I ordered some parts from him last week, then he called me because of it. I emailed him afterwards and didn't get a reply. The parts did arrive though. So at least I know he is around. Maybe just having email/website issues?
This is from a Sport Shifter he returned. He bought it maybe 6 months(?) ago. One day I get a package from him and in it is a used Sport Shifter that was even missing the lock nut for the shift knob and included a note saying to just refund him for this shifter. No advance notice or nanything. I am at a lose as to what I should do with this. I will always be happy to work out something with a return but for someone to just send something back used several months later and then demand a refund does not sit well with me. So for now it sits.
------------------ PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS
Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories www.rodneydickman.com New address and phone number after June 20,2003:
This is from a Sport Shifter he returned. He bought it maybe 6 months(?) ago. One day I get a package from him and in it is a used Sport Shifter that was even missing the lock nut for the shift knob and included a note saying to just refund him for this shifter. No advance notice or nanything. I am at a lose as to what I should do with this. I will always be happy to work out something with a return but for someone to just send something back used several months later and then demand a refund does not sit well with me. So for now it sits.
Send the thing back. You can't just use a part for 6 months and then send it back. Last I checked, you SOLD stuff, didn't lend stuff, right?
If he gives you a damn good reason... Charge him a restocking fee worth whatever it will cost to get it to mint (resellable) condition. Why make it your problem because he/she couldn't get off their patoot and get it to you sooner (or, god forbid, bother to CALL you)
6 months is retarded. 1 month (maybe 2, considering it's by mail?) is one thing... But YEESH..
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11:48 AM
Paul Prince Member
Posts: 2935 From: Kansas City, MO Registered: Dec 2002
Yea. I gota agree with Rodney on this. At least call him and tell him why you want to return it before you send it. Try buying a shifter from an auto parts store and returning it in 6 months for a refund?............Paul
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12:09 PM
datacop Member
Posts: 1426 From: Indianapolis, IN, USA Registered: Jan 2004
Well Rodney, this is a lousy surprise; First let's get things straight.
On May 16 I sent the following e-mail:
You may have received the short shifter and leather boot I returned by now. I had a 1/4 inch x 6 inch bolt welded onto the shifter base I had. After a little manipulating the shifter gate with a RotoZip and tilting the console, I got everything to work OK. The shifter now goes through the gate, but might need more adjustment after the console is upholstered. The thinner shift rod effectively increased the room in the gate for movement of the shifter.
Thanks for all your help. Just send me a check for the refund if that's OK. Paul
On June 3, I sent this one:
A while back I requested a door hinge kit as partial credit for the returned short shifter and leather boot. Have not received anything yet.
On June 4, i sent this one:
Maybe you did not get the few prior e-mails I sent. I requested a door hinge kit as partial credit for the short shifter and leather boot I returned. I have not received anything as yet.
There might have been a few more - If you have them, POST THEM. I have been trying to be nice to you about this and you ignore me then post this crap when all I did was ask if anybody has seen you ?! Maybe You have the e-mail where I said that if you did not want to refund my money, just send the shifter back to me and I'll sell it myself ?! i even tried to tell you how I got the gated shifter to work because I know you have a ferrari-kit yourself and couldn't get the gated shifter to work ?!
That shifter was installed on my kit car to see if it would work with the gate - and that's the ONLY way it was used. The car had not been driven ! You agreed to refund the price of the boot when I bought it, if i got the gate to work. Otherwise i agreed to keep the leather boot. Anybody who has seen my occassional posts mentioning the kitcar has also seen that the car is my project and is not really in shape to be driven - the interior isn't even done, THAT"S WHY I WAS WORKING ON THE CONSOLE AND SHIFTER !
I NEVER DEMANDED a refund as seen in the above post. I have probably purchased in the area of a $ thousand of stuff for my 2 fieros in the past few years from you. We have discussed several times problems and solutions to my kit car project. I even ordered manual shift cables that you sent UNADJUSTED and they did not work. Even though I payed for overnight, you refunded regular shipping and I never even mentioned it. You knew that the shifter and boot was for a project when i placed the order - You NEVER Mentioned A Time-frame for return. I asked if a refund was OK; if not send the stuff back to me; then I asked for merchandise in exchange (still trying to do business with you).
So now you want to keep the merchandise AND the payment AND post crap like this ?!
