Ground UP, Inc

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

I have to say I was reluctant to place and order with Ground up after reading some of the reviews but I decided to give them a try since I was not in a hurry for the parts I was ordering and the free shipping offer and great prices were hard to resist. I place my order on line and after some doing it finally when through. (over sized items do not qualify for free shipping) The email conformation was some what different than my order but the price was the same. Well after about 10 days my order showed up which was pretty fast considering I live in Idaho. To my surprise all my items were there and packed well and good quality. I will try Ground up again as I need parts.

Review: I bought a reproduction deck lid for my 1969 Camaro. It does not fit and Ground Up expects me to pay the cost to ship it back. I have original parts that fit without needs to bend the lid, but this new lid does not even come close to fitting. Ground Up told me to basically make it fit but it is impossible without screwing up the trunk lid.

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

I refuse to pay shipping on an item that comes no where close to fitting. I want free shipping on the item back to Ground Up and my money back for the product that comes no where near fitting.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/09) */

On 3/25/13 we shipped a trunk lid and spoiler for a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro to the customer. The trunk lid is a sheetmetal piece that may have scratches, dings, small dents and other minor imperfections. These minor imperfections will be easily corrected during the filling, priming and sanding phase of sheet metal installation. Ground Up Inc. does not consider dings, scratches, minor dents or other imperfections on the sheet metal to be defects in the panel nor are they considered damaged. All sheet metal panels will require some sort of preparation and manipulation during installation. Every panel that we sell is inspected and then carefully packaged to protect against damage that may occur during transit.

Minor modifications including elongating mounting holes, adding additional shims, etc. are normal and may be necessary when installing sheet metal. It is important to note that hard driving conditions, like racing, can twist bodies and frames out of original tolerances. These are 40+ year old vehicles. Poor body work from previous collisions can cause problems with the body structure that the panels are attached to. Some vehicles were manufactured with a unitized body (no frame) thus causing even the most minor accident to twist the body creating a situation that would cause sheet metal panel mis-alignments. Take into consideration that tolerances on classic vehicles are not nearly as exact as they are on modern vehicles. This is primarily due to the hand fitting of panels at the factory on most antique and classic cars as opposed to the robotics used in today's modern factories. All of these factors will affect the way your new reproduction sheet metal will install and fit on the car. There is really no such thing as a direct fit body panel when it comes to older vehicles.

When the customer called and suggested that the panel he received was defective we asked for photos. From the photos it was determined that an experienced restoration expert would be able to install and align the panel correctly. The customer insisted that he was an expert. Rather than pick up the panel (it would cost in excess of $150- more than the value of the item) and replace it with another that the customer might not be able to install, we instructed the customer to send pictures of the trunk lid destroyed and made unusable. The customer could then discard the item and we would issue a refund for the lid. We have yet to hear from the customer.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/05/16) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

Ground Up failed to tell me I needed to send pictures of the destroyed trunk lid. When I asked them to call me the failed to do so instead emailing me because they are afraid of being confronted. I have yet to recieve my refund after I have sent pictures of the destroyed deck lid to them for the horrible excuse for a trunk lid. They calim an expert bodyman could get it to fit, but this is not the case. I went to my local Camaro restorer [redacted] and he stated there was a fine line on trunk lid adjustment and that the trunk lid I bought was past being able to be made to fit. I understand that a 69 Camaro is a unibody vehicle and that it is over 40 years old but when I get a General Motors deck lid and it fits without any adjusting or tweaking then there is clearly something wrong with the product I was sent. I have dealt with multiple unibody GM cars from Camaros to Novas so I know what I am doing. I even tried this Dynacorn lid of a friends 67, and it was no where near close to fitting.

Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2013/05/20) */

Since our last converstation with the customer we have recieved pictures of the destroyed hood and we have issued a refund for the deck lid and the proportionate amount of shipping back to the credit card that was used for the purchase. We believe this matter is resolved

Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2013/05/28) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I am satisfied that Ground Up credited my account for the deck lid. I

Review: I ordered parts from Ground Up on 6/19/2014, I was contacted by [redacted] at Ground Up on 6/20/2014, stating that some parts that I ordered were going to be back ordered. I sent an email asking how long the parts would be on back order. [redacted] sent me a reply stating 3-6 weeks, which I quickly cancelled my order on 6/20/2014. I was told that wouldn't be an issue to cancel the parts. When I arrived at my house a few days later, I see the parts that I ordered from Ground Up on my door step. I tried calling [redacted] but he is extremely poor at doing his job, so I asked for a manager but the manager was just as poor at his job as was [redacted].Desired Settlement: I would like my credit card refunded the entire amount of money they stole from me.

Business

Response:

According to our records, [redacted] ordered au[redacted]otive

restoration parts on our web store. The order was processed on 6/18/14 and

shipped 6/19/14. On 6/20 as he states the order was cancelled but it had

already shipped.

[redacted] was advised we would send [redacted] to call tag his

items. Once we have the items back we would refund his purchase. [redacted] has made

3 attempts already to pick up the items and all times they were made

unavailable (see tracking info below).

Once the items are returned we will issue a refund promptly.

Travel History

I am extremely unhappy with the service I have received. I have been waiting over 2 months for my shipment, which I was billed for in November of 2015.
I have called numerous times and I have only received ONE call back.
I cannot get and answer for any of my questions.
The only compensation I have received was the $90 refund for my order which was well over $500...and never completely shipped.
Besides feeling under appreciated as a customer, I can't seem to get a refund!
I have called three times so far this week to get a refund...and asked for an email response, a call back..anything. I have been calling weekly since December.
I will use another source for my car parts and future projects. This has been so stressful it has made me NEVER want to have another project car again.
Frustrated does not even begin to explain how the service I received has made me feel

Review: Need some help getting a refund for a car fender that I ordered from company Known as Ground UP Restoration Parts.

On 04/15/13 I ordered a pair of fenders for a 1966 chevy nova from this company.They shipped out from their warehouse in Naugatuck,CT on 04/19/13 and we recieved them on or about 04/23/13 or 04/24/13 at witch we looked them over for shipping damage while the delivery driver was present.We saw not damage from shipping.Took the fenders to body shop guy that is working on the car and when he started to prep the fenders for paint he found that the left fender has a badd place in in it.He said that it is from when the part was made. That it looks like a bad molding or bad stamping issue.On or about 05/01/13 or 05/02/13 we called Ground UP Restoration Parts about this issue. At that time they wanted pictures of the damaged part. We sent them pictures and they suggested that we just put body filler in it and paint it. I feel that we should NOT have to put body filler in a brand new fender as the other fender that we got from them is just fine.This is a classic car that we are restoring and the bad place on this fender is on the top part and is very noticable. I again contacted them on 05/20/13 and spoke to [redacted] and ask for a replacement fender and he told me that he can not gaurrentee that I would get one any better. At that point I told him I would just pefer a refund. He told me that I would have to pay the shipping cost. I dont feel that I should pay shipping on a bad product. I paid $259.95 each for the fenders and $100.00 each for shipping when I bought them. No place on their web site does it say that their products will require body filler to make them fit and look right. It says that they provide the BEST VALUE THROUGH TOP QUALITY PART. All I am asking for at this point is a refund or a QUALITY PART that I paid for and NOT TO PAY FOR SHIPPING AGAIN.. Desired Settlement: I would either like a refund of my $259.95 for the part and $100.00 for the shipping cost of the one bad part that they sent me or I would like to have a quality part that I have paid for and I really don't think I should be out of pocket any more money.I will return the bad part to them at their cost.I really don't feel that I am asking for more then I paid for just want what I was told I would be getting (quality part) LIKE I told them in a E:MAIL (THAT THEY NEVER RESPONED TO) ASK YOUR SELF IS THIS THE WAY YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED ?

