Help With Prospeed/michael Wachholz Options

[GaryK]

I've mentioned this on this board before, but my situation hasn't changed and I'd like to see if anybody here could help out. I paid Michael Wachholz for an f-body brake kit and a set of brake pads over a year ago, and to date have only received the caliper brackets and a couple brake lines. Over time, I kept hearing excuses for the rest of the stuff not shipping, until he finally got tired of me inquiring I guess. He blocked all my emails and stopped answering the phone. Whenever I would get him on the phone, he would hang up on me as soon as he knew who was calling.

I tried working with the local law enforcement when he was still in Minnesota, but they weren't of any help. Looking at his website (www.prospeedmotorsport.com), it seems that he is now in Scottsdale, Arizona. Is there anybody that knows him and can get something done about this?

I got a judgement against him, but being in Virginia it doesn't do me much good. If anybody can do anything to either get my money or get my parts, I'd be willing to pay you something for your time.

[Teutonic Speedra...]

That sucks! I wish I could help, but I don't think I am of any use. I feel for you!

[98_1LE]

How did you pay him? If by CC, you may be able to dispute the charge.

[GaryK]

I paid via paypal, straight out of my bank account. I learned a tough lesson...if you don't have the product in your hands within 3 weeks, seek a refund immediately. I listened to his excuses too long and paypal would not help me. Even if I had paid via a credit card, I've also learned that for the best chance of getting your money back you better file a fraud complaint within a month. By the time I realized what was going on, I was well out of the timeframe for disputes.

[CMC#5]

That sucks man. Hopefully someone local to him can help. That's ridiculous. Are there collections agencies that might be able to help?

[rmackintosh]

Yeah that sucks bad! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

I had the same issues with him....took me 6 months to get my kit.....fortunately I got the final pieces about a few weeks before his "fire sale" when he was trying to clean up the last few pieces, and needed some positive press out there....I NEVER gave any....

I can't believe however, that he took the money and is refusing to either A) produce the rest of the kit or (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) refund the money that wouuld have gone to calipers etc......THAT is robbery!

...anyone live in Arizona???

If not I would plan my next family vacation to that "garden" spot and pay a visit on day one!

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rant.gif)

[Jeff97FST/A]

Interesting note on his/their web page:

Note: We no longer carry any caliper parts.However you can get all the caliper parts you need from StopTech, LLC.Call them and speak with Linda (ext 102) They're great folks and will be able to help you.Tell her you would referred by Michael at Prospeed

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[GaryK]

I'd like to pay him a visit, but it wouldn't do me any good if I did what I'd *really* like to do. I could just show up and maybe just being confronted in person would prompt him to do something, but if he refuses to then I have no legal means at that point. Unless I can get criminal charges against him somehow, it seems that the police department isn't able to do anything to help either.

I'm trying to figure out how I can go further with the judgement and collect the money by garnishment or another means, but I really don't know much about how this stuff works. I would think there is a way to do it without having go through his local court system, but so far I haven't had any luck. I have also tried to talk to some local attorney's about it, but they don't seem interested in helping because I presume they stand to make little money by doing so. At the very least, I'd like to get it on his credit record so he can't borrow any money.

I really can't believe Wachholz was willing to so blatantly rip someone off, but I guess it was all in the timing of things. Apparently he just figured he could get some extra money out of me by pulling this before "getting out of the brake business". Or maybe he got mad at me when I asked for a refund a few months after I sent the money. I don't see how the guy can possibly justify what he's done, he must be a real piece of work.

I saw that note on the Prospeed website, and I thought it was interesting too. I considered calling Stoptech to see if they could help me, but based on my experiences thus far I know they won't want to get in the middle of it. A while back, I found some people grumbling about Wachholz on the Rennlist Porsche forums, and I let them know what he did to me. A couple people claimed they could help, but when I contacted them in private they just said they didn't want to get involved.

[GaryK]

That sucks man. Hopefully someone local to him can help. That's ridiculous. Are there collections agencies that might be able to help?

I don't know what a collection agency can do. I hadn't really thought about that, but maybe they could help. I'll have to try contacting some to see...

[mitchntx]

It appears, Gary, that you are in that perverbial "gray area".

Too much money to just write it off to experience and too little money to spend more money in order to collect.

He and I had words towards the end concerning payment. He had sourced some new rotors for me and drilled them. I had sent him a partial payment (about 80% as I recall) and he refused to send the rotors till I had paid in full.

I knew he had forked over the cost of the rotors from Porsche and was in a bind. I explained with all the crap going on at the time with folks paying and not recieveing their goods, I wanted the parts shipped and once they arrived, I would pay the rest.

He didn't like it all ... but he did it anyway.

[CMC#5]

I think legaly you may have some recourse, but its going to cost more money and time up front. Assuming Prospeed was an LLC at the time of your transaction, then this Michael is not responsible (legally) for debt accrued by Prospeed, even though he's the owner and sole employee. That said, you can still sue Prospeed, win, get an injunction, and effectively take over Prospeed...at which time Michael can simply dissolve it and walk away. I think you'll have better luck finding someone that'll threaten to break his legs if he doesn't pay.

[GaryK]

The paypal records show the recipient of the payment as Michael Wachholz, as opposed to Prospeed Motorsports. I don't know if that means anything or not. Also, the judgement I filed for was against Wachholz, trading as Prospeed Motorsport. I don't know what that really means legally either. Prospeed is and was an LLC.

I actually don't think he'd want to dissolve Prospeed and just walk away. While he isn't selling brake parts any more, it seems that he has invested some time and money into developing his own brake fluid.

Yep, it would be nice to find someone that would break his legs if he didn't pay up. Oh, how I'd love to arrange for that to happen. But I don't think I want to get involved in something like that. Based on what this guy did to me, and what I've read about him pulling on other people, he probably walks around looking over his shoulder all the time. Sooner or later, there's gonna be somebody that tracks him down and gives him a beatin'.

[1LEThumper]

Well damn man, I would have hoped you would have gotten that taken care of by now. After I filed a dispute with my CC company he got all pissed off and filed one back saying he had shipped everything and tried to show that by sending just one rotor quoting that the shipping weight was like 50lbs. Right..... So yeah I had kept all of my reciepts, printed them off along with all of the postings on the different web boards, filed with the BBB in his home town and then sent that packet off to the CC Company and they sided with me and gave me my money back again.

If you paid for it up front...short of just going up there and taking it from him first hand I'm not sure really how to get it back.

Sorry to hear all of your problems with it all. I don't have my computer down here in Texas or I'd resend all of my emails to ya, or do you have all of mine between me and Micheal?