If you're at a loss for what to do, you shouldn't be. All you had to do was return my e-mail !
So I'll say it again: if a refund is NOT ok, simply send the shifter back. Send the door hinges and partial refund; send me a credit slip - I don't care at this point but I do deserve something for my money. You agreed to refund the leather boot, but send it back too if it's too much for you. I only sent this stuff because, refunds had not been a problem in the past, you have practiced your website satisfaction policy, and I was sending other stuff that day OR I WOULD HAVE CLEARED IT WITH YOU FIRST. But you should know all this because I've been telling you in e-mails.
You're turning into a real prick rodney ...
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 06-11-2004).]
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12:05 AM
PaulJK Member
Posts: 6638 From: Los Angeles Registered: Oct 2001
Here's the shifter being "used" (lower right). If it's missing the 50 cent locknut, it's because I was also trying different shift knobs to make sure they didn't hit the radio (which is not installed in the pic but fits in the black spot in the dash). You can see that I had the protective green wrap on - I removed it B4 i sent it back Bcause it was abraided by the gate but the shifter is in NEW condition (I even polished it B4 I sent it !)- I'd never try to use something then return it !
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 06-11-2004).]
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12:51 AM
PFF
System Bot
DelawareFiero Member
Posts: 1050 From: Tod vor Schmach!! Registered: Apr 2004
I think this is just miscommunication between to people. A customer and a vendor, I hope you 2 can work it out. I hate to see Fiero people argue over something that could be resolved with a little bit of EFFORT. I have dealt with Rodney, and Ive seen PaulJK posts. So based on that these are 2 decent guys. Lets hope THESE 2 can work it out and hold off on the Paul/Rodney bashing.
(gets off soapbox) Thanks Good Luck
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08:27 AM
PaulJK Member
Posts: 6638 From: Los Angeles Registered: Oct 2001
Delaware: thanks. As you can see, this hit me by surprise. I have no idea why Rodney started all this - all he had to do was answer one of my e-mails if he was having a problem. He has been aware that I've been trying to get my shifter / gate problem worked out on my car project. I've been going to him for parts for this thing regularly; shifter cables, door hinges, etc. I thought we were working together to get my problem solved - another reason I just dropped the shifter back to him after I had the problem solved. Even sent him an e-mail telling him how I did it ! Instead he decides to bash me in a post that I asked if anybody had seen him ?!
He arrogantly decided that something "didn't sit right' and take some kinda vengence in spite that i've been working with and trying to do business with him - even asked him to modify the shift rod (that i would have paid him for) that I paid someone else to do.
If this is how he treats his customers, I'm not gonna be one .... So now I guess we'll all see what he's gonna do ...
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 06-11-2004).]
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04:55 PM
PaulJK Member
Posts: 6638 From: Los Angeles Registered: Oct 2001
I will not change my position. As I said one day I get this package back with a note saying to refund the price of this shifter. No explanation why. You could plainly see it was installed and used (or tested). No copy of the original receipt. No advance notice. If I had hsent an email before he sent it to say would you take it back I gladly would have. To just send it back and demand a refund and no explanation or even an advance notice is not the right thing to do. If you can tell me I am wrong for feeling this way I will gladly apologize and send a refund. I don't know of any vendor/company that would accept this type of return. I do a good business and try my best to make everyone happy. Have I not?
------------------ PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS
Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories www.rodneydickman.com New address and phone number after June 20,2003:
Although I still don't know what your "position" is (unless it's that you intend to sit and do nothing) AND you want to do this publicly, let me address your points:
You were aware that I had been trying for a while to get a shifter working with my shifter gate. You were aware that the car was a project, not a driver. I had been communicating this to you by e-mail as I repeatedly bought parts. You were aware that your thick-shafted shifter would barely go through the slots in the gate. You were aware that I was recently going to try using a smaller diameter shifter because a thinner shaft would likely give me more room to move through the gate. I asked you if you could supply a shifter with a thinner shaft and you said that you couldn't. You even said that a thinner shaft would break. I then took my old shifter and had a thinner shaft welded on locally and it works. Nothing has broken.
