Has anybody been in contact with Luke (stereoinstaller1) recentley?

[george graves]

So we're not quitting?

[StereoInstaller1]

George, I haven't decided just yet.

I've gotten about 2 dozen messages basically begging me to keep this going, but with the financial and physical issues I face, it's almost an impossible task.

Plus, regardless of what people say, I can't do this at all unless sales pick up drastically: we've already lost our cell phones, on the verge of eviction from the house (shop rent is paid first) and all the other utilities are just barely hanging on.

So, at this point, I don't know, I really don't. If I do shut down, Im going to go back to Oregon, find a sales job somewhere hopefully NOT in stereos or cars, and hang out with my grandkids.

I should know by Monday.

Should, that is.

LF

[Keith M]

It's a hell of a lot easier to let an employer deal with all the issues of a business. I just clock in/clock out and enjoy my weekends now instead of being stressed out about everything. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[phreshkid]

sounds like some of you all need to get laid or maybe a hobby.

I thought getting laid was a hobby?

Am I doing this wrong?

[flyboyx]

George, I haven't decided just yet.

I've gotten about 2 dozen messages basically begging me to keep this going, but with the financial and physical issues I face, it's almost an impossible task.

Plus, regardless of what people say, I can't do this at all unless sales pick up drastically: we've already lost our cell phones, on the verge of eviction from the house (shop rent is paid first) and all the other utilities are just barely hanging on.

So, at this point, I don't know, I really don't. If I do shut down, Im going to go back to Oregon, find a sales job somewhere hopefully NOT in stereos or cars, and hang out with my grandkids.

I should know by Monday.

Should, that is.

LF

on behalf of r3v, we are sorry for whatever you have going on in your life right now. i believe you provide a valuable service to the community and would hate to see you shutter. perhaps you can do this on the side with a full time job?

however, this doesn't excuse what you have done to the o.p. and others who have trusted you with their money. it also doesn't excuse the fact that this thread has been going on for well over a month and you just now respond to it with......^that....... you really need to come through with product or issue a refund. period. it is a matter of principle.

[Kershaw]

I thought getting laid was a hobby?

Am I doing this wrong?

Giving blowey joeys on the corner for $20 is not getting laid.

[StereoInstaller1]

on behalf of r3v, we are sorry for whatever you have going on in your life right now. i believe you provide a valuable service to the community and would hate to see you shutter. perhaps you can do this on the side with a full time job?

however, this doesn't excuse what you have done to the o.p. and others who have trusted you with their money. it also doesn't excuse the fact that this thread has been going on for well over a month and you just now respond to it with......^that....... you really need to come through with product or issue a refund. period. it is a matter of principle.

Wait.....I think you missed something here.

The OP of this thread has ripped ME off, not the other way around. He has both my money and my product.

Just thought you should know.

Luke

[Das Delfin]

It's a hell of a lot easier to let an employer deal with all the issues of a business. I just clock in/clock out and enjoy my weekends now instead of being stressed out about everything. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Corporations have a ton of breaks nowadays. It's expensive to have workplace insurance as a small business, and it's expensive to have personal health insurance as a small business owner. It's a lot easier to have a corporate "main job" and then do what you like on the side. If you can budget the time it would probably make you a lot saner as well.

It's the same discussion as how becoming an auto mechanic will make you hate cars

For what it's worth, if I had a hard top I would have ordered a box a while ago. But I don't think I'm up to the install on a cabrio :P

[rcsoundn1]

This hardly seems like a resolution for you Luke. Now I wonder how much of the original story is true. OP is now a ghost, and acting just the way he accoused you of acting. At worst from what I see your communication needed to be better, or more frequent, but thats if I take his story as truth. Sseems you likly came through since OP is missing. I am glad you came here to post the outcome. I follow you on various platforms and have envied the work you do. Hop this all turns arround in a good way for you.

[StereoInstaller1]

This hardly seems like a resolution for you Luke. Now I wonder how much of the original story is true. OP is now a ghost, and acting just the way he accoused you of acting. At worst from what I see your communication needed to be better, or more frequent, but thats if I take his story as truth. Sseems you likly came through since OP is missing. I am glad you came here to post the outcome. I follow you on various platforms and have envied the work you do. Hop this all turns arround in a good way for you.

Thank you! I have lots of shortcomings, thats for sure. I communicate with 99.5% of my customers in a very timely fashion, as is evidenced by the success we have had so far, but the one question I cannot answer is "when's it gonna be done?" when I only have so much control over any given scenario (parts, vendors, people, cash flow) but I do my absolute best to be honest about it.

So, by way of explanation, his story is absolutely true. He did pester me with the same question time and time again, the one question I cannot answer honestly. Yeah, it sucks, but we are just two guys (soon to be just me BTW) struggling away in Centralia. We aren't some big company, we barely scrape by. Every single order is a huge relief, every penny goes straight to bills or materials.

Hell, I wish I got food stamps or welfare or something, but too much money flows through our account to get any help at all. Oh well, at least I love my work.

I sure would like my $650 back from that guy tho, would help a lot.

Thanks again, your words really help me feel better about this whole mess.

Luke

[e30austin]

Thank you! I have lots of shortcomings, thats for sure. I communicate with 99.5% of my customers in a very timely fashion, as is evidenced by the success we have had so far, but the one question I cannot answer is "when's it gonna be done?" when I only have so much control over any given scenario (parts, vendors, people, cash flow) but I do my absolute best to be honest about it.

So, by way of explanation, his story is absolutely true. He did pester me with the same question time and time again, the one question I cannot answer honestly. Yeah, it sucks, but we are just two guys (soon to be just me BTW) struggling away in Centralia. We aren't some big company, we barely scrape by. Every single order is a huge relief, every penny goes straight to bills or materials.

