Gokartsusa.com Beware !!!

[Dougy]

Just a quick heads up for you guys, I've been buying bits an pieces for my diesal bike for a while now, but the main thing I've been unable to buy in the UK is the comet torque converter, for this I had to go to USA and I choose a company called gokartsusa.com, well I won't go on but it's been a couple of months now and still no parts and it's looking increasingly likely that I'll not see them or my $500 again. So learn from my mistakes and don't touch them with a bargepole.

Anyone got a comet???

[coachgeo]

Not sure how you missed it but we've discussed a good bit in here that Comet went out of biz himm... a good year ago now. There was a company mentioned a few months ago that has bought up all there material and may ramp it all back up into production. Gocart may be stalling you to keep your sale while this company gets into production?? orrrr.... they sent money to comet for your parts and got left holding an empty bag.

Either way they should have updated you immediatly and openly about what is going on.

[bhtooefr]

I've heard that they basically rebrand Chinese clones of Comet torque converters, and then have the balls to say that it was made in the USA, so... yeah, I wouldn't go with them even if they actually DID send the parts.

[Dougy]

Yeah I know Comet have gone bust but you can still buy them Stateside, I realised afterwards that the one I orded is a rip off one but there identicle dimention wise, and I was eager to get the project going, my thinking was all parts are supposed to be interchangable with the Comet so I'd be ok. I've never been ripped of like this before an I had a bad night last night trying to figure out what to do ! But in the end there's nothing practicle you can do !

[LocomotiveBreath]

You can always email me with your CVT wants. I'll contact my supplier of your needs.

I googled the gokartusa phone # 925-906-0330, and it looks like a scam. I did see a Walnut Creek address which is local for me, I'll look into it.

Dave
Dieselscooters@yahoo.com

[Dougy]

WOW proper result, Dave I would really apprieciate it if you would do that, it's allmost to good to be true to have a member living around the corner to them !

[LocomotiveBreath]

Now I have to pester them, they have the Taco Mini-Bike dealer. My Taco 22 was my first motorcycle back in 1967, http://www.steenstacominibikes.com/

See if we can't turn this into a win-win deal.

[coachgeo]

ohh.. this is in part why I so much love bulletin boards. The good people you come across on them.

[pietenpol2002]

Noteworthy is the fact that the BBB address for Gokartsusa is the same one listed for GTC industries, which claims to be the "manufacturer" of the Comet products for Gokartsusa. And for the record, the BBB rating for Gokartsusa is an F (with F being the worst rating you can get).

[Dougy]

To put it mildly, it's been a steep learning curve, but it's not over till it's over as they say, We have Trading Standards in the UK who you can complain to about a bad company or product, is your version of this in the States the BBB ?

[bhtooefr]

Trading Standards is governmental, and therefore has power, the BBB is not, and therefore can only drag a company's name through the mud, there's no actual legal recourse the BBB has.

State Attorneys General are the closest thing that we have to Trading Standards, I'd say.

[Sphere]

Is this is it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Business_Bureau

Seems useless to me...

[Dougy]

Just to let you know that Locomotivebreath has been working really hard behind the scenes to sort this out for me and has allready put loads of presure on them to do the right thing, why ? He doesn't know me from Adam ! Because he's a true biker and a gentleman, and whatever happens mate I really thank you for your efforts. If you ever need a friend in the UK I'll be there a 100 mph

[LocomotiveBreath]

Just to let everyone know, Dougy recieved his CVT on Monday. Come on Dougy, tell the forum about your new CVT.

Dave

[Stuart]

Well done that man Dave!

[andrewaust]

Great stuff Dave, great to see forum members helping each other out



A

[Dan J]

One thing I've always loved about this forum and the community around it is just how helpful everyone is. Nice work Dave and I'm sure Dougy is very appreciative of your efforts.

Group hug?

[Dougy]

Yeah big thanks Dave (locomotivebreath), I owe you bigtime ! To those who don't know I Tried to buy a torque converter from gokartsusa.com for my Yanmar diesal, and without checking their background (I know don't say anything) I wired them the money ( then more money because they didn't know they got charged for recieving wire transfares !) and I waited for my parts.... And waited.... And waited.... You get the idea, when I tried to contact them by phone the system sends you to the website who tell you to fill in a help card stating your problem, after you do this you press enter AND.... It says it will be processed just as soon as you call them on them by telephone ! Literally hundreds of phone calls and unanswed emails later, ( it's not cheap to call California from the uk) I had managed to contact them twice and after both times the answer phone was turned back on straight away, needless to say they are a nightmare to deal with and I would not recomend them, EVER. Now It turns out Dave is from California and took pity on a fellow biker, didn't know me from Adam but said he'd "look into it for me", now I don't know what he said too them,but as soon as they found out I had some local back up ( who doesn't like answer phones or like listening to crap) thing changed literally overnight, he was outraged by their bad buiseness practises and proper rattled there cage everyday untill I got what I paid for, and even made sure that fedex never charged me for extra postage when he found out they had stated the parcels weight was 4 kilos lighter than it actually was.
I thank you again mate and I'm positive that without your help I would have waited a lot longer to revieve it, and it would have been doubtfull if I ever would.
The Torque converter actually looks quite good after saying all that, it's called a TC2 from GTC manufacturing, and it's supposed to be fully compatible with the Comet TAV2 torque converters, BUT on closer examination it does look like it's been fitted to something before, there's little marks here an there which might mean that I might have the demonstration model ??? But don't get me wrong as I'm just glad to have Something for my money ! The mounting bracket is quality aluminium billet, and the pullys are thick and heavy duty

[Sphere]

Great story. Well done Dave, you can stop leaning on them now

[Dougy]

Great story. Well done Dave, you can stop leaning on them now

Agreed, toooo much wasted time here.

I've got my boys bike to finish off then it's 'daughters diesal time', i've got the transmission now and the engine, the donor bikes arrived ( it's a bit of a barn find) so I 've got to convince the DVLA
to give me an age related plate and I'm off, see you in the build section....