Inline tube
 

Inline tube is a rotten business entity!! Please do not support them. They sent me the wrong evaporator line for my Trans Am. The Inline Tube salesperson told me I would be getting the line that fastens directly under the radiator core, I said thats exactly what I need, but I recieved the line that runs to the gas tank (vapor tube). When I called them back to get the correct line, they gave me a huge run around and will not take the part back. I ended up paying oversized freight to boot. Below are the 3 calls I placed to Inline Tube and the results.

1st call as I told them they shipped me the wrong part: Can you email us a photo of the tube so we can see exactly what you need. ( I emailed them 5 pictures of the line installed and uninstalled)

2nd call 3 days after pics sent: Our system is down, I don't know what to tell ya. Maybe try back later.

3rd call two hours later: Let me transfer you. (system apparently not down) This is Larry, we do not take returns. I can sell you the part you need. Do you want to buy it or not??

Its businesses like this that spoil the classic car hobby. Fortunately, I'm 3-0 with credit card purchase disputes.

I've had good luck with several orders from Right Stuff Detailing. Maybe give them a try.

I know the owners of Inline Tube pretty well and this does not reflect the kind of business that they run. I have had nothing but the best service from them and I know tons of other people that have also. You may try to call and talk to one of the owners before you bash a company that has done so much to support the musclecar hobby.

As with all stories there are two sides and of course we are only hearing your side. I'm sure we'd all like to hear theirs before we throw them under the bus.

I have done 4 restorations of late and used Inline tube for all my fuel brake/lines, brake cables ect. I have had a good experience with them. Everything fit and looked like it was suppose to. My 2 cents.

I have purchased various items from Inline, and the products have been great.

No problems at all.

I use Classic Tube. Very user friendly. Very good products.

I emailed Inline for some information about cooling lines for the TH-400 in my HO, air-conditioned 67 GTO. I never got a response; I was unimpressed. On the other hand, the Right Stuff Detailing did an excellent job of giving me what I needed, and did so in a prompt and courteous fashion.

I've done tons of business with InLine Tube, and have always been more than impressed with the quality of their products, as well as their knowledge of these cars. John and James (the two brothers who own InLine) know GM A-bodies better than anyone I have ever met, and they have brought unknown or overlooked parts to market that have raised the bar on concours restorations considerably.
While I can understand their reluctance to accept returned parts of this bature (they would have no way to verify that the part had not been installed, bent, or otherwise damaged, and could thus not re-sell that part in good conscience), they should make it right if the screw-up was with their shipping department.
As for just dropping a cryptic email, and expecting everything that you always wanted to know- try the time-honored, old-fashioned, personal approach. Pick up the phone, and start a worthwhile dialogue.
It's always worked for me...

He didn't question thet quality. He said it was the wrong part.
Also, it's not reasonable to expect a customer to have to get in contact with the owner of a company, period. That's what his employees are for.
Now, I've heard many good things about their parts and service prior to this, but the owner of the company that came here and claimed he sold his RA III Judge when in fact it didn't sell, acted like most small business owners you come across---arrogant and pissy when people didn't agree with him. It must not have been priced right if it didn't sell now was it? It didn't stop him from getting his nose out of joint over seeing others opinions. It wouldn't surprise me if his company was giving poor service based on his attitude displayed here.

This forum is to share business experiences. If you had good service, say so. If not, say so. It doesn't make someone a bad person because they shared that with us. What sense does that make? Looks like he made good faith attempts, but I wasn't there to hear the demeaner.

I have also used InLine Tube for several parts and although some parts were wrong (ordered stock fuel line but in 1/2 inch in lieu of 3/8 inch and they sent me the 3/8 inch first), they replaced the wrong item with no questions.

All my lines came from inline tube. All perfect.

I too had an unhappy outcome with Inline Tube 3-4 years back buying brake lines for my 67 GTO. I posted about it then.

I ended up buying a flaring kit and making my own lines. Big waste of unreturnable parts. If they have changed their return "policies" that's good news. I used Classic Lines for a fuel line later on. All went well there. I don't recommend Inline Tube.

At that time here on PY I got the same 50/50 response.

I learned that buying lines is almost not worth it. If you get a flaring kit you can do it yourself with some patience.

Do it yourself and be better for it!

