Drivetrain Vendor is always (?) right
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
The vendor is always (?) right
I didnt intend to go public with a problem I had with a vendor here until I read his posts regarding customer service. I cant stand how he pretends he is such a nice and honest vendor when he isnt. I am sure he has a lot of happy customers out there but sadly I am not one of them. I am writing this just to share my side of the story and its your decision to order or not from this particular vendor. I just want people to be awared of my experience with this vendor. Nothing more, nothing less.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t=33973&page=2
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t=33973&page=2
6th Gear
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,816
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From: New Jersey
His beef is in the linked thread....
Originally Posted by Mjunkie
Then Randy tell me why you charged me restocking fee on an Unichip (which you stock regularly, dont think this is a special order item!) in the last SF pulley party when I emailed you to cancel the Unichip order more than 1 WEEK before the pulley party??? I emailed you twice to cancel the order but you choose not to reply me on purpose so you can charge me restocking fee??? I even did you a favor and paid a portion of the TMIC for another customer so he would take the one I cancel from you. Legally you can only charge me restocking fee if I receive your product but decide to return it...but I had never receive the products so you didnt have the right to do so. You wont have any proof since you never ship the product to me and I can use this as an evidence if I want to take this with my CC. And come on, its not like I didnt buy anything from you I spent 1k on your stuff that day at the pulley party! I emailed you again regarding the restocking fee and as I expected you choose to ignore my email. But $100 isnt a lot of money, when I am able to see my vendor clearly that he is someone I shouldnt trust for future business tranaction. Btw I just bought a set of Miltek, but obviously not from you!!!
P.S. Another interesting story about Randy...when I first asked him about the unichip for the 19% pulley he told me he wouldnt sell the unichip without the TMIC because of safety issue. Then, when another customer was willing to take the TMIC (since I offered to pay 10% to compensate for Randy's trouble), he pushed me to get the unichip and now said its ok to run it without the TMIC...what am I missing here, huh???
Also I hate the fact how he pushed you to get 15% pulley with software when you decided to take the 19%! He would then joke and make fun of you with other customers, trying to persuade you to go 15% at his last shot with peer pressure. I am sure he found it funny, but I definitly NOT!!!
Randy...since I never have any settlement with you so its ok for me to go public, correct? And I didnt intend to chip in until I read your posts on this topic trying to PRETEND you are such a nice and honest vendor...you did it yourself!
P.S. Another interesting story about Randy...when I first asked him about the unichip for the 19% pulley he told me he wouldnt sell the unichip without the TMIC because of safety issue. Then, when another customer was willing to take the TMIC (since I offered to pay 10% to compensate for Randy's trouble), he pushed me to get the unichip and now said its ok to run it without the TMIC...what am I missing here, huh???
Also I hate the fact how he pushed you to get 15% pulley with software when you decided to take the 19%! He would then joke and make fun of you with other customers, trying to persuade you to go 15% at his last shot with peer pressure. I am sure he found it funny, but I definitly NOT!!!
Randy...since I never have any settlement with you so its ok for me to go public, correct? And I didnt intend to chip in until I read your posts on this topic trying to PRETEND you are such a nice and honest vendor...you did it yourself!
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Atlanta/Amsterdam
Alright! Here goes another misplaced bash the vendor thread. Did you talk to Randy personally about the restocking fee or was it just through a few e-mails? Again, the problem that you are going to have is that you have barely half a complaint against a well established vendor. Very similiar to the one M7 had. You are complaining about a restocking fee, but it didn't look like you even talked to him (e-mails don't count, they are a convenience, but shouldn't substitute face to face conversation to resolve problems). I think the bane of e-mail is that people try to substitute all forms of communication with some electronic text that they press a button to and it goes into the netherworld of the internet. Nothing ever replaces voice conversations or better yet face to face.
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MJunkie:
That particular vendor is in Colorado. You are in the Bay Area.
I will take a wild stab at this and guess that in order to get the pulleys, chips, etc. to the Bay Area in time for the pulley party they needed to be mailed out probably, oh, about a week in advance.
The parts cost money to ship - your restocking fee is probably a combination of these to and from shipping costs.
