Mike, don't forgive or forget. Latvia is part of the EU and the EU have strong laws on fraud of this type, i would encourage you to pursue getting as much back as possible. The Barum engines channel also had lots of delays and issues with a different supplier of an M3 kit in the same country, they did get their kit eventually. There is a company in the UK about 10 miles from where i am called Dialynx, the owner was a factory mechanic for the Audi rally team i believe and built many Sport Quattro's, they may be of some help in the future. Best wishes.
Every hour he spends trying to get money back is an hour he has to take away from building cars or an hour he has to pay someone to try to get the money back. Completely not worth it because the odds of getting anything back are really small.
Jumping in on that: 1. Litigation in Europe is typically not nearly as costly as its the case in the US. 2. You have an worldwide audience in a community that includes a variety of professions. I am sure you could find a qualified lawyer in any jurisdiction that would support you. 3. I know that usually no business man wants to enter into legal quarrels. However, this is not simply a „commercial conflict“ that could be solved at arm length on a business level. Protect your and other people’s interest by adressing it the right way:) Hope you don’t ever experience this kind of situation again and thanks for the great videos / sharing of your experience!
This seems pretty common in car land. Person has idea for very niche car product, people show interest, person sees dollar signs despite having zero business savvy, starts to take orders and then slowly realizes they got in completely over their head until they vanish off the face of the earth having spent all of the customer money on their failed venture.
Currently in latvia, and I'm familiar with them. Riga isn't big so everyone knows the shop and owner. But as you said you don't want anything with them anymore or want people to act on your behalf. BUT... the moment you read this or someone tags you and you choose to change your mind. LET ME KNOW. Cheers.
@@TheBCninja agreed and no will go that far. That would be more issues than what the kit is worth for anyone. There’s many way to go about this legally but justice would be served.
It just looks bulky in different ways. This car wasn't designed to be looked at from behind. Which is a bit sad considering it was engineered exactly for that. 😂
It's called an A2 Quattro. After the Group 4 quattro Audi homologated the A1/2 "wider" version of the UR Quattro with a host of other improvements underneath
You're a real stand up guy, Mike. It takes a lot to turn the other cheek like this. I hope that maybe down the line you'll get something back from this, but I know that's a pipe dream.
I totally agree! I would say that your reaction, Mike, is very mature and reasonable. You seem to know your boundaries and what you don’t want to get involved with.
I've been following you for years, and being Latvian myself, I'm sorry about this. Having a bit of access to company registry stuff, I can say that cool-wheels are in liquidation, they do have an administrator / liquidator appointed, but the registered own capital of that company is very small. What they do have is about 65k eur tax debt tho (this is all public info, so not breaching anything here).. If there are no company owned assets that can be sold, ... I'm sorry. However, being optimist, I hope that if there are some assets available that can be sold, you're first in line to get something out of this.
I know how you feel dude i was scammed over £20,000 over someone in the car community who i thought was a friend. Took me 4 years to financially recover and almost took the easy route out but im glad i didnt because im doing better than i ever have and i can hope i can start making cool vlogs for the viewers. Hope you come out even stronger 💪🏾
I always appreciate when you give the background information on a car. None of my family members are into cars and I only started my interest in cars through TH-cam videos. I found you through Donut media. It's not much, but I've installed my own grill, speaker system, replacement trim, and lights. Your videos want me to learn how to do more and expose me to cars I didn't even know existed.
I had a similar experience with a body kit supplier for a VW GTI. They were based out of Russia and their factory (or wherever they manufactured) was seized by the Kremlin when the war started. Fortunately they were honest, helpful, and provided a full refund despite their circumstances. Really unfortunate it went the wrong way for yourself. International commerce can be a pain. Will continue to support the channel and look forward what's next.
100% payment up front with extended lead times is almost always bad news no matter the industry. Hopefully a domestic custom carbon shop can step up here and help out.
Hey Mike I propose that the optimal course of action moving forward entails acquiring a kit tha is installed within the United States, scanning it, and then reproducing it in-house with the assistance of a California-based company. This approach ensures that individuals who have been affected by the scam can still obtain the kit they were promised. I am confident that you, as well as others involved, remain interested in obtaining the kit. Additionally, the opportunity to realize this project according to your complete vision is undoubtedly appealing. hope for the best ! love your work
@@MickH60 No i won't. If I give money to a company and he rips Me off, and my friend is about to do the same. I should warn my friend. Instead Mike didn't bother , Mike isn't your friend. But he will monetize this video and make his 7k back. You won't.
@@ardie72 Give me a break. He didn't "aid" the Latvian company. Try to put yourself in Mike's shoes for a second. He's a business owner. If this was your business, and you were trying to protect your assets, would you post a video on TH-cam starting a fight with some entitled Latvian Jerkoff?
You trusted someone that was acting in bad faith, there's a lot of risk in slinging mud. You are going about this the right way and raising some awareness for people that find themselves in a similar situation when trying to transact with a more complicated manufacturing/shipping/international situation. Good luck with the build.
Glad you named and shamed, you should have come clean after 12 months , but thanks for speaking up eventually, im in a similar position over engine parts and i let it go 12 months and gave them many chances to pay but now our big $$$ engine is finally finished its time to do a complete breakdown and tell the whole story, it sux but its needed
Your integrity and commitment to what you do is a large part of what makes this channel. Thank you for being the better person in all of this. I am REALLY looking forward to upcoming "body kit" project :-)
Sorry to hear that Mike. I'm surprised that other bodywork companies are not jumping over themselves to help you out, given the success of your channel and quality of your work.
