Express Auto Parts Credit Card Scam Ripoff Fraudulent Sales Tactics New York New York

My story seems to fit the MO of this company - If only I had come across this site BEFORE I ordered my parts. Here is my story...

Placed an order for a muffler and center pipe for an Acura 2.2 on 4/15/2005. Here is a copy of my order confirmation...

4/15/2005 12:27PM

>>Thank you for your order. Your order number is 135237.

Once your order is shipped, we will email you the tracking number confirming the date of the shipment.

Note: For APO, FPO and International orders we will inform you of the date of shipment, however due to the shipping method used (USPS), we can not provide tracking information at this time.

You checked off the box indicating that you will not accept the substitution of products for this order. In the event that the specific brand you ordered is not available from our warehouse network, due to a national manufacturer's back order or discontinuation of product line, we will either offer you another brand of equivalent quality, if available, or simply cancel your order.

Customer Information
Order ID = 135237
Date = 04/15/05 12:22:50PM
After the parts did not arrive for several days, I followed up with an inquiry email to Express Auto Parts. They responded the day following my inquiry (4/18/2005 8:33PM) via *automated email response* with the following...

>>Dear Valued Customer,

Please be advised that due to a manufacturer back order at the warehouse level, regrettably your order will not ship out for an additional 3-6 days. We apologize for this delay on your order with us, and will do everything to get this order out to you as soon as possible.

Shipment tracking number will be emailed to you as soon as your order is shipped.

Sincerely,

Customer Service
ExpressAutoParts.com

If you would like to add or change anything on your order, please visit our customer service center located

Since I needed these parts ASAP, I decided to inquire about my order as I had sourced the parts from another online source that uses the EXACT SAME vendor/warehouses to inventory and ship parts, and they claimed they were IN STOCK and READY TO SHIP, in fact, I was told I would have the parts the NEXT DAY!

So, I tried to *respond* to the above email from Express Auto Parts, only to get the following response roughly a half hour later (4/18/2005 9:19PM)...

>>Dear Customer;

Our customer service cannot be reached by replying to our emails.

If you need assistance with your order please visit our Online Customer Service Center

You will need to fill out the appropriate form from our Online Customer Service Center in order to contact our customer service representatives.

Regards,

ExpressAutoParts.com
So, back to the Express Auto Parts site to use the site's ONLY method of contact (the useless built-in *automated* email system) to see what was going on with my order. Filling out this form DOES NOT put you in touch with one of the "customer service representatives" mentioned above. It only triggers another automated response (4/19/2005 5:41PM)- In my case it was...

>>Dear Valued Customer,

We regret to advise you that our warehouse is still waiting for your order with us to come into stock. Your order will ship out within 10 business days. You will receive tracking number via email to confirm shipment.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Sincerely,

Customer Service
ExpressAutoParts.com

If you would like to change or cancel your order please visit our customer service center

This is an obvious scam, because at THIS point, I already KNEW that the parts I needed were sitting on a shelf at the VERY SAME warehouse that Express Auto Parts claimed were backordered.

So, at this point, I wanted nothing more than to just cancel my order as Express Auto Parts is now telling me that I am looking at a 10 day waiting period - That is not acceptable!

So, back to the pathetic Express Auto Parts *automated* email rsponse system to cancel my order (which has not shipped) - After typing our my request to cancel my order, I get the following *automated* response @ 6:14PM 4/20/2005...

>>Dear Under Pressure:
This is to inform you that certain parts from your order 135237 have been cancelled as per your request. Try us again next time so we may better serve your automotive needs. Below are full details regarding your cancelation.

Part #: H5000-51056
Status #: Cancelled

Part #: H5000-58104
Status #: Cancelled

If you have any additional questions regarding your order please feel free to contact us.

Thank you for shopping at ExpressAutoParts.com

Regards,

Customer Service
ExpressAutoParts.com
Now, take a look at the date of this "confirmation of cancelation" - 6/20/2005 - Remember that date.

At this point I am disgusted with this company and have vowed never to do business with them again. My card had not been charged, nothing had been shipped, and my order was cancelled. End of story right? - Wrong!

4/28/2005 9:25PM Another email arrives...

>>Dear Under Pressure:
This is to inform you that your order 135237 has been shipped. Please be aware that your order may arrive in multiple shipments.

If you have any additional questions regarding your order please feel free to contact us.

Thank you for shopping at ExpressAutoParts.com

Regards,

Customer Service

The very next day 4/29/2005 - The parts I cancelled arrive at my door! Enclosed is a packing slip with an "order date" of 4/27/2005, and the packing slip dated 4/28/2005. You have got to be kidding me!

So, I check my credit card account online, and just as one would expect, my card had been charged for the parts that I CANCELLED. The charge was placed on my card on 4/26/2005. Here is a copy of the text from my credit card statement...

>>4/26/2005, 212-9206188 , NY $180.97
The phone number above goes to a cellular phone which defaults to voicemail, so I left a message, with no response as of yet.

THEN, the AMAZING happens...

4/29/2005 12:24PM - Another email from Express Auto Parts...

>>Dear Customer;

Please be advised that your order was cancelld do to a technical issue with our inventory control system, making the part you ordered not in stock. We apologize for this inconvenience and would like t offer you a 15% coupon on your next order, if you decide to use ExpressAutoParts.com again.

Your 15% OFF coupon is SPREAP15

Sincerely,

NO THANKS!!!

In closing, this company was set up to scam from the ground up. Every part of the business is a bit shady. The phone number on the packing slip that defualts to a busy signal, the phone number linked to the merchant account is a cell phone, the same 3-6 day waiting period that others complain about, the constant delays, the web site communication only, the lack of customer service people, the list goes on and on...

Steer clear of this company!

If you are looking for a completely stand-up online company to buy parts from, I had a GREAT experience with BuyAutoParts.com - They know how to do business!

In regard to Express Auto Parts, this company is a class-action lawsuit waiting to happen. If an attorney is willing to take the case, we should talk.

Scott
Assonet, Massachusetts
U.S.A.

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.