RWagz

BAD GUY:Jeff Abrams/MazdaManiac
Paid in full 07/19/08, still missing AccessPort ($695 value).

11/15/2009 Update: Unannounced package received from Arizona at my parents' home. Picking it up in a few days, further update then.

Update: AP received.

The History (compiled from saved emails and PMs, forwarded to anyone upon request):

• 02/25/08 - $200 check sent to Jeff as deposit on the sale.
• 04/29/08 - Add AP to order and change shipping address. At this time I am told average build time is 8 weeks.
• Around the 2nd week of June I send out a check to Jeff for the order total.
• 07/06/08 - Jeff acknowledges receipt of check.
• 07/07/08 - Jeff emails me that there's a problem with the check. I had sent a check from an old (closed) account. Whoops!
• 07/14/08 - Takes me a few days to see his emails and respond, as around this time I have no internet access. I immediately offer to send another check out express mail and cover any fees charged by his bank. He says there are no charges & I send out the check express USPS.
• 07/19/08 - Jeff confirms receipt of check. He is paid in full as of this day.
• 08/24/08 - Check with Jeff as I've not heard anything so I can line things up to get the kit installed. Remember, he told me to expect an 8 week lead time 4 months ago. At this point he's had payment in full for 6 weeks.
• 08/29/08 - Jeff lets me know to expect it middle of September, with a promise of a more exact date in a week or so.
• 10/03/08 - September comes and goes. I remember that Jeff has 2500 of my hard earned dollars, and I have nothing. I email Jeff. No response.
• 11/09/08 - I begin a series of PMs to a forum member who I learn, from a thread he has started, has been waiting a year for his kit. Thread disappears, I as him what happened. Many people sympathized with Jeff and he got frustrated, closed the thread. He reopens thread and I post in support, mentioning my situation with Jeff. Sometime after this, Jeff refunds the person's money, never giving any explanation why he could not complete the order. Withholding identity of this person until he/she gives permission to use their name. That it happened is sufficient supporting evidence of BAD GUY behavior from MM/Jeff.
• 04/22/09 - I let things slide for 5 months before I get worked up enough again to start asking about my order again. I'm told to contact a 'Hund,' who is said to be Jeff's assistant. Hund tells me they're expecting to ship 3 kits by Monday (in 5 days). It is not made clear that mine is among these three.
• 05/10/09 - I PM Hund again about status. The next day he replies: "Your kit is being worked on. I do not have an exact ship date but yours is one of three kits being finished up."
• 05/25/09 - Another round of PMs go out to Hund & Charles R. Hill (another forum member suggests getting Charles in the loop will help light a fire under Jeff's butt)
• 05/29/09 - Despite CRH asking about my kit, no updates received from Jeff or Hund. Another round of PMs go out.
• 05/30/09 - Hund says he forgot to reply to the previous PM, says they'll ship first week of June.
• 06/18/09 - Over 2 weeks, no updates. PM Hund yet again.
• 06/19/09 - Hund says they're waiting on a coupler now. No ETA given. I decide to wait it out.
• 07/20/09 - I'm fed up. Jeff has had my money for a year today. I issue an ultimatum to Hund demanding my parts or money back in a week and copy CRH on the PM for good measure. CRH sympathizes. No response from Hund.
• 07/26/09 - No response from Hund. I email Jeff the same ultimatum.
• 08/01/09 - Jeff responds, gives me a tracking number & says it will ship on Monday (the 3rd). Tracking#1Z62E66R0394576233 for your viewing pleasure.
• 08/04/09 - The package is still not picked up according to the tracking from UPS. Complain to Jeff. No response.
• 08/05/09 - I complain again. Jeff replies and insists it was picked up, says the tracking info even says so. This is the last time I've heard from Jeff. I reply, correcting him, as UPS clearly states that only the billing info has been received and the package has not been picked up yet.
• 08/06/09 - UPS finally reports package is picked up.
• 08/12/09 - Package delivered to my parents' house. Had it shipped there as I've moved three times since originally ordering this and never knew where I would be when he decided to ship.
• 09/12/09 - Finally have time to make it to my parents' house and inspect parts. Everything looks good except I can't find the AccessPort unit. Look everything over again, still not found. Box was unopened, intact before I inspected. Was delivered into their farmhouse garage in a rural area with the nearest neighbor about 1/4 away (my uncle's house).
• 09/16/09 - I waited 4 days to clear my head so I could calmly email Jeff and inquire about the missing AP unit. No response.
• 09/27/09 - Another email, still cordial. Again, no response.
• 10/12/09 - One final effort to get in contact via email with Jeff, in which I request the part be sent out or I will return all the parts and request a full refund. Still, no response.

That brings us to today. To say I have been patient is a serious understatement. 1 year, 3 months and 2 weeks has past since the day Jeff confirmed payment in full received. I have not heard from him since the beginning of August.

I should have posted this for the benefit of the forum long ago, but I am, by nature, a very patient and trusting person. Yet, I do not wish this experience upon another member of our community.