Hey Mike, First I want to congratulate you on your grace and resilience on moving past the obstacles and challenges of what it takes to be in the automotive industry. Many moons ago I owned and operated a German AutoParts Business online and faced many fraud issues which ultimately lead me to shut down my business. With that being said I continue to be a part of the German Automotive community moderating various communities and lending my knowledge towards German Engineering Maintenance which is my passion. Continue on your path be true to who you are and the community will always support your efforts. Bryan Prost 🍻 🇩🇪
This is one of the few big reasons I learned to weld, fabricate, shape and finish metal, make molds and lay my own carbon. Too many people telling me I can’t do something because they can’t do something. Getting an idea across to someone is impossible and being able to rely on and trust people is a nightmare. I very rarely say no to myself when it comes to whether I can make something. Yes I can.
This sounds a bit like my recent experience but mine ended well, eventually! I bought an EFI conversion kit for my Urquattro from a company in Poland. Checked out the company and everything seemed legit so I paid my 1200 euro plus postage to New Zealand. The parts got lost in transit by UPS, and replacements were promised, the company kept giving tracking numbers that didn’t get collected. Then they disappeared. Three years later they reappeared and started filling orders! I got my kit last week, 3 years 2 months after ordering, and it looks really good quality.
Mike, thank you for being honest. When we can't, we build our dream cars through you and we need that. This gutter geek offers the services of a nerd in return.
Brings back memories. Had the exact color '83 ur quattro but with cloth pattern interior. Eventually did mods for the era, 16"BBS, rolled inside fender lips, brake bomb removed , Tilton brake bias control, larger 200q brakes bolt on rear, ECU mod with air control module hidden in the glovebox, Audi console pod for VDO gauges, easy 15 min job cam re-degree (10v mech lifter head), H&R springs, re-bushed susp, custom roll cage, removed US DOT bumper shocks, tucked in the bumpers, retained the US quad headlamps but removed the inner two and made an extended grill from another stock one, used the opening for extra ducted cooling, vented the hood. Really didn't cost much for any of it. Fun car for the time. Did quattro club track events, wannabe rally stuff with other orgs. Did a quattro reunion at Road America when 'what's his name?' from MN had a sport q, and even 2bennet made the trip to join the fun. (The hand controlled FWD coupe GT was a cool setup).. Fun times back when. Eventually sold mine, thinking for around $4000. Meh. The few SWB sport quattro's were floating in the market for around $40k. Anyways, good luck with your project.
Mike, the long wheelbase quattro with the wide body was homologated by Audi, named an A1 or A2 depending on the version for Group B rallying. Love your work!
This reminds me of the Shrockworks implosion. They made off-road bumpers, sliders, etc. They were taking people's money up until the day they closed their doors. They fired all their employees with no notice, then filed for bankruptcy protection and listed every customer they still owed product to as a creditor and tied everyone up in the mess.
Mike, sorry for your loss. In most cases, that's why I do business within the US to have more remedies available. Agree with you that a bad apple should not spoil the entire process.
To paraphrase......"I'm going to forgive and forget." In my opinion, a very healthy and mature perspective. We can't change the past. Holding a grudge only hurts ourselves. We learn and move on.
This is an unfortunate situation. I think this happens often … he probably didn’t set out to scam people, but got in over his head. It sucks that you and others lost money and it’s a shame that that company couldn’t service the community.
I bought a burg kit for my 77 Scirocco for a company out of the czech republic. It was super sketchy, but it was the only place I could fine the style I wanted. I reached out to all the people I could find online that bought from the company to make sure they were legit. I wired $400 shipped(stupid cheap for a full kit). In my surprise, EVERYTHING came in with in 20 days. It was amazing, I thought I got scammed.
Hey Mike, you're not the kinda guy that would shit talk unless it was absolutely necessary, so when you do feel the need to speak out on something we all know that it's something we need to hear. God bless you and best wishes from Manchester north west England. Jay 🙏🏻🏴♥️🇺🇲
Back in the day I saw these Audi Quattro's doing the Circuit of Ireland and the Rally of Great Britain. Mega machines. This car is on my bucket list and I can't wait to see more content on your build. At the moment, I have a 2007 A6 2.7 TDI Quattro, S Line Le Man's speck (A keeper). The car is lightened and lowered from stock and has torque like you would not believe. On wet back roads in the UK around the Lincolnshire Wolds, it will give anything a run for their money (Subaru's in particular). The Quattro technology has never been bettered. Move on from your loss and get the pleasure from your car as soon as possible. I worked in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia for years, they are great people in general having come from a very poor historic situation and sad that one person is responsible for setting such a poor perception. You and others affected will have your day.
I'm glad you mentioned them by name. These companies need to be held accountable. It pisses me off so bad when content creators don't mention these trash companies. They're just enabling their bad behavior.
Sorry that you have suffered through the agony of waiting and hoping, only to be out some serious cash. I don’t feel that you anything to apologize for, for not making this video sooner. You kept hoping for a good outcome. Respect! The short wheelbase looks like an early Ford Mustang II, not well proportioned.
I got ripped off by a person in a forum, nobody had ever had an issue with him before, I didn’t bother starting any drama either. Cut my losses. Peace of mind in not having conflict over money isn’t an easy choice but one I can respect. Your above board, one day the other persons actions will catch up to them.
Ciao from Italy, sorry you have been scammed. I agree the long wheel base looks a lot better, the SWB is a rally tool to go round sharp hairpins, not intended to look anywhere near pretty although next to a Delta S4 it may actually look pretty!
