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  • Report:  #263988

Complaint Review: East Coast Classics And Customs - Tampa Florida

Reported By:
- Savoy, Texas,
Submitted:
Updated:

East Coast Classics And Customs
905 East 129th Ave. Tampa, 33612 Florida, U.S.A.
Phone:
813-9737417
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
Do not I repeat DO NOT do business with this individual without reading this report.

Back in April 07 I purchased a 1968 camaro from this "person" over ebay. I was apprehensive at first but after doing some checking and realizing Steve Solgot, who is East Coast Classics and Customs owner actually owned a shop and what not I felt he could be trusted even more so after I spoke to him over the phone boy was I wrong.

The listing in which the car was for sale listed a 68' Camaro with a 350ci numbers matching motor, no rust, good tranny, etc. Said the car needed a dash pad and headliner and wire harness but he would install that before the car was shipped.

The car arrived most noticeably missing parts (front grill, locks, etc.) had a 283ci motor rather than a 350ci was filled with rust, wouldnt start, wouldnt go into gear, wire harness no where to be found worse than that the VIN plate was missing and there was not noticeable means to ID the car. So I call Steve about the harness and the VIN. "Oh it fell off" he said "I will have Jimmy mail it to you along with the wire harness as soon as it comes in."

I received the VIN along with the title only problem was neither matched the car. Steve refused to make it right and would only say thats the title to the car blah blah blah the car has a 350 blah blah blah...

Well to make a long story short Steve said he had never had a problem on Ebay by the was seller ID is (ec3oftampa) but he had messaged me after I started having problems with him from a (gbeazley) and I noticed on there a couple negative feedbacks from disgruntled sellers. I questioned Steve about this "Oh that was an old business partner" but when I emailed the buyers they gave me a completely different story, said Steve ripped them off just as he did me and will continue to do until someone stops him.

Do Not trust this guy. He may be a smooth talker but he will rip you off just the same as he does plenty of people....

BUYERS BEWARE!

Craig

Savoy, Texas

U.S.A.


9 Updates & Rebuttals

Craig

Savoy,
Texas,
U.S.A.
Honest person?

#2Author of original report

Wed, October 24, 2007

Well for one the court was neither in Arizona (not sure where that came from ) nor was it in Florida, it was in Texas. The car was seized after I tried to get a state issued VIN for the car. The officer who issues the VIN plates and fills out all the related paperwork realized the car was chopped and would not give me a VIN, according to him this was a textbook case of a stolen and chopped vehicle. He stated it was common in older cars because there is no real way to track them as is not the case with newer vehicles. He also stated that Florida is one of the top states in terms of numbers of stolen and chopped cars as well as fraud. The court saw it fit to seize the car due to the fact I could not get any information on its history. Steve would not even provide a bill of sale (although I am certain it will be sent to me along with the wire harness as Steve implied back in April). The VIN plate and title he tried to send me was nothing more that that and he could not provide the actual VIN that comes with the car. He also never sent me the numbers matching motor, seats with no rips or tears, good transmission, I could go on but is there really any need, and no I am not going to just "release the prisoner" because people need to know that Steve Solgot is a scam artist. Ebay closed Steve's accounts because this was not the first instance of him "ripping people off." As I stated previously (and anyone can go to ebay and view the screen names and feedback left for gbeazley and ec3oftampa to confirm) this was only one of several occurances where Steve intentionally misrepresented items he was selling on ebay. As far as the wire harness it is just something that Steve said he was going to send that was another part of the agreement that Steve failed to uphold. Also, if your preaching to anyone it should be Steve Solgot of East Coast Customs in Tampa. He needs it.


