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    Auto Parts Scam in Progress

    After some Googling around, I recently bought a car part from a web site called 1motormart.com .

    After delaying for four days (on a supposedly in-stock part), they finally shipped the part. When I received it, I discovered that the part was incorrect. It was a window regulator with a motor, but it was for a much larger vehicle and might even be for the wrong side of the car. The part was covered in dirty fingerprints, and the only packaging was a dirty, worn, unsealed plastic bag. To be fair, the bag did have the correct part number, and the photo on the web site showed the correct part.

    After three phone calls and a couple of dropped connections, I finally got through to someone and asked to return the part. I noticed that the phone connection was a crappy VOIP line, and the two people I talked to both had Indian accents. They also had bad attitudes. I'm resigned to the fact that everything is outsourced to India these days, but at least they're usually pleasant.

    So I got suspicious and searched around a little more...

    This is typical of what I found:
    Shopping.com is a leading price comparison site that allows you shop online for the best deals and lowest prices. You can read unbiased product reviews and compare prices online. Online shopping has never been as easy!


    Basically, there are at least a couple dozen web sites operated by some boiler room in India that sells and haphazardly drop ships auto parts. Some people seem to get what they ordered, some people get the wrong part and get burned by a 20% "restocking" fee, and some people get nothing. Some people end up sending back an incorrect part and then getting burned totally.

    I am likely in the process of getting burned totally (other than whatever protection my credit card offers). When I called, they said they would email me an RMA number and instructions in a day or two, and it appears this is a common stalling tactic.

    Here are just some of the sites operated by these bozos -- there are many more:
    ALL OEM PARTS, INC.


    Car-stuff.com
    racepages.com
    speedyperformanceparts.com
    All OEM Volvo Parts.Com (also alloemWHATEVERparts.com for most car makes)
    Autopartswarehouse
    Parts Bin, LLP
    Race Pages
    The Parts Bin

    The sad part is that they could be great -- the sites are actually pretty nice and easy to use, and the prices are OK. The part pictured on the site when I ordered was correct.

    So stay away, my fellow GS-ers. Stay far away. I'll keep this updated with further developments, if any. And whatever happens, I've definitely learned my lesson.

    If you want an honest online auto parts supplier, stick with http://rockauto.com . I've used Rock Auto many times, and they are outstanding.

    I'm sure there are others. Most of the auto parts chains allow online ordering as well, and you can go to the store if there's a problem.

    http://partsamerica.com (Advance, Kragen, Schucks, etc.)

    Or just go to the parts store in your neighborhood. I've always had outstanding results with CarQuest, and the Napa people usually (not always) know what they're doing.
    Last edited by bwringer; 01-07-2008, 05:35 PM. Reason: new developments
    1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
    2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
    2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
    Eat more venison.

    Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

    Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

    SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

    Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

    #2
    Yep, I keep getting calls about OEM PARTS BIN. They list on CC statement as Carson CA which is where my office used to be based (& now I'm quite close to there).

    My company is OEM DIRECT INC. I get about 1 - 2 calls a month from people trying to find out more info....

    I followed up for the first couple to see if I could help but there was nothing I could do, the CC don't want to know unless you are the cardholder.

    Wasn't you that rang me last week was it?? You'd know, I have a pretty distinctive accent

    Hope you get your money back....

    Dan
    1980 GS1000G - Sold
    1978 GS1000E - Finished!
    1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
    1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
    2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
    1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
    2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar..... - FOR SALE!

    www.parasiticsanalytics.com

    TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

    Comment


      #3
      If I'm after an aftermarket part, I always use NAPA. I'm sure there are other places just as good, but no matter which store, in whatever part of the country I'm in they always seem to have a better handle on what I need than most other chain stores (Autozone, Pep Boys, etc...).

      Thanks for the heads up on these thieves. The internet has made larceny from 7,000 miles away posiible.
      sigpic

      SUZUKI:
      1978 GS1000E; 1980 GS1000G; 1982 GS650E; 1982 GS1100G; 1982 GS1100E; 1985 GS700ES
      HONDA: 1981 CB900F Super Sport
      KAWASAKI: 1981 KZ550A-2; 1984 ZX750A-2 (aka GPZ750); 1984 KZ700A-1
      YAMAHA: 1983 XJ750RK Seca

      Free speech is the foundation of an open society. Each time a society bans a word or phrase it deems “offensive”, it chips away at that very foundation upon which it was built.

