BEWARE OF JOE AT GERMAN AUTO DISMANTLER
12-22-2008, 01:19 AM
#31
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Why can't we all gather round the campfire and sing Kumbiya ...
Dude, you're smoking something that is warping your thoughts. First of all, you don't know what Wayne makes, and to assume, and then make the comment he's getting "fabulously wealthy", sounds like utter jealousy to me. Secondly, it is ludicrous to suggest that because he has an allegedly profitable business, that he wants to keep a legal team on retainer to deal with lawsuits he doesn't have to face. Start your own forum, and you can be king.
Let's take it a step further; Maybe he's making so much money we should allow the government come in and take it over-we'll Socialize Pelican. Then, we'll take money from the rich and give to the poor-more so than what is already done via taxes.
Thirdly, if you'll take the time to read and digest instead of jumping to conclusions, I did agree that $2K is a lot of money to lose-I supported Erik's posting of the warning, and thanked him.
Let's take it a step further; Maybe he's making so much money we should allow the government come in and take it over-we'll Socialize Pelican. Then, we'll take money from the rich and give to the poor-more so than what is already done via taxes.
Thirdly, if you'll take the time to read and digest instead of jumping to conclusions, I did agree that $2K is a lot of money to lose-I supported Erik's posting of the warning, and thanked him.
Hard to say if you read the Pelican thread which is what this is really all about. It is available now. Wayne was being the Porsche BBS **** but thankfully he backed off.
And you may be surprised how easy it is to learn about this stuff (like how much Wayne sells per year and what his markup and net profit might be), especially in such a relatively small community like Porsche lovers. Or how he has this tiny little operation in CA with a dinky little room for all his "parts on hand" and how he just passes our nicely marked-up orders through to the real fulfillment experts like WorldPAC.
But Wayne has this hero worship thing going in the P-Car world (you must be one of his disciples) but he's no saint himself. I get pretty sick of him throwing his weight around and telling us what we can and can't say or think. He isn't our god.
I admire people who do well in a classy way. And bluntly I feel Wayne can be admired for his success and I think he deserves what he's accomplished. He figured out a way to combine many elements of modern commerce with his passion, which is Porsche automobiles, to make a very handsome living. But Wayne and classy in the same sentence. I don't think so.
Last edited by rbuswell; 12-22-2008 at 01:29 AM. Reason: Misspelling
12-22-2008, 07:14 AM
#32
Since I have taken the time to read this, I guess I will comment.
If one person says you are an ***, keep walking. If ten people call you an ***, look for a saddle.
I have seen many disputes get settled after complaints were posted on various forums, and all's well that ends well. AFAIK, Pelican Parts makes a large effort to make sure that 100% of their customers are satisfied, and I have certainly read a few complaints posted about them on their own forum. Direct communication is always a good first resort.
I have purchased many items long distance. Expensive cars and parts. Some people fail to give good service, or fail at communication, or lose track of timeliness to the tune of many months. In the end, it isn't always about what happened, it is about what gets done about it.
Some vendors have failed me, and at least attempted to make good. Others have knowingly taken advantage of me, some I have turned over to the law. There is a big difference between failing to make good and deliberate dishonesty with intent to swindle. If I have to get the Law on you, I am going to bad mouth you, even if I get my money back. How you treat me will determine what kind of review I give you, and or how I will go after you. Some people I have dealt with are no longer in business.
My feelings have very little to do with it. Unfortunately for the OP, unless he has some really good documentation, it is hard to go after someone from a distance. I expect that this is why he is posting here, and I hope it helps.
Not sure why anyone would bring up Wayne here. Like him or not, he is very easy to get in contact with. Offhand comments on an open forum should be a last resort.
If one person says you are an ***, keep walking. If ten people call you an ***, look for a saddle.
I have seen many disputes get settled after complaints were posted on various forums, and all's well that ends well. AFAIK, Pelican Parts makes a large effort to make sure that 100% of their customers are satisfied, and I have certainly read a few complaints posted about them on their own forum. Direct communication is always a good first resort.
I have purchased many items long distance. Expensive cars and parts. Some people fail to give good service, or fail at communication, or lose track of timeliness to the tune of many months. In the end, it isn't always about what happened, it is about what gets done about it.
Some vendors have failed me, and at least attempted to make good. Others have knowingly taken advantage of me, some I have turned over to the law. There is a big difference between failing to make good and deliberate dishonesty with intent to swindle. If I have to get the Law on you, I am going to bad mouth you, even if I get my money back. How you treat me will determine what kind of review I give you, and or how I will go after you. Some people I have dealt with are no longer in business.
