| Author | Message | ||
| (Leadfoot4)
New member Username: Leadfoot4 Post Number: 6 Registered: 8-2003 |
Things have been pretty quiet here for several days now. It seems interesting to me that the only "customer issues" that the Exoticar people want to address is the "James Johnson" identity issue. Several people, myself included, have presented problems that we've had with Exoticar service, but they go ignored. How come, "Pitcrew"?? | ||
| DJ (Godfather)
Junior Member Username: Godfather Post Number: 158 Registered: 11-2002 |
I've ordered twice from Exoticar and never had any problems. I guess I have been lucky. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 6322 Registered: 8-2002 |
You spend 3 times as much bringing in new clientele than you do, keeping existing business... Customer service is not a chore, it's an opportunity, it's a privilege... Exoticar has it all wrong. | ||
| Andrew H (Stokpro)
Junior Member Username: Stokpro Post Number: 139 Registered: 6-2003 |
Pitcrew, If you intend to "satisfactorily resolve each and every complaint", do you have the means of doing so? Does any of your databases track orders from start to finish -- allowing you to "flag" orders that were not filled for whatever reason so you can notify customers BEFORE they become irritated? Does Exoticar use any form of CRM or order management software that enables you to track "problems" and address them before you lose customers? I'm no expert at this, but I have worked in the customer service oriented business for quite some time and understand the importance of tracking and following up on customer issues. In the end, you'll hopefully earn business and not hand it to your competition. Best of luck. | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 15 Registered: 7-2003 |
Exoticar I was a customer of yours. You have no record of me because I asked the girl in the showroom, I think her name was erin to take me off the mailing list recently and to delete my name from your compter data base. I also returned to see another person working in your showroom and asked her to pull up my name and she did and it was still there. At that time I asked that my name be removed once again and it is now removed I supposed. | ||
| (Leadfoot4)
New member Username: Leadfoot4 Post Number: 5 Registered: 8-2003 |
I find it interesting that the Exoticar spokesperson says that they "satisfactorily resolve each and every complaint". As I mentioned in an earlier post, I tried to get resolution on the imperfect Lola CanAm car, and they just blew it off. Their reply to my complaint was "We'll check into it"...twice. It's been close to a year, and I still haven't gotten a reply...or a replacement model. No problem, however, as GMP stepped up to the plate and fixed Exoticar's mistake, and they did it immediately. | ||
| DL (Darth550)
Member Username: Darth550 Post Number: 258 Registered: 7-2003 |
Exoticar, You must either have a rather large retainer with your attorney(s) that you just "Gotta use up" or just absolutely nothing better to do with your time. Good luck with your (guaranteed to be)fruitless legal endeavour. My 02...take heed of your customers' complaints. DL | ||
| Patrick Denonville (Arizonaguy)
Member Username: Arizonaguy Post Number: 624 Registered: 4-2003 |
I have ordered a free catalogue more than one... They must be invisible because I never got one. | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 11 Registered: 6-2003 |
James Johnson: We are outraged at your comments! We have started an investigation into your posts as they are being viewed as Defamation of Character/Slander. We will pursue this to the full extent of the law! You have never ordered from us, you have never received a catalog in the mail from Exoticar, and we can find no record of any transaction with a �James Johnson � residing in Mass. You appear to be a former employee based on your comments on hourly wage amounts and the termination of employees and your information was completely false, Exoticar has never and will never terminate an employee because they make too much money!!! For twelve years Exoticar has been on the forefront of the automotive model and accessory industry. We have 4 retail stores to date and over 275,000 satisfied customers. Haven't many business in this economy had difficult times and had to cut back on various expenses? We continue to search out the very best in Ferrari merchandise. It is our passion, it is our business and it is our pleasure. We have always strived to make purchasing with Exoticar a pleasant and easy experience. Like any company we have staffing issues and we have occasional problems with orders but our first and primary goal is to satisfy every customer that we have and that is what we do every day. We feel we are one of the only companies that advertise items in our catalog that are expected to be in-stock within the duration of the catalog (2-3 months) unlike other companies that are advertising products 6 months to a year before they are available. We welcome any and all grievances and complaints from all customers and we will do our best to satisfactorily resolve each and every complaint. We will continue to provide every official Ferrari item that is available in the world. That is our mission and that is our passion. Ciao Forza Ferrari! | ||
| DL (Darth550)
Junior Member Username: Darth550 Post Number: 250 Registered: 7-2003 |
James, You are right. That is just bad business. DL | ||
| Ron Adams (Scalecarscom)
New member Username: Scalecarscom Post Number: 11 Registered: 8-2003 |
The 1 thing I want to add into this is that personally I see no reason to ever charge a customers credit card before an item ships..That is just wrong (In my opinion). Inventory screwups happen to the best of us..but pre charging cards would really piss me off. *if* anyone ever buys from us and sees any of my employees do that, you have my permission to come and stomp on me | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 14 Registered: 7-2003 |
that post was intended for Dl | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 6227 Registered: 8-2002 |
Thomas, you can send them to [email protected] (thank you) or you can even post them here if you like, so everyone can see...  | ||
| Thomas Saupe (Tom_s)
Junior Member Username: Tom_s Post Number: 71 Registered: 1-2003 |
James, Please don't misunderstand me. I'm neither defending nor supporting Exoticars. I'm merely saying that I've had good luck except for some poor customer service at point of purchase and that I've had the same problems with others. Perhaps it's endemic to the trade. Des, I have no photos but for you I'll take some and send them along. Send me your email address. Tom | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 13 Registered: 7-2003 |
