Why doesn't Mondello Performance Products "make promises"? - because they're not capable of telling the truth!
Caveat emptor - "let the buyer beware":
Below are the details of my second (and
last) attempt to buy engine parts from Mondello Performance Products. I place
this info here so that those who are considering purchasing from
MPP know the type of people they're going to be dealing with. My
first attempt to buy engine components from MPP can be found by clicking here.
In November 2001, I received a 10% "winter discount"
postcard from Mondello Performance Products of Paso Robles, CA.
On 12/3/01 I called Mondello Performance Products and spoke with
Lynn Welfringer. I asked about the contents of the FM-31-R engine
rebuild kit. This kit is listed as containing:
Forged Aluminum Pistons
Piston Rings (Plasma Moly or Moly)
Michigan/Clevite 77 Main bearings
Michigan/Clevite 77 Rod bearings
Michigan Cam Bearings
Cloyes true roller timing chain set
Complete overhaul gasket set
JM-18-20 Mondello camshaft
I wanted to know if the pistons in the kit were TRW L2320. I had
heard that the TRW pistons were in short supply, so I wanted to
be sure they were available. Lynn told me that the TRW's were in
short supply and that they were buying "all the TRW
pistons" that anyone had in stock and that they had "a
few" TRW piston sets available. He said if I wanted a kit
with TRW's that I needed to order "within a couple of
weeks". I told him that I needed to re-check a couple of my
engine block dimensions and I would call him back within a couple
of days. On 12/4/01, I called to place my order. Lynn said that
they were out of TRW pistons - he said that they had only had 2
sets and he had sold them both the night before. Lynn said my
only option was to buy the Arias pistons. Lynn said that if the
Arias pistons didn't suit me that I could return them for
exchange, provided no damage was done to them - I asked about a
restocking fee, Lynn said that there was no restocking fee. I
believed Lynn's hype that there were probably no more TRW pistons
in the USA and I proceeded to order an engine kit with the Arias
Pistons - a $200 ADDITIONAL charge. I also ordered a camshaft
thrust button and camshaft spacer. Total cost: $933.80.
About 5 minutes later, I got a case of the "what the h*ll
have I done" blues and started calling around regarding
availability of TRW pistons. I phoned Summit Racing. They said
that those pistons were on back order but the Summit guy gave me
a direct TRW phone number and suggested that I talk to them
direct. I called TRW and they told me that they were in a jam
with Olds pistons and that they would probably not be producing
any more until late March 2002 (at best). The TRW guy said that
the Olds piston part numbers were all still valid and that he
knew of no plans to discontinue the Olds pistons.
Immediately, I called Lynn back and told him that the Arias
pistons were too expensive and asked if he would he sell me the
kit without the pistons - his reply was "No". At that
point I told him that I would have to cancel the order. Total
time between the 1st and 2nd call on 12/4/01 was less than 1
hour. When I said that I needed to cancel the order, Lynn said
"Uhh...you want the TRW pistons?". I said,
"Yes", Lynn said, "Well we JUST had a set come in,
I'll change your order and send them instead".
"Great" I said, "So the kit price will be $749
minus 10%?". "Yes" was Lynn's reply. At that
point, I knew that he had "hooked" me before with the
"we don't have any more TRW pistons" story but since I
was now getting the parts I wanted, at the price I wanted, I
swallowed my pride and let it ride.
On 12/14/01 the order arrived at my door, opening the box I found
the set of Arias pistons along with the bill for them. I
immediately called Lynn, he said he didn't know what had happened
but to send him the Arias pistons back and he would get me a set
of TRW's. Upon examining the rest of the kit, I found that there
was no camshaft in the kit. Back on the phone I go, get hold of
Lynn again and tell him there's no camshaft in the kit. Lynn said
he didn't know what had happened but to send the ENTIRE kit back
and he would fix it and get the proper parts out to me. I asked
about the return shipping charge and he said to include the
shipping receipt and he would reimburse the cost. I shipped the
kit back to Mondello on 12/15/01. I included a letter to Lynn
restating that I just wanted the standard forged pistons, I
included the receipt for $37.25 for shipping and insurance as he
had instructed.(see a copy of the letter here).