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/06/05) */

This customer's order was shipped 2 front fenders for a 1966 Nova on 4/19 by commercial carrier. These items were palletized and wrapped to prevent damage. According to the customer signed Bill of Lading the shipment was delivered on 4/19 to a commercial body shop, inspected, and found to be in good condition. Two weeks later, on 5/9, the customer called and said that 1 fender was wavy. He was instructed to send pictures to Ground Up. After reviewing the pictures it was determined that the fenders were commercially acceptable and needed some normal filling and sanding. Regarding Minor Imperfections in Panels:

Sheet metal may have scratches, dings, small dents and other minor imperfections which are considered normal sheet metal characteristics due to the nature of the product. These minor imperfections will be easily corrected during the filling, priming and sanding phase of your sheet metal installation. Ground Up Inc. does not consider dings, scratches, minor dents or other imperfections on the sheet metal to be defects in the panel nor are they considered damaged. All sheet metal panels will require some sort of preparation and manipulation during installation. Every panel that we sell is inspected and then carefully packaged to protect against damage that may occur during transit.

In addition, minor modifications including elongating mounting holes, adding additional shims, etc. are normal and may be necessary when installing sheet metal. It is important to note that hard driving conditions, like racing, can twist bodies and frames out of original tolerances. Poor body work from previous collisions can cause problems with the body structure that the panels are attached to. Some vehicles were manufactured with a unitized body (no frame) thus causing even the most minor accident to twist the body creating a situation that would cause sheet metal panel mis-alignments. Take into consideration that tolerances on classic vehicles are not nearly as exact as they are on modern vehicles. This is primarily due to the hand fitting of panels at the factory on most antique and classic cars as opposed to the robotics used in today's modern factories. All of these factors will affect the way your new reproduction sheet metal will install and fit on the car. There is really no such thing as a direct fit body panel when it comes to older vehicles.

For best results we strongly recommend hiring a professional to install the Panels:

Ground Up Inc. recommends that you hire a professional paint and body person that has the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to install the new panels on your vehicle. A professional body person will be able to prepare the panels for installation and repair any imperfections.

The customer is incorrect in stating that the shipping charge is $100/ fender. It was $199 for the pallette whether we shipped 1 or 2 fenders and they were indeed contacted and offered a Goodwill getsure of a $100 credit prior to this complaint. We feel that with professional installation, these body parts are commercially acceptable and do not warrant a replacement. The customer is certainly free to ship any item that has not been installed, painted, or modified in any way for a full refund of the original purchase price of the item.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/06/07) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

In response to Ground up side of this I just want to let it be known that a professional is doing this work on the car. Yes I get the fact that it is a 1966 model year car but that is why we bought new parts. We are just asking for a part that we can use. Like I said before the right side fender is fine so why should we have to put body filler on a brand new part ? I get the fact that it could need a little but this is just way too much and it is on the top of the fender and will be very noticable. It's not like it is a small scratch or ding. it is wrinkled. As well I would just like to let it be known that my brother and I are professional auto mechanic's and we are ASE certified and have been in the automotive buisness for over 40 years each. We have built alot of show winning cars and truck's over the years. so we do know good parts from bad part's. Not like we are asking for something that's not due us. We feel that the $100.00 in store credit is unfair to us. that would still leave us with a fender that we can not use and out the $259.95 for the fender. At this point we would just like to return the fender and get full refund. also we don't think we should pay return shipping cost. Like I stated before their advertisment should tell people that their parts need body filler to make them right if that is waht they are selling. Really not trying to get any more then what we paid for here we just want to get our car done ... I JUST ASK THEM WOULD YOU REALLY PUT THIS FENDER ON YOUR 1966 NOVA ??? REALLY ?????

Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2013/06/26) */

Although we stand by our response that the item in question is indeed commercially acceptable as a replacement part needing proper prep and installation by an auto body professional we have been in contact with the customer and have agreed to refund the purchase price of the fender ($259.95) or find an acceptable replacement.