Oh Im sorry I though you were talking about the main company it's self. Thats were I live I've been in there store before. I Live in western Mass. I have taken the long trip down to Exoticar. I have called and asked if an item was in stock, and then they say yes. So then I take a long drive down on a Saturday. Then when I get there they tell me that the item is not there and that it is en-route to them and should be there shortly. Then they also say the inventory is in the computer to fill orders. It's also there to confuse the customer. This is bad customer service. Then they offer you nothing in return for you inconvience. I mean I deserve something for the aggravation. They also dont keep there warehouse open on saturdays which makes no sense to me. Saturday would be the busiest day of the week and the warehouse is closed. This is another reason why I dont deal with them anymore. After this expirience I tried to maybe order on line. I order a Porsche by Exoto. The charge appeared on my credit card in 24 hours but the item did not. I waited a week then called then I was told the same bit it's enroute to us. The credit card bill came still no car. What kind of service is this? I called again was told it was to be in that friday. It came in the next tuesday. Then was shipped out ot me I got it the next day. Why pay for the aggravation. Dont advertise what you dont have. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 6206 Registered: 8-2002 |
Thomas, my collection isn't so big; i only have 41 1:18 cars and some smaller ones, with my latest addition being an F40... i'd love to see pictures of your collection, if you have any... | ||
| Thomas Saupe (Tom_s)
Junior Member Username: Tom_s Post Number: 70 Registered: 1-2003 |
I've collected model Fcars for years. Although I'm no where near being in Des' league,I have a substantial collection, many of them from Exoticar. I've dealt with Exoticar very often but always through their MA. warehouses, never online. I have to say that their formerly shoddy in-store customer service has improved dramatically. Quite possibly this is because this is the main warehouse and "the boss" is around. For the most part, I've had few complaints However, I have to take exception to Maria's praise of Speedgear. I have had exactly the same problems with them that everyone else seems to have had with Exoticar. Not made aware of backorders, treated badly by customer service, waiting months and finally cancelling orders out of sheer frustration. I won't do business with them anymore.Too many mail order companies, not just model car retailers suffer from the same problems. | ||
| DL (Darth550)
Junior Member Username: Darth550 Post Number: 242 Registered: 7-2003 |
James, I am in Beverly Hills. I went in there and left it on the counter. No one was at the register and as I stood there (for too long with not even a, "Can I help you"), I realized why there is so much negativity in this thread. They really didn't care. There are other places...I will not patronize that store again. DL | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 12 Registered: 7-2003 |
what town are you in dl? Im in mass too. Have you visted their showroom at all? Did you just go in and leave the thread for them or did you hand deliver it to someone? What did they say? | ||
| DL (Darth550)
Junior Member Username: Darth550 Post Number: 219 Registered: 7-2003 |
>> How about I print this thread, go over there and stick it under their door? Im 5 minutes from there! << I went in there a couple days later and left some of this thread on the counter. I suppose they either do not respect the opinions of this board or someone discarded it...since there has been no reply in their defense. DL | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 11 Registered: 7-2003 |
Go and purchase that 308 from another company. By the time you get from them the ferrari Enzo will be a classic car. Do not do business with them at all. | ||
| Francisco J. Quinones (Frankie)
Junior Member Username: Frankie Post Number: 205 Registered: 8-2002 |
I ordered a 1:18 288GTO from Exoticars several months ago and i'm still waiting,however a few days after ordering the 288GTO i also ordered a 1:18 Porsche 959 and received that within days. What really bugs me is the lack of follow up,not the best customer service i've experienced. just my $29.95 plus s&h | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 10 Registered: 7-2003 |
Please do not take any sympathy from Exoticar they suck. There are a lot more reputable companies out there. There are companies that will value you as a customer and not just your money. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 6016 Registered: 8-2002 |
Exactly as Lon stated, this is a discussion about a company's poor customer service track record... As both an employee with a high level of customer service experience/interaction and a consumer, as well, i take customer service very seriously... Exoticar is sub par. | ||
| Barry Wolinsky (308gtb)
Member Username: 308gtb Post Number: 647 Registered: 2-2002 |
 Hey, wait a minute Sundance! What? You didn't see Lefors out there, did ya? Lefors? No. Who are those guys? I think they're just a bunch of FerrariChatters, Butch. Good. For a moment there, I thought we were in trouble. | ||
| (Leadfoot4)
New member Username: Leadfoot4 Post Number: 4 Registered: 8-2003 |
Barry, I can't speak for everyone, however this topic doesn't seem to be an Exoticar "bashfest". It does, however, appear to be an honest discussion of a business that has customer service problems. Some of the posters here have stated that they've gone into Exoticar's stores and have been treated qiute well, and have gotten what they went looking for. That's fine, however most of the dissatisfaction seem to come from people such as myself, who deal with them on a mail order basis. I think that it's fair to expect an honest answer about the availability of a model when you place an order. In my case, one time I placed an order, and got what I wanted within 10 days. The second time I got a defective model (read below). The third and fourth times I tried (foolishly) to do business with them, I placed an order online, got the usual computer generated "deliver within 7-10 days" nonsense, when the items weren't even in stock. To me, that's flat out deceit. You say you'll deliver, but you don't have the item in stock. This seems to be what most customers are upset about. If an item is "backordered", fine, just be up front about it, and then I can decide if I want to try somewhere else or just wait. Yes, I realize that a lot of mail order companies do this, but that doesn't make it right... | ||
| Barry Wolinsky (308gtb)
Member Username: 308gtb Post Number: 645 Registered: 2-2002 |
And, it's a very nice model:  | ||
| Barry Wolinsky (308gtb)
