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Parts from CARS, Inc


Guest LostBoy

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Guest LostBoy

Ordered some parts for the first time from cars inc. 18 days later status still shows printed whatever that means. Last few emails have went unanswered. Are they usually slow? And does anyone know of a phone number I can't find one on their website. I have parts waiting at a shop across the country to be restored I never imagined such a shipping time

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Guest LostBoy

I realize not every place runs like amazon. But I think most people have a built in assumption that if a site has a product for sale it would ship say in a week. How long does it take to put an item in a box. And it's pretty hard to ask how long shipping time is for a business who doesn't give out its phone number

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I have used them for about every part for the rebuild.  They arent the best at letting you know the status of an order.  I ordered some stuff and they held the order for two weeks because of one item that was on back order.  I rarely got tracking info and most times when I did it was the day before the part arrived.

 

When things are on backorder they dont tell you, I waited two weeks for my seatbelts.  They had to be made, I had no problem with the delay its the not knowing that it is delayed.  Every order gets to 'Printed' and never anything more.

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Guest LostBoy

I hear you ,it is the communication. You can't get these parts just anywhere so of course you will wait if need be.

Get this one. This spring I ordered a tool from eastwood then forgot about it 3 months later I get an email to review the tool. Now i'm upset and call in and the tool is back ordered with no idea of when it's coming in and not one heads up from the company

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Guest Gee_Rydes

They could hold your entire order if one item is on backorder. 

I learned this the hard way after 4 weeks.

 

Tell them to ship what they have when you place the order.

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Guest LostBoy

Sorry if I crossed a line I didn't know they were advetizer I didn't know we were not suppose to comment on experiences buying parts associated with rivieras. Not even trying to be negative just seeing if it was a normal process what was happening. Also a reason I didn't know I was crossing some line was that I have read many threads on this forum about shopping experiences so I kinda even thought it was supported to do so.

So apologies if I offended anyone and I will make sure my customer reviews are left somewhere else

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I thought the forum was an unbiased (un-sponsored) conversation for Riv guys. I don't think LostBoy's comment was out of line or derogatory. Rather, it was an observation that relates to a lot of us. How is it that we cannot make comments about CARS yet OPGI gets regularly roasted on this forum? PRL

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Guest LostBoy

On second thought such threads should be allowed. Not everyone has been around for years and years. So this common knowledge about this or any vendor sopporter of roa or not is not common to brand new members such as my self.

If I had read something like this thread before maybe I would have made a different decesion. Or maybe the same decesion with different expectations. That is kinda the whole reason of joining clubs and forums. A little guidance down the trail so we don't have to be lostoys anymore.

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I dont see the comments as being bad, they suck at communication, so do many companies.  We shared previous experiences about how our orders were delayed and not communicated.  We didnt bash them for not having parts, no sending parts, over charging, or ripping people off.  They have the parts we need and a good source for everything, we just all agree be prepared for it to go backorder and they dont tell you ;)

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I have used them on past restorations and I think Imperial62's post hits the nail on the head. My thoughts - last resort when and if I need something.

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I talked with Jeff the other day about an order that he sent to me.  I needed something quickly for my engine rebuilder and CARS had the parts.  After a couple of days of not receiving them, I called and talked with Jeff and found out that, as has been stated, some of the parts were back ordered.  At that tiime I needed the parts for the machine shop so I cancelled the order.  The order included items that I didn't need at the time.  Within a few days, the parts that I had cancelled arrived.  They arrived because I said that I didn't mind two shipments.   

 

Jeff also told me that his main counter person Eric had just given him very quick notice that he was retiring.  It's taking time to find and train a replacement.  Now that you're more aware of CAR's' shipping practices and personnel situations, and you know that you can find a phone number on their website call and let someone know what you need quickly and what can wait.  Ask what may be back ordered.  Be proactive rather than reactive.  We're only human.

 

Ed

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I talked with Jeff the other day about an order that he sent to me.  I needed something quickly for my engine rebuilder and CARS had the parts.  After a couple of days of not receiving them, I called and talked with Jeff and found out that, as has been stated, some of the parts were back ordered.  At that tiime I needed the parts for the machine shop so I cancelled the order.  The order included items that I didn't need at the time.  Within a few days, the parts that I had cancelled arrived.  They arrived because I said that I didn't mind two shipments.   

 

Jeff also told me that his main counter person Eric had just given him very quick notice that he was retiring.  It's taking time to find and train a replacement.  Now that you're more aware of CAR's' shipping practices and personnel situations, and you know that you can find a phone number on their website call and let someone know what you need quickly and what can wait.  Ask what may be back ordered.  Be proactive rather than reactive.  We're only human.

 

Ed

 

Well said Ed. Always practical and efficient idea to follow up and assure of orders either on line or at local suppliers. 

