beto

I have been using Corvette Central and Paragon for a while and never really felt the need to use Doc Rebuild. Recently I needed a good bit of parts for my 58 and decided to give him a shot....help more than one vendor. Here is what happened:
After hours of searching PDF pages and selecting a few parts that I would order from him, I called his number. My line was down so I used Skype which apparently shows up as blocked number.....Doc: I do not accept calls from blocked numbers and hanged up. I called again and as soon as he picked up I told him that I was calling on Skype because
my line was down....Doc: I don’t care what you are calling on, I do not accept calls from blocked numbers and hanged up again. Ok, so I got a regular line and called again: This time it went very smooth and he asked me to send the order in via email which I did. He replied with a quote, two items were not in stock, some items changed prices but within reason and at the bottom of his email he added:
All can go but the top shield bolt & washer bottle cap.

So I sent him an email on July 11 saying:

Doc,
Please cancel the washer bottle cap from the order but please maintain the top shield bolt on order, ship 3ea when available. Ship all else at your convenience.
Thanks,

He replied Will do and I sat home waiting for my part to come in.
On July 20, since nothing was in, I sent him an email:

Doc,
Do you have a tracking number for me? I am going on vacation on Thursday (July 26th) and will have a problem if the package comes in after Wednesday. When we spoke I figured there was plenty of time prior my trip but now it is getting very close to the deadline.
Please let me know
Thanks,

His reply:
We are waiting for 3 shield bolts that were specifically ordered for you that should arrive next Mon or Tues. We should ship next Tue or Wed. (This would have been 12 to 13 days after I placed the order)

My reply:
If that is the case, I will have to send you the address where I am going to be on vacation in Miami so you can ship there. I will send you the address as soon as I get home tonight.
Thanks

His reply:
We are having a lack of communication here. Due to internet credit card fraud - we will only ship to the address that a credit card bill literally arrives at in the mail for NEW customers. Rather than continue, I think it's best to just cancel this order. When your US Postal money order arrives we'll chat again & ship to any domestic US address you desire.
Why you required 3 top shield bolts when every 1958 Corvette only uses one such piece - I haven't got a clue - but I do regret ordering extra's to meet your requirements regardless of the cost involved. In order to meet a minimum purchase requirement with this supplier, it was necessary to order other parts that we also did not need.
I'm finished.

My reply:
Doc,
I am sorry you feel that way. There was no lack of communication at all. My original email was very clear: ship all available at your convenience. Ship the bolts when they come in. If you ship all tomorrow, it will get here on time (billing address). You can ship the backorder bolts at a later date. What is the problem? You have been burned so many times on CF for no good reason and I do believe you are a good guy that is very set in your own ways. I have 6 Corvettes and have met you personally at Carlisle more than once. If there was any fraud intent here it would not be for this amount nor it would have given you a chance to ship to the billing address for the past nine days. Why do this? Why make a willing customer the bad guy? I am still here for the order, all of it. What do you say? If you ever met me (or remember meeting me) you would change your mind....just ask XXXXXXXXX or many many others that know me well.
Also, it was on one of the Corvette sites about the top bolt on the ignition shield:
IGNITION SHIELD BOLT - TOP HEX 3 REQUIRED
so I ordered 3....
We cannot all know as much as you.....for some of us this is just a hobby....don't take this too personal Doc, life is too short...
Wish you the best, order or no order.

His reply:
Ship tomorrow??? There is no shipping on Saturday.
After attending 30+ Carlisle events, casually meeting thousands of people - it my come as a shock – but I don’t remember you. I don’t know who you are, where you live and I don’t know who you refer too for some authentication of character. If you are not already in our database of prior credit card users – I have no clue who you are. We don’t have a threshold charge amount that triggers a determination of who is good risk and who is a bad risk. What should it be $100, $500, $1000??
When you have established where you account is located – we will ship to a 3rd party address, whether it be USA or Pluto.

