Shotblasting company still has car after 9 months

[cardiffrob]

Not sure if this sort of post is permitted. Mods?

Anyway, I sent my car to this company in Wiltshire for blasting and they've had it for nearly 8 months for a 3 day job. I've logged over 100 phonecalls to them to try and get my car back and they've stopped picking up the phone. I've been to the Police, Consumer Direct, Trading Standards and finally Solicitors to get the car and/or my money back but with no success. 14 delivery dates have been promised but nothing ever arrives. I paid the final installment when it was promised to be back with me a week later.

I hope this might help prevent anyone here getting caught out.

 

[rtbcomp]

Is their official name
<snip> - referenced post is by the same poster.

If so according to Companies House

Status: Dissolved 15/09/2009
Date of Incorporation: 19/10/2007

See also

http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=52374&start=30

 

[malcolm]

Naming and shaming is not allowed (potential legal trouble for the forum). I might need to edit the title of the thread.

But it sounds like you are in a fix and someone might be able to suggest something helpful. Can you arrange someone with a trailer to pick the car up? Then at least you get it back.

 

[Chickenjohn]

Is this a lowlight Morris Minor convertible??

If it is the same car- a very sad story as the car was almost immaculate, just having light surface rust after a life in Australia. I hope Rob gets his car back!

 

[outofthefire]

Naming and shaming is not allowed (potential legal trouble for the forum). I might need to edit the title of the thread.

But it sounds like you are in a fix and someone might be able to suggest something helpful. Can you arrange someone with a trailer to pick the car up? Then at least you get it back.

That is pathetic, members of the forum have a right to be warned about dodgy companies ripping members off.

If your worried about legal repercussions you could freeze the thread while you contact the company for there side of the story explaining that it would be in there interest as your representing a number of potential customers on the forum. The government is pushing mediation at the moment why not follow suit and take the forum to another level.

 

[malcolm]

I don't honestly have the time to phone up the company.

I'll be working all weekend on tutorials for the website, then during the week 50 hours of full time work plus the evenings on other projects plus whatever crap the forum throws up will take most of my time.

Allowing naming and shaming when we have only one side of the story WILL get us into legal trouble on occasion. If we break the law it is very easy for someone to take us off the internet - I've done it to others when they have broken the law to our disadvantage. It would be a shame for the forum not to be here to help people learn to weld.

But thanks for calling me pathetic. That's much appreciated. I do hope I will be able to return the favour at some point.

 

[Wozzaaah]

It's NOT pathetic, we only have one side of the story!

Malcolm could be landed with major legal issues due to naming and shaming. What if (very unlikely) Rob has had the work done but isn't happy for some reason and decided to spread some gossip in the hope it loses said company business?
Why on earth should Malcolm contact the company for their side of the story? It's nothing to do with him or the forum and quite honestly, what do you think are the chances they'd discuss a VERY private issue with him anyway!

Comments like that aren't helpful to this thread or the OP.

Edit: Too slow typing, should have submitted my post before cracking open my next Hobgoblin!

 

[Stereophoney]

Back to the original argument can you report the car as stolen ?

Ps I for one am very grateful for the time and effort put into this site for people like me ( novices ) to learn and maybe in the end earn myself some money from my new skill, your efforts are not un appreciated

 

[cardiffrob]

I've tried the Police but they say it is a civil matter since he has not tried to sell the car, only to keep me from getting it back. I've tried Trading standards, Solicitors, etc but none have been much use.
It has all be paid for (Blast, etch, prime, deliver) but he doesn't pick up the phone (caller ID?) and it has been that way for several months although I know he gets the messages I leave because he occasionally calls me to tell me it will be with me next week (it is allllllways NEXT week!)

I wouldn't want to get the site in trouble, hence the opening line of the post.

I'm now at the stage of paying for a Small Claims Court action which will take 6 months unless I can arrange some means of entering the property to recover the car but I live 100 miles away and it would be pointless to travel that far only to find the door locked. I've visited the site a few times and have spoken to his neighbours who have a similar opinion of him.

As ChickenJohn mentioned, it WAS almost completely rust free having come from a desert climate but is now bare metal and rusting away in a workshop so at some point I can reasonably claim that he is causing criminal damage unless it is fixed before delivery. That would require him to fix it and to deliver it, neither of which seem to be going on.

