Thread: May need a helper in Columbus, OH

FWIW, the small company that I work for, when we agree to make products for people do not expect money until the work is complete. Most businesses are that way. I know very, very few businesses/companies that expect 100% of the payment up front.

My father-in-law is a contractor. He sets up a payment plan the people he is building the house for. He has to meet local inspections for footer, foundation, structure, wiring, plumbing, etc. After the work is done and those inspections are complete, the person is required to pay a certain amount.

But again, hardly never does anyone require 100% up front before anything is even started.

My parts arrived back to me today, all of them, and intact surprisingly. I appreciate how you took special care to make sure they all got back in the box, and you were nice enough to return my original packing...just not ON the items for protection. Everything was pretty much loose in the box, and the packing just tossed back in. Though nothing was broken or missing so no harm done.

How ever, now that this is a done deal I felt that I should owe it to you, and others as to why I chose not to do business with you. I have many reasons, and by me posing these in no way is telling you off, or suggesting that you do crappy work based on your email replies that I found very rude and uncalled for not to forget very unprofessional. I cannot say my self that you do bad work, but these things lead me to call it, and request my parts back.

Been talking with you since (abouts) May of 2007 about this work through email. The hold up was on my end, finishing up the main dash surround. One thing that is never good is replying to ones emails, and not quoting anything, so your short one lined answers are too short if one cannot recall what the last email said. So, in the future, you might start quoting what the last person said in every email to avoid confusion. Anyway, we have a quote for the work to be done which I agree on, payment methods to be made once completed all set, so all thats left is me to mail.

When it came time to ship, I request the mailing address which I get, parts get sent...nearly a week or so later, I still hear nothing from you about getting it so I track it, and UPS says on their web site, that the receiver has moved and they are trying to locate you. So, you move, and don't tell me, or give me a change of address. I have to contact UPS and give them the change of address, and that adds another $10.00 to my account. No big deal at this point.

We email back and forth and instead of writing an essay, I just tell you to call me and we will chat.

Later in the day I get a call, from a restricted number, never good from somebody your trusting your parts and money with business wise. So we talk, and I hear how you don't accept credit cards, paypal, you only take cash, check or money orders, and how everything now must be made up front. Yes I agree you don't work for free, neither do I, but I have to see what I am getting before payment is made, thats how pretty much EVERYBODY does it on line, that is trust worthy. One thing that I have learned over the years is how to spot a dishonest person upfront. You did not strike me as one.

I agree to make a 1/2 down and another 1/2 when completed during the call. I told you I would email you back with my decision. You finally agreed to that 1/2 down payment via money order sent snail mail.

The big whopper here...during the phone call, you sounded like you did not trust me, such as following through on my end of the deal, having you do all this work and get stuck with parts you know nothing about and cannot sale. I tell you why would I send you something I modified, spending months on, only to stiff you on payment. You go on to tell me how others have filed paypal disputes about what they received and how your out time, money, supplies, and they get to keep the part anyway. (I can back this up later in this post as to why they probably did this)

I have the funds in full for the job now, before it even began, where as when I do business with others, they may not have the money yet, but I still go through with the work, and by the time I am done, they have the funds to pay for the work. I personally never take on a project I cannot resell to get my money back in case of a no-payer. In the 11 years I have been doing business on line, I have never been taken advantage of, or had my honestly questioned by anyone before till now. By you questioning me, that was a red flag there, even though I said to myself, "well, hes just protecting himself".

So, I suggested that if your in doubt of who I am, and what I stand for as far as honestly on line, go ahead and google my name. There you will see everything you can about me, nothing to hide. Which I see you had done, cause thats what brings you here, and joining my you tube account as well.

After we got off the phone, I thought I would take my advice, and google your name to see who you are, and what you are about.

All I have to say is wow man...

You preach to me, about me not knowing what kind of work you do, honestly, your right, I do not know what kind of work you do personally, cause I chose to pull the plug and not even give you the chance to show me.

I felt it best that I do not try you out, and pay you for your "quality standards" of work and then have to pay somebody again later to do the job right and try to cover up, or worse case replace what you messed up if it was that bad, we may never know.

What I read about you, on line, for various other forums says enough right there about who and what you are as far as a great person to deal with on line and a good source for this type of work.

I kept holding my tongue in the emails about you ripping me telling me you don't even know, you don't even trust...well your right...I don't, and I still don't know do I ever want to know.

You have no reason to be conducting business like this on the internet with out first addressing some of these things. What you advertise what you can do, and show all the pictures you want, vs. what you ship the actual person varies big time. Your communication skills are better than most with how quick you reply to emails, so thats a good skill you have, but the way you conduct yourself on line, and the feed back I have seen and read on line needs to improve big time my friend.

Sure anybody can stick carbon fiber to a part and call it an overlay...I applaud you for doing the work as its not easy. I have tried myself, and I can do it...but it takes skill to make it look good cause thats the main objective here. I have no skill in that straight up. Thats why I called upon a seasoned expert in the field for the work I wanted done, which turns out, I don't think your ready to call yourself an expert quite yet. I know you never did call yourself one, but don't play the part until your ready is all I am saying.

If in doubt...google your own name in your case "Fibercation" and see what I am talking about. That was the icing on the cake that called the deal for me to come to an end.

I'm done with you, your done with me, lets move on and just pretend it never happened other than the many emails I have to clean out of my in box now, and the rather steel shipping charges I spend to and from you as a big mistake on my part.

Lesson learned I guess, That lesson is when in doubt or not 100% knowledgeable about the person your about to do business with online for the first time, do some extensive research on them to make sure this is who you want for the job.

Good day to you sir, and hope by me telling you this only betters you as a person and the way you conduct yourself on line, and through your business.

Why did I post this in a public forum vs. keeping it private in an email? Well, I have to look out for everyones well being I call a friend. If I kept it to myself, and somebody would up dealing with you and the outcome was not great...then I would feel responsible personally.

Good day and good luck with you and your business.

~F~