Dale

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Guest LostBoy

Come on. First of all i'm not negative on the company. If I can't get an explanation from them I can't ask other customers if my experience is normal operating procedure. (As it seems to be which allows me to be much more patient )

So if I get this straight if I start a business who has dealings with the clubs and associations represented here All and any shortcomings are protected by some sort of code of secrecy

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Guest LostBoy

You cited caveat emptor to me. Which implies my due diligence on a purchase. But we are not suppose to discuss any such thing. It can't be both ways

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This is one of the strangest threads in recent memory. I feel very naive. I thought this was just a just a bunch of car guys sharing experience on line, joined by common interest and funded by membership fees. I had no idea there was some backroom arrangement with vendors. Is that even true? I had no idea threads were being "pulled". Is that true? What the heck is the real story? PRL

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Most companies throughout all various industries send you an email shortly after ordering if something is backordered and often send out the in stock items prior to the backordered item being back in stock. A lot of companies are also playing the game now where they do not stock items until the item is customer ordered and at that point put an order in for the item.  You see this practice a lot on eBay.

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We're not supposed to share bad experiences with vendors. I don't think it's a conspiracy or the result of back-room deals, simply that the club doesn't want to deal with the headaches of irate businesses. It's no different than if I came on here and started complaining about a fellow member. While there are many who think that a forum should be an outlet for opinions both good and bad, it's probably easier on the moderators and the club's board of directors to not have to deal with the fallout that results from such posts. Yes, threads get pulled once they've strayed into bashing a vendor, but I think the moderators are pretty even-handed and try to let them run their course whenever possible.

 

No conspiracy, just a bunch of volunteers trying to minimize the hassles they have to deal with as part of running a club. That's OK with me.

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Sounds reasonable, within reason. I completely support controlling hothead activity, rants and un-constructive content. On the other hand, I greatly value the experiences my Riv brothers share on this forum.  So, I want to hear about vendor experiences both good and bad. I'd want to know if a vendor experience was substandard, just as I'd want to know if an experience was very positive. PRL

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I think Ed's advice is well taken; many of us have gotten spoiled by buying misc items from, say, Amazon. You hit "buy now" and a day or two later it's at your front door. But finding parts for 50 yr old cars isn;t the same as buying deer repellant, so it pays to speak with a person when placing an order and make sure it's available. I learned this one the hard way so now I use the old telephone to confirm.

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Feel I should chime in here after a few restorations. Guys with minimal experience should be able to come here and get advice and an overall feel of how things operate, including the state of Parts availability. Isn't that why we are here? I don't think anyone has an expression of disrespect for any of our Vendors especially Cars. Just the Facts. They do a fine service to our hobby by of supplying us with Parts.  Sometimes the shipping is not up to par but you need what you need. Ive waited a week or two for a bag of Staples. After a while everybody figures out where to go for what depending on the service level and need. I would hope we don't need to tip toe around here looking for advice or expressing our experiences with a level of respect for all. True, the Mods don't need the trouble. They do us a service also, but our vendors do need to know the reputation they are developing with their Customers. Customer Service is 50% of any business. Performance is the key to success.

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I ordered some parts from CARS very recently and they arrived after about 3-4 weeks. I'm in Australia so I didn't expect them quickly. I think the worst part is their website doesn't show if something is in stock or on order and the status doesn't seem to get updated. My order showed printed even when it had been sent. That said, the postage was reasonable, the quality of the parts impeccable and they were well packed along with a catalogue. I can't ask for more than that. My guess is that being an obviously small business they do not have the resources or money to have a cutting edge website and ordering system with proper website administration. It's not as simple as it sounds. I'd happily buy from them again because when it comes to parts like a 64 Riv washer bottle, delivery time isn't much of a consideration - actually getting one is what I care about.

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Well, when it comes down to it the Main Issue is Communication. If they were to update the Site to be more Time Reflective of Order Status it would go a long way. Everybody wants to know where their Parts are? Hopefully after this thread we might see some changes in that area. Perhaps an investment of Data Input on real Order Status is something they would/should consider. Internet sales has to be big cut of their business. At this point it would be welcome, normal evolution and refinement of sales. Other than that they have to be considered a valuable and extensive resource. Think about it, That's a lot of Car Parts !

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I recall some similar postings on Buick sites(Bombsight maybe?) in early internet days. I had added a post of an issue I'd had and then owner Glen emailed me wanting the details in order to fix problems. Maybe it's something in the New Jersey water?   Dan   Mpls. Mn.

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I believe that CARS, Inc. has been listening/reading to some of the thoughts presented on this thread. I placed an order today and one of the items I had ordered was on back order. I was told immediately that it was on back order and my order taker then checked to see when the item would be available again. He suggested that I call back in a couple of weeks to check on availability rather than "tie my money up" in case they took longer to become available. It was handled very well. As has been suggested more than once in this thread to be proactive and/or follow up on orders. I whole heartedly agree on this. The original reason that I had called was to check on the return I had made of two items, as I had not yet been credited back. According to the USPS the items had been received by them 3 weeks ago. I asked about the return and it was found quickly in "the other room." They were very apologetic about the delay and took care of it on the spot.  When in doubt, follow up is the key.

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Guest LostBoy

Not to kick a dead horse and will not be posting anymore problems I have on the forum but since this is already out there I will follow up on some things that have been posted on this thread I started.

Many people posted that it's my responsibility to check up on cars. It's a little weird idea to me that I have to run their customer service department but I thought I would give it a try. Currently I am 32 days in. 11 unanswered phone calls. 5 non returned voice mails. And 6 no responses to emails. Next time I'll just throw some cash out the window and see if riviera parts show up in my mailbox

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