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Consumer Updates

Is Classy Car Parts ‘Crazy’?




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The author of this entry is responsible for this content, which is not edited by the Wilson County News or wilsoncountynews.com.
Better Business Bureau
June 8, 2012 | 1124 views | Post a comment

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The identity of the actual owner of Classy Car Parts in New Braunfels seems to be a disputed fact. Anthony Boult filed for the name with the Comal County Clerk, but a man calling himself Tony Noble claims he is the actual owner.

According to Comal County records, Boult also owned Crazy Car Parts, another Internet company supplying used automotive parts. That company’s website is no longer working.

In addition to sharing an owner and business model, records show, Crazy Car Parts and Classy Car Parts share an address.

However, when Better Business Bureau sent consumer complaints against Crazy Car Parts to that address, the company’s response was that the address belonged to Classy Car Parts, not Crazy Car Parts. The company claimed it had no record of ever dealing with those consumers.

Some of the consumers disputed his response. They claimed the two companies were one in the same, and that Boult owned both and was simply trying to avoid taking responsibility for their complaints.

BBB contacted Classy Car Parts about the dispute. A man calling himself Anthony Noble said he owned Classy Car Parts, had never heard of Anthony Boult and did not have any affiliation to Crazy Car Parts.

BBB records show Crazy Car Parts received five complaints alleging the company did not deliver the items consumers paid for, or delivered parts that were broken or in very poor condition. The consumers further alleged that the company was difficult to contact and would not provide refunds.

Most of those complaints have not been answered because of the disputed ownership.

Classy Car Parts received two complaints of a similar nature, one of which never received any response from the business.

Esco Powell, a Lousiana resident who filed a complaint against Classy Car Parts, said he was told the owner was someone named Ed, and that the Tony he spoke to was only a salesman.

Powell added that he would not recommend anyone order from Classy Car Parts after the treatment he received while trying to get a four-wheel drive transmission for a customer.

“He was supposed to give me a ticket as soon as I placed the order, and he didn’t,” Powell said, referring to the receipt for the transaction. “It was three days before I got the ticket.”

When he reviewed the order, Powell said, he realized the salesman had ordered a two-wheel drive transmission, and not the four-wheel drive transmission they had discussed. He called to rectify the error, but the salesman said the part had already been shipped.

“He said to send it back and they would send me the correct transmission,” Powell said.

When the part arrived, Powell did as he was told and shipped it back to the supplier. Later, Classy Car Parts billed him $122 for that shipping charge, which he claimed he was not told about beforehand. Then the company sent a second order, but this time only sent half the transmission.

“It was just the front part,” Powell said. “You can’t do anything with just the front part without the drive part.”

On top of that, he said, the part the company sent was dirty and had obvious signs of wear. He asked for a refund.

“He (the salesman, Tony) agreed to give the money back, but he wanted to take a 30 percent restocking fee,” Powell said. “He related to me through conversation that he didn’t have to give nothing back.”

He said after arguing with the salesman and the owner of the company, he agreed to the restocking fee and provided his debit card number for the refund. When he still did not have the money some time later, the owner said he had the card number wrong. Powell gave the card number again, but still has not received his refund. He placed the original order in January.

“In the end, I realized they didn’t intend to return any money at all,” he said. “After the last time they said they were going to send the money and got the card number straight, they just didn’t talk to me at all.”

BBB offers the following tips for consumers who wish to purchase automobile parts over the phone or Internet:

· Look for contact information. Be wary of Internet-only companies that don’t offer phone numbers, other contact information or specifics about their products and refund policies.

· Shop around. Just because something is advertised online doesn’t make it a good deal. Comparison shop with other online sources or even mail-order catalogs. Also, ask questions about the item, especially if it’s on sale. For example: Is the item brand new or reconditioned? Is it the current model or last year’s? What is the return policy?

· Be specific. Internet and phone shopping means you can’t pick up the part first and test-fit it before buying, so it’s important that you know exactly what you’re ordering. Don’t assume that a part made for a different model year will work on your car. If you are unsure, don’t buy a “close enough” part.

· Keep records. Print out the online order page as a record of the transaction. If there is a problem later on, you’ll have the hard copy of the order to refer to.

· Pay with a credit card. Credit cards offer additional protections if you do not receive the product or are unhappy with its condition. Some cards even offer extended warranty coverage and other benefits.

To check the reliability of a company and find trustworthy businesses, visit bbb.org.
 
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