by Allen Williams
Recently, I had to upgrade my automobile air conditioning system from
R12 to R134a. Getting AC parts for a 1991 Nissan is no easy task. After
some research on the Net, I happened upon Parts Geek which seemed to
have exactly what I needed at reasonable prices.
I did most of the AC work on my own car, flushing the lines, installing a
new compressor, o-rings, etc. I ordered a new Filter-Drier from Parts
Geek and it arrived promptly, now note their return policy:
"Return Policy - IMPORTANT PLEASE READI installed the new filter-drier and pulled down the system to 29 inches of mercury but the AC system began to leak as soon as the vacuum pump shut off. I checked the system for leaks but couldn't identify any even though the system had green dye in the PAG oil and had been run briefly.
We have a 30 day return policy. We must be contacted within 30 days of receipt for an RMA number. We will not accept any returns after 30 days, no exceptions. All returns including cores require an RMA number. You MUST fill out a support ticket on our website for an RMA number. We will NOT accept return requests via phone. DO NOT send back any parts without first obtaining an RMA number via e-mail, or else your credit will be delayed significantly. Please visit our website and click on Customer Service for further details."
I had to put my car in a local Kansas AC shop and they called to tell me the new Filter-Drier was defective, leaking around the sight glass. The shop replaced the filter drier, pumped it down and charged the system with R134a. It then worked fine.
Now instead of being able to repair and upgrade my auto AC system for less than $200, I wound up paying over $500 because of that defective drier not to mention the time and aggravation I experienced getting an approved RMA number to get the defective part returned for credit. And then they wouldn't pay the shipping for me to return their defective part!
"Please
do not reply to this message. This e-mail was sent from a
notification-only e-mail address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. If
you need to contact Customer Service, please open a support ticket on
our Customer Service page.
To track your package, please visit the carriers website and simply
input the tracking number. All UPS tracking numbers begin with 1Z,
(e.g., 1Z69R2R70315956544) All FedEx numbers are 15 digits long and do
not include any letters (e.g., 04751198048715). All US MAIL tracking
numbers are 20 digits long and do not include any letters (e.g., 0123
4567 8910 1112).
* As indicated on our website, we do not offer weekend or holiday delivery. Therefore, any overnight or second day orders placed on Friday will not arrive until the following business day.
* If you receive a damaged package, do not accept the package. You can either refuse the package or contact the shipping carrier to refuse the package. You have 24 hours to refuse the package. We will not be responsible for the return of carrier damaged products.
* We have a 30 day return policy. No returns are accepted without a return authorization number. We must be contacted within 30 days of receipt for an RMA number. We will not accept any returns after 30 days, no exceptions."
How would you get an RMA for a carrier damaged package? The answer: You wouldn't and if that carrier turned out to be UPS, you'd likely be out the entire cost of whatever you bought. I had to get an approved RMA to return the defective filter-drier. I included an email from my local AC Shop indicating the filter-drier was defective.as I wasn't certain they'd take my word for it. I also had to pay to ship back the defective filter-drier; they refuse to pay any return shipping charges no matter what the circumstances. Here are some further testimonies to Parts Geek's crappy service, there are plenty of other complaints.
I was asked to rate Parts Geek on Trust Pilot: Click here to rate us on Trustpilot
I gave them one star out of five because that was as low as the system
would let me go. Here was the Parts-Geek credit response on the defective filter-drier I returned.
To contact us you MUST open a support ticket on our Customer Service page.
This is to inform you that your credit was processed today.
Invoice Number: 15-xxxxxxxx
Shipping: $9.95
Parts: $12.08
Total Credit: $22.03"
UPDATE 7/15/2016
Bank ledger entries show the following credits from Parts-Geek..same order..same carrier..same destination
|
06/29/2016 |
CREDIT 1831 06/28/16 75785902 PARTS GEEK, LLC 800-5419352 NJ
|
|
9.95 |
||
|
06/28/2016 |
CREDIT 1834 06/27/16 78773002 PARTS GEEK, LLC 800-5419352 NJ
|
|
22.03 |
Apparently, Parts Geek doesn't bother checking anything before it ships out, What's quality control?
Basically you get whatever is on the shelf in whatever condition it is
at the time. Who cares? They already got your money. And, they'll
probably put your item right back on the shelf when they receive it and
then ship it out to someone else.
Update 7/18/2016 I can see why Parts Geek is not a member of the Better Business Bureau but I went ahead and added my complaint to the New Jersey affiliate anyway, complaint ID 11568737. I'd say the following complaints pretty much characterize Parts Geek practices, i.e. problems with Product/Service.
This business is not BBB accredited.
Customer Complaints Summary Read complaint details| Complaint Type | Total Closed Complaints |
|---|---|
| Advertising/Sales Issues | 59 |
| Billing/Collection Issues | 31 |
| Delivery Issues | 104 |
| Guarantee/Warranty Issues | 20 |
| Problems with Product/Service | 414 |
| Total Closed Complaints | 628 |
Read Complaints | Definitions | BBB Complaint Process | File a Complaint against Parts Geek
See Trends in Complaints on Parts Geek | View Complaints Summary by Resolution Pie Chart on Parts Geek
As long as there are no consequences to their business the customer abuses at Parts Geek will
continue. Firing inept and/or rude representatives will not accomplish
anything, Parts-Geek will simply train new inept and rude ones to take
their place,
UPDATE 7/22/2016
| 07/21/2016 |
CREDIT 1803
07/20/16 74948702 PARTS
GEEK, LLC 800-5419352
NJ
|
12.08 |
After
this article posted with its BBB Parts Geek complaint history, the
company finally saw the error of their ways and repaid me for the
expenses of returning the defective filter-drier and the shipping costs
associated with refusing a second filter-drier. Now that's properly
serving your customers, just as JC Whitney and other great companies
do. I now recant my earlier recommendation: They need to be put out of business.