Sports Maserati brake discs - third group buy

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Geo

Member
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616
Although not involved in this episode, I was ripped off last year on something aviation related. This kind of thing pisses me off big style, especially when it's reported to police and nothing gets done about it.

You guy do need to know who the company is, and someone needs to pay them a visit!
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,547
Wait, wait a minute. Are you saying this is all a scam? Hope not!

I assume MAF has been contacted by now about how he feels about telling the name of the guy who ripped him/us off?
Would appreciate to hear about that.

Although I am not involved in this, I would be absolutely, completely and 100% certain that this is not a scam. Just in case you missed the humour intended in the posts and seriously thought it might be.

C
 

Robbe

Junior Member
Messages
87
Although I am not involved in this, I would be absolutely, completely and 100% certain that this is not a scam. Just in case you missed the humour intended in the posts and seriously thought it might be.

C

But it is a scam, let's be honest about that.
And I do recognise humour (had to laugh at that cartoon as well), but I do not find this particular situation funny at all.
Funds have been paid to a person we do not know, there appear to be no documents of proof of that , which seem to block the possibilities to have a sollicitor take a look at it. (Or so we are told.)
That middle man certainly knew what he was doing: no paperwork, no proof, maybe even asked for a cash payment (otherwise there would be bank transcripts), I do not know.
If it sounds like a duck etc...

But why he has to be protected by not telling his name, is beyond my understanding.
I want to know who ripped me off, and I do not understand why that name, known to MAF at least, is kept a secret.
We can't ask MAF, he has not been on this forum for over 9 months.
I have understood there are personal/private issues, and I respect that, but that does not mean 50 or more (100?) guys have to be kept in the dark for a year and a half, and are blocked to take action of any kind.

I hereby officially ask for the name and data of the guy who is responsible for this theft of our money.
If MAF is not fit to stand up against him, we will help him by taking over.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
08-11-2016

I wonder if this was true, 18 months ago.

You do question whether MAF was given bogus info from the motor factor.
I assume the path was MAF - Motor factor - Apec - Manufacturer
As the first 2 group buys went okay with Apec - Manufacturer. I can't see why there would be a problem with Apec - Manufacturer, and if there was a problem with the manufacturer Apec would sort it out, they are big players in the market.
I guess the question is, did Apec receive the order from the Motor factors, and if they did, and Apec rejected the order due to manufacturing problems, have they returned the money to the Motor factors?
 

Robbe

Junior Member
Messages
87
06-10-2017
Another update, the motor factors have agreed to pay the money back....

So the motor factors have the money, otherwise they could not agree to pay it back. So there you have the answer I guess.
But in reality they have not paid it back 4 months later, so it is safe to say they are not going to unless real action is taken. But we can't take real action if we do not know a name.
 
Messages
6,001
Yep
SLE have been in suspension more than they have been on the market.
I only (thankfully) put £1000 into them, I doubt I will see that again
hey ho
 

Bertt

New Member
Messages
8
I am of the same opinion as Robbe. Why are we not updated openly about the situation? Statements have been made that the motor factor agreed to pay back the money. Apparently that hasn't happened yet, but why don't we get regular updates. And I also agree that the name of the culprit needs to be shared. I find the lack of information sharing seriously wrong. Come on MAF or someone in the know: have we lost our money or not? And if so, what action are you taking or should we as a group consider?
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
It’s not a scam!

MAF and I are paying back those who need the money now but if you can wait we would appreciate it as it’s coming out of our own pockets.

If you need your money back pm me your bank details any the amount and date you paid and we will check it against the list.

We have stated this numerous times on this thread.

Discs were produced at cost and we made no money for our efforts, it was all to save you the member money and to stick 2 fingers up at Modena.

As for future brake disc production, we are already on it from a different source.
 

Ewan

Member
Messages
6,757
Why can we not be told the name of the company the money was paid to? Why the big secret?

I'm sure that most of those that want their money back (myself included) want their own money back, not the personal money of the forum mods. But we can only get that if the forum mods show us all the appropriate level of respect and tell us exactly where our money went.
 