Customer Service
 

To me customer service is very important when I decide where to purchase classic car parts. I had spoken to 3 different sales reps at Inline and all gave me the cold shoulder. Not a single one of them offered to remedy their own mistake, but instead gave me the run around. I have no doubt in my mind the employees are trained by the owners on how they handle customer service issues, since the customer comes last. Judging by my experience, Inline tube is no friend of the classic car owner, but rather a parts business looking to get richer.

TJH...Do you work for these folks? You seem awfully defensive. I didn't say that they were bad people; I said that I was unimpressed. Second, unless you have read my email to Inline (Have you?), I find it presumptuous on your part to label it "cryptic." Third, I found the company's web site via a Google search. It listed an email address for gaining information. Silly me...I assumed that they wanted people to use it. If it had said, "For a response, call, don't email" I would have done so. I respect your right to post an opposing view. Just don't slam people who've had a different experience. It really doesn't do anything for your credibility.

I replaced every line on my 67 gto with Inline products.
The rep on the phone answered all my questions and concerns.
Every line fit perfectly.
When I do my other gto, this winter, I will definitely use Inline.

David

Pay with everything with a credit card (not debit card). If there is a problem with the product a simple email or letter to your credit card company puts the payment on hold and places the seller on notice that if he made a mistake he has to make it good.

Even the best companies make mistakes sometimes.....Its how they resolve those mistakes that makes difference of really a good company or a bad one.

It sounds like pmdclassics tried to go through all the right steps to resolve the problem. Inline Tubes just gave him the total run-around.

I've heard lots of stories about inline tube. it's a 50-50 split on good experiences versus bad experiences. I don't think they have a corner on the market with what they offer, so I have always gone some other place when I've needed items they carry.

over on an Olds board a guy is having quite a BAD experience with Inline. he even posted an email he received from one of the owners which basically told the customer to "bring it on, I'm not afraid of you" and also "I'm not responsible for what my sales people do". It's that second comment that really makes me wonder about Inline.


edit: here is the exact post from the Olds board. The person received an email from James Kryta

Words e-mailed to me from Inline Tube

"Bring it on.....


I have run into a lot of arrogant people in this hobby and a lot of empty threats. If you had a problem with a line, all you had to do is bring in the one we made with the one off the car and we would straighten it out. But no, you want to talk Sh*t. That is easier than doing any work. Furthermore, there are 20 people that work at Inline Tube and I will not be held personally responsible for every bad decision they make. We make every effort to take care of problems as they arise. Hide behind your screen name, that's ok. As far as your threat, bring the line and lets dance. James Kryta 586 532 1338"

I have had a Good/Bad experience with Inlinetube i got a set of brake lines for a 60 wagon i was doing and they were excellent, However it took me 2 trys to order them the first time i called i was told that they do not and will never be making these lines and the salesperson i talked to was very rude and basically just blew me off. then i went to their web site and found the lines listed in their online catalog so i called back and got another salesperson who was very helpful and did not even need the part number i had looked up, I paid with a credit card and 2 days later i had my lines. Overall i was happy with them i am disturbed by the comment attributed to them in the post by GLORYRESTOPARTS that what his employees do is not his responsibilty that is totally wrong as the owner of the company everything is his responsibilty. I would think twice before ever using INLINETUBE again.

No, I don't work for them. But I have known John and James for several years. I have dealt with them personally- which provides significantly more insight that whatever can be gleaned from either an email, or a brief telephone conversation with one of their sales reps.
If you can match, using a hand-held tubing bender, every correct bend and angle in a fuel or brake line, hats off to you. You're better skilled than just about anyone else on the planet. The tubes from InLine are formed on massive, elevated CNC tubing benders, to allow forming of lines that would otherwise be impossible (due to the swing arc that would result from the machine re-positioning between certain bends).
InLine is the only company that I know of that has this capability. They are also the only company that has correctly reproduced GM emergency brake cables, down to the most minute details.
Most people contact companies such as InLine, saying "I need a brake line for a 1966 LeMans." The problem is, there were often running changes to designs, that are dependent on the exact build date of the vehicle. Then, GM often had different suppliers serving different plants. So, in reality, to get EXACTLY the part that came off of your car, you would need to know the EXACT build date, the assembly plant, as well as the specifics concerning the engineering change that implemented the design change. Did the EC specify to begin using the new parts EXCLUSIVELY on a certain date? Or, was the EC written to use existing parts until the supply was exhausted, and only THEN switch over to the new ones?
Most people unfamiliar with production assembly plant practices have no idea just how complicated it is to determine exactly what part was originally installed on a car 30-35 years ago, with little or no documentation of the assembly line realities of that time.