Well that's a bummer. I hope you'll find a way to will finish this project 😊. It has been really nice to learn the history of the cars you work on. Keep it up 😉
Couldn't agree more about the LWB looking better. I'm sure the sport quattros are a lot more nimble but their side profile looks so goofy. The hood is like half the car.
Hate to hear of the troubles. I was almost to the point of trying to buy an S2 bumper from them before I finally found one. So many people kept steering me away from them. Hope to see some more progress on the UrQ soon. Keep up the good work.
Truth be told I would like to see you just move forward with the Quattro and keep the body like it is. Really great looking as original design. Sorry you got ripped off and you clearly are upset but also a very kind man.
"The short wheelbase car looks a bit weird" -- thank you, Mike, for saying what we've all been thinking for the last 20 years 😂 The long wheelbase car is 100% the looker of the two.
Sometimes stuff happens, just move on, you did the right thing in the right way. I once ordered a header from a very high end manufacturer in Japan. Also never arrived.
Videos like this ... and the way you went about everything ... MASSIVE Kudos Mike. Benefit of the doubt, give "credit" to the car community ... what and however you/someone wants to go about it. Loss sucks - but driving on as a content creator with over 200k subs and moving on from the downfalls of a build.... Speaks a LOT about you as a person, not just a channel/business. I'm going to assume that's why companies like H&R do business with you. Cheer and Beers. As a car lover and wanting to have a crazy project car build myself, I'm glad to have this channel to watch for inspiration. Not just for the car building content, but to see/have where and why the inspiration of each build comes from.
This is sad. This happened in the E46 community near 20 years ago. CSL body pieces, intakes, carbon bits, dove-tail trunk lids... a few scam companies ripped people off for 💰 💰. But I'm sure it's happened in many car groups for years.
But Mike, at least your video quality is AMAZING now. Sorry about 'that crowd' - you know if you tell us to much we start to get feral and put on the collection gloves.
I still get mad thinking the times I've been burned. 7k is a big chunk. Sorry that happened. You are probably doing the right thing. Takes a lot of self control to not go to the mattresses with these people.
Kudos for wanting to build you want and desire..... Even though the Short Wheelbase version is the only true, tested and timeless example of one. Plus cutting it must be the ultimate test to a master fabricator and builder.
Everyone that build rides, or builds rigs will get caught up by some scam. If not today it’ll be tomorrow. it’s happened to us. But I love what you do. Keep doing what you’re doing. Everyone be vigilant. I found myself going back to working with local people even though it cost more initially sometimes it just seems better. I don’t know if that’s a solution, but it seems to work for me when I can do it. Love your channel you make me get out when I see your work.
So sorry Mike! I have been in the car world for a long time, and it is very rare this happens. You look at what someone does and contributes, and make a judgement. Hopefully you will find the right company tho make the parts.
I understand your reason for not saying anything. But I can't help but feel bad for the last guy who purchased a kit who might not have if you had said something sooner. Sometimes when you stand up for what is right you get hurt but that doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do. I've lost 20k once doing what I thought was right, it sucks losing that money but in the end I sleep at night knowing I took the high road and did what was right. I'm not judging you, just showing you the other side. Good luck with the build, I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Its not so much the short wheelbase but the rear "overhang". Its a good looking car regardless. Sorry to hear that f4cked up news on the Audi parts. You're a good man Mike. Be well.
You have some of the best in the business in your area when it comes to composite body panels. Work with Advanced Fiberglass Concepts. They do amazing work. In Costa Mesa I believe.
Unfortunately one of those things with ordering parts from over seas. You 100% did the right thing! Looking forward to seeing the new direction for this build!
I had a situation like this before and got a charge back no problem. There was an 8 week lead time and after 12 weeks of no communication and no product delivered, I filed a dispute with Paypal. They gave me a credit for the full amount a few days later but still gave the company a time frame to reply/settle dispute deliver a product. After the 16th week I got to keep that credit since the company never replied, thus they were billed by paypal - charged back.
The world needs more people like you Mike, what an absolute gentleman. Can't say I would have taken it so well but I applaud your steadfast morals. Keep up the sensational content. 🤘
I know the feeling on waiting on parts. I really wanted a Walker Japan airwalker bumper for my civic and i had no idea how to get one. Due to the lucky break of being stationed in japan i was able to order one through a local shop/used car dealer for a fraction of the cost i would have in America. It still took 3 months to show up but it indeed did. I still had to wait like a year to get it home and on the car but it was well worth the wait lol.
Hey Mike, love the channel and everything you do. I have been a fan for a long time and think the work you do is first class but you were 100% wrong in not disclosing the situation. Full stop. You had a better chance of resolving the issue by being upfront and also potentially stopping some other people being ripped off as a result. Can’t change it now but hopefully a big lesson has been learned? Sorry you have lost the money and hope this doesn’t take the shine off the project for you.
It's a shame on their part. I'm Latvian, and I'm even ashamed of them. Usually, if you buy parts from an EU country, you can contact the officials of that country (on their website or by email) and explain the situation and they will be very forthcoming and try to help in any way they can, and there is even a very good chance that you will get your money back. Even if the company has gone out of business, you will get your money back, because in every country there are records even of companies that have gone bankrupt and the public officials can demand the money back anyway. Hope you have a good time Mike and good luck with the Audi project!
It’s a good shout building a LWB version with the extra power. The sport Quattro was always known to be a fuckin handful to drive, “almost undrivable “ as some said. Sure hope things go well from now on, looking forward to your interpretation of the iconic Euro rally slag. 👍🏻👍🏻
That is so disappointing to hear, a 7K sting is more than enough to cripple most projects and leave most of us unable to finish, I see they have deleted their online presence already... it's a shame there are some companies who think nothing of swindling their customers, and it makes it even more difficult for the small legitimate "mom and pop" suppliers to find a niche in the market.
