Good to know.
tx,
bmc  :)
"Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...."

> From: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
> Reply-To: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
> Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 11:33:53 -0400
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Am I being unreasonable(Bus Depot)?
>
>> Ron, you must have changed your policy.  When I received a broken
>> part from the BD, you personally made me pay for the replacement in
> advance
>> until you received the broken one back in the shop.  Are you doing things
>> differently now?
>
>
>
> Yes.  We upgraded to new software, which allows us to track things a bit
> better and make our procedures a bit more customer-friendly.  (Our prior
> software afforded us no way to track and bill exchanges, so they had to be
> treated like new orders.)  So our current policy is this:
>
> If you receive an incorrect part (due to OUR fault), or a part with an
> immediately identified defect, we send a replacement right away, at no
> charge for the part or for freight.  You then have 30 days to return the
> original part back to us via insured mail or UPS.  As long as we receive it
> within 30 days, you will never be charged for the replacement.  Furthermore,
> we will also issue you a credit to offset your return shipping expense,
> based on the published rate for the cheapest insurable method (typically
> insured parcel post for lightweight items or UPS for heavy ones).  One note:
> we must have a valid credit card number on file in order to ship the
> replacement up-front at no charge; this card will be billed for the price of
> the replacement if, and only if, you do not return the original part within
> a month.
>
> If you receive a damaged part, the same scenario applies, except that a UPS
> or mail insurance claim must also be filed.  In the case of UPS, we file the
> claim; you must keep the box and packing for 30 days in case UPS wants to
> inspect it.  In the case of US Mail, the recipient must file the claim;
> that's you. You would then mail or fax us a copy of the claim form after
> filling it out at the post office and we'd take it from there.
>
> If you receive the wrong part and it is NOT our fault (i.e. we sent you what
> you ordered, but it is not what you needed), then you must return the
> original part first for exchange, or else pay up front for the replacement
> (and then get a refund for the first part when we get it back).  In that
> case we do not pay for shipping in either direction.  This is what
> apparantly happened in Randy's case.  I looked up his original order first
> thing this morning.  He ordered an 041A sensor by part number, via the
> toll-free order line, and that's what he got.  Turns out, he actually needed
> a plain 041.  So while we are certainly happy to exchange it, this was not
> our fault, hence no offer to send a replacement at no charge (or to upgrade
> him to air shipping at our expense).
>
> So that's the gist of how we handle exchanges.  I should also note that all
> claims must be reported to us right away, so always check your shipment
> shortly after it arrives.  And never send anything back without first
> obtaining an RA number.  An outline of all of our policies can be found in
> our print catalog or at http://www.busdepot.com/ASP/OrderInfo.asp .
>
> - Ron Salmon
> The Bus Depot, Inc.
> (215) 234-VWVW
> www.busdepot.com
>
> _____________________________________________
> Toll-Free for Orders by Part #    1-866-BUS-DEPOT
>