Formal Complaint Regarding Intrusive Verification Process and Wrongful Order Cancellation
I am writing to formally document my experience with Parts Geek regarding Order #cs-261060***________, which has resulted in the loss of a long-time customer. After years of doing business with Parts Geek, I placed an order on July 31 using my personal credit card for approximately $600.00 in parts, including expedited shipping. Later that evening, I received an email requesting a copy of my driver's license and/or a bank statement or utility bill showing an address matching the billing address on my Parts Geek account. Before providing any personal information, I called your customer service department to verify that the request was legitimate. During that call, I expressed my concern that requesting these sensitive documents was unnecessarily intrusive and did little to protect customers from fraud. I also explained that the address on my driver's license does not match my current billing address. Although I strongly disagreed with the request, I complied. Shortly afterward, I received a second email stating that the photograph of my driver's license was unacceptable because it was "too flat" and requesting that I instead submit a video of my driver's license. Considering I had intentionally laid the license flat to provide the clearest possible image, I found this request even more unreasonable. Nevertheless, I complied again—and this time I went far beyond what was requested. Within minutes, I submitted: A video of my driver's license A photograph of my U.S. passport A bank statement showing my billing address A photograph of the credit card used for the purchase Every request made by Parts Geek was answered within minutes of receipt. On the morning of August 3, I called customer service to confirm that my documentation had been received and to request that my order be released. After being placed on hold several times, I was told my documentation had been received and that I should expect a tracking number within 12 to 24 hours. I again expressed my concerns regarding the intrusive verification process. Approximately five hours later, I received an email stating that my order had been canceled because I allegedly "did not submit" the requested information in time. This statement is simply false. It directly contradicts both the timeline of my submissions and the information I was given by your representative earlier that same morning. I immediately contacted customer service again and requested a supervisor. After another lengthy hold, I was informed that no supervisor was available and that one would return my call. When a supervisor finally called approximately two hours later, he repeatedly insisted that I had failed to provide the requested documentation. I explained that I had submitted every requested document—including the requested video of my driver's license—as well as my passport, bank statement, and the credit card used for the purchase. He then argued that my passport was somehow less acceptable than my driver's license, despite the fact that a U.S. passport is one of the highest forms of government-issued identification available. Rather than addressing the documented timeline of my submissions, the conversation became argumentative and failed to resolve the issue. This entire experience raises serious concerns. If a matching bank statement or utility bill is required, why request it if it is ultimately disregarded? Many people, including myself, own multiple properties, making it entirely reasonable for a driver's license address and a billing address to differ. More importantly, requiring customers to transmit copies of driver's licenses, passports, bank statements, videos, and payment cards creates a significant privacy and identity theft risk. I am left questioning why so much sensitive personal information was collected only to have my order canceled anyway. After years of being a loyal customer, this experience has permanently damaged my confidence in Parts Geek. I will not do business with your company again, and I will be sharing my experience with others so they can make informed purchasing decisions. I also intend to forward this correspondence directly to CEO Jon Sinclair for review, as I believe the verification process and handling of my order deserve executive attention. I request a written explanation addressing: Why my order was canceled despite my prompt compliance with every verification request. Why I was told on the morning of August 3 that my order would be released and a tracking number would be issued within 12–24 hours. How Parts Geek stores, protects, and ultimately disposes of the highly sensitive personal information I submitted during this process. I look forward to your prompt response. Sincerely, Adrian T