Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/26/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Original Purchase:
  
  I purchased the ***** ******** for $4,099.00(see attachment) from Toolsource.com after verifying the price with a salesman at Toolsource.com.
  
  No communication was made to me regarding shipping, delay, or cancellation.
  
  2. Cancellation Without Notice
  
  After I followed up, Toolsource.com’s customer service told me the order was canceled because the product was "discontinued."
  
  This is not true — the product still exists, but the price has been increased.
  
  3. Current Status
  
  The same machine (***** ******** ** ***** **** *** Attachment) is now being advertised on Toolsource.com for $7,399.00.
  
  I am being asked to repurchase it at this inflated price.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/27/2025

  We appreciate the opportunity to respond and provide clarity
  regarding this customer’s experience. The customer attempted to order item ***********, which was
  incorrectly listed on our website due to a catalog sync error. This item has
  not been available to us from our supplier since October 2023 and was
  designated as a “will call” pickup-only product. As an internet retailer, we do
  not have access to this item for direct fulfillment. The fact that it remained
  active on our site was our error, and we sincerely apologize for the confusion. During the order process, our system flagged the transaction
  as potential fraud due to several risk indicators: •            A
  high-value order with mismatched billing and shipping addresses across
  different states •            Use of a
  Hotmail email address, which has historically correlated with a high volume of
  fraudulent activity •            An IP
  address geolocated in Tennessee, inconsistent with the billing information •            A total of
  39 declined transactions across three different credit cards As a result, the order was never processed. Per our fraud
  prevention policy, we do not always notify customers when an order is flagged
  and canceled for security reasons. We acknowledge that this lack of
  communication may have added to the customer’s frustration, and we are
  reviewing our notification procedures to improve transparency in such cases. The correct and currently available item from ***** ** ****************, which includes freight prepaid shipping. This product was and
  remains listed on our website. The cost of the original item in October 2023
  was $3,299 for will call pickup; however, current pricing has increased
  significantly, and our cost for the FPD version now exceeds $6,000. As a small business with over 100,000 items listed online,
  we strive to maintain accurate information, but errors and omissions can occur.
  When they do, we work diligently to find solutions that balance customer
  satisfaction with operational feasibility. In this case, we were unable to
  fulfill the order due to product unavailability and system safeguards. We regret that the customer’s experience did not meet
  expectations 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/27/2025

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  
  According to the screenshot provided by Toolsource, the item was and is still listed as having "20+ in stock" at the time of my purchase. Despite this, my order was canceled, and I was told via phone that the item had been discontinued.  They never mentioned anything about transaction fraud. However, Toolsource's website is currently advertising the exact same machine for $7,399, which directly contradicts the explanation I was given. I also have a recording of the call in which Toolsource's representative stated that the cancellation was due to product discontinuation. This inconsistency raises serious concerns about the transparency and honesty of this transaction. I believe this situation may constitute a bait-and-switch, which violates both federal and state consumer protection laws. As a consumer, I have the right to receive truthful information about a product’s availability and pricing. Based on the evidence I’ve gathered, I am requesting that Toolsource honor the original sale price of $4,099.00 and fulfill the order accordingly. If this matter is not resolved promptly, I will have no choice but to file formal complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, my State Attorney General’s office, and relevant consumer advocacy platforms. I would prefer to resolve this directly and amicably. 
  
