Club Cobra Gas-N Exhaust  

Go Back   Club Cobra > General Discussion > Consumer Watch

MMG Superformance
Nevada Classics
Main Menu
Module Jump:
Nevada Classics
Nevada Classics
Keith Craft Racing
MMG Superformance
Advertise at CC
Banner Ad Rates
Keith Craft Racing
MMG Superformance
MMG Superformance
MMG Superformance
January 2025
S M T W T F S
      1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31  

Kirkham Motorsports

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 03:16 AM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: May 2006
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 8
Not Ranked     
Default Help: D&M Motorsport Chicago rip off

Hi together
My name is Steffen and I'am from Germany. I seek the help of this forum now because i made a very bad experience with D&M Motorsport in Glenn Ellyn / Chicago. Their website is www.dmautosales.com
I bought a Superformance Cobra from them last year in Mai. Part of the deal was that they put shoulder harnesses in the car. First thing is that they told me to forgot to put the belts in the car and told me to send it. Until NOW i dont have the seatbelts. Second and worst thing is that the car arrived here in Germany with a bad cylinder head gasket. My shop here had to pull the whole engine to change it because of the bolt size and the fact that its a big block. Very expensive thing to do. There was also one of the bolts from the driveshaft missing and the others were loose. This could have lead to a major accident. The car had also a front damage which was professionally repaired but never told to me.
I called D&M the last year I guess more than 50 times but there is no reaction from them. I have the feeling that they just want to make money and as soon you payed they dont care anymore.
Has anyone made similar experiences with this company?
What should I do now?

Thanks Steffen
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 05:52 AM
Woodz428's Avatar
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Freedomia,, Il
Cobra Make, Engine: Coupe,Blue w/white stripes SB; Roadster, Blue w/white stripes BB w/2-4s; SPF installer/Hot Rod-Custom Car builder
Posts: 1,376
Not Ranked     
Default

If the car is brand new,the head gasket and missing bolts sound like an installer/builder issue. The body damage may have been incurred in shipping. I would contact SPF headquarters and address the issue with Lance, the owner, if you continue to have problems with them contacting you.
__________________
WDZ
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 06:41 AM
Clois Harlan's Avatar
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Broken Arrow. OK ( South Tulsa), USA, OK
Cobra Make, Engine: 66 COBRA FE 427 /4SP. (HCS Coupe w/ 408 Stroker and TKO 600 -sold)
Posts: 5,595
Send a message via AIM to Clois Harlan
Not Ranked     
Default

I hate to hear you were treated this way Steffen, I hope you get everything resolved to your liking soon. SPF is a good company, I am sure they would want to keep their customers happy and saying nice things about SPF?

Clois
__________________
Sunshine, Asphalt and no stop signs...Perfect

"Let's roll"

"Be part of Something Good
......Leave Something Good Behind!"
from CD "Long Road Out of Eden"
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 07:15 AM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: May 2006
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 8
Not Ranked     
Default

It's not about SPF! Its about D&M Motorsport - a SPF dealership who sold the car to me. I bought it used but with only 2500 miles on it. And i would expect from a good company to tell me if the car had an accident and was repaired and of course tell me the problem with the head gasket.
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 07:25 AM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Cobra Make, Engine: Superformance MkIII, Performance Engineering 418 Stroker. Keyless Entry, and naturally aspirated A/C
Posts: 130
Not Ranked     
Default

Steffan,

The internet is a powerful tool, and you can definitely hurt D&M's sales with a consumer watch posting such as this.

If you have not done so already, I would call them on the phone and explain that you are left with no other choice than to go public with this situation.

If you did in fact buy the car with no warranty written or implied, then you need to realize this is a lost cause. There is some risk in buying a car sight unseen as you have discovered. Just let it go and enjoy your car! Life is too short to spend it chasing your tail!

Too bad you didn't contact a windy city cobra club member to check the car out for you BEFORE you purchased it....

Good luck!
__________________
If love is blind, then why do I love women's lingerie so much ?
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 07:30 AM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Cobra Make, Engine: Superformance MkIII, Performance Engineering 418 Stroker. Keyless Entry, and naturally aspirated A/C
Posts: 130
Not Ranked     
Default

By the way Steffen,

What color is the car ? I was there at D&M looking at Cobra's about last May...