I had recently returned your shifter cables that didn't work. I thought we had a working relationship established, that's why I did not even mention that your refund on the faulty shifter cables WAS NOT ENOUGH. I had other returns to make one day, so I grabbed your packaged shifter and sent it out with the other packages. I then sent you the e-mail above. Again, I have NEVER made a demand for a refund - if you have evidence that i did, POST IT. I knew that the shifter was still in new condition that's why I returned it. If either of these items was not in new condition, I would never have attempted a return. I simply asked for a refund, and later sent an e-mail asking you to return the shifter if that was not OK. Not getting a reply, I later asked for a door hinge kit which I new I would need when I work on my 88GT.
You DID agree to a refund when I agreed to buy the shifter boot if I got the shifter gate working. At that point we both figured the sport shifter would work. You did NOT specify a time-limit of any kind when I purchased these items (although we discussed it), and there is NO time limit on your website or otherwise. I expect you to at least honor the refund on the shifter boot. I further expect a refund for the overnight shipping I paid to receive your faulty shifter cables. Again, i don't care if you refund the shifter, exchange it partially or in full or other merchandise, or simply send it back to me.
Wrong thing to do !? How about you not answering my e-mails ? If you wanted MORE of an explaination than that I ALREADY supplied by e-mail, ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS ASK. If you wanted ANYTHING ELSE, all you had to do was ask, not attempt some "powerplay" by doing nothing to keep me wondering then starting a public issue. I hope you don't think you can keep my mechandise AND my money.
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 06-12-2004).]
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01:14 AM
PaulJK Member
Posts: 6638 From: Los Angeles Registered: Oct 2001
If you know of no one who does business like that, here are TWO. I returned merchandise that was "test-fit" and didn't work and that's all of an explanation they needed. I made these returns WITHOUT receipts and at times that were convenient. These are merchandise credit cards that they gladly gave me because I am a regular customer.
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 06-12-2004).]
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01:46 AM
PaulJK Member
Posts: 6638 From: Los Angeles Registered: Oct 2001
You do a good business and do your best to keep everyone happy ? Does that include receiving a return on May 14, 2004 then ignoring my e-mails to keep me guessing what happened and POSTING June 9, 2004 that you have a problem ?
If I received a part from a regular customer and had questions, I WOULD HAVE ASKED THE CUSTOMER, not IGNORE THEM FOR A MONTH. If i received a part in new condition that I knew was only test-fit, I WOULD PROMPTLY GIVE A REFUND OR CREDIT to encourage that customer to buy from me again. Apparently, AutoZone, Manny, Moe, Jack and I see things the same. I would NOT turn MY regular customer into SOMEONE ELSE's regular customer. I would NOT ignore someone if i had a problem then create a public spectical to show potential customer's how much of a jerk i am. I would hope that no one presses the issue that I still have the merchandise AND the payment. I WOULD CLEAR THIS UP ASAP AND LET THE THREAD SINK TO THE BOTTOM BEFORE ALL THE PEOPLE SEEING IT REALIZE YOU COULD DO THIS TO THEM !
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 06-12-2004).]
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04:11 AM
Rodney Member
Posts: 4715 From: Caledonia, WI USA Registered: Feb 2000
I will send a refund on Monday. I would say I'm sorry that I am old and my memory is not what it used to be but even in my younger years I doubt that I could remember a return promise I made some 6 months ago on one sale. This could all have been avoided if you had just taken the time to send me a heads up and remind me that you were returning this and that I had agreed to this when you bought it. To just send it back with a note demanding a refund is not the the proper thing to do. I answer maybe 20-30 emails a day and ship many parts each week. How would you expect me to remember a promise I made that long ago?? If I bought something from another vendor and he promised me this I would certainly not just pack it up 6 months later and send it back with a note demanding a refund. When I received this I had no idea what the story on it was. Maybe you should have sent the above messages to me before you sent it back or even at least after I got it back and questioned you on why you sent it back.
------------------ PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS
Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories www.rodneydickman.com New address and phone number after June 20,2003:
I don't think it does much good to repeat myself but if you look at the dates of the e-mails above you will see that they were sent not long after I sent the shifter and boot back. I would be satisfied with refund = (shifter $) + (boot $) + (overnight $ for faulty cables) - (door hinge repair kit). I will post when I receive it to close this issue.
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06:59 PM
neyven Member
Posts: 805 From: Redcliff, Alberta Registered: Sep 2002
What i dont understand is how this could even be considered a trial/test fit piece after 6 months? To me if it didnt fit/feel the way i wanted it to i would of sent it back within a week, 2 tops. Certainly not after half a year and then to still expect a full refund. After that much time it is a well used item not "brand new".
