Postal for Coastal

This is just one of many other postings on problems with Coastal Electronics.

I ordered the following items from Coastal on 9/1/06:

Ultimate lockpick 1
xm radio
speed sensing door locks
power outlet mod
mud flaps

On 9/12/06 I emailed coastal because there was no sign that delivery was being made - no response.

On 9/19/06 I received the shipment without the xm radio kit but both the packing slip and the weight of the shipment stated that the radio was included. Three emails later and more than ten calls later over the next few days I got a female voice on the phone (Kelly maybe?). She promptly took care of the problem by sending me the xm kit by two day air.

I also found out on that call that the lockpick does not work on the 2006 Prius. I mentioned this on the phone and was met with contempt and ridicule for having misssed something soooo obvious. I have sent the item back and have been promised a refund. Since then I have checked their web site and found multiple ways of ordering the lockpick without a clear indication of it not working on the 2006.

It is too bad that a small business made up of smart people can't realize that service is what floats or sinks any business. Spending $700 and then waiting nearly three weeks for the wrong shipment only to be treated like an idiot on the phone is not the way I expect to do business.

Suggestions to Coastal:

1 - 100. Listen to suggestions.

101. Spend a little money proactively and hire someone NICE (not snotty) to do your email and phone work.

102. Keep working on your excellent ideas.

103. Rework your web site so idiots like me won't miss important information.