I don't usually resort to these kind of tactics, but you be the judge:

Prior to an event on July 4th weekend I call up Hotchkis and order a front swaybar for my Z06 Corvette. I needed it ASAP and requested that it ship Next Day Air to the event hotel, even though the shipping cost was almost as much as the bar. Well, the bar arrived on time, only problem is somebody goofed and sent me a rear bar instead of a front bar. I was screwed for the event, but Hotchkis admitted their mistake and said they would handle it. Mistakes happen, I understood.

We went back & forth a bit, I wasn't sure if I'd have enough time to test the bar afrter this event, they wanted me to try the front bar but were willing to reimburse me totally, including the UPS Red charge. I finally agreed to accept the front bar and Hotchkis said they send a UPS pickup for the rear bar. Three weeks go by; nothing, no bar, no pickup, nada.

Now I'm getting miffed and don't want the front swaybar. I talk to Hotchkis on the phone. They take my CC number and say they'll reimburse me asap and fax me a UPS pickup label. I get the label, but am out of town on business for two weeks. When I get back I UPS the rear back.

Well after discussing it via email with them, receiving only excuses & empty promises. To this day Hotchkis has their product back but still has not reimbursed me one penny. They may make good products, but their business ethics totally suck. They strung me out for well over two months, now I'm not sure the CC company will reverse the charges.

Consider yourself warned; Hotchkis is not a company you want to do business with.

Mark Sipe


[Modified by TeamZ06, 10:38 AM 9/19/2002]

 

Try going to your bank CC company and filling out an affidavit form stating your claim. This has worked very well for me more then once. Good luck , sorry to hear your problems with this company.

 

Your CC company should back you up, just dispute it.
You'll be ok, but that is a lesson not to let any charges roll past 60-90 days or chargebacks become difficult.

Esp. important if you give deposits by CC for merch that hasn't shipped. If it gets 60 days out ask for a Credit back, then let them recharge a new deposit.

 

I'd probably go through a supporting vendor next time for sure. That isn't cool what they are doing :mad

 

Mark, I don't know about tactics, ethics, excuses, and all that, but I believe best case, you've only been "strung out" about two plus months from the start of this thing, and if I follow the math in your post, maybe a couple of weeks since you finally sent the bar back.

Maybe they're just prone to exaggeration.

 

Sorry you had this experience. I have used them for years with great product and service. Their sprigs and bars make my customers vehicles carve the road! I have gone to the CC company before when the most reputable tuners and businesses did not credit a return or such :rolleyes:

 

EHS,

You are correct, it was not my intent to exaggerate and I did edit the statement to say two months. The bar was originally purchased on June 27, delivered June 28 for the event that weekend; maybe I was confused due to it being three CC statements ago.

The only reason the bar was not sent back sooner is that they never sent the call tag as promised. However, after they did the bar back I was still not reimbursed. When I pointed this out several weeks ago I was informed that they were restructuring their accounting dept.?!?!?!

Let's just summarize:

ordered the bar UPS Red, was shipped the wrong item. - mistake #1

agreed to take the correct part, was told they had an open order for it but didn't understand why it never shipped - mistake #2

asked for credit, took my CC#, never received credit - mistake #3

after returning bar, inquired why I wasn't reimbursed yet, claimed acct dept issues, will take care of it, several weeks later still not reimbursed - mistake #4 or ????

No exaggeration intended. However, I'm willing to consider that there is no malice, maybe they really are just clueless bumblers, either way they still suck!!! If they had said it would be easier on them if I just filed a claim I would have understood, but I didn't need to get both the run around and a hassle out of it. I have never not been understanding up to this point, but now my patience has run out.

The conclusion is that I had a custom swaybar made by Saner Performance Fabrication down in Lake Park, FL. I credit it with helping me place 3rd out of 51 drivers in Super Stock at the 2002 SCCA National Solo2 Championships. The claim letter to the CC company goes out today.

Mark


[Modified by TeamZ06, 11:53 AM 9/19/2002]

 

Listen to droptop. I have done this before...

 

Team Z06:

No problem, I'm sure with that chronology you are not out the window for the refund yet. I'm sure it'll work out.

Cheers! :cheers:

 

Bought mine from Ernie at Breathless and had the setup shipped overnight with no problems. Sorry to hear about your situation though.