Buyer beware: My buyfordracing.com experience...

A couple weeks ago, I had a front caliper go bad, so I ordered a 10th anniversary front caliper kit from buyfordracing.com. I went to install them a couple days ago, only to find they didn't come with banjo bolts, and neither my stock ones, or the ones that came with my stainless lines would fit. I was pretty unhappy to have to wait till midway through next week and pay $18 for the two bolts, so I thought I would send the company an email and tell them they should advertise them as not coming with all necessary hardware for the install. What I got in response to my email was extremely unprofessional. Enjoy:

My initial email:
----- Original Message -----
> From: dmcconne@vt.edu
> To: infodpm@comcast.net
> Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 11:44:15 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
> Subject: problem with 10th Anniversary caliper kit
>
> I recently bought a 10th Anniversary cobra caliper kit from you. I went to
> install them on my 95 cobra, only to find that neither my stock banjo bolts,
> nor my bolts from my new braided stainless brake lines will fit. Why did
> these
> calipers not come with a banjo bolt? I mean come on. All they have is a
> rubber
> plug. I would think that since these are brand new calipers, you would not be
> expected to use your old banjo bolts. I am now having to put the car on hold
> for several days while I wait for my ford dealer to get them, and then I get
> to
> pay $18 for two bolts. In the future, you should advertise them as coming
> WITHOUT necessary hardware, as they come with none, other than the retaining
> pin to hold the caliper into the bracket. I just felt that I should contact
> you
> about this because I am very unhappy.
>
> my order number was 6461.
>
> -Dan McConnell


Response #1:
Quoting infodpm@comcast.net:

> • Replacement front calipers with brake pads
> • Fits 1994-04 Mustang Cobra, Special Edition, and Mach 1 Mustangs
> • Can be used on M-2300-K  SHD Brake kit with the use of M-2321-A
> Â hardware kit
>
>
>
>
> Sorry that wasn't clear enough for you. Should we include EVERTHING else that
> is connected to the caliper like the chassis of the car? Take some personal
> responsibility here. If you didn't know what was necessary you should have
> asked questions PRIOR to ordering. The rubber plugs are to keep contaminates
> from getting inside the caliper.



-Ok, so apparently in that little area of part number nonsense, it somehow told me...but is that any way to respond to a customer? no. BUT wait it gets better! He decided to email me again, as if he had not been unprofessional enough the first time:

Response #2:
Quoting infodpm@comcast.net:

>
>
> Sorry, now I see your email address and it all makes sense.

I could not believe that a company would email someone back in such an unprofessional way. So I emailed them back, and I am sure to receive a response, which I will post here if I do.

My response:
Quoting dmcconne@vt.edu:

> I'm glad that you have something against Virginia Tech, very professional
> thing
> to include in an email. I will make sure to post this email in every mustang
> forum I belong to. I was not expecting you to send me banjo bolts, merely
> just
> letting you know that in the future, you should include in the description
> that
> it does not come with all necessary hardware, that is all. But thank you for
> insulting me. I will make sure to never buy from you again.

Just thought I would share this with everyone. The response I would expect from a company would be "I am sorry for the confusion, but it shows here (insert that part number section) that you would need a hardware kit. We will try to make it more clear in the future." but instead I got some kind of personal belittling, which is completely unprofessional and childish. Not the way to thank a customer for spending $250 with your business, especially in economic times when the automotive aftermarket should be glad people are spending money on these pleasure vehicles.

UPDATE! He responded with an even more childish email...

Quoting infodpm@comcast.net:

>
>
> We appreciate any and all advertising you would do for us. Just for the
> record it wasn't the VT part of the email address I was referring to. Had we
> sent you banjo bolts they would have been useless to you since our crystal
> ball is broke and we would have no way of knowing you had bought aftermarket
> lines. The banjo bolts the Ford deatimler is getting for you are probably
> useless with the new lines. Have a nice day.

I guess it was my first initial and part of my last name that he was referring to, that makes total sense.

My response:

Quoting dmcconne@vt.edu:

> I guess the part of my email address that you were referring to was my first
> initial and part of my last name, that makes total sense, my mistake...
>
> Actually, the lines are direct replacement stainless lines for a 94-98
> mustang
> cobra, which thankfully, I did not buy from you. The banjo bolts I will be
> getting will work just fine. Thank you for sending me something to add to my
> posts in the forums though, you're just making it easier to show your
> business
> for exactly what it is. I have already received several responses showing
> other
> customers who have had similar experiences, some far worse and childish. I
> hope
> that without your crystal ball, you can still see that I am going to turn
> away
> as many purchases from your business as possible. You have a nice day too.

aar0s said:

I guess he was talking about the @ in your email address...
50resto.com FTW!

Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more, I don't care if this guy had parts on sale for 50% off, I would pay 150% to buy it from absolutely anyone else.

Quoting dmcconne@vt.edu:

> I hope you realize that alumni of Virginia Tech can use their email as long
> as
> they wish. I choose to not clutter my professional email account with emails
> such as yours, in an effort to be more professional, which I'm sure you know
> nothing about. My ears have been dry for a long time now. I am ending this
> childishness with you, as it will go nowhere. If you would like me to add
> anything else, feel free to respond.
>
> Quoting infodpm@comcast.net:
>
> >
> >
> > If you read HALF of the forums you claim to you would never have bought
> from
> > us in the first place. Since you still don't get it it's the EDU part of
> your
> > address. You're stll wet behind the ears and think the world revolves
> around
> > you. Had YOU bought the correct brake lines for the calipers you would be
> on
> > the road right now. Is it the other companies fault for sending you the
> wrong
> > banjo bolts with the lines you bought? Had you bought the lines from us
> they
> > would have been supplied with the correct bolts. We can go on for days to
> > keep the post to the top if you wish. We only ask that you post the replies
> > verbatim instead of editing them to make your point. YOU bought the wrong
> > lines and hopefully learned that you should take responsible for your own
> > actions. We've sold 3 sets of calipers overnight. If any part of it is due
> to
> > you please accept our thanks.