Autopartsgiant.com, Auto Parts Giant Rufuses to issue refund for no longer available product. Charged credit card without shipping product. Ripoff Bellflower Internet
On December 4, 2006 www.autopartsgiant.com debited my credit card for $170.65 without shipping the product. In fact, my card was charged on the same day that I placed the order, only to find out that the product was never in stock, and the manufacturer had gone out of business. In my view, this is an unethical business practice.
I then learned that their rating with the BBB is "unsatisfactory"
After sending multiple emails to cust@autopartsgiant.com and calling their number associated with my credit card charge (562-634-8244)and leaving a message, I received the following emails on December 18, 2006. As of this time (11:00 am, EST, December 21, 2006) my online credit card report does not show a credit, 17 days after they debited my account, knowing the product was not in stock and, in fact, the manufacturer of the product was not longer in business.
---------------- email 1 -------------------------
Thank you for placing your order with AutoPartsGIANT.com,
Unfortunately we are currently out of stock on the item(s) that you have ordered. This message is to let you know that your order has already been cancelled, and your credit card has been credited.
----------------- email 2 ----------------------
Order Invoice - #120080 Order Canceled - Payment Credited 170.65
Sincerely,
Customer Service
cust@TheAutoPartsStore.com
http://www.TheAutoPartsStore.com
Jerry
Branford, Connecticut
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Jerry
Branford,Connecticut,
U.S.A.
Response to rebuttal by AutoPartsGiant.com Auto Parts Giant
#3Author of original report
Fri, December 22, 2006
The rebuttal response by AutoPartsGiant.com spokesman is correct on only one point - they, after 14 days with my money for an out of stock product, did finally credit my credit card account on 12/18.
As to "authorization" at time of the order, it is implicit almost universally by on-line merchants that authroization does NOT mean taking your money before shipping product.
Point in fact I did call their toll-free number to verify that the product was in stock, with confirmed part number. I then delayed 2 hours and placed the order on the internet.
As to my disappointment of discovering a "obselete" product for my car, this item is a modified Datsun 240Z drum set and is hardly obselete, being available by other suppliers, as I later found.
If this is a catalog error, why is the product still listed on your website? See the current listing below:
AUTOSPECIALTY EBD-044R DRUM REAR
Note: 252(aluminum replacement drum, replace in pairs only); 230.0 83.35
Also, why does autopartsgiant.com have so many alliases? See autopartsgiant.com autopartstore.com ,TheAutoPartsStore.com , GoFastAutoParts.com
Checked into GoFastAutoParts.com, got a slightly diffeent webpage design but got the same part number stil listed in that catalog, too.
Jon
BELLFLOWER,California,
U.S.A.
Order Was canceled and Customer has been credited in Full
#3UPDATE Employee
Fri, December 22, 2006
The Customer placed an order online using our catalog. At no time was it represented that all items in our catalog are in stock.
An Authorization was taken at the time of order and the Authorization has been released. We do not have the customers Money. We still have a large stock of Autospecialty parts.
Customer is clearly up set that the Rear drums for his 1974 TRIUMPH TR6 are obsolete. This in no way is our fault but a simply cataloging error.
We are members of the BBB and it is Untrue that we have a "unsatisfactory" Rating. Our rating and membership is good standing.