Issues with TM Engineering (no longer an approved CL vendor) - merged threads
10-23-08, 08:20 AM
#137
Driver
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: IL
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maybe there out of business, or closed! Anyways, sorry about your loss.
This is the reason you should always get things in writing. If it on paper with signatures things seem to get done. I am sure he knows, He got cash upfront, nothing in writing so why waste his time. He's blowing you off. He knows your not going to do anything( its been almost two years) and you have nothing to back up in court. Two week to so a custom project. What is this monster garage? You should have know better.
If it was me, I would get a lawyer. No more mister nice guy!
10-23-08, 08:52 AM
#138
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: california
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TM is not out of business cause ,I bought steering rack bushing off of Todd. And he had offered to install them on my car , I declined. Knowing this story thank God i never left my car there. Lee consider contacting the Dept of Cosumer Affairs in California. It does not cost a dime. And if you place a compliant there will send a investigator to look in to the problem. Remember this is a state agency that regulates business licenses. If your claim is right they can go as far as to take his business license away.
Last edited by sleathlysc; 10-23-08 at 08:56 AM.
10-23-08, 11:34 AM
#139
Lead Lap
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: California
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Sorry to read about your plight. Your car should have been out of there a long time ago. I met Todd a couple times at meets and actually bought two sets of coilovers from him. No issues on either of those and got my stuff really quickly.
Guess it's one thing to just order parts and have them shipped out versus actually having him do work and leaving your car there. Try contacting RMMGS4 or rominl. They may be able to help as I know they both personally know Todd and have dealt with him for a number of years.
Like everyone says, if all else fails, you need to contact the popo or a lawyer.
Hope everything works out for you!!
Guess it's one thing to just order parts and have them shipped out versus actually having him do work and leaving your car there. Try contacting RMMGS4 or rominl. They may be able to help as I know they both personally know Todd and have dealt with him for a number of years.
Like everyone says, if all else fails, you need to contact the popo or a lawyer.
Hope everything works out for you!!
10-24-08, 11:07 PM
#140
I feel your pain, AutoCouture. I've read that you backed him up, and that's understandable. But he betrayed and cheated you and that's not understandable. Todd sold me a set of used Tanabe springs with touch up paint to cover the scraches. He sold it to me for $240 as new. WTF! I came to tell him but he denied his responsibilities. I've read several horrible stories about him so if we open a thread to let people with bad experiences with him telling the truth, it'll take pages and pages of threads.
Get your car back a.s.a.p before further damages occur. He might have to pay for the damaged or lost parts belonging to your car, including they're stolen by someone else. Your car is in his shop and he's responsible for it. That's just a fairness and ethical practice.
The reason he's still around is because the part buyers didn't know where to go to get parts for his Lexus. There're plenty of Lexus parts out there from many sellers, including the bushings (as I see he's famous for selling them Daizens) up to a big engine mod. Don't limit yourselves in searching for parts.
Get your car back a.s.a.p before further damages occur. He might have to pay for the damaged or lost parts belonging to your car, including they're stolen by someone else. Your car is in his shop and he's responsible for it. That's just a fairness and ethical practice.
The reason he's still around is because the part buyers didn't know where to go to get parts for his Lexus. There're plenty of Lexus parts out there from many sellers, including the bushings (as I see he's famous for selling them Daizens) up to a big engine mod. Don't limit yourselves in searching for parts.
10-26-08, 07:38 AM
#142
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I've read this thread at least twice now to cover all the details, and I agree with everyone on here. There's no point in leaving here man, really. You've done your part to try and communicate with this guy yes, he's obviously not too concerned about the matter so being cordial should be out the window now. If it were me, and from what it seems, everyone else that's posted on this board, I think its time for some Legal gun-boat diplomacy, or even some Legal aggressive negotiations to not only get your car and your money back, but to get the damages fixed and the items stolen returned or paid for. A good lawyer could definitely do that for you. Something you should be looking into .