  Regards, 
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 08/28/2025

  Dear BBB, Thank you for the opportunity to respond further to Mr.
  ******** concerns and apologize for any lack of clarity in our prior response. We respectfully disagree with the assertion that our website
  indicated “20+ in stock” at the time of purchase. Our catalog records and
  internal logs do not support that claim, and we have not received documentation
  verifying it. The item in question had been discontinued prior to the order,
  and while it may have remained visible due to a catalog error, it was not
  actively available for fulfillment.  You can
  see in the images (screen shots) I provided with my prior response shows no
  inventory in our system for the item that Mr ****** ordered.  That product page now displays discontinued
  but previously it would have said “special order” which is the default for our
  system for an item that shows no inventory and is active. *************************************************************************************************************************  The product page that Mr ****** probably
  saw saying 20 in stock would be the correct product page for the Freight
  Prepaid tool that is currently listed at $7,399 ***************************************************************************************** Importantly, the product listing Mr. ****** referenced was
  configured for will call pickup, which is no longer available to us due to
  changes in supplier logistics. The current listing reflects the same machine
  from the same supplier, but under a freight-prepaid configuration, which
  carries a different cost structure. This distinction accounts for some of the
  pricing difference and does not represent a bait-and-switch.  It was a simple error in our product listing.
  I will repeat for clarity that our supplier has multiple numbers for the same
  product we cannot purchase *********** anymore and haven’t been able to for
  some time the product that we can sell has a part number ***************.  We again acknowledge that these are the same
  product but have different logistics and availability in the system. The order was also flagged by our fraud detection system due
  to pricing anomalies and risk indicators on our end we never accepted or processed
  the order. Our representative referenced the product’s discontinuation during
  the call, we acknowledge that the product that the actual product Mr ****** wants to purchase is still available but the part number he purchased is in fact discontinued to us in our system and is unavailable to us.  We also acknowledge that the fraud flag was probably
  not clearly communicated likely leading to some of Mr ******’ frustration.  We regret any confusion and frustration this
  may have caused and are reviewing our communication protocols to ensure greater
  clarity in future interactions. Toolsource does not engage in deceptive practices. We take
  compliance with consumer protection laws seriously and strive to maintain
  transparency in our listings and communications. We cannot honor the original
  sale price of $4,099 due to the discontinued fulfillment method, outdated
  product cost and supplier constraints. We appreciate Mr. ******** desire to resolve this amicably
  and remain committed to improving our systems and customer experience. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This complaint is about the ToolSource and their inability to take responsibility for their mistake and the financial impacts it has on their customers. Placed an order with ToolsSource for a specific tool on October 8, 2022. Six days later I received notice from ToolSource that the tool is on back order for one month. Within two hours I requested that they cancel the order, and I placed an order with another vendor. Four days later I receive correspondence from ToolSource the item has shipped. Actual tracking shows it did not ship until the following day after my requested cancelation. Somehow after I requested the order to be cancelled they miraculously found the part. Same day I receive notification form ToolSource I received the tool from other vendor. I requested that they provide a return authorization and provide a packing slip to send the tool back. After a bunch of back and forth for 3 weeks I finally received the return authorization. No return packing slip and no refund on the original shipping charges.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/09/2022

  This order was placed on a Saturday, we are not open on Saturday and Sunday.  When we returned to work on Monday and went to process the order we were notified that this product was on backorder by the manufacturer.  We do back order items without confirmation from the customer it was backordered the same day.  This item is shipped manufacturer direct and is a special order, the customer would have been made aware of these details before we committed to the order.  The order was fulfilled sooner than the manufacturer had specified. We estimated one month and it was delivered on October 19.  The customer is responsible for return shipping for the unwanted items,  most special orders are non-refundable.  We exceeded our delivery estimates for this manufacturer direct specialty tool.  My representative was out of the office on bereavement which lead to a few additional days of delay on this orders return processing. This was a manufacturer direct item so there is a lead time between us canceling and it being canceled, it just happened to ship in the mean time, that is out of our control. 

  I have instructed customer service to send a prepaid shipping label for this order,  we do apologize for the confusion and frustration this has caused.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/10/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory, however the response from ToolSource (TS) is not accurate and is
  misleading and should be noted on the complaint and posted with the general complaint for future customers dealing with TS. They are correct that the item was ordered on Sat. (Oct. 8) and I
  knew it would not process until the following Mon. (Oct. 10). It was not
  communicated to me that the order was back ordered until the following Thu.
  (Oct. 13). Which changed the terms of the purchase agreement. So, I requested TS
  to cancel the order within two hours of receipt of communication (Oct. 13) which
  was also within the 30-day return window offered by TS. It was not communicated
  to me that the item had shipped the next day (Fri., Oct. 14) until Mon. (Oct.
  17). At which time I explained to TS that I wanted a return authorization (RA)
  and return shipping label. To say I was notified and given an opportunity approve
  the back order is false. All the correspondence provided states otherwise. Nowhere
  on the website, in the checkout, or on the confirmation receipt did it state
  that the item was a “special order” for TS which is another false statement to
  state that I the customer was aware of this, so a refund is fully justified and
  never disputed by TS. I understand the return shipping language in their return
  policy. However, my issue is the fact that they communicated to me on the 13th stating that it was backordered for a month and then shipped the next day. I’ll
  I asked for was them to take ownership of their communication error or lack of
  timely communication from what they knew on Mon. the 10th and provide
  the return label as not to financially impact me as the customer anymore. But
  instead, we played 3-weeks of back and forth to get the RA starting Oct 17th until Nov 7th when I got the RA with no return label. Which
  ultimately resulting in the complaint to the BBB because of the aggravation I
  had already gone through, and I knew I would not get any further with TS. To
  address the bereavement comment. I had requested the RA once they notified me
  that it had shipped on Mon. the 17th. Which they kicked down the
  road until the item was delivered on the 19th instead of starting
  the RA. So, I reached out to them on 19th to get an out of office
  reply. Which is when I corresponded with the general service e-mail and CC the
  person I had been working with and no correspondence until the following Mon.
  So, the whole bereavement aside it still took TS 2-weeks plus to give me a RA.
  I have received the return label and will be sending the
  item back in the unopened shipping box. Though I suspect I’m still going to be
  impacted for the initial shipping charge because of TS poor communication. But
  I won’t know until I received the refund. Which TS stated could take up to
  30-days from the receipt of the return.   
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  ****** ****