Corranga

Member
Messages
1,219
I'm sure that most of those that want their money back (myself included) want their own money back, not the personal money of the forum mods.

This is how I feel, and why I've stayed mostly quiet in this thread.

Of course I'd rather have discs overall so keen to hear more (timelines..) on the new option. I appreciate it's probably early days.

Chris
 

slidefighter

Junior Member
Messages
52
Maybe the British feel differently, but getting taken advantage of is not a popular sport here in the U.S. Here typically there would have been (long ago, by now) a significant confrontation between the person who paid the money and didn't receive his goods and the person who got the money and didn't deliver. Generally here, one or two "rounds" of confrontation would be all it would take for a third party determinant to be brought to bear (lawyer/solicitor, "mechanic's lien", small claims court, etc). I don't know what remedies are available in England but surely we are well past the point by now where some such should have been invoked. I'm wondering if anyone can report on what if anything, has been done in that regard? I get it that there are good guys involved who are trying to do "what is right", but seriously? No one has brought the law to bear on this issue? Individually, we haven't lost much but collectively, the level of loss significantly exceeds what we would call a misdemeanor here. Every State is different in the U.S. but in my home State where the laws on theft are more relaxed than most, this would still be a Class B felony punishable potentially by mandatory restitution, an additional fine of up to $10,000, and up to five years in the penitentiary. Serious business and not just an accommodation among friends.

This website is a jewel as far as I am concerned---the best Maserati resource there is by far. I'm disappointed that its fine instinct to help other Maserati owners, has to some degree, been diminished by this somewhat shabby little transaction. I no longer expect my money back and honestly I don't think I'll ever see any discs, but a firm and final resolution would still be useful. Is anyone willing to go the extra mile and take whoever is responsible to small claims court? I assume you have such a thing too since we got our laws from you. As best I can tell, we can't even get anyone to tell us who has the money, let alone who was supposed to manufacture the discs. If no one is willing to provide even that info, then it's likely that none of us is ever going to be "made whole". Would be nice to know that . Then I'll just go to Formula Dynamics and buy the discs I probably should have bought there in the first place. This is not a major deal by any standard (excepting the at least potential, criminal penalties) but it has been going on for an absurdly long time. As we say sometimes in South Carolina, we're past cutting bait, it's time to go fishing.
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
Slidefighter, you will get you money back, that I can guarantee.

Matt that is good news, I would rather have some discs, is this likely to happen in the near future?
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being more chance of knitting fog and 10 within the next 12 weeks
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Matt that is good news, I would rather have some discs, is this likely to happen in the near future?
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being more chance of knitting fog and 10 within the next 12 weeks

Another member is working with another company who want to produce them to order for a similar price. TBH, I need to get this mess sorted first before I even consider it.
 

slidefighter

Junior Member
Messages
52
Conaero: I appreciate your response. With regard to the money, I hope it was clear that that was not my real concern. I just figure it's time to move on and a resolution would help us all do that. Or maybe, I'm the only one who doesn't get it and perhaps everyone else has already pulled up stakes and gone another route. Wouldn't be the first time I was late to the party!

I think I'd better order the discs I need over here (the sound coming from my front rotors are getting pretty ratty). I appreciate the effort on the part of the site to support group purchases and clearly such have worked in the past. Too bad this one didn't work out. If I knew of a U.S. source for a similar product at a similar price, I could perhaps help the group from this side of the pond, but unfortunately I do not. A set of four cross drilled and ventilated discs for any 4200/Gran Sport series Maserati are $1,180 from Formula Dynamics according to their website as of today.
 

Ian3200

Member
Messages
841
I've seen disc sets for sale on Facebook for 495 euros... 3200GT page... are these those? Neil Willetts? seems odd? or has the price gone up that much since I got mine?
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
That will more than likely be Neil Surrey Labs, who is banned from this site.

Our sponsors refused to fit them due to their poor quality nature.

I personally wouldn't touch them as they come with no indemnity or CE certification.

Spoke to MAF at length, we have a resolve, he will post here shortly.
 
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