ebay member lottacoolstuff

[Ccass]

Guys, when was the last time the admin had to post about a bad deal with someone. Anyway, I think that everyone who has dealt with me knows I have made a career out of trying to make customers happy. I recently had an ebay auction for a 1967 NOS ignition switch that this customer won. This one has me particularly annoyed because my personal specialty for the past 25 years has been locks and lock switches. So follow this chain of e-mails and tell tell me if I am getting old and cranky or if I have every right to be cranky.

Dear ccass1,

I expected more from PY than this. You sent me a used, not NOS switch. It is even melted inside. Please send a call tag. I expect a full refund for the item & shipping.


- lottacoolstuff

I replied by explaining that the melted look he was looking at is common when looking inside and NOS switch as it is likely just dried grease. I instructed him to take something like a screwdriver and confirm. He refused to do this and insisted the switch was bad and we needed to do a CALL TAG.

I got the switch back and sure enough there was the original grease inside the switch that scraped away revealing the bakolite insides in tact. So I gotta admit I'm pretty ticked off that the guy that 'expected more from PY' didn't think that the owner of the company just might know a little bit about this particular part and ignored my advice. So here is my reply.

Dear lottacoolstuff,

I just received the switch back. I see that you did not follow my instructions to test for grease with a sharp object like a screw driver. The area was completely undisturbed for probably 20 years. I stuck a screwdriver in there and the factory grease wiped away exposing the bakolite internals. It's all in tact and NOS as described in the auction. The dirt particles you see around the outside of the switch is very common for a part that is 30-40 years old. That's just shelf dust. We are crediting your paypal for $10.00 only because you insisted on doing a call tag that cost us $10. $19.99-$10.00 call tag. I'm sorry this is not what you wanted to hear but you should have listened to my instructions. I've been selling Pontiac parts for 30 years and as you stated, 'you expected more from PY'. You should have trusted my experience.

Chris

- ccass1

This reply prompted a 'bad feedback' from the ebayer and a incident report to get a full refund including shipping both ways.

Dear ccass1,

It was a used piece of crap. You should know better. I will be getting a full refund.


- lottacoolstuff

At that point, I pretty much lost it and sent the following reply as I don't think I have ever been so mad.

Dear lottacoolstuff,

There are no swirl marks on the bakeolite that WAS UNDER THE GREASE! There are not cylinder marks on the inside wall of the casting. There are not contact marks on any of the terminals. It's NOS. What a miserable ass. I've been doing this for 30 years and thank God I only run across guys like you a few times. You already gave me bad feedback and you'll probably end up getting most of your money back but wait until you see the comments that 35,000 Pontiac enthusiasts are going to see when I post about you and all your information.

Which prompted this reply:

Dear ccass1,

Cris, What is up with you? Is it a God complex or are you really just a three year old throwing fits? It looks like hours of couch time to find out. I can smear your name to all over the internet, is that really what you want?? I can effect you sales. You sent out used crap and you know it. I guess that you were just not happy with the sales price, so why send the NOS part, right? You were aparently just to cheap to do a refund, that would had ben the end of it.


- lottacoolstuff

My last response was. 'It's the principle.' And it is just that, as we are only talking about a lousy $20.

ebay auction 370515364389
Frank Thomas
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
[email protected]

Is this Frank from Frank's Pontiac Parts? If yes, that would explain everything.

[mike nixon]

Sounds like whomever it is is an IDIOT. You've described an NOS part perfectly. Personally I don't think Erape is worth the hassle because of idiots like this. than you have

I wouldn't have handled it any differently

Mike

[ponchjoe]

Ccass,

You have nothing to worry about from your real customer base. Looking at the email chain, this guy probably does this frequently. He obviously does not know you or deal with PY. We've all dealt with these kind of jerks on Ebay and that is why most of us don't use it as much as we use to.

See you at the Nats to pick up my stuff!

Ponchjoe

[68lemansman]

Wow i guess if a nos part didnt have a show of age and a little dirt then i guess it wouldnt be nos. You handled it well chris that guy was just a d#ck

[Jerry H.]

Some folks you just can't tell anything! Azzholes!

[steve v]

That's one of the down sides as a seller on ebay.......paypal ~ ebay are the mediators in any dispute and they usually side with the consumer/buyer. Heaven forbid that ebay would get a bad reputation from the consumers!

Unfortunately neither ebay or paypal would even know what dielectric grease is. Best that you can do is block this seller from future auctions & don't give it a second thought. Hopefully someone that can appreciate finding an NOS part that needs it will end up with it at the next auction.

[DEEZPAZ]

It looks like someone who is uneducated about the part and trying to get you to kiss his arse.. Like they say" You can't please all of the people all of the time"!!

[poncho447]

FYI...lottacoolstuff IS Frank's Pontiac Parts...old mr. personality himself.

[Greg Reid]

It's become clear to me in the last few years that no matter what kind of business you're in, selling goods or services, you're going to run into this customer from time to time. There is NOTHING you can do or say to make this person realize what an ass he/she is...You may as well let it go....and remember, "Time wounds all heels".

