Online Vendors - buyer beware

[TDHofstetter]

I'm not sure if anyone would like to know this... but some of you who shop online for parts might find it at least a little interesting.

I've just had an interesting experience with 4WD.com. I ordered a battery tray, which was advertised on the Web as "stainless steel"(see attached).

It arrived black, powder coated... nothing like stainless. I contacted their customer service, and they immediately changed their online advertisement for that tray from "stainless steel" to "black powder coated steel". They offered me a credit toward a DIFFERENT tray, advertised as "stainless steel", priced $20 more - nearly $20 more than a competitor's price for the same stainless tray. They also offered me a refund, LESS SHIPPING, for the tray I bought.

One more email exchange with them resulted in a quote from their online disclaimer, disclaiming any responsibility for typographical errors.

Upshot: Buyer beware.

Especially if you buy a high-ticket item like, say, a complete tub. Boy, eating the shipping (BOTH WAYS) on the wrong TUB would really stink, wouldn't it?

 

[TerryMason]

That's lame. I've personally purchased several things from them and never had a problem.

I'd call them on the phone and talk to them. This sounds like something that a good rep on the phone could fix.

 

[xt master]

I kind of had a similar problem with JC Whitney.They offered a direct fit catalytic converter with the down tube from the manifold for the 2.5l.When I received it it said it was for the 4.0l.I tried anyways and it did not fit.I checked the part on a few other sites like 4wd.com and they all offered the same thing.I called Magnaflow,who made the product and they said it was only ever made for the 4l and they dont have any direct fits for the 2.5l.JC Whitney did give me a full refund with shipping.Printed out the shipping papers from an e-mail they sent me and took it to fed-ex.A few days later got an e-mail confirming they received it and I was refunded all money.

 

[jps4jeep]

mistakes happen, shame on them for not being a stand up company.

 

[phall92139]

All of my on-line purchases are paid for with a credit card. California credit law (and I assume it is the same in many states as well) says that if I did not get the item I paid for, it doesn't work as advertised, is of inferior quality, etc., etc., I can request in writing that the charge be reversed. This means taken off my bill and charged back to the vendor.

An excerpt of the law...


The types of "billing errors" include:

1. Charges you did not authorize;
2. Charges for undelivered goods or services;
3. Charges for goods or services different from what was represented or of the wrong quantity;
4. Charges for goods that were not timely delivered

If you believe there was a "billing error," you must, within 60 days following the date of the first statement on which the charge appears (not the date you made the charge; the date of the issuance of the statement appears on the face of the statement), write a letter to your bank setting forth in specific detail why you believe there was an error in the charge. You should set forth everything regarding your dealings with the merchant - - Did you respond to an ad in a newspaper, receive a telephone call, visit the store? What did the merchant tell you about what you would be receiving? Did you authorize the charge? Did you receive the goods? Were the goods different than represented? Etc. If you kept a mailer or the ad from the merchant, attach copies to your letter, along with any correspondence between you and the merchant.