I noticed a chrome valve cover for a 1.6 liter Miata on e-bay, being offered by a seller named Dennis Hill.DBA "chrome2go". They were offering it at a "buy it now" price of $175 with a $40 credit for a core. I sent the seller an e-mail inquiring as to how soon the core had to be returned for the $40. I was told that since they were constantly purchasing them to plate, there was no time limit. I checked out the chrome2go website, and noticed that it was for sale there for $150. On 10/04/04, I sent him another e-mail pointing out the price on the website, and telling him I'd be better off purchasing from there, that I was going out of town for a few days, and would be ordering when I returned. He responded that same day, saying they had just purchased 10 covers, and they would be plated and ready to go by the time he received my check. When I returned, I tried to place an order on the website order form, but was unable to make it work, so I sent him an e-mail on
10/12/04 telling him I was mailing a check for $166 ($150 for the cover and $16 s&h). I put the check in the mail that day.Since I hadn't heard anything by 10/22, I e-mailed him to make sure he had received the check. In the meantime, a local friend of mine had also ordered one from him, paying by money order. When he inquired about the price, Dennis (chrome2go) told him the price was $175, but since he had gotten the price from me (and the website), he would honor the $150 price. Dennis has since changed the price on his website to reflect the new price.
On 10/22, Dennis responded that he had, in fact, received the check and that my cover was "being boxed up today to be shipped hopefully tomorrow but definitely by Monday". The check had cleared my bank on 10/21.
Having received nothing by 10/30, I sent another e-mail inquiring about the shipping and asking by what method it had been shipped and was there a tracking number? On 11/02, I received an e-mail from him stating that he had been "out of town" and would check on it tomorrow.
That's the LAST correspondence I've received from him. Several e-mails and phone calls (all were answered by machine except one.the gentleman that answered said he was NOT Dennis and didn't know anything about the business. He said Dennis was out of town and would return in a couple of days. I left my number again and told him I'd expect a call from Dennis when he returned.) have all gone unanswered.
My friend who also purchased one has had similar results.
A couple of weeks ago, I contacted a person (TK) that lives in the vicinity of Dennis. He sent an e-mail inquiring as to the availability of chrome valve covers for the same type car. Almost immediately, Dennis responded that he had some covers being plated, and that they'd be ready in about 2 weeks. When TK responded to Dennis that he was "representing the people from MO that had placed the earlier orders, and requested that Dennis get in touch with him", all correspondence to HIM stopped.
Two days ago, I sent another e-mail to Dennis giving him until close of business Wednesday, 11/25 to respond to me, or I will file a complaint with the AZ Attorney General and the Post Office. It's time to do it.