've always cleaned the precious Alcantara with nothing but H2O and a damp cloth. Works like a charm, and it never gave me any problems whatsoever.

One unfaithful day I noticed a product especially designed to clean Alcantara; Sonax 'eXtreme' Alcantara Cleaner. I was assured this product was perfectly safe, hence the name. It would be rather silly to name a product 'Alcantara Cleaner' if you can't clean Alcantara with it, right?

So, I followed the instructions to the letter, and sprayed the foam on a couple of parts of the upholstery. You're supposed to treat whole sections at once, and leave it alone for ten minutes, then start cleaning with a brush (!), sponge or cloth.

Ten minutes after applying the product, I started cleaning the Alcantara. I opted for the same soft cloth I've used so many times before. Worryingly, I soon began to notice a drastic change in the appearance of the upholstery. The Alcantara had suddenly lost its usual gorgeous tight woven look and feel, and the texture suddenly looked more like the shabby fur of a discarded teddy bear. I felt sick to my stomach. What the heck…? I quickly wiped down the A-pillar to see what happened there. But it was too late already, that too looked like a hideous piece of trash.

When I sort of regained myself, I contacted Tim, my retailer (Carclean.nl), who was equally shocked and sick about what'd happened. He called Sonax, who wanted me to come over to the national headquarters, so they could see the damage for themselves. I rapidly agreed to drive all the way up there, hoping for a solution. Fortunately, Tim was so kind to join us, which would turn out to be a real blessing.

The Sonax people (about half a dozen plus the director himself) noted the obvious, and told me they wanted to test their product on my Alcantara themselves, to see what'd happen. The results of the tests were identical; another ruined piece of upholstery. Now my passenger seat was in shambles as well…

A picture speaks a thousand words, so see for yourself (car lovers and detailers with a weak heart, be warned!). Note the Alcantara letting loose and clinging to the cleaning cloth.

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Several of the Sonax people there said the tests were 'absolutely unambiguous', and the case was 'clear as day'. The director said they would immediately contact the head office in Germany to discuss the case and find a solution.

When I drove home I felt confident they would reimburse me for the damages. After all, they demolished a seat with their own hands during their tests, and they'd said it was 'a clear case'.

A few weeks later I received a phone call from Sonax. The guy told me I only needed to sign a certificate of damage, and include a pro forma bill for the damages. The actual payment was just a formality from then on, he said. When I received this form, Sonax already had checked the claim as *justified*, so all was looking good so far. I signed the form and sent it back to them, accompanied by the official estimate from my Audi dealer.

From then on it remained silent for a long time. The only updates I got were from Tim, my supplier. He'd contacted Sonax on many occasions, and they told him every single time the case was 'crystal clear', and the reimbursement 'just a formality'.

On May 16th Tim brought me the good news that Sonax had told him the case was finally cleared by the head office in Germany. They were sorry it took so long, but they would finally make good. I was delighted, Ronin could be finally restored to his old self, and I would soon be rid of the hideously mangled interior.

But again, all we got from Sonax was silence. Tim got mad, and wrote a polite but firm e-mail to the director of Sonax. As a result I got a very brief reply, stating: "We've brought this case to the attention of our head office in Germany, we'll inform you of any progress".

I was lost for words. What the Hey…? They'd already done that three months ago! Besides, they already said the head office approved the case, and gave them the green light to – finally - reimburse me for the damages. And now this!

Nevertheless, out of courtesy I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and waited a couple of weeks for a more meaningful reply. But, again – a deep silence. So I wrote them a polite but firm letter, stating all the facts and the repeated promises made by them, asking for a prompt reply.

The answer came as a shock; Sonax now suddenly claimed NOT to be responsible. They informed me they had rejected the claim. According to them Audi was to blame, or the manufacturer of the Alcantara. Attached was some screenshot from a local rag, about some couches being upholstered in fake Alcantara… Yeah right (!). That really sounds like something Audi would use on their premium cars… fake Alcantara (NOT). Besides, in all those five years, I never had a problem. And then, miraculously, in ten minutes it's RUINED after treatment with Sonax 'eXtreme' Alcantara Cleaner? Notably; a result repeated by Sonax themselves!!!

