Michael W.
This is how I was mislead
When a customer finds the wanted part on the AutoPartsFair.com web site, is told that the part request will be transmitted to their vast network of used parts suppliers, and asked to provide 6.95$ via a charge card as an indication of customer commitment, with the AutoPartsFair.com web site states that the 6.95$ will be applied toward the purchase of the part, and then receives an electronic mail from Automotix Part Locator (locator at autopartsfair.com) stating "Automotix has submitted your part request to 100+ auto parts sellers and have posted the request on our Hotline for all sellers to see," the customer reasonably believes that there is actually is the possibility of getting the part at least searched for. Unfortunately, according to AutoPartsFair customer service rep Nathan, the part I found on the list, and just paid the 6.95$ with charge card for, is "not on the Interchange" and there will be no effort made to locate it. At this point we could chalk this up as a best effort that is misleading. However, When this Automotix rep is asked for a refund, he stated that they can not, customer must phone AutoPartsFair.com at 913-236-9629, and it is stated that Automotix and AutoPartsFair are unrelated companies. When that AutopartsFair does not answer phone calls at that number, the customer is then left without recourse. While this process may indeed function ethically in many cases, when the above occurs, the companies involved appear to me to have created a business model that I find misleading. And when refund requests are ignored, it becomes unethical. I phoned my charge card company, they they indicate that the 6.95$ had not yet been charged, it had only been reserved, so perhaps AuotPartsFair.com would only charge when a part was found - but since they said they would charge it, the customer rightly believes that money was taken under false pretense. In my experience, AutoPartsFair chose not to make mention, and hence chose to mislead. It would be so much better to simply make mention of these things and avoid the appearance of moral turpitude.