[Mr-Bratt]

Sounds like whomever it is is an IDIOT. You've described an NOS part perfectly. Personally I don't think Erape is worth the hassle because of idiots like this. than you have

I wouldn't have handled it any differently

Mike
Mike I agree with you almost 100% but he is running a company and he is going to get *&^^ from time to time, I have talked to him by phone and at norwalk and he has always been very nice to me (CASS) that is. but ME, well for $20 I may have spent way more just in gas to go have a face to face with said person....maybe we should all band together and, well you know..

[The Boss]

Some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about it. You spent more time with him than I would have.

[ERIC AULL]

Chris, I just ordered an ignition nut from Stacey...your "stuff" is always good!!!!! Include the switch in question and another ign. nut and update my bill accordingly. Thanks, Eric Aull

[70pontiaction]

I've never had the misfortune of dealing with him.
Now I am even more reinforced in knowing I won't.

If the address you shipped to was:

75992 Baseline Road
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3874

and his phone number ended in (760) 361-3242

then it's good old Frank. It's nice to know
that he treats EVERYONE the same way.
(Like DIRT!!!)

I heard that the sun shone out of his backside....... :)

[Heybuck]

I think you handled it beautifully.

And I wouldn't care about the negatives. Any REASONABLE person, if they think about it, will realize that even the very best and most professional seller will from time to time, come across a "bottom feeder" that can never be satisfied. So you look at the multiple thousand positives and simply discount the odd neutral or negative as being from dis-affected lame brains.

Draw breath and move on.

Ian

[1967SC]

This is exactly the reason I stopped selling stuff on ebay.I had a guy threatning to file mail fraud charges on me.
Needless to say,that was the last straw.It's just not worth it.

Good Luck

[Pontiac_Defender]

He can smear YOUR name!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

What an idiot! I wouldn't lose any sleep over any of this.

[BOB VIDAN]

Franks Pontiac parts is in 29 palms and if it's him, he's ALWAYS had an attitude. I'm pretty sure he would never make the effort you did Chris to try and explain and fix the supposed problem. You had every right to lose it.

[BOB VIDAN]

Franks Pontiac parts moved to 29 palms a few years ago. If your buyer is that Frank, he's ALWAYS had an attitude, remember him and it well from the POCI nationals in Irvine, '88 I think. You went above and beyond excellent service for his perceived problem. He would NEVER do the same for his customers.

[mviker]

I think Mike hit the nail on the head.

[SRR]

Yes! That would be Mr. Personality himself "Frank". His line of thinking is: If you own it it's worthless, if he owns it, Top dollar!

[A1Judge]

Chris, I do not think you are getting cranky. We all are getting old though. :)

Some people you just cannot please. You are in the right here although I cannot think of any equitable way of correcting the situation outside of giving this idiot his refund and try not to deal with him in the future.

I wouldn't loose any sleep over it!

Don

[Ccass]

FYI...lottacoolstuff IS Frank's Pontiac Parts...old mr. personality himself.

Ok, then this would explain a lot. About two years or so ago, I browsed Franks Pontiac parts site and noticed that there was a link to Ames Performance and Classic Pontiac Forums. So I contacted him and asked why no linke for PY Forums or PY. Sure enough he had a specific grievance for the way PY forums personel had handled certain posts about a couple of Pontiac vendors. As I recall, he was boycotting the PY Forums and not doing any business with PY because of this. I tried to explain how I can't just delete every bad thing ever said about a vendor or the PY Forums would lose all credibility. I really did try.
:(

During all our recent trades of PM's through ebay, I had no idea that it was Frank of Frank's Pontiac Parts that i was trading e-mails with. Only after Stacey showed me his account did it dawn on me that it might be him. He also has a frankspontiacparts ebay account. Not sure why you need 2 accounts. I have always had my personal name attached to everything I ever put on ebay. Maybe he only buys with his personal account.

This whole thing just bugs the **** out of me even more because this guy is suppose to be an industry guy and he certainly knew my background. So you think somewhere along the trail of PM's and my supportive evidence, he'd say SOMETHING about the reason he felt he was so sure the part was used(beside the original 'grease' reason). Or at least identify himself. If he did and admitted he made a mistake, I'd give my least favorite customer a pass and give a refund or send him the part back. After all, he had a $70 NOS switch that he paid $19.99 for and gave it back to us. I guess I should be thanking him. ;)

[Jerry H.]

I called him about a part one time. That one time was enough for me! Don't let it bother you Chris. As has been posted, you can't please everyone, especially the azzholes! You should be in the restaurant business! See ya in Norwalk.

[68gtoMN]

Frank wants to wage a forum war with you and your followers? Hmmm. I bet that this exchange could be posted on....oh, I don't know....PLENTY of other sites that would mention his name and call him out for being a bad actor. <think>

Chris, you've always been great to me in person and nothing short of a terrific business man in our dealings.

Let him pout...he's merely revealed his true character for all to see and has given you the "forum" to contract it with yours. Chris = 1, Frank = -200

[Qball]

FYI...lottacoolstuff IS Frank's Pontiac Parts...old mr. personality himself.

That guy is a ****. I bought a part from him and he made me feel like he was doing ME a favor.