I've never bought from Frank Mitchell, but here's the way I understand it based on the responses that I've seen on this listserver and on the Forward Look Mailing List: Years ago, before he started selling on ebay, when a customer would call for a part Frank would tell them that he had it, even though he wasn't 100% certain. Maybe his response was based on outdated inventory lists ? Who knows ? These days he is doing most of his business on the internet, and specifically on ebay. He is certain that he has the part because he takes a picture of the part before posting it to ebay. This is probably why we've seen a turnaround in people's attitudes toward dealing with Mitchell Motor Parts. Again, I have no personal knowledge of Frank or his business. This is just what I've concluded based on what I've read. Would I buy something he was auctioning on ebay ? Probably. Would I call him up for a part that I needed ? I don't know. Ron