Beard,
I'm a big fan of pressing the "customer satisfaction" issue and have more often than not succeeded in making enough noise to get a vendor to eventually do the right thing.
A couple of thoughts....
1) If the clerk in the store gave you that kind of response, go to directly to the manager. Don't waste your time with a clerk. Make sure he/she feels the frustration and ridiculous inconvenience you've endured.
2) Contact Autocrafters directly via their web site and email the general manager. Spill your guts to him and tell him what you want.
http://www.autocraftersusa.com/cgi-b...rget=staff.htm
3) I would also make both the store manager as well as the Autocrafters general manager aware that you have been discussing this entire episode on a nationally monitored discussion list. It would be to their advantage for you to post a very positive ending to the story.
4) Consider contacting your local Better Business Bureau. Most (sane) businesses do NOT want a complaint registered against them with the BBB. If, after the BBB gets involved and attempts to moderate, you are not satisfied with the results, you have the right to leave the complaint "on file". Not good for a business's reputation. It would behoove them to make you happy.
My $.02