[Simmo]

In the interim I had paid more money to another builder to redesign the control arms and uprights all based around this clip, which it was now apparent wasn't going to be useful without a ton of additional fab and new, straight rails. More $$ down the drain as a result of the poor quality control out of at Scott Mock/Chubby’s Welding.

Scott initially offered to repair my clip if I sent it back to him in the US. Whilst I expressed gratitude for his offer, I explained to him that the cost of shipping, sales taxes, import fees, customs fees all add up to a large sum. To double up and send this clip back to him in Kansas and then back here to New Zealand would likely cost me more in duties and taxes than the value of the clip/frame itself. It would likely be cheaper for me to start over than send parts back and forth across the Pacific.

Then there’s the quality issue that carried through to when he offered to build me a new clip. Again, I expressed my gratitude for the offer, however I had concerns about the quality of the replacement, not to mention the second lot of customs/taxes/importation costs I would be paying. In my opinion, you don't just accidently make the type and number of errors outlined above when you actually set out to build a quality, safety critical component. I expect to be placing my life, that of my family, and other road users on this clip. One of the explanations that were given to me for the 3 months build time was that Scott was “checking things with my order”. How is it that in 3 months of checking not one of these issues above was picked up? How long would it take to get a second clip made up to standard, if that could be done at all?

I explained to Scott that with this option I would be hit with another lot of import fees, customs clearance fees, MAF fees, and 15% goods and service tax on top the value (not cost) of all of the goods imported, and another 15% on top goods and service tax of all the aforementioned fees (I also outlined how I could not accept a falsely discounted/zero invoice, this is a red flag at customs, and is illegal). End result would be significant $$ out of my pocket again to roll the dice on whether I end up with a usable/safe product or not. It'd be a safer bet in mind, given all of the above, for me to start again. These are the reasons that I have sought a refund from Scott rather than have him repair this clip, or build a new
one.

Scott initially understood this. He made an offer of a refund of $2000 via Paypal, or a refund of $3500 via Paypal for the return of this clip all the way to KS at my expense (unfortunately he later withdrew both these remedy options). This is the balance paid less the C6 components, rack etc. I would still be left out of pocket a sizeable sum of shipping and taxes that I’d have to forfeit, but I was at the point of cutting my losses and in the lack of a better outcome being offered, I went with it. My quote to freight this clip back to Scott was in the vicinity of $600 USD, and it had no real dollar value to me, so it worked out about $900 USD better off for me to send it back. In that case I'd still be losing circa $2000 USD in the deal including my costs to return this clip to him, rather than $2900 USD, through no fault of my own. I took this option as best case out of a bad situation, and we agreed.

That’s when the waiting began. This is where I was fed a number of lies as to why the funds weren't being transferred. Initially his Paypal was locked, he then told me he was broke, and then he had legal advice not to refund me any money. Then the very next day he told me he did have money and for me to send the clip to him first and then I might get my refund……...real reassuring considering I’d be spending even more money to send this clip to a guy, who in my experience, hasn't exactly acted in a trustworthy manner. I have no idea what truth is, or what’s going on at Scott Mock’s, so hopefully he'll chime in and enlighten us all.

I emailed the other member on here who was having issues with Scott’s work to “compare notes”. It would appear that he has a whole set of different issues to those that I am having with regard to build quality. Scott has continually used the fact that I made contact with this member as an excuse as to why he won’t sort things out with me. For some reason, despite this other member being in the US, closer to Scott than I am, Scott feels that because I contacted him I must be somehow collaborating with him and that he won’t resolve this issue with me, until he sorts the first unsatisfied customer out. Go figure. Whether he is just clutching at straws to avoid making this right, or has cash flow problems, or he truly believes that I have the time of day to piss around plotting with some other customer to “get him” who knows.

I’ve tried to be polite as possible to Scott in all of this, trying to bring his attention to the severity of these issues, without meaning to offend or bash his work. Unfortunately there has been a gradual decline in the tone as time has gone by, as I've been misled, messed around and have grown increasingly frustrated with Scotts handling of the matter. Scott chose to cc Jody into our later emails and made some false statements and made some false allegations regarding the circumstances of this transaction. He even went as far as making an implied threat that I “would need to see a dentist” as I mentioned similarities between my experience with Scott, and experiences that other members had been through with a certain ex--vendors of this site. Once the facts were laid out and explanations/evidence provided to counter Scott’s claims, he has failed to return any of my emails. I do have all the emails from day one in my dealings with Scott, and all the evidence to back every word of this post. I did get the impression he was trying to manipulate the facts in order to discredit me or my claims, so hopefully he will respond to this thread in an honest and professional manner.

All I have ever done in my dealings with Scott is pay in full, up front, to receive a safe quality product as advertised. I still haven't got one. I’ve then sought to come to a resolution with Scott to avoid having to make this public and the effect it will have on his reputation. In return I’ve been f*cked around to no end for my troubles, and been left with a smoking hole in my wallet which I'm now being expected to fill myself.

The last offer I got from Scott was:-

1. A partial refund – However he said - "I'm not refunding any money to anybody until the ***other member***/paypal is cleared up even if that takes a whole year".

2. He would build a new clip and send it to me - However he said "If you want a new clip I will not work on it until I finish something I working on now”

He actually expects me to spend more of my money to send this clip back to him, with no deposit of funds, no idea when a new clip would be shipped, or what additional costs I am being expected to cover. His other option involves him sorting out HIS problems first, with some other unrelated and unhappy customer, with which he appears in no hurry to resolve. All of this in addition to the potential quality and/or cash flow issues he may be having. I haven’t been left with a whole lot of options…

In a last ditch effort to come to a resolution with Scott, I told him I would pallet up and drop this clip off to any shipper or freight company he liked here, without paying me a cent in advance, and he could arrange to have it shipped directly to him. He could then deduct that shipping amount off the $3500 refund when it arrived in Kansas. I would have arranged the shipping from my end for him but I didn't want to expose myself to any number of claims of damage or failure of the clip to arrive to him in Kansas. Scott had nothing to lose with this option, and yet he’s chosen to not reply to the email, or any subsequent emails I've sent.

I feel like I have been misled from day 1 in my dealings with Scott Mock, and am now out a considerable amount of $$, not to mention time into my build. Hopefully armed with this knowledge other members can choose who they deal with a little more wisely than I.