Fred P.

I was searching for a top for my Pioneer 700 when I stumbled across Partzilla. Their price beat my local dealership by about $30, so I decided to give them a shot. I was a little surprised that they offered free shipping since I'd not found that anywhere else, but I didn't question it. The order page showed free shipping, the email confirmation I received showed free shipping. I had an estimated ship date. Everything looked great.

Four days after my estimated ship date, I received an email from Partzilla informing me that I would need to pay an additional $172 in shipping to receive my item. When I complained that both the order page and my email confirmation told me that shipping was free, the Customer Service rep sent me a shipping clause that stated free shipping didn't apply to certain large items.

Now, I don't believe that a business should lose money on shipping. I do, however, believe that they should be up-front about it. Had it stated anywhere on the order page that my item did not qualify for free shipping and that I may be asked for a large shipping fee, I would have never placed the order, saving hassle for both me and Partzilla. The rep told me that they couldn't provide shipping at the time of order because they didn't know how much it would cost to ship. That may be true, though I doubt it. But they did know at the time of order that my item didn't qualify, and they could have informed me of that. It certainly shouldn't have said Shipping: FREE on my order page or confirmation.

I give them two stars only because they refunded my full purchase price within 24 hours of me refusing to pay the extra $172. That was the only positive in this experience. It's frustrating to think that you've found a good deal, only to discover a week later that you could have bought the part much cheaper locally and already have it on the bike.