Wow😮 I am sorry that this happened 😢, I think 🤔 that from all the hardship you suffered, I wish that Audi or the block Family could help and sponsor you too get the correct parts for your Build. I Believe that at the end of day you will Finish your Build and that horrible company that cheated you will regret scamming you. Keep up the great work my brother 👌
From experience i can honestly say the people of the internet can be ruthless. i know you say for the audience not to be upset on your behalf (putting that lightly), but i definitely wouldnt rule out the possibility of vigilante justice. not even on your regard but for the 100s of people who were scammed by this company. from where i sit, i wouldnt say anything, but i certainly wouldnt look away either. Ill keep my eye on the news for any future updates on the conclusion of this crime against the car community. keep up the good work my friend, and we hope to see the audi come to life in the future despite the hardships and set backs.
thank you for making this video i was going to try and buy a body kit for my 4000 quattro eventually from them but i definitely won’t be now. much appropriate.
I’m a couple of hundred £ down for an ITB inlet for a 1.8 20v VAG engine. Not close to the same scale but frustrating nonetheless. Anyway, I’ve chalked it up to experience. Can’t wait for the new project to be announced. It’s going to get an insane reaction!
Oh man, that's terrible, I hope there is still a chance you get something back. The quattro brought me to your channel, I love them in all shapes, but I've watched every minute of the Ferarri build since, and it was epic. I am not a fan of Ferrari, and neither am I into Hondas in any way but the project was just epic because of what you put into it. Keep up the good work and I hope to see more quattro progress soon.
Hate to see this happen. Had a drift parts company ghost me after ordering a few hundreds of dollars worth of parts I was excited to use and recommend to fellow friends/drifters. Ended up being a long drawn out process that ended with me having to file a dispute through pay-pal to try and get my money back. Fortunately I was able to but was not a good experience. Such a shame some companies pull shit like this and ultimately get away with it in the end.
I had a similar issue with a 996 to 997 conversion. Good thing it was in California, once we threaten them with wire fraud charges. Parts arrived soon after.
This sucks bro. I ran into exactly the same problem with Rat2 Motorsports when I ordered an engine swap kit. Luckily I was able to get a refund via the credit card company. Good luck man
Really sorry to hear about your Audi woes Mike, but fair play in being the bigger man in the whole debacle. .... No one should have a go at you for waiting so long to publish this sad story, like you say, its your income and you need to look after that as your no1 perspective perspective.... I for 1 will continue to watch and support you and your channel from here in Manchester U.K. Please keep up the great content you produce 👏👏👏👍👍👍
Some advice, Paypal will give you 6 months money back guarantee for anything. If at 5 months there is no sign of your item, you open a case. If you get your money back and then they say they have the item you can then pay for it again. That's basically how i live, either the paypal guarantee (6 months) or i need to see the goods and even then if i'm wary of the item i want to pay buy paypal (not friends and family).
Hey Mike, i do leave in Estonia, which is next to Latvia. Me and my friends we are into cars as well, and do have lots of fellow car inthusiasts in Latvia as well. The capital of Latvia is 3h drive from where i leave. Let me know if you need any help on this situation.
Mike, don't forgive or forget. Latvia is part of the EU and the EU have strong laws on fraud of this type, i would encourage you to pursue getting as much back as possible. The Barum engines channel also had lots of delays and issues with a different supplier of an M3 kit in the same country, they did get their kit eventually. There is a company in the UK about 10 miles from where i am called Dialynx, the owner was a factory mechanic for the Audi rally team i believe and built many Sport Quattro's, they may be of some help in the future. Best wishes.
100% agree
The Company is closed by the gouverment, there will be no cahsbacks...
Every hour he spends trying to get money back is an hour he has to take away from building cars or an hour he has to pay someone to try to get the money back. Completely not worth it because the odds of getting anything back are really small.
Jumping in on that: 1. Litigation in Europe is typically not nearly as costly as its the case in the US.
2. You have an worldwide audience in a community that includes a variety of professions. I am sure you could find a qualified lawyer in any jurisdiction that would support you.
3. I know that usually no business man wants to enter into legal quarrels. However, this is not simply a „commercial conflict“ that could be solved at arm length on a business level. Protect your and other people’s interest by adressing it the right way:)
Hope you don’t ever experience this kind of situation again and thanks for the great videos / sharing of your experience!
Yep… Alred at Dialynx is a go to… 👍
This seems pretty common in car land. Person has idea for very niche car product, people show interest, person sees dollar signs despite having zero business savvy, starts to take orders and then slowly realizes they got in completely over their head until they vanish off the face of the earth having spent all of the customer money on their failed venture.
I couldn't agree more. I've seen this exact situation play out across multiple car communities for years.
Currently in latvia, and I'm familiar with them. Riga isn't big so everyone knows the shop and owner. But as you said you don't want anything with them anymore or want people to act on your behalf. BUT... the moment you read this or someone tags you and you choose to change your mind. LET ME KNOW. Cheers.
Oh, jeez. Don't roll up to their house with a bat or something, aint worth it 😅
@@TheBCninja agreed and no will go that far. That would be more issues than what the kit is worth for anyone. There’s many way to go about this legally but justice would be served.
If you're offering to help with the legitimate legal options, it might be best to contact him more privately.
He says the shop is closed down. Is that true? Do you still see it?
Maybe you just know Who ran the shop. Sorry I'm just being curious.
