Horrible experience with Performance Online (POL)

[Harvey Halabookie]

In over 30 years of ordering parts for numerous vehicles through catalogs and/or online, I have never had an experience like this. I found this company advertised in Chevy High Performance magazine, and even articles about the company and their products is in the magazine.

 

So I order a catalog and see (in catalog and on website www.performanceonline.com) that they have parts listed for my '74 Chevelle ('73-'77 GM A-Body). Specifically, I order the POL "hollow rear sway bar" and the complete set of tubular front control arms.

 

About a week later, to my surprise, I see a large box from Hotchkis Performance on my doorstep. I already know that Hotchkis does not make a rear sway bar for '73-'77 A-bodies. I open the box and sure enough the "POL" rear sway bar was drop shipped from Hotchkis and the direction say it is for a '69-'72 A-body, and it is solid, not hollow. I called Hotchkis and they confirmed that they do not make a bar for my car. I call POL and "Kraig" tells me that I must have ordered the wrong part. I explain to him more than a few times that the part number listed in the catalog for '73-'77 A-body matches the PN on my invoice, and matches the PN on the box from Hotchkis, so both the catalog and website are wrong. We leave off with him explaining that they will email me a return label for the bar.

 

A few days go by, no return label is sent to me, and I receive two boxes from Heidt's Hot Rod Shop. The Heidt's paperwork in the box says the control arms are for '70 to '81 Camaros. I call Heidt's and they confirm that these will not fit my car and that they do not make anything for 73-77 A-bodies. So I call Kraig back and he is not very courteous or helpful. I asked about the return label and he now says that they do not send return labels, and that I will have to ship the items back so they can process the refund. I ask for his email address and I send him an email summarizing the above and ship the items back.

 

UPS tracking confirms the items received and signed for at POL on April 3. I email Kraig to confirm receipt and he says he does not know because it is not his department and I have to contact returns. I email the main address and get a reply from "James Chadick" who somehow later becomes "Catelyn". After a series of emails saying they do not have my returned parts yet (I sent them scanned copies of the UPS receipts with tracking numbers, and delivery on April 3), they tell me on May 2 that my items were received and "We are very busy here this time of year, so please bare with me. I am hoping to have your refund done by late next week or early the following week."

 

I follow up on May 16th (still no refund) and they tell me to please be patient, it will be done on the 19th.

 

Two emails on the 27th and today go unanswered. Now I am calling my bank to dispute the charges, but don't know how I can try to get the $120+ in return shipping fees back. Stay away from these people. I learned my lesson and will stick with Summit Racing, PST, and AutoAnything.

 

Aside from contacting the Better Business Bureau, any other suggestions on how to proceed?