This is the link to help my buddy who served in Afghanistan only to have his service money taken in a ten grand drawn out fraud with a local Fiero shop. That was the only money he had to fix what started as a minor problem with his Fiero, and turned into a dirty deal and fraud.
I will be editing the text a little on the actual auction to be briefer if possible, and some of the unfair other crap he's gone through on top of this, which has limited his funds.
I APOLOGIZE AS I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED IN PRIVATE OF SOME PAST SCAMS ON HERE AND UNDERSTAND YOUR INITIAL REACTIONS NOW.
THIS IS FROM LATER IN THIS CONVERSATION... Yes it was in fact Jimmy's Automotive at the time that my buddy Rich had to go back a million times, only to have the car returned in worse disrepair.
It's not even called Jimmy's anymore. Not sure WHAT it's called. I know it used to be Fiero Conversions, and Fiero Conversions Plus.
I'm just glad Rich warned me not to deal with them.
I once again apologize (again, seemed to go unnoticed) that other people have actually lied on here for money. I suppose it figures. And like Archie says, I'm new here, and have only been communicating in private with a couple members with nice cars. I had never posted before. I can see how suspicions might have been raised a bit, if it's precedented. But like I said before, anyone that would lie about someone serving as an armored sgt. medical rescue to get cash, has a hot damn place in hell waiting for them.
I am just trying to pull a chip foose overhaulin thing on rich, so he actually has the car in the condition he more than paid for already, instead of the heartbreak in his driveway and an empty account from it.
He has gone through some unfair and tragic things in his personal life too that has made his money situation so tight. When he used his service pay to do this car, that was a done deal....end of expendable funds. It's horrible. But I didn't want to list his entire personal life, nor even the shop that did him wrong in case there was any drama attached to the place. As Archie said, I'm new here. I apologize for not knowing the back story about these thieves that create fake sob stories etc.
I just want to help my buddy out, and get him what he paid for already...his 86 V6 GT in perfect running order and looking how it did before it became a yard ornament.. That's all. I would feel badly if he were just my friend, but i feel horrible about it since he's a veteran who helped save others, and continues to train others here at home...and that his only usable money was taken in complete fraud.
That's all.
[This message has been edited by hurstfiero (edited 02-13-2015).]
Call me skeptical, but when a person's first post to this forum is to ask for money, my bullshit detector goes off. There are a lot of members in the great white north, maybe someone could check out this story and confirm its validity.
I feel sorry for Rich, but I think Rich needs to get a Camry and focus on what's important, not throwing five figures at a hobby car. When things are tight, writing big checks to people who continually disappoint for things you don't need is probably not the best course of action.
Perhaps if you mentioned the name(s) of the shop, it would ring a few bells with the folks here. Seems like I remember hearing about a shop, up there, who bent a few people over. Bastages.
I've been here for 15+ years. I've heard about most all of the shops/vandors who were screwing Fiero people, at one time or another. I could at least say, "Yeah. That sounds familiar." Or not.
Forget it. This is so rude to wake up, that I can't even put it into words. That's what I get for trying to help someone. I hope you being a failed detective and insulting the whole cause feels better than helping my buddy.
[This message has been edited by hurstfiero (edited 02-13-2015).]
Sorry to hear the story about your friend. I also am a veteran. Lots of people take my money everyday. I LOVE my Fieros much like your friend.
You really wanna help your friend. Don't ask for money, ask for advice. Grab some metric wrenches and a tablet or laptop and post a thread here on Pennocks.
There will be TONS of folks that would love to help with all the advice you could ever ask for. Free too! And you get to chill with your buddy and learn and have fun. You seem handy with a cam and laptop so the puter side of things should be a breeze. Your pal wants to rock a Fiero he better learn which way to turn a wrench.
Just saying is all. Best of luck to you and your pal. Make sure to tell him "TY for your service and welcome home".
Frankly I think the effort would be better spent going after the shop to have them do the work properly, or refund the money. And not sharing the name makes me wonder too. People who have been ripped off generally jump at the opportunity to torpedo a dishonest business. You can accomplish a lot by dragging a shop's name through the mud on social networking. If the service was paid for with a credit card he could contest the charges with his cc company too.
Originally posted by hurstfiero: He's already a member, but i have no idea what his nickname is...and i dont want to ruin the surprise.
