Online auto parts houses...beware!!!

[Cheapsnake]

I'm spreading the word - if you're looking for auto parts online, stay away from [<span style="color: #CC0000">a company which Tom will tell you if you PM him</span>] They're both the same company by the way and they operate the same way.

I ordered struts for my TR8 last Sunday and, without boring you with all the details all I can report today is that my credit card has been charged $113 and nobody there knows whether the parts are in stock and if and when they'll ship. This, despite about a dozen calls to their customer "service" and numerous live chats with Gwen. These people are artists in evasion.

And forget about cancelling an order. According to their policy, once processed, an order cannot be cancelled, even if not shipped and even if they have no idea if the part is in stock or that it will ship at all.

So, here I sit on Wednesday, in limbo, at the mercy of [PM Tom if you want the name], with no struts in sight and nobody to talk to who gives a rat's [<span style="color: #CC0000">Please see forum rules #2, especially the part in</span> <span style="color: #009900">green</span>] about it. I had a similar experience with [PM Tom for name] a couple years ago and it was the same nighmare. I vowed to never deal with them again and now I find that they are actually part of the [PM Tom for name] cabal. It figures.

I know there must be some who have had favorable experiences with these guys and if you want to roll the dice for a couple bucks in savings, have at it, but based upon my two experiences with them, my advice is to deal with reputable vendors like those on the forum and stay as far away from these guys as possible. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif

Tom

 

[NutmegCT]

Tom - I wonder if there's a "thread" here about bad vendor experiences. Like a database list we could add to and search - not just lots of individual threads on individual vendors.

Don't know if there's a bbs restriction on that here, but it might be useful for us to search a vendor name to see what (if any) problems have occured with orders placed by users here.

Just a thought.
Tom

 

[DNK]

Cancel through your credit card. Careful with this type of post .Basil is sensitive on subjects like this. Litigate as our society is!

 

[Brosky]

Tom,

Well, this can be easily remedied by simply calling your credit card company and reporting the issues. Then you can request that the charge be taken off your account due to deceptive marketing practices and to not allow any further charges from that company to be posted to your account without express written consent from you.

All credit card companies want to know about the jerks so that they can eliminate issues before they happen.

There are certain advantages to using a credit card for payment and this is one to use in your favor.

 

[tomshobby]

Tom - I wonder if there's a "thread" here about bad vendor experiences. Like a database list we could add to and search - not just lots of individual threads on individual vendors.

Don't know if there's a bbs restriction on that here, but it might be useful for us to search a vendor name to see what (if any) problems have occured with orders placed by users here.

Just a thought.
Tom

I agree that something like this would be excellent. However Basil could get in trouble and that would not be good for anyone.

Wonder if there is a way without involving Basil.

 

[Cheapsnake]

On another forum that I frequent, ffcobra.com, they have an ongoing vendor feedback thread that's been very heavily used and, as far as I know, has not caused any legal problems. I'm sure it would have been long gone if it had.

I don't see why it wouldn't work here.

Tom

 

[Geo Hahn]

FWIW I have used (for non-BritCar parts) these guys w/o a problem -- proving nothing but suggesting that you're dealing with incompetence rather than dishonesty. But I guess it doesn't matter much which if you get charged for items that aren't there.

As noted, you want to contact your credit card company to 'dispute a charge'. They will typically credit your account immediately and put the charge on hold unil the dispute is resolved. Sometimes they will just eat the $$$ to keep you happy if the merchant is intractable.

Keep track of who you speak to. when, etc at the merchant.

You may have to write a letter to give the credit card company proof that you have tried to resolve it.

 

[70herald]

Hi Tom
Sorry you are having problems. I can however say that I ordered the shocks for my Herald from them ()(2 separate orders, about 1 year apart) both arrived at my relatives in the US, and they had no problem with my Israeli credit card (some vendors get antsy about overseas card with VERY good reason unfortunately)
Yisrael

 

[Andrew Mace]

Tom - I wonder if there's a "thread" here about bad vendor experiences....

I agree that something like this would be excellent....Wonder if there is a way without involving Basil.

Well, there is, and it's been around for years and years: The Monster List

 

[ALLAN]

I had the same problem with that company and had to jump through alot of hoops just to return the item and get a refund, that parts warehouse taught me the lesson not to do any internet buisness with companys that do not have an abundance of contact info and/or does not have a customer service dept. That parts warehouse refused to let me talk to a superviser or customer service, all dealings were through the ignorant order takers.----------- The two autoparts internet company that I have done well with is https://www.rockauto.com and https://www.performancecenter.com. I have bought my Toyota brake calipers from Rock Auto and a Sachs pressure plate from Performance Center. both good to deal with.

 

[tomshobby]

Thanks Andy, thought there had to be something like that out there.

 

[RedTR3]

I also had a problem with [See Basil's note] for a toyota part, I vowed never to do business with them again.

Seems their business model is to constantly bring in new customers and not worry about the existing ones.

 

[Basil]

Folks, everyone is supposed to have read the forum rules and checked the "I Agree" box when they registered. I realize sometimes people will just click "I Agree" without reading the rules, or they just glance at them, or they read them and then forget what they said. Please click the Forum Rules and look them over, especially #4.