My feelings have very little to do with it. Unfortunately for the OP, unless he has some really good documentation, it is hard to go after someone from a distance. I expect that this is why he is posting here, and I hope it helps.
Not sure why anyone would bring up Wayne here. Like him or not, he is very easy to get in contact with. Offhand comments on an open forum should be a last resort.
12-22-2008, 09:55 AM
#33
Good Mornin Erik!
Well it sounds like you got your hands full with an Accounts Receivable (A/R) issue, and its unfortunate (for the both sides) that it has to be aired. But, what are you gonna do, right!
First, understand that I'm not defending either party's position, rather trying to understand it. But since you made a post in a Technical forum, and I'll assume it was because there is no "Mud Room" to posts such things, I had to ask the two obvious questions, and thank you for addressing them.
Second, it sounds like you are managing your boss's business and you have experienced your first possible payment default? I too have been down such a road (however not with the "defendant") and there are few things I learned and I also noticed were echo'd by the members here and maybe these tools will be helpful in the future:
A) When dealing with a sale which does not involve pre-payment such as a credit card, paypal, bank wire transfer or other vehicles, you can determine if you could be placing your business at risk by simply looking up the client's ratings. Two common tools are Dunn and Brad or D&B and the local Better Business Bureau's. I won't say either are 100% accurate however they are very helpful. Some rating agencies charge a fee for this service and you can use your judgment to determine whether they are cost effective.
B) Occasionally you may get a "feeling" about a potential sale, something just does not sound right. Since we don't have "Mud Room" forums you'll have to do a rather extensive search to see if there are any skeletons in the closet. Other places to search are on the internet through Google for example and using the clients name, phone number and email address. There is nothing wrong in researching, its a two way street, just as the client has done their research on your company or product you also have the right to do your research if you don't have a warm fuzzy about the deal. A fine example of a "red flag" is when an overseas client asks you do drop-ship their product to a freight forwarder in the U.S. Regardless if their credit card address verification is good, and regardless of whether you get a signature upon delivery, there are issues accepting credit cards "overseas".
Third, I think its time, since you have had the weekend to make your point, and as well others have posted their comments, that you give the past due customer one last chance, the olive branch. I'm not saying you are right to do this and I'm not saying your wrong to do it, its simply protocol after every fight to put out a hand and see you can lift them back up and find some equal ground to work out the issue. After all is in your best interest.
I hope all works out for you in resolving the issue.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year In 2009
Best Regards
Griff
Well it sounds like you got your hands full with an Accounts Receivable (A/R) issue, and its unfortunate (for the both sides) that it has to be aired. But, what are you gonna do, right!
First, understand that I'm not defending either party's position, rather trying to understand it. But since you made a post in a Technical forum, and I'll assume it was because there is no "Mud Room" to posts such things, I had to ask the two obvious questions, and thank you for addressing them.
Second, it sounds like you are managing your boss's business and you have experienced your first possible payment default? I too have been down such a road (however not with the "defendant") and there are few things I learned and I also noticed were echo'd by the members here and maybe these tools will be helpful in the future:
A) When dealing with a sale which does not involve pre-payment such as a credit card, paypal, bank wire transfer or other vehicles, you can determine if you could be placing your business at risk by simply looking up the client's ratings. Two common tools are Dunn and Brad or D&B and the local Better Business Bureau's. I won't say either are 100% accurate however they are very helpful. Some rating agencies charge a fee for this service and you can use your judgment to determine whether they are cost effective.
B) Occasionally you may get a "feeling" about a potential sale, something just does not sound right. Since we don't have "Mud Room" forums you'll have to do a rather extensive search to see if there are any skeletons in the closet. Other places to search are on the internet through Google for example and using the clients name, phone number and email address. There is nothing wrong in researching, its a two way street, just as the client has done their research on your company or product you also have the right to do your research if you don't have a warm fuzzy about the deal. A fine example of a "red flag" is when an overseas client asks you do drop-ship their product to a freight forwarder in the U.S. Regardless if their credit card address verification is good, and regardless of whether you get a signature upon delivery, there are issues accepting credit cards "overseas".
Third, I think its time, since you have had the weekend to make your point, and as well others have posted their comments, that you give the past due customer one last chance, the olive branch. I'm not saying you are right to do this and I'm not saying your wrong to do it, its simply protocol after every fight to put out a hand and see you can lift them back up and find some equal ground to work out the issue. After all is in your best interest.
I hope all works out for you in resolving the issue.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year In 2009
Best Regards
Griff
Hey there Griffiths,
To answer your questions. The customer, as far as I am aware was completely satisfied with the gearbox, and there has not been any issue with its proper running.
In several conversations with Joe in regard to payment, I was told that business was simply slow and that maybe next week would be better. This has gone on and on and on for over 6 months now.