There was not one word about the seat they ruined. Just the standard phrase: "regrettably so and so". Regrettably they're leaving me hanging with the – substantial – damages.

Thus far – being (too) modest and hoping for a quick and decent solution, I only claimed the damaged parts. But now I'm thinking, it's not only a matter of simply replacing a few 'covers' and parts, there might well be a problem to match the colours exactly. The S8 has the so called Alcantara Plus Package, so everything is covered in Alcantara; roof lining, door panels, pillars, parcel shelf, etc. And the middle sections of all seats of course.

I'm afraid the only way to get my right is though the court. Thus far Sonax seems unwilling to come up with a fair solution.

Meanwhile another case with a faulty Sonax product has been brought to my attention. This product completely ruined a convertible roof. In this case Sonax also refused to pay, but fortunately the husband of the lady who owns the car happens to be a lawyer. He brought the case to court and won. Sonax had to pay for a complete new convertible roof.

So there's still hope, but I guess you can appreciate how sick I am of looking at my ruined upholstery, AND the way a wealthy company like Sonax is behaving. I honestly think it borders on criminal behaviour to make promise upon promise, only to keep a customer waiting in vain for over three months, and then pull a Pontius Pilate… Well, they can try to wash their hands all they want, innocent they'll never become…

So - the main reason for posting this, next to hopefully getting some good advice from you guys - a fair warning for all you car lovers and detailers, beware of what product you use on your precious cars… I wouldn't wish the same ordeal on anyone else…

Don't get me wrong, I'm not out to 'get' someone, and I appreciate the fact that anyone can make a mistake. What really counts is how you deal with it afterwards. And, regrettably, Sonax REALLY falls short in that department. It would have been a matter of mere common decency to find a solution for a problem they've caused. But apparently they rather spend millions on advertising than a few grand on customer satisfaction. Guess what really matters in the end, satisfied customers, or flashy ads and racing sponsorships?

Thanks for reading this long story…

Be well, and keep them cars nice and shiny…

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Sven, Alcantara is made up of man made fibres. Its difficult to damage to be honest. Do you know what was in the product? Take a look here: http://www.alcantara.com/en/experience/manutenzione/pdf/manuale_eng.pdf

We clean upholstery in house and from experience know not to use strong dry cleaning solvents on Alcantara as it can make the fibres fall out. I'm hoping Sonax dont have a little section on the bottle saying, 'test this product in an inconspicuous area first' as this will give them a get out. The testing of the fabric when you took the car to them is beyond belief, take them straight to court.

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Hi Sven, I appeared on TSN after you parted last, but many of your posts have been informative and useful, thankyou, and its great to see you back around.

Re the alcantara, Im truely gutted for you. I have the identical Swing grey interior with enhanced leather package....

I do hope you get a resolution, preferably without it putting you out of pocket...

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Sven, Alcantara is made up of man made fibres. Its difficult to damage to be honest. Do you know what was in the product? Take a look here: http://www.alcantara.com/en/experience/manutenzione/pdf/manuale_eng.pdf

We clean upholstery in house and from experience know not to use strong dry cleaning solvents on Alcantara as it can make the fibres fall out. I'm hoping Sonax dont have a little section on the bottle saying, 'test this product in an inconspicuous area first' as this will give them a get out. The testing of the fabric when you took the car to them is beyond belief, take them straight to court.

Luke, I know it's a very strong and beautiful fabric... I've cleaned it many, many times with the damp cloth method. Never had any problems with it...

In hindsight I should have kept on doing just that, but alas, I thought I found a better way. Dunno how big they are in the UK, but in these parts Sonax is a big name. Therefor I figured it'd be a good product. But apparently there's something in there that's not suitable for Alcantara. This could be a bad batch, or it could be a consistent factor, I don't know. Fact is Sonax also tested with a different bottle, with the same results.