I was at the Bay Area Pulley party, and while the UniChip was not shipped directly to you, it was at the party - shipped directly to Bay Bridge Motors a few days before the party.
Guess what - I'm the one who shipped the tools and left over (uninstalled) parts back to Colorado (and yes, the Unichip you intended to buy was part of that package).
Prior to coming to the Bay Area Pulley Party Webb posted on his site that he would be gone the week prior to the party for the SCCA solo nationals and back for one day (the day prior to the party) before heading to SF. Don't believe me? Go back and read Page 10 of the thread.
So, it appears that the UniChip was shipped to the Bay Area, and it also appears that Randy gave clear notice to all attendees via his site that he would be out the week prior to the party. Your accusations of him sending out a part, knowing you didn't want it, just to charge you a restocking fee are ridiculous.
That particular vendor is in Colorado. You are in the Bay Area.
I will take a wild stab at this and guess that in order to get the pulleys, chips, etc. to the Bay Area in time for the pulley party they needed to be mailed out probably, oh, about a week in advance.
The parts cost money to ship - your restocking fee is probably a combination of these to and from shipping costs.
I was at the Bay Area Pulley party, and while the UniChip was not shipped directly to you, it was at the party - shipped directly to Bay Bridge Motors a few days before the party.
Guess what - I'm the one who shipped the tools and left over (uninstalled) parts back to Colorado (and yes, the Unichip you intended to buy was part of that package).
Prior to coming to the Bay Area Pulley Party Webb posted on his site that he would be gone the week prior to the party for the SCCA solo nationals and back for one day (the day prior to the party) before heading to SF. Don't believe me? Go back and read Page 10 of the thread.
So, it appears that the UniChip was shipped to the Bay Area, and it also appears that Randy gave clear notice to all attendees via his site that he would be out the week prior to the party. Your accusations of him sending out a part, knowing you didn't want it, just to charge you a restocking fee are ridiculous.
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
So being a good customer and out of a good fate, I helped by paying a portion of the TMIC for another customer is not something a vendor should appreciate and take into account for giving me a break? I did talk to him in person that I was not happy about the restocking fee even I helped out by paying a portion of the TMIC. Remember I had a choice to just walk away without paying anything and there was nothing he could do about it, but rather I choose to be a good customer and had the rest of the stuff installed and paid for. Shouldnt he even value a customer like that? Well I guess he doesnt...so I choose another vendor who value me as a customer...
P.S. I dont know how many of you were able to reach Randy by phone as of couple months ago. I couldnt, so the best I could do was email and left message on his forum. What else I could do, huh?
P.S. I dont know how many of you were able to reach Randy by phone as of couple months ago. I couldnt, so the best I could do was email and left message on his forum. What else I could do, huh?
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6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Atlanta/Amsterdam
Originally Posted by Mjunkie
Look this is not even a vendor bash as I never mentioned a vendor or a person's name...this is only my experience and comment with a vendor's customer service...
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
Originally Posted by Skiploder
MJunkie:
That particular vendor is in Colorado. You are in the Bay Area.
I will take a wild stab at this and guess that in order to get the pulleys, chips, etc. to the Bay Area in time for the pulley party they needed to be mailed out probably, oh, about a week in advance.
The parts cost money to ship - your restocking fee is probably a combination of these to and from shipping costs.
I was at the Bay Area Pulley party, and while the UniChip was not shipped directly to you, it was at the party - shipped directly to Bay Bridge Motors a few days before the party.
Guess what - I'm the one who shipped the tools and left over (uninstalled)
parts back to Colorado (and yes, the Unichip you intended to buy was part of that package).
Prior to coming to the Bay Area Pulley Party Webb posted on his site that he would be gone the week prior to the party for the SCCA solo nationals and back for one day (the day prior to the party) before heading to SF. Don't believe me? Go back and read Page 10 of the thread.
So, it appears that the UniChip was shipped to the Bay Area, and it also appears that Randy gave clear notice to all attendees via his site that he would be out the week prior to the party. Your accusations of him sending out a part, knowing you didn't want it, just to charge you a restocking fee are ridiculous.
That particular vendor is in Colorado. You are in the Bay Area.
