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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / January 2005Problems with Xenon dealer?
My apologies for cross-posting to several automotive groups, but I am hopeful of finding feedback for a supplier of Xenon replacement lamps (who seems to have disappeared!) One of my cars (Mercedes CLK) has factory equipment Xenon headlamps (D2R Philips), and one of them died. To ensure uniform color match, I opted to replace both lamps at this time, ordering them "next day delivery" from what I had hoped was a reputable company (hid2go.com): http://www.hid2go.com/ My Credit Card was charged on the 11th, and I also have a confirmation email from the company. Their internal tracking number mentioned they were shipped on the 12th, but their site now reports that tracking number does not exist. I tried emailing them and leaving messages on their voicemail since the 12th, but have had no response from them?!? Before I report it to my credit card company as fraud and order from another company, I'd like to know if anyone here has dealt with them and what their experience has been. I'd not have so much angst were it not for the fact that I'm driving around with a headlamp out and no one has returned my messages. Thanks for any input! Paul --- http://www.astro-nut.com --- > One of my cars (Mercedes CLK) has factory equipment Xenon headlamps > (D2R Philips), and one of them died. To ensure uniform color match, I > opted to replace both lamps at this time, ordering them "next day > delivery" from what I had hoped was a reputable company (hid2go.com): > > http://www.hid2go.com/ Sorry, haven't had any personal experience with them. However, this eBay seller has a pretty good reputation. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7945117688&categor y=36476 >However, this eBay >seller has a pretty good reputation. I would think twice before dealing with someone that had 97.4 feedback. That's actually pretty bad. Atleast read the negative comments. Maybe all of his negs are from years ago when he was just starting out... > > However, this eBay > > seller has a pretty good reputation. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Maybe all of his negs are from years ago when he was just starting > out... Perhaps so, but since the OP was willing to deal with a seller with zero feedback.... I may just go the ebay route if the ones I ordered do not show up in a few more days. I see a couple of ebay sellers have new OEM Philips listed for $65 -$80 a pair... not bad, since the MB dealer wants $125 each (ouch!). The spectral range shifts during use, so they should either be replaced as a pair, or a color adjusted (labeled as "+") lamp should be used. Must've been those friggin' speed bumps that did the original lamp in (sigh!) Thanks for the input, Paul --- http://www.astro-nut.com --- >> > However, this eBay >> > seller has a pretty good reputation. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Perhaps so, but since the OP was willing to deal with a seller with zero > feedback.... You don't have a clue what you are talking about. With over 1,000 feedbacks on ebay, you always have the ebay newbie that posts -FB because he did not get something delivered YESTERDAY. Or the PITA person that you can not please NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. Or the buyer that DOES NOT READ THE DESCRIPTION.........Why do you think so many landed retail stores are now instituting a "no return" policy?..........It's called BUYER ABUSE ! ---------------------------------- >> I would think twice before dealing with someone that had 97.4 >> feedback. That's actually pretty bad. Atleast read the negative [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Perhaps so, but since the OP was willing to deal with a seller with zero > feedback.... Hey, I hear you! If the seller had 97.5% FB, then he'd be great! Idiot newbies are a constant. Experienced sellers should get out of the blame game and spend a little effort towards making the buyer happy. Sellers are always going to run into the idiots, but there are ways to smooth over these transactions as to not get NEGs. Nitpicky negative FB -- as childish as it is, usually occurs because the seller did *something* wrong; in the other cases I agree that the buyer wrongfully perceived some transgression. Some newbies choose not to learn the system - it can be overwhelming for a first time buyer to understand with the current TOS - then throw in the regular policy changes and the unwritten code of conduct between experienced Ebayers. As good as selling is on Ebay, I think sellers could raise their bottom line by striving for customer satisfaction. Those NEGs, legitimate or not, turn away the good type of customer who usually does his homework and pays immediately without a fuss. > Hey, I hear you! If the seller had 97.5% FB, then he'd be great! This is crap. 97.4 is a poor feedback score. Any reputable seller that deals above board and tries to please there customers will have a feedback approaching 100% I know a dishonest a.shole seller personally that has one of these 97.5 feedbacks. Read the comments and judge for yourself. Marty PS I think the original poster should relax and I bet his lamps show up on Monday :~) Ummmm... I'm the original poster. The lamps were not ordered via ebay but from an online dealer ( http://www.hid2go.com/ ) My angst, as noted in the original posting, was due to the fact that the lamps were to be shipped overnight, but it's been almost a week since the shipping confirmation (I've got a headlight out, remember?). The company has not responded to my emails or telephone messages. I can deal with the $220 if they never show up... I just want my friggin' headlamps to work! All I sought here was input from anyone else who might have dealt with the company. Paul --- http://www.astro-nut.com --- >> Hey, I hear you! If the seller had 97.5% FB, then he'd be great! > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > PS I think the original poster should relax and I bet his lamps show up > on Monday :~) >Ummmm... I'm the original poster. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >headlamps to work! All I sought here was input from anyone else who might >have dealt with the company. Just out of curiousity, did they give you a tracking number?? If so, what does it say when you put it in their tracking page? http://stores.hid2go.com/Service.bok Also, they list a customer service telephone number, do they ever pick up?? >>Ummmm... I'm the original poster. >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Also, they list a customer service telephone number, do they ever pick > up?? From the original post: "Their internal tracking number mentioned they were shipped on the 12th, but their site now reports that tracking number does not exist. I tried emailing them and leaving messages on their voicemail since the 12th, but have had no response from them?!?" Mike You should be replying to mjc. You are actually agreeing with me. Please see the rest of my comment if you wish to see my feelings on subpar sellers. The FB number "97.5%" was chosen for a very specific reason. Have a pepsi and relax! > > Hey, I hear you! If the seller had 97.5% FB, then he'd be great! > > This is crap. > > 97.4 is a poor feedback score. Any reputable seller that deals above > board and tries to please there customers will have a feedback > approaching 100% [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Marty You should be replying to mjc. You are actually agreeing with me. Please see the rest of my comment if you wish to see my feelings on subpar sellers. The FB number "97.5%" was chosen for a very specific reason. Have a pepsi and relax! "This is crap. 97.4 is a poor feedback score. Any reputable seller that deals above board and tries to please there customers will have a feedback approaching 100%" That's just silly. What do you think the feedback is for retailers like Best Buy or Circuit City? Go check out Bizrate.com that solicits feedback for online purchases and you'll see these major stores have about an 85% satisfaction rating. Given the venue of Ebay and that a lot of stuff sold is used, a 97.4% feedback is pretty damn good. You can't please everyone, no matter what. I was recently looking at a Ebay vendor who had a rating of about 97% that was a large volume closeout shop, selling returns, open boxes, etc from major retailers. I took a look at the negatives he had and the second one was from a guy who paid $275 dollars for a used notebook PC. Pulled up the description, and there are disclaimers all over the place. Like, unit has no power supply, never powered it up, don't know if it works, has a few cracked keys, sold as is, no warranty, no returns, etc. So, the jerk buys it for $275 and then is pissed off because it doesn't work and the vendor won't refund. Who's fault is that? > "This is crap. > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > jerk buys it for $275 and then is pissed off because it doesn't work > and the vendor won't refund. Who's fault is that? Nonsense. Look at reputable sellers. Look at there feedback scores. If you plainly post that something is as it is, and someone is too stupid to read it, that might get you negative feedback, true, but it isn't credible feedback. Read the specifics of sellers feedback to gain a picture of what is up. There are many fine sellers with thousands of transactions under there belts with feedbacks over 99. This proves your theory is sh.t. Did you bother to take the time to go look at the feedback on Bizrate.com for Best Buy, CircuitCity, CompUSA as I suggested, or are you just too lazy? If you did, you'd see they have overall positive feedback of 85%. Does that make them unreputable? According to you it would. And I guess you don't realize that all feedback gets counted, whether it's credible or not. Anyone who thinks 97.5% positive feedback on Ebay is poor either hasn't done much on Ebay or else is in dreamland. Most established and successful reputable retailers have satisfaction ratings well below your magic 99%, which if you had any business sense, would realize is perfectly normal. > Did you bother to take the time to go look at the feedback on > Bizrate.com for Best Buy, CircuitCity, CompUSA as I suggested, or are [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > ratings well below your magic 99%, which if you had any business sense, > would realize is perfectly normal. This is pure bullshit. Most succesful and established ebayers that are reputable have feedback scores over 99% Doing lots of successful transaction gets you there, despite the idiots. I have never used eBay before, but I order a lot of computer parts online. Pricewatch.com list the ratings of different companies based on customer feedback. I have found that the % rating is rather meaningless without looking at how many people have posted feedback and what the commonly reported shortcomings are. A dealer could have a 100% rating, but only because all 3 of their FBs were positive. -BBB > You don't have a clue what you are talking about. With over 1,000 > feedbacks on ebay, you always have the ebay newbie that posts -FB because [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >> Perhaps so, but since