Highly doubt that you are familiar with them as they are not even Based in Riga but 200km away in Gulbene :D
I agree, the long wheel base looks better!
It just looks bulky in different ways. This car wasn't designed to be looked at from behind. Which is a bit sad considering it was engineered exactly for that. 😂
its still a good look, but there is not something like a long wheelbase sport quattro. Its just a ur quattro with sport-like parts.
It's called an A2 Quattro. After the Group 4 quattro Audi homologated the A1/2 "wider" version of the UR Quattro with a host of other improvements underneath
You're a real stand up guy, Mike. It takes a lot to turn the other cheek like this. I hope that maybe down the line you'll get something back from this, but I know that's a pipe dream.
I totally agree! I would say that your reaction, Mike, is very mature and reasonable. You seem to know your boundaries and what you don’t want to get involved with.
Same to me... COOLWEELS IN LATVIA... 15month...no parts, no money back...
Sorry man. Don't you have a credit card that covers you? In the uk if you buy in credit card and get scammed you're safe.
@@geoffwatches i Made a Bank Transfer
@@geoffwatches there is a time limit to do a chargeback
Maris Zuravskis ?
@@Marttyy exakt
I've been following you for years, and being Latvian myself, I'm sorry about this. Having a bit of access to company registry stuff, I can say that cool-wheels are in liquidation, they do have an administrator / liquidator appointed, but the registered own capital of that company is very small. What they do have is about 65k eur tax debt tho (this is all public info, so not breaching anything here).. If there are no company owned assets that can be sold, ... I'm sorry. However, being optimist, I hope that if there are some assets available that can be sold, you're first in line to get something out of this.
I know how you feel dude i was scammed over £20,000 over someone in the car community who i thought was a friend. Took me 4 years to financially recover and almost took the easy route out but im glad i didnt because im doing better than i ever have and i can hope i can start making cool vlogs for the viewers.
Hope you come out even stronger 💪🏾
I always appreciate when you give the background information on a car. None of my family members are into cars and I only started my interest in cars through TH-cam videos. I found you through Donut media. It's not much, but I've installed my own grill, speaker system, replacement trim, and lights. Your videos want me to learn how to do more and expose me to cars I didn't even know existed.
Keep learning! We need more enthusiasts 👍
I had a similar experience with a body kit supplier for a VW GTI. They were based out of Russia and their factory (or wherever they manufactured) was seized by the Kremlin when the war started. Fortunately they were honest, helpful, and provided a full refund despite their circumstances. Really unfortunate it went the wrong way for yourself. International commerce can be a pain. Will continue to support the channel and look forward what's next.
100% payment up front with extended lead times is almost always bad news no matter the industry. Hopefully a domestic custom carbon shop can step up here and help out.
Hey Mike I propose that the optimal course of action moving forward entails acquiring a kit tha is installed within the United States, scanning it, and then reproducing it in-house with the assistance of a California-based company. This approach ensures that individuals who have been affected by the scam can still obtain the kit they were promised. I am confident that you, as well as others involved, remain interested in obtaining the kit. Additionally, the opportunity to realize this project according to your complete vision is undoubtedly appealing. hope for the best ! love your work
That's probably the best end to this whole thing. Actually put product on the ground & help make conversions happen
Considering he aided the Latvian company defraud others. It's the minimal he could do
@@MickH60 No i won't. If I give money to a company and he rips
Me off, and my friend is about to do the same. I should warn my friend.
Instead Mike didn't bother , Mike isn't your friend. But he will monetize this video and make his 7k back.
You won't.
2Bennett sells the same kit, but their prices are a bit much
@@ardie72 Give me a break. He didn't "aid" the Latvian company. Try to put yourself in Mike's shoes for a second. He's a business owner. If this was your business, and you were trying to protect your assets, would you post a video on TH-cam starting a fight with some entitled Latvian Jerkoff?
You trusted someone that was acting in bad faith, there's a lot of risk in slinging mud. You are going about this the right way and raising some awareness for people that find themselves in a similar situation when trying to transact with a more complicated manufacturing/shipping/international situation. Good luck with the build.
Glad you named and shamed, you should have come clean after 12 months , but thanks for speaking up eventually, im in a similar position over engine parts and i let it go 12 months and gave them many chances to pay but now our big $$$ engine is finally finished its time to do a complete breakdown and tell the whole story, it sux but its needed
Your integrity and commitment to what you do is a large part of what makes this channel. Thank you for being the better person in all of this. I am REALLY looking forward to upcoming "body kit" project :-)
Sad to hear as Latvian 😢
Sorry to hear that Mike. I'm surprised that other bodywork companies are not jumping over themselves to help you out, given the success of your channel and quality of your work.
Hey Mike,
First I want to congratulate you on your grace and resilience on moving past the obstacles and challenges of what it takes to be in the automotive industry.
Many moons ago I owned and operated a German AutoParts Business online and faced many fraud issues which ultimately lead me to shut down my business.
With that being said I continue to be a part of the German Automotive community moderating various communities and lending my knowledge towards German Engineering Maintenance which is my passion.
Continue on your path be true to who you are and the community will always support your efforts.
Bryan
Prost 🍻 🇩🇪
This is one of the few big reasons I learned to weld, fabricate, shape and finish metal, make molds and lay my own carbon. Too many people telling me I can’t do something because they can’t do something. Getting an idea across to someone is impossible and being able to rely on and trust people is a nightmare. I very rarely say no to myself when it comes to whether I can make something. Yes I can.
This sounds a bit like my recent experience but mine ended well, eventually!