Member Username: 308gtb Post Number: 643 Registered: 2-2002 |
I am not a model collector. I have a few, representing cars I've owned. I placed an order with Exoticar for Kyosho's red 308 GTB in late April. The email response explained that it was on backorder. I knew it was a limited production run and purposely ordered early. In defense of Exoticar, the model came several weeks ago when released. Exoticar charged the advertised price of $59.95. I understand that other firms have charged 15-20 dollars higher for this model. Barry | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 265 Registered: 4-2002 |
Wow. A lot has happened in this thread since it got moved over here.....interesting..... | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5914 Registered: 8-2002 |
DL, Lon, i second that... | ||
| (Leadfoot4)
New member Username: Leadfoot4 Post Number: 3 Registered: 8-2003 |
DL, personally I think that it would be a good idea. It would be really interesting to see what their reaction would be. | ||
| DL (Darth550)
Junior Member Username: Darth550 Post Number: 160 Registered: 7-2003 |
How about I print this thread, go over there and stick it under their door? Im 5 minutes from there! DL | ||
| (Leadfoot4)
New member Username: Leadfoot4 Post Number: 2 Registered: 8-2003 |
After posting about my "satisfacton level" with Exoticar the other day, I remembered another past experience with them. They had a 1960s era, Dan Gurney driven, CanAm Lola "on sale", for $30 off the previous price. I thought "Why not?", and placed an order. Unbelieveably, it arrived in 3-4 days. I open the box, look at the model, however, and something doesn't look quite right. After careful inspection, I see that the words "Gurney Westlake" aren't over the front wheelwells, like they're supposed to be. I'm thinking to myslf that maybe that's why the model was reduced in price, so I call Exoticar to inquire. "Oh no, it should be a perfect model", is the response I get from the customer service rep. When I ask what we're going to do about my imperfect model, I'm told, "We'll look into it". Two weeks go by with no response, I call again, and again get, "we're still looking into it". What's to "look into"??? You shipped a defective product, so you go to the stock room and get another off the shelf, open and inspect it, ship it to the customer, e-mail him/her to tell them it's on the way, along with a UPS "call tag" to pick up the bad one. Seems pretty clear cut and simple to me.... What I wound up doing was calling GMP directly, after Exoticar did nothing. GMP apologized profusely, "OVERNIGHT SHIPPED" another Lola to me, and told me to keep the defective one as a gesture of their good will. Again, I'll say, "Sorry, Pitcrew". Believe me, this isn't a personal attack, however your business practices are second rate...at best! If you, Exoticar want to survive as a business, you had better clean up your act. A slick website and glossy catalog won't cut it unless the customer service is there to back it up! The obvious question might be why I gave them so many chances. The answer is, I don't know, other than die cast cars aren't an essential of life. So, if someone offers you a decent price, you might be willing to give them a try even if their service isn't first rate. Try that with something important, like food, water or medicines, and it's a whole 'nother situation. However, as I said before, I'll never deal with Exoticar again, I don't need the hassles. | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 8 Registered: 7-2003 |
Please invite anyone you know that dis-likes Exoticar to come and vent on this message board please. I would love to hear the output. I would also love for exoticar to see the post. | ||
| (Leadfoot4)
New member Username: Leadfoot4 Post Number: 1 Registered: 8-2003 |
I just want to add my $0.02 worth on Exoticar...On two separate occasions, I placed orders for GMP die casts that Exoticar showed on it's site. Both times, the cars were listed as "sold out" by GMP, however, this shouldn't have been a concern, as models should have been in store's inventories. Both times, after waiting 10-12 days for delivery, Exoticar told me that they were on "back order". Back order from whom? GMP? GMP had already shipped it's total inventory! This order update was, of course, after I contacted them, rather than receiving any order status from them. Think I'll ever try to do business with them again? One other note...I actually was directed to this discussion by one of my fellow die-cast collectors on the Corvette Forum website. Exoticar isn't too well respected there, either. Sorry "Pitcrew", but the truth is the truth. Treat your customers shabbily enough, and word WILL get around..... | ||
| Ron Adams (Scalecarscom)
New member Username: Scalecarscom Post Number: 2 Registered: 8-2003 |
Thanks Jim, That Ferrari 308 is a great model and also typical of the backordered problem. We expected that model..according to Minichamps..months ago James..I read you post. Wow. We have some customer cross over from them, but it is usually inventory related instead of service. On the flipside we lose customers because we dont have exactly what they want all the time. If their customer service is as bad as you say, then there are some issues they have to deal with. There are alot of internal controls we use for both inventory, accounting, and tracking that we use that keeps our customers pretty happy. (I spent 4 years at a computer wholesale company as their CFO..I learned alot that I now incorporate in to my new diecast business) Have you called EC & talked to them? Good Luck Ron Adams ScaleCars.com | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 6 Registered: 7-2003 |
They still suck. Please read the other post that is on this website about Exoticar Model co. It's under the same name read what i had to write about it and a fellow customer who has had a problem with them. I think her name is Maria Tiexeira. Please look at that then reply | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 2227 Registered: 7-2001 |
Ron, I stopped by your store yesterday for the first time and picked up a Kyosho 308. You have an amazing selection of cars, and I'm even more impressed with the Ferraris of all shapes and sizes. I'll be back! | ||
| Ron Adams (Scalecarscom)
New member Username: Scalecarscom Post Number: 1 Registered: 8-2003 |
