Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  As you can see, this business has numerous complaints against them already. I'm not surprised. I WAS GOUGED ON S/H FEES and experienced utter dishonesty and gaslighting from them, especially a woman named **** at the company, along with poor customer service in terms of getting back to me in a timely way.They quoted me an improper shipping fee and did not disclose the handling fee, which was about 3x as much as the shipping cost. I discovered the actual shipping cost by giving the package to my local postmaster who told me how much it actually costed. When I told them about it, they have refused to reimburse me for the incorrect shipping fee and the hidden handling fees and instead try to blame me, which is ridiculous, since it's all in writing between us. BUYER BEWARE OF INACCURATE SHIPPING FEES AND HIDDEN HANDLING FEES IF YOU DECIDE TO DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY.

  Business response

  08/19/2024

  The customer was charged for the two items plus shipping. After the invoice was initially sent, the customer asked for a reduction in price on either the shipping or the item. We let him know we have to charge what we charge to pay for the time it took the employees to uninstall the used parts, package, and take them to the post office. The customer approved the invoice by paying for it, if he did not want to pay for the shipping, he did not have to purchase these items from us. After the item was received the customer requested a refund on approximately 2/3 of the shipping price. We  stated we are not able to issue refunds on shipping especially after items are received. We offered to refund the customer in full if they shipped the parts back to us. We're sorry that the customer feels like this is unfair, but we are not able to offer wholesale shipping costs. 

  Customer response

  08/21/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:

  I will not do business with this company again. Their last response is the same reasoning Pop-Top Heaven gave to me in email between us, and they continue to ignore the facts and evidence and make any changes to be fair to customers. That discussion is attached (if it is allowed), as is my invoice, which shows the shipping charge but not the hidden exorbitant handling fee, which was undisclosed to me. Here is the rest of my response, in a nutshell. my responses are marked by an asterisk*:

  The customer was charged for the two items plus shipping. After the invoice was initially sent, the customer asked for a reduction in price on either the shipping or the item. We let him know we have to charge what we charge to pay for the time it took the employees to uninstall the used parts, package, and take them to the post office.

  *This is false. I was charged shipping and a hidden, non-disclosed handling fee (see attached invoice only says "shipping" and not S/H). The shipping fee was appox. $8 (I had my local postmaster scan the code to determine this). I was told by the company that the shipping cost was ***** and that there was no wiggle room because, and I quote the employee, "We don't have any wiggle room in the shipping quote since this was provided to us via ****.com." So, I trusted that and grudgingly paid what seemed to be an exorbitant and inflated shipping fee. When I got the package I found out that, sure enough, the $***** was not the shipping cost the company got from **** (the package was feather light). When I questioned the employee about it, she said that the $***** included a handling fee. I said, well then it's not true what you said about the shipping cost, and you never disclosed a handling cost (again, note the invoice). Finally, I don't even think they had to pay employees to "uninstall the used parts" because I was previously told that they had a lot items marked "handles" (indicating they were already loose). Regardless, if you charge a handling fee, fine, but you need to disclose it (which they did not) and be honest and accurate about the shipping fee.

   The customer approved the invoice by paying for it, if he did not want to pay for the shipping, he did not have to purchase these items from us.

  *This not entirely true. I approved an amount that I was falsely told was the shipping fee. So, I grudgingly agreed to a falsified fee.

  After the item was received the customer requested a refund on approximately 2/3 of the shipping price.

  *Yes, that 2/3 was their undisclosed handling fee! It is 3x the amount of the shipping cost :/ and they don't disclose that.

  We  stated we are not able to issue refunds on shipping especially after items are received.

  *Yes, they did, and I told them that they are obligated to issue a refund because the shipping fee was falsified.

   We offered to refund the customer in full if they shipped the parts back to us.

  *Almost accurate: they offered a "full" refund but would not cover my cost to return the items. It's a bogus offer anyway, because, as I told them already, I was not dissatisfied with the items, just their dishonest "shipping" cost. When the manager wrote me back she confused me with another customer who was ordering awnings (I ordered handles) and also seemed to be complaining about the shipping fee.

  We're sorry that the customer feels like this is unfair, but we are not able to offer wholesale shipping costs. 

  *Ironically, they are the ones who told me that shipping would be "wholesale," which was the same price they got from ****. Their arguments amount to gaslighting and plain dishonesty. I have gone to this trouble out of principle and to warn other buyers, because every buyer I know dislikes being gouged for shipping and handling.
  