      Comment


        #4
        What's hilarious is that if you look through the ePinions posts, you can see lots of positive reviews obviously posted by the scammers themselves.

        Just read the positive reviews in your best "Dell Tech Support, my name is, um, Robert" accent, and the phrasing, odd word choices, and consistent grammar mistakes make the bogus reviews pretty obvious.

        As noted, it's just sad that someone went to all this trouble to build a pretty decent and accurate car parts web site and things have come to this. I'm sure they started out legit, but they've been ripping people off for quite a while with the help of the crooked warehouse in Carson, CA.

        I wonder how many times this regulator sitting in my office has been shipped back and forth?

        Ah, well. $78 is far from the most expensive life lesson I've learned.

        I'll also talk with my credit union tomorrow about when/how/whether to pursue a chargeback. This Platinum Card jazz has to be good for something.
        1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
        2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
        2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
        Eat more venison.

        Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

        Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

        SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

        Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

        Comment


          #5
          Here's a screenshot with annotations pointing out some of the interface features common to this family of scam sites:



          The make and year selectors are set up much the same way on all their scam sites.

          I think they might concentrate on parts that are very hard to find, like window regulators. So if you're Googling for something obscure, or actually any sort of auto parts at all, several of their sites will pop up.
          1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
          2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
          2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
          Eat more venison.

          Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

          Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

          SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

          Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

          Comment


            #6
            A lot of people I get calling are asking about replacement catalytic convertors.

            Dan
            1980 GS1000G - Sold
            1978 GS1000E - Finished!
            1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
            1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
            2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
            1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
            2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar..... - FOR SALE!

            www.parasiticsanalytics.com

            TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by salty_monk View Post
              My company is OEM DIRECT INC. I get about 1 - 2 calls a month from people trying to find out more info....
              I heard a story about the folks at http://utube.com getting swamped with angry calls and threatening emails from people expecting funny videos on their web site--it could be worse, much worse!

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                So stay away, my fellow GS-ers. Stay far away. I'll keep this updated with further developments...
                Thank you for sharing your experience. I am amazed at how much the folks of this forum look out for one another. Makes me proud I found a GS...or did the GS find me????

                Happy Holidays,
                g

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by gbw View Post
                  Makes me proud I found a GS...or did the GS find me????

                  When the rider is ready, the GS will appear...






                  Man, that's deep.
                  1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                  2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                  2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                  Eat more venison.

                  Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                  Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                  SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                  Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    LOL Deep but i think true. When i found mine, I had never even thought of a Zook for a project bike...I was searching high and low for a Kaw Z1 or KZ...and i had actually found a GREAT KZ750 already beefed and screamin fast. Went and test rode it, and was set to buy it the next week. Till this buddy of mine says his buddy had a bike he was looking to get rid of. So just by shere happenstance, we went and took a look at it. Mind you that KZ was a great bike, ran like a champ, but other than the overbore and the good runningness (is that even a word??) it was a stocker, and an LTD at that...not exactly what i was looking for for a cafe project, but the price was right and i always wanted to attempt a LTD, or in GS terms L model cafe. Then i saw my 1977 GS750B...it was like a shot from a movie where everything fades out except for the bike, which was bathed in a golden light. INSTANT love. Part of the reason was that she was not at all stock, not that there is anything wrong with a stock GS, as they are all gorgeous bikes, but this one was already headed in a direction (albeit a poorly attempted direction) that i was looking to go. Needless to say, i called the guy with the KZ and told him i'd have to pass. And the next week i went and picked my Granpappy GS up. Its been a bit of touch and go, but I LOVE this bike. And i LOVE this forum, and how dedicated everyone is to these bikes. I always knew there was a huge following for the SOHC Hondas, and a pretty decent following for Z1s and older KZs...but this here..is by far the sickest, most depraved love for a bike i have ever run across...And I LOVE IT...lol

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by TheCafeKid View Post
                      but this here..is by far the sickest, most depraved love for a bike i have ever run across...And I LOVE IT...lol
                      I can toast to that! Hear Hear!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                        Here's a screenshot with annotations pointing out some of the interface features common to this family of scam sites:



                        The make and year selectors are set up much the same way on all their scam sites.

