Last week ProperAutoCare (aka Classic Motoring Accessories) had a "we're closing our website sale."

I placed an order and noted that they had free shipping with a minimum $300 purchase so I added more stuff to my order to get the free shipping.

The following day I get two order acknowledgements. The email says that my order is being packed and readied for shipment.

Three days later I get an email from a Michael Steverson:

"Thank you for your order during our close-out sale.
However, through an error, you were not charged shipping on your order.
During this sale, our normal shipping rates apply.
Free shipping starts at orders of $500 or rmore.
Your order, being less than that amount, requires an additional shipping charge.
Additionally, an orders requiring multiple boxes will also require additional shipping charges.
Obviously, with this being a close-out sale, we cannot give free shipping at lower amounts as we used to do.

If you would like us to proceed with your order, we can charge your credit card, or send you a PayPal invoice (if you paid via PayPal) to cover the shipping costs.
Should you wish to cancel your order, please let us know. If cancelled, any funds collected will be refunded.

Please respond back to us as quickly as possible as this promo ends tomorrow and all orders will be shipped by Thursday"

I replied with the following:

"Sorry, but I followed your instructions and ordered additional items to
bring my order over the advertised "free shipping on orders over $300"
threshold. I followed your instructions to the letter and there was no
"error." You changed the rules after the agreement was made.

This is completely unacceptable. Cancel my order immediately and confirm
cancellation by return email. I expect a refund on my credit card
immediately. Any charges to my credit card will be disputed tomorrow and
you can expect negative comments on the forums I frequent.

To call this an "error" is an insult to your customers and indicative of
very shoddy business practices.

Your appropriate response should have been "we screwed up and can't afford
to give you free shipping. We will either cancel your order with our
apologies, offer you reduced shipping charges to cover our actual costs or
we will allow you to modify your order at the sale prices so that you can
remove those "nice to have" items that you added just to get free shipping."

Your email makes it sound like the customer is at fault.

I await your immediate response."

To which he replied:

"Your initial order may have been over $300, but with some of the items coming up out of stock by the time we were able to process your order, your order total was $238.35....below the free shipping level.
We also make not of extra bulky or extra heavy shipments may require extra shipping.
YOu have two gallons, plus 4 32 oz items in your order.
Even if your order had everyting in it you ordered, we would have contacted you regarding the additional shipping based on weight, and bulkiness.

If you wish for us to cancel your order, we will do so. A refund will obviously be made to your Mastercard..

Michael"

Let me translate his response:

Yes, the free shipping was for orders over $300, but due to our incompetence, we double sold some items so your final order was actually under $300.

In addition, free shipping isn't really free either because although we never mention it on our website, we will charge you extra whenever we want if we feel the items are "bulky.

We think are customers are a bunch of idiots and should be satisfied with a "sale."
_______________
I've purchased lots of stuff from them in the past, never paid shipping even on "bulky" items and now these guys are having a total meltdown.

Here is his public rant on his forum

http://truthindetailing.com/Forum/sh...t=6568&page=11

If anyone here ordered and hasn't gotten shipping confirmation yet then I'd suggest they do a chargeback right now. What a crappy way to do business. There is NO excuse for this.

 

To be honest, I think you may have overreacted a little with your initial email response, accusing them of shoddy business practices. I've never dealt with them so I don't know.

You're right in that they should back up what they advertise, even if that advertising was a mistake. They shouldn't've had $300+ orders get free shipping if it was really $500, and there should be some sort of clarification on bulk orders.

Considering your first email was fairly aggressive, and they're shutting down their website, I doubt Mr. Stevenson really gave two shits.

 

I think the quote above was too abrasive in your first response. I don't think you were being scammed. I understand that this company is going out of business and that some of the items you wanted were gone before your order was processed. ProperAutocare should have given you the opportunity to bring your order over $300 with the selection of some additional products. You were planning on spending over $300 anyways so you also have have some responsibility here.

Personally, if this was my business, I would have given you the free shipping just for helping clear the shelves.

