Disappointed experience with Relations Race Wheels

Had a less than stellar experience with Ray from relations race wheels. I'm in the market for new wheels and about a month ago I come across the relations race wheel thread in the wheels and tires marketplace. Price point looks good with the 25% and occasional 30% off deal. Being that its local enough to pickup, I can save on shipping. So, I go on the website and add some wheels to my shopping cart to get a total price after the discount and taxes. I spent the last few weeks deciding on which style to get based on my budget.

Fast forward to last week, I hit up Ray inquiring about purchasing a set of wheels. He gives me his number and request that I text him on what I was interested in. Having a text log comes in handy for instances like this. Now, I'm not saying that his wheels are crap, just how he handled the situation could have been better. Also, I wasn't expecting him to set aside a set for me, because who knows, I could have flaked and he could have made a sale instead. Money talks.

Anyway, here's our message coversation.

 

Great documentation. A prime example of a shady business doing bait & switches.

 

Sounds to me like their website glitched with the promo code. I could see it going either way. I have had orders go through and then the vendor cancels when they realized what happened, and I have had others honor the goof. I have even seen major retailers goof and cancel orders, not just small companies.

 

The discount has been fairly consistent with 25% off. The discount code used to be posted on his thread, until he edited the thread change how people obtain said discount.

 

I've been on the site trying to order in the past few days too. It clearly states that the custom colors are ineligible for promos... which sounds like a glitch to me if you got all the way to the checkout screen. Gotta side with the shop here man sorry. People gotta eat, bills and taxes need to be paid...

 

I was with you up until you got to the point of telling the vendor he had to sell you the wheels at the internet price. There is no legal requirement for that. If you can spend $705 on wheels you can afford the extra $45.

 

Glitch or not, the business should of honored that price. I understand a business needs to make money etc... but, in the long run, customer service is crucial for a business. Eating 50 bucks and doing the right thing is worth saving a customer. Not to mention increasing your reputation throughout the industry.

 

I agree. Legally he doesn't, but is it worth losing a customer over? I would honor that price and then immediately update my site to correct the error. Just my .2 cents.

 

So there was a discount on the wheels you wanted and they sold out? Now you expect the same discount on every wheel they sell? This belongs in the wtf thread.

 

I would of done one of two things. Ordered through the site, and see what happened when you asked to come pick up your set of $704 wheels, or, taken the $750 offer. Only $45 more, and you get to check them out before hand for scuffs. Plus buying from a somewhat local dealer is nice since any issues are usually handled easier than mailing. They had the text on the website stating the code doesn't work, and he explained it logically, truth or no truth. At least they didn't pull an Icon and advertise it as one thing, then void warranty when you install as advertised.

Going forward I'd probably delete thread, explain to Ray your discontent, and take him up on the $750 offer if still available.

 

For $45 bucks? I could see if he wasn't willing to negotiate at all and told you to kick rocks.

 

If I was to do it over again I would buy the Ray 10 wheels.

 

The problem with ordering on the site is that there's no option for local pickup. Shipping is another $125 plus tax. The other problem is that he started altering the website during our conversation once I started to question him. $704 was already really stretching my budget. On top of the hour and a half drive each way.

This is a vendor review, I'm not asking people to side with me or the vendor. It's just the experience I had encountered.

 

I like those wheels as well. Someone posted a set for sale in the Bay Area for $600 practically brand new! Too bad it's local only.

 

Yup. I had a similar case just while ago.

@vividracing.com had KO2 for sale for $0.00, while other BFG brands were priced. I knew it was probably one of them “glitch price” like Walmart has, so I ordered set of 4, paid $0.00 + $140 shipping... soon to find out they cancel my order and request for me to call for a correct “purchase.”

If you listed a price, mistake or not, HONOR it! Other it’s false advertisement no matter what you want to say.

 

I was shopping for an aftermarket bumper that is hidden and can mount a winch. There are three out there and relation race wheels’ was 30% cheaper. The website said “made to order” so I emailed them to ask how long it will take exactly.
I was told by Michael it would take 3-4 weeks. Less time than the website stated. He was fast to respond, like minutes, to my email. As soon as they got my payment, that’s when the responsiveness ended. I wanted to follow up about a week later to confirm the winch size that would fit. Their website says it will fit 12k but then Michael said it might only do a 10k when I pressed him. Good thing I didn’t pay for a non-returnable 12k winch because I trusted the info on the website. Turns out they don’t test fit the winches at all. Anyway it took him several days and repeated emails to respond. Not like when they wanted my money. Fast forward one month after I placed my order. I expected the bumper to be completed and ready to ship. After several emails, I found out they haven’t even started fabricating it. I demand a refund because he won’t even give me an exact date when I’ll get it. They won’t refund me and now won’t respond to my emails. Of course they don’t have a phone number listed. There is no way to contact them.

 

File a dispute with your financial institution

 

Thats what happened with me, this company is a bit of a scam, I want as many toyota owners as possible to know to avoid them. It takes at least 6 of my emails for them to respond and it takes at least 3 times what they claim for a time line.

 

Late to the party here but similar experience. Ordered a set of RRW hybrid wheels, arrived on time, were flawless and love them so far. Subsequently ordered a set of accompanying beadlocks. Website showed in stock ready for immediate shipping so paid in full at time of purchase. Shortly after received an email that beadlocks are 8-10 weeks out. Here we are 12 weeks out with no response to my emails. The old bait and switch, buyer beware, not the best business practice IMHO. Willing to be patient for a while as the wheels are so nice...

 

I can see this one from both sides, as I work for a small business and have seen similar circumstances arise. Someone in the company creates a promo code, misses a small detail somewhere, and even though the sale was clearly spelled out, someone tested it and found an inaccuracy/inconsistency. Now, we've honored most all of them and fixed our mistakes afterwards (these were not massive "losses" - just somewhere a customer won to the tune of like $100-$150 on a big purchase).

The above is where I disagree. I don't know where the official law lands, but I believe that the world spins smoother when everyone is reasonable with each other... and expecting a "glitch" basically free order to pass through unencumbered isn't reasonable in my opinion, even if it would be awesome.

Edit: Just realized how old this thread is after posting, but my thoughts still stand.