I recently bought a couple things from Cub Classics, and IH Cub Cadet Parts with no problems from either and would use both again if need be. Chris from Cub classics returned a phone call within 24 hours, answered my concerns and called me back in the evening as I told him to feel free to contact me at any time day or night. I then placed my order and it was on my door step less than 48 hours later, being he is just over in Ohio. I just ordered from Mark's site and did not contact him prior to the order but everything went smoothly there too.
I work for a web based company that sells automotive parts. Getting the company set up so we could quickly respond to the volume of inquiries took a little work, and costs money. In our experiences, you can't just hire some noob who knows nothing about the products you are selling and expect them to deal with customers, and one man can only do so much in 24 hours.
Having been buying online for years, I have learned what to expect when ordering from small companies using off the shelf shopping cart solutions. They are typically folks running a side or specialty business and can not be on call all day, but have good intentions and you get what you pay for from them.
In my line of work, an educated customer is my favorite customer. Nothing wrong with asking the seller questions of course, but many times if you take some initiative and ask on the forum or search, you can find the answers you need and then decide to order or not, letting the vendor focus on other things like getting parts packed and shipped or ordering more from his suppliers.