Tac

Tampa,
Florida,
U.S.A.
Caveat Emptor

#3Consumer Comment

Mon, October 22, 2007

First, I am not Steve Solgot. If our writing styles are similar, perhaps it is because we are not from Texas? LOL Seriously, I understand your frustration in not receiving the vehicle in the exact condition and with the exact parts you thought you were purchasing. No doubt you felt like you had been swindled and anger and a need for revenge has swelled up in your heart. However, again it is a matter of "Caveat Emptor", or "Let the Buyer Beware". How can you blindly invest so much money into a vehicle and not take the effort to view it before making the purchase? Especially since you had never purchased from Steve before? What does that say about your decision-making abilities? Are we to judge you based upon your display of poor judgment? Most likely you would not want people to do so, right? I find it appalling that you would find your best recourse to be to libel his name all across the internet. I have a few acquaintences who have purchased from Steve via Ebay and have had good experiences. I'm sure that if a comparison was made, there would be more positive dealings than negative. You mentioned a couple of things that throws up a red flag for me. 1) You said the police siezed the vehicle and, 2) that the court has seen fit to see things your way. If this is true, then why (according to your rebuttal) are you still seeking the wiring harness? And if the court has ruled in your favor, which court (Arizona or Florida) and what was the ruling? All those who have made purchases through Ebay know very well that it doesn't take much for an account to be frozen, or even closed. It only takes an unhappy, disgruntled person (such as yourself) to maliciously complain and to cause grief to honest, dependable people such as Steve. Life is too short to harbor such bitterness in your heart. Chalk the exchange up to lesson learned the hard way, and make sure you never buy sight unseen again. Let it go. When you forgive someone for their transgresses against you...you set a prisoner free. And that prisoner is yourself. I don't know if you are a Christian or not but if you are familiar with the crucifixion of Christ, what was the first words Jesus said on the cross after having been badly beaten and tortured? "Father, forgive them...they know not what they have done". Sorry, didn't mean to preach. I just find it sad that two good people have to drag this all through the internet and put into question their good names, integrity and common sense.


Craig

Savoy,
Texas,
U.S.A.
Its is odd that you and Steve Solgot type in the same fashion for one, and secondly if Steve Solgot was an honorable businessman I would at the...

#4Consumer Comment

Wed, October 17, 2007

I find it odd first being that you and Steve Solgot type in the same fashion, CAPITALIZING every few words as not MANY people do this. Also I am not saying that Steve rips everyone off. As for dealings in person I have been told he seems honorable. One such instance I will describe is another ebay transaction in which Steve performed where he had a car for sale. The winning bidder placed a deposit as requested by Steve then came to view the car in person. Once the bidder arrived Steve picked him up in his Hummer at the airport, brought the bidder back to East Coast Classics and Customs, and let the winning bidder view the vehicle. As odd as this may sound the vehicle that Steve described so lavishly in the ebay listing was nothing more and I quote than "A junk car." The person who won this auction then asked for Steve to refund his deposit Steve stated he would via paypal immediatly. Unfortunately several weeks later the winning bidder only got his money back after he left negative feedback and advised Steve he would withdraw the feedback if you would just refund the deposit. Obviously Steve will probably not rip you off if you are there in person. He seems like the type that would be scared to be beat up (chicken for lack of being able to use better words) and I say this because he would not even talk to me on the phone as a sensible individual when I first encountered problems with the junk car he sent me. I called him to discuss a resolution and to find out where the parts he had promised me were and he hung up on me when he found out who was calling. The car he sent me was seized by the local police department and I was reimbursed my money through ebay, however this did not pay for time I had out of my schedule nor the shipping costs I paid for. Simply put Steve "got me" for nearly twelve grand. He had ripped other people off via ebay and I feel that is part of the reason they removed both his and his girfriend's/wife's accounts from their site. The fact that the car was suppose to have a numbers matching 350 and had a 289. The fact that the VIN numbers did not match as they never put a 289 in the camaro. The fact that I advised him I would purchase the car if he was to place a new wiring harness in it then he went back on that said the car was shipped before he was able to do that, then said he would ship me the wire harness which I have still not received (that was back in April by the way and it is now October). The fact he listed the car saying it had no rust and the transmission shifted through all gears then I get the car and there is not a panel on the thing that is salvageable and the transmission only goes in reverse. All of these things coupled with the similiar situations experienced by other "winning bidders" on ebay incline me to believe Steve Solgot is nothing more than a scam-artist. If you had a good experience with this individual I applaud you, however it seems that if you are to buy a car from him off of ebay your experience would have been opposite. Thankfully and hopefully no one will ever be fooled into a transaction with him on ebay as seemingly at the moment his account priviledges have been suspended. I am certain though, with him being the type of person he is, will find a way around ebay's program and will attempt to ripoff more people. I can only hope that I have halted his efforts for the moment.