To answer your questions. The customer, as far as I am aware was completely satisfied with the gearbox, and there has not been any issue with its proper running.
In several conversations with Joe in regard to payment, I was told that business was simply slow and that maybe next week would be better. This has gone on and on and on for over 6 months now.
12-22-2008, 10:36 AM
#34
Rennlist Member
Ed, I'm going to guess that you didn't read Erik's post since you posted yours four minutes later. Maybe you have a heart, maybe you don't but Erik is a genuine guy just trying to help us enjoy our cars. Hopefully Tom will let him keep his job (just kidding). Tom is actually a crusty ol' guy with a heart of gold. I'm sure Tom will keep Erik around.
Hard to say if you read the Pelican thread which is what this is really all about. It is available now. Wayne was being the Porsche BBS **** but thankfully he backed off.
And you may be surprised how easy it is to learn about this stuff (like how much Wayne sells per year and what his markup and net profit might be), especially in such a relatively small community like Porsche lovers. Or how he has this tiny little operation in CA with a dinky little room for all his "parts on hand" and how he just passes our nicely marked-up orders through to the real fulfillment experts like WorldPAC.
But Wayne has this hero worship thing going in the P-Car world (you must be one of his disciples) but he's no saint himself. I get pretty sick of him throwing his weight around and telling us what we can and can't say or think. He isn't our god.
I admire people who do well in a classy way. And bluntly I feel Wayne can be admired for his success and I think he deserves what he's accomplished. He figured out a way to combine many elements of modern commerce with his passion, which is Porsche automobiles, to make a very handsome living. But Wayne and classy in the same sentence. I don't think so.
Hard to say if you read the Pelican thread which is what this is really all about. It is available now. Wayne was being the Porsche BBS **** but thankfully he backed off.
And you may be surprised how easy it is to learn about this stuff (like how much Wayne sells per year and what his markup and net profit might be), especially in such a relatively small community like Porsche lovers. Or how he has this tiny little operation in CA with a dinky little room for all his "parts on hand" and how he just passes our nicely marked-up orders through to the real fulfillment experts like WorldPAC.
But Wayne has this hero worship thing going in the P-Car world (you must be one of his disciples) but he's no saint himself. I get pretty sick of him throwing his weight around and telling us what we can and can't say or think. He isn't our god.
I admire people who do well in a classy way. And bluntly I feel Wayne can be admired for his success and I think he deserves what he's accomplished. He figured out a way to combine many elements of modern commerce with his passion, which is Porsche automobiles, to make a very handsome living. But Wayne and classy in the same sentence. I don't think so.
Secondly, I don't hero-worship Wayne, in fact he pissed me off a couple of years ago on his comments to me on a what I feel he misconstrued about my comments on a thread. I truly boycotted Pelican for a year at a time I was buying a lot of parts. I got over it when I realized it is his sandbox, and he really can be a **** if he likes. My recourse was to vote with my dollars. I'm also well aware of how Pelican operates with regard to what they actually have in inventory at a given time.
Again, until you're his CPA, you do not know what he makes. Until you're his attorney or business advisor, you can't tell him how he should run his forum or business.
Back to our previously scheduled programming.....
12-22-2008, 03:39 PM
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More good stuff
Good Mornin Erik!
Well it sounds like you got your hands full with an Accounts Receivable (A/R) issue, and its unfortunate (for the both sides) that it has to be aired. But, what are you gonna do, right!
First, understand that I'm not defending either party's position, rather trying to understand it. But since you made a post in a Technical forum, and I'll assume it was because there is no "Mud Room" to posts such things, I had to ask the two obvious questions, and thank you for addressing them.
Second, it sounds like you are managing your boss's business and you have experienced your first possible payment default? I too have been down such a road (however not with the "defendant") and there are few things I learned and I also noticed were echo'd by the members here and maybe these tools will be helpful in the future:
A) When dealing with a sale which does not involve pre-payment such as a credit card, paypal, bank wire transfer or other vehicles, you can determine if you could be placing your business at risk by simply looking up the client's ratings. Two common tools are Dunn and Brad or D&B and the local Better Business Bureau's. I won't say either are 100% accurate however they are very helpful. Some rating agencies charge a fee for this service and you can use your judgment to determine whether they are cost effective.
B) Occasionally you may get a "feeling" about a potential sale, something just does not sound right. Since we don't have "Mud Room" forums you'll have to do a rather extensive search to see if there are any skeletons in the closet. Other places to search are on the internet through Google for example and using the clients name, phone number and email address. There is nothing wrong in researching, its a two way street, just as the client has done their research on your company or product you also have the right to do your research if you don't have a warm fuzzy about the deal. A fine example of a "red flag" is when an overseas client asks you do drop-ship their product to a freight forwarder in the U.S. Regardless if their credit card address verification is good, and regardless of whether you get a signature upon delivery, there are issues accepting credit cards "overseas".