the OP was willing to deal with a seller with zero >> feedback.... >I have never used eBay before, but I order a lot of computer parts online. >Pricewatch.com list the ratings of different companies based on customer >feedback. I have found that the % rating is rather meaningless without >looking at how many people have posted feedback and what the commonly >reported shortcomings are. A dealer could have a 100% rating, but only >because all 3 of their FBs were positive. The problem with Pricewatch and other such review sites is that the feedback they report is totally independent of the actually buyer-seller transaction. It is collected on a voluntary basis from a very small, insignificant number of buyers. Those that do leave feedback are often very polar in their opinions. On the other hand, feedback on Ebay is an integral part of their entire system of connecting buyers and sellers in an auction environment. Feedback is not just collected for sellers, but for buyers as well. Since many transactions are single-item auctions, it is important that the buyer have a good rating so the seller knows he will be paid timely and as required. Of course the buyer wants to buy from a seller with a good rating so he knows he will get what he pays for. Every transaction that occurs there is "expected" to result in feedback for both. Of course there is no "requirement" that either leave feedback for the other, but it is such an ingrained part of the system that it does happen most of the time. I buy and sell on Ebay and have a 100% rating. As a buyer, I always pay quickly. As a seller, I always accurately describe my merchandise, I pack it well, ship it as quickly after payment as possible, and I communicate with the buyer to thank them for their business and supply shipment tracking information. I am not a power seller; I simply sell "junk" that I no longer need. I do expect that I will deal eventually deal with some nut-case buyer that will ding me for something stupid. I have also purchased merchandise from sellers that have had less than a 100% rating, but only after I read some of the comments to see what others say. The bottom line is that Ebay feedback is a key part of the business conducted there, unlike the unsolicited feedback on Pricewatch and other "independent" review sites. -- - RODNEY That may be true of Pricewatch, but Bizrate does the survey by contacting the purchaser right at the time of the transaction. I don't know whether they solicit feedback from all buyers from a particular vendor, but if the sample size is large enough, it should have some validity. But I do agree, they are more likely to have someone participate that had a bungled transaction. But that's somewhat true on Ebay too. Not everyone leaves feedback, but if a transaction goes wrong, they are far more likely to do so. If you look at the feedback at Bizrate for the CC, BB. etc, a lot of the negatives are bogus. A classic example is: "Found the item later for less somewhere else, they ripped me off!" Which is why expecting 99% positive to be considered a decent vendor is crazy. I just pulled up the Ebay rating for Sears Ebay Store. Guess what? It's 95.9%. So, by MJ's 99% golden standard, Sears is an unreliable, crappy vendor too. > That may be true of Pricewatch, but Bizrate does the survey by > contacting the purchaser right at the time of the transaction. I don't > know whether they solicit feedback from all buyers from a particular > vendor, but if the sample size is large enough, it should have some > validity. That's true and I believe Bizrate is probably a better gauge than Pricewatch and others. Bizrate generally surveys the buyer right after the order is placed, and then again after enough time for the product to have been delivered. This can help separate problems with shipping from problems with placing the order. Then again, most companies that use Bizrate are the larger commercial e-tailers, where a lot of business on Ebay is transacted through individuals and small "part-time" operations. > But I do agree, they are more likely to have someone > participate that had a bungled transaction. But that's somewhat true > on Ebay too. Not everyone leaves feedback, but if a transaction goes > wrong, they are far more likely to do so. True, but I have found, in my Ebay dealings, that feedback is left about 85% of the time, and if you don't get it, asking nicely will usually result in about 95% of all transactions receiving feedback. Leaving feedback on Ebay is very quick and easy, and for those that fully utilize the "My Ebay" screen, it actually prompts you to do it. Feedback on Ebay is limited to a "good/bad/indifferent" rating and then a short text message. Bizrate is an online survey, which takes several minutes to complete. Bizrate often appears as a pop-up. I am sure this hurts their completion rate, but then again, if it is a totally random sample of enough participants, then the information would be valid. > If you look at the feedback > at Bizrate for the CC, BB. etc, a lot of the negatives are bogus. A [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > It's 95.9%. So, by MJ's 99% golden standard, Sears is an unreliable, > crappy vendor too. I totally agree that expecting only a 99% score would be ludicrous. I don't know that I could even put a number on my buy/no-buy threshold. I think it would depend on what the comments were. For example, if I found a seller with a 99% rating, but all the negatives were from buyers who never received their merchandise and never got any response from the seller, I might be a little wary. If the rating was 95%, but it was a bunch of rantings like "found it cheaper" or "box delivered crushed", then I would be less concerned. By the way, as an Ebay seller, I usually look at buyer's ratings, too. If I have a bidder with a low rating, I read the comments and often communicate with them before the close. I won't refuse anyone's bid unless they are just a total deadbeat.  