& posting the entire story, his name, & photos of the car doesn't? I'd like to know the name of the shop too. Would think detouring members from going there would be a gift for everyone.
I don't have money to give either way, but I gotta say, the passion is in your post but the revealing details are not.
Being a retired Canadian Forces Veteran (Canadian Airborne Regiment) I'm havin a serious issue on believing this whole story. I know the way of life of a soldier who served overseas in hostile tours and some of your tellings are NOT making sense..... so here is my proposition ....PM me his and your phone number and being a veteran I will talk to him concerning his service tour to see if your story pans out. You must understand that MANY attemps have been made on this forum to rip off members with sob stories .... you'll have to go through this filter before we even start thinking about sending money or parts or using your Fund me site ...... as previously mentioned your first post asking for money sets off MANY alarms... OHH another thing that is buggin me there is NO statue of limitations for FRAUD.... small claims courts in Canada do NOT require a lawyer and your friend paid with CHECKS therefore traceable ..... a soldier who's been through Afghanistan tour givin up .....nah I dont believe that BS....
I see you dont understand the point ..... before saying this forum dont stick together and help people in need ... YOU my friend better start doing some reading ... a little background about our members will help you understand .... also do some research on Tyler's Toy,or Kathrine the teen that is building her own fiero.... you will see THIS FORUM has brought more help to its members then that of all the forums put together. These are not personal attacks at you .... I will call Archie tomorrow to at least see what the story is. I dont know you and will NOT judge you .... if you and your story check out be assured of some help from us .... regards Danyel
[This message has been edited by Danyel (edited 02-12-2015).]
I'll just say the story seems full of holes. Danyel can be the filter. If this is legit, I apologize for my skepticism, but I'm not going to point out what appear to be holes.
I will say that it'd probably be easier/cheaper to buy a Fiero in better condition that to fix this one.
[This message has been edited by tshark (edited 02-12-2015).]
He purchased a 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT in nice shape from a student who was waffling on the idea of selling. The asking price was 2500, but Rich gave him 3500 to help him with school and assure the sale.
Veterans deserve better than this. Rich has lost 10 grand in cash, and further losses from the garage damaging his car and doing work improperly.
This part throws up a red flag for me. I don't care how nice of a guy you are, you don't pay 40% above asking price. Sure I've heard of hey I'll give you an extra hundred or two if it's a really sweet deal and you need them to hold it for you. But $1,000 on a $2,500 car is an extra 40%. And if that's the case it sounds like Rich may have been a little too frivolous with his cash to begin with.
The second part, he's already dropped 10k, instead of asking for donations it seems to me you should be asking for advice for reputable shops, if you guys can't do the work yourselves. If people are going to be donating money to the cause you better be damn sure it's being done at a reputable shop or by fellow fiero owners, not another fly by night shop.
Also maybe he needs to wise up a little bit, if I was charged for something as simple as replacement shocks you bet I'm gonna at least peek in the wheel well and make sure they are new and not the same old dirty worn out ones I rolled in with before I left the shop. Although I do one better and either replace them myself or witness my car on the rack being worked on.
Forget it. This is so rude to wake up, that I can't even put it into words. That's what I get for trying to help someone. I hope you being a failed detective and insulting the whole cause feels better than helping my buddy.
[This message has been edited by hurstfiero (edited 02-13-2015).]
they also were to rebuild his V6, brake work, fix the trasmission, some other minor things.
the kid was waffling on the idea to sell. Rich game him more to stop him from changing his mind...and it was smart since the kid needed money for school.
Actually you think that's bad? The car I inherited from my dad a couple months ago, an 85 2m4, he paid 5500 dollars for a few years ago. I thought he was out of his mind paying more than 1000-1500. Mind you it was low miles and the underside is mint, but still.....
I cannot account for what people are willing to do to get the car they want.
I'm not saying that $3,500 as a price was too much, I'm saying 140% of asking price is insane. If the kid was asking $2,500 and you already mentioned the kid needed money, $2,500 cash would have been inticing enough.
I was mentioning shocks as an example since you mentioned that, they are very easy to see if they've been touched. You bet your ass that if I'm having a motor rebuilt and brake work and a transmission fixed and other minor things, I'd be going over that car with a fine tooth comb before I pay the bill. Not just here's the cash thanks and jump in.