  Sincerely, **********************

  
  

  Business response

  08/26/2024

      The invoice for the parts, tax, and shipping was presented to the customer with the total we would be collecting for our product and shipping. The customer paid the invoice and the product was shipped. The total price was disclosed, there were no additional surprise or hidden fees after the invoice was paid for. The customer received the items and told us he was pleased with the parts. We have offered a full refund for the returned parts and original shipping costs if unsatisfied, but the customer has refused. 

      The customer has decided that we should only give them a wholesale price on shipping, which we are unable to do. When we explained to the customer that the shipping charges cover our time to package, transport to the post office, and ship the package he has now decided that these are hidden fees. My employees went above and beyond to make these otherwise unavailable parts available to him. We are a small business and it is our busy time of the year. We let him know it could be up to a week before we could find out if we had the parts available for him, as we have a lot going on as an RV dealership in the summer months. Otherwise our correspondence was within a few business days every time, and most of the time within 24hrs, which is well within reason in my opinion.

       In the meantime he was snarky, disrespectful, and condescending to my female employees in the front office that really went out of their way to help him get what he needed. As I took the time to read through his correspondence with them, it became clear that perhaps he has been trying to set us up this whole time to try and get the parts and/or shipping for free. He repeatedly asked for pricing adjustments and we had declined to give a further discount after already charging less because he was purchasing 2 items. I was further disenchanted by the email correspondence with his attitude toward them and I will not tolerate it. If I had known how he was treating them, I would not have let them help this customer further because I do not believe anyone should deal with disrespectful individuals, life is stressful enough as it is. We wish him peace and positivity. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a 2002 Volkswagen EuroVan for $42,700 from Pop Top Heaven (PTH) of Yucaipa in Sept. 2020, paying an additional amount for PTH's 'Premium Package' which was to include reconditioning of the van and their 2 year/24,000 mile powertrain service contract (warranty). The original estimated delivery date was delayed and I took delivery in June 2021. At that time a one-year service contract with PTH's chosen service company was provided and I was informed that PTH could only purchase the contract in a one-year increment and it was suggested that I contact PTH one month prior to the expiry as a reminder re: renewal. Upon doing so, I was informed that to PTH's surprise, the contracted service company was no longer allowing them to renew contracts for vehicles over 10 years old and that PTH was sending me a check for $1,350, originally stating that they were providing 75% of the value for the remaining time they had offered. In discussing this with a company rep, I noted that this made no sense and that I bought the vehicle and the Premium Package from PTH so I could have some peace of mind. The next time the rep got back to me, it was to say that the $1,350 was the amount that PTH would have paid for a contract renewal (NOTE: the contract expired 6/30/22 and denotes a $2,723 price tag). To make matters worse, I was advised that I probably could not find another contract to cover the vehicle. I have only put 8,000 additional miles on the van. Discussion with a Volkswagen dealership in my area suggests that service contracts for a 2002 EuroVan with my van's mileage exist, but not for $1,350. PTH may have run into an unforeseen issue w/ their service contractor of choice, but that doesn't relieve PTH of their contractual obligations to their customers. I have not cashed the check and will happily return it. PTH needs to provide me with an additional year of service contract/warranty for the vehicle or they are in breach of contract. Full documentation is avail.

  Business response

  07/13/2022

  According to my sales manager ****, ******* vehicle qualified for a service contract, but only for 1 year at a time with the option to renew annually.  By the time her contract expired, AUL had changed their policy so that her vehicle was no longer eligible for coverage.  As a result of the product no longer being available, **** refunded her the cost of renewing the policy.  If a product is no longer available, we cannot offer it.  AUL was the only company we could find who would issue a service contract for a Eurovan conversion, and we were an exception based on our reputation and the amount of work we do prior to delivery to a customer. If we had an alternative, we would provide it.  

  
  

  ***** has threatened legal action against us, and I normally refer the rare people who do so to our attorney.  I’m taking the time to respond personally because I think I’ve been fair.  There is literally no financial or other gain for my company, and at this point she’s asking for the impossible because the product she’s requesting does not exist.  

  
  

  As per ******* other complaint regarding the amount of the refund.  That was an honest miscommunication between **** and ********.  ******** is a relatively new employee, unfamiliar with all of our products.  When someone cancels his or her policy without using it, they receive 75% of the remaining cost as per the term.  ***** actually received 100% of the cost, for which we are happy to provide documentation.  Since she did not pay retail for the product, she received the actual cost of the product.  The amount we charge when we sell a contract is more than our cost.  This is called business.  Our cost is fixed and lower than many other providers because we purchase a large number of policies, and our vehicles are reconditioned prior to delivery so the likelihood of an issue arising is diminished.  

