- Report: #638741
Complaint Review: California Tops - EDMONTON Alberta
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
California Tops
2061 HADDOW DRIVE EDMONTON, T6R2X6 Alberta, United States of America
Phone:
(780) 432-8144
Web:
www.californiatops.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
California Tops California Tops - Slick Tops - Coyote Tops - Gator Tops - Half Top - Tim Taylor - Colorado Tops Never delivered EDMONTON, Alberta
Having read all the negative info on this company on the various rip off sites and the MANY forums (do a Google search on "california tops scam jeep", or "tim taylor scam jeep" and you;'ll see what I mean!), I decided to try his top anyway.
I tried to reach the store by email and phone and it took about a week before I was finally able to speak with someone.
After some trouble paid $850 using his payment service Allied Wallet (PayPal has banned him for fraud and he has also been banned from eBay for the same reason) and he proceeded to make my top.
A week later I noticed an odd $25.50 foreign service charge on my credit card statement and found out that it was related to the $850 purchase. My bank charges 3% foreign conversion fee on purchases made from foreign companies. That seemed odd, because with a name like californiatops you'd expect them to be in California, right? Not so. He's in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
I sent a complaint email to Tim Taylor, the owner of the place and got a rambling, non-coherent email back stating it wasn't his fault, he'd had a very bad summer, was evicted from his house and slept on a park bench (I am NOT kidding you!!) and that he was very sorry yada yada yada. Bottom line, he blamed Allied Wallet and vowed he'd return that charge to me. Guess he did not get the part where I said it was MY BANK who charged the fee. My complaint was that he should have made it clear on his site that he's in CANADA, not the US. After a few more rambling email detailing his woes and how people were ripping HIM off, he conceded that he could not return just that fee, so he returned the entire payment! I felt very lucky because at that point I was already both suspicious and worried about this whole deal. He claimed he "fired" Allied Wallet, removed them from his website and from then on would only take Money Orders.
So he wanted me to send a check or Money Order...
I let it sit a bit until the top was ready yesterday.
Knowing about all the negative info about him I felt uncomfortable doing that and told him I really wanted to pay by credit card because by yesterday Allied Wallet re-appeared in his site. Later yesterday he sent me an email that he felt bad for me and all the hassle and that he'd offer the top at a mere $500, if only I would send him a check.
This nearly 50% discount while I never even asked for one raised big red flags for me and I insisted once again that I'd only pay by credit card. He never relented, sent a few more rambling and non-coherent email messages and we simply parted ways.
So while I was not ripped off here (it did not cost me anything but time), I clearly dodged a bullet. Upon further investigation I also found plenty of info about the fact his tops are not as good as they are. One particular buyer in Florida had to replace his tops after a few months because it did not stand up against the sun and the rain down there.
Bottomline: I have no idea how this guy can stay in business. eBay and PayPal have banned him, forum after forum contain warngins about him and his products, he sends out non-coherent and rambling messages full of foul language to his customers.... It's a miracle anyone trusts this guy.
Oh well. Glad I wasn't out my money and did get it back. I'll give him that.
I tried to reach the store by email and phone and it took about a week before I was finally able to speak with someone.
After some trouble paid $850 using his payment service Allied Wallet (PayPal has banned him for fraud and he has also been banned from eBay for the same reason) and he proceeded to make my top.
A week later I noticed an odd $25.50 foreign service charge on my credit card statement and found out that it was related to the $850 purchase. My bank charges 3% foreign conversion fee on purchases made from foreign companies. That seemed odd, because with a name like californiatops you'd expect them to be in California, right? Not so. He's in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
I sent a complaint email to Tim Taylor, the owner of the place and got a rambling, non-coherent email back stating it wasn't his fault, he'd had a very bad summer, was evicted from his house and slept on a park bench (I am NOT kidding you!!) and that he was very sorry yada yada yada. Bottom line, he blamed Allied Wallet and vowed he'd return that charge to me. Guess he did not get the part where I said it was MY BANK who charged the fee. My complaint was that he should have made it clear on his site that he's in CANADA, not the US. After a few more rambling email detailing his woes and how people were ripping HIM off, he conceded that he could not return just that fee, so he returned the entire payment! I felt very lucky because at that point I was already both suspicious and worried about this whole deal. He claimed he "fired" Allied Wallet, removed them from his website and from then on would only take Money Orders.
