Here is a big part of the original conversation between me and Tobias over the last 17 Month. I post it to show that there were A LOT of promises to sell and deliver me the sheet metal. It was in German, because Tobias is a German as well… I translated everything with google translate to speed this up so pardon me for some possibly odd translations.
29.04.2017
Me: First asking for the sheet metal. I’ve sent 5 Pictures of the rusted areas I need patches for.
Tobias: The first 3 parts I can cut out for you Julian, the other 2 possibly (lower quarter panels and end tips).
Me: So, if the parts are really good and have no rust that would be great if you could cut them out. The shipping would be extremely expensive, so that would depend a bit on whether the fact that you could send the sheet metal in <a friend> car.
Tobias: “Thumbs up”
02.05.2017
Me: I talked to <a friend>, for him it is ok that the parts can be shipped in his car! What does the rear window look like in the donor car? I would like to omit the vinyl roof with my Imp, for that I need a big rear window.
Tobias: Rear window is not a problem Julian.
Me: Can you put all that in the station wagon?
Tobias: Yes, the station wagon is not small at all Julian.
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Here comes the part where Tobias was so kind to forward some sheet metal I bought from Tom (Mr. Fix It).
I was very thankful for that, I said that loud and often. But unfortunately, it was an exception rather than the rule…
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09.05.2017
<I received a picture of a beige car (with beige interior).>
Me: I see rust under the glass. Do you see more live?
Tobias: The sheet metal is solid is just the surface.
Me: ok, sheet solid is good!
Tobias: I will cut it out generously. No problem Julian.
Me: <Sending pictures again of the floor pan and the lower quarters> because he ignored me questions about the condition for a while.
Tobias: Trim is good, floor pan is good too, quarters I have to cut out from another car. No problem, I have 13 C-Bodys.
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A short section from him complaining about the instrument cluster in his 70 Imp (the Nitoh bought) not working. I offered him to help him out by converting the illumination to LEDs like I did with mine. For Free.
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01.06.2017
Me: Hello. Since you have recently posted that the station wagon of <a friend> is now about to go, I want to hear how its going along with the sheet metal.
Tobias: I’m on it.
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Always a lot of blabla between these parts…
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08.06.2017
Me: I understand you have a lot of other **** around the ears with your car loss and so on, but already knew more about the condition of the sheet metal? You wanted to organize somewhere lower quarterts and Radhauskanten, right?
Tobias: Yes, I have not had time yet
<as always, only excuses…>
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From this point on I was really annoyed about his practices. But because I needed these sheet metal parts really bad, I kept calm.
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29.06.2017
Me: Hello there! I just saw your post with the station wagon. Since the sheet metal should be sent in it, I thought I ask how it looks with those. Did you manage to cut them all out?
Tobias: Still in work Julian.
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Meanwhile, the sheet metal from Tom (Mr. Fix It) found their way into a car of a guy I did not know and I had to drive across Germany to get them. It was agreed that the sheet metal would be sent inside the car of <a friend> where I could've get them easily. But again, I don’t want to complain about getting them shipped to Germany for free. It’s just another example of the business practices of Tobias.
Also, he was complaining about the bad condition the sheet metal from Tom was in and told me the sheet metal I will get from him would be in much better condition…
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28.09.2017
Me: I just heard <a friend> station wagon is on the way. What about my sheets?
Tobias: Julian, what's the window and frame worth to you?
Me: Give me a house number for everything. Have never bought sheet metal in such extent.
Tobias: € 250 for the rear window with frame.
Me: If the sheet metal is really rust free, that would be ok for me. And so much again for the other sheet metal patches?
<no reaction from Tobias…>
04.10.2017
Me: Good morning Tobias, do you need a summary of all the sheets we discussed or do you have all the information you need?
<no reaction from Tobias…>
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Meanwhile, I called him to speed up things. Needless to say, without success. We talked about the same **** like every time again. After almost an entire year, he told me he can’t do anything because it’s winter…..
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15.03.2018
Me: Hi Tobias, I have heard the station wagon of <a friend> will soon be on its way! Let’s talk again (On the phone if you like) about my sheet metal parts? What exactly, how and when. That they will be shipped in <a friends> station wagon.
<Weather complaints from Tobias>
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realize how long other customers have to wait either?...
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29.04.2018
Me: I have met <a friend> last weekend, who said his station wagon would be shipped in the next two weeks…
Tobias: The Station wagon leaves tomorrow.
Me: And my sheet metal?
Tobias: This is not the only car going on, I have 9 vehicles going on in the next few weeks, <a friend> station wagon is fully with his own parts. I have to distribute parts of <a friend> to other cars.
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This was a lie. The station wagon was full, yes. But with parts for a bunch of other people. My friend did not even know all of them.
I was really pissed off from now on. I was ONLY waiting for THAT LONG because I wanted my sheet metal in my friends longroof. He would have delivered them directly to my shop on his way home down from the seaport.
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15.05.2018
Me: Hello Tobias. Let talk please, that the sheet metal will come over here asap. I will then start early to weld them in so that the project moves on this year again.