On January 11, 2002 I received my credit card bill
for $933.80. I called my credit card company to find out what I needed to
do, as I had a bill but no parts in my possession. The credit card company representative said I needed to give Mondello Inc. a chance
to resolve the problem. I then called Mondello Inc. and was
connected with Paul. I asked him what was going on with my order.
Paul transferred me to Michele, she stated that she was the
office manager. Michele said that there was a note in my file
saying that I DID NOT want to exchange the parts - I told her
that this was incorrect and went over the entire chain of events
with her. After all of this, I was frustrated to the point that I
told Michele that I wanted to cancel the order and that I would
never do business with Mondello Inc. again. She asked me to give
her until Monday, January 14, 2002 to "fix" the
problem. She promised to call me on that Monday. I told her that
she only had until Monday - I was tired of being jerked around
and it was obvious to me that no one at Mondello Inc. know what
they were doing. After I finished talking to Michele, I faxed her
a letter giving her my account of the events.
Monday, January 14, 2002 came and went without one
single world from Michele or anyone else at Mondello Inc. At 1pm
EST on Tuesday, January 15, 2002 I faxed a letter to Michele
stating that I wanted the order canceled and the amount that I
wanted credited to my credit card
(see a copy here).
Sometime after 5pm on Tuesday,
January 15, 2002 I received a reply to my fax from Michele
stating that a refund had been issued on Monday, January 14,
2002, the fax was waiting for me Wednesday morning.
Wednesday afternoon, January 16, 2002 I contacted my credit card company to
see if the refund had been issued, The representative said
that the credit had not come through, she said to wait 7-10 days.
On Friday, January 18, 2002 I received a Credit Memo from
Mondello Inc. It showed that I was charged a 15% restocking fee
totaling $105.57. I called Mondello Inc. to find out why I had
been charged a restocking fee on an order that THEY messed up.
Lynn acted as if he had never heard of me and seemed to know
nothing about what was going on. I told him that I wanted the
full amount ($933.80) refunded and that even though I wanted the
$37 for the shipping refunded (which he had promised me), that I
would eat that cost just to be finished with them. I told him
that I would not pay the $105.57 restocking fee because of their
screw-up (and their inability to fix the problem and get me the
parts that they had promised me). Lynn said he would call the
next week.
Since I had lost all confidence in Mondello Inc., I called
my credit card company on January 18, 2002. The representative
explained that I needed to send them a letter to start the
resolution process. On January 22, 2002 I mailed a letter to my credit card company detailing
this deal gone bad.
On Friday January 25, 2002 I received a credit memo from Mondello
showing that they had credited my card for the $105.57 restocking
fee. The credit memo stated "Customer cannot order from us
again". This was the icing on the cake - for Mondello to
blacklist me because of THEIR habitual lying and inability to
deal straight with me, proves just how little they regard the
Oldsmobile faithful. I had absolutely no intention of EVER
doing business with Mondello Performance Products again, but
their arrogance compounded with their incompetence astounds me
none-the-less.
Clearly Mondello Inc. applied a "bait and switch"
tactic on me - and yes, I fell for it (I figure I paid for that
mistake with the $37 worth of return postage). When faced with the
possibility of losing the sale less than an hour after the order
was placed, Lynn Welfringer LIED to me about what parts he would
send and the price of those parts. Lynn LIED to me again when he
said he would "fix" the problem with my order and get
the correct parts to me. Michele LIED to me when she said she
would "fix" the problem and would call me on 1/14/02.
Nothing was ever mentioned to me regarding a restocking fee.
I have already ordered and received a comparable set of pistons
from Dick Miller Racing (two days from order until receipt) - based on my first few dealings with him, he
will get my future business.