Here's a warning fans..
I'm extremely shocked at the lack of customer service with GroundUP Inc.
I ordered Ball Joints and Bushings back in May in preparation to rebuild my 66' Chevelle. I finally got to work on the front end this past weekend and the mechanic found that the bushings were missing 2 pieces and one of the lower ball joints was missing the rubber seal and swapped with another ball joint instead.
So, instead of dealing with the issue and just refunding me the parts or sending me new parts, they are offering to give me $50 of store credit, which is less than HALF of my purchase of $120. Highway Robbery!!
This is not the first encounter I've had with poor customer service but it will be my LAST. I will never buy parts from these guys again and I highly encourage you to avoid them. They will not do the right thing if they mess up your order..
Good Luck!!

Review: I ordered part number [redacted] in October 2015 and never rec'd. I was told this item was on backorder and Ground Up could not provide a expected ship date. I waited for several months, but never rec'd. I had paid $759.95 on order number 209375 and had cancelled over the phone with their customer service dept. I requested the refund multiple times along with a confirmation email, and after 2 weeks have still not rec'd either.Desired Settlement: I would like to receive the refund for the full amount of $759.95

Business

Response:

This customer received his refund today back to his card ,accounting put it as store credit in error it has definitely been refunded in full .Mike [redacted] is no longer with our company .I will be handling all complaints now Thank you Theresa B[redacted]

Review: I ordered one auto rim sized 14x6 compatible with disc brakes as listed on the website. It was back ordered for me. When my credit card was refunded I called to find out if it was still on back order. I was told yes it was but may take 1-2 months to receive it as it was out of stock with the supplier. About a week later a rim arrived at my home. There was no paper work with the box, only shipping label and the supplier's rim size ID label. I am not a mechanic. The with disc brakes and the without disc brakes rims look the same to me. I had it installed on my car. It was not what I ordered, and was now damaged. The business refused to take it back, said it was my fault for not knowing it was the wrong rim, and in general refusing to acknowledge they made a mistake in sending me the wrong rim.Desired Settlement: While I would like to get what I ordered, I don't think miracles will happen. It really burns me that this company expects me to know the 3/8" difference by sight of these two rims. There was no "Sorry we made a mistake". It's all someone else's fault for not catching their mistake.

Business

Response:

After reviewing the [redacted]'s order (#[redacted]), it appears that the mistake was on our end. There was a miscommunication with the manufacturer, and the wheel should not have been sent out. To correct this error, we have refunded the cost of the wheel to the [redacted]'s credit card. For future reference, please see the attached Ground Up policies.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

Review: This was the first time I ever placed an order through your company and I am highly disgusted with the quality of customer service. I called and placed an order via phone on Thursday May 21st. I received a confirmation order number. The representative said my order would be shipped by Tuesday May 26th because of the holiday. I just so happen to call my bank and check the activity on my debit card and my balance. There was no transaction they said from Ground Up on my account at all. They asked if I used my checking account or debit, I told them I used my Debit card so she looked further into it and saw Ground Up tried to put a transaction thru twice but with the wrong expiration date. Ground Up had put 4/19 instead of 3/19. I called Ground Up on Tuesday May 26th to check the status of my order. The representative told me the order was on hold by a manager but didn't know the reason why, he ask me to hold on to look further into it. I told him what the bank had said. My problem with this whole situation is I took a day off from my work to be at home for delivery, lost a days pay and it never was even shipped! First of all why would one of your employees hang up with a customer before the transaction ever completed? Why NOBODY from Ground Up attempted to contact me via phone to let me know there was an issue? Why NOBODY attempted to email me at my email address to let me know there was an issue? What kind of Customer Service is this?? This is horrible service. How would I have ever knew there was even an issue. I would have never known if I didn't call. I called and requested to speak to a manager because this was not acceptable the manager apologized for the situation and said your order will be delivered tomorrow and was very brief with me. Again took another day from work, lost another days pay and never received shipment! I wrote in 3x explaining what had happened and requesting for a manager to contact me thru their online service. No one has contacted me via email or via phone. I would never recommend your company to anyone after this poor service experience. I would like the owner of the company to contact me at [redacted] as soon as possible