What other web sites do is their business; for all I know they could be a Limited Liability Corp and may not be personally liable. However, I am just an individual with lots of medical bills due to an ill son and could NOT afford to be hauled into court, regardless of the merits of the case. And just so you know, in the 6 years I have run BCF, I have been threatened with legal action twice, but was able to resolve the issues without being drug into court.

I understand and sympathize with people who have a bad experience with a company - it happens to me also - but this is not the place to resolve those problems. I have no problem if you want to say you've have a bad experience with a company, "PM me if yo want to know who they are," but please don't openly bash businesses in the forum.

Thanks,
Basil

 

[NutmegCT]

Basil - thanks for the reminder. I'm sure I read those rules when I joined several years ago, but a refresher always comes in handy.

4. No vendor bashing! If you have a problem with a vendor (whether supporting or otherwise), take it up with the vendor. Don't use this forum for registering complaints about any vendor or business.

That is a very broad rule. I'll bet it's been squeezed more than a few times.

Tom

 

[YankeeTR]

Is this supplier in Kansas?

I know Basil is sensitive about bad product/supplier reviews but on https://www.jalopyjournal.com the boys get right to the point when they think they've been scammed and I don't believe Ryan (the administrator) has ever had any legal problems.

One hot rod site Down Under was forced to shut down a few years ago because of this type of feedback BUT the Aussie laws are much different than ours.

 

[RedTR3]

Hey Basil I apologize for posting the name of a company and broke the rules...

It's unfortunate that we live in such a litigous society and have to worry about such things. I will try to be more careful in the future.

In my case, I only lost $35 to this outfit. In the whole scheme of life that's not too bad.

 

[Cheapsnake]

Basil, please accept my apologies and my thanks for your being gentle in your rebuke. Your point is well taken.

OK, here's the next episode in my sad little tale. Well, I called the CC company and tried to block the payment and was informed that the payment was only pending but not yet posted. Piece of cake, right? Wrong, in order to block the payment according to Abdul, the payee must agree to it. Now that makes a lot of sense doesn't it?

So now I'm left to Plan B, which is the Bart Simpson approach - bug the crap out of them til they become so annoyed with you they give up and cancel the order. It took about 6 or 7 calls (in addition to the dozen or so calls I had placed in previous days) and getting the same unwavering stock answer - "...you will receive your order in 4-7 days from the shipping date" each time before I finally got some results.

On the final call the rep called up my order and saw the number of calls I had placed and actually offered to cancel the order just to get rid of me. The feeling was mutual. I'm still holding my breath on that one but at least I got some movement out of them.

Still need the struts but this time I'll be looking closer to home.

Tom

 

[Basil]

Hey Basil I apologize for posting the name of a company and broke the rules...

It's unfortunate that we live in such a litigous society and have to worry about such things. I will try to be more careful in the future.

In my case, I only lost $35 to this outfit. In the whole scheme of life that's not too bad.

I understand and no one likes getting ripped off, but my problem is, I could simply not afford to get hauled into court, and such action has been threatened in the past. I wish we did not live in such a litigious society either. A couple of years ago I was rear-ended by a Semi while driving my 90 Corvette. The next day I actually had an email from a lawyer wanting to represent me "in case there were any medical problems, either current or that might show up later." I actually did have a slight case of whiplash, but I told the guy to go chase someone else’s ambulance, I wasn't interested.

Actually, this whole thing has caused me to think about possibly trying to come up with some way that people could exchange experiences with vendors, but not have it open to the public (or Google). Let me think on it some.

Basil

 

[swift6]

OK, here's the next episode in my sad little tale. Well, I called the CC company and tried to block the payment and was informed that the payment was only pending but not yet posted. Piece of cake, right? Wrong, in order to block the payment according to Abdul, the payee must agree to it. Now that makes a lot of sense doesn't it?

Sounds like another wonderful customer service scenario in the making.

 

[YankeeTR]

Basil, please accept my apologies and my thanks for your being gentle in your rebuke. Your point is well taken.

OK, here's the next episode in my sad little tale. Well, I called the CC company and tried to block the payment and was informed that the payment was only pending but not yet posted. Piece of cake, right? Wrong, in order to block the payment according to Abdul, the payee must agree to it. Now that makes a lot of sense doesn't it?

So now I'm left to Plan B, which is the Bart Simpson approach - bug the crap out of them til they become so annoyed with you they give up and cancel the order. It took about 6 or 7 calls (in addition to the dozen or so calls I had placed in previous days) and getting the same unwavering stock answer - "...you will receive your order in 4-7 days from the shipping date" each time before I finally got some results.

On the final call the rep called up my order and saw the number of calls I had placed and actually offered to cancel the order just to get rid of me. The feeling was mutual. I'm still holding my breath on that one but at least I got some movement out of them.

Still need the struts but this time I'll be looking closer to home.

Tom

Tom,
You have to wait until you get your credit card statement...then you dispute the charges. You WILL have to put the facts in WRITING and send them to the CC outfit...a phone call is not enough...they MUST, by law, put the payment to the vendor on hold while they investigate your complaint.

Read your CC statement to get details on how to dispute the charges....

Rick