Topic: Ames performance pontiac parts ripped me off!

[welderguy1]

Hello all,
Just wanted to pass along some bad reviews on the shipping policy off ames performance. I ordered new transmission lines and rad isolators from ames and was billed $91.47 with a $20 dollar oversize box charge included. Fine fair price I was happy. The site says that from $51 -$100 their shipping was $18. I live in Canada fairly close to New hampshire where they are located. I knew it wouldn't be $18 I'm a realist but after receiving my package I was charged $20 brokerage fee and a $116.20 shipping fee! Very unhappy and will never again purchase from them. I recommend no one does. MY 2 cents.

Distgruntled Trans am owner

[firebird79_00]

Thats what happens when you ship across, thats not ames fault. You have customs to thank for that.

[BlackTransAm]

If you can get  refund use someone in the states to buy it for you and ship.

[oldskoolubr]

Was it just the cooler lines?  I know my Fuel lines were going to have like a $47 or $57 Surcharge each piece added on them bcuz they are so long!

[welderguy1]

I understand the $20 buck customs charge thats life but being 400 miles away and 4 times the quoted shipping on their site? I did email them and they offered a one time 20 buck refund but I refused. Its the point of the thing. I understand shipping is expensive and that this may be an actual cost but reflect it in your advertising.

[rhino33]

i also live near a border, and have had ups, and fedex double bill the shipping. not too mention usps that wont track your parcel past the border, when customs gets it, it gets lost, leaving you waiting for who knows how long. your best bet is to have parcels shipped to an american location, near your border crossing and if the value is under 300 you may not be forced to pay duty. please dont hit this bees nest with a stick, they dont have to sell to canadians, infact a large portion of ebayers wont ship to canada anymore because of the added costs of shipping, more or less its out of their control when it gets to the border
cheers

[iceman]

Over sized boxes pile on the extra $ for shipping. Add the fact that it's even more $ to cross any border and adds alot of time for you to get what you ordered. I am amazed on how much shipping $ goes up with items leaving the US as I have done alot of ebay sales all over. The most affordable way to ship intenationally is USPS yet not every company does business with them. I followed a guys progress on a project he was doing and he lived in Iceland. I found it amazing what the shipping charges were to his location and the fact it took over a month to recieve his parts. I feel that if you priced the shipping charges for what you ordered with Performance Years, Inlinetube, NPD, and Year One you will prolly get the same shipping prices and box fees. Sorry you had a bad experience yet Ames is a top notch parts suppliers along with Performance years as they are the ONLY Pontiac parts suppliers I'll do business with.
You're not the first one to have these issues being north of the border. It makes me wonder whay there aren't any Canadian Parts suppliers that offer restoration parts.... Hmmm... I hear an oportunity knocking... There is a very large demand for restoration parts in Canada and just think of the possibilities with offering a service and with reasonable shipping fees. Most of the reproduction parts made today come from China or Taiwan anyway so whether the end up in canada or the US makes me wonder it's got to be the same amount entering the North American continent... I see a business opportunity here... Mike

[CEO]

Hi everyone, I have just joined this forum and this is my first post  this is in response to a post from a few months ago from a Canadian customer that was not happy with shipping charges that were applied to purchases from AMES Performances.
I felt I had defend AMES and other US muscle parts suppliers. They cannot be held responsible for any customs and brokerage charges once it crosses into Canada. It is always the Canadian customers fault for not asking the right questions and doing their homework before placing their order.
There is no such thing as free trade between Canada and the US on any level. Governments will always get their piece of the action in some form.
for Canadians it is shipping charges, duties and taxes that are always applied when goods are shipped into Canada. This can be avoided to some extent by importing the parts personally.

I am in Canada and have been supplying parts to my Canadian customers since the mid 1970's. There are a few Canadian parts suppliers
that have been around for a number of years. We run into this issue often. It is only when a customer that has purchased in the US and finds that the shipping and customs broker charges cost nearly as much as the parts that they then look to purchase from a Canadian supplier.
It is a shame that our two countries do not have completely open trade borders but it comes down to both our governments needing more money every year to function.

In closing when customers from the US call my company I refer them to the appropriate US dealer for their parts and explain why it will save them unnecessary expense if anyone needs more information  please feel free to contact me.

Early Birds
Toronto Canada

[whiterabbit]

I live close enough to drive to Ames when I order parts from them (its a long drive but on oversized parts its worth it). I have often thought that their shipping is extremely high even on small parts. I say this because I also order a lot of parts from a supplier in California ( I live in Maine, BTW) and strangely their shipping has been less from the west coast for similar sized packages than what amounts to less than a 3 hour drive from the east coast. I realize that many dealers make a little money from shipping charges, however its my opinion that Ames does very well on the upcharges.

[JupiterBandit]

I had picked up a part from Ames. Got a left instead of a right. Called Ames, they mailed me off the correct part and I had it the next day. I've had great experiences from them. Some shipping you win on and some you lose but at the end of the day it all evens out.

[whiterabbit]

Same thing happened with me over a partial floor board... Oh i have no issue with their parts or their service; I do have the advantage of living within driving distance though. Its merely noteworthy that sometimes I am paying more (size being roughly equal) to ship a box from one state over compared to the entire country over. To clarify from my earlier post, I say 'shipping' but in reality the up charge is probably generated because of packing materials and estimated time it took the person packing it to do the job, etc.... I think they have gone a bit overboard with this and it's hurting their business regarding me. Smaller items I just buy elsewhere now. We are lucky enough to be able to comparison shop for most items and I consider shipping costs as part of the price.

[Burd Turd]

Ames is a reliable Pontiac vendor.   You need to move to the US. Oh Canada.