Classic part story fiasco

[CKfan]

Yep, as usual, I order, confirm and still get the wrong part.

So, I am working on a project that is falling behind and I need a high hump heater only, non-a/c firewall panel to get caught up. Try donor trucks, no extreme luck. Spend hours calling and searching all over and the part is back ordered or they want to add $700 for shipping across country. Knowing I have gotten stuck with parts before because the return shipping is more than the part, I was determined to find one in stock and drive to get it.

I call Classic Industries and wait on hold 40 minutes then get someone who is obviously pre-occupied with something else or knows nothing about parts. I finally get her to realize what I want and that I want to come pick it up (tries to talk me into shipping +500). Once that debate was over she put a "hold" on the part (last one in stock) and gave me a reference number to tell someone when I got there.

I was working so I send my brother and he drives the 2 1/2 hours there and pulls a paper number to be waited on. Waits 30 minutes for help and confirms my phone in order and then is told to wait while they pull the parts. He texts me a pic of the invoice and I verify it is the part in the catalog. 15 minutes later they send him to shipping, load him up and 3 hours in traffic later he arrives with the firewall.

Image my joy, when after all the searching I open the tailgate and see a "smooth wall" firewall setting in the truck. NOPE!!!!!! Not what was pictured in the catalog! And, has multiple stickers showing the right and wrong part numbers.

The reason for this story is just to show what a lot of people have to go through to get these trucks back on the road. And this is just one part.

So, if anyone wonders why shops charge so much to do work, you have to figure in the fact they deal with this kind of thing times a thousand.
Happy building