I bought an EFI conversion kit for my Urquattro from a company in Poland. Checked out the company and everything seemed legit so I paid my 1200 euro plus postage to New Zealand. The parts got lost in transit by UPS, and replacements were promised, the company kept giving tracking numbers that didn’t get collected. Then they disappeared. Three years later they reappeared and started filling orders! I got my kit last week, 3 years 2 months after ordering, and it looks really good quality.
Sorry to hear man. Many of us have been scamed in this industry we love.
Mike, thank you for being honest. When we can't, we build our dream cars through you and we need that.
This gutter geek offers the services of a nerd in return.
Long wheel base is the better looking chassis
No way looks like a wagon
@@whcwcjecjecuecuw6654what’s wrong with wagons??
the short one looks a lot more like a "rally car". the lwb looks like road version.
personally I like the hot hatch rally car look of the short.
@@nathanthomson777 big, chunky. Not a lot of racing genes in them
Incorrect... but it's a better handling chassis
About as classy a way to handle a less than classy situation as I’ve seen. Keep it up brother. 🫡👍🏻
Brings back memories. Had the exact color '83 ur quattro but with cloth pattern interior. Eventually did mods for the era, 16"BBS, rolled inside fender lips, brake bomb removed , Tilton brake bias control, larger 200q brakes bolt on rear, ECU mod with air control module hidden in the glovebox, Audi console pod for VDO gauges, easy 15 min job cam re-degree (10v mech lifter head), H&R springs, re-bushed susp, custom roll cage, removed US DOT bumper shocks, tucked in the bumpers, retained the US quad headlamps but removed the inner two and made an extended grill from another stock one, used the opening for extra ducted cooling, vented the hood. Really didn't cost much for any of it. Fun car for the time. Did quattro club track events, wannabe rally stuff with other orgs. Did a quattro reunion at Road America when 'what's his name?' from MN had a sport q, and even 2bennet made the trip to join the fun. (The hand controlled FWD coupe GT was a cool setup).. Fun times back when. Eventually sold mine, thinking for around $4000. Meh. The few SWB sport quattro's were floating in the market for around $40k. Anyways, good luck with your project.
That sucks Mike 😕.
Mike, the long wheelbase quattro with the wide body was homologated by Audi, named an A1 or A2 depending on the version for Group B rallying.
Love your work!
Looking forward to the new project!! I truly hope it's a big hit and it helps you mitigate the recent unfortunate costs that went into the channel.
I respect you hella for not wanting to profit off of drama like in this scenario or a few months back with the Casey the car guy stuff.
This reminds me of the Shrockworks implosion. They made off-road bumpers, sliders, etc. They were taking people's money up until the day they closed their doors. They fired all their employees with no notice, then filed for bankruptcy protection and listed every customer they still owed product to as a creditor and tied everyone up in the mess.
Wow. I had no idea. I wanted one of their bumpers when I had a 3rd gen 4runner and talked to them making for my Sequoia.
Definitely not liking your experience and being robbed, but liking your perseverance and the great content to come
Mike, sorry for your loss. In most cases, that's why I do business within the US to have more remedies available. Agree with you that a bad apple should not spoil the entire process.
To paraphrase......"I'm going to forgive and forget."
In my opinion, a very healthy and mature perspective.
We can't change the past. Holding a grudge only hurts ourselves.
We learn and move on.
This is an unfortunate situation. I think this happens often … he probably didn’t set out to scam people, but got in over his head. It sucks that you and others lost money and it’s a shame that that company couldn’t service the community.
Sorry to hear that Mike. We are behind you and the inspiring work that you do.
I bought a burg kit for my 77 Scirocco for a company out of the czech republic. It was super sketchy, but it was the only place I could fine the style I wanted. I reached out to all the people I could find online that bought from the company to make sure they were legit. I wired $400 shipped(stupid cheap for a full kit). In my surprise, EVERYTHING came in with in 20 days. It was amazing, I thought I got scammed.
I'm on the long wheel base bandwagon. My buddy had one with red leather in high school. It was dope AF back in 97'.
Mike, that sucks. Thanks for speaking out. I agree the long wheel base dimensions look better.
Hey Mike, you're not the kinda guy that would shit talk unless it was absolutely necessary, so when you do feel the need to speak out on something we all know that it's something we need to hear.
God bless you and best wishes from Manchester north west England.
Jay 🙏🏻🏴♥️🇺🇲
Unbelievable, hate to see this stuff happen. It's way too common in the car community.
Back in the day I saw these Audi Quattro's doing the Circuit of Ireland and the Rally of Great Britain. Mega machines. This car is on my bucket list and I can't wait to see more content on your build. At the moment, I have a 2007 A6 2.7 TDI Quattro, S Line Le Man's speck (A keeper). The car is lightened and lowered from stock and has torque like you would not believe. On wet back roads in the UK around the Lincolnshire Wolds, it will give anything a run for their money (Subaru's in particular). The Quattro technology has never been bettered. Move on from your loss and get the pleasure from your car as soon as possible. I worked in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia for years, they are great people in general having come from a very poor historic situation and sad that one person is responsible for setting such a poor perception. You and others affected will have your day.
I'm glad you mentioned them by name. These companies need to be held accountable. It pisses me off so bad when content creators don't mention these trash companies. They're just enabling their bad behavior.
We got ya 👍
Car nerds aren't usually drama queens, we've all been scammed at some time or another.
Sorry that you have suffered through the agony of waiting and hoping, only to be out some serious cash. I don’t feel that you anything to apologize for, for not making this video sooner. You kept hoping for a good outcome. Respect! The short wheelbase looks like an early Ford Mustang II, not well proportioned.
