Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes Texas Aeroplastics and Cee Bailey

Last week I was pricing windows for our 150. One site was Texas Aeroplastics. To make a long story short, checking on shipping charges I must have hit one button too many and actually ordered the windows. For here they are on our door step.

Justina called them today and explained the problem and that we would like to return the windows. She talked to a Jerry. Who was anything but sympathetic or understanding. She got statements like, "You hit the button twice so you now have to pay for it!" "We can provide everything for your Cessna at the cheapest price so you cannot go elsewhere!" "You have 30 days to return the item from time of sale and must be in our possession by November 5 to get any refund." "We are charging you $40 in shipping charges, nonrefundable." "And a restocking fee of $22."

I believe that says it all. In the mean time, not realizing that I had actually ordered the windows from Texas Aeroplastics, I had made an order with Cee Bailey. Half the price of Texas Aeroplastics. I just got off the phone with Anthony with Cee Cee Bailey. Explaining the situation with Texas Aeroplastics. That we would appreciate canceling the order since it just really wasn't feasible sending the windows back to Texas Aeroplastics. He understood completely and said he would cancel the order. Within minutes Anthony then called back, stating the windows had already shipped. He was attempting to get the windows returned to their address. But, if he could not, just refuse them when they arrive. I told him that they would be left on our doorstep. In which he responded to contact him when they did arrive and they would arrange to have them returned at no charge to us.

I felt guilty now not purchasing the windows and keeping them from Cee Bailey. So, I am having them shipped. If somebody wants a pair of clear side windows for their 150, you can buy these for $38 each plus actual shipping.

Oh! When Anthony returned my call the caller ID showed Dresser Tire. I asked about that and they are affiliated. Guess who I will be purchasing my tires from from now on?

And, I am also emailing Texas Aeroplastics a copy of this post........

Oh! And yet another thing. You only get confirmation of orders from Texas Aerplastics if you have Internet Explorer. We did not receive confirmation since we have FireFox.

Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon

Bill, I'll take the windows off your hands

Oky Doky Jeff. PM me your address. I am going to wait to receive the windows from Cee Cee Bailey to see if there is a quality difference. And then we'll ship one of the set of windows off to you. PM me your address, please.

Thanks!

Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon

I am not one to throw stones, maybe rocks but when I was down to Texas aeroplastics there were two cartons of some stuff from Bailey in the back room about the right size for windows. Wonder what there source is?

By the way, that $40 shipping charge and $22 restocking fee? The actual cost of shipping from the labels on the package was $17. 38.

Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon

$40 certainly sounds excessive for a shipping charge (I would even call it 'punitive').

I'm not defending Texas Aeroplastics here, but when I worked for one computer company I was surprised to find out how expensive shipping would cost. Above the actual cost of the shipping was the packaging - boxes cost 'x' number of dollars, the 2-part foam was really expensive, plus the wages of the guy to foam the parts (without ruining them) and box it up. I seem to recall it all added up to about $5 to $10 per item we shipped (back in the mid 1990's).

This was buying in bulk, getting discounted rates from UPS, and hiring at not much better than minimum wage. In the case of Texas Aeroplastics, it sounds like they're a distributor and not a manufacturer, so there's no charge for packaging - it's all labor and material handling... plus an 'annoyance fee'

Two pieces of cardboard and some tape?

The charges are only a part of the issue here. After Justina explained what happened, and that I had obviously clicked one to many buttons, the first thing out of the reps mouth is, "You hit the button so you now have to pay for it!"

Where, with Cee Bailey, they were loosing a sale. But yet were still willing to go out of their way to assist me.

Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon

I had a similar expreience with Texas Aeroplastics.... I wish I had read this post first.. :-(

in short they were $100+ more on an item than someone else I didn't see the other site till it was too late Texas wasn't so nice about it.

Moral of story: Don't push the button twice at TA, and shop Cee Baily first.
Bill, Steve usually uses CB I believe. That's where all of my "glass" came from.

Maybe Poobs can chime in here on his less than great experience with Texas Errorplastics.