[Turk]

I flew to Las Vegas about a year ago and one of my main reasons to travel was to see if I could give you my business while traveling on business . I had seen only one of your new replicars at Pleasanton Fairgrounds Goods Guys Car Show.

I kind a liked it, and thought it was a cute car. The paint and preparation for paint was not up to my expectations. I figured maybe I could get a Roller Car from you guys and have it painted by a competent painter locally.

I arrived there with my boss, and looked around while he shopped at your gift shop. I did not know at the time he was buying a (#12 Car) poster for my birthday that he later framed and surprised me with.

When I was there in your showroom, I was told I could not tour the assembly area, because I did not have an appointment. That was a turn off. What really did it for me, was the attitude of the two men I met while I was there.

I came prepared to write a check for partial payment. I was actually ready to give you a deposit.

In case you think I am making this up, look up in your records you'll see that you sent me some literature (twice) under my name and I also received a phone call from someone earlier telling me about your management changes and price increases and that he was the new guy and that I would have to go through if I wanted one of these collectibles.

Don't look up under "Turk" look up under Aytac "TURK" Ercen, either Fairfield, CA or Vacaville CA.

Having been somewhat attentive to my needs in correspondence and by phone I felt somewhat comfortable in showing up to see if I could place an order.

I guess the two fellows manning the floor that day must not like "foreigners". My accent must have been a turn off to them; they acted like they couldn't be bothered. What amazes me is most of us Americans think when we encounter a "Foreigner" with an accent and or broken English, we always act as if they also can't hear. We either talk to them LOUDLY hoping that will help, and also don't pay attention to what we say when they are within an earshot.

I have lived in US 35 years of my 54 years. I have been an American Citizen longer than your kids unless they are over 36 years old. I recognize it when I encounter prejudice. It was very unbecoming for anyone doing business in year 2000 to behave that way. Especially in an international city like Las Vegas.

I dismissed it at the time and wrote it off to your ignorance. I shouldn't have. Maybe I should have pursued it with the lawyers and see how much stink I could raise. It wasn't my style, and it still isn't.

I don't have an axe to grind, I am not employed by one of your competitors, and as a matter of fact I still don't own a Replica Cobra as I write this.

I was as good a prospect (an up) as you were going to get that day. You blew it. There were no others in the showroom, it was raining like crazy outside, I was soaked just getting out of my rental car to your door. I suppose I did not get the Red Carpet treatment I had hoped for. I would have settled for a dry towel.

I don't know the exact date, but you could look it up yourself. I too can furnish you the rental car receipts, airline ticket information if need be to pin point the exact date. I was in town for the General Motors Convention. You see I am also in the automobile business, selling real cars. Not kits. This vehicle was for me. For my personal use.

For the two guys demonstrating their ignorance that day, all I have to say is if you check your ancestry, you'll see that you too may be a foreigner on your father's and maybe even your mother's side as well.
Offsprings of those arriving by Mayflower are no more American than those of us arriving by slave ships or by TWA in the 1960s. Shame on you.

Why am I writing this, I am writing because, of all I have been reading about you guy's heavy handed attitude towards those who have kept the COBRA flame lit for the last 30 years or so.

Seeing that you guys are no strangers to lawsuits, I had to wonder if I did the right thing by gracefully leaving your premises that day after purchasing a poster (#12 Car).

I should have raised hell while I was there or when I got back. I did not do that primarily because I don't have the time, I am busy trying to earn a living by selling cars, not suing others. I have no lawyers on my staff. All our revenues are derived from actual sales not lawsuits.

Incase you wonder why I am so upset, it is primarily because of two elements. In 35 or so years I have never been referred to as a "Sand-Ni**ER" by anyone. It took almost 2 minutes to decipher what it meant. Then I learned that the expression (as offensive as it is) is used to refer to Arabs.

Your ignorance allowed me to drop the matter; if you were a better student of history you too would know that Turks are not Arabs. Nothing wrong with Arabs, just that we are not one.

Geographic proximity does not make me anymore an Arab than your location makes you a Mexican because you are 500 or so miles away.

Other than getting extremely offended at the use of the "N" word, I got a chuckle out of knowing that I had the final laugh. I still had my check in my pocket and left knowing that your loss was going to be someone else's gain.

It took more than a year before I handed a $5000.00 deposit check to someone else, because I felt their reproduction was better than your reproduction. Their treatment of me and my business was certainly far more respectful!

I suppose this is a veiled threat suggesting, "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword". Fortunately for you, I have elected to take my revenge in my own way. First by giving my business to someone else. Second by letting others know who they are dealing with when they do business with you boys down there. Third I am doing my best to tell others about the lack of quality in your car.

In California (different than most states) Motor Vehicle code as it applies to Auto Dealers states that an agent of a dealership (ie.salesman) is responsible for all written and verbal commitments and representations. Whatever the salesperson promises obligates the dealership.

I don't know about Nevada. It is deemed to be a Business friendly state and may not have similar protections for the consumer. If your salesman (I wish I knew his name) said to me in California what he said to me that day, I would stand to make a lot off money from your company.

No I am not talking about the slander, and the derogatory remarks. To make money on that I would have to retain a lawyer and sue the pants of you. Then I would have to share the proceeds with the lawyers. No I don't want to do that, not yet anyways.

The comment that is more damaging is telling me that my "Original Cobra" that would now cost me about $85,000 or so would be worth almost $200,000 when the old guy dies".

I don't know when that is, it does not matter. In California you don't need that in writing to collect on it. Salesman promising that is binding enough. It would just be a matter of waiting game. I would be able to sell it back to you for a hefty profit. If you are still around by then.

I realize there is a lot of venom in what I wrote. For all you know I could be making all this up because I am angry at your company's stance with the lawsuit against FFR and Replica Car Industry. I am angry, and have posted a few posts to that effect. This is different, this is real.

Verify the dates of the GM convention, The weather to see if it was raining, cash register receipts to see if a (#12 car Poster) was sold, and see if there were two guy in the showroom One blond about 6' and about 220lbs the other darker hair and darker complexion and a blond lady at the gift shop cash register. You'll see if I am telling the truth or not.

You should be ashamed of your own arrogance, and you would never have heard from me again, had it not been for your lawyer happy behavior. I just wondered if you care to spend any of your own money defending against this.

The Aluminum block is cancelled. Dove Roller Rockers will be used instead of yours in my 427SOiler.

I am still getting even. Power of the pen is mightier than the diarrhea of the mouth!

Signed,
A Sand N***ER.

ps. If you don't like the tone of this and happened to be the moderator of this forum and feel you are better off deleting it... please don't.
It is not difficult to post it elsewhere. Leave it where it belongs, besides there is a lot less traffic in this area than other threads. Less people will read it.


[This message has been edited by Turk (edited 07-22-2000).]