by Brit-Car-Nut » Sat 13.10.2012, 03:06
With as many members upset with Bob for starting projects and taking deposits but not finishing them in a timely fashion I felt my problem was worth mentioning. I contacted Bob BEFORE ordering and was asssured the "kit" would be included in the shipment of camber shims. When the shims arrived without the "kit", I asked what had happened and he said he needed to finish a few parts, he would send the "kit" out within the week. After many months and many unanswered emails, on Feb. 28, I demanded my money back whereupon Bob emailed me to say he was just about to put the package in the post but with my attitude "you can whistle for any other parts or help from me".
Yes, this came after some heated emails where I questioned his honesty regarding the sudden existance of a refundable shipping label, but that doesn't give Bob the right to refuse my refund.
He is more than allowed to decide not to fulfill his contract with me BUT he also never returned my payment or responded to any further emails.
There are a LOT of people with money invested in his projects that haven't been finished. I understand the fear that anyone complaining about this issue might push Bob to just stop working and of course keep all of the deposits. I never thought that could happen, but several members have suggested that they realize that after many years of promises and no results and then no contact from Bob, they will probably never see their parts or their money.
Why Bob thinks he should start another project before finishing any of his previous, unfinished tasks is truely a mystery to me.
Yeah, I know a few people want 5 lug hubs so they can benefit from a larger array of rims, but there are a lot of people waiting for their front lower wishbones, bushes and bolts. There was the other bushings group buy that never went anywhere because Bob controlled the supplier. Rear Top Links? Where are those two and a half years later?
It was my fault for not reclaiming my PayPal payment when Bob missed his ship date, but I felt I could trust him since everyone seemed to revere him and kept saying that patience was necessary. Now, I find others that also can't reach him and when they asked for a refund, long after the parts should have been available, they get no response at all.
I am NOT bashing Bob because we disagree. I am just pointing out that I placed an order, was promised a shipment date, I paid for the order and then got nothing for months before I escalated my contacts only to be brushed off. Everyone needs to be aware that you could easily join the ranks of those that have paid for something and never received it.
If, for some reason, Bob decides to do the right thing and refund payments to anyone that asks for their money back AND I do get my 80 quid refunded, it WILL go immediately into the LEC coffers as LEC has helped me beyond description and I want to see the group continue.
I truely feel that Bob is a gifted engineer and his motives were probably more than honorable when the projects started but something went wrong and they never got completed. At that point, Bob should have announced the demise of the project and refunded the deposits.
If this has upset the mods, I am sorry. There are a lot of new members that don't deserve to be misled by keeping quiet when someone wrongs us. We discuss suppliers and how they treat us, so I think this is very much the same thing and everyone should mention problems they have with anyone they deal with (Elan based, that is).
Please contact me via eMail, not by PM
Wow. What a total bummer, I'm sorry. Sounds like most home contractors who start work, get paid, stop working, and move to a new project. Very common in that industry for people to have half-finished basements and be out the whole invoice pre-paid. 