colesl4w Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Dear all, I've posted a few times about the horrendous treatment I received from Greg Johnson of Trade Link Cars when buying my 350z. Greg has a history of negative reviews, and an equal history of always pointing blame at the customer. I take great joy in taking this opportunity to provide 100% proof of Tradelink Cars lies. I left a review of my experience with them on autotrader. The following is a screenshot of that review: This morning, they responded to my review, stating that they had not received the bumper I agreed to send back. Strange how the first I heard about that was in a review comment over a year after the bumper was sent back to them (they organised the collection). The following is a screenshot of their comment: Isn't it great that things like this are all electronically tracked and archived? A wonderful customer service rep from DHL provided the proof of delivery to Tradelink Cars complete with a nice signature. Here's a screenshot of that: Busted! Avoid these guys like the plague!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WINKJ Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Not good .... Thought he was an ok guy. Used to buy a lot of 350s but now he doesn't seem to stock any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parello9 Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 I sold my 370z to him no problem and then bought it back off the woman he sold it to no problem. he also bought my old 350 no problem too who knows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted December 19, 2017 Author Share Posted December 19, 2017 You can buy and sell a car from anyone and not experience any issues if the car just happens to be in good nick. The credit for that goes to the previous owner. It's when a dealer needs to actually do something beyond the bare basics of simply buying and selling that the shady groups like Trade Link show their true colours. Resorting to blatant and easily disprovable lies in a desperate attempt to try and discredit an honest review is just the lowest of the low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 So the only thing you're disputing of Greg's reply is the fact that he said the bumper hadn't been returned when it had? Because, to be honest, that's not the thing that jumped out at me. Now I'm not saying that he was right to lie like that (was it deliberate? Or just a mistake?), but all the other stuff he mentions sounds like a decent garage trying to do the right thing after a simple error by their bodyshop. Greg made good on that by trying to send instructions first, then he just sent a pre-cut bumper and refunded the fitting costs of it. To me, that's pretty reasonable, and you're coming across a bit petty on this. Greg is a case of what you see is what you get. His aggressive defending of his company grated with some on here, personally I found it refreshing but I can see why some didn't (and I admit I wouldn't have said some of the things he said if it was my company!). Reading between the lines, I reckon this was a case of an overly-fussy customer and Greg's habit of standing his ground initially, rather than just giving in. I mean, 110 emails? 11 months? Court threats? I'd have given it three months tops then simply issued court proceedings, you really didn't help yourself by dragging this out for that long! So yeah, there's my take on it. No harm meant, I'm sure you're delighted to have caught Greg out, but I honestly think you need to look at yourself a bit here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted December 19, 2017 Author Share Posted December 19, 2017 (edited) Ekona, All I have done is post an objective overview of my experience with them so others can make an informed decision. I have never asked for special treatment beyond the bare minimum required by law. If you spotted someone telling an outright lie about you, I am sure you would be sure to clear your name too. Edited December 19, 2017 by colesl4w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marzman Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Added to this... just because the courier company states that your item was delivered, doesnt mean it actually was. I got completely jipped by My Hermes this year when they stated they delivered something to me, when i hadnt received it. I posted about it on here. I was the innocent party and did nothing wrong, but because the company said they delivered it, it was their word against mine and I was £60 out of pocket. Couldnt get my money back and ebay were unwilling to help. My point is, things arent always as black and white as they seem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 4 minutes ago, colesl4w said: Ekona, All I have done is post an objective overview of my experience with them so others can make an informed decision. I have never asked for special treatment beyond the bare minimum required by law. If you spotted someone telling an outright lie about you, I am sure you would be sure to clear your name too. Indeed, I absolutely would. However, I might phrase it slightly differently and I don't think I'd be gloating about it quite so hard when showcasing my own faults in the whole process. 