There are some pretty good points here..1st here is some background. Ive known Peter at Exoticar since 1992. We have both worked/split vendor events several times including NYC, Monterey, and Vegas. I have split container loads from China and even toured bBurago together. As another owner in this overly competive business, he seems to always maintain his integrity. But There are differences in the ways weve both done business. The biggest difference I see is with the backorders and preannouncements. Personally (except for a few really cool models) I really dont like putting something up in a catalog/website that *could* be 6-24 months away. Sometimes they never appear (ie Minichamps Ferrari 250 GTO - announced in 1993 and still waiting) When a preannouncement is made it really seems to mess up our business. We tried it over the last 6 months and we are backing out alot of preannoucements off the website. I hope this gives a different view of backorders and such..But often times it is not just the chosen business practices but also the screwed up manufacturers and their misinformed reps. Thanks Ron Adams ScaleCars.com | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 5 Registered: 7-2003 |
You will probaly recieve your order between 2-three weeks or NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | ||
| Cavallino Models (Cavallinomodels)
New member Username: Cavallinomodels Post Number: 19 Registered: 2-2003 |
John, We have red and yellow 308 GTB in stock. www.cavallinomodels.com | ||
| John Ottino (Tables)
New member Username: Tables Post Number: 1 Registered: 12-2002 |
I have had a model of a 1977 308gtb red on order since April. Any idea when I might get it? | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 4 Registered: 7-2003 |
OHH PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! Save your sob story for someone who cares. Exoticar says they have items in stock and the inventory says they do but they dont have. They charge your credit card so that they can pay for the shipment. You guys are such a disgrace to real collectors. The real collectors who purchase an item in the color they want and Exoticar goes ahead and changes the color without your acknowledgement. Then when you recieve it they will ask you to send it back at your expense and they say they will refund your money for the shipping but then you pay 10.00 dollars to ship it then they tell you they can only give up to five dollars back. Then they send you a check and it takes about three months just to get the five dollars. Then if they charge you for something then they realize they dont have it they let the invoice sit and wait for you to call before they credit you back. So think of all the people that have placed orders and they dont have it and you forget about your order thats free money to them. Please do not order from Exoticar Model the owner only cares about your money he could care less about you. | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 10 Registered: 6-2003 |
hello! Exoticar sometimes charges people 5 days in advance of shipping for the simple reason of expediting the mailing process. We are always looking for ways to improve customer service. If anyone is comparing Exoticar with speedgear, please be specific about your allegations. Exoticar has a lot of satisfied customers. | ||
| maria teixeira (Mary)
New member Username: Mary Post Number: 2 Registered: 7-2003 |
whatever Speedgear has in stock Exoticar owes money for thats what they call back order, but im sure the'll have an excuse for that too. great company huh lol! | ||
| maria teixeira (Mary)
New member Username: Mary Post Number: 1 Registered: 7-2003 |
A few staffing changes they fired everyone that made over $10.00 an hour. order from speedgear they have every thing in stock. | ||
| James Johnson (Ferrari25)
New member Username: Ferrari25 Post Number: 1 Registered: 7-2003 |
Exoticar is not a very good company to purchase from they are horrible. They continue to place backorders for customer and then when they want to fill the backorders they will charge your credit card 1-2 weeks before the merchandise is there. I think they do this in order to pay for the shipments which is not right. If they are doing this think of all the other things they may be doing. Lastly the last post before this from Greg Martucci about the good stuff about Exoticar Model CO. Just to let everyone that is the owner of the company Peter's best freind why would he say anything bad about the company. Think twice about ordering form them I know i will. | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 9 Registered: 6-2003 |
Thank you, Gregori Martucci (Gam4) | ||
| Gregori Martucci (Gam4)
New member Username: Gam4 Post Number: 7 Registered: 6-2003 |
I have to say I have had nothing but great experiences with the Exoticar family. I have an extensive Ferrari memorabilia and model collection and most of it I have purchased from them. They have always gone out of thier way to find and get me the pieces I desired. They carry hard to get stuff like poucher and the new 1/5 Enzo model. Copying someone or something is the ultimate compliment and so many companies try to be Exoticar. Who has a place on Rodeo drive, Park Ave, West Palm beach and Boston. Exoticar has tried to make an environment where it is fun and cool to collect things. I say everyone cut them a break for having a little growing pains and give them another chance!! I know they will do everything to satisfy you.. NO THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISMENT... I am just tired of seeing all the negative and wanted to throw some positive out there... | ||
| Terry (Dogue)
Member Username: Dogue Post Number: 353 Registered: 9-2001 |
PitCrew, That is exactly my point, I just recieved a new suppliment with this shirt pictured. The item got me excited and I wanted to order it. A brand new item in a new suppliment and it is on backorder INDEFINATELY, that is rediculous it should have never been presented as available especially if you don't even know if you will ever have it available! If you had added "taking pre-orders, or coming soon" it wouldn't be so annoying. Also with my experience with Exoticar almost all new items are on backorder! I hope that the feedback from this forum will result in better customer service and more honest representation of your instock items. | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 8 Registered: 6-2003 |