I think it's too late for them to hide behind the "inconspicuous area" clause (it's there, but ONLY to see if there's any discolouration - this is not the case at hand). Firstly, they state one should clean the entire surface at once, secondly, they did exactly the same on another chair!

TBH, I think they found it a clear case indeed, and therefor agreed they should reimburse me, but were later slapped on the wrist for this by their insurance Co. These villains always say "NO" at first.

Nevertheless, A wealthy company that spends millions on advertising alone could have come up with a couple of grand themselves, regardless of what the insurance has to say...

It's also about doing the right thing IMO.

If they won't, shame on them. It wouldn't only be the honourable way, but also the easiest and the best for all concerned. But I'll definitely take them to court if I have to.

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Hey Sven, you remember my fight regarding A8 corrosion, it wasn't easy but Audi honoured the claim in the end, keep pushing.

Hi Matt, sure I remember! And the results... You had quite a hassle, but it was worth it in the end.

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My car insurance probably wouldn't cover this, and it'd cost me an arm and a leg in extra premium.

Still hoping the Sonax board will come to their senses and make me a reasonable offer I can work with. If not I'll take them to court. The wheels are already in motion...

And yeah, Audi has OE 'covers' (you don't need entire seats) but they are still quite expensive. For a private individual that is, for a huge multinational it's peanuts off course.

Still don't understand why they find it sooo hard to do the right thing. And that's not just my opinion, they said the same thing themselves - several times...

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Hello,

I highly suspect that they, and often the case with other large companies do not want to pay out is that there could be alot of other people who suffer the same problems. Helping you would set record for the future (may bring other claiments from the past, you dont know how many people have had the same issue and just thought it was there fault or have taken no action) and until they know why or how it happened they probably wont open there wallets.

I do hope you get it sorted and the car gets back up to 100% mate.

Geoff

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Doesn´t look good this.

I used a Meguiars textile cleaner on my old Mondeo, and I also has some real bad results. There were alot of miscolouring and so on. Luckily my dealer offered me a complete cleanup of my interior, which helped a lot...

Hope this works out for you as well! Thing like this is really anoying and expensive! Good luck!

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Cheers guys, +++

Yeah, I get the precedent factor, but still... Doing the right thing will only get them customer satisfaction and a good rep. In the end that's worth much more than fancy advertising... And they can prevent further mishaps by altering the product, or even the just title. (Rename it, or put a disclaimer on the label).

And - in this particular case - they tested it themselves on my Alcantara, ruining another seat in the process. You just can't send someone of with a cup of coffee and a handshake after that... That just doesn't fly.

njadve, I hear good things about Meguiar's dealing with complaints. Seems they got a grasp about the all important customer satisfaction. Your dealer certainly does. (Mine too I must say, he's a big help trying to get this sorted).

Hopefully it won't take too long anymore to get it sorted, it's becoming rather depressing in the end... But... we'll see where it takes us.

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Sven, I've been following this thread for a while, and think it's shocking how you have been treated!

I think they should do the honorable thing! It will cost them a small amount now, whereas if they delay they could potentially have claims from many other people.

In the UK this would have been covered under their product liability insurance!

Good luck mate, don't give in! +++

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Cheers Danksy!

I'm guessing their insurance Co. is the real evildoer here. Suppose that's the real reason behind their U-turn. Nevertheless, they should have stood up to that, and keep their word.

Thanks again for all your support, it means a lot to me.

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  • 3 months later...

Hi All, good news... Finally!

I can report we came to a satisfactory settlement!

The manufacturer paid up (partly) and the supplier was so kind to chip in. It doesn't cover the entire damages, but most of it. With a bit extra money from the piggy bank I'm able to bring the car to a professional upholsterer to get a new interior.

I'm glad this - lengthy and rather stressful - episode is over! Now I can concentrate on more pleasant things... ;)

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Cheers Guys! :)

What will you use in future to clean the interior?

As before; just a damp, white, soft tea towel with some lukewarm water. Nothing else.

That's always worked well. No more dodgy chemicals touching the Alcantara here...

Thats also the advice of the Alcantara® manufacturer.

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