I probably saw it there.
__________________
If love is blind, then why do I love women's lingerie so much ?
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 07:35 AM
computerworks's Avatar
Senior Club Cobra Member
Visit my Photo Gallery
Lifetime Contributor
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Northport, NY
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, KMP178 / '66 GT350H, 4-speed
Posts: 10,362
Not Ranked     
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Remod
If you have not done so already, I would call them on the phone and explain that you are left with no other choice than to go public with this situation.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 38talon
I called D&M the last year I guess more than 50 times but there is no reaction from them.
You are correct...They need to talk

Anyone in that area know someone at D&M to give them a heads-up on returning a phone call?
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 07:48 AM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Cobra Make, Engine: Superformance MkIII, Performance Engineering 418 Stroker. Keyless Entry, and naturally aspirated A/C
Posts: 130
Not Ranked     
Default

All I'm saying is D&M deserves a chance to defend themselves before their name gets dragged through the mud.
Apparently Steffen has not said the right things to these guys, or the truth lies somewhere in between both sides of the arguement.
If D&M does not respond in any way, then they deserve to get trashed.
__________________
If love is blind, then why do I love women's lingerie so much ?
Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 09:16 AM
jwoodard's Avatar
Senior Club Cobra Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Cobra Make, Engine: Previous owner of SPF#1938, with a Keith Craft 496ci Genesis 427 side oiler, 667 FWHP, 633 FWTQ, 560 RWHP, 550 RWTQ.
Posts: 1,303
Not Ranked     
Angry

Steffen's first post stated he had called them over 50 times with no response. It sounds to me that he has given them every opportunity to make it right. Posting here is timely in my opinion.

__________________
Jim Woodard

Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 10:08 AM
Senior Club Cobra Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Charleston, WV
Cobra Make, Engine: SPF 2592, Shelby alum. 527
Posts: 325
Not Ranked     
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Remod
Apparently Steffen has not said the right things to these guys, or the truth lies somewhere in between both sides of the arguement.
On what basis did you make this statement? Why would you assume Steffen might be lying or telling less than the whole truth?
Reply With Quote
  #11 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 11:07 AM
Don Don is offline
Senior Club Cobra Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Ellington, CT
Cobra Make, Engine: Classic Roadster 351W, T5, Red & White
Posts: 3,478
Not Ranked     
Default

Steffen, just seeking clarification:

I called D&M the last year I guess more than 50 times but there is no reaction from them

Do you have names and positions at D & M associated with the 50 calls ? No reply needed nor desired, but all issues are not resolved with the initial contact. Were these all after the arrival of the SPF in Germany, or the 50 calls include those prior to the purchase and the final arrangements for the purchase. I take it there are records of the international phone calls with dates and time ?

As a pre-owned vehicle, what was the warranty/guarantees agreed to by both parties as part of the purchase agreement contract ? In writing or verbal ?

Mentioned was the front end damage, body or mechanical, that was professionally repaired. Any possible chance this was discovered only during the engine removal process and not known by D & M as the SPF was pre-owned ?

The bad head gasket, obvious as soon as you received the SPF in Germany or after driving the SPF for a period of time ?

No persoinal knowledge of D & M, but looking at their facility on the web site and the inventory of autos, seems very impressive as an on-going professional business.

In the end, there will probably be no better approach, as also mentioned by others, than having direct private personal voice communication with D & M owners and management to mutually resolve the items mentioned. As you can see by my questions, posting the situation prompts requests for clarification. Also, not knowing how D & M views the same issues, from their perspective.
__________________
2014 Porsche Cayman S, 2014 M-B CLA 45 AMG,
Unkown:"Their sweet lines all but take my breath away, and I desire them as much for their beauty as for their use "
Reply With Quote
  #12 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 12:15 PM
Woodz428's Avatar
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Freedomia,, Il
Cobra Make, Engine: Coupe,Blue w/white stripes SB; Roadster, Blue w/white stripes BB w/2-4s; SPF installer/Hot Rod-Custom Car builder
Posts: 1,376
Not Ranked     
Default

Not to take any sides, I know very little about it, however, I did just talk with D&M. They said that they have talked with the guy. From my questioning I did find that the engine was built by a questionable builder (Steffen, you might want to check if it has a rebuilder's tag on it..Recon maybe). They stated that it took 3 mos to get there, although that may have caused the body damage it should have no effect on the engine. It was, according to them sold"as-is". That, alone, was probably not a good idea for someone so far away without a first hand look at the vehicle. In a case like that any thing could have been wrong and it wouldn't make any difference, unless there was some deceptive salemanship, which I didn't perceive. But according to them they have talked with Steffen, but from the way I read his post they didn't respond. Do you mean you didn't get a satisfactory resolution or that you didn't talk with anyone?
__________________
WDZ
Reply With Quote
  #13 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 04:24 PM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: May 2006
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 8
Not Ranked     
Default