here are some more responces DIRECTLY from Peter Dear Scott (Scott85), if you were familiar with our company, you'd know that we offer the Lowest Price Guaranee! here is the quote on that: ****************** If you find any item listed in our on-line or print catalog advertised elsewhere at a lower price, and the competitor has the identical product in stock, Exoticar Model Company, Inc. will BEAT their price on the identical model by 5%. We will also extend this guarantee for another 30 days after your invoice date! All requests for price match guarantee must be received within 30 days from invoice date ****************** Also, Tamiya has fixed retail prices that all are oblegated to use. I guess ehobbies doesn't! BUT with our guarantee you could've gotten the 1/12th F50 for -5%!!!! (and may be even -10% cause of our promotion of -5% for online purchases that ran for quite a while) ))) About backorders. Since we produce a catalog 4 times a year, we offer products that are or will be available withing 2-3 months! The reasons why many products don't come in when expected is: a) Manufacturer's Delay the manufacturer refuses a certain aspect of the design and has to rework on the model (example: the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona! Kyosho used the steet version of the wheels and Ferrari rejected the model so it has been delayed!) (see http://exoticar.com/pages/more_info_2.cfm?product_id=3648 ) b) Transition Delay A lot of our manufacturers are overseas and it takes quite a lot to get them over here. Our Ferrari customers are very important to us! May be it's because we have close to 20 thousand of them! ))) We have a right to think that we're the best because we carry almost every licensed Ferrari item! You can even say as much as Ferrari stores! All of the other retailers cary a small portion! How can you beat that? Customer service is very important, we understand, and we're always trying to improve communications between us and our customers. THANX | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 7 Registered: 6-2003 |
oh, and i just inquired, and found out that the Fila Ferrari Blue T-shirt U22252 shirt did not come in with the recent shipment of Ferrari Tees :-( sorry, but it's still on backorder, indefenately | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 6 Registered: 6-2003 |
let me introduce the woman behind the posts my name is Tamara, I'm the Graphic Designer for the company, but because of recent (major) cutbacks in our staff, I'm doing some customer service. Mostly I do the photography of all new products, lay out the catalog, and update our website with new items, photos or prices. I apologize about the "gallardo" incident. It's all my fault... Everyone was ordering it but NOONE SAID A WORD THOUGH! that's the upsetting part. the reason why a post was made here... after hearing rumors that someone is out there to make Exoticar look bad, for whatever reason, I was told to get online and figure out what's going on. Or at least hear honest responces from people familiar with Exoticar. You guys are correct, the company is struggling at the time, possibly because of competition of new recently organized die-cast companies. Possibly because of the current economy, where people are cutting back on hobby spendings... Even with multiple store locations the business is not as good as wanted. About the inventory and the website. Our site is managed by a hosting company called Hostworks. They manage all of the structural aspects. I manage the informational aspect. To create a system where inventory can be shown on the site, we need to figure out FIRST how to get all the web orders from the computer directly into our internal database, which so far is done by hand :-( All this costs $ which we don't have. Does anyone want to help? ) The comment about our prices will be shown to Peter for, hopefully, possible consideration. Terry, your comment about labeling items out of stock as "Coming Soon" will be forwarded to Peter also. I think it will solve a lot of confusion about availability of products. | ||
| Terry (Dogue)
Member Username: Dogue Post Number: 351 Registered: 9-2001 |
DES, Maybe his appologies were more than sincere... I just recieved a Ferrari hat that I ordered over 8 months ago!!!! Considering my wife inquired about the order only about a month ago and was told that they would no longer carry this item, maybe, just, maybe he is actually looking into some of the complaints. Pitcrew, One question is the new Fila Ferrari Blue T-shirt U22252 actually instock or is this another item that is on backorder or coming soon? Terry | ||
| Going, going back, back 2 Cali,Cali (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5319 Registered: 8-2002 |
Andreas, i don't think you're on a high horse; you're a smart guy and i appreciate your opinion... i hear what you're saying, but as a disgruntled customer, i thought it was okay to be a little bitter- maybe not... However, considering they have a store in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Florida & Boston, i don't think they're that small... Sure, they don't have a ton of locations throughout the country, but they have stores in expensive hot spots... i'm sorry you think i went overboard and i hope i didn't inadvertently offend you... i was just digging in a little, since this person seems to be doing some shameless advertising... The apologies didn't seem sincere... | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1511 Registered: 10-2002 |
DES, I think you went a tad too far. From the answers below it looks like Exoticar is not a huge corporation, but a rather smallish one struggling to make a buck. Obviously some things are very wrong with their service department (especially when it comes to back orders), but there is no need for going below the belt line. ...And no I'm not trying to suck up to them, but let's keep some decency. (Andreas stepping off his high horse) | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5286 Registered: 8-2002 |
LOL, Bruce... Pitcrew - you're probably right, although my comment was made more towards humor than anything else but i think the replies in this thread speak for the general feelings regarding Exoticar... | ||
| Bruce McKinney (Bruce_mckinney)
New member Username: Bruce_mckinney Post Number: 22 Registered: 12-2002 |
After reading EXOTICARS responses to all the complaints...I can't, for the life of me, figure out how they mis-spelled LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO???? | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 5 Registered: 6-2003 |
DES (Sickspeed) there is no need to be so rude! also, keep in mind that Exoticar employess are only following orders. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5279 Registered: 8-2002 |
Now that's a brandy new, tailor-fitted ass hole Scott just ripped you. | ||
| Scott85 (Scott85)
Junior Member Username: Scott85 Post Number: 97 Registered: 12-2000 |
Your prices are on the low end? Have you looked at your online/catalog lately ? Most of your prices seem to be 20-50% higher then most other online dealers. The problem with any online advertising of Exoticar.com is that most of the diecast collecters know what to expect from Exoticar(theres 17 negative responses here alone). Go to any of the diecast boards (scale18.com, diecast-pub, diecast.org) and you'll see the same responses. 1 example - Tamiya 1/12 F50 $449 to $369.99 (ehobbies.com) Quote- It is important to mention, that because of our company's small size, we do not have the latest and most advanced technology to be able to communicate availability to our customers, without getting them involved. It is unfortunate for us as much as it is for you (we need more customer service representatives, more lines). " You're probably too busy trying to pay the rent for the Beverly Hills & NYC locations to afford some decent customer service(and not to forget the Boston & West Palm Beach locations). | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5249 Registered: 8-2002 |