Third, I think its time, since you have had the weekend to make your point, and as well others have posted their comments, that you give the past due customer one last chance, the olive branch. I'm not saying you are right to do this and I'm not saying your wrong to do it, its simply protocol after every fight to put out a hand and see you can lift them back up and find some equal ground to work out the issue. After all is in your best interest.
I hope all works out for you in resolving the issue.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year In 2009
Best Regards
Griff
Well it sounds like you got your hands full with an Accounts Receivable (A/R) issue, and its unfortunate (for the both sides) that it has to be aired. But, what are you gonna do, right!
First, understand that I'm not defending either party's position, rather trying to understand it. But since you made a post in a Technical forum, and I'll assume it was because there is no "Mud Room" to posts such things, I had to ask the two obvious questions, and thank you for addressing them.
Second, it sounds like you are managing your boss's business and you have experienced your first possible payment default? I too have been down such a road (however not with the "defendant") and there are few things I learned and I also noticed were echo'd by the members here and maybe these tools will be helpful in the future:
A) When dealing with a sale which does not involve pre-payment such as a credit card, paypal, bank wire transfer or other vehicles, you can determine if you could be placing your business at risk by simply looking up the client's ratings. Two common tools are Dunn and Brad or D&B and the local Better Business Bureau's. I won't say either are 100% accurate however they are very helpful. Some rating agencies charge a fee for this service and you can use your judgment to determine whether they are cost effective.
B) Occasionally you may get a "feeling" about a potential sale, something just does not sound right. Since we don't have "Mud Room" forums you'll have to do a rather extensive search to see if there are any skeletons in the closet. Other places to search are on the internet through Google for example and using the clients name, phone number and email address. There is nothing wrong in researching, its a two way street, just as the client has done their research on your company or product you also have the right to do your research if you don't have a warm fuzzy about the deal. A fine example of a "red flag" is when an overseas client asks you do drop-ship their product to a freight forwarder in the U.S. Regardless if their credit card address verification is good, and regardless of whether you get a signature upon delivery, there are issues accepting credit cards "overseas".
Third, I think its time, since you have had the weekend to make your point, and as well others have posted their comments, that you give the past due customer one last chance, the olive branch. I'm not saying you are right to do this and I'm not saying your wrong to do it, its simply protocol after every fight to put out a hand and see you can lift them back up and find some equal ground to work out the issue. After all is in your best interest.
I hope all works out for you in resolving the issue.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year In 2009
Best Regards
Griff
I don't understand your first comment, again I'm appreciative of any head's up on this type of thing.
Secondly, I don't hero-worship Wayne, in fact he pissed me off a couple of years ago on his comments to me on a what I feel he misconstrued about my comments on a thread. I truly boycotted Pelican for a year at a time I was buying a lot of parts. I got over it when I realized it is his sandbox, and he really can be a **** if he likes. My recourse was to vote with my dollars. I'm also well aware of how Pelican operates with regard to what they actually have in inventory at a given time.
Again, until you're his CPA, you do not know what he makes. Until you're his attorney or business advisor, you can't tell him how he should run his forum or business.
Back to our previously scheduled programming.....
Secondly, I don't hero-worship Wayne, in fact he pissed me off a couple of years ago on his comments to me on a what I feel he misconstrued about my comments on a thread. I truly boycotted Pelican for a year at a time I was buying a lot of parts. I got over it when I realized it is his sandbox, and he really can be a **** if he likes. My recourse was to vote with my dollars. I'm also well aware of how Pelican operates with regard to what they actually have in inventory at a given time.
Again, until you're his CPA, you do not know what he makes. Until you're his attorney or business advisor, you can't tell him how he should run his forum or business.
Back to our previously scheduled programming.....
The bottom line is that if Wayne wants to have totalitarian control of what shows up on "his" forums, he should just close the website down and start a blog. That would be the right thing to do.
Last edited by rbuswell; 12-22-2008 at 03:41 PM. Reason: Punctuation and grammar
12-22-2008, 04:22 PM
#37
Rennlist Member
And, I'm not trying to bust your chops.....it's just that Pelican is somewhat of a success story, and I'm always happy to offer congratulations to entrepeneurs who make it in today's cut-throat world. I wish everyone success at what they do. Your comments just struck me as odd; we just view his rights and what we think his priorities are, a bit differently.