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern, After doing some research we have found that the order went out to the customer on May 26th 2015 as promised to the customer. The order was then delivered May 27th 2015 the next day. We are not sure why the customer would have needed to take multiple days off to receive the delivery. We shipped the order on the day promised as stated by the customer and the customer received it the next day. Below is the tracking information from [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

You must not have done your research to well, The order was suppose to be on my doorstep May 26th not May 27th and I guess you are missing the whole point your company did not make any attempt to contact me and let me know there was an issue with my order and it was just put on hold and not delivered when it was suppose to be! On May 21st when I placed the order. Clearly you did not answer not one question as to why I did not receive an email or phone call? And why a representative would hang up the phone before completing transaction?? If I didn't call myself I would have never received my order at all. Poor Service on your company. The representative told me clearly on the phone I should have received an email from the company that my order was on hold.

Sincerely,

Review: I have had very poor service wrong parts .I have to pay to return .not refunded for that cost. they treat you like its your fault they sent wrong part

the last part I got was 450.00 dollars a new shifter I waited 2 1/2 months for when I called to check on part I was informed that it was at the chrome shop and would be a couple more weeks when I got the parts the had changed the way the handle was made and you could not get the boot over the handle with out tearing the boot .so I returned the parts again.they never said a word about the changes I had bought the set up last year for a car and it worked great. so it cost me 32.00 to ship it I lost that and it took them 2 weeks to give me the money back into my account there service is rotten and the treat people like its there problem even though they cause the mistakes I will never do any more work with this company and I hope you can warn others about these people thank you. Desired Settlement: 65.00 in lost fright charges from last two transactions.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/15) */

Our customer ordered a custom shifter kit using updated components to make an original shifter mimic the look of an original Muncie Shifter for a 1964- through 1967 Chevelle. The item was in production at the time of the order waiting for the handle to be chromed. This is a custom item using a unique attaching feature on the handle. In our print and online catalogue, under Policies, we suggest professional installation on all items. We have mocked this item up with the new design shifter handle without tearing the shifter boot.

As stated in our print and online catalogues, we do not reimburse for shipping on returned items. Our customer was refunded $449.95 for the total purchase price of the item with no re-stocking fee. Copy of our Return Policy below-

Returns

Products may be returned for a full refund, credit or exchange within 30 days of receipt. All returns are subject to a 25% restocking fee after 30 days. Should you need to return a part for refund, exchange or credit, please contact our customer service department for a return authorization number and instructions. Ground Up Inc® will not accept returned goods without prior authorization. Customer will pay freight on all return orders. Important: Gift certificates have no cash value and must be redeemed for merchandise only. Literature, CDs, videos, printed materials, stencil kits, stripe, electrical parts, gauges, wiring harnesses, switches, etc. are non-returnable. All special order products prepaid in full and are non-returnable. There is no guarantee on moving parts such as engines, transmissions, rear ends, steering gears, water pumps, distributors, wiper motors, etc. If any product is modified, altered, painted, installed or disassembled in any way without Ground Up Inc® expressed written permission, the item is non-returnable. This includes rims that have been mounted. Ground Up Inc® always recommends professional installation on all products. Any item which has been altered, painted, installed or deemed non-resalable by Ground Up Inc® will be returned to the customer at the customer's expense. Ground Up Inc® is not responsible or liable for labor fees associated with the installation, removal, modification or repair of any product purchased regardless of the circumstances. Ground Up Inc® is not responsible for any damage or discoloration incurred in relation to chemical products including cleaners, waxes, polishes, paints, etc.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/05/16) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

the reason they gave me all of my money is they now know you cant install handle without tearing the shift boot.I own a auto repair shop I have 34 years under my belt.for more then 30 years so and a.s.e certified