A customer is the most important visitor on our premise. S/he is not dependent on us; we are dependent on her/him. S/he is not an interruption in our work; s/he is the purpose of it. S/he is not an outsider our business; s/he is a part of it. We are not doing her/him a favor by serving her/him; s/he is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so. -Mahatma Gandhi | ||
| Terry (Dogue)
Member Username: Dogue Post Number: 350 Registered: 9-2001 |
Pitcrew, My complaint is not so much as waiting for items that are represented as backordered or pre-order items, but that your catalog seems to list items as being available before they are released and the customer service aspect is very poor. I have ordered many times from your company and I have learned that most of the new items are actually not available yet. Maybe instead of listing these items as available if you noted by the item that you are taking pre-orders, "coming soon", or an actual release date it would eleviate some of the displeasure. I only wish your customer service representatives were as good as your selection. THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING OUR CONCERNS! | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1496 Registered: 10-2002 |
Guys, be fair and nice. After all they came back and addressed each issue. As I said before, I will use Exoticar again and also others like our sponsor Cavallinomodels. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5224 Registered: 8-2002 |
LOL, Matt...! i'm not some big, multi-national corporate customer service mogul, but i know that there are some things you just don't do... That was one of them. | ||
| "The Don" (The_don)
Senior Member Username: The_don Post Number: 5804 Registered: 8-2002 |
I think it's funny that they had to address 17 complaints in this thread. McDonalds has better customer service. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5220 Registered: 8-2002 |
Pitcrew, your collection of apologies for those of us who griped seems a little hollow in my opinion, but this right here, this takes the cake:
If you were my employee and i heard/saw you tell a customer that, you'd be fired on the spot. There are other companies out there like Exoticar, what's to keep me from going to them...? It's not the product you're selling, but the service. Always remember that. | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 4 Registered: 6-2003 |
Dear Scott85 (Scott85), As far as we know, our prices are on the low end. most purchases made are on in stock items. However these is a large percentage of orders placed for new releases and out of stock models. In this case many people prefer to use our backorder system for ordering. Backorders are not usually charged until the invoice is being prepared for shipment. Some models are backordered for a few weeks and others several months, depending upon the delay by the manufacturer. All backorders ship as they arrive. We cannot physically hold aside any models, therefore if inventory levels are low, we maby be forced to ship part of a backorder to guarantee delivery. Dear Vishal Soin (Vs1), We apologize for the inconvenienc eof no responses. Often the best way to get a responce is calling our 1-800-EXOTICAR line. Dear David S (Djs308), If you email your name and address you will be sent catalogs. On average we send out 4 catalogs every year. You can also call us at 800-348-9159 to ask a customer service representative to add you to our mailing list. The die-cast club was created a while ago with good intentions, but unfortunately we do not have anyone who would maintain such a responsibility. We apologize for the inconvenience. | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 3 Registered: 6-2003 |
Dear Chris Horner (Cmhorner17), We've made many changes in the staffing in our customer service department. We hope that your next experience with us will be possitive. Dear DES (Sickspeed), We apologize that you had a negative experience at our NYC store. We try to be very aware of what goes on there and have resolved many glitches already. Please keep in mind that it is a bit more difficult to be involved and have control of every aspect of a business when it's in a differenct city/state. Dear Jean-Louis (Jlm348), We are very sorry for any confusion or frustration with your experience with our stores. We always welcome your feedback regarding our stores. It is one of important ways to improve our stures. Please feel free to call customer service and even ask for a manager, for further assistance on prices and advertisements. 1-800-EXOTICAR Dear Vince Canipelli (F308vc), Your car is on it's way today, 7/7/03! Dear Eric Eiland (Eric308gtsiqv), We would very much like to re-establish communication with your father. We've had a lot of staffing changes and hope we can meet his needs. We looked at his order and saw no information stating that anything was being discussed with the customer. Please refer him to our 800-EXOTICAR number for further assistance. Dear Amir H. (355spiderman) Contacting customer service at 1-800-EXOTICAR can help you resolve any problems you've encountered! Dear Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12), We've only recently have been notified by the manufacturer that the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competition had had a tooling problem and is expected to be released mid-July & arrive end of August. Regarding the Ferrari 308 GTB is in Limited production. We've only received 10% of our order. The balance is due in the end of July. Dear Alex Lee (Alxlee), For us as well! many of our items are exclusive and we are at the mercy of the manufacturers production schedule. We apologize for these delays, however are unable to control them. | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 2 Registered: 6-2003 |
