Conclusion to my DPI experiance.

[Mydmc5898]

I have been asked to follow up on the issues with DPI. I was going to do this sooner, however as many of you know what happened with 5898.


Just so I don't have to revisit to much history, here is a link to the problems I had.
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?6878-Issues-with-a-vendor-missing-property-and-faulty-work

I can provide conversations as well showing that I was informed my car had every item either replaced and or fabricated to finish the car when the final payment was demanded. Prior to this I had made arrangements to pick the car up because I feared I would not be able to finish the car, since our agreement (verbal, however you can see in the conversations this was true) was only that work be preformed when a payment was made.
And being I had paid over 50% of the final cost I was told I could take the car unfinished. However that quickly turned to being told I needed to pay in full prior to taking the car. By this time I had already started to fill out and apply for a loan. I informed Josh that the check would not be available until after the weekend. The other option I was given since my car was "complete" was to send the title if not the check.
Being I wanted to extend the benefit of the doubt that perhaps DPI misunderstood our agreement, I sent the check in anticipation of receiving the car. A deadline of Jan 2012 was when Josh felt the DeLorean would be complete. Again this was verbal, however we had many exchanges between Jan 2012-Jan2013 that the car would have been ready several times.

Finally I gave DPI a notice that since the car was paid in full I will be coming to pick it up in Jan 2013. Over a year later from when I was told the car was complete.

In that year span I was told that two motors were bought and turned out to be bad, that his garage was robbed, they had a filming crew as well, had issue sourcing my parts etc...


I just want to make this clear because this seems to be the misunderstanding from nearly everyone.
My bill was PAID IN FULL, I was informed the car was complete just not finished. So this nonsense that it was a money issue is totally bogus.

When picking up the DeLorean, not only was it not finished my personal belongings which DPI requested be sent with the car was missing.
Again you will recall I was told it was complete and all items had been fabricated or installed. Finished just meant that the car didn't have a proper working motor. Until sometime in the fall of 2012 when I was told it had a good working motor installed.

This brings us to this:
Missing items- DeLorean badge, original trunk carpet, laptop plus cable, tail light board.

Damage- Starter stud for main power

Work not preformed- wiring the relays and most of the sensors to the motor

Work done wrong- wiring causing the ecu to burn up, fuel regulator leaking, missing coolant hose at radiator, loose clamp under the intake resulting in the hose blowing off, missing bleeder screw at water pump, leaking timing cover to the point oil dripped on the ground near the oil filter where it ran down, right side valve cover leaking, oil dipstick was loose as well.

Again, I have pictures and documents for each of these plus each invoice I received.

As for the invoices, The fourth invoice which was the final one I agreed to pay the remaining balance: Also listed a new EDIS kit, coolant charge, two separate charges for installing the wiring harness as well. Dated in 2010.

The last invoice I received which I did not get until weeks after I got the car, had those items taken off and charges applied to other items I did not ok or was ever notified. Also you will see I contacted DPI more than once a day almost every day using FB, text, phone calls and emails. prior to picking up the car. So if there were any issues I needed to know about, and made myself very available.

I then asked DPI for a refund to the work that was not preformed. When this failed (after several attempts) I contacted the BBB of Ohio. Right now DPI has a grade F rating.
I then contacted the AG of Ohio. Where they were also brushed off by DPI. So I was left with no choice other than court.
I sued for over $2,600. I was awarded over $1,800 back.

Attached is the findings. Because of a very busy schedule I'm not going to post every conversation. So I will make them available here with request. Just please understand it may take sometime. I saved well over 90% of any documentation. Once school ends and I have hours to spend submitting the hundreds of pages I will if anyone wants them.

I will attach the courts findings.

Now I want to make this clear as well.
I have been asked "why are you making this so public?"
So the best way I can answer that is when I tried to keep this private with just DPI I was ignored. Had I not been quick enough and kept everything documented I could have lost my car to no fault of my own. I also have been told by more than a hand full of people that they have had a similar problem and some are/may being suing as well. However again this is their call, but I will make very piece of information available to them.
This community, which should stand together before backing any vendor. Blindingly following someone simply because you like them isn't an excuse.
Some who have brought DPI up the way I did, given again by my peoples comments and reactions they ask why this had happened to them they are ignored as well and chalked up to someone who simply couldn't pay in some cases. So I'm disappointed a lot of you don't hold the people who depend on us for business, responsible.
Also if any other vendor did this, it should warrant just as much attention. None of them are above criticism, or the law. In my case the court had the last word and I was found to not only right but truthful.