Damn Mike... Sucks to deal with people who scam other people... Seems like a pretty stand up video and good on you for trying to be patient...
I got ripped off by a person in a forum, nobody had ever had an issue with him before, I didn’t bother starting any drama either. Cut my losses. Peace of mind in not having conflict over money isn’t an easy choice but one I can respect. Your above board, one day the other persons actions will catch up to them.
Ciao from Italy, sorry you have been scammed. I agree the long wheel base looks a lot better, the SWB is a rally tool to go round sharp hairpins, not intended to look anywhere near pretty although next to a Delta S4 it may actually look pretty!
Well that's a bummer. I hope you'll find a way to will finish this project 😊. It has been really nice to learn the history of the cars you work on. Keep it up 😉
Couldn't agree more about the LWB looking better. I'm sure the sport quattros are a lot more nimble but their side profile looks so goofy. The hood is like half the car.
Hate to hear of the troubles. I was almost to the point of trying to buy an S2 bumper from them before I finally found one. So many people kept steering me away from them. Hope to see some more progress on the UrQ soon. Keep up the good work.
It looks awesome as it is, fresh updated mechanicals and bigger wheels and it'll be awesome
A feud shouldn’t be a concern. Authenticity is worth more than any negative impact a scammer can send your way.
You should be made custodian of the molds. You have the power and vision.
Truth be told I would like to see you just move forward with the Quattro and keep the body like it is. Really great looking as original design. Sorry you got ripped off and you clearly are upset but also a very kind man.
Thanks for info for locals... sorry to hear that....
"The short wheelbase car looks a bit weird" -- thank you, Mike, for saying what we've all been thinking for the last 20 years 😂 The long wheelbase car is 100% the looker of the two.
The car wasn't shortened to look good. It was shortened to function well. Amazing how many people choose form over function for a rally car.
@@mediocreman2nobody is arguing that. They’re saying long wheelbase looks better, stay on topic.
Sometimes stuff happens, just move on, you did the right thing in the right way.
I once ordered a header from a very high end manufacturer in Japan. Also never arrived.
Videos like this ... and the way you went about everything ... MASSIVE Kudos Mike. Benefit of the doubt, give "credit" to the car community ... what and however you/someone wants to go about it. Loss sucks - but driving on as a content creator with over 200k subs and moving on from the downfalls of a build.... Speaks a LOT about you as a person, not just a channel/business. I'm going to assume that's why companies like H&R do business with you. Cheer and Beers. As a car lover and wanting to have a crazy project car build myself, I'm glad to have this channel to watch for inspiration. Not just for the car building content, but to see/have where and why the inspiration of each build comes from.
This is sad. This happened in the E46 community near 20 years ago. CSL body pieces, intakes, carbon bits, dove-tail trunk lids... a few scam companies ripped people off for 💰 💰. But I'm sure it's happened in many car groups for years.
Sorry to hear, fella. Hats off to you for how you dealt with this.
But Mike, at least your video quality is AMAZING now.
Sorry about 'that crowd' - you know if you tell us to much we start to get feral and put on the collection gloves.
I hate that this has happened. But I'm happy that you're in a good enough position that this hopefully doesn't impact your life outside of the cars.
I still get mad thinking the times I've been burned. 7k is a big chunk. Sorry that happened. You are probably doing the right thing. Takes a lot of self control to not go to the mattresses with these people.
Kudos for wanting to build you want and desire..... Even though the Short Wheelbase version is the only true, tested and timeless example of one. Plus cutting it must be the ultimate test to a master fabricator and builder.
That is a huge bummer. buying from over seas is always scary.
Everyone that build rides, or builds rigs will get caught up by some scam. If not today it’ll be tomorrow. it’s happened to us. But I love what you do. Keep doing what you’re doing. Everyone be vigilant. I found myself going back to working with local people even though it cost more initially sometimes it just seems better. I don’t know if that’s a solution, but it seems to work for me when I can do it. Love your channel you make me get out when I see your work.
So sorry Mike! I have been in the car world for a long time, and it is very rare this happens. You look at what someone does and contributes, and make a judgement. Hopefully you will find the right company tho make the parts.
I understand your reason for not saying anything. But I can't help but feel bad for the last guy who purchased a kit who might not have if you had said something sooner. Sometimes when you stand up for what is right you get hurt but that doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do. I've lost 20k once doing what I thought was right, it sucks losing that money but in the end I sleep at night knowing I took the high road and did what was right.
I'm not judging you, just showing you the other side. Good luck with the build, I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Its not so much the short wheelbase but the rear "overhang". Its a good looking car regardless. Sorry to hear that f4cked up news on the Audi parts. You're a good man Mike. Be well.
You have some of the best in the business in your area when it comes to composite body panels. Work with Advanced Fiberglass Concepts. They do amazing work. In Costa Mesa I believe.
Best of luck moving forward... and wow, coil-on-plug in the early 80's. Impressive, my Rabbits never had that.
Unfortunately one of those things with ordering parts from over seas. You 100% did the right thing! Looking forward to seeing the new direction for this build!
I had a situation like this before and got a charge back no problem. There was an 8 week lead time and after 12 weeks of no communication and no product delivered, I filed a dispute with Paypal. They gave me a credit for the full amount a few days later but still gave the company a time frame to reply/settle dispute deliver a product. After the 16th week I got to keep that credit since the company never replied, thus they were billed by paypal - charged back.
Totally agree on the long over short wheel base from an aesthetics perspective...