I will take a wild stab at this and guess that in order to get the pulleys, chips, etc. to the Bay Area in time for the pulley party they needed to be mailed out probably, oh, about a week in advance.
The parts cost money to ship - your restocking fee is probably a combination of these to and from shipping costs.
I was at the Bay Area Pulley party, and while the UniChip was not shipped directly to you, it was at the party - shipped directly to Bay Bridge Motors a few days before the party.
Guess what - I'm the one who shipped the tools and left over (uninstalled)
parts back to Colorado (and yes, the Unichip you intended to buy was part of that package).
Prior to coming to the Bay Area Pulley Party Webb posted on his site that he would be gone the week prior to the party for the SCCA solo nationals and back for one day (the day prior to the party) before heading to SF. Don't believe me? Go back and read Page 10 of the thread.
So, it appears that the UniChip was shipped to the Bay Area, and it also appears that Randy gave clear notice to all attendees via his site that he would be out the week prior to the party. Your accusations of him sending out a part, knowing you didn't want it, just to charge you a restocking fee are ridiculous.
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
Originally Posted by dgszweda1
You mentioned Randy and a pulley party. That is a vendor and a person's name.
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Originally Posted by Mjunkie
Look this is not even a vendor bash as I never mentioned a vendor or a person's name...this is only my experience and comment with a vendor's customer service...
You first accused the vendor of intentionally shipping out an item he knew you didn't want so that he could charge you for the shipping fees
. Now you are saying that since you bought a grand worth of mods, he should have cut you a break. What kind of profit margin you think he pulls on these parts? Look - I had $1900 worth of stuff put on my car at the last party. I will tell you straight out that if I had decided to cancel one of the mods after it had been shipped out, I would have offered to cover the cost of restocking (to and from shipping). Those are hard business costs that he will never recoup if you don't buy the product.
The fact is the vendor gave everyone fair notice on the Bay Area Pulley Party Thread that he would be out the week prior to the party and even stated that he would not be able to ship anything out that week. Didn't that clue you in that maybe the parts had already shipped?
You posted two days (September 16) before the party for him to check his mail - I assume to cancel your Unichip. Another poster even reminded people on that same thread that he was out of town and would not be able to respond to e-mails.
The stuff had been shipped by then - you were too late - let it go.
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Originally Posted by Mjunkie
So you are saying an Unichip will cost me around $100 for shipping from Colorado to California? And please remember one of the benefit for ordering parts for pulley party is the vendor provides free shipping...and like I said before, I dont know since when a customer is supposed to keep track of the vendor when it is the other way around and I did what I could (emails and messages) to try to get a hold of him. I am not trying to accuse him of anything, rather I am just upset about the fact that I paid for a portion of the the TMIC so he could sell it to another customer and still charged me the restocking fee...and now how he tells everybody how good a customer service he has on another thread just push me to the edge...
pug poo picker-upper
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,803
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From: California
Mjunkie:
Did you contact Randy specificially about this after the pulley party or in the past couple days? Or did you just stew over this and post this without giving him a chance to even hear that you weren't completely satisfied?
Did you contact Randy specificially about this after the pulley party or in the past couple days? Or did you just stew over this and post this without giving him a chance to even hear that you weren't completely satisfied?
Turbius Maximus
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Infinity and beyond
Mjunkie...even though everyone is jumping on you;...like they did CW ...I want you to know I get it...I understand...this isn't bashing....niether was CWs post...it's doing what alot of people said one should do....do everything you can and if still no resolution then post....
Like you said it should be the vendors job to care of the consumer...not the other way...but with all these posts lately it clearly isn't the case....LOL.....
Like you said it should be the vendors job to care of the consumer...not the other way...but with all these posts lately it clearly isn't the case....LOL.....
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
Originally Posted by DiD
Mjunkie:
Did you contact Randy specificially about this after the pulley party or in the past couple days? Or did you just stew over this and post this without giving him a chance to even hear that you weren't completely satisfied?
Did you contact Randy specificially about this after the pulley party or in the past couple days? Or did you just stew over this and post this without giving him a chance to even hear that you weren't completely satisfied?
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Nobody's jumping on him.
1) Customer orders parts.
2) Vendor notifies customers that he will be out the week prior to the event.
3) Vendor ships parts.