Malcolm. I've pre-booked a trailer several times since November but can never get him on the phone to confirm I can collect it.


Anyway, some Metal bashing Morris Minor pics.

http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=32120&start=0

 

[Shox Dr]

Not wanting to pour salt on an open wound, but why did you pay him, before the work was completed, as now he has your money he's going to be in no hurry to do anything, too busy getting money out of someone else

 

[cardiffrob]

He said the job was done, could I pay him the final bit and then it would be delivered "the next week" Seemed reasonable enough at the time. He could then deliver it without me having to be pesent.

Not wanting to pour salt on an open wound

Ouch! Too late!

 

[penfold]

Is he still trading? If he is, get someone on here or from MMOC to stake out his premises and establish what his approximate working hours are. Or get a friend to phone him up and pretend to be a customer and ask opening hours. Then you hire your trailer/flatbed/beavertail and go and collect, stopping off enroute at his nearest copshop(having spoken to them before hand) for a impartial referee. Provided you have paperwork establishing you own it and have paid for whatever work has or hasn't been done he can't stop you removing it, and having dibble present should help keep it cordial.

 

[rtbcomp]

Whatever you do, don't break in, that's burglary. Only Baliffs with a Court Order can do that.

If he ran a limited company you may be able to get his home address from on-line records held at Companies House, costs a couple of quid. Contacting him at home could be construed as harrasment so tread lightly.

 

[Chickenjohn]

I met the previous owner and had a good look over the car when it was on the road and in use on a Morris Minor holiday a few years ago. This car REALLY is good, just needs a blast to get rid of light surface rust, an etch and it is ready for paint prep.

Makes the story even sadder and more frustrating for the owner.

 

[cardiffrob]

Engine is finished except for maybe a little more polishing Just need a car to put it in. Grrrrrrrr!

 

[brookie456]

That is pathetic, members of the forum have a right to be warned about dodgy companies ripping members off.

If your worried about legal repercussions you could freeze the thread while you contact the company for there side of the story explaining that it would be in there interest as your representing a number of potential customers on the forum. The government is pushing mediation at the moment why not follow suit and take the forum to another level.

Point taken, and totally agreed with, but it's hardly down to Malcolm to remedy - he has enough on his plate as it is, running the site without getting into confrontational situations. If it means that much, surely it can be taken off-site so that the pub-lawyers can can ply their trade in public...something they never seem to do We all use this site because it's so good.
Calling Malcolm pathetic is off-side - an apology wouldn't go amiss.

 

[Dave16]

Had a word with a copper i know, his advice was to write a letter to him giving him 7 days from recipt of letter to return the goods. Or you will report the car lost or stolen. To the police.

Now if you have to go to the police

When you go to the police station ask to speak to a copper. No one else but a copper and take his ID, ie PC168. Explane to him you wish to report said chassie has been either lost or stolen. As the said person has not proved that he still has the goods. Tell him where you last saw the chassie. And get a crime number as well. Then leave it in they hands. And dont forget the logbook.

Dave

 

[TechnicAl]

Its not only the site that could be subjected to legal action. The individual poster is also liable, and the site could be forced to divulge names.
There was a case where some Sheffield Wednesday supporters were individually sued for posting comments on a website. There was a good article by George Monbiot in the Guardian....look it up

Be careful

 

[Chipper]

Interested in this because I help run a forum that allows naming, to an extent. Experiences like this one would be allowed. General slagging or ranting, not so much allowed. E.g. posts describing serious problems with a certain wheel maker were allowed, and an engine builder who ripped people off.

It's complicated. When do threads like the Silverline one become libellous, etc. When are they just 'comments'.

The "pathetic" looked like a policy comment from here, not a direct personal one btw.

Looked up that Sheffield thing out of curiosity, apparently they dropped the cases, but kept going on at a guy for years. Nasty. Worked for a big law firm for a long time. People expect it to be about fairness, but it's all about the money.

 

[rtbcomp]

I always understood there was no slander in the truth.

Look how consumer programmes on TV carry on, but they do have the resources of the BBC et al behind them, so people exposed by the Beeb are less likely to sue.