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07:54 PM
PFF
System Bot
Jun 13th, 2004
Rodney Member
Posts: 4715 From: Caledonia, WI USA Registered: Feb 2000
> -----Original Message----- > From: pjk011@msn.com [maimailto:Pjk011@msn.com] > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 2:16 PM > To: rodney1@execpc.com > Subject: RE: Short Shifterand Boot > > Actually we had talked about the shifter and boot when I purchased them. > The > car has been sitting for over a year and I've been working on it a little > at > a time. The gated shifter has been one of those things that I've worked > on, > then moved to something else, then came back to. I'm sorry it has been so > long. > > The other day i had to go to the post office, so I sent eveything I had > out, > which included the package to you - I apologize for not contacting you > first, but I really did not think there would be a problem. If there is a > problem, maybe I can try to sell it on Pennock's if you return it to me.
Looking back at some emails on this. Over a year and you expect me to remember who you are and what type of car you have and what you are doing to it? Would Pep Boys or anyone take something back over a year after it was bought???
------------------ PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS
Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories www.rodneydickman.com New address and phone number after June 20,2003:
Every business that I've worked at, including being the Returns Manager for Sigman Superior for several years, would not accept any returns for any reason without a return authorization number, or RA. If something showed up at our dock without that number on the package it was refused outright. I think you're being most kind here and really bending over backwards to take care of this guy.
JazzMan
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02:43 PM
Rodney Member
Posts: 4715 From: Caledonia, WI USA Registered: Feb 2000
Thanks JazzMan. Like I said if someone had sent me an email expalining that he was sending it back and reminding me me of whay he was sending it back I would have gladly taken it back. Or at least give me full expaination once it got here as to why it was here I would have been OK. But to just send it back and ask for a refund did not make me very happy.
------------------ PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS
Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories www.rodneydickman.com New address and phone number after June 20,2003:
Rodney, the e-mail you posted was dated May 16, 2004. It says the car has been sitting for a year. Actually the car has probably been sitting for more than a year, but that is typical of a project car - just ask SmoothGT !
Guys, don't try to stoke this fire. I think Rodney and I have it settled.
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 06-14-2004).]
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03:53 AM
Jun 19th, 2004
PaulJK Member
Posts: 6638 From: Los Angeles Registered: Oct 2001
I did read my email. Paul - if you are this unhappy with this please take some kind of legal action against me. How sad that you do this to me then make me out to be the bad guy. How terribly sad.
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08:38 PM
Jun 20th, 2004
PaulJK Member
Posts: 6638 From: Los Angeles Registered: Oct 2001
Rodney, I had a question with the leather boot and sent you an e-mail rather than raise this again publicly. I had intended the last post from me to be closure. But you seem intent to air dirty laundry. Let me remind you that I started this thread only to ask if anyone had seen you ?!
I did not realize that the shifter and boot were a set. That's all you had to say, but I went to your website and found it out myself after reading your reply to my e-mail. Also, i was expecting a door hinge kit like the one I last ordered, with pins for the upper and lower hinges for both doors. Instead you sent a single door pin replacement for a lower hinge. If you had sent the same stuff that I ordered before (or cared to ask), I probably would not even needed a refund !
So i received $89 credit - $29 door hinge - $6 shipping and a check for $54.00.
As far as doing ANYTHING to you, I kept telling you that I was OK with getting the shifter back. I did NOTHING to you - I only tried to get something I needed for my car or get the shifter back (?!). I thought you were working WITH me to help me get my car going, but BOY was I wrong. Sorry.
I can see that if someone pays for OVERNIGHT delivery and you send them a defective part, that the OVERNIGHT charges are their tough luck. Now THAT's SAD.
Anyway, I'm convinced that I'm NOT gonna get involved like this again. Good luck to you and your good business.
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 06-20-2004).]
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03:13 AM
Rodney Member
Posts: 4715 From: Caledonia, WI USA Registered: Feb 2000
So now I have a USED Sport Shifter I have to sell at a discount. I'll trade that for these overnight costs you talk about. Sounds fair to me but I'm sure it will not sound fair to you. This all happened because YOU sent an unauthorized return back to me and offered no explanation why before you sent it or even after I received it. This all could have been avoided if YOU had done the right thing. I would have gladly worked with you. Sorry you do not seem to see that.
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