HOBBIEST BEWARE:

This has been my experience with a vendor that advertises in many of the automobile magazines.

Regarding: Kepich Exhaust

I thought that because Kepich Exhaust advertised in many of the national magazines, that they would be a reputable supplier. Wrong!!!

On May 11, 2001 I ordered an exhaust system for my 1978 Lincoln. When I placed the order they told me it was in stock and would be sent out as soon as they received my check for $314. My check was cashed by Kepich and cleared my bank on May 16. During the last week of May I called them and was told that the system had been shipped. I allowed a week for delivery but it did not show up so I called again and they told me the same story – they just shipped it.

I continued to call weekly throughout June, each time I was told that it had been recently shipped. I even sent them a fax for written documentation and eventually got a tracking number from them on June 27. The tracking number was for someone else's order in another part of Texas! When contacted again, they gave me another tracking number, which was a good number, but after 7 days all I received was 2 mufflers, not the complete system. This partial shipment was received on July 11 – two full months after the order was placed. On July 12, after still another phone call, they told me they FORGOT to ship the pipes. At this point I told them to cancel the order, return my money, and supply an RMA return authorization number for the mufflers.

On July 13 I faxed them a letter confirming cancellation of the order and followed up with another phone call. The person I talked with at Kepich this time (John) told me the pipes were shipped the day after the mufflers were shipped and that they couldn't cancel the order but that I could send everything back for credit. I asked for a UPS tracking number to check on the shipment but they couldn't provide me with one because of a problem or something in their office. He wasn't clear. I don't understand how something that was shipped one day later had not yet arrived 4 days after the first shipment. Does something sound fishy here? If they were in fact shipped, they were probably shipped either the day I cancelled the order of the next day OR maybe not at all.

I still don't have them and now I don't want them. I finally just made an appointment with a local exhaust shop to have a custom exhaust system installed. So now I have to start all over again with Kepich to get my money back.

I wrote to “Hemmings Motor News" and to “Cars & Parts Magazine" about them. “Cars & Parts" has contacted them asking about their intentions. “Hemmings Motor News" replied that they have had numerous complaints about them in the past and their advertising rights have been suspended since 1999.

Wouldn't it be nice if the magazines could print a list of unethical vendors?

Gary Smith
Leander, TX