  
  

  She was refunded, and the product she is requesting is no longer available.  I'm not sure what else I can do at this point.  I am willing to discuss a reasonable resolution with Rhoda, but not under threat.  My suggestion is she contact our attorney, whose information is available upon request.  Thank you for your time.

  Customer response

  07/17/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  

  While the respondent states that ‘AUL was the only company we could find who would issue a service contract for a EuroVan conversion', it sounds as though that was in the past; and goes on to state that if PTH had an alternative, they would provide it. Yet there is no reference or response to my reference to discussions with my local VW dealership (2 individuals, 2 separate instances) regarding alternative coverage available for my vehicle, leaving me with the impression that PTH just can't be bothered with anything that falls outside their normal routine. In addition, while I would like to see documentation regarding the cost for the expired AUL policy ($1,350 versus the $2,723 denoted on policy), that is rather a moot point. I do not want a rebate, but some effort from PTH to stand by their inclusion of a 2 year/24,000 mile service contract in their Premium Package which was in place at the time of my purchase by finding and contracting with an alternative service contract provider.

  So again, to be clear, I am not 'asking for a product that no longer exists' (an AUL policy - AUL was not even mentioned in the Premium Package language), but for a policy from a different provider which would still allow PTH to meet the contractual agreement.

  Interestingly, when I looked at a PTH sale listing and clicked on a 1999 EuroVan Full Camper with 186,000 miles (older than mine and with higher mileage) it is being offered with a service contract as follows:' 3 month/3,000 mile included. Eligible for 12 months/12,000 mile or greater'. Other vehicles offered for sale had the same language. I was informed that PTH could not renew coverage for a second year for my vehicle as it was over 10 years old on May 5, 2022. I received the listing with the 'eligible for 12 months/12,000 mile or greater' language on May 20, 2022. I don't know who PTH is purchasing these service contracts from (PTH 's website still references AUL), whether the provider is more flexible re: coverage periods for vehicles older than and with more mileage than mine, but PTH seems to potentially be offering new buyers an extended service contract option that they tell me they are no longer able to provide to me. Are annual renewals still required or are multi-year service contracts now available/required?

  I don't know the answers to these questions, but I know that I gave my business to PTH so I could have some peace of mind that a reconditioned vehicle would be less likely to have operational issues and also for the assurance that there was some extended warranty should certain issues arise within 24,000 miles or 2 years and sadly, that is not what I have gotten to date. And just to clarify, I have not threatened legal action against PTH. I stated that I was conferring with an attorney, which I did to firm up my understanding of breaches of contract. I have continued attempts to resolve this issue, including a June 23, 2022 email for which there was no response and now this complaint through the BBB process. It is not unreasonable for a buyer to ask for what was contracted for.  

   

  
  

  Business response

  07/29/2022

  Again, it has nothing to do with issuing a service contract on a newly reconditioned vehicle....it has to do with renewing a contract.  AUL already has the VIN, they know a service contract has been issued, and they changed their policy so that it can not be renewed.  To renew it, we'd need to lie and say we sold it again....to the same person.  Even if she'd contacted us before it was expired, we would have checked and found out about the policy change (I'm not sure about the exact date of the policy change but I can find out).  We already have a great relationship with Timmon's VW.  We will contact them next week to see what they have to offer, but it's not likely they can offer a service contract on vehicles they haven't sold and inspected/repaired through their dealership.  The customer has already threatened legal action against my company, which would normally flip the switch.  The only reason I'm responding is because I sincerely care about customer service, being a customer myself.  This is the most unpleasant interaction I've had in 17 years in business.  If this isn't resolved, I really don't care what the BBB posts about my company.  We do the right thing, even if people don't believe us.

  Customer response

  08/02/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution response is satisfactory to me. I'll trust that Pop Top Heaven (PTH) will follow up with ******* Volkswagen (*******) as they stated. I've always understood that a renewed service contract with AUL was not an option; therefore, I appreciate PTH reaching out to ******* or any other potential service contract provider(s). Please be advised that ******* informed me that they would be able to sell me a service contract despite me not having purchased the vehicle from them.  All ******* had asked me for was the vehicle's make, model year, and mileage. If PTH secures a service contract I'm more than happy to return the $1,350 check to PTH.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