I am so dead serious about this that, if the usual group of MM fanboys (or even MM himself) insist I'm lying, I am prepared to temporarily give forum moderators access to my forum and email accounts so they may personally verify the validity of the above information, which came entirely from past emails and forum PMs.

Kane

iTrader: (1)

Damn...

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

RWagz; good luck in resolving this. That's a long time to wait for a package.

a few comments if I may:
- no need to conceal the identity of the person in bullet point 10: we all remember Stealth's story.
- as for the last paragaph: no need to grant access to the Mods / Admins: you don't actually think Private Messages are private do you?

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

Wow ....

RWagz

I'm being overcautious. I know this. My new signature is not cautious though.

Edit: For the first time since joining this forum, I'm thinking of changing my avatar; I'm thinking one of those red circles with a slash through it and MazdaManiac inside/behind.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

you're right, your new siggy is not cautious, its' annoying.

/end threadjack

RWagz

Mission accomplished then.

Edit: Meh, it is annoying. Changed.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

So is your hostile attitude. Both parties deserve the benefit of doubt at this point.

blackenedwings

I don't know anything personally about this situation, but I can speak from experience when I guess that any issues you are having with Jeff Abram's products or services has probably been exacerbated by poor or complete lack of communication. I have no idea where your AccessPORT went, but I don't believe Jeff would deliberately fail to ship you the product and intentionally screw you out of money.

That being said, I've seen time and time again a ...divergence of opinions... between Jeff and his customers about the level of effort being put into a transaction. He may feel he has already done you several "favors" by trying to work with your changes in address etc, and if the AccessPORT subsequently went missing it's not his fault and he certainly isn't going to take the blame (or cost) for it.

While I personally think Jeff has the worst customer service I've ever seen, I don't think this situation was intentional or malevolent. If Jeff doesn't feel responsible for the lost product he sure as hell isn't going to do anything to help you about it, and saying anything publicly against him has sealed that fate. Unless you intend to attempt legal action, you might as well say goodbye to that money, consider yourself informed and move on.

rx 8speciale

iTrader: (3)

wow not again

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

Team: how am I being hostile?
I sincerely hope RWagz gets resolution in this, I'm not on anyone's side here. I'm pretty sure RW realized I was messin' with him with the annoying comment.
Next time I'll put a little smiley face at the end for you.

nvrfalter

iTrader: (1)

makes me sick to see this stuff.

the rx-8 community is interesting in that our operations are so small, we have the luxury and burden of knowing certain personalities intimately. a bigger, more mainstream community has more options and many of the organizations that offer products and services are larger than what we are used to here. i say luxury and burden because on the one hand, it's nice to know the people working hard to help make the car better. on the other hand, it's a nightmare when things don't go perfectly. you feel more betrayed and like you have less options than you would with some company that works on lots of cars. it's gotten to the point where i feel like anyone who buys anything within this community walks a razor.

tldr?: hang onto your money unless you're a gambling man.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

Thanks, I'm slow that way :

blackenedwings

You know how it is with teh interwebz Jedi... its hard to tell whats serious sometimes, and its easy to get pissed off and then realize they were being sarcastic or joking.

I do wonder though... is the shipping of the AccessPORT insured? Could RWagz get a claim through the mail that the item never arrived? I don't know who's court that falls into, but the only way I see this being resolved amniacably is if someone other than MM or RWagz pays for the missing item.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

If the story is true then as far as the shipper is concerned the package arrived. No insurance recourse there even if it was a week rather than several months from receipt.

RWagz

After the first few attempts to contact him about the AP were ignored I figured I could kiss my $700 goodbye. He may as well have met me in person and told me, face to face, "f__ you, buddy."

So, honestly, he made it clear to me that I stood to lose nothing by posting this. I was already screwed.

Edit: So funny; there's still this little voice inside that persists in believing Jeff will do the right thing now that I've exposed this to the forum.

rx8phase1

iTrader: (1)

Wow I would have gone crazy just waiting one month hope it all wrks out.

rx 8speciale

iTrader: (3)

let me tell u that your not gonna get ur money back or ap, u know that mm dont care .... flame suit on

Eish

Oh dear.....


Let me reserve judgment until I have heard both sides of ther story.

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Wow, that's sad.

One Year,
Three Months,
Two Weeks........

Jeff has a new record!


S

robrecht

I too think Jeff will do the right thing. Keep copying Hund and Ray Charles, 'though, he's not blind to this kind of thing.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Flawed from the start. If you don't have the full funds to procure an item.... and a bounced check to boot???!!!

=======

02/25/08 - $200 check sent to Jeff as deposit on the sale.
04/29/08 - Add AP to order and change shipping address. At this time I am told average build time is 8 weeks.
Around the 2nd week of June I send out a check to Jeff for the order total.
07/06/08 - Jeff acknowledges receipt of check.
07/07/08 - Jeff emails me that there's a problem with the check. I had sent a check from an old (closed) account. Whoops!

Bigbacon

iTrader: (4)

and he sent him another check that cleared the banks..... wow...

dillsrotary

07/19/08 - Jeff confirms receipt of check. He is paid in full as of this day.

Charles R. Hill

iTrader: (7)

Please don't. I have run out of diapers that say "Jeffy" on them.