The world needs more people like you Mike, what an absolute gentleman. Can't say I would have taken it so well but I applaud your steadfast morals. Keep up the sensational content. 🤘
I know the feeling on waiting on parts. I really wanted a Walker Japan airwalker bumper for my civic and i had no idea how to get one. Due to the lucky break of being stationed in japan i was able to order one through a local shop/used car dealer for a fraction of the cost i would have in America. It still took 3 months to show up but it indeed did. I still had to wait like a year to get it home and on the car but it was well worth the wait lol.
Happens to the best of us brother! Sorry to hear it happened to you.
Well stated Mike. You are a Champion!! Best of luck with the Audi.
I think you're right on the money as far as the LWB cars looking better. The SWB car looks like a kids toy.
Hey Mike, love the channel and everything you do. I have been a fan for a long time and think the work you do is first class but you were 100% wrong in not disclosing the situation. Full stop. You had a better chance of resolving the issue by being upfront and also potentially stopping some other people being ripped off as a result. Can’t change it now but hopefully a big lesson has been learned? Sorry you have lost the money and hope this doesn’t take the shine off the project for you.
That truly is heartbreaking that there are people out there to steal like that. It’s nothing more than stealing. Sorry this happened to you
It's a shame on their part. I'm Latvian, and I'm even ashamed of them. Usually, if you buy parts from an EU country, you can contact the officials of that country (on their website or by email) and explain the situation and they will be very forthcoming and try to help in any way they can, and there is even a very good chance that you will get your money back. Even if the company has gone out of business, you will get your money back, because in every country there are records even of companies that have gone bankrupt and the public officials can demand the money back anyway. Hope you have a good time Mike and good luck with the Audi project!
It’s a good shout building a LWB version with the extra power. The sport Quattro was always known to be a fuckin handful to drive, “almost undrivable “ as some said.
Sure hope things go well from now on, looking forward to your interpretation of the iconic Euro rally slag. 👍🏻👍🏻
AUDIOSLAVE - Like A Stone is your back ground music perfect for your predicament 😅
That is so disappointing to hear, a 7K sting is more than enough to cripple most projects and leave most of us unable to finish, I see they have deleted their online presence already... it's a shame there are some companies who think nothing of swindling their customers, and it makes it even more difficult for the small legitimate "mom and pop" suppliers to find a niche in the market.
Wow😮 I am sorry that this happened 😢, I think 🤔 that from all the hardship you suffered, I wish that Audi or the block Family could help and sponsor you too get the correct parts for your Build. I Believe that at the end of day you will Finish your Build and that horrible company that cheated you will regret scamming you. Keep up the great work my brother 👌
@Audi
From experience i can honestly say the people of the internet can be ruthless. i know you say for the audience not to be upset on your behalf (putting that lightly), but i definitely wouldnt rule out the possibility of vigilante justice. not even on your regard but for the 100s of people who were scammed by this company. from where i sit, i wouldnt say anything, but i certainly wouldnt look away either. Ill keep my eye on the news for any future updates on the conclusion of this crime against the car community. keep up the good work my friend, and we hope to see the audi come to life in the future despite the hardships and set backs.
thank you for making this video i was going to try and buy a body kit for my 4000 quattro eventually from them but i definitely won’t be now. much appropriate.
I’m a couple of hundred £ down for an ITB inlet for a 1.8 20v VAG engine. Not close to the same scale but frustrating nonetheless.
Anyway, I’ve chalked it up to experience.
Can’t wait for the new project to be announced. It’s going to get an insane reaction!
Oh man, that's terrible, I hope there is still a chance you get something back. The quattro brought me to your channel, I love them in all shapes, but I've watched every minute of the Ferarri build since, and it was epic. I am not a fan of Ferrari, and neither am I into Hondas in any way but the project was just epic because of what you put into it. Keep up the good work and I hope to see more quattro progress soon.
Thanks for sharing, unfortunately some people are just scams, better to take some financial hit and not worth dealing with idiots.
Hate to see this happen. Had a drift parts company ghost me after ordering a few hundreds of dollars worth of parts I was excited to use and recommend to fellow friends/drifters. Ended up being a long drawn out process that ended with me having to file a dispute through pay-pal to try and get my money back. Fortunately I was able to but was not a good experience. Such a shame some companies pull shit like this and ultimately get away with it in the end.
I had a similar issue with a 996 to 997 conversion. Good thing it was in California, once we threaten them with wire fraud charges. Parts arrived soon after.
You are a better man than I, because I'd want all the smoke.
This sucks bro. I ran into exactly the same problem with Rat2 Motorsports when I ordered an engine swap kit. Luckily I was able to get a refund via the credit card company. Good luck man
Mike, always always always use your AMEX for large purchase protection.
Really sorry to hear about your Audi woes Mike, but fair play in being the bigger man in the whole debacle. .... No one should have a go at you for waiting so long to publish this sad story, like you say, its your income and you need to look after that as your no1 perspective perspective....
I for 1 will continue to watch and support you and your channel from here in Manchester U.K.
Please keep up the great content you produce 👏👏👏👍👍👍
Sorry that happened! Sucks. Obviously I'm biased if I say LWB looks best, haha.
Some advice, Paypal will give you 6 months money back guarantee for anything. If at 5 months there is no sign of your item, you open a case. If you get your money back and then they say they have the item you can then pay for it again. That's basically how i live, either the paypal guarantee (6 months) or i need to see the goods and even then if i'm wary of the item i want to pay buy paypal (not friends and family).
Hey Mike, i do leave in Estonia, which is next to Latvia. Me and my friends we are into cars as well, and do have lots of fellow car inthusiasts in Latvia as well. The capital of Latvia is 3h drive from where i leave. Let me know if you need any help on this situation.