Complaint Review: Wheelmax - Maimi Florida

I purchased a wheel and tire package from Wheelmax via their website on 1/24/2008. Carmen gave me a phone call back within the hour to confirm my order and verify the type of vehicle that the wheels were going on. I purchased the AZA Z-01's. I kept checking my account through their website to see if the items had been shipped (to this day, the information hasn't been updated from verified). I'll be honest, this is the 4th set of wheels that I have purchased from them, I didn't have an issue like this up until now.

On 1/25/2008, Fed Ex showed up on my front doorstep. The hubby opened the package and yelled into the house that the wrong wheels were shipped. I pulled up Wheelmax's phone number and he called them right away. Right off the bat my husband told them that the wheels had just been delivered and that we had received the wrong wheels. The customer service manager, Shawn (I see others have complained about him) went on a speel of how the wheels are manufactured. My husband didn't want to hear this, he wanted to hear how Wheelmax was going to correct the issue. We know all about the wheels as we have purchased many sets from them in the past. Basically, nothing came out of this telephone conversation other than the fact that some words were exchanged that Wheelmax didn't like and that Wheelmax told my husband to never call or contact them again becuase they considered it harrassment. We did manage to get Shawn's email address and we took pictures of the wheels (as Shawn requested) and sent them off to him. I sent him a picture of the front of the wheels, showing that the wheel is not as pictured on their site, it was an Exel DL-46 not the AZA Z-01 that I ordered. It is clearly stamped on the back of the wheel that was shipped that it was a DL-46. The wheels are very similiar except for the fact that the Z-01 has a much deeper dish than the DL-46. I received word back from Wheelmax by the next work day. This is an except from the email that I received from him:

You are going to have top prove beyond a shadow of doubt at this point that your claims are correct.

Thus far, all I have heard is pure disrespect and profanity from your husband. Please, let me explain to you what happened again.

Between the exclamations and expletives that your husband was throwing at Wheelmax, I still took the time to calmly explain that the wheels you received are in fact what you ordered. If you are willing to get this explained to you once more I can have it arranged for you. In the mean time, I still consider this email harassment.

If you can prove this to me, then I will exchange or refund you right away. You have my word.

Sincerely,

To this email, I sent a reply. I sent him a copy of the picture of the Z-01 copied directly from his website, a copy of the DL-46, a copy of the pictures that I originally sent, a copy of my invoice and a copy of the Fed Ex Tracking confirmation email that was sent to me. It clearly showed that the 2 sets of wheels are different and that the wheels that were recieved by me were not correct. This is the response that I received from them, yet again he is giving me the runaround:

Yes, the pictures you sent me were considered in all my previous reply email messages to you. And the picture that you are now sending me, copied from my own website, is also being considered in this email reply as well.

If you pay attention the wheels are the exact same, not similar in this case. These pictures are not what I am looking for in your proving beyond a shadow of doubt, that the wheel you received are incorrect. As a matter of fact all the pictures are the same which means the wheels you received are correct. The wheels are AZA Z-01(18x7.5+35) to fit your 2001 Toyota Celica 2001.

If you could be so kind as to explain to me what part of the picture/s you sent says that the wheels are wrong. Thank you

Sincerely,

Ultimately, I gave them a phone call and spoke with Michelle in Customer Service, whom was very upfront in telling me that my husband was not allowed to call and contact them in any way. I'm assuming because of the disrespectful manner in which he was responding to being frauded by Wheelmax and their customer service manager. Basically, she told me that the DL-46 and the Z-01 wheel were one in the same wheel, it was just being sold as an AZA. That started a whole new fire for me ~ if this is the case, how could they justify charging me more money for the Z-01 wheels if they are the same wheel as the cheaper DL-46. She also told me that I can not go by the pictures they post on their website as the wheels will not always look like they do on the site. The reason that I purchased the Z-01's was because of the lip on the wheel. If I would have known that I wasn't gong to receive the lip that was pictured, then I would not have purchased the wheel. Every other wheel I have purchased from them was true to their pictures on the site, what makes this one different? I told her that I wanted a refund. She then proceeded to tell me that I had to pay for shipping back to Miami for the wheels (which I'm assuming will be about $120) as well as a $100 restocking fee. This is rediculous. Why should I have to pay for this? They are the ones that are either lying to me or showing misrepresenting photos of the wheels that they are selling. I'm leaning more towards the lying as I have read all of the other reports on this site, as well as what has been said on various other websites.

Take a look at the Better Business Bureau report for Wheelmax. As of 1/28/2008 they have a C- report. I have just submitted my complaint to them as well.

Something must be done with their customer service department, as well as Wheelmax, the company as a whole. They obviously do not care about their customers, they just care about the quantity of product that they ship out.

Chrissi24

Palm Coast, Florida

U.S.A.