Dear DES(Sickspeed), Exoticar does not lie to its customers. Our customer base is very valuable to us. if there was a problem with your order pherhaps speak to a supervisor would be more helpful in the future. Also, we've had the Lamborghini Gallardo before it was even unveiled. Sure, an error was made. If something that simple is found, how about helping us ous and bringing it to our attention? Dear Steven R Rochlin (Enjoythemusic), Exoticar does not participate in SPAM! If anything, we get more requests to receive SPAM with information about new releases and sales. We see nothing wrong with posting a general description in a web area where many people might find it helpful Dear Jim E (Jimpo1), As far as I know this is the only "plug" that we've posted. Dear Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice), We try to advertise anywhere we can. Our usual advertising grounds are magazines, although we are trying to expand our advertising efforts into the internet world. Since we are not experts in web activities we try, and if we succeed in getting attention and possibly helping someone, we are happy. If someone finds our one and only posting offensive or rude, we apologize. Dear Terry (Dogue), We too wait for some items and are at the mercy of manufacturers production schedule. :-( Dear Viken Bedrossian (Vikenb), It is important to mention, that because of our company's small size, we do not have the latest and most advanced technology to be able to communicate availability to our customers, without getting them involved. It is unfortunate for us as much as it is for you (we need more customer service representatives, more lines). | ||
| David S (Djs308)
Junior Member Username: Djs308 Post Number: 161 Registered: 9-2002 |
A couple of years ago, I signed up for their "club". I received a confirmation via e-mail, but never received a catalog. Supposedly, they send a liftetime supply of catalogs if you join the "club". Also, supposedly, clubmembers are given discounts from time to time. Well, guess what... I never received a SINGLE catalog from them and only 1 or 2 discount offers. I contacted them several times for getting me a catalog. Each time they said they would send another one out. Never got one... I have bought from them in the past and usually the orders went fine but when they can't ship me their own catalog, it makes me want to look elsewhere. | ||
| L. Wayne Ausbrooks (Lwausbrooks)
Moderator Username: Lwausbrooks Post Number: 2094 Registered: 8-2002 |
Moved to "Collectibles, Etc." | ||
| Vishal Soin (Vs1)
Junior Member Username: Vs1 Post Number: 107 Registered: 10-2002 |
I've had good experiences until my last order. I had ordered a Ferrari hat and Enzo model. Everything came in together - however the hat that was sent was the wrong one - the item number as checked by the inspector on the packing sheet and the one on the bill of the hat didn't even match. I had sent an e-mail to customer service about the issue [4 months ago with no response to date]. | ||
| Terry (Dogue)
Member Username: Dogue Post Number: 348 Registered: 9-2001 |
I think it says a lot for a company that trys to get a free commercial that ends up creating such a response from customers and then doesn't explain, defend or try to rectify the obvious bad reputation. It would be nice to have them actually respond to these issues, considering they brought it upon themselves. Although they do not have the selection of exoticar and they seem to not be able to get some items that exoticar does, I prefer www.scalecars.com or www.ewacars.com or www.speedgear.com. | ||
| Scott85 (Scott85)
Junior Member Username: Scott85 Post Number: 94 Registered: 12-2000 |
I've stopped dealing with Exoticar. Their catalog is the only thing worth getting to see whats coming out. Their prices are generally high & sometimes even the retail stores get the cars in months before Exoticar, at a more inexpensive price. If the car isn't in stock , be prepared to wait and shell out more in shipping costs. | ||
| Alex Lee (Alxlee)
Junior Member Username: Alxlee Post Number: 185 Registered: 4-2002 |
I've had good experiences and bad with them. When they have something in stock, it gets to you real quick; however, if it's backordered, it seems like it can be months sometimes. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1462 Registered: 10-2002 |
I've been shopping at their BH and NY stores and things were good. I have ordered many times over the phone from them and things were soso: If you're ordering an article they had for a while (e.g. a 360 model), you'll get it fast enough. However if you're trying to get the latest and greatest (e.g. the new 308 model), you're on backorder forever and chances are you'll never get it. Happened to me several times and I had to correct orders again and again. I will continue to use them, but also support our sponsor Cavallinomodels.com. | ||
| PlayersMarkus (Playersmarkus)
Junior Member Username: Playersmarkus Post Number: 81 Registered: 10-2002 |
lol,all I can say is that they certainly have good marketing...quiet a few here bought something from them..even I did ;O)...good service, btw ( I bought it at the BH store ).Almost like the Girls Gone Wild videos ;O) Markus | ||
| Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Intermediate Member Username: Stickanddice Post Number: 1356 Registered: 11-2002 |
Ouch. I feel sorry for Exoticar. They came here to advertise and got creamed with bad feedback from previous customers.  Cheers | ||
| Amir H. (355spiderman)
Junior Member Username: 355spiderman Post Number: 123 Registered: 5-2002 |
I have had a very bad expericance with them. I ordered 5 items in March, 3 which i got in 2 weeks and yet to recieve my two other models. This is unacceptable for such a big company, I will never order anything from them again. | ||
| Eric Eiland (Eric308gtsiqv)
Member Username: Eric308gtsiqv Post Number: 910 Registered: 11-2001 |
Personally, I've had good experiences with them -- Ferrari merchandise mainly -- but no model cars yet. My father, on the other hand, has not. He ordered one of those gas powered Shelby Cobra cars for the grandchildren and paid nearly $3,000 for it. When it arrived in a poorly constructed "crate", it was not only partially damaged, but was also missing the HOOD!!! I seem to recall that, in the end, he had end up contacting the manufacturer of the go-cart directly. They made repeated promises to ship a new hood, but never did -- this has been over a year ago. My dad finally gave up...and vows to never order from Exoticar again. | ||
| Vince Canipelli (F308vc)
Junior Member Username: F308vc Post Number: 71 Registered: 2-2002 |
In the past I have had good results from ExoticCar, But my latest order for a 308GTB has been Backordered since April 14. I call every 2 weeks and get the same answer, It will be in within a few weeks! STILL WAITING!!!!! | ||
| Stan Kidd (Pocketbikeracer)
New member Username: Pocketbikeracer Post Number: 11 Registered: 12-2002 |
I've bought over 25+ models from Exoticar with results varying from no shipment at all to getting everything with a couple of days. All my models problems have been corrected to my satisfaction however 3 clothing orders were never right and were far too difficult to correct. I still order from them as well as cavallino simply becaues they seem to have exclusives on some items. Just my 2 cents Stan | ||