You are missing my point. Part of the reason that your friend got screwed is because he failed to inspect the work that was done. Plain and simple, I would have never paid the bill number one, and the car wouldn't have left the shop parking lot with the same old parts on it.
Forget it. This is so rude to wake up, that I can't even put it into words. That's what I get for trying to help someone. I hope you being a failed detective and insulting the whole cause feels better than helping my buddy.
[This message has been edited by hurstfiero (edited 02-13-2015).]
My biggest concern is that even if everyone donated and he had $50,000 to spend on the car he would still get ripped off and be in even worse shape. Take the garage to court and get the guys money back or make them fix the car right. Money won't solve this persons problems unfortunately.
Forget it. This is so rude to wake up, that I can't even put it into words. That's what I get for trying to help someone. I hope you being a failed detective and insulting the whole cause feels better than helping my buddy.
[This message has been edited by hurstfiero (edited 02-13-2015).]
This is really starting to get out of hand... I'm sorry for his loss but I'm tired of everyone coming onto this forum looking for a handout... It seems like anyone with a sob story can come on here asking for money or something like that... We all have troubles, family, money, job, Car, etc... even myself. I just moved to Texas with my father and brother, our last We had enough money to get settled and into the house than suddenly bam my brother kills himself and pretty much drained us of our last dime.. I've been working to keep the lights on the bills paid and food on the table. Freight has been very slow and iv'e been forced into working the dock making a couple hundred a week through these last 2 months rather than Driving and making almost a couple thousand a week., thankfully my father is able to pull down Social security to get us through this month. I have a Mera that is 1600 miles away from me along with a bunch of other things in storage that I have to transport down here. All of this and I have not asked for a single dime from anyone. Your friend is not the only one with problems, I salute him for serving his country but no one put a gun to his head for him to join the service. He put his car into a bad shop without doing research on it and now he's out some cash... that's the story of about a good 15-20 other well established members on here who have dealt with Lloyd and Dean, As well as a bunch of other members that have gotten stiffed on parts and harnesses.. Your buddy does not have a life threatening illness, He is not handicapped he is not dying.... We simply cant grant a Tylers toy project to everyone who comes onto here with a good story...
Sorry for my rant but I know a lot of people have been thinking what I just said..
I do feel for your friend, but it is not ethical to ask total strangers to provide cash to fix up a hobby car that is likely a basket case anyway. Nowhere does the post mention that your friend has been disabled by his service in Afghanistan and is unable to make ends meet as a result. Even if that was the case, there should be far higher priorities than getting some 30 year old hobby car up and running. I too am former military and can tell you that those who serve overseas in danger zones are well compensated for their time there, and volunteer to do this for a variety of reasons. I have nothing but respect for those who volunteer to serve and go overseas. I have, and will continue to support wounded vets who are unable to go back to work. However, this post sounds more like there was a disagreement between a Fiero vendor and a customer and someone was ripped off. I have gone through that myself, but didn't think it was the responsibility of total strangers to pay to fix my badly done swap. I made the choice to spend the money with the wrong person- I have to live with the consequences.
If your friend is looking for work, all the machine shops in Windsor, Oldcastle are booming right now. I have dozens of customers looking for employees in the area. Heck, I would even be happy to provide your friend with some referrals, some CAD/CAM and CNC course referrals at St. Clair College which will help him land a job in the area very quickly.
Sorry, but this just seems suspicious to me in every possible way. I've been an active member on this forum for 16 years and I would never for a second consider asking for money from anyone here to fund a project. Starting out asking for help to fix the car would have probably been a much less suspicious approach. I can't help but find it equally suspicious that when the OP meets with resistance, he resorts to guilt, ("wow, try to help a guy out..blahblah blah.." "..other forums have willing to help..." I would expect any con person to do the same thing. Have any links to these threads where other forums are sending you money?
I'm going to be unapologetic about my skepticism. This is one of the most active, generous, helpful forums there is. I suspect you know that, and it's what brought you here. If you didn't expect to meet with resistance and skepticism, then you're more naive than your friend.
Being the way most people are on this forum, as in generous and eager to help a person in need, doesn't make us victims or naive or stupid. My best suggestion is to change your focus. If you're on the level then instead of asking for money ($20K, are you shitting me?) then ask for help to get it up and running. There are people here who are scratching to live form day to day, some who are on the verge of living on the streets. I would most certainly contribute to their situation before I would donate to a $$$$$$20 thousand!!!!!!!?????? repair project on a $200 car.