I don't care to have a he said, he said match. Again the court decided this, I can simply provide to you what I did to the court as well. Also I don't want this to become a mythical issue as well. I'd rather this stay with the facts. I'm not here to name call, perhaps DPI has given you fantastic service, and credit is due where it belongs. However for the minority (as I'm aware) we have just as much of a right to offer our experiences. I just ask you be objective when looking at the situation.
What comes to mind is simply this:
DPI (paraphrasing it): I didn't finish your car because it was unsafe, yet I started it I charged you for it.
Me: Why would you start it and not finish it and charge me for it and take my money that I paid in full.
DPI (paraphrasing) Your car was unsafe.
Other multiple members : People only pick on DPI when they can't pay! DPI only does quality work.

I also received messages saying DPI would bash my car at every chance no matter what condition I ever got it to.
So first of all to bad now huh? And haven't any of you ever heard of harassment? Slander? Liable?
Not saying DPI did this to me, however you people can't be this scared.
And before this gets taken out of context, no, DPI never threaten me besides on DMCtalk about reporting my car to the state. However I am a state inspector and very aware of the law and offered to let Josh make his claim to the State Police, it would be a joy watching him make a false police report or claim. In fact in court Josh did not try and make excuses or present the excuses he made on DMCtalk. He did take responsibility however trying to pass some blame to me. Also each claim that was made to how terrible my car is (as in that particular day) I am able to refute with a simple document or picture here or there. (exception of fire)
As long as you are honest you can't worry about a garage pushing you around, just save all your documents.

Also if I sued for the cost of what Firestone charged me to fix the mistakes made by DPI my suit, had it been a customer who did enjoy my discount, would be 3x higher. I was honest enough to only seek the actual cost.22346223472234822346


-Darryl Givens
5898


Also I submitted this to the general section since that was where my last post regarding this issue was.

[thirdmanj]

Well, I certainly put more stock in your write up than Chad's. It's truly terrible when one ends up the fringe anomaly and have a bad experience from such a normally terrific vendor. FWIW, I took 1258 to one of the most reputable classic car resto shops on the east coast (they've got a show on Velocity) and even they botched stuff up pretty badly.
Well, I've been following your posts, and I thank you for getting this out the way you have.

[Delorean Industries]

I'm going to keep this response short since most of this has been hashed out above and beyond. This will be our only response to this matter:


Not fighting this out extensively in court was a simply decision. Our actions on this matter were calculated:

-I personally did not want to waste my time on this matter for one more minute. Every second spent on building a case on the subject is time not committed to other profitable things.

-The cost of fighting such a small requested amount would have been more expensive. Had it been for more we would have mounted a suitable defense to the matter.

-by not fighting the accusations and letting it be stated that the vehicle was not running after leaving DPI and another facility completed remaining articles removed our liability from what we deemed unsafe for road use. Being hit with a judgement or partial judgment for that matter was deemed acceptable to separate ourselves from the car in question.

-We decided to eat the cost what ever it was going to be up to the maximum requested amount. It was the equivalent of an exhaust sale. Everyone remembers the time the coffee cup wasn't labeled hot, the lady sued and the golden arches forked over 11 minutes of morning coffee sales to settle. Same thing here: Absorb it regardless of it being right or wrong because it provides separation from the situation. That was a price we were willing to pay.




I am very troubled by your comments towards the bottom of this post. We have never at any time threatened you in any way shape or form. Our actions towards reporting the car would have been valid and there is no point in us arguing it any further. It is what it is and all parties see it differently. I appreciate you making it clear that we never put you in a position like that. But our one remark in question was not a threat but us doing our duty within the industry.

But if owners posting within this community were actually posting threatening or any remarks at you privately with a negative intent I am very upset. Of course I appreciate the very large following that supports us publicly and privately. BUT that is completely out of line.