First thanks to everyone for your replys
I'am, trying to explain a little deeper:
-I bought the car (green SPF with a 460) in May. We had a verbal agreement that they put shoulder harnesses in it because there were only lapbelts. They told me that the car was already shipped and that they had forgotten to put the seatbelts in. I thought ok can happen and asked them to send it to me so i can put them in myselve. Until NOW, after 9 MONTH i still have no seatbelts which were a verbal agreemant to buy the car.
-The car arrived after 4 month in germany and was trailored from the harbour to my shop to get the german tags. During that my mecanic told me that the left cylinderhead gasket is bad and the car is leaking water. Even I saw the water paddles under the car. D&M cant tell me that they didnt know about the problem before they sold it. The car had 2 more miles on it when it arrived in my shop in germany as it left D&M.
-Yes i have the phone records of how many times i called them and you dont want to know how expensive it was to call them every day. Well, the phone calls were pretty short because i always heard yeas we will ship the belts tomorrow or yes i will talk to the boss etc....bla bla.
-If you want names, i mostly talked to dave, who sold me the car but i also talked to mike jr. who seems to me to be the manager. result: see above bla bla.........
-Yes it was pre owned and i bought it unseen but i think that from a reputable company like D&M wants to be that you can expect a good running car. At least none with a cylinder head gasket blown and bolts in the driveshaft missing.
-The car had devinitely a front damage (very hard to see) It was professionally repaired and looks good and dosend bother me. What bothers me is that they ditnt tell me.
-After nine month with no reaction i really have no choice than to discuss that problem in public. Maybe D&M is a good company but with my deal i guess they thought well, i am so far away in gemany thet they just dont care. I lived in the US for 3 years and that is the worst experience i made with a US company so far. Unbelieable that they dont car about their customers after i send the money. I just want to let other people know about my expirience and i am happy to disscus every detail with D&M but for that they have to talk to me and not just say yes the belts are underway or yes i will talk to the boss next week.

Thanks for your patience
Greetings from the autobahn country
Steffen
Reply With Quote
  #14 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 04:59 PM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Charlotte, NC
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 288
Not Ranked     
Default

I know that anyone adding their opinion at this point would be meaningless. I just want to let you know that whatever the situation is on both sides of the story, I feel for you, the Cobra consumer.

What matters to me is that you have this bad taste in your mouth about a car that probably was a dream purchase for you just like mine was for me. There is nothing more gut wrenching than buying a car that isn't everything you expected and were told it was, no matter the situation or who is to blame, beleive me I know (not the Cobra, but another car i loved).

Buying a Cobra is supposed to be an amazing event, rich or poor, USA or Germany, man or woman (well...). I hope it all works out in the end, but you can never get back that experience... I am truely sorry for you... again, not taking sides, or blaming whomever... just sorry.

James
__________________
----------------------------------------
Charlotte, NC
Reply With Quote
  #15 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 05:06 PM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Cobra Make, Engine: Superformance MkIII, Performance Engineering 418 Stroker. Keyless Entry, and naturally aspirated A/C
Posts: 130
Not Ranked     
Default

Steffen,

Sounds like you got the "wurst" end of the deal....pun intended.

Its time for D&M to speak their "onion" now.

Sounds like you trusted a "car stealer" and they took you though. Its too bad. I'm sure a windy city club member could have saved you a big headache by checking the car out for you. Live and learn I guess...

Are you looking to get the Deist 4 point harness ? If so, I will removing mine soon and installing sparco cam lock harness', and if you are interested in my set, send me an email or private message. Maybe I'll sell you mine cheap...

Then I'll call D&M and tell them I took care of your situation for them.

Oh yeah, I never saw any used green SPF down there last spring for what its worth....

Good Luck!
__________________
If love is blind, then why do I love women's lingerie so much ?

Last edited by Remod; 01-11-2007 at 05:10 PM..
Reply With Quote
  #16 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 05:09 PM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Chicago 'Burb, Il
Cobra Make, Engine: SPF#1245 w/ 1966 427 SO
Posts: 1,167
Not Ranked     
Default

