AutoAnything.com - AutoAnything.net ripoff, dishonest horrible customer service, misleading shipping policy over month slow long unethical San Diego California

On October 10th, I purchased a bra for my Jeep Grand Cherokee on AutoAnything's website because the price was decent and the site claimed free shipping as well as fast shipping. The page for the item itself said: "Custom Order. Usually leaves warehouse in 2 to 17 business days." And "We will contact you with an expected ship date within 1-2 business days from the day you placed your order."

And their Shipping Policy states: "Expected ship dates are our best estimate based on past shipping times and are more than 90% accurate. Should an unexpected delay in shipping occur, we will notify you by telephone and e-mail (or letter) of the new projected shipping date and provide you with an opportunity to keep your order or cancel it for a prompt and complete refund."

So, I placed the order and received a confirmation email immediately. However, the shipping time on the receipt/confirmation stated: "Estimated Shipping Time: Usually leaves warehouse in 10 to 20 business days." And again, "We will contact you with an expected ship date within 1-2 business days from the day you placed your order."

Already, AutoAnything had changed what they had originally stated on their site. Content that it was a very conservative estimation, I let the "change" go with the understanding that I would receive contact from them "within 1-2 business days" if my purchase would take longer than stated on the site (as this seemed the case) and in accordance with their shipping policy.

Time passed by, and because my bra from AutoAnything is not high on my list of priorities in life (I have a professional career, etc.), it took about two and a half weeks before I had realized that I had not received the bra that I had paid for so long ago. Also, throughout those weeks, I had not received ANY contact from AutoAnything regarding when I would receive my purchase.

I went on their site to look up "My Order Status", hoping that I would find some relief, but I did NOT find it. Instead, it said: "Your item is expected to ship by 11/7/2005. Please allow an additional 2-5 business days for delivery." Let me remind you, I paid for the item on October 10th. So it would take almost a MONTH before it would even be SHIPPED, and then about another week until I actually received it.

Needless to say, I was very upset. I have never ordered something that took FIVE WEEKS to deliver to me that came from a site that boasts its ability "...to make shipping faster and more convenient...." I could literally drive from my house to ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, pick up the item, and drive home in less than half that time, but it would not be nearly as "convenient."

I have ordered both motorcycle and car parts from OTHER CONTINENTS that I have received in less than three weeks. I've even received REBATES faster than I've received this purchase (and if you've ever sent in a rebate, it takes a long time). And the best part is that their site says: "AutoAnything's core belief is to ALWAYS do what is in the best interest of the customer." I guarantee you that taking a month to even ship my item is NOT in my best interests.

So, I rapidly sent an email to AutoAnything's customer service telling them my story and that this is TOTALLY UNEXCEPTABLE. For a company that claims on their site that they have "Exceptional Customer Service", my response was strangely close to an automated computer response, thanking me for my concern, but telling me that they are unable to deliver my item before November 7th. That was basically it. Like saying, "Too bad, we've already got you're money." They were absolutely unhelpful.

And so here we are. If this were a local business, I could maybe bring this to local consumers' attention and warn them not to buy from AutoAnything through various means, but I'm not really sure how to do that via the internet. There's no telling how many other people have gone through or are going through the same experience with this business, but I feel that what they are doing at AutoAnything is wrong. It's unfortunate, but I'm sure that the typical internet shopper would not stand up and take action in this situation. That is why I hope that somehow I make a difference perhaps for someone else, so that they don't get "ripped-off" like I did.

Patrick
Everett, Washington
U.S.A.