Amberectomy - BUYER BEWARE: XenonMods.com

Hello Rennlist! Allow me to vent and please keep this in mind when shopping online! Especially when shopping at XenonMods.com I've been having a very negative ongoing experience with XenonMods.com (in particular, with Rich Calnan). It is posted below in hopes of keeping fellow 996 owners on watch for similar shady business practices. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When inquiring into light bulb part numbers, prior to my purhcase, Rich was extremely quick in responding to my emails. Amazing how quickly things change after money switches hands. October 29th I purchased 6 bulbs off his website and received an email confirming the purchase (my credit card was immediately charged). After two weeks of receiving nothing, I sent multiple emails asking for a tracking number for the bulbs. I heard nothing back. I contacted my credit card company and reversed the charges. Weeks pass. December 14th 2009 A package arrives, dated DECEMBER 10th 2009! Shortly thereafter, I receive an email from Rich containing accusatory terms such as "scammer" for reversing the charge. After communicating with him and finding out the charges were in fact, reversed, I immediately sent the unopened package back to him and promptly provided him with a tracking number. Today Fast forward to today, January 15th. I get a letter from my credit card company that he is STILL fighting to have my account charged! Rich has offered no excuse and no apology for his atrocious customer service and has left me questioning his business integrity. I wish I had this information before starting this entire transaction. Good luck with your decision!

Thanks for posting this herein. That's why the Rennlist exists--to surface the names of the deadbeats out there.

I have only had one buying experience with Xenonmods and it went off without a hitch.

Quotes source post: 7227560

yeah, I just emailed him to get his side of the story. Figured he should have the chance to defend himself

I have bought a few items from Xenonmods with no issues.

sad - I bought from them and tell people about their products regularly... never had or heard of an issue. Then again I have heard they do from time to time............ when I last spoke to them they said they were focusing on customers form thier own website and had given the ebay folks the back seat. I didnt quite understand how a customer could be anything more then "a customer" no matter where they found your product from. Anyhow, IMO you had the bulbs, why didnt you just keep them..... too pissed to let them have your business?

Quotes source post: 7227892

Yep

like I said before - sad....they "had" a good deal going, I hope they fifure it out before it costs them more than your business... GL on the new vendor and please post up your findings so we all can have the option of where to buy as well.

Quotes source post: 7227892

And FYI, I bought the bulbs directly from the website. Issues surface in all businesses. I understand this. I worked in customer service for several years. But an honest business does not fight to collect money on a product that has been returned - especially when the package was sent 42 days after it had been ordered, (20 days after I cancelled the order). Sounds like some people have been treated properly-- and that's great. Like I said: good luck.

We dont roast until we have all the fuel. After we hear his side we will kindle the fire and roast the proper party.

its surprising how a $30 transaction can be the reason you loose your business - but it can be if enough people hear about it..... I am hopeful they do something to make it right AND offer the reason for the issue OR we find a new dealer who isnt willing to act that way.

Quotes source post: 7228150

By all means. But I won't hold my breath waiting (again).

Quotes source post: 7228152

I concur 110% At the very least, hopefully their practices will not be shoveled onto another. But no reason has been given AND the situation is not being made right. After all, they're still barking at my credit card company. And I don't know why - Rich has the bulbs AND I'm out the shipping fee! LoL

Quotes source post: 7228152

Obviously he isn't as bright as his bulbs, as it cost the merchant $20 to fight a chargeback, win or lose! He's already out $20 and if he continues it will cost him at the very minimum $50 to challenge it. (Ask me how I know!!!) I have an e-commerce business and when you deal with chargebacks you have to know when to throw in the towel - right or wrong! Tony

Quotes source post: 7228419

Makes sense. However, Rick has been in possession of a tracking number since January 4th (and therefore, knows his light bulbs are in his PO Box), he is perpetrating a fraud against my credit card company by fighting this! Pretty serious.

Here is his personal response to me. He admits he ****ed up. Here is his reply. I believe it. Why would he continue to chase the money after he got his parts back? Do you have any idea what kind of PITA that is? I don't have a side on this one. I screwed up the shipping. He filed a charge back with his credit card against me. (not with Paypal so it could be resolved, with the credit card directly). I provided tracking number to the charge back through Paypal. Charge back was reversed in his favor, and he had the bulbs. I awaited return of the bulbs as he promised, and I got them. He's got his money back and I've got the bulbs in hand. Aside from the initial screw up, doesn't look like a big deal at all. (p.s.- I'm not continuing to fight the charge back, it was a Paypal transaction so they fight it on my behalf and I can't stop them. It's all between them and the CC company now) Feel free to post this response on your message board. Thanks, Rich

In light of that response, I will retract my statement about his fradulent behavior in continuing to demand payment. But the appalling level of customer service stands true and has never been explained. I think you'd agree with me -- one shouldn't have to reverse charges (with his/her CC company or with paypal) to get goods (or an email) from a seller. You know what I mean? But as I stated perviously, hopefully no one else on here will have to go through the same aggravation! Good luck.

I've never bought from Rich but he's been around for a few years and gets lots of good press here but every once and a while he seems to slip up and when he does it seems to get handled poorly. To bad because if he had just admitted he screwed up but was trying to make it right his reputation wouldn't get so blemished. Seen similar "buyer beware" posts regarding Xenonmods on other forums as well. https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-...ight=xenonmods https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ight=xenonmods

Quotes source post: 7236464

I understand your stance 100%. I can surely understand why you popped a fuse when you thought he was still trying to collect from the CC company. But we all **** up once in a while. Hopefully he is just having some growing pains and is under staffed. In that awkward stage of too big for one but too small for 2. I am a small business owner and if you have 3 hours let me tell you how hard it is to please everyone and not screw one up once in a while.... I think he did what was right in the end. You got your money, he got his bulbs. Maybe in a little while you can kiss and make up. PS and he has a point, you filed the charge back with your CC company not paypal. at that point you kinda took the control away from him to properly issue you a refund. Thus amplifying the whole situation... No I am not saying its your fault. But it could have been eaiser.

Quotes source post: 7236928

There are multiple people working at that business. Look, there's a difference between "screwing up" and blatantly ignoring a customer who has paid. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse on this issue but it is completely inexcusable! Out of curiousity, what exactly did he "do" in the end that was right? Would it be refunding my money? Because he didn't (how could he when he refused to respond) Come on. Lets not kid ourselves. What he did do was send the package after the funds were removed so that he'd have a leg to stand on when demanding $$$$. And are you kidding me about Paypal vs. my CC company? Why on God's green earth would I give a seller control over a situation that he has not been able to handle? Clearly the task of communicating the whereabouts of the bulbs was too difficult, exactly like the task of SENDING the bulbs. But for some reason I should have trusted him to make it right? C'mon man, be reasonable.