Steffen: Sorry to hear about your ordeal. I've been to D&M on several occasions (nearly bought a solid black 01 SPF from them a couple years ago) and found them to be very upfront with me about their cars. I also know the people that do their engine installs for them and they are top notch. Since your car has a 460, I doubt that they did the install (they usually put 392 crates in their cars) so your car was probably a trade in to them on something else. Perhaps they knew nothing about the front end damage prior to selling it to you, but I agree with you that they should have known about your other problems if they did an inspection of the car before putting it up for sale (which they should always do). Perhaps you can get them to give you the prior owners name and number (if he agrees to be contacted) and you can speak with him about the car. -You could learn a lot from that.
Mike Jr. is a good kid and good at what he does (which is sell cars)........but he is definately a "car salesman" and not what I would consider "helpful" after the fact (JMHO). His job is to move cars out of the showroom (and he'll talk you into it if you let him). Cars requiring service after the deal is done, doesn't seem to be his specialty (although if he is now the "Manager". it should be). If your salesperson (Dave) isn't doing enough for you then call and ask for Mike Colando Sr. Last I knew he was the President of the company (unless Mike Jr took it over in the past couple years) and he was always helpful and very attentive whenever I went in. I've also seen him in action dealing with customer complaints and he seemed willing to do whatever needed to be done to solve the problem.
50 unreturned calls seems like a lot (a little exaggeration on your part perhaps??), however, it should only take a couple of calls to solve your problems. Give Mike Sr. a call and see what happens. If that doesn't get results..............they deserve the criticism on this one.

-May we all learn a little something from this and about buying cars (especially these types of cars) "sight unseen".

Last edited by TerrysSPF; 01-11-2007 at 05:43 PM..
Reply With Quote
  #17 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 06:18 PM
Don Don is offline
Senior Club Cobra Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Ellington, CT
Cobra Make, Engine: Classic Roadster 351W, T5, Red & White
Posts: 3,478
Not Ranked     
Default

Steffen, thanks for the additional detail to allow for a better understanding of the circumstances. I truly hope that the situation is resolved so you can enjoy the experience of having and driving the SPF.

Is it correct the SPF was sold to you in an " as is " condition without any warranty of any type ?
__________________
2014 Porsche Cayman S, 2014 M-B CLA 45 AMG,
Unkown:"Their sweet lines all but take my breath away, and I desire them as much for their beauty as for their use "
Reply With Quote
  #18 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 07:06 PM
Senior Club Cobra Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 15,712
Not Ranked     
Default

I totally understand the "As Is" clause when buying a used car. HOWEVER, the engine problem was discovered upon delivery, or so it sounds like. "As Is" cannot be used as an excuse to knowingly sell a defective product without revealing the flaw. Perhaps the dealer didn't know about the flaw(s), but if he DID, he should step up to the plate.
Reply With Quote
  #19 (permalink)  
Old 01-11-2007, 08:03 PM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Charlotte, NC
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 288
Not Ranked     
Default

Yep, I bought an MR2 from a "race" shop in Atlanta one time, only saw pictures. Man, did I walk funny for a week or so...if that car was delivered that way, and you can prove it, I would be asking for the full bill to be payed by the stealership that sold it ta ya...send over Hanz and Franz to "pump dem up"...(in case you are not familiar, that was a SNL skit, not me making fun of the Germans... lived there for 5 years, loved it and the people....no really, I did).

James
__________________
----------------------------------------
Charlotte, NC
Reply With Quote
  #20 (permalink)  
Old 01-14-2007, 08:25 AM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: May 2006
Cobra Make, Engine:
Posts: 8
Not Ranked     
Default

Thanks again for your posts.

Well, so far nobody from D&M contacted me. From the posts I noticed that some of you called D&M so they should know about this already. Looks like its going to be like always - I end up calling them again.
Please dont get me wrong - I love the cobra and i have so much fun with it but it's just plain sad that there are some people out there who just want your money, sell cars that need major repair, tell you the car is perfect and dont care about you anymore once you made the deal. From a company like D&M you can expect a good customer service which is obviously not the case.
Remod - thanks to offer me your deist harnesses but i already bought some. I'am just in the process of putting them in myself. Maybe you or someone can give me some help how. I discovered a screw behind the seat underneath the carpet. Looks like the bolts go in there but i have a problem how to remove that screw. Its a flathead screw with a little hole in the middle. From the look it seems that it was just glued in there. Any suggestions?

Thanks again
Steffen
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:09 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
The representations expressed are the representations and opinions of the clubcobra.com forum members and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the site owners, moderators, Shelby American, any other replica manufacturer, Ford Motor Company. This website has been planned and developed by clubcobra.com and its forum members and should not be construed as being endorsed by Ford Motor Company, or Shelby American or any other manufacturer unless expressly noted by that entity. "Cobra" and the Cobra logo are registered trademarks for Ford Motor Co., Inc. clubcobra.com forum members agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyrighted material is owned by you. Although we do not and cannot review the messages posted and are not responsible for the content of any of these messages, we reserve the right to delete any message for any reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s). Thank you for visiting clubcobra.com. For full policy documentation refer to the following link: CC Policy
Links monetized by VigLink