 

ceb,
I agree with you. I am so sick and tired of people not keeping their word. What happened to the days when an honest person or business told you something and you could actually believe them? If Some exclusions applied they should have said so from the beginning. Get your money back and go somewhere else!

 

I see both sides of this issue, but, actually...

neither one handled it right, lol.



shoot, i would have ran a over $100 purchase and get free shipping regardless sale.
in order to help clear the shelves .......right SweetJazz?

 

Look both ways before accusing please.

They are right.

 

So you think it is OK to change the "free shipping" from $300 to $500, then back to $300 but say items are out of stock, then say that the free shipping isn't free and that they would have charged for shipping in any case?

Yes, my initial response was abrasive because I had no intention of spending $40 for "free shipping" and not even knowing if the items I really wanted were actually going to be shipped.

I posted this not to get sympathy but to alert other customers that they might not get their merchandise but get their card charged. My refund hasn't been posted yet and the credit card company informs me that they have had no correspondence from the vendor.

Accordingly, I've disputed the charge so it'll cost Proper Auto Care an additional $25.

What really annoyed me was their blaming this on an "error" and implying that I should have expected to pay shipping charges but wasn't charged.

Customers that put up with this type of bad behavior are the ultimate reason that customer service is going down the tubes.

Here's the funny thing. Twenty years ago, customer service was so much better in the US than in Europe. Now, Europe has the US beat hands down. This is in part because we put up with shoddy service.

 

Check there policy, TOS, and FAQ before you respond back to me. I've bought from them several times.

They have limited quantities since there going out or business. This is the same with excel detail a vendor on this site. It's not like there taking your money or anything. Either buy from them or not, I dunno what you're trying to succeed with this thread especially when there closing.

 

im with OP, vendor should honor the price they originally stated, even if it is an error, is their error, and they should further honor it because the OP isnt getting items they originally believed they were purchasing

this is bad customer service

 

I've spent lots of money with them too. In the past I've bought large bottles from them during their "free shipping" and have never gotten charged. My last order included 4 bottles of ONR, two bottles of 303 and a couple of others that I can't think of off the top of my head.

By the way, they never said they were going out of business, they said they were closing that website.

From their website:

"When we founded this company over 21 years ago, there were only a handful of national distributors specializing in car care products. Today there are hundreds of websites offering car care products. Some, like us, operate out of a 11,000 sq. ft. warehouse with computerized invoicing, purchasing and shipping systems. Others are a one person business working out of their home or garage."

Their computerized system should know what they have and inventories adjusted as people buy things. Their system did show some items as "out of stock" so it did work at one point.

The real point isn't about in stock or out of stock but about the way they handled their incompetence. While a professional would have explained their problem and worked with customers to resolve issues, these yahoos tried to blame the customers.

While you may not think that they are taking money from customers, they have yet to cancel the charge with the credit card company, so yes, they are at least trying to take my money.

My motives at posting this are simple - to alert other buyers to check their credit card statements because they may get charged and not get anything, or they may get charged for "free" shipping.

 

Where did they try to blame you?

They sent you an email telling you there was an error in their system, and you were the one who was uncooperative and trying to take advantage of that error.

 

Perhaps I'm the only one on this board who actually understands the nuances of the English language.

Their site offered free shipping on orders over $300.

Michael's initial email said free shipping over $500 and through an error I wasn't charged shipping

Michael's second email acknowledged the free shipping over $300 but then said that some items were out of stock because they were delinquent in filling the order. Then he goes on to say that even if I had free shipping, they would still charge me for shipping.

It is obvious from his tone that he thinks it is the customer's fault.

Michael's third email said that my MC has been refunded.

It has not been refunded and I was forced to file a dispute with the credit card company.

How is any of this my fault? Should I have paid shipping to get some of my ordered merchandise - not even knowing what I would get? Some of the ordered items would be useless without the others.

 

I never said any of this was your fault. I was saying I don't see where the company tried to blame you for it. You don't have anything that shows where they say you are at fault, just a suspicion that they're blaming you through their "tone".