I'm going to throw my .02 here just because I've worked for an online retailer on the development side so I've seen how the electronic process side of it works.
From what I've read on this thread, it seems like there is a lack of information flow between the manufacturing/warehouse and the sales side. Where I worked the site's inventory was real time, and orders were picked off the shelf within minutes of an order being placed and everything shipped the same day (no it wasn't automotive related unfortunately). What most customers did not know was that even if they called in to place an order, the customer service reps used the same site the customer would have. yep, everything went through the site. That way there was no confusion or errors in inventory, credit card billing was automated and all that good stuff.
Granted, we didn't manufacture anything, nor did we have a warehouse like Summit or Jeg's in size. Given the manufacturing aspect I would still think you have some idea of completion and can inform the sales side.
Having said that, having a part in stock and telling a customer there is a 14 day lead is just baffling. The fact that even being offered a faster ship date for another $90 seems almost shoddy to me. As a customer that tells me you can ship it but won't unless I pay even more. If that happened to me I would never order again. I would rather pay a bit more for excellent customer service than go through something like that.
Ultimately it isn't anyone's fault at CPP but the president/CEO, as long as they are being notified of the problem that is, and sounds like Jeff is doing that. Hope things turn around.
BTW Jeff, if you guys ever want a site like that, let me know I can make it happen
