Tonneau

January 22, 2018

About a week and a half ago, I finally bit the bullet and ordered a tonneau cover for my truck. The price was right, and the return policy included free shipping. Shipping was speedy, and last week, I unpacked it and proceeded to install it. The online video made it look easy; reality was slightly different. No matter how I positioned the cover or myself, I couldn’t get the latches to hook properly. After about 45 minutes in a cold, misty rain, I gave up. It was supposed to hook with a cam action lever that grasped the lip of the truck bed to hold it securely. Problem is, my truck has a bed liner with a side rail cap that is glued down. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get the cams to engage.

No problem. Remember the return policy? Ah, but I had failed to read the fine print, which included a 20% restocking fee. My great deal is starting to go the way of most of the great deals I find, and it isn’t looking pretty. But the website offered installation help, so I called, and talked with a pleasant young woman who listened carefully, asked the right questions, and talked twice with her supervisor. Turns out, they thought all 2010 Tacomas have deck rail systems. Mine doesn’t. The young lady said I could return it, so I inquired about their restocking fee, to which she answered that since there was no way to make it fit, there would be no such fee.

Pleasant shock would best describe my reaction. How often do we get to return an item bought online without going through some big hassle? Most of the time, we just suck it up because returning the item isn’t worth what they put you through. Today’s experience was different, and I’d recommend RealTruck.com anytime. 

We have friends in other parts of the world where getting ripped off is a regular part of life, where justice is almost nonexistent, and where doing business is all but impossible. Even had my experience today been negative, the world is full of people who would gladly trade places with me. I am grateful for this company’s business integrity, but also for the ease with which we conduct most of our business.