                        I think they might concentrate on parts that are very hard to find, like window regulators. So if you're Googling for something obscure, or actually any sort of auto parts at all, several of their sites will pop up.
                        I'm sorry man but this place just looks TOO easy. Almost like its screaming that its a scam. Sites like that usually give me a bad feeling so I stay away. Plus O'reilly's, Napa, AutoZone and PepBoys(not that I'll ever go there) are all down the street. And if I get a bad part or they juke me, getting a refund is easy and plus I get to rip into someone. Either way hope everything works out for you.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          There's a Carquest a couple of blocks from my office, and the guys there are AMAZING. They tracked down a radiator and had it there the same day, when everyone else I checked couldn't get it for four or five days. They also quickly located the correct window regulator part. They've tracked down an incredibly obscure wheel bearing and many other impossible to find parts in the past.

                          A knowledgeable parts store person is the world's greatest time and frustration saver. It's really too bad the discount chains only seem to hire weedy teenagers who wouldn't know what a timing belt looked like if you slapped them with it.

                          Autozone is probably the worst of the lot, although the one nearest me is pretty good -- they mostly hire Spanish-speaking guys who really do know their stuff.

                          I guess working on your own car is muy macho, so there's a huge parts market amongst the Hispanic crowd, as well as a lot of talent to draw from.

                          Of course, it's still Autozone, so there's an aggravating portion of the time where their patented error injection systems ensure that you still end up with the wrong part. I think it's part of the whole discount experience or something.
                          1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                          2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                          2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                          Eat more venison.

                          Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                          Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                          SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                          Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                            There's a Carquest a couple of blocks from my office, and the guys there are AMAZING. They tracked down a radiator and had it there the same day, when everyone else I checked couldn't get it for four or five days. They also quickly located the correct window regulator part. They've tracked down an incredibly obscure wheel bearing and many other impossible to find parts in the past.

                            A knowledgeable parts store person is the world's greatest time and frustration saver. It's really too bad the discount chains only seem to hire weedy teenagers who wouldn't know what a timing belt looked like if you slapped them with it.

                            Autozone is probably the worst of the lot, although the one nearest me is pretty good -- they mostly hire Spanish-speaking guys who really do know their stuff.

                            I guess working on your own car is muy macho, so there's a huge parts market amongst the Hispanic crowd, as well as a lot of talent to draw from.

                            Of course, it's still Autozone, so there's an aggravating portion of the time where their patented error injection systems ensure that you still end up with the wrong part. I think it's part of the whole discount experience or something.
                            I started my car biz life in 1985 in an aftermarket store locally owned by the same family for over 40 years. After I started there, as the son in law of one of the owners, and expecting eventually to take over one of their stores, I found back then that the prevailing conception was that you didn't even need to spell your own name correctly twice in a row to sell car parts. That is still, unfortunately, the attitude many take.
                            I can only be thankful for working for Mercedes these last 18 years. 3 reasons. A. I could spell my name any day. B. The information pipeline, although lately a little sketchy, is much more complete for any dealer than any aftermarket outlet. and 3. Looking parts up in both German and English for one of the worlds most technologically advanced car lines is a never ending challenge.
                            Next time one of you guys calls a parts store with your list, see how many times you have to repeat each bit of info. All the guy in the store is doing is typing info in akeyboard for a very limited usage computer program. When I call, the first thing I usually say is this "Get a pen and a piece of paper and write this down." If you have to repeat anything more than twice, please hang up and call during normal business hours.........
                            I learned on the old parts books, and found a jewel thart seems to have been forgotten or just not understandable by most now a day. It's called the manufacturers interchange book, and almost every decent parts manufacturer for cars or bikes offers them .

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                              they mostly hire Spanish-speaking guys who really do know their stuff.

                              I guess working on your own car is muy macho, so there's a huge parts market amongst the Hispanic crowd, as well as a lot of talent to draw from.
                              I spent a little time in Mexico. It is more common to find someone there who built their own house from bricks they baked themselves and keeps old cars and dirtbikes running in perfect shape than to find someone here who's done anything more complicated than an oil change.

                              There happens to be a guy at an O'Reilly Auto Parts shop a few blocks away from me who is really into cars and has a beautiful MG--so I go there--but if he's not working it's a crapshoot and NAPA is generally marginally better than the rest.

                              Comment

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