4) Customer attempts to cancel order (top Mount Intercooler and Unichip) after he has been given fair notice that the parts have shipped (two days before event - about 5 days after the parts have actually shipped).
5) Vendor requests that customer cover his shipping and restocking expenses.
6) Customer agrees to pay restocking charges.
7) Customer accuses vendor of intentionally ignoring his order cancellation with the malicious intent of charging him re-stocking fees.
Sorry, I agree with another poster - the customer isn't always right.
Tuls, I was there. I had to lug the parts that people backed out of in the back of my work truck to send back to Colorado. I would invite you to check out the Bay Area Pulley Party thread and see that the vendor informed everyone that the parts had shipped and that he would be incommunicado the week prior to the event.
I also was at BBM the day prior to the Party and saw that 99% of the stuff had been sent directly to the host site well in advance of the party.
1) Customer orders parts.
2) Vendor notifies customers that he will be out the week prior to the event.
3) Vendor ships parts.
4) Customer attempts to cancel order (top Mount Intercooler and Unichip) after he has been given fair notice that the parts have shipped (two days before event - about 5 days after the parts have actually shipped).
5) Vendor requests that customer cover his shipping and restocking expenses.
6) Customer agrees to pay restocking charges.
7) Customer accuses vendor of intentionally ignoring his order cancellation with the malicious intent of charging him re-stocking fees.
Sorry, I agree with another poster - the customer isn't always right.
Tuls, I was there. I had to lug the parts that people backed out of in the back of my work truck to send back to Colorado. I would invite you to check out the Bay Area Pulley Party thread and see that the vendor informed everyone that the parts had shipped and that he would be incommunicado the week prior to the event.
I also was at BBM the day prior to the Party and saw that 99% of the stuff had been sent directly to the host site well in advance of the party.
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
Originally Posted by dgszweda1
Again, the problem that you are going to have is that you have barely half a complaint against a well established vendor.
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
If a vendor states there is a restocking fee when returning an item, yeah then I shouldnt say anything...but well, he doesnt! Even so, $200+ (including the portion I paid for the TMIC for another customer) for restocking and shipping a TMIC and an unichip which the TMIC was sold to another customer is a little high, dont you think so? I guess you dont...but I do, and entitle to my opinion!
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
Originally Posted by Tuls
Mjunkie...even though everyone is jumping on you;...like they did CW ...I want you to know I get it...I understand...this isn't bashing....niether was CWs post...it's doing what alot of people said one should do....do everything you can and if still no resolution then post....
Like you said it should be the vendors job to care of the consumer...not the other way...but with all these posts lately it clearly isn't the case....LOL.....
Like you said it should be the vendors job to care of the consumer...not the other way...but with all these posts lately it clearly isn't the case....LOL.....
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,957
Likes: 2
From: a canyon, south Bay Area
I saw this thread around 1am and had no energy to respond...
I guess my feelings on the subject have been well-expressed already. Posts #4 and specificially #23, here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t=33973&page=1
I feel that cust venting (in a public arena) is fine, but only as a last recourse, and certainly not after an agreement has been made in the form of a transaction.
I'll say it again... NAM needs rules of engagement for starting such a topic. Before ripping a vendor (publicly), have the following been done or addressed? If not, there is still more appropriate action to be taken, privately...
The vendors pay to play here. NAM, help us (the customers) know when it's ok to commence with such a topic. Provide some direction, please. While it seems that the vast majority feel that these two instances are wrong, a couple or so do not. Some guidance would be greatly appreciated...
And by doing so, you help your paying customers (our vendors) with a form of safeguards and protections that such issues won't get aired publicly; unless only the cust has exhausted all reasonable actions for recourse. So what is reasonable? I think we've heard quite a few ideas already (between the customer is always right thread, and this one)...
I owed Randy well over 1,000 dollars, for nearly a year. He had a blank check from me during that time as the final cost was not yet known. He refused to cash it until one of the items got sorted-out, and I was a completely satisfied customer. That is the Randy that I know.
I guess my feelings on the subject have been well-expressed already. Posts #4 and specificially #23, here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t=33973&page=1
I feel that cust venting (in a public arena) is fine, but only as a last recourse, and certainly not after an agreement has been made in the form of a transaction.
