CompetitionAccessories.com Story

[Ken H.]

So here’s the scenario, you be the judge...

 

In May I ordered two tires from CompetitionAccessories.com to be dropped shipped to Paul’s address at the UN. The order was bill to my Alberta address, the billing address of the US credit card I used.

 

Shortly thereafter I received an invoice from CAcc for the two tires, then a UPS shipment notice for two tires, then a charge on my credit card for two tires.

 

Some short time after that I got a note from Paul that he had my tire. (First hindsight problem – he said tire singular not tires plural, that I didn’t pick up on.)

 

Months later I arrive at the UN to find only one tire, but with a packing list on it showing two. Oh-oh, one ‘lost in the mail” months earlier I wonder?

 

Next day I call CAcc and (much to my relief) am told – No the other is on BO, due in another three weeks. I explain that I will no longer be where the ship to address is, and ask, can it be redirected to my billing address? I am told, “Sure, no problem.” (Hindsight problem #2, because he told me my item was on BO, and because I had given him the order number (off the packing list) I presume he has my order in front of him when speaking.)

 

Time goes by and weeks later I get a UPS email notification that the tire has been shipped, but to Paul’s address in CT, not to mine in AB.

 

Call CAcc – First off told – No record of the phone call about the missing tire and my request to change the ship to location.

 

Then told – We would have never said we would do this anyway, because we never ship to Canada.

 

Then after I explained all of the above was told this was all my fault anyway because I provided “false information” on my original order because CAcc doesn’t do business in Canada.

 

Then was told they would retrieve the tire from UPS and credit my cc account (billed months earlier) less the S&H and a restocking fee.

 

I explained no false information was given; the original order was on a vaild US credit card, shipped to a US address, with a valid Canada bill to address on the cc. And if I had been told that they didn’t ship to Canada when I called about the missing tire, I would have just canceled the order because obviously a tire weeks later 1000s of miles from me was of no use to me.

 

We go round and round about this for awhile and the person on the phone there became increasing indignant that this was my error by placing a “fraudulent order” and threaten to retract the offer to do anything at all.

 

I ask to speak to a manager and am told he is he manager. He also says at one point – “Business is down and we have to make money on every order these days and can’t afford to give refunds.”

 

Faced with losing all or only something on the tire, I reluctantly agreed to the offer. In the end I got a credit net loss of $35.

 

 

 

 

 

[marcopolo]

While it's certainly annoying, if in the end all you're out is $35, I'd say you're probably lucky.

[Eric S]

Well, the customer is always wrong!

 

I run an internet business, and know for certain losing money on a situation like that to make it right with the customer more than pays for itself in good street, or internet, cred.

[Skywagon]

I have had a couple of goofy transactions over time. If you used AMEX they will probably refund your loss. Most unfortunate, but hard to spend much time and emotion chasing $35....

[Quinn]

You learned a $35.00 lesson and they may have lost a lot of business from the members of this board. Hope it was worth it for both.

 

If anyone knows Competition Accessories, you might point this forum out to them and let them know that decisions have reprocussions.

 

 

[Tim Yip]

Hi, Ken:

 

Sorry to hear about your problems with CA. They must have changed their policy about NOT shipping to Canada. I have ordered stuff from them (successfully) and had it shipped to AB, but that was years ago.

 

Your post serves as a great 'heads-up' to Canadians contemplating making a purchase from CA. The bottom line is DON'T.

 

Cheers.

 

(Nice meeting you at the BGB meeting last week.

 

Tim

 

[Motodan]

I believe their web site indicates new ownership as of 2003 or so. I was at their store in Ohio just last week. It has changed from 5 years ago. Not near the inventory in way of clothing and other gear. Quite a few bikes, but they stopped selling BMW some years ago. Too bad about your experience, but these larger Internet "supply houses" seem to be more and more inclined to worry about their immediate bottom line than customer satisfaction. Of course, the apparent months of delays in this entire process didn't help any one.

[mrsoup]

The retail store near Springfield, OH is in no way associated with the mail order/internet business that we are discussing here, even though they share the same name.

 

The store located on I70 is a retail Motorcycle dealership that sell some clothing and accessories.

 

The Competition Accessories mail order/internet business does not have a retail store, only does business over the phone or internet.

 

I have had good experinces with both places of business.

[RoadJunkie]

I don't know if my statement will apply because there is apparently no "fine" print in a phone order, but I think this quote offers good advise:

 

Education is what you get when you read the "fine print". Experience is what you get when you don't.

[ragtoplvr]

I do not know about competition accessories finances but from recent business experience at a former company`

 

You bank comes in and tells you how you will run your business. You make your numbers they tell you to make or they will call your loan, instant bankruptcy. Their business decisions are often not the the best interest of your business, and they do not care, they have been to ivy league business school and they know.

 

The pressure to meet your numbers each and every month is terrible, leading to more bad business decisions. It is much easier to meet your numbers when you buy in rather than make, then you can stiff vendors and make numbers. Of course a house of cards will collapse.

 

Then when they kill the business, they can show their boss how they did everything right and still get the bonus.

 

It is the American way.

 

We see first hand how well it works.

 

This may be the problem you had

[brianbmw]

I've always had good service from CA. Great prices on tires, i think my last set of pilot roads were about $220 shipped. They had a special going on and i got them in about 2 days.