So he wanted me to send a check or Money Order...
I let it sit a bit until the top was ready yesterday.
Knowing about all the negative info about him I felt uncomfortable doing that and told him I really wanted to pay by credit card because by yesterday Allied Wallet re-appeared in his site. Later yesterday he sent me an email that he felt bad for me and all the hassle and that he'd offer the top at a mere $500, if only I would send him a check.
This nearly 50% discount while I never even asked for one raised big red flags for me and I insisted once again that I'd only pay by credit card. He never relented, sent a few more rambling and non-coherent email messages and we simply parted ways.
So while I was not ripped off here (it did not cost me anything but time), I clearly dodged a bullet. Upon further investigation I also found plenty of info about the fact his tops are not as good as they are. One particular buyer in Florida had to replace his tops after a few months because it did not stand up against the sun and the rain down there.
Bottomline: I have no idea how this guy can stay in business. eBay and PayPal have banned him, forum after forum contain warngins about him and his products, he sends out non-coherent and rambling messages full of foul language to his customers.... It's a miracle anyone trusts this guy.
Oh well. Glad I wasn't out my money and did get it back. I'll give him that.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Richard
Sammamish,Washington,
USA
Ramble on
#2Author of original report
Thu, September 09, 2010
Ramble on. The evidence on this site and other forums speaks for itself.
If you can point to ONE TRUE positive report about your many companies under many names and your supposedly superior tops, I'll shut up.
But one has to wonder why eBay and PayPal kicked you off... If that's not true, please do supply everyone here with your eBay ID so that they can buy your tops on eBay - much easier than sending a check or money order to Canada and wondering where their top is after a month. You have to be really fraudulent before eBay and PayPal will tell you to take a hike - so them not allowing you to sell on their site means a lot. (and don't give us the BS about eBay being bad and all that. Millions of sellers, including your professional competitors like Quadratec, 4WD and Bestop prove otherwise)
Anyway, not sure if this is the forum to keep beating a dead horse, because that's what this is.
Everyone: California Tops and the other companies run by Tim Taylor simply can not be trusted. Don't take my word for it, do your own research and draw your own conclusions.
I'm sure Mr. Taylor will come back with another rambling email full of inaccuracies and plain out lies, but I won't be responding to that anymore. So have at it, Tim! I'm sure the world is eagerly awaiting your rambles. And do enjoy your cocoa. ;-)
PS: do explain WHY you name your companies in such a way that they SEEM to be US-based? California Tops, Colorado Jeep Man, Gator Tops? All based in Edmonton, Canada. And all with very poor reviews as far back as 2006. Wonder what the next company will be called? Bestops-In-America.com?
Tim taylor
EDMONTON,Alberta,
Canada
RICHARD - draws you in .
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, September 09, 2010
Richard has a way of provoking you into his anger issues with passive agressive emails. He acts legitimate but you have to watch out because he is dragging you into his superior know-it all conversations. He knows everything about business. My company has problems. He threatens he does charge backs at a drop of a hat on other companies. When you try to do a cut and dry close of him, he comes back. He started out by hacking in to my personal email account. If filing a report on Rip-off report when you did not even buy a product isn't proof enough. I simply work night and day every waking moment on refining my top to being the sharpest on the planet, the cleanest fit, and the easiest. And Richard is only concerned about slammers, and making issues about things I am not about. I am about designing the butt-kicking-est top on the planet, plane and simple, the end. And I work harder than anyone and I only get that assumption from the fact I have the best tops in the world. Just get off the phone daily with people from around the world. 2 min. ago from South Africa and this customer shouted over and over and over for 30 minutes how my JK Cargo top is way way better than any other companies in the world and that he is honored to be able to order one from Canada. Then there is Richard hacking in to my personal account emailing me that the world is slamming me and I am sheet. RICHARD - bugger off and get a life.