Forget it. This is so rude to wake up, that I can't even put it into words. That's what I get for trying to help someone. I hope you being a failed detective and insulting the whole cause feels better than helping my buddy.
If you want to help a friend, that's fine and noble, but don't expect total strangers to give you money to give to someone else. If its mechanical advice you want there is plenty of it here that's good and free but I would think that your friend would be asking the questions so he could learn about his car. I think that he is a veteran is really beside the point here.
Forget it. This is so rude to wake up, that I can't even put it into words. That's what I get for trying to help someone. I hope you being a failed detective and insulting the whole cause feels better than helping my buddy.
Disgusted.
The fact that you went and edited all of your posts to include this same text, tells me that you aren't respectable anyway. People get screwed over every day. It's life. It's cool you want to help someone that did, but there is basically no way to verify anything you stated. If you want proper recompense, then get your buddy a lawyer and start the process of litigation against those that screwed him over. Don't ask random people to pick up the slack because your buddy made some mistakes.
Originally posted by dobey: The fact that you went and edited all of your posts to include this same text, tells me that you aren't respectable anyway. People get screwed over every day. It's life. It's cool you want to help someone that did, but there is basically no way to verify anything you stated. If you want proper recompense, then get your buddy a lawyer and start the process of litigation against those that screwed him over. Don't ask random people to pick up the slack because your buddy made some mistakes.
Why do I get the idea that the o/p needs cash to have archie work on his car, not funds for his "buddy"
Well, best of luck to him on that front, since Archie doesn't do work on cars any more. He just sells the kits.
Nobody quoted the original post, but I think it mentioned something like "the car is already in Illinois" as if it was at Archie's shop (which is no more), which should also have been a huge red flag to anyone on this forum.
Forget it. This is so rude to wake up, that I can't even put it into words. That's what I get for trying to help someone. I hope you being a failed detective and insulting the whole cause feels better than helping my buddy.
Disgusted.
What? Just because this forum has an established track record of altruism you think we're just a bunch of morons who are going to dig deep and stretch big because some first-time poster comes in begging for money? You think it's "rude" that people you're asking to donate 20 thousand freaking dollars to fix a car are suspicious and want some kind of substantiation? Don't try to lay that guilt bullshit on us. I don't give two squirts of piss whether your disgusted or not. You come in here with some far fetched unsubstantiated story and get pissy because people are suspicious? You'll have to excuse me now, I'm going to go help a member who's about to end up living in the streets.
I seen your ad and are happy with condition I will pay full price, My contact will contact you on shipping, will send check and you send balance back with car..
I think the o/p should have the guy, that is a member here post..
I'm going to send a donation to wounded warrior project . I do wonder how many other forums this guy has hit, and how many fell for it.
I seen your ad and are happy with condition I will pay full price, My contact will contact you on shipping, will send check and you send balance back with car..
I think the o/p should have the guy, that is a member here post..
I'm going to send a donation to wounded warrior project . I do wonder how many other forums this guy has hit, and how many fell for it.
I doubt any. He accused us of being "rude"....I'm thinking he was treated far more kindly here than he would most elsewhere. Some forums I'm on he would would have been ridiculed and chased off way before now. He thinks we're rude? He ain't seen nothing... I know of NO OTHER forum that's as willing to help out as this one. Apparently that leads scammers to think we're some kind of gullible retards with too much money.
This is so rude. I'm glad people don't do this to sick folks with fund raisers too. The same level of BS would be, "sure you're sick, prove it's a real person" "prove you dont have insurance" "prove you dont have any relatives with money" "it's your fault your sick" or "you should have been smarter and examined your doctors better" etc etc. That's the parallel with the BS given about my buddy's predicament.
Think what you want. I don't care anymore. If you're right and it was a scam, you can pat yourself on the back for being so clever. Thing is your dead wrong, and I'm horrified to see this is the way you talk to someone without actually haven proven anything is illegitimate at all. I guess you're guilty until proven innocent.
It was a nice idea for a guy that got ripped off. Thanks for ruining it. Not commenting any further.
should have the guy, that is a member here post.. 
