Online companies that only have contact through email

[Kern Dog]

Here comes some "Old man complaints".
I hate this...companies that do not have ANY phone contact with their customers.
If all I wanted was 1/2" plywood, 4'x8' and it was something that I've bought a thousand times, I'd be okay with it.
Being a car guy that often deviates a bit from original equipment, I often look at stuff that isn't from Summit, Mancini or some other well known vendor.
Most of us here have heard of Doctor Diff.
Cass Eslick is the man and for years, he has been an excellent supplier of axle, brake and drivetrain components. Great parts, great prices. Before Covid, you could call the man and sometimes catch him in between projects and he'd dang near talk your ear off. Something happened since around 2020. He is impossible to reach by phone BUT he is excellent at returning emails. He established a good history of providing great products at fair prices so my gripes are not aimed at him.
Some other companies seem to avoid any contact with customers and it sure does NOT inspire any confidence to deal with them.
Awhile back, I stumbled onto a site advertising this:

1962-74 Mopar Bendix Style ALUMINUM Master Cylinder

It is an aluminum 4 bolt master cylinder that looks like the factory iron unit used in many 70s era Mopars.
I have never dealt with this company so just blindly ordering and hoping the part arrives is an act of faith that I don't feel comfortable doing.
If I had some established history buying from them, I'd feel better. It isn't a lot of money but I hate feeling like I have been cheated by anyone.
Maybe this is more common than I thought. A few years back, I wanted to order some custom side stripes for the wife's 2015 Challenger. This company that was a site sponsor on a Challenger forum was the same as this brake company. NO calls, email only. To me, this is not right. There are some matters that are better described and explained through verbal communication and not pecks on a keyboard.

 

[CoronetDarter]

I'm having kind of the same issue with Green Mountain Grill. The grill isn't powering up and their customer service only responds to emails. It's been frustrating trying to troubleshoot via email.

 

[PlymCrazy]

RockAuto I have similar feelings about. I like their selection and prices, but I get the feeling they they put a lot of effort into trying to keep it "email only". Can get frustrating at times in my experience.

 

[roadrunnerh]

This is a problem I have encountered and I hate not having a phone option.
I've been known to write and mail certified letters...

 

[dadsbee]

I've been email only with my aircraft business since 1998. You may get my Wife... that'll tell you just that.. but I haven't answered the phone unless it was family (and skipped some of those tooo...lol) for 25 years. If I did I'd never get any work done. I haven't advertised my services since 2005. Phone still rings to this day and I still turn down more work than I could ever do.... which isn't much since dragging my *** back to the original love, cars. Guess I've never shafted anyone .. or the ringing would stop.

Daytime is for getting **** done. Night time is for unwinding and answering dumb questions in emails and on forums.. LOL

 

[Kern Dog]

I've sent numerous messages through "Force 10's" contact us section of their site. Today I sent an email as directed by the outgoing message on their phone number.
They actually responded, saying that they have not received any contact until today. Maybe their site is messed up or their internal messages are getting lost. Who the heck knows. I'm glad that SOMEONE finally responded.

As I stated, when dealing with an established company, it is a different matter. If I'm buying something that I've bought before, I am fine with the impersonal "Amazon-RockAuto" type of business model.
When I'm deviating from what is familiar, I feel more comfortable actually talking with someone. I don't waste their time either...a quickie chat is fine. I'm not looking to get their advice on marital issues, dinner recipes or political events. I just feel better knowing that the business isn't some front to take my credit card number and run up some scam.

 

[RemCharger]

I've been email only with my aircraft business since 1998. You may get my Wife... that'll tell you just that.. but I haven't answered the phone unless it was family (and skipped some of those tooo...lol) for 25 years. If I did I'd never get any work done. I haven't advertised my services since 2005. Phone still rings to this day and I still turn down more work than I could ever do.... which isn't much since dragging my *** back to the original love, cars. Guess I've never shafted anyone .. or the ringing would stop.

Daytime is for getting **** done. Night time is for unwinding and answering dumb questions in emails and on forums.. LOL

Pretty damn good answer in my opinion.

..a quickie chat is fine. I'm not looking to get their advice on marital issues, dinner recipes or political events.

You sir are a 1 of 1!
If you want to keep your sanity , don't go into the phone answering business!