My final reply:
Here are two suggestions on how to answer my request:
1- I am sorry Luiz but we cannot ship to an address other than the billing address. Could you by any chance provide an alternate credit card that matches the new shipping address?
2- Luiz, the only way I would be able to meet your requirement to have the order in by Wednesday would be to ship second day air. The additional shipping charges would be xxx. If you agree I can ship it on Monday.
So simple, yet so hard for some to grasp. It is called customer service...I am not sure you have heard of it.
For what I can see, you were here first, but your competition ate your lunch because they understand that there is no business without a very simple component.....the customer. I believe you love what you do and you do love Corvettes, but in order to do what you love you must put up with something you don't like....the customer. I feel sorry for you.
I have tried to reason with you, but there is something I have learned over the years.... It is not possible to reason with unreasonable people. I am going to take your advice and cancel the order. No, I am not sending in a money order, the credit card I gave you is the same credit card I have had for the past 20 years and it is as good as cash with Summit Racing, Paragon, Corvette Central, Zip, Wilcox, Paypal, eBay and many many others.....I do not need to beg any of them to accept an order from me....much less a vendor that has no respect for its customers.
I suggest you retire and let new blood take over your business....it may not be too late to save it.
Cheers

After I finished writing the email, I placed an order with Corvette Central who shipped it all in a timely manner....

Larry P

Somethings never change!
I am reminded of Steve Martin's "This is one tough drunk test",
with what I go through to keep some of my customers satisfied.
Amazing!

Larry

Frankie the Fink

Yeah - Doc Rebuild ordering is a trip.

I love their color C1/C2 electrical schematics - there are simply none better and some of their rubber goods. Other than that I go elsewhere. They have the most 'user hostile' product catalog on the internet.

ChattanoogaJSB

I hate bad customer service so much that I try extra hard to go out of my way to reward good service in all areas of purchase- goods, hotels, food, etc.

I'm sorry you had this run-in....but I did enjoy reading the exchange and the way you handled him!

Pilot Dan

Geoff has been around a long time and produces some of his own hose and seal kits and other quality stuff. He is very knowledgeable if you can catch his ear at a show when he is not busy. That being said, he can be short over the phone after 30 years of dealing personally with a wide variety of customers of varying knowledge and ability. He also gets along well with the guy from LIC

62Jeff

I can confirm that behaviors were the same 30 years ago.

CD66Vett

I wonder if he is related to Richard at Long Island.

Frankie the Fink

I find the vitriolic rants from Dr Rebuild concerning another Corvette vendor I use quite often to be unprofessional and strange -- get over it and sell your parts and let the marketplace judge the better company....

BlackbirdZ07

From your email exchange, it is evident that you were way more patient and understanding than most of us would have been.

I tried ordering from him once many years ago. I knew some of what I wanted but had a couple questions on other parts. I made the mistake of calling the toll free number and starting out with a question.

He reminds me of the Seinfeld "Soup ****" episode. Line up, no talking, order your soup, step to the side. Any deviations from the procedure and it's NO SOUP FOR YOU!!! With the Doc, you call the right number, place your order, make sure the billing address matches the shipping address, etc., or NO PARTS FOR YOU!!!

beto

I did all that, I placed the order as per his intructions but the mistake was his, he never shipped the parts he told me on an email could go "everything can go but the washer bottle cap and top shield bolt". I was trying to find a way to accommodate his mistake for not shipping as he said could be shipped....and yes, no soup for me for doing that. I guess he does not need the business....and hate us all for bothering him with orders.

KC John

What a jerk, thanks for the heads up. I wouldn't give this guy any business if I had to do without.

JL66REDCPE

Hold on a minute. I have been dealing with Dr Rebuild since 1997 and have never had a problem with him, his organization, or any of his parts. He does have a few rules that you must follow however none of them are what I would call unacceptable.

mike16

one look at his website and you know emeadiatly you are dealing with a character.

His hostility towards other vendor(s) is justified but it should not be the defining point of his website.

His web site is , to me, pretty disorganised. But so are several others.

