Burned by GoldenWest Cycle...

[yz250flash]

I am not usually a person to vent in a public area but I want to share my experience so everyone will be informed in case they choose to do business with this company.

I ordered an O'Neal SL-712 Helmet from them. I was very specific about what helmet I wanted and called to make sure that it was still availabe in the color and size that I wanted. They assured me that it was. When I received the Helmet it was NOT the one that I had ordered but an SL-714. I called to tell them that they had sent the wrong helmet. They told me that they had sent that helmet because they did not have the one I ordered in the size I wanted. They stated that I should be happy becasue it is a little more expensive of a helmet. I told them that price was not a factor. I ordered the helmet I wanted and if I had wanted the 714 I could have ordered a 714. Keep in mind that they have both my e-mail address and phone number in which they could have reached me to ask if I wanted a different helmet in place of the one I ordered.

So...after arguing about receiving a helmet that I did not order they said ship it back and we will refund your money. I ask for a UPS pick up #. They told me I had to pay the shipping back. They didn't do that. So I have to pay for something that they sent wrong. I don't like it but I bite the bullet and pay to ship it back. They do refund my card (two weeks later) but it is only for the price of the helmet less the original shipping charges.

So to make a long story short. They took it upon themselves to ship me an item that I did not order. For this I have had to pay $29.00 in shipping charges. So $29.00 poorer and empty handed I am a little steamed.

And by the way this is the second time this has happend. The first time I just kept the wrong item because it was only the wrong color. I guess this is what I get for giving them a second chance.

This is the company:

GoldenWest Cycle
3755 Avacado Blvd PMB 169
La Mesa, CA US
91941

 

[marcusgunby]

yes that is plain wrong IMO.

 

[karterron]

If your state has a consumer division at the Attorney General's office, and they should, file a complaint with them. If you are in a different State from Golden West, file a complaint with yours and the State of California.

You should not be paying anything out of pocket on something like this and the Attorney General will resolve it for you. Most of them have forms online now and it really is a simple, very effective tool.

 

[rickyd]

I have a hard time buying mail order.. COuld you of filed something w/your credit card company?? I would notify them and explain the situation too them, good luck..
RIck

 

[yz250flash]

I tried to dispute the charges with the CC compnay and the end result was that they wouldn't dispute the shipping charges even though I was sent something I didn't order. I will be closing that card out also.

I will try the Attorney General route and see what I can do through them, thanks for the information. I am in Florida by the way.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[karterron]

I have had real good luck with the Attorney General's office on this kind of stuff. Right is right, and they do not want to admit to the Attorney General's office that they make it a routine of ripping off the consumer.

 

[yz250roost]

Ummmmm....ok so here's what's up, This company did one thing right and one thing wrong. So they don't have their marketing completly wrong. In Marketing your main goal is to make the customer happy, this means that you want to make them very satisfied with your business. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most people would have been really happy to get a more expensive helmet, thus making them very satisfied and more willing to do business again. But in Marketing you also need to meet the customers needs and wants, now for the person who was very happy with the more expensive helmet for the same price, their need was only a helmet of good quality at a good price. But your need was that exact helmet. So the company failed to meet your want. Don't blame them too much because they had good intentions, but you are right they should have called you. I can personally guarantee that the person filling your helmet order was thinking to himself "man this guy is going to be really happy that he got a better helmet than he paid for" but unfortunatly that wasn't the case, they also should have paid for the shipping as well, just realize they had good intentions ok?

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

Originally posted by yz250roost
Ummmmm....ok so here's what's up, This company did one thing right and one thing wrong. So they don't have their marketing completly wrong. In Marketing your main goal is to make the customer happy, this means that you want to make them very satisfied with your business. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most people would have been really happy to get a more expensive helmet, thus making them very satisfied and more willing to do business again. But in Marketing you also need to meet the customers needs and wants, now for the person who was very happy with the more expensive helmet for the same price, their need was only a helmet of good quality at a good price. But your need was that exact helmet. So the company failed to meet your want. Don't blame them too much because they had good intentions, but you are right they should have called you. I can personally guarantee that the person filling your helmet order was thinking to himself "man this guy is going to be really happy that he got a better helmet than he paid for" but unfortunatly that wasn't the case, they also should have paid for the shipping as well, just realize they had good intentions ok?

This sounds like a quote from Zig Ziggler! But I think you're right.

 

[yz250flash]

I would agree with that if it had not happened once before. I ordered something and was sent something different. Not better, just different (wrong color and size). I was also told then that I had to pay the shipping back. Again for something that I did not order. I honestly don't believe that the SL-714 is a better helmet than the SL-712. The 712 was much more expensive when it came out. It was only cheaper in this case because it was not a current years model. Also, if they had such good intentions why not pay to have it returned?

I am a person to give the benefit of the doubt to anyone. Thus my placing another order with them after my first experience was bad. I will not give them anything for good intentions on this.

 

[bclapham]

if you really want to get mad, go and buy a toyota. 32000 miles from new, brakes have gone bad (after 20K and wont fix), steering worn loose (replaced some parts after 30 mins of shouting but still not fixed), now the alarm doesnt work but i doubt they will repair it under waranty since it was a dealer fitted item, LOL. numerous letters, phone calls and the worse customer service i have ever seen. my new slogan is "completely disatisfied"

anyone wanna buy a nice truck?:)

 

[bsmith]

Marketing your main goal is to make the customer happy

Isn't that customer service? When I worked in Marketing we utilized what “we” called Cisco math to invent the numbers we needed to make the customers believe it would do what they wanted. Then any issues with our math would be a post sales issue and thus the problem of Customer Service :)

From my perspective, their business is to make sales, thus they sent you a more expensive helmet, which they lost margins on if you would have kept it in the hopes of making you a satisfied customer! But that back fired with you sending it back (trying), and with them having already paid to ship it once are not willing to bend over backwards. They probably feel they have lost you as a customer if they take the helmet back or not, and thus are willing to upset you over it! Either way they loose, they are just trying to loose less, hoping your like most folks and will shrug your shoulders and move on!

That would be why I pay more from the local guy who supports my economy :thumb: But sometimes I want to flame them to becuase I feel like a money tree! O, you want to the screws for that part, yaaa thats a bit extra :)

 

[yz250flash]

I guess I am the exception. If I order something, it is because that is the item I wanted. If I had wanted the other item I would have ordered it. Like I said in the original post, I called to make sure they had it. It would have been easy enough for them to pick the phone up and say they made a mistake would I like the 714 in it's place. I do try to support my local shop as much as possible but they don't carry a lot of appearal items or helmets.

I have put this incident behind me and will move on. It is everyone's own decision as to whether or not they choose to do business with this company. I have shared my experience and feel better by doing so.

Thanks to all for listening (reading).