American Classic Truck Parts, Aubrey TX, Bad Deal

[theastronaut]

I'm restoring a '55 International pickup at work and needed to find oversized 3/8" hinge pins for it as the originals (11/32") were worn. There are none available for an International, so I found that late 40's/early 50's Chevy trucks have the same design pin. I thought that I could find oversized hinge pins for a Chevy and use them if I could get them in the correct 3/8" diameter. I called American Classic Truck Parts and the guy who answered was very helpful, even going to the back and pulling the pins to measure them for me. He said they were 3/8" but must have checked them with a ruler as they turned out to be 11/32 when they arrived. I did think that the shipping/handling charges were rather steep for a set of hinge pins ($10.00). I called to return them today after seeing that they were smaller than what I was quoted and was transfered to a guy with an accent that tried to make it sound like it was my fault that I ordered the wrong size pins. He cut me off as soon as I told him that I needed to return the pins because they were the wrong size, saying that I didn't know what I was doing, that I had to drill out the hinges to make them fit since they were oversize. I further explained that I didn't get the size that I was told they were, and he only said that I shouldn't have been ordering Chevy parts to use on an International. He claimed that the guy I first talked to when ordering should not have tried to measure the pins, and that he should have turned me away when I told him that I needed them for an International. He also told me that I must have ordered the wrong size, although their website does not list what diameter any of their hinge pins are, and that I shouldn't have trusted what size I was told they were because they "had no way to accurately measure the pins." He was very reluctant to give me a return authorization number, but finally did after I asked more firmly a couple more times. He said that he couldn't do anything about the shipping charges, and that I would have to pay to send them back, and that they would have to approve the refund once they arrived. I will be sending them back at my cost, and will be disputing the charges with my cc company. There was no reason for the guy to have a bad attitude about me wanting to return a part that was not the size I was told it was, an apology and return number and refund would have made me a happy camper and I wouldn't have had any problems ordering from them in the future. We have a '50 Chevy 3100 barn find that would have sent them some business.

So beware of high shipping charges, and don't expect much if you need to return an item.