12-22-2008, 06:01 PM
#38
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A bit tongue in cheek
http://www.vbulletin.com/
And, I'm not trying to bust your chops.....it's just that Pelican is somewhat of a success story, and I'm always happy to offer congratulations to entrepeneurs who make it in today's cut-throat world. I wish everyone success at what they do. Your comments just struck me as odd; we just view his rights and what we think his priorities are, a bit differently.
Last edited by rbuswell; 12-22-2008 at 06:02 PM. Reason: Punctuation
12-22-2008, 06:14 PM
#39
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Not picking sides or anything here, but Wayne is not above such tactics himself- just recently a local parts distributor has been advertising prices that are less than PP's for the exact same parts. Wayne called the local guys warehouse and vendors (same people he uses BTW) and threatened to pull his account if they didnt do something about the little guy. The local guy recieved a phone call informing him to change his pricing or else his account would be suspended- in other words do not try and compete with PP, for they are the German parts supplier to the masses and thats that.
I find such tactics distasteful and honestly choose not to do business with PP because of this. The fact that Wayne backed down when someone else threatens him does not surprise me.
As to the GAD/Carquip issue- I know Joe somewhat as I said earlier and it surprises me a bit the way things have gone down. I dont know Erik or anyone over at Carquip, but it seems to me that they have done the best they can to "do the right thing" and are unfortunately now holding the non-existant end of the stick. Im not sure what can be done from here, and I wish Erik luck in getting it sorted out.
I find such tactics distasteful and honestly choose not to do business with PP because of this. The fact that Wayne backed down when someone else threatens him does not surprise me.
As to the GAD/Carquip issue- I know Joe somewhat as I said earlier and it surprises me a bit the way things have gone down. I dont know Erik or anyone over at Carquip, but it seems to me that they have done the best they can to "do the right thing" and are unfortunately now holding the non-existant end of the stick. Im not sure what can be done from here, and I wish Erik luck in getting it sorted out.
12-22-2008, 07:20 PM
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If you know the local parts seller ...
Not picking sides or anything here, but Wayne is not above such tactics himself- just recently a local parts distributor has been advertising prices that are less than PP's for the exact same parts. Wayne called the local guys warehouse and vendors (same people he uses BTW) and threatened to pull his account if they didnt do something about the little guy. The local guy recieved a phone call informing him to change his pricing or else his account would be suspended- in other words do not try and compete with PP, for they are the German parts supplier to the masses and thats that.
I find such tactics distasteful and honestly choose not to do business with PP because of this. The fact that Wayne backed down when someone else threatens him does not surprise me.
As to the GAD/Carquip issue- I know Joe somewhat as I said earlier and it surprises me a bit the way things have gone down. I dont know Erik or anyone over at Carquip, but it seems to me that they have done the best they can to "do the right thing" and are unfortunately now holding the non-existant end of the stick. Im not sure what can be done from here, and I wish Erik luck in getting it sorted out.
I find such tactics distasteful and honestly choose not to do business with PP because of this. The fact that Wayne backed down when someone else threatens him does not surprise me.
As to the GAD/Carquip issue- I know Joe somewhat as I said earlier and it surprises me a bit the way things have gone down. I dont know Erik or anyone over at Carquip, but it seems to me that they have done the best they can to "do the right thing" and are unfortunately now holding the non-existant end of the stick. Im not sure what can be done from here, and I wish Erik luck in getting it sorted out.
12-22-2008, 08:09 PM
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replied to PM
Also for all those thinking badly of Joe, let me relate an (on going) experience of mine-
A few years ago (yes, YEARS) a customer of mine had a shop build them a gearbox on my recommendation. I delivered the gearbox to the rebuilder, but the customer picked it up when done. He said he had paid me for the gearbox and so I then, would pay the rebuilder. The rebuilder took that as an OK deal, and let the customer pick up the gearbox. I had in fact not been payed for the gearbox rebuild. The customer had payed me for a turbo and some other items, but not the gearbox. No way they really could have in the first place, as I had no invoice to work up a bill for them in the first place!
Fast forward to today. I actually have the gearbox in my possesion, along with the car and about 80% of the bits needed to put it together. I will not allow the car to leave with that gearbox in it until the gearbox rebuild has been paid for. In the meantime, the rebuilder has thrown me under the bus with other locals, constantly saying I owe him money for the gearbox rebuild in question. I dont, and never did, as it is not my gearbox! He says the customer says they paid me, and he is more inclined to believe them. I have asked the customer about this, and they act very confused about it and do not give me a straight answer as to what their understanding is. This situation is such that no matter what I do someone is going to be upset, whether I outright accuse the customer of not paying thier bill, or tell the rebuilder to grab a set of ***** and go get his money from the customer, which will pretty much pissthem both off. Either way, I am bond to look out for my rebuilder buddies interest in this matter and make sure the gearbox is payed for, no matter who it pisses off in the end.