[Spittybug]

In my experience with the law, a settlement means a SETTLEMENT. Let it go. Continuing to debate the issue in public, with our without facts, can be grounds for breach of contract. A settlement or court verdict is a form of contract, depending on its wording.

LET IT GO.

I find it interesting that all of this badmouthing about DPI and not working on your "unsafe car" comes up AFTER you settle with an insurance company because it mysteriously immolates. Did you tell them that a reputable Delorean vendor refused to work on it because it was unsafe? I'm betting not.

THESE ARE RHETORICAL QUESTIONS that don't require continued flogging.

DROP IT.

[Mydmc5898]

Yes you did threaten me. I linked it already. And I stated that was the only time, would you like me to provide quotes?

As for letting it go...
Why should I? I was lied to, improperly charged, had damaged done to my car. If it wasn't a big loss at court why not just refund me my money from the beginning?

All work at anyone was submitted to the insurance company. Yes DPI was submitted with the legal findings of the court as well. Along with any and all work of this year.
I wouldn't want to be accused of insurance fraud if that was an issue.
I also stated I planned on realizing this information prior to the fire. Dates were time stamped as well. I also spoke with vendors as well, as well as Stow if this was a legal course to take. I had to refer to an attorney. Since this is legal and public it doesn't not cause a breach of contract.
The only breach was the money I paid and the failed work.

[Mydmc5898]

Actully the "bad mouthing" or as I would call it with the documents that provide proof to my story...

Occurred in that first link many months ago, I waited until the check arrived and was cashed. That week was prior to the fire.

So yes DPI did threaten

And yes, I had already brought this up.

And no, I don have to "let it go" I lost money and time. Plus the aggravating and stress involved allows me to alert others at every opportunity. Had this been any vendor I would do the same.

[Mydmc5898]

Sorry... refusing to work on my car? Why did they charge me in excess of $13k? And when I stated that he didn't have to finish it, he stated he already did... Yes all of those documents were submitted. I actually addressed those very questions.

If you can explain how that is refusal I would love to hear it.
If someone takes $13k out of your pocket that hardly seems to be refusing.
If not, please explain.

[Mydmc5898]

These were the safety issues...
Rot in the closing plate
Rot on the lower left part of the frame, about the size of a fist
The right side of the crumple tube

Plus all shocks appear to have been leaking.

However it was disccused that the car would be towed out of DPI in whatever condition. So it really didn't matter how unsafe the car was.

However this was all known prior to starting work on the car...

At the time of my posting these had already been fixed/replaced.

So I again fail to see the issue. This idea the car was sooooo unsafe to finish apparently didn't matter when the money was taken.

I do like how the tune changes too.
We just decided to pay after being reported to the BBB, AG and sued because it was easier than just refunding....

Or should allow that to just go as well...?


I'm asking questions yet again and failing to get any responses.

Also I apologize to whatever comment I hit "report" phone did not cooperate when loading.

[DeLorean03]

As for letting it go...
Why should I? I was lied to, improperly charged, had damaged done to my car. If it wasn't a big loss at court why not just refund me my money from the beginning?

All work at anyone was submitted to the insurance company. Yes DPI was submitted with the legal findings of the court as well. Along with any and all work of this year.
I wouldn't want to be accused of insurance fraud if that was an issue.
I also stated I planned on realizing this information prior to the fire. Dates were time stamped as well. I also spoke with vendors as well, as well as Stow if this was a legal course to take. I had to refer to an attorney. Since this is legal and public it doesn't not cause a breach of contract.
The only breach was the money I paid and the failed work.

I have been following this development lately, and I think you've done what you desired. You've alerted the community that you feel you were wronged. You've made your case very overt, and I respect that. As the title states: the "general conclusion" to your experience with DPI, and I feel that this thread needs to be just that - a conclusion. I hope that can be accomplished.

[Mydmc5898]

That's fine, I agree.
I don't feel I will get any answers in anyway.

[DeLorean03]

That's fine, I agree.
I don't feel I will get any answers in anyway.

You're a good man, Darryl.

With such a response, I am going on record and locking the thread with Darryl's blessing to do so. I assume full accountability for this action and will answer to the administrators if it is deemed necessary.