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More
evidence of JLGI/Just Spyders/
...Tecnodesign/EAS
craftsmanship...
and legal problems.
26
April 2000: BREAKING NEWS ITEM!!
We
received this marvelous missive from the Santa Barbara
District Attorney's Office just today:
Count
of Santa Barbara District Attorney
The
Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office is conducting a criminal
investigation relating to the activities of Mr. Jeffrey
Williams and his company(s); EAS, EAS Design, European Automotive
Styling and Design, and Motivated Inc.
If
you have been defrauded, think you are a victim of his activities,
or have information relating to any misrepresentations by him,
then please prepare a written summary and send it to:
Investigator
Dan Raimer
Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office
118 E. Figueroa Street
Santa Barbara, California 93101
If
you have any questions, I (Dan Raimer) can be reached at 805-568-2355.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Dan Raimer
Luis
Yanez (El Paso, Texas, USA) sent us these photos of the JLGI/Just
Spyders/Tecnodesign/EAS "Ferrari 355" replica that
he purchased from EAS's Jeffrey Williams in February, 1998. Each
of the small images below is a hot linked to a much higher-resolution
image, so you can see for yourself the abysmal quality of this
outfit's unfit product.
The
kit car magazines have been welcoming Tecnodesign's (JLGI/Lucas
Group, etc. etc.) advertising dollars for years, no questions
asked, and providing you with no warning regarding the complaints
they've received. No warning whatsoever, and of course no evidence
of their ever considering refusing those advertising dollars.
hot-linked images
under the fender #1 |
under the fender #2 |
looking down on rear end |
The left rear clip. Note the massive crack to the right of
the taillight, and the grizzly overall finish of the fiberglass. |
Note the quality of
this glasswork. |
The front end. Sigh. |
 |
 |
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These
three photos (above) pretty much speak for themselves. The fiberglass
fit-and-finish of this kit ranks with the most wretched fiberglass
I've ever seen, junk in every respect. And Mr. Williams displays
the insolence to deduct from Luis Yanez' funds an $1154 "restocking
fee" and $600 in shipping charges for this lame excuse for
industrial waste. California Attorney General Dan Lundgren, where
are you?
Curt Scott
Below
is the text of the letter Mr. Yanez sent to me alleging his experience
with EAS, Tecnodesign/JLGI, Jeffrey Williams and Jack Lugus:
****
2
September 1998
Dear
Curt:
Please
post this letter on your Kit Car/Consumer Alert web page, regarding
EAS and Tecnodesign. In this letter, I will include a brief rundown
of my ordeal with Jeffrey Williams of European Automotive Styling
(in Santa Barbara, California) and the product they distribute
for Tecnodesign. On Feb. 10, 1998, I ordered a 355 Spyder replica
kit from EAS. I also ordered the interior package; on Feb. 26,
1998, I also ordered tires and wheels from Jeff Williams. On
the purchase order was a written guarantee for 3 week delivery,
along with written statement stating "subject to customer
approval and not subject to 20% restocking fee ($1154)."
On April 7, 1998, after numerous warnings of cancellation on
my order, I cancelled my order. During that
entire time I never received one item from EAS and was intentionally
misled by being given an incorrect tracking number for someone
else's kit.
The excuses (given to me) were ridiculous and I even received
phone calls from Jack Lugus pleading with me not to cancel. But
I finally did on April 7. I had placed my 50% deposit on a credit
card, so I asked for a refund. Only the money for the tires and
wheels was refunded. On April 10, 1998, I received a fax with
a tracking number stating the kit had already been shipped. I
decided that since I had already wasted 2 months, another week
wouldn't matter. I spoke to Jeff Williams and he promised that
the kit was perfect and all components were inside the crate.
Only now, He could not accept my credit card for final payment
as originally agreed. So I sent a check. That turned out to be
a $2000 mistake. The 355 Spyder kit I received was absolutely
pitiful. Please see the photos I took (above). Also the kit had
no lights, no grilles, most of the chassis reinforcements were
missing and all interior pieces except the seats also missing.
The convertible top used Velcro (!!) in front to hold it on,
and had no mechanism as promised. All components I received were
misrepresented and of terrible quality.
Since
then, I have spent countless hours and phone calls attempting
to get my money back. My credit card eventually credited me my
deposit, but most of the (remaining) $2000 was pocketed by Jeff
Williams. Mr. Williams made it impossible to return the kit,
by not giving me a written authorization to return the kit as
stated in his returns policy, until the credit card company refunded
me the initial deposit, also misleading me with promises of them
paying return shipping charges and then having them refuse at
delivery. Then charging me for original free delivery. I have
written countless organizations, sent out over 12 affidavits
and Mr. Williams continues to evade returning my money. His company
policies have changed from one letter to another and in his final
resolution managed to add more bogus charges in order for him
to keep my money. From the $2000 balance, Jeff Williams sent
me a check for $197.