4 minutes ago, marzman said: My point is, things arent always as black and white as they seem. ^^^ This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted December 19, 2017 Author Share Posted December 19, 2017 4 minutes ago, marzman said: Added to this... just because the courier company states that your item was delivered, doesnt mean it actually was. I got completely jipped by My Hermes this year when they stated they delivered something to me, when i hadnt received it. I posted about it on here. I was the innocent party and did nothing wrong, but because the company said they delivered it, it was their word against mine and I was £60 out of pocket. Couldnt get my money back and ebay were unwilling to help. My point is, things arent always as black and white as they seem. It was signed for. The signature isn't legible but the name given was G Johnson. Fairly black and white? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Question: When did you leave your review? Greg did his today, was yours recently too? I'm guessing not, to be fair to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted December 19, 2017 Author Share Posted December 19, 2017 (edited) Ekona, my review was written a nearly a year ago. 10th January. I had long forgotten about this before I got notified about his comment. He really did put me through an ordeal, and reading his accusation just brought it all back. Do you REALLY think given the nature of all the treatment to date, he 'forgot' he got the bumper? Or that someone met the delivery guy at their door, signed for it and stole it? Edited December 19, 2017 by colesl4w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marzman Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 29 minutes ago, colesl4w said: It was signed for. The signature isn't legible but the name given was G Johnson. Fairly black and white? You'd think so, but from my personal experience you cant rely on this. In my case, the item was allegedly signed for too. I saw the illegible image of the signature and didnt recognise it. In my opinion the driver stole the item from me and faked a signature as he knew the system and there was nothing i could do. Not saying that has happened in this case, but it's a possible explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 (edited) Ekona, my review was written a nearly a year ago. 10th January. I had long forgotten about this before I got notified about his comment. He really did put me through an ordeal, and reading his accusation just brought it all back. Do you REALLY think given the nature of all the treatment to date, he 'forgot' he got the bumper? Or that someone met the delivery guy at their door, signed for it and stole it? I don't know, I wasn't there Not impossible that someone else signed for it that works for him, chucked in the back of the unit and forgot about it, but I don't know if he's a one man band still or not. I just find it odd that he would wait almost an entire year to post a reply, and then lie about it on purpose when there's clear evidence showing the opposite. That's what makes me think there's more to it than deliberate deception. I dunno man, I get why you're mad and I'd prob be p*ssed too but there's the rational side of me here that just looks at this whole mess and wonders if you couldn't have done more to get it cleared up quicker before it became 'an ordeal'. Sorry, but that's just my view. Edited December 19, 2017 by Ekona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 Just out of interest, did you ring him up and speak with him? I find nowadays many complaints where they mention that they email x amount of times, but email is just the worst way to sort stuff like this out, email just doesn't convey sincerity unfortunately and is not an effective way of negotiating. Not saying you did wrong and you may have indeed been on the phone to him trying to resolve (I know its the first thing I would have done before even the first email) but I find that the digital generation do tend to ignore one of the best conflict resolution devices on the planet, speaking to each other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonk Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 13 hours ago, marzman said: You'd think so, but from my personal experience you cant rely on this. In my case, the item was allegedly signed for too. I saw the illegible image of the signature and didnt recognise it. In my opinion the driver stole the item from me and faked a signature as he knew the system and there was nothing i could do. Not saying that has happened in this case, but it's a possible explanation. I had a similar thing with DHL who insisted that an item had been " delivered" and "signed for". It was only when I told them that the cctv didn't show a DHL van on my road that day let alone near my house and demanded the driver's details for a theft complaint with the Police, that they remarkably managed to find my item! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 I also had a delivery from an ebay seller which apparently was signed for by me a couple of years back, it most definitely never arrived at my house and I signed for nothing yet there was the proof of some scrawled initials of my name. Fortunately it wasnt a high value item and the seller replaced it kindly after a constructive conversation with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted December 20, 2017 Author Share Posted December 20, 2017 I have no doubt that deliveries do go missing. However, if you were someone who had paid for an insured, trackable item collection, which course of action would you take? A - Note that it hadn't been received, take 1 minute out of my day to type in the tracking number and note that a mystery man had intercepted the package, then issue an insurance claim. B - wait for a year and a half before responding to a negative review to mention