Stay away from...

[justinr54321]

Well, upon ordering a new driver's side seat belt for my 1972 240z through this website:

 

http://www.carbodyparts.net

 

They are actually US Auto Parts Network, and I even called them to make sure that the seat belt I ordered was the right one. Received it today, and it wasn't even close. It was a universal 2pc retractable belt.

 

Well, I gave them a call, and they are going to give me a refund, but not on the shipping and handling, when the S&H is half of the item itself. I will be going to the BBB website later and putting in a complaint in hopes of getting the refund on the S&H itself. And believe me, I tried to get that refunded also.

 

Stay away from these people.

 

Any others to stay away from, please post here for us all.

[JMortensen]

I think it needs to be said that when you make a mail order purchase it is usually expected that returns will be less s/h. Many companies artificially inflate the s/h charge and that is a crooked thing to do. You seem to indicate that this was the issue in this case, and if so that is a problem that should be reported to the BBB, or you could dispute the charge with your credit card company.

 

On the other hand many customers expect that they won't have to pay the shipping charges either way if they return something that was as advertised. This is also unreasonable in my estimation.

 

I've changed my policy in my own mail order business, so that I give free shipping, but then deduct the s/h charge from the refund if the customer returns at no fault of ours. That seems to work for most people, but still occasionally you get someone who doesn't want to pay shipping in either direction. It just doesn't work that way in most places.

 

One more thing, there isn't ANY generic parts dealer that is going to have a direct replacement part for a 35 year old Japanese car. It just won't happen. So if you want an exact replacement part you're going to have to go to the dealer. If they don't have the belts anymore then you're going to have to get an old seatbelt rewebbed, or use a generic one.

[Six_Shooter]

I think it needs to be said that when you make a mail order purchase it is usually expected that returns will be less s/h. Many companies artificially inflate the s/h charge and that is a crooked thing to do. You seem to indicate that this was the issue in this case, and if so that is a problem that should be reported to the BBB, or you could dispute the charge with your credit card company.

 

On the other hand many customers expect that they won't have to pay the shipping charges either way if they return something that was as advertised. This is also unreasonable in my estimation.

 

I've changed my policy in my own mail order business, so that I give free shipping, but then deduct the s/h charge from the refund if the customer returns at no fault of ours. That seems to work for most people, but still occasionally you get someone who doesn't want to pay shipping in either direction. It just doesn't work that way in most places.

 

One more thing, there isn't ANY generic parts dealer that is going to have a direct replacement part for a 35 year old Japanese car. It just won't happen. So if you want an exact replacement part you're going to have to go to the dealer. If they don't have the belts anymore then you're going to have to get an old seatbelt rewebbed, or use a generic one.

 

QFT!!!

 

Shipping and Handling is not a product, it is a service, AKA Labour, which can not be re-sold. The fact that it is a third party involved, the shipping company, also makes it that much less likely that there would be any sort of refund and would have to contact the shipping company themselves, which by the looks of it, they did thier job, without a hitch which means, services paid for and done with.

Services AKA 'labour', is never in all the places I've worked or delt with a refundable "item". This is due to the fact that, as I mentioned earlier, it is not a re-saleable product. What you are basically paying for is someone's/company's time. The only way that it could be, is to go back in time, and change everything that happened in that time period.

[TrumpetRhapsody]

and I even called them to make sure that the seat belt I ordered was the right one. Received it today, and it wasn't even close.

 

I think what justin is trying to say is that he thinks carbodyparts.net should have to pay S&H, since they shipped him something else than what they TOLD him he would get. I don't think whether the shipping company should be paid was ever the issue. If you order a taillight, and they ship you a headlight, why should you have to pay anything to get that resolved? You shouldn't, it's up to the seller to fix (pay for) their mistake IMHO.

[JMortensen]

I think what justin is trying to say is that he thinks carbodyparts.net should have to pay S&H, since they shipped him something else than what they TOLD him he would get. I don't think whether the shipping company should be paid was ever the issue. If you order a taillight, and they ship you a headlight, why should you have to pay anything to get that resolved? You shouldn't, it's up to the seller to fix (pay for) their mistake IMHO.

This is why I added the last paragraph of my first post. Expecting carbodyparts.com to have an EXACT replacement for a 240Z seatbelt is not realistic. I'm sure the person he talked to had some cross reference chart that said that was the correct seatbelt for the application, and it is entirely possible that the seatbelt he got can be used for a 240Z. If that's the case, is it then the "wrong" part? Who is responsible for the shipping then? My opinion is that Justin is responsible IF the part can be used. If the part cannot be used in his application, then the vendor made a mistake in saying that this part works in a Z, and the vendor should pay shipping both ways. The way I read the original post it wasn't about whether or not the part would work, the problem was that it wasn't EXACTLY like the belt he took out of the car.

[justinr54321]

This is why I added the last paragraph of my first post. Expecting carbodyparts.com to have an EXACT replacement for a 240Z seatbelt is not realistic. I'm sure the person he talked to had some cross reference chart that said that was the correct seatbelt for the application, and it is entirely possible that the seatbelt he got can be used for a 240Z. If that's the case, is it then the "wrong" part? Who is responsible for the shipping then? My opinion is that Justin is responsible IF the part can be used. If the part cannot be used in his application, then the vendor made a mistake in saying that this part works in a Z, and the vendor should pay shipping both ways. The way I read the original post it wasn't about whether or not the part would work, the problem was that it wasn't EXACTLY like the belt he took out of the car.

 

That is what I got when I talked to them today. They even said that the belt will not work in my car at all. I was lied to when I called them the first time in this case. I don't mind paying for S&H both ways if its something I ordered, and then don't need it because I found something else to use, but not in the case to where I was lied to to begin with. I asked all the right questions, and got something that is only suitable to be used in a back seat, middle of the back seat at that. At least I'm getting the money for the part back. And I will be reporting this to the BBB.

 

In the mean time, I found a suitable replacement belt from a 1971 240z, and I also talked to MSA today, and they have somene that is making a 3 point retractable system that is going to replace the seat belts for the 240z's from 1970 on up. When taxes come in, I will get a set of these and see how they work, and post the results when done.

 

By the way, I have a hard time articulating what I'm trying to say, so it does get frustrating for me sometimes when trying to communicate what I mean.