Luis
A. Yanez
El Paso, Texas
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On
August 24, 1998 EAS' Jeffrey Williams sent me a letter that reads
in part:
"Please
find the final resolution in regards to a complaint filed by
Luis Yanez: Luis Yanez agreed to return the merchandise for a
refund and it was received. Please find the following breakdown
in accordance with the "Returns" section of our "Sales
& Ordering Conditions" (document#4) that the customer
agreed to when signing the "Order Agreement" of the
"Order Form" (document#3)."
Put
briefly, Mr. Williams retained a total of over $1700 of Mr. Yanez
funds, itemizing the deductions "an $1154 "restocking
fee," plus Mr. Yanez' $600 in shipping charges. Mr. Williams
wrote a check for only $197 to Yanez for his reimbursement. Sigh.
Mr. Williams letter to me also contained the obligatory threats,
which read in part:
"As
far as the continual false allegations from Mr. Yanez about my
company and myself (sic), they are completely untrue. I have
tried to ignore these unsupported claims of continual fraud and
scams, as I have THOUSANDS of satisfied customers after nine
years of business..."
Thousands? Shucks,
with numbers like that, you and I probably have two or three
folks right on our own street who are thoroughly satisfied customers
of EAS and Mr. Williams. So I challenge Jeffrey
Williams to provide me with the contact information (names, addresses
and phone numbers) of, say, 5 customers who will provide some
evidence of his claim.
And since he has THOUSANDS of satisfied customers, I'd like for
his roster to include 2 or 3 folks within, say, 25 miles of me
in Santa Clarita, California, so I can examine his marvelous
product for myself. You see, even though Mr. Williams claims
to have "THOUSANDS" of satisfied customers, I've never
seen one of JLGI's products, not even one, not anywhere, not
even at the Knott's Berry Farm show, which is only perhaps
125 miles from where EAS's ("suite-sounding" Mail
Boxes Etc. mail drop) is located, nor at the Carlisle, Pennsylvania
"Kit Car Nationals" show, nor at any other kit
car or replicar show anywhere on this continent. Mr. Williams'
satisfied customers must conceal themselves and their cars quite
effectively. But it's okay with me if they're all painted in
a camouflage color scheme--I'd just like a chance to examine
the finished cars and talk to their delighted owners...
Monday,
4 May 1998:
We
recently received a copy of the Tri-Counties/Santa Barbara Better
Business Bureau's report on EAS/European Automotive Styling,
which reads:
"The
Bureau opened its file in July 1995. Based on
our standards, this company (EAS) has an unsatisfactory business
performance record with the Bureau.
An
unsatisfactory business performance report is given when 1) a
pattern in the company's customer complaints causes us concern,
2) when the company does not respond to complaints, or 3) when
it fails to substantiate its advertising claims. In this case,
the company (i.e., EAS) has not responded to customer
complaints brought to its attention by the Bureau. Better Business
Bureau reports are based upon our files over the past three years.
BBB reports are provided solely to assist you in exercising your
own best judgement and are subject to change at any time."
But
folks, rest assured that you can continue to find JLGI/Just Spyders/
TecnoDesign/European Auto Styling's profitable ads merrily glossing
the pages of your favorite kit car magazine.
Wednesday,
8 February 1998
Consumer
Alert: EAS/European Auto Styling
An
alert reader pointed out to us today that this JLGI/Lucas
Group
"dealer" operating out of a Mail Boxes Etc.
.mail drop
in Santa Barbara, California, is currently running photo ads
in the magazine "Specialty Car Marketplace"
.(October
1997 issue #198) for Koenig Ferrari.355 replicas
and Lamborghini Diablo replicas. Each ad displays what appears
to be a very enticing purchase price, and the F355 ad claims
"Only 40 hours building time." Folks, EAS is
merely an extension of the JLGI/Jack Lugus/Lucas
Group/Just Spyders/Diablo Express
scam operating out of Ontario, Canada [update:
the JLGI gypsy caravan has again set up camp in the safe port
of Florida... this time in the town of Brandon, a Tampa suburb], and 2)
the photo EAS is running of the Koenig Ferrari appears to be
a Koenig promotional photo of an actual Koenig Ferrari. We challenge
EAS and its principals to produce any evidence whatsoever that
anyone anywhere has ever managed to complete one of their replicar
kits. Further, we challenge them to produce evidence that the
promotional photos they're running are bona fide examples
of their products. Sigh.
Beware, specialty car enthusiasts, beware. Especially
beware of that which you see and read in the kit car and hot
rod magazines; we no longer bother attempting to persuade them
to protect you by denying these shady operators access to their
ad pages... they just can't resist lunging for those marvelous,
self-evidently tainted advertising dollars. Sigh.
You'll
find more about EAS/European Auto Styling's operations on the
JLGI
/ Just Spyders / Lucas Group / Diablo Express / (sigh) TecnoDesign
USA
alert page.
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