Tac

Tampa,
Florida,
U.S.A.
Opposite Experience

#5Consumer Comment

Tue, October 16, 2007

First, allow me to state my qualifications to make a bonified, fair and accurate rebuttal to this complaint. I personally have purchased two vehicles from East Coast Classics and Customs, in particularly from the owner Steve Solgot. One was a 1964 Chevy Impala and the other was a 1959 Chevy Bellair. I also referred a friend to ECC&C. This friend had his 1967 Chevelle Malibu SS customized and painted. To date, my friend has presented nothing but high compliments to the work that was done on his vehicle and is planning on purchasing another classic vehicle and taking it to ECC&C to have them do the work. In regards to my own experiences, I have been totally satisifed! I found Steve and his crew to be highly professional, very knowledgeable and experienced in customizing and restoring classic vehicles. Except for a couple of minor runs in the paint job (which was corrected immediately) on the Impala, my vehicle came out EXACTLY as I desired. I entered the '59 into a local car show and took first place. All paperwork, including titles and histories of the vehicles, were included in the sales. Steve always went out of his way to ensure that I was very satisified with the work done on my vehicles. He has even followed up with phone calls after I had driven the vehicles for a few months, just to make sure I was completely satisfied. I have a couple of points for the complainant to ponder. 1) Did you ever take the time to view the vehicle in person prior to purchase? 2) Did you ever put in writing EXACTLY what you wanted/expected on this vehicle prior to purchase? 3) Did you put the money up front prior to seeing the completed project vehicle? There is an old saying that still holds true today: Caveat Emptor (Let the Buyer Beware). Buying sight unseen is always unwise. Viewing photos online is not the best way to make a purchase. You need to view the vehicle(s) up close. Look for the flaws, check out the wiring, listen to it while it is running, etc. If a person does not do these things, he/she is not only unwise, but downright ignorant. I find this complaint to be quite disturbing because it appears to be intended to destroy the reputation of a fine company and puts into question the integrity of a man who I found to be the epitome of what good businessmen should be: Honest, reliable, knowlegeable and trustworthy. It is hard to find business people today who you can take at their word. Steve Solgot is such a man. I propose that this complaint is isolated and trivial. Things didn't turn out the way he wanted because of his own failure to make sure that all work was completed to his satisfaction BEFORE taking possession of the vehicle. However, if the complainant feels there is such validity to this matter, the legal system exists to resolve such issues. Do not drag a man's good name and reputation through the mud on the internet without seeking resolution through the various methods available! Let the Better Business Bureau or the Consumer Affairs Department try to resolve the issue first. If you are still not satisfied, then you have other legal recourses at your disposal. In summary, East Coast Classics and Customs and its owner, Steve Solgot, are in my book number 1 in customer service and satisfaction! I find this complaint to be spiteful, libelous and without just cause.


Craig

Savoy,
Texas,
U.S.A.
Evidently Ebay saw Steve Solgot (ec3oftampa east coast classics and customs) for what he truly is A SCAM ARTIST!

#6Author of original report

Fri, August 31, 2007

Evidently the people over at ebay received enough complaints about ec3oftampa and gbeazley that they were finally forced to take a look into what Steve Solgot and Gina Beazley were actually doing. Thankfully and regretfully not soon enough they have cancelled both of these two parties priviledges to buy and sell on ebay. Even though they will probably just open an account under someone else's name hopefully we have at least stalled their efforts to scam consumers out of money.


