Is it Attorney Time?

[MisterBiggs]

It’s been nearly 8 months since I ordered seat cover replacements from Auto Custom Leathers in Ludlow MA, and I’ve come to the realization that I may never actually get what I paid for. Each update email reads something like “I’ll get these shipped in the next week along with a tracking number,” which sounds fantastic...until a month or more passes and I ask again, only to receive a similar reply. This back and forth has been going on since January and I’ve had it. I’ve been nothing but nice to Jerry but he just keeps lying to me.

What options do I have available to deal with something like this? Do I have a leg to stand on in small claims court? I’m from Illinois if that is relevant to court proceedings.

EDIT:

Update on the situation. Turns out I won’t be needing an attorney or a refund. I spoke with Jerry on the phone today and it turns out he recently suffered a personal loss that affected his business directly. As a result the shop was down about 40 orders. So to anyone who is interested in his work or in placing an order, I believe from speaking with him that it’s something that is temporary and he should be fulfilling orders in a normal timeframe here in several weeks to a couple of months

[2mAn]

Try asking for a refund

[Cptcarisma]

Mr. Bigg,
Wow... Please keep us informed on how this works out. I ironically was just about to pull the trigger & buy from this company to redo my convertible.
Good luck!

CAPP

[Cptcarisma]

Mr. Bigg,
Also, where are you located at in Illinois? I'm in NW Burbs. Reason I ask is I'm coordinating our drive up to Wisconsin for BadgerBimmer event on June 5th.
PM me if interested & I'll give you the details! It's a blast.

CAPP

[reelizmpro]

Unfortunately, the practice of stringing customers along has been rampant especially since the pandemic. Truth be told, it was happening prior to the pandemic but it gave them a legitimate excuse to hide behind. If they can't produce, they shouldn't take the money...period. I don't sell parts I don't have, why should businesses get a pass?

[rcsoundn1]

I to was going to place an order with them, and do the seats myself. Looks thats a hard no. You could ask for a refund, and post reviews online if possible.

[twright]

How did you pay for them? If it was a credit card or Paypal, contact the card or Paypal and file a complaint. They will get your money back. It is not a fast process, but it does work.

No lawyers are needed.

[MisterBiggs]

Mr. Bigg,
Wow... Please keep us informed on how this works out. I ironically was just about to pull the trigger & buy from this company to redo my convertible.
Good luck!

CAPP

I would hold off on that. It’s a real shame since his past work seems solid, and the price was too good to pass up. 800 for full leather on the fronts. I was expecting three months tops but now that it’s going on 8 I cannot recommend buying from him. I’m in the northwest suburbs too! I’ll send you a PM. Thanks!

How did you pay for them? If it was a credit card or Paypal, contact the card or Paypal and file a complaint. They will get your money back. It is not a fast process, but it does work.

No lawyers are needed.

PayPal actually! That is great news that they will reclaim the money on my behalf. I’ll give him until tomorrow to respond, and if I don’t get some sort of shipment information I’ll definitely be asking for a refund. Of course after that comes the dispute with PP. Thanks everyone!

[MoreMayhem]

If you aren't able to resolve with Auto Custom, maybe check out Lseat.com
I've just finished re covering my seats. My only complaint is the material for the seat back could be a bit larger. I've never done upholstery before though, so maybe with experience the seat backs would be better. All else seems great so far...

http://

[rcsoundn1]

pic of said back please, and is the leather or faux

[MoreMayhem]

pic of said back please, and is the leather or faux

I'll snap some pics of the backs and post later. The backs are faux, most of the rest is leather except for a piece under the seat that you'll never see. Back seats are similar in that everything you see is leather with some portions you won't see like the wrapping on the edges where you attach hog rings are faux. For less than $800 for front and rear though, it's hard to beat. Curious to see how well they hold up over time. The car is mostly a weekend/fun car and is parked indoors when not in use so my experience may not reflect the average E30 owner.

[MisterBiggs]

Awesome! Thanks for the lead! Yeah I mistakenly thought Jerry was one of the only people to put out a reasonably priced seat cover replacement for the E30. I’ll check them out once I have my money back lol

[MoreMayhem]

pic of said back please, and is the leather or faux

Rather than continue to clutter up MisterBiggs thread, here's a link to my car's thread that I just updated with seat stuff:

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/general-forums/members-rides/208289-88-cabrio-with-updates?p=10018939#post10018939

[MisterBiggs]

Update on the situation. Turns out I won’t be needing an attorney or a refund. I spoke with Jerry on the phone today and it turns out he recently suffered a personal loss that affected his business directly. As a result the shop was down about 40 orders. So to anyone who is interested in his work or in placing an order, I believe from speaking with him that it’s something that is temporary and he should be fulfilling orders in a normal timeframe here in several weeks to a couple of months.