Should I have just payed out of my pocket long ago to cause myself less grief? Does the customer truly believe they have payed me for the rebuild? Who can blame the rebuilder for being upset for having an open invoice for this amount of time? Well I dont have the answers to those questions, all I know is what I am doing about the situation now.
I am sure my situation has little to nothing to do with Erik's, but I know from experience there are always more to a matter than what is public knowledge.
Also for all those thinking badly of Joe, let me relate an (on going) experience of mine-
A few years ago (yes, YEARS) a customer of mine had a shop build them a gearbox on my recommendation. I delivered the gearbox to the rebuilder, but the customer picked it up when done. He said he had paid me for the gearbox and so I then, would pay the rebuilder. The rebuilder took that as an OK deal, and let the customer pick up the gearbox. I had in fact not been payed for the gearbox rebuild. The customer had payed me for a turbo and some other items, but not the gearbox. No way they really could have in the first place, as I had no invoice to work up a bill for them in the first place!
Fast forward to today. I actually have the gearbox in my possesion, along with the car and about 80% of the bits needed to put it together. I will not allow the car to leave with that gearbox in it until the gearbox rebuild has been paid for. In the meantime, the rebuilder has thrown me under the bus with other locals, constantly saying I owe him money for the gearbox rebuild in question. I dont, and never did, as it is not my gearbox! He says the customer says they paid me, and he is more inclined to believe them. I have asked the customer about this, and they act very confused about it and do not give me a straight answer as to what their understanding is. This situation is such that no matter what I do someone is going to be upset, whether I outright accuse the customer of not paying thier bill, or tell the rebuilder to grab a set of ***** and go get his money from the customer, which will pretty much pissthem both off. Either way, I am bond to look out for my rebuilder buddies interest in this matter and make sure the gearbox is payed for, no matter who it pisses off in the end.
Should I have just payed out of my pocket long ago to cause myself less grief? Does the customer truly believe they have payed me for the rebuild? Who can blame the rebuilder for being upset for having an open invoice for this amount of time? Well I dont have the answers to those questions, all I know is what I am doing about the situation now.
I am sure my situation has little to nothing to do with Erik's, but I know from experience there are always more to a matter than what is public knowledge.
12-22-2008, 08:27 PM
#42
Three Wheelin'
replied to PM
Also for all those thinking badly of Joe, let me relate an (on going) experience of mine-
A few years ago (yes, YEARS) a customer of mine had a shop build them a gearbox on my recommendation. I delivered the gearbox to the rebuilder, but the customer picked it up when done. He said he had paid me for the gearbox and so I then, would pay the rebuilder. The rebuilder took that as an OK deal, and let the customer pick up the gearbox. I had in fact not been payed for the gearbox rebuild. The customer had payed me for a turbo and some other items, but not the gearbox. No way they really could have in the first place, as I had no invoice to work up a bill for them in the first place!
Fast forward to today. I actually have the gearbox in my possesion, along with the car and about 80% of the bits needed to put it together. I will not allow the car to leave with that gearbox in it until the gearbox rebuild has been paid for. In the meantime, the rebuilder has thrown me under the bus with other locals, constantly saying I owe him money for the gearbox rebuild in question. I dont, and never did, as it is not my gearbox! He says the customer says they paid me, and he is more inclined to believe them. I have asked the customer about this, and they act very confused about it and do not give me a straight answer as to what their understanding is. This situation is such that no matter what I do someone is going to be upset, whether I outright accuse the customer of not paying thier bill, or tell the rebuilder to grab a set of ***** and go get his money from the customer, which will pretty much pissthem both off. Either way, I am bond to look out for my rebuilder buddies interest in this matter and make sure the gearbox is payed for, no matter who it pisses off in the end.
Should I have just payed out of my pocket long ago to cause myself less grief? Does the customer truly believe they have payed me for the rebuild? Who can blame the rebuilder for being upset for having an open invoice for this amount of time? Well I dont have the answers to those questions, all I know is what I am doing about the situation now.
I am sure my situation has little to nothing to do with Erik's, but I know from experience there are always more to a matter than what is public knowledge.
Also for all those thinking badly of Joe, let me relate an (on going) experience of mine-
A few years ago (yes, YEARS) a customer of mine had a shop build them a gearbox on my recommendation. I delivered the gearbox to the rebuilder, but the customer picked it up when done. He said he had paid me for the gearbox and so I then, would pay the rebuilder. The rebuilder took that as an OK deal, and let the customer pick up the gearbox. I had in fact not been payed for the gearbox rebuild. The customer had payed me for a turbo and some other items, but not the gearbox. No way they really could have in the first place, as I had no invoice to work up a bill for them in the first place!
