Stuck with faulty product from Finishline!

[Enzo Alibrandi]

Cracker,

I'd like to address you first. I'm not sure who you are but I know that "Finishline issue complaints" does not pop up on a regular basis like you are saying. I send at least 40 to 50 packages a day(over 700 in the month of October) and if we had many issues you would hear about them all the time. We also go out of our way for customers and I can't tell you how many e-mails and thank you's we get on our end.

Stefano is correct that after one year we couldn't take the turn signal back. There is no warranty for that and I don't even buy from the same vendor I received that one from in England.

As far as 20% restocking almost everyone knows that you can call me after one year and let me know they never used a part and I exchange it for full value. Also if someone calls me that a switch or a mirror or anything is broken I generally tell them to throw it away and send them another. I don't ask for returns.

Enzo is very honest and I take issue with you suggesting that he isn't. You can be unhappy with something without saying a person is dishonest.

We can't always make everyone happy.

The last person that made a complaint on another forum was the same person that in my Vendor Sale thread said "we were the greatest". Which is it. Also his complaint that his hard earned money was taken and the product not received is false. We never charge anyone for anything that doesn't go out the door.

I can't go back to a vendor of mine after one year for a refund on a defective electrical piece either.

If anyone mails anything back because of a mistake I made I always refund the shipping and stick t-shirts and stuff in the box.

I'm the same one that gives "thousands" of dollars each year to every club that writes me for donations for get togethers and events. I don't ask for anything in return. It is a way to give back. So if someone thinks I need to steal their $200, they are sadly mistaken.

Paula Alibrandi
Finish Line

[stefanog]

Paula, just to clarify things here, the part was never used, just opened right at the end when it was time to finish the interior, this was 1 day to finishing the car 100%. I apologised for the delay in notifying you of this problem in emails I sent you direct, I was never unhappy with you or your service, let's get this straight. I was and still am unhappy about the return emails that were sent to me direct in response to my querie.

I now tread differently with any future purchase, period.

Stef

[Cracker]

Paula,

I'm nobody. But considering your stable of toys I should consider snubing my nose at my customers regarding our return contracts - maybe that's your secret. Then again, it might be your margins. Is there a reason why you are no longer using that supplier? Could it be because of quality or was it simply a pricing issue? If you stopped using them it further strengthens Step's claim that the part was no good - as delivered by YOU.

Cobra Make & Engine: E.R.A. GT40 and 427 Cobra, Ferrari 360 Modena, MiniCooper-S

You would think that a retailer that has been blessed would take a valid customer complaint or defective part and make it right even if it all came out of pocket. I spend well over $150,000 a year in mark down, promotional, and return money. What's $200 to you (assuming you have all the cars in your tag line) when your customer legitmately is taking a bath on a part you sold - not to mention he bought from you previously.

It's a crying shame but at least you give thousands of dollars each year to causes that don't help your Kewee customer one-i-ota.

I never said and am not implying anyone at Finishline is dishonest. I do feel their return policy is a bit over-the-top. If a defective part is delivered a customer should have a right to get 100% of their money back, period. Is this the case?

In the end, however, they can do whatever they want to - I just wouldn't and won't buy from retailers who operate on an uneven playing field. Have a great day and don't over rev your Modena.

[Excaliber]

Home Depot and Target gives a refund on parts a year old? What kind of cheese you got in that pipe?

[Poolw]

I have purchased and returned parts at Finish Line and I will say they have been great to to business with. That my $0.02.

[HI Cobra]

I think there is a responsibility of the purchaser to check what they bought
as soon as they receive it to make sure it is the correct item and that it works. If it isn't, or doesn't, deal with it then. "Timeliness". I cannot imagine the bookkeeping issues alone of trying to deal with items a year old.
The 30 day policy is clearly stated and is reasonible. What if it had taken
three years to build the car - still expect refund? My 2 cents.

[stefanog]

I never asked for a refund, I politely asked if it were possible, given the time, to send the item back (at my cost) for another that works properly. I don't think this is out of the ordinary, the item was opened to see if it was the correct one and yes, it was, how was I to know it wasn't to work properly once fitted? I think some of you are missing the point here.

Where is the loyalty to your customers?

Stef

[mike knight]

I don't know you so i won't presume to know your mindset. I do know that if I buy a product from someone and it is almost a year later that i find out that the product is faulty that is my issue. We all must accept a responsibility in our small community. Our vendors make a living by maintaining inventory of custom products or make them available in a reasonable length of time to us. We owe them the responsibility of ordering these custom parts and putting them into service in a reasonbable period of time. I am not criticizing your opinion as you are entitled to it. I am just offering you my opinion of our responsibility to vendors. If we purchase a product and we don't need it for almost a year that has to be an example of bad planning. Our mistakes in bad planning should not be extended to a vendor. Our problems should not become their problem especially if we have extended past a reasonable period of time. Additionally, in my opinion, when we extend our dissatisfaction in a public forum, such as this, we are playing the blame game to satisfy our selves. If we chase our vendors away who will we count on to help us with our machines. Like i said we all share in this. As a fellow cobra enthusiast i would ask you to suck it up, accept the fact that finish line is an excellent vendor, based upon their track record, and move on. I say this with all due respect.

[Fox]

I never asked for a refund, I politely asked if it were possible, given the time, to send the item back (at my cost) for another that works properly.

So what you are saying is that while you have paid for once for an item that works... Finish Line will pay for two and have one that doesn't. Keeping in mind that they are not in the position to seek the same from the original supplier.

Sounds like a refund from where Paula and Enzo sit.

While you may believe that Finish Line should provide this type of customer service, it is not your call. It is theirs.

I am in the health care business and I give away, or am asked to give away, free work all the time. When I choose to donate my time or fees that is my choice. When a check bounces or a bill goes unpaid that is a whole different ballgame. From an outsiders perspective the outcome may seem the same but trust me, it's not. The heat, lights and staff wages still need to be paid when I take that on. One might see that it actually costs me money to help another. Is your scenario really that different??? Finish Line has done nothing unreasonable, they just haven't done what you wanted.

For me, the only way I got over the bull$hit that Walmart once served up on me was to stop shopping at Walmart. I know I am better off for it... and who knows, they might just see it the same way. Might you consider doing something similar with Finish Line?

-John