Richard
Sammamish,Washington,
USA
Reply by Richard
#4Author of original report
Thu, September 09, 2010
Like I said: rambling and non-coherent.
Someone's indeed in need of a psychiatrist. And it's not me. :)
Besides the fact that Tim Taylor's rebuttal is full of false info (I "broke in" to his personal email account? He asked me to send an email there, which I did), I'll let the over-abundance of negative info on his company both on this website and numerous Jeep forums speak for itself.
No need for me to spend any more time dealing with this guy. I'm just glad it did not cost my anything but time; I got my money back, unlike plenty of other folks.
If someone is considering giving him the benefit of the doubt like I naively did, try to get a hold of him and carry on an email conversation. You'll soon know what I mean.
'Nuff said.
Tim taylor
EDMONTON,Alberta,
Canada
WINDMILL TRADING - total scam
#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, September 09, 2010
Richard Kuipers of Windmill trading is a dangerous unscrupulous business owner located in WASHINGTON state with numerous failed business dealings and weilds his credit card like a sword, purchasing products and then recharging back his money and keeps the items. How I came to know him was he broke into my personal family email account. After a long day of making and selling tops, I came down in my PJs holding a hard earned hot cocoa and opened up my family's personal emails. I was expecting my relatives emails. Richard Kuipers of WINDMILL TRADING popped up as an email . He claimed he wanted to buy a top. I asked him how he got my home address and he said he is pretty savy with the computer and internet. It is his business he boasted. I was upset. I politely told him that I would be happy to meet him on my other email account. He went on telling me how unprofessional my whole company was with many slams and problems. I could not sleep that night. He went on my site and purchased a top using his credit card . He did not even care about invasion of my privacy. Immediately I was alarmed at his whole presense and demeaner. He was smooth and began to tell me his personal life and what he does after work such as coaches young men and really likes it. A little while longer I shut my whole merchant account down and recredited his card. I did not want anymore to do with him. It is a long story but he was truly scary and insulting and this evening I come down to my computer once again holding my hard earned cocoa and ka-blam here is Richard now filing a Rip-Off report. This man is nuts and in need of a psychiatrist. I can not get rid of him. I do not want his business I did not take his money. I am free, right ?
Tim taylor
EDMONTON,Alberta,
Canada
WINDMILL TRADING - total scam
#6REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, September 09, 2010
Richard Kuipers of Windmill trading is a dangerous unscrupulous business owner located in WASHINGTON state with numerous failed business dealings and weilds his credit card like a sword, purchasing products and then recharging back his money and keeps the items. How I came to know him was he broke into my personal family email account. After a long day of making and selling tops, I came down in my PJs holding a hard earned hot cocoa and opened up my family's personal emails. I was expecting my relatives emails. Richard Kuipers of WINDMILL TRADING popped up as an email . He claimed he wanted to buy a top. I asked him how he got my home address and he said he is pretty savy with the computer and internet. It is his business he boasted. I was upset. I politely told him that I would be happy to meet him on my other email account. He went on telling me how unprofessional my whole company was with many slams and problems. I could not sleep that night. He went on my site and purchased a top using his credit card . He did not even care about invasion of my privacy. Immediately I was alarmed at his whole presense and demeaner. He was smooth and began to tell me his personal life and what he does after work such as coaches young men and really likes it. A little while longer I shut my whole merchant account down and recredited his card. I did not want anymore to do with him. It is a long story but he was truly scary and insulting and this evening I come down to my computer once again holding my hard earned cocoa and ka-blam here is Richard now filing a Rip-Off report. This man is nuts and in need of a psychiatrist. I can not get rid of him. I do not want his business I did not take his money. I am free, right ?