Craig

Savoy,
Texas,
U.S.A.
Its really funny that you speak as if your honest but I have three statements from other people you ripped off just the same as me.

#7Author of original report

Tue, August 21, 2007

If Steve Robert Solgot (ec3oftampa) and the owner of East Coast Classics and Customs was being truthful then this would be the only instance of someone alledging that he ripped them off. Unfortunately for me and several others this is not the case. I received written statements from three separate individuals that conducted transactions with Steve Solgot over ebay and had similiar experiences. If I had not mentioned it before the car that Steve sold me ended up being seized by Fannin County Sheriff's Office out of North Texas. Luckily for me I had statements from these other victims that I was able to provide to the court to show Steve Solgot was a crook, liar, and thief. One person that won an auction with Steve on ebay even stated Steve went so far as to bid on his own auction to raise the price. Although a very lowly tactic it is definately something I would not put past this guy. Funny he would mention the check not being there for three weeks considering I overnighted it as he said he had to go to Korea, most likely so he would be able to put the blame of shipping on someone else. If you were a reputable individual Steve Solgot, then where is the wire harness you first said you would install in the car before it was shipped, then said the car was shipped faster than expected you would have the harness mailed to me.... Gee it has been four months is it still on back order. Lol, nothing more than a crook and I am glad the court saw you for nothing more than what you are.


Ec3oftampa

Tropic,
Florida,
U.S.A.
Car was SOLD as a "PROJECT CAR" at "NO RESERVE"!!

#8REBUTTAL Owner of company

Tue, August 21, 2007

The buyer bought this "Project Camaro" from me on EBAY. I offered the 1968 Camaro at a "NO RESERVE"! He never contacted me prior to bidding and came in at the last minute and swiped the auction. It took him 3 days to finally get in touch with me and I had to wait 3 weeks for payment. In the auction, the payment method was a $1000 deposit within 24hrs and the balance within 3 days. I knew this guy was gonna be trouble! As most of us know, a 1968 Camaro can cost anywhere from $15,405 - $54,080 (NADA Value), Craig paid less than $12,000. When I finally recieved a phone call from him, I told him that if he didn't want the car, it would be okay. I told him that I had other buyers from ebay who stopped by and viewed the car and were willing to pay $1000 - $2000 extra for the Camaro. If I was a JERK, I would have taken their money, but he insisted that he REALLY WANTED the Camaro! So, instead of getting full payment (cash) that day, I waited almost 3 weeks for him! I sold Craig a "Project Car" at a Great Price! If he was hesitant on buying the car, then he should have viewed it in person. If he wanted to back out, I would have said Okay. Also, I sent him a Camaro with a 350ci in it and now that its 3 months later, he's telling me that it is a 283ci. Whose to say that he pulled the motor or maybe even Blew it up? Basically, Craig wanted a MINT 1968 Camaro SS at a "Project Price'!!


Craig

Savoy,
Texas,
U.S.A.
That seems to be the case

#9Consumer Comment

Mon, July 30, 2007

Yes he just recently made his feedback private. I am working with ebay to get him and his girlfriend Gina Beazley both removed from ebay but the only problem with that is they will just start selling under a friends name. You would think that ebay's auction insurance would be beneficial in this case but they would not cover anything until the car was seized. I suppose he will be their problem once that happens but until then Steve Solgot seems to be mine. His most recent extortion tactics to try and prevent me from filing suit are most amusing though.


Adolph

Elkhart 46517,
Indiana,
U.S.A.
"Red flags" can be observed on this seller:

#10Consumer Comment

Sun, July 29, 2007

This seller has his feedback posted as "private". A certain red flag. Particularly for a seller with a meager 7 in his feedback record, with about a 15% negative rating anyway. Sounds like you really got screwed over! . Interestingly, it would seem as if the Attorney General of Florida has provided a "free trade" area for scam artists of all kinds. Florida has a plethora of scams; real estate, investment, business opportunities, etc. Florida is the Romania of the USA for scam artists.

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