A fault I find with many websites, including his, but not limited to his, is that the product presented is on a take it or leave it basis, You want a heater hose nipple for a 57, here is the part number and the price, Take it or leave it. few Pictures and no specifications. The problem is that after so long in the industry I come to realise that when a vendor does not want to display a part, its usually not correct. and with the price premium on top of shipping for corvette parts.most of the time I'm about to take a hit. I think a picture or some specifications is in order. And if I call to enquire, I'm not challenging your knowlege, I'm trying to save me some time and money. And if your parts are good and your shipping is reasonable I'll be back. that part of customer service where I have to return a wrong part, the vendor is already damned.

I have enquired about Doc here in the past,

I checked out his website and was concerned that there would initially be some confusion, based on the disorganised web site,


then there would be attitude because I would want to call to inquire/ensure I was ordering what I wanted and getting what I ordered. Simple really and avoids all the latter concern for customer service latter when the part is wrong and must be returned. Not a challenge to his knowlege base but and inquiry. My concern with respect to this lies with his rant about a competitor. No doubt justified but It raises a red flag for me if I have problems with an order.

I work on Pontiacs, GMC's and corvettes, Pontiac vendors, (GTO) have an inferiority complex, Corvette vendors have a Napolian complex, GMC people are very easygoing but often dont know how different chevy's are to GMC's.

I buy alot of parts on spec, I do my home work, The vendor had better have done his. My inquiry is not a challenge to his knowlege. i want to know what I'm buying, simple as that.

abou 15% of my expense is wrong parts cost, return shipping, and restocking fee's.

I chose not, at this time , to do business with Doc because , clearly, even with out even talking to him, his attitude, reflected on his web site would rub me the wrong way. This would come into play because , while I want to do business with him, his web site is a confusing jumble, which would require me to deal with him simple to ask questions and ensure My order is right. and that would challenge his knowlege/athority and either one of us would end up hanging up on the other. which means that there is barely a 33% chance the deal would get done, and if there was a discrepency in the order, I would not be willing to tollerate attitude a second time around simple to correct the other persons fault.

He does have some "corvette" parts that would also fit GMC trucks but I'm even afraide what would happen if I honestly told him they were for a GMC....

In all fairness, and its a shame really, He has some good parts and a few parts others dont carry, And he is highly recommended by many people so it cant all be bad.

but the correspondense noted above confirms my gut feeling even before I meet the man and conduct the business.

If it were me....and it is not.....I would go back and edit the web site showing each part exactly and maybe a side note or two about quality, teach/educate your customer on the part and why yours is better/best.Include some specs. Be proud, by all means but no hubris or arrogance.

also tone down the victory dance over the corrupt unscrupulous compettition. Just a brief look at the crap I've been stuck with from vendors and the shipping rape game, there are alot of dishonest vendors out there, diferentiate yourself by being honest and better and Identify those qualities, not so much thier faults. Just for the record I never even enquired about that competator be cause he gave me a creepy feeling.

Just for the record, I will be shopping with Doc's in the future but I wish I could figure out more about your product from your web site, And I would be scared to admitt that some of your products fit GMC trucks (but not chevy trucks). Too bad really because many recomendations come from loyal customers. Fix your site, user friendly and informative educate your customer. train us to be good and loyal customers.

zangx1

I quit doing business with him 25 years ago
and my ucler cleared up.

Vette Daddy

I "tried" to give him my business years ago and had a screaming match with hiim over the phone. A complete jerk.

Vogie

I'm surprised that the mods haven't made themselves heard. But the information is useful and posted where people are most likely to gain from the experience of others. Thank you.

62Jeff

No reason for them to get involved, he's not a supporting vendor.

OldKarz

I have never done business with him, but after reading this, and all the comments, I never will..........!

corvette-62

With the price of parts escalating every year, and the economy the way it is, why go through the aggravation of e-mailing this vendor back and forth? Accept he's a jerk and move on. Once he finds out that his customer base is falling off due to poor customer service maybe he'll wise up. If the customer service isn't there don't patronize the vendor (unless $$ means nothing to you)!!

Bud2

I live in Oz and truthfully, I haven't had any problems with any vender that would be like yours. And yes, I've had many orders with Doc. Maybe I've been lucky.

Bud.