| Jean-Louis (Jlm348)
Member Username: Jlm348 Post Number: 581 Registered: 11-2002 |
I bought 2 nice Ferrari shirts from Exoticar Model Co out of Beverly hills. I am very happy with the product, however when I bought the products, there was a sign saying all Fila products are 30% off. One of the shirts was a fila, the other one was a subsidiary company of fila, but the name fila was still on the tag, and after a lot of arguing over false advertising about the discount, they still did not give the discount on the second shirt. Kinda left a bad taste in my mouth, normally I would have walked out of the store, but the shirt was for my girlfriend. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5053 Registered: 8-2002 |
Steven, LOL...! i've made two big-money (for me) purchases in Exoticar's store in Manhattan and the customer service was less than stellar both times... | ||
| Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Intermediate Member Username: Stickanddice Post Number: 1351 Registered: 11-2002 |
To be honest all of my experiences with exoticar have been good. Then again I bought stuff from their store in Newbury St. in Boston. It's no longer there. They had some really nice models there. They were pricey but definitely worth it. Cheers | ||
| Steven R. Rochlin (Enjoythemusic)
Member Username: Enjoythemusic Post Number: 513 Registered: 4-2002 |
Chris, That is a great idea. Have a separate section for spammers. Enjoy the Drive, Steven R. Rochlin | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 195 Registered: 4-2002 |
Yeah, I've never really been impressed with their service. Ordered from them twice, got sent the wrong thing, and it was far harder than it should have been to have the mistake corrected. Mistakes happen and are ok as long as they are fixed in a professional way. With Exoticar that was not the case. | ||
| Viken Bedrossian (Vikenb)
Junior Member Username: Vikenb Post Number: 233 Registered: 5-2001 |
I have purchased several models from Exoticar and have had pretty good service. However, they don't seem to know how to handle backorders too well. I have to keep following-up on the phone to be sure that I get them or else they go to someone else. | ||
| Chris Parr (Cmparrf40)
Member Username: Cmparrf40 Post Number: 645 Registered: 3-2002 |
I have spent a couple of dollars with exoticar, with mixed results... Maybe Rob should have a commercial thread that companies can submit to. I am not offended that companies let me know they exist. I personally have benefitted from some "commercial" posts. I guess some people do not like it so, a "commercial" area might be good for all concerned. Chris | ||
| Terry (Dogue)
Member Username: Dogue Post Number: 347 Registered: 9-2001 |
I have also had very bad luck with Exoticar. They often list items as available and picture them and come to find out they are backordered for months. I ordered a Pininfarina Key chain for a friend for Christmas in 2001 it had been on backorder until about 2 months ago when they told me the item was discontinued...and replied with "I guess" when I asked them to credit my card. Same thing happened when I ordered a Ferrari Cap for another friend that was on sale it also never arrived. They do have the best selection and usually do carry some unique items, but in my experience the unique items are often not in stock and likely will not arrive. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5045 Registered: 8-2002 |
Taek, that's very possible, if someone out there has a real hard-on for the company and wants to see them fall... An internet post, though, would have to be really intense to be effectively damaging to a big corporation like that... Exoticar had some space at the auto show, here in NY, so i'm thinking they have sub-locations or something similar and that this person is working from one of those locations, trying to promote sales for his office/division... | ||
| Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Intermediate Member Username: Stickanddice Post Number: 1350 Registered: 11-2002 |
I meant... You figure these guys would know better than just doing stuff like this. Cheers | ||
| Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Intermediate Member Username: Stickanddice Post Number: 1349 Registered: 11-2002 |
Do you guys think that maybe someone else may be posting these spam emails knowing they will tarnish the establishment's reputation? I, for one, am totally with you guys. I'll make it a point not to purchase from people putting up tactless posts advertising their wares. Not the kind of attitude I'd like to support. Cheers | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5041 Registered: 8-2002 |
When i got their monthly magazine with the Lamborghini Gallardo on the cover, i immediately went to their website to see what colors they had it in... i typed in "Gallardo", i typed in "Lamborghini", i did all types of searches, but to no avail... The inside cover said it was already on the website, ready for sale blah blah blah... i finally found it and guess what...? ...they spelled Gallardo wrong...! Huge error when it's your going to be your #1 seller for however long... Who's editing over there...? Yeah, i understand that mistakes happen, but i searched and searched before i finally found it... Once a company pisses me off, i'll magnify every little thing. | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 2003 Registered: 7-2001 |
I've ordered a few times from these guys and will again if they don't continue their shameless plugs. | ||
| Steven R. Rochlin (Enjoythemusic)
Member Username: Enjoythemusic Post Number: 512 Registered: 4-2002 |
DES, Have a feeling it is time Fchat became a more moderated group with all these spammers. There are the downfalls of being a popular place on the Internet. Enjoy the Drive, Steven R. Rochlin | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5026 Registered: 8-2002 |
Hey, Pitcrew, are you paying Rob Lay to advertise here...? i've purchased from Exoticar before, but never again; i was lied to and my order wasn't received until months after it was promised. Never again, from now on i'll go with Cavallino Models if i need to order a car... Check with the Rob Lay about advertising though... | ||
| Exoticar Model Company (Pitcrew)
New member Username: Pitcrew Post Number: 1 Registered: 6-2003 |
Exoticar Model Company Inc. is the only company in North America to carry every officially licensed Ferrari product. This includes Fila Ferrari clothing line, TSS&P hats & clothes for men & women, Ferrari Idea Collection, video games, watches & accessories, die-cast & handbuilt models, stationery & penline and even bicycles! 1-800-EXOTICAR or www.exoticar.com |