Fast forward to today. I actually have the gearbox in my possesion, along with the car and about 80% of the bits needed to put it together. I will not allow the car to leave with that gearbox in it until the gearbox rebuild has been paid for. In the meantime, the rebuilder has thrown me under the bus with other locals, constantly saying I owe him money for the gearbox rebuild in question. I dont, and never did, as it is not my gearbox! He says the customer says they paid me, and he is more inclined to believe them. I have asked the customer about this, and they act very confused about it and do not give me a straight answer as to what their understanding is. This situation is such that no matter what I do someone is going to be upset, whether I outright accuse the customer of not paying thier bill, or tell the rebuilder to grab a set of ***** and go get his money from the customer, which will pretty much pissthem both off. Either way, I am bond to look out for my rebuilder buddies interest in this matter and make sure the gearbox is payed for, no matter who it pisses off in the end.
Should I have just payed out of my pocket long ago to cause myself less grief? Does the customer truly believe they have payed me for the rebuild? Who can blame the rebuilder for being upset for having an open invoice for this amount of time? Well I dont have the answers to those questions, all I know is what I am doing about the situation now.
I am sure my situation has little to nothing to do with Erik's, but I know from experience there are always more to a matter than what is public knowledge.
02-04-2009, 10:16 PM
#43
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I'm rather late to this thread, but to get back to the original subject of the discussion, I would also beware of Joe and his businesses. I have had an enormously frustrating experience with German Auto Dismantlers, which in the end resulted with me being out roughly $500 and never getting the part that I purchased. If anyone is really interested in the story, I'd be glad to share the details separately.
I would not recommend anyone to deal with him under any circumstances based on my experience. You don't need to go far to find out that my experience is not uncommon, and that the Better Business Bureau has a history of unresolved complaints against him.
There is no shortage of good people and reputable businesses to deal with when shopping for Porsche parts, and accordingly I can find no reason to waste your time with German Auto Dismantlers, Cogs Cogs, or Joe himself.
As far as I'm concerned, anyone that warns a fellow Porsche enthusiast about Joe is doing a positive service to our whole community, regardless of the medium or forum used to do so.
-Ruben
I would not recommend anyone to deal with him under any circumstances based on my experience. You don't need to go far to find out that my experience is not uncommon, and that the Better Business Bureau has a history of unresolved complaints against him.
There is no shortage of good people and reputable businesses to deal with when shopping for Porsche parts, and accordingly I can find no reason to waste your time with German Auto Dismantlers, Cogs Cogs, or Joe himself.
As far as I'm concerned, anyone that warns a fellow Porsche enthusiast about Joe is doing a positive service to our whole community, regardless of the medium or forum used to do so.
-Ruben
Last edited by Robb M.; 12-29-2011 at 06:08 PM.
02-05-2009, 03:44 PM
#44
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A friend of mine just alerted me to all of the discussion that has been happening on this thread. I must say that I am quite dismayed by some of the comments posted here. From day one, when Pelican was started in my garage, I have run our business professionally, with one thing in mind - serving our customers to the best of our abilities. I sincerely believe our continuing success is proof positive that this "old school" formula is working, and I thank everyone for their support.
As for the matter of the "this person/vendor wronged me" threads on my forum, I will reiterate again that the Pelican Parts Technical Forums is not the place to air these matters. I'm very sympathetic to the fact that people got taken advantage of. But there are plenty of outside websites that are good conduits for airing disputes and disagreements (like RipOffReport.com). The true fact of the matter is that I just don't have the time nor do I want to spend any energy getting involved with these disputes that have nothing to do with Pelican. The economy is soft right now, and 100% of my time and energy needs to go into continuing to run the company as efficiently and as lean as possible. In addition, I have a ton of exciting new projects I'm currently working on: I'm finishing up the final chapters of the new book, "101 Projects for Your Porsche Boxster" that will be out in the fall. We're also working on a charity program at Pelican where we're going to be donating 3500 Cayenne scale model trucks to the local children's cancer wards in the names of our customers. We just installed a new feature on the website "More Info" that compiles all of our data on parts into a single "data sheet." The new Porsche & BMW Wiki is progressing in development too, with a rollout coming (hopefully) in the spring. On top of all that, I have three kids, ages 4,3, and 2, and I try to spend as much time as possible with them.
Sorry for the drivel, but my point here is that I'm super busy, and I have to be very smart about how I chose to spend my time. Being threatened with frivolous lawsuits and receiving multiple threatening phone calls each day is not on the top of my enjoyable list of things to entertain. The bottom-line is that the risk-to-reward ratio is high with no upside potential. If my conscious decisions to avoid highly antagonistic and negative people brands me as a wimp, then I will wear that label like a badge of honor. Life's too short to sweat the small stuff. Besides, I have to save all of my lawyer fees to fend off Porsche's legal department!