Signature- RODNEY > f I found a seller with a 99% rating, but all the negatives were from > buyers who never received their merchandise and never got any response > from the seller, I might be a little wary. If the rating was 95%, but > it was a bunch of rantings like "found it cheaper" or "box delivered > crushed", then I would be less concerned. I agree completely, the quality of the actual feedback messages must be considered especially when dealing with someone who hasn't done a ton of transactions. Marty > just pulled up the Ebay rating for Sears Ebay Store. Guess what? > It's 95.9%. So, by MJ's 99% golden standard, Sears is an unreliable, > crappy vendor too. Is that news to you? >That may be true of Pricewatch, but Bizrate does the survey by >contacting the purchaser right at the time of the transaction. Bizrate's surveys, the last time I consented to fill one out, are so damned long, interminable, and irritating that I used the comments box to say so. I said that I would refuse to fill out another one until they made it shorter and more succinct, and when I checked not too long ago, it didn't look any better. "I have never used eBay before, but I order a lot of computer parts online. Pricewatch.com list the ratings of different companies based on customer feedback. I have found that the % rating is rather meaningless without looking at how many people have posted feedback and what the commonly reported shortcomings are. A dealer could have a 100% rating, but only because all 3 of their FBs were positive." I agree, which is why it's silly to say that a vendor with a feedback rating of 97.5, like the OP bought from is unacceptable. If you look at feedback, you'll see enough negatives, including for things that were beyone the sellers control, like shipping problems, that a rating of 97.5% is pretty damn good. And as you pointed out, you need to make sure there are enough feedbacks so that the rating has relevancy to begin with. While anyone canpurchase Zenon gas headlight bulbs in blue or clear, true H.I.D. conversion kits are mainly for motorcycles and com complete with reflector. MB sells asan expensive option true H.I.D. headlights. These light require aparticular style reflector for the low beams that is not available in the aftermarket. P. > My apologies for cross-posting to several automotive groups, but I am > hopeful of finding feedback for a supplier of Xenon replacement lamps (who [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > --- http://www.astro-nut.com --- Uhhh no one is talking about a XENON (NOT Zenon) aftermarket kit, they are just talking about the bulbs. These do NOT need to be MB to give you true Xenon. No ones replacing a lens or reflector or anything like that. MB just rips you off as does any BMW, Nissan, etc dealership. Deep > While anyone canpurchase Zenon gas headlight bulbs in blue or clear, true > H.I.D. conversion kits are mainly for motorcycles and com complete with [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > > > --- http://www.astro-nut.com --- >Uhhh no one is talking about a XENON (NOT Zenon) aftermarket kit, they are >just talking about the bulbs. These do NOT need to be MB to give you true >Xenon. No ones replacing a lens or reflector or anything like that. MB just >rips you off as does any BMW, Nissan, etc dealership. > >Deep What is the status of this???.....did he ever get his bulbs??? has the company ever replied???....did he get his money back (dispute on credit card)??? >Curtis Newton wrote: > > What is the status of this???.....did he ever get his bulbs??? has > the company ever replied???....did he get his money back (dispute on > credit card)??? The lamps never came, my email and voicemail messages were never returned, and the credit card company has credited the amount back to my account. It wasn't too difficult to establish, as the merchant (AKA: www.hid2go.com ) never made the overnight shipment, hence did not have a USPS or other (UPS/FEDEX) tracking number proving they had in fact been sent. Another poster suggested that those lamps (6000K) might actually provide less illumination than the OEM 4300K lamps. Son of a gun, checking the Philips and Osram data sheets showed he was absolutely correct! I also did not know that the bulbs shift a tad to the blue part of the spectrum as they age (as well as losing intensity), and OEM replacement lamps are available to match that changed spectrum (labeled as "+"). Furthermore, the merchants site and another touted those ordered lamps as D2R replacements, although they do not have the standard D2R shield. Ergo, they might work okay in projector type headlamps (D2S), but would have cast a defocused image of the return electrode if used in my reflector type headlamps (translation: they'd suck big-time!) In any event, I ordered a pair of new OEM Philips D2R lamps from ebay... $71 delivered for the pair (WooHoo!), and DO have a valid tracking number. So it actually worked out to my benefit that the first merchant was a schmuk! :o) At least with ebay we've got some semblance of a system to determine if the guy has generally been honest, and a method to pillory him public if he's not. Cheers, Paul --- http://www.astro-nut.com --- Give Matt a call at /www.umnitza.com Give Matt a call at www.umnitza.com |
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