[Zachary Vex]

I'm working with my friend Kerry Hemenway to build an electric drag car, and I ordered and fully paid for a 1.1MW battery pack from FlightPower after negotiating with its president Julian Cox. He promised delivery at the end of April, assuring me that everything needed was in stock. It is now July 14th. The dragster's 800HP motor is turning day and night against the Gear Vendors transmission and wheels to seat the brushes, and I've got the funds and the staff to assemble the battery pack, but there's no batteries. And Julian keeps promising me delivery (when he bothers to answer my emails) but it never happens. Did I get conned? Has anyone here done business with this man? I've got a lot into this project, and it's much more complicated than just building a fast electric drag car. Julian refuses to return my money. He's also suggested that he might fly to Hong Kong to light a fire under his manufacturer's butt (my paraphrase), but he's never done that either.

If this drags on any longer I'll have no choice but to hand the Julian problem over to my lawyer and contact Derek Barger about building a pack, which Dennis Berube insists I should have done in the first place. I was trying to save a couple hundred pounds, but it looks like all I did was lose about a quarter of my entire budget.

Ideas, anyone?

[Ziggythewiz]

Was this a wire transfer? It's best to make such purchases with CC or paypal and dispute before the deadline reguardless of what the delay is.3

I also assume that if a President has time to take my order he must not be encumbered with actually dealing with manufacturers or running a company or that sort of thing.

[Zachary Vex]

Originally Posted by Ziggythewiz

Was this a wire transfer? It's best to make such purchases with CC or paypal and dispute before the deadline reguardless of what the delay is.3

I also assume that if a President has time to take my order he must not be encumbered with actually dealing with manufacturers or running a company or that sort of thing.

The phone number on the website rings his personal phone. He's the only person at the "company" that I've had contact with... as far as I know, he's the only employee behind FlightPower, other than his (presumably) manufacturing partners in Hong Kong.

Yes, it was a wire transfer. I don't have a time machine, so making suggestions about how I should have handled the transaction is fruitless at this point. I do wire transfers all the time. I found nothing negative about his business practices online anywhere before I did the transfer, and he does have a number of records set by his batteries.

[LithiumaniacsEVRacing]

Zachary,

I just spoke with Dennis Berube, we both recommend you contact Derek Barger ASAP, he currently has cells in stock. I will contact Jeff Disinger and Shawn Lawless and see if they can make any headway with this Julian Cox guy.

Ron

Originally Posted by Zachary Vex

I'm working with my friend Kerry Hemenway to build an electric drag car, and I ordered and fully paid for a 1.1MW battery pack from FlightPower after negotiating with its president Julian Cox. He promised delivery at the end of April, assuring me that everything needed was in stock. It is now July 14th. The dragster's 800HP motor is turning day and night against the Gear Vendors transmission and wheels to seat the brushes, and I've got the funds and the staff to assemble the battery pack, but there's no batteries. And Julian keeps promising me delivery (when he bothers to answer my emails) but it never happens. Did I get conned? Has anyone here done business with this man? I've got a lot into this project, and it's much more complicated than just building a fast electric drag car. Julian refuses to return my money. He's also suggested that he might fly to Hong Kong to light a fire under his manufacturer's butt (my paraphrase), but he's never done that either.

If this drags on any longer I'll have no choice but to hand the Julian problem over to my lawyer and contact Derek Barger about building a pack, which Dennis Berube insists I should have done in the first place. I was trying to save a couple hundred pounds, but it looks like all I did was lose about a quarter of my entire budget.

Ideas, anyone?

[Zachary Vex]

Well that's a heck of a nice thing for you to do for my team, Ron. Without the money coming back from Julian, I'm not sure how to fund another pack.

Of course, if the FlightPower batteries and BMS do arrive soon, this particular problem will disappear.

On edit: I am now in touch with Derek Barger. I feel like the project is on track again. Thanks again!

[Tesseract]

I hate to suggest it, but it sounds like it is time for legal action. As long as you have some paperwork (even if just emails) that proves a transaction occurred (and that you acted in good faith by sending payment) you should be able to get a lawyer to send FlightPower/Julian Cox the proverbial threatening-to-sue letter. Ignoring your phone calls and emails is the big red warning flag to me here.

[Zachary Vex]

He's ignored some phone calls. He's ignored some emails, but his most recent responses have not been helpful. There's no delivery date anymore, and when I demand that he return my money he usually ignores that completely. He did say once that the money has already been committed to building the cells and that the batteries are finished but the BMS boards are not. When I suggested that he send me the batteries alone so I could get started building the box he refused. It makes me rather ill to think about it. I'll call my lawyer tomorrow.

[mizlplix]

I am sorry to hear your troubles. I have found several "dodgy" companies in the EV community. Either slow to produce product or refusing to warranty a product damaged in shipping.

More so than in any other field I have been in.

When it gets right down to it, you are trusting them to actually have the product AND produce it AND ship it in a reasonable time, AND receive it in a normal/usable condition. A LOT of trust........Not so they.


They are only out a sales pitch. You then have to committ funds. They are in the drivers seat.

It would be nice to have a thread of GOOD buying experiences so we all could cross reference venders. Not just a forum advertiser list. An actual completed deal.

It has been done elsewhere where there had been problems. Also local people have banded togather to go to local venders on others behalf to mediate. To cut down traveling expenses. Like a buyers consortium.

Miz

[Bowser330]

Originally Posted by mizlplix

I am sorry to hear your troubles. I have found several "dodgy" companies in the EV community. Either slow to produce product or refusing to warranty a product damaged in shipping.

More so than in any other field I have been in.

When it gets right down to it, you are trusting them to actually have the product AND produce it AND ship it in a reasonable time, AND receive it in a normal/usable condition. A LOT of trust........Not so they.


They are only out a sales pitch. You then have to committ funds. They are in the drivers seat.

It would be nice to have a thread of GOOD buying experiences so we all could cross reference venders. Not just a forum advertiser list. An actual completed deal.

It has been done elsewhere where there had been problems. Also local people have banded togather to go to local venders on others behalf to mediate. To cut down traveling expenses. Like a buyers consortium.

Miz

+1, great post here

[LithiumaniacsEVRacing]

Not stating it was the FlightPower cells that caused the fire, it could have been human error added. But, Oli's "Black Current" burn't the the ground with FlightPower Cell Packs.