10-26-08, 08:22 PM
#145
Lee,
Get all the documents, receipts, facts, and figures together and file a lawsuit. Depending on the amount you can go small claims or a higher court. The filing is cheap. It’s around $25-$30 or so in California. Most Judges believe in fairness and look for reasonableness in any deal. I’m no judge but the expectations made in your deal were, as you described by no means lived up to. You don’t necessarily need a lawyer. Just be well prepared.
Have a statement written up. Make it short, include all pertinent details, and concise.
Todd may not even show up which will count as an automatic judgment on your side.
If he does show up then lay the whole situation out there for the Judge.
Keep in mind that even in the court makes a judgment in your favor he still may not pay. It can take time but in the end they can garnish wages, keep tax returns, and stuff like that.
Be careful not to muddy the waters when in court by mixing too many details.
Some things in the story just sound off, like the car was broken into and you were not notified? I would call and talk to the police on that one. If you were not notified how do you know Todd did not take the parts for his own use. Did he file a police report? If so then you have to go through Todd’s insurance first if he has any then yours. A call to the city’s business regulatory body can help if he is a licensed business then the better business bureau can hit him if he is not licensed then the city can fine him for operating a business without a license.
Line your ducks up in a row and make some phone calls.
A lawyer may just cost you more money unless you don’t have the time and have the money to spare.
It sounds like to me that you did not really want to get into it with him on the car so you kept letting it slide. And as for the money up front, well… lesson learned I guess. I learned that one the hard way too.
Stick with it and don’t just drop it. There may be a statute of limitations to conceder.
Good Luck Bro,
Lloyd
Get all the documents, receipts, facts, and figures together and file a lawsuit. Depending on the amount you can go small claims or a higher court. The filing is cheap. It’s around $25-$30 or so in California. Most Judges believe in fairness and look for reasonableness in any deal. I’m no judge but the expectations made in your deal were, as you described by no means lived up to. You don’t necessarily need a lawyer. Just be well prepared.
Have a statement written up. Make it short, include all pertinent details, and concise.
Todd may not even show up which will count as an automatic judgment on your side.
If he does show up then lay the whole situation out there for the Judge.
Keep in mind that even in the court makes a judgment in your favor he still may not pay. It can take time but in the end they can garnish wages, keep tax returns, and stuff like that.
Be careful not to muddy the waters when in court by mixing too many details.
Some things in the story just sound off, like the car was broken into and you were not notified? I would call and talk to the police on that one. If you were not notified how do you know Todd did not take the parts for his own use. Did he file a police report? If so then you have to go through Todd’s insurance first if he has any then yours. A call to the city’s business regulatory body can help if he is a licensed business then the better business bureau can hit him if he is not licensed then the city can fine him for operating a business without a license.
Line your ducks up in a row and make some phone calls.
A lawyer may just cost you more money unless you don’t have the time and have the money to spare.
It sounds like to me that you did not really want to get into it with him on the car so you kept letting it slide. And as for the money up front, well… lesson learned I guess. I learned that one the hard way too.
Stick with it and don’t just drop it. There may be a statute of limitations to conceder.
Good Luck Bro,
Lloyd
Last edited by lfrers; 10-28-08 at 09:16 AM.
10-28-08, 12:15 AM
#147
So Lee, Any progress so far on getting your money and car back? Tell your story to the local Fox News station (Or any other local news media) and have them help you expose just how bad TME's buisness practices are by having one of their folks go undercover or something...Heck you should even make a bad video about them over youtube...Once this goes public, Todd will probably get butt-hurt about the negative publicity that his shop is getting and you'll totally pwn him for change...Because as of now, He seems to be pwning you...It's time to grow a pair of "cajones" and actually take some kind of legal action against this guy...I mean, don't you want to get your money and car back?
10-28-08, 01:15 AM
#148
So whatever happened to the mod's investigation?
10-28-08, 11:48 AM
#149
10-28-08, 11:54 AM
#150
Forum Administrator
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Club Lexus advises anyone with any concerns regarding TM Engineering to make contact with them outside of the forum. Thanks