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Just a heads up guys,
I just had a bad experience with Jim Carter Antique Truck Parts today - the first time in over 15 years of doing business with them!
If you happen to order parts from them, watch out if any itema are backordered. Everytime a backordered item is shipped you get billed for the shipping. Since almost 1/3 of the items I odered had to be backordered, they "absorbed" one of the items I bought to pay for all the shipping charges - this was on top of the $38 of shipping fees I had already paid at the time of the initial order! The whole thing cost me an additional $50 for shipping! When I asked them about I was told I was just one of those customer that cannot be happy!
I guess I've been spoiled by all the great service I've had at the Filling Station
For what it's worth...

I'm a little confused which is not hard to do. You say they absorbed one of the items you bought to cover the shipping charges, but you also state they charged an additional $ 50.00 over and above the $ 38.00. Does this mean that they charged you seperate shipping on each of the backordered items as they came in or did they waive the additional shipping charges by not charging you for an item?
Richard

Sorry for the confusion.
I received part of my order then they charged me shipping for each backordered item as it was shipped out (one piece at a time). The total shipping kept growing until it exceeded the original amount I sent in for shipping, plus the cost of one of the items I already paid for (that was also backordered) plus more on top of that. This was a circus. I have never heard of any business collecting for shipping charges the time the order was taken, backordering the parts, and then charging the customer more shipping fees because they didn't have the parts in stock.
Lessons learned I guess.
Jim

I have done business with Jim Carter's for years and have always found them to be reasonable. I agree that your situation is unacceptable!! I would contact Jim by e-mail or telephone and explain the situation. No company will survive that style of customer service. Backorders happen, but they should hold all backorders and ship one time, if customer agrees, cancel order or absorb the shipping ,IMHO.
Richard

Unfortunately, they're not the only ones with this practice. Chevs of the 40s now charges you separately for shipping each time one of your backordered parts get shipped to you. As you note, if there are a number of backordered items, this can involve 2-3 different shipments with shipping billed for each one. I believe you can ask them to hold all your parts until they are all available to avoid the additional shipping charges, but that can potentially delay your whole order for quite a while.

I had to tell Chevs of the 40s if any part is back ordered let me know before shipping,I would order only one part I actually needed but found others I can use to make the order worth paying shipping costs but usually the part I need is the only one back ordered and I get the stuff I could live without.

What I do is e-mail one of the four places ( f/s, 40's' os,and I&I TO see witch one has all the parts I need. I also let each one know if they don't have all my needs, i'll be checking with other vendors to get a complet order. Most of the time I can get a complete order....

hi. i just came across your post because i was searching for some aftermarket truck parts that i can maybe use.. since i am here might as well ask if anyone might know where else i can find one on the internet to compare? thanks.

What parts are you looking to find?