Hell, I wish I got food stamps or welfare or something, but too much money flows through our account to get any help at all. Oh well, at least I love my work.

I sure would like my $650 back from that guy tho, would help a lot.

Thanks again, your words really help me feel better about this whole mess.

Luke

Well, I see Dickhead McFuckface has been online "recentley". Surely, he's seen your replies. I vote for OP to be banned.

[Rouvld]

I just want to set the record straight. First, I want it to be known that the problem was not receiving my two pairs of crossovers and being left in the dark about it. I will admit that at first I would check up and send him the "how's the box coming along" email or text, at this time I wasn't trying to be a pest I was just trying to see how long it would be since the time frame had extended way past the date that we discussed. These email were in reference to the ENTIRE order. Once the box was shipped and I received it I didn't get my crossover, to which I contacted Luke. I have every text and email I sent luke, I must have emailed him one about three different emails, to which I got no response. I can provide screenshots if need be. I also sent him multiple PMs on this forum, to which I got no reponse. Then that's when I proceded to make this thread to see if anyone was in contact with him, I figured maybe something was going on and someone on this forum could get into contact with him or let me know if something indeed was going on with him personally. Even after this thread came about I still didn't hear from Luke, even after he saw the thread. There was even a situation where he was online and I sent him a PM about this as well as left a message in his wall telling him to get into contact with me or Id be placing a paypal claim as well as a chargeback with my credit card. I have a screenshot of the message on his wall, and him being online at the time, and I can also screenshot the PM message you you guys can see the times. It wasn't until 4/24/16 at 3:34pm that I receive an email from Luke and here are his exact words.

I have at last some good information!

We received the parts we ordered back in the beginning of March.

This means we can FINALLY get started building them, some 6 weeks late.

They may ship late this week, early next week for sure.

Luke

This was the first time that Luke had even acknowledge this matter. THER WAS NO PRIOR COMMUNICATION ABOUT THIS UP UNTIL THIS POINT. Period. If this was indeed the case of the parts being backordered, why not just let me know? Why not just say hey man, I don't have the parts to make your crossovers they're backordered, I'll get them to you as soon as I can? That would have been enough. Instead I was left in the dark, to use my imagination on what was going on. My point is, if he knew the parts were backordered, he should have told me. As far as him and his payment, I proceeded to open a chargeback with Amex, this was on a Monday morning 4/24/16 the day after I left the message on his wall that I'd be doing this if he didn't get into contact with me by the end of that day. Later this day is when he sent me the email message above. On May 4, he told me that the crossover were finished and that he would ship them out, once I reversed the charge back, he also offered to take $50 off. I told him that I wouldn't remove the chargeback until I had proof that they've shipped, this was for fair of being "ripped off". The next day 5/5/16 he emailed me a receipt with tracking. At this time I didn't release the funds, I proceeded to wait until that Saturday 5/6/16 to call Amex and have the drop the chargeback. I just wanted to be sure that the package was actually in transit on it way to me instead of just "received at USPS office" because it's easy to go and get a package after you've dropped it off, as long as it hasn't left the office yet. That Saturday I called Amex and reversed the chargeback. So, he has his money, and Luke if somehow you don't PM me so we can get this resolved, or give me a call, you have my number. Im not one to rip people off, I have my own business and work hard for my money just like everyone else here and that's something I wouldn't do period.

[Blaine0002]

[steady330]

Luke has this entirely wrong, and he is using the 'street credit' from customers he DOES treat correctly to help steamroll those of us he feels like crushing.

Luke received my funds ($375) on Dec 2. He told me at that time he had the box/rack in stock. A few days later, he said he was mistaken. Then he said his heater went out in the shop and could not build one until that problem was fixed. Then on Dec 22, we received a box that was clearly not for an e46. So goes my 18 y/o son's Christmas present. Oh well. No worries, he called Luke and sent pics, and Luke profusely apologized and gave SEVERAL excuses. Luke said he was going to 'make it right.' After MANY excuses why (e.g., Hard drive crashed, back-up hard drive crashed, paper measurements lost, etc., etc.), Luke asserted he would be receiving an e46 to measure, then that car crashed, then other e46 samples weren't available, etc., etc....after 4 months, my son's car's stereo remained in pieces. No end in sight. Luke quit responding to monthly check-ins. Number disconnected. No refund of $375. Then we heard Luke was 'all better' because he was able to make a 'deal' with California to skirt out of $175,000 of back child support. Cool, I suppose. At least my son wasn't the only child he gave the BIG old shaft to.

Luke you aren't a good dude. You have fans, yes. I'll give you that. And they help you shaft the rest of us, by chiming in with fan accolades, and you eat that up and encourage it. But you aren't even close to being an honest human being. Perhaps that is why chaos surrounds you.

[steady330]

I just want to set the record straight.. Im not one to rip people off, I have my own business and work hard for my money just like everyone else here and that's something I wouldn't do period.

Rouvld -

My son is also not one to rip off, but Luke throws caution to the wind I suppose and assumes folks from far away won't reach out and get even. Coward he is.

Luke is of the sort who leverages his fan club to STEAMROLL those of us he feels like shafting. He has our funds and we have pure crap. Heavy crap not worth the shipping cost to return, and he knows it and flaunts the situation in our faces. The honorable thing for Luke to do is return the funds and if he wants his heavy MDF box/rack back, he should send a shipping label - but he won't, because there is not an once of honor in this dude.

To Luke's fan base = you give him the leverage to shaft people, and Luke laps that stuff up like a hungry dog. He needs you and he uses you. He's a liar and one day, my son may indeed meet him at a BMW event somewhere (son is 6'5" and plays div I inside def back this fall). Just saying, Luke, you can't expect to keep getting one over on people. Karma is real.