I'll say it again... NAM needs rules of engagement for starting such a topic. Before ripping a vendor (publicly), have the following been done or addressed? If not, there is still more appropriate action to be taken, privately...
The vendors pay to play here. NAM, help us (the customers) know when it's ok to commence with such a topic. Provide some direction, please. While it seems that the vast majority feel that these two instances are wrong, a couple or so do not. Some guidance would be greatly appreciated...
And by doing so, you help your paying customers (our vendors) with a form of safeguards and protections that such issues won't get aired publicly; unless only the cust has exhausted all reasonable actions for recourse. So what is reasonable? I think we've heard quite a few ideas already (between the customer is always right thread, and this one)...
I owed Randy well over 1,000 dollars, for nearly a year. He had a blank check from me during that time as the final cost was not yet known. He refused to cash it until one of the items got sorted-out, and I was a completely satisfied customer. That is the Randy that I know.
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1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: San Francisco
Originally Posted by TonyB
I saw this thread around 1am and had no energy to respond...
I guess my feelings on the subject have been well-expressed already. Posts #4 and specificially #23, here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t=33973&page=1
I feel that cust venting (in a public arena) is fine, but only as a last recourse, and certainly not after an agreement has been made in the form of a transaction.
I'll say it again... NAM needs rules of engagement for starting such a topic. Before ripping a vendor (publicly), have the following been done or addressed? If not, there is still more appropriate action to be taken, privately...
The vendors pay to play here. NAM, help us (the customers) know when it's ok to commence with such a topic. Provide some direction, please. While it seems that the vast majority feel that these two instances are wrong, a couple or so do not. Some guidance would be greatly appreciated...
And by doing so, you help your paying customers (our vendors) with a form of safeguards and protections that such issues won't get aired publicly; unless only the cust has exhausted all reasonable actions for recourse. So what is reasonable? I think we've heard quite a few ideas already (between the customer is always right thread, and this one)...
I owed Randy well over 1,000 dollars, for nearly a year. He had a blank check from me during that time as the final cost was not yet known. He refused to cash it until one of the items got sorted-out, and I was a completely satisfied customer. That is the Randy that I know.
I guess my feelings on the subject have been well-expressed already. Posts #4 and specificially #23, here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t=33973&page=1
I feel that cust venting (in a public arena) is fine, but only as a last recourse, and certainly not after an agreement has been made in the form of a transaction.
I'll say it again... NAM needs rules of engagement for starting such a topic. Before ripping a vendor (publicly), have the following been done or addressed? If not, there is still more appropriate action to be taken, privately...
The vendors pay to play here. NAM, help us (the customers) know when it's ok to commence with such a topic. Provide some direction, please. While it seems that the vast majority feel that these two instances are wrong, a couple or so do not. Some guidance would be greatly appreciated...
And by doing so, you help your paying customers (our vendors) with a form of safeguards and protections that such issues won't get aired publicly; unless only the cust has exhausted all reasonable actions for recourse. So what is reasonable? I think we've heard quite a few ideas already (between the customer is always right thread, and this one)...
I owed Randy well over 1,000 dollars, for nearly a year. He had a blank check from me during that time as the final cost was not yet known. He refused to cash it until one of the items got sorted-out, and I was a completely satisfied customer. That is the Randy that I know.
I only have one question: I have been on many different enthusiast forums and usually when customers had problem with their vendors (even the supporting vendors), they posted on the board and the vendors comeback with a mutual resolution for both parties. Then the customers report back they are happy with the resolution and everybody is happy. This way people know which vendors are good or bad. Nobody seems to have a problem of doing so on other message boards except here on NAM which I totally dont understand...
Again, even a perfect guy makes mistakes evey once in a while so I dont understand why people have to bring up their own wonderful stories with their vendors when other people have bad experience...
Turbius Maximus
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Infinity and beyond
Originally Posted by Skiploder
Tuls, I was there. I had to lug the parts that people backed out of in the back of my work truck to send back to Colorado. I would invite you to check out the Bay Area Pulley Party thread and see that the vendor informed everyone that the parts had shipped and that he would be incommunicado the week prior to the event.