That meant that all warranties on parts sold by Saleen, Inc. through February 2, 2009 would be worthless - effectively voided. So rather than see the brand he created - though he no longer owns it - go down in such a manner, Steve Saleen has stepped in and announced he'll be backing those warranties through his new business, SMS Supercars.
"I was saddened about the way the current owners of the proud company I founded, and which held onto my name after my departure two years ago, have now dealt with my loyal and longtime customers," said Saleen in a statement. He continued, "The ones who have been left out in the cold are the loyal customers of Saleen products. While my new company, SMS Supercars, has no legal or moral obligation to take up any of the warranty claims against Saleen Inc. or MJ Acquisitions, Inc., I would like to make a bold statement on the right way to treat customers."
"If any Saleen customer in the United States who purchased a Saleen Inc. product up until February 2, 2009, has a warranty claim, they can directly contact my new company, SMS Supercars," continued Saleen, "We will honor their remaining warranties as if they were SMS Supercars warranties."
The move is one not often seen these days, and it says a lot about the man and how he does business. It might not be the right thing to do by the corporate bean counters, but it's definitely the right thing to do by Saleen's customers. And in the long run it may very well result in a loyalty that pays SMS back with interest.
