Gary I feel your pain... I did get all the stainless lines for my 72 from them without any problems, about $1200 in all. I have also purchase items pictured from other sellers that were not correct. I purchase some on ebay and I will try to contact the seller to make it correct but if not I will file a complaint through ebay with pictures. ebay will take care on it if you have proof and will also send a return label at no cost to you. I am also picky about items but many restores do not care and just want that new look to please themselves or the customer. It is easier and quicker to replace instead of restore or replate. Nelson
All of this brings my blood to a boil. I guess I'm not the only one who has had bad experiences with these lowlifes. The last time, I complained in an email about their ill-fitting exhaust system for a `69 GTO and all I got from them for a response was nothing more than name calling and telling me I knew nothing and shouldn't be working on cars. They even had a note in the box that stated the system may need to be tweaked and should be done by a professional exhaust shop. Seriously? Basically, "Don't try this at home boys and girls", like I'm going to load a concours restoration onto the trailer and take it to a local muffler shop? Not a chance. I will NEVER buy another thing from them. And if they are the only ones offering that item, I'll go without!
Probably so. I have a pretty long fuse and rarely light it, but Inline Tube, well, I they lit it in the middle
Yea, I don't know you personally but have seen your posts for years and you kinda strike me as such so your post definitely seemed out of character.
Let ne pile on also. Ordered new brake lines for 66 skylark, God only knows what they shipper me! They did admit mistake, told me to keep what I had and they would send out the correct lines FOB me. So in the end it did work out.
As said above, I sent a link to this thread to Inline & included my username here which obviously they didn't read as he mistakenly thought I was the OP. Here's the response I received: "Daniel, I have looked up your order for these hoses and It was 6 or 7 years ago. Please let the guys on the forum know that we did not send you something just over 30 days ago and then not work with you on it like you made it sound. Let them know that the order was over 6 years ago. I work with people everyday to create solutions because I do understand how long these cars take. Usually a year is the longest we can work with. We have to be able have policy that we follow and all of our policies are posted before purchasing. I am not saying that we do not value your business and could not work something out. But it has to be within reason. Please let me know if I can help any further and post my reply on the forum if you are an honest blogger because I am not a member I have no way to reply. Thanks Chuck Inline Tube Support Staff"
Dear Chuck, Your attention to detail in making replacement parts is equal to your scrupulous business practices, and attentiveness to E-mails from concerned customers. I look forward to never doing business with you.
I told the rep on the phone I had all of the corresponding paper work for these parts. I keep a binder for each of my builds. This build took a little longer than most as we were building a new home , shop , got married, not to mention working 60-70 hr weeks so this build went on the back burner. ( not their problem but mine) I explained they were purchased aprox 4 years prior. However a hose that is constructed incorrectly a years ago or 30 days ago is still wrong. The entire order was in excess of $2900 , with countless back orders and the pair of hoses retailed for $59. I only asked for the incorrect hose that wholesale couldn’t be more than $10 their cost. Just not good business in my book and I’m over it. I’ll just know who not to call on any future builds It’s not so much the hose but their attitude and the fact I provided them details regarding the date of purchase, provided them photos and spent the time explaining they may or may of had a quality issue with a particular part. I guess the rep on the phones attitude speared the post and I’m glad it was just the one component. Seems like the issues many others had with this company far exceed what I experienced
Those 2 facts in bold were the only facts the company needed to pay attention to, in order to do what was right for their own profitability (and any reputation that they wanted to salvage). They had already made thousands thanks to you, and could have made thousands more in the future from you or people you might have referred to them. The loss of $10--even if it WASN'T their fault--is NOTHING compared to what they had made and could make in the future, which they will now lose because of their bad business decisions. The fact that the incorrect hose WAS their fault is insult to you, but injury to THEM. Regardless whose fault the $10 business expense was (which they could probably write off anyway at tax time), their stubborn, anti-customer policy is financial suicide to them.
I have also had poor experiences with Inline as well and swore I would not use them again. Just yesterday I ordered two small items from them and the guy on the phone made me feel as if I was bothering him to place my order. That was it for me, I'm done!!
That is the best point made here. The company spends thousands on ads in magazines and on commercials, hoping that some of those who see them might maybe think ‘I need their product’ and might maybe remember their name when it’s time to order. Thousands on a maybe. Yet they won’t spend lunch money to avoid guaranteeing ‘nope!’ from a marketer’s dream of a target market? And the man who runs it can’t bother to actually read a damned email before he says ‘no’? Shithead. Patrick
thanks for posting this. I thought this is a great company as they were all over muscle car review and I thought their products are probably nice. Isn't the owner some kind of Oldsmobile collector? Kryta or something? Sad..
Yep, they badly need to have the entire team take a remedial class in "How to Avoid Running Your Business Into the Toilet By Providing Good (or at least mediocre) Customer Service." Seems like they attended the Bizarro World version, "How to Avoid Success by Claiming The Customer is Always Wrong and Screwing Him Every Chance You Get, Even Over Trivial Stuff."
It's two brothers, James and John Kryta. James seems to be the Oldsmobile guy and John is always seen with one of his Pontiacs. They have really nice cars and they also race some of them at the PSMCDR. I've met them in person and they seem like okay guys. I've seen similar threads over the years on the Pontiac and Oldsmobile forums with customers that were unhappy. Usually it's a minor issue with a part that a normal business would resolve, even if it cost them a few bucks, but with Inline Tube the outcome seems to always be piss-poor customer service that makes people say they will never buy from them again. Their story of building a successful business related to their love of muscle cars is cool and inspiring so it stinks that there are so many unhappy Inline Tube stories from customers. A recent story about the brothers: https://www.candgnews.com/news/shelby-residents-to-showcase--vehicles-at-autorama-117029
Well, I might as pile on. In doing the engine in the '72 Electra, it was noted that we needed a new fuel pump to carb line. Simple enough, right? It's not like it's something special like a Stage 1 fuel pump, but they did list a part for the Stage engine as well as the standard 455. Came a week or so later and when it came time to assemble the engine it became quite evident this was not the correct part for my application. No where close in fact. I didn't even bother trying as it had been several months since the purchase. Never again.
Customer service is becoming a dying art. I have had great experiences with people and companies on this forum so I do take comments posted here to heart. People like Todd at die cast , Gardner and individuals I have purchased things from have always been great experiences. The main goal I was focused on was to probably make sure you check your parts when you receive them. In hind site yes I did have them for some time but I guess the attitude of the guy on the phone just rubbed me the wrong way. Lesson learned
Eric Gardner was great to deal with. You're correct about checking the parts when receiving. It's easy to just put it w/the rest of the parts for the car and check it off the list. I can't say I won't buy anything from them, but it would only be through @ToddsGS to support his business plus if there's a problem I suspect not only that he would take care of it but that he has more pull w/Inline &/or would've bought the same part more recently in order to be able to return and would hopefully not have to eat the cost.
I've probably bought a dozen Gardner exhaust systems through the years and never had a bad experience but dealing with Eric gives me the confidence that if I did have an issue, he would take care of it. It is good advice to check your parts when they arrive but a while back my Griffin radiator developed a leak and I couldn't find anyone around this area who fixes them so I ordered a new one from Summit. Well, the project got sidelined and it was a year before I opened the box and discovered it had been damaged, probably in shipping. I called them and explained and they replaced it, no charge, and sent me a call tag for the damaged one. This is a company that understands the importance of customer service and for this reason I will remain a loyal customer.