Most of the calls I get start with, usually about 10-15 years ago. And not 1 detail is left out

 

[GTXDAN]

After working all over the world the last 15yrs you learn to use email diligently. When there's a 13 hour time difference you don't just pick up the phone and call someone. You learn to depend on your email, and since everything is in writing it's hard for people to back out of ****. You also learn to be very clear and concise with what you write and reread it before you hit that send button.

 

[Budnicks]

Not a fan of that practice at all either,
I want to be able to talk to a human sometimes,
not via computer or e-mail or text BS
maybe not on the order specifically
but;
when/if I have a question/s
or especially if there's a problem, or the order is wrong etc.
you can refer back to Mr./Mrs. So & So, said

 

[Don selleck]

tried to get a hold of Haggerty for an issue with my insurance its like praying to the insurance gods no response ever. been 6 weeks ago. called them all automated no one there. F*** them cancelled policy, would hate to have a claim with them. Back to Grundy.

 

[multimopes]

I am one who also likes the verbal option. When I see a response that offers "Chat", I want to tell them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine! There is usually no way in hell someone who is a professional typist can type faster than I can speak. It is much slower and less efficient than speaking as well; especially for those of us who never had a typing class! I freely admit that I suck at typing, and I actually worked in a computer room for almost 11 years! Talk about being furious that they refused to let me take personal typing my senior year in high school! It still pisses me off to this day! The icing on the cake for me is employing a creative array of swear words to someone who so desperately needs to hear them! Anyone who ever listened to "Imus in the morning" knows what Iam talking about. Actually, it was on his album titled "This Honkey's Nuts"! The bit was called "Swear with flair". As a result, I do like to be creative when cussing as it lets the other know just how upset I am that the situation has escalated to that level. In closing, to me it just feels better somehow saying F_ck You instead of typing it!

 

[multimopes]

Case in point, no one has any idea how long it took me to spew the above rant. I am Still (hunting & pecking). I do apologize as it was uncalled for, but I do want to say I thank God for spell check and other little nuances that are now incorporated into the computer software of today. So, thank you to whoever is responsible for creating these really helpful tools!

 

[Kern Dog]

I like your posts, MM.
I use "spell check" too. Nobody is perfect!

 

[Tinker67]

AI ?

 

[multimopes]

Incidentally Greg, the picture of that guy in your first post looks like he is really having an issue with being constipated or something worse!

 

[Kern Dog]

It is the only picture I have to express extreme anger and frustration.

 

[RemCharger]

It is the only picture I have to express extreme anger and frustration.

View attachment 1510355

You need to hang out with Mr Miyagi.

 

[kiwigtx]

Here comes some "Old man complaints".
I hate this...companies that do not have ANY phone contact with their customers.

I recently had cause to contact a German company about a replacement electric motor for a machine I was working on.
As soon as I clicked on their website, a Chat-Bot came up. I said what I was looking for, and I get the usual Chat-Bot reply of - "Your question is technical, someone will contact you during business hours"

I wasn't hanging around to let a few days go by, so I replied to the Bot with "I need to speak with a real person immediately."

Same response from the Bot.

So I repeated my request......then miraculously a real person came on and apologised and said the person I need to deal with is on leave until that Sunday night. Ok, so now I had contact....I was able to get an email address and a name. A great start.

BTW....I eventually got the machine repaired and running successfully within 3 weeks.....even though the motor came from Australia via Holland and Italy where they are now manufactured. Talk about being given the runaround.

When it was shipped the final leg domestically to me, the courier managed to drop the carton, and bent one mounting foot, and broke a brush cap holder......temporary fixed using the "Super-glue & Baking soda hack". Strong as concrete now. Customer is really happy now as he can mix up to 4 x gallon tins at once, unlike his older machine that does one at a time.

 

[1967coronet]

I could not agree more Greg. At work I prefer to grab the phone and order parts.
We use LKQ for many jobs. I use the same salesman each time I call by punching in his extension #. I could do all my ordering on line but.....
( Harry ) knows stuff and has saved my rear more than once. He is the same aprox age as we are. I am glad to be retiring before all the ( Harrys) are gone.

 

[Hey-O]

The trim around my Coronet popped up on the corner sometime ago. Instead of going to a glass shop, like I did a few years ago while I was out and about, they now have no place of business since Covid. Mobile only and when I called it took two days to get back with me and he wanted to set up an appointment. I answered him as fast as he answered me. When I went looking for the location listed for him on Google maps, it was in the middle of a strip mall that didn't exist anymore. Pissed me off even more. It's only going to get worse for us.