it had not been received. C'mon guys.... The other part of his response was irrelevant too. I knew I wasn't getting a Nismo kit, he told me that the kit wasn't 'cheap fibreglass' and was instead polyurethane with the 'all important headlight washers'. Guess what material the bumper was and how many washer holes were in it. Strange how a guy who has owned his own body shop could be selling a kit for years, and never during that time ever have glanced at it to see clear as day that it is fibreglass. The washers are essential in NI to pass MOT. Note that I don't care about any of that anymore. He is the one who has dragged it up with his comment about not receiving the bumper to attempt to discredit my review. Whether he is just another shady dealer, or all of these 'mistakes' are just due to significant and sustained incompetence really doesn't matter. You're still trusting the same guy with your cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 Nobody is being unreasonable and we all get your anger but its worth stepping into their shoes - its the best thing to do in any negotiation. Maybe the scenario was that he requested it back but never got it back and it was fraudulently taken but he didnt chase up the missing bumper for whatever reason - maybe he decided to just let it go and only then decided to raise it now when he chanced across that review some time down the line? There could be a number of scenarios playing out here and it and to be quite frank its not unequivocal proof of lying in that respect. Did you have written agreement of all the services being provided? So the bumper material, specifics on the washer holes etc. Really it should have been done and dusted in one phone call and presentation of written evidence if so as they would have been in breach of contract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 (edited) As a complete neutral i have seen more than a few threads on here in my time ref, lets say, less than satisfied customers/potential customers of Tradelink and yet there is always people defending him, good to see a balance of course and with good reason i am sure. Fairly obvious Parallelo dealings went well but i have to ask Ekona, have you dealt directly with Tradelink or just like his attitude in his responses, if the latter i cant see any defence is at all balanced until the shoe is on the other foot. There always seem to be a few dealers who attract attention, Keighley Trade Centre and another that slips my memory but sure there is a sticky somewhere and whenever they are mentioned everyone jumps on the bandwagon of how to steer well clear, but lets be honest, much like Tradelink, some people must be getting good cars or service from these highlighted dealers or they just wouldnt be in business, personally i would avoid all three like the plague, no smoke without fire and all that. Edited December 20, 2017 by Jetpilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 Agreed. Feel free to post up experiences nothing to stop that, but I wouldnt interpret others comments as defending, more as trying to get at what is going on. Also if you post on here, be prepared for a mix of responses. Would I buy from tradelink, like you said, no I wouldnt. But appreciate others have good experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted December 20, 2017 Author Share Posted December 20, 2017 Definitely do appreciate the input and discussion from everyone. I have tried to keep any statements as objective as possible so other potential buyers can make up their own minds. I think I've served that purpose. Will have limited availability over the next while, so a happy Christmas and New Year to all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 2 hours ago, leonk said: I had a similar thing with DHL who insisted that an item had been " delivered" and "signed for". It was only when I told them that the cctv didn't show a DHL van on my road that day let alone near my house and demanded the driver's details for a theft complaint with the Police, that they remarkably managed to find my item! Seems to be the only way you can prove delivery today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 44 minutes ago, Jetpilot said: As a complete neutral i have seen more than a few threads on here in my time ref, lets say, less than satisfied customers/potential customers of Tradelink and yet there is always people defending him, good to see a balance of course and with good reason i am sure. Fairly obvious Parallelo dealings went well but i have to ask Ekona, have you dealt directly with Tradelink or just like his attitude in his responses, if the latter i cant see any defence is at all balanced until the shoe is on the other foot. There always seem to be a few dealers who attract attention, Keighley Trade Centre and another that slips my memory but sure there is a sticky somewhere and whenever they are mentioned everyone jumps on the bandwagon of how to steer well clear, but lets be honest, much like Tradelink, some people must be getting good cars or service from these highlighted dealers or they just wouldnt be in business, personally i would avoid all three like the plague, no smoke without fire and all that. Could that be the dreaded Junction 17 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted March 24, 2020 Author Share Posted March 24, 2020 Just so no one else gets caught out by this dodgy dealer, Greg Johnson is now trading under the name FTR Performance. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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