<no reaction from Tobias…>
23.05.2018
<Me sending a “knock knock” gif>
Tobias: I’m in Idaho.
Me: OK. When are you back home?
Tobias: Next week.
06.06.2018
<Phone call and blabla again.>
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So, now comes an interesting part! After promising me to have parts ready to cut out. Remember his 13 cars and so on..? NOW I get this:
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21.06.2018
Me: Hello Tobias. The pictures I have sent <AGAIN> show all the metal sheets I need. That would be everything. Please give me then a total price and a date!
Tobias: First, I have to ask if I’m allowed to cut up the car Julian.
<WHAT? At that point I freaked out at home. He has to ASK FIRST? He is telling me for over a year he DOES HAVE the parts and just has to cut them out. He even told me the parts he has were WAY BETTER in condition when the one he forwarded to me from Tom.>
Me: yes, I understand everything. clear. But I'm waiting now for 1 year on the sheet metal. I accepted that because it was always communicated that the sheet metal will be shipped in <a friend> station wagon. Now it's gone and I still have no sheet metal here. The topic must now really come quickly to a conclusion. I need them to continue.
Tobias: Yes, the station wagon was full with <a firend> parts.
Me: That was not clearly communicated until the station wagon was gone. Then my sheet metal should have been shipped WAY earlier! Waiting for the wagonwas practically because <a friend> would have delivered the parts to my shop. That's the only reason I kept silent for so long!
<no reaction from Tobias…>
28.06.2018
Me: Hello. How are my sheet metal patches?
Tobias: I have only a few days off in 2 weeks.
18.07.2018
<At this time, it was just about the driver’s floor pan, the rear window + durchman panel in one piece.>
Me: What’s the Plan?
Tobias: I looked at the whole thing today and it will be about 15-20 hours working. Around $ 1000.
Me: So, about your information. So, you tell me cutting out the few sheet metal parts costs you an effective working time of 2.5 days? Please tell me exactly what you want to cut out for sheet metal. By all means, I understand that you want to calculate the working time. But not 15-20 hours. In that time, you can disassemble and get rid of the entire car. I don’t want you to drill all the spot welds, just cut out generously. You can cut out everything comfortably in about 3-4 hours.
The 1000 € are then including parts?!?
<no reaction from Tobias…>
20.07.2018
Me: ?
21.07.2018
Me: Can I get an answer? What is now? 15-20 hours are simply unrealistic. I already did thinks like that myself. I do not like to be fooled and pulled off. We can talk about everything realistically. But if you try to take advantage of my situation, my understanding stops.
Can you now cut out the few sheets at a reasonable price and offer me or not?
Tobias: You know that I do not take advantage of your situation Julian <no I don’t>, and <another friend> will have told you that I drove alone 1-way to the car 3 hours that is 6 hours driving time. That’s the first $250. I do not know where your problem is.
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So, what? Wait. Now, out of the blue, the car is 3 hours away? He NEVER mentioned that before. And honestly, I doubt it!
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Me: I've had enough of that ******* squabbling with you. I do not believe a word of what you say. I'm sure, either the car is not far away or you take the "approach" of several people. But I do not care anymore. Either way you are a rip-off and bad dealer. Everyone I spoke about this with agreed with me that the 20-hour schedule is ridiculous and pure rip-off.
Along with the fact that you have been holding me off again and again over a ******* year to the point where all the arrangements have gone overboard and I was standing there without anything and you tell me again it would not have happened otherwise, that is simply not sustainable. I only waited a year, as it was convenient that the parts came in the station wagon and these were delivered to me on the way. Otherwise I would not have waited so long!
One just can't trust what you say. Coupled with your unbelievable unreliability, the indifference to scheduling others, your communication and the lax way you collude with me, one just can not do any business without being totally ****** in the end.
You once fooled and annoyed too many buyers. I will spread the word where I can that with you no business should be made, since one is only pulled over the barrel anyway. My case is just the tip of the iceberg with all the **** I've heard otherwise.
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Here came a few lies about stuff people allegedly sayed about me. I asked them all and every single word from Tobias was a lie… How can he even say these things knowing that we all know each other in the small German c-body scene?!... unbelievable.
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Me: It's not about the $1000 or the sheet metal that you have forwarded before. You wanted to charge $1000 alone for the work and tell me it’s about 20 hours of work. THAT is rip off. My tone was nice, understanding and waiting for a ******* year. But at some point, that has an end. And in the end I just felt mucked around. And I'm not the only one, as I said. There are many in Germany who have enough of you and your behavior.
After that it escalated and I freaked out because I had enough of his bullshit. We texted a few insults back and forth and since then I never spoke a word to him again and I will never do. But I will spread the word about his practices and attitude to everyone listening.
Now you guys know the entire story. The only thing I have to reproach myself with is that I kept calm so long and believed in his promises. In retrospect, I should have finished earlier but afterwards you are always smarter. My conclusion is that Tobias is a bad bad seller and should not sell cars or parts to anyone because most of the customers over here and now even an “almost” customer is disappointed and shaken in good faith of oversee sellers.
For me, this topic is now closed and I’m looking forward with my project.