I think in 11 years of running the BBS, I have removed maybe 10 threads max. I'm sure my moderators have removed more than that, but I'm not quite sure how that brands me as a "board ****". In addition, I'm hardly ever on the boards these days (again, really short on time). For the most part, the feedback I've gotten is that the people on our boards seem to think that we're a lot less restrictive than other boards they tend to visit. I suppose it's all relative.
As for Pelican, we currently have 25 employees, a 12,000 sq-ft warehouse located in Los Angeles that we ship about 200-250 packages out of daily, and 2008's sales were over $10 million. I realize that if you compare our operation to something like JC Whitney or PartsAmerica, then yes, we could be characterized as a "little operation in CA with a dinky little room" for our parts. Indeed, even after 11 years, I still think of the company as a "startup", just like when we were shipping parts out of a one-car garage in 1997. I am indeed truly amazed and eternally grateful for the support that we have received over the past 11 years. We will continue to do our part by giving back and supporting the local Porsche community as much as possible.
Thanks,
Wayne
As for the matter of the "this person/vendor wronged me" threads on my forum, I will reiterate again that the Pelican Parts Technical Forums is not the place to air these matters. I'm very sympathetic to the fact that people got taken advantage of. But there are plenty of outside websites that are good conduits for airing disputes and disagreements (like RipOffReport.com). The true fact of the matter is that I just don't have the time nor do I want to spend any energy getting involved with these disputes that have nothing to do with Pelican. The economy is soft right now, and 100% of my time and energy needs to go into continuing to run the company as efficiently and as lean as possible. In addition, I have a ton of exciting new projects I'm currently working on: I'm finishing up the final chapters of the new book, "101 Projects for Your Porsche Boxster" that will be out in the fall. We're also working on a charity program at Pelican where we're going to be donating 3500 Cayenne scale model trucks to the local children's cancer wards in the names of our customers. We just installed a new feature on the website "More Info" that compiles all of our data on parts into a single "data sheet." The new Porsche & BMW Wiki is progressing in development too, with a rollout coming (hopefully) in the spring. On top of all that, I have three kids, ages 4,3, and 2, and I try to spend as much time as possible with them.
Sorry for the drivel, but my point here is that I'm super busy, and I have to be very smart about how I chose to spend my time. Being threatened with frivolous lawsuits and receiving multiple threatening phone calls each day is not on the top of my enjoyable list of things to entertain. The bottom-line is that the risk-to-reward ratio is high with no upside potential. If my conscious decisions to avoid highly antagonistic and negative people brands me as a wimp, then I will wear that label like a badge of honor. Life's too short to sweat the small stuff. Besides, I have to save all of my lawyer fees to fend off Porsche's legal department!
I think in 11 years of running the BBS, I have removed maybe 10 threads max. I'm sure my moderators have removed more than that, but I'm not quite sure how that brands me as a "board ****". In addition, I'm hardly ever on the boards these days (again, really short on time). For the most part, the feedback I've gotten is that the people on our boards seem to think that we're a lot less restrictive than other boards they tend to visit. I suppose it's all relative.
As for Pelican, we currently have 25 employees, a 12,000 sq-ft warehouse located in Los Angeles that we ship about 200-250 packages out of daily, and 2008's sales were over $10 million. I realize that if you compare our operation to something like JC Whitney or PartsAmerica, then yes, we could be characterized as a "little operation in CA with a dinky little room" for our parts. Indeed, even after 11 years, I still think of the company as a "startup", just like when we were shipping parts out of a one-car garage in 1997. I am indeed truly amazed and eternally grateful for the support that we have received over the past 11 years. We will continue to do our part by giving back and supporting the local Porsche community as much as possible.
Thanks,
Wayne
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02-05-2009, 05:28 PM
#45
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Wayne, It's good to see you here. I wish I had more money to throw your way. Your sales department has been awsome. With the help of your store and the guys that hang out here and there on your board, my car is a dream come true. From all of us regulars here: Thank you very much for all that you have done for us.
And just for the record...I don't recall an ill word ever spoken of you our your company. We have a certain psycodic loonie that drops in and out that drivels some tripe now and then about the "dark side", but we see that as a reflection of him, not you. Keep doing what you do and we will keep buying the good stuf from you.
And just for the record...I don't recall an ill word ever spoken of you our your company. We have a certain psycodic loonie that drops in and out that drivels some tripe now and then about the "dark side", but we see that as a reflection of him, not you. Keep doing what you do and we will keep buying the good stuf from you.