Sideoiler Garage Aluminium Block

[McGaviR]

Hi fellow FE fans,
I would like to put a call out for some assistance. In April of this year (2017), we ordered a new Sideoiler Garage aluminium block directly from Tim Mcloughlin on the understanding it was ready for dispatch by the end of the week. Unfortunately the block was never dispatched and after several weeks of limited communication it turned out that all the blocks recently cast were defective. At our request and on the basis of being unable to supply, Tim agreed to return our funds. Unfortunately it is now December and we are yet to see our monies returned. The last promise was made in September which confirmed the refund by the end of October. We have been sympathetic to the casting faults and I understand several batches after the April castings have also proven to be defective, but I think we have suffered enough! Tim is now proving to be impossible to contact. At least weekly I call and leave messages, send text messages and email, however the vast majority are ignored. I have had no contact since September. Any advice or suggestions on how I might be able to contact Tim in the hope we can bring this disaster to a satisfactory end?

[patrickt]

Ahhh, nothing like the "help me publicly shame someone so I can get my money back" move for your very first post.

[McGaviR]

I appreciate your response and apologise for your interpretation of my post. My intention was not to publicly shame. For the FE community, suppliers of aftermarket blocks is critical. As I mentioned, I am sympathetic to the casting issues being experienced by Sideoiler Garage and I hope they are resolved quickly and Sideoiler Garage can successfully supply the market into the future.

The challenge that I face is that we have paid for a aluminium SOG block some 9+ months ago and it is unable to be supplied. For some 8 months, we have been patiently waiting for the monies to be returned as promised. Most distressing is that I haven't been able to communicate with Tim from Sideoiler Garage since September 2017 (4 months) despite big efforts using a variety of methods (phone, email, text messages). My post was not intended to shame, rather a desperate attempt to contact Sideoiler Garage through another communication medium. Perhaps Tim actively visits this forum or a colleague/friend of Tim's views my post and can pass the message on that I am very eager to resolve this situation.

[twobjshelbys]

You're probably not going to get your money back from him any time soon. How did you pay for it? You should always use a credit card for purchases like this since you can go to the credit card company for the refund. You might have already waited too long though, since most require you do initiate within a short period (2-3 months). Good luck

[Grubby]

Isn't Tim Mcloughlin gentleman that ran Genesis?

Is the operation located in Indianapolis?

John

[eschaider]

Their website is unfinished. That might be because it is in its construction phase. That said a nine month old unfulfilled order and an incomplete website does not inspire confidence. Did you fully pay for the block or did you place a deposit with final payment at delivery? The telephone number off their website corresponds to a Gary, Indiana location.

The company has a great sounding name but appears to fall a bit short of the mark in the delivery / fulfillment departments. There are other suppliers that can probably better and more reliably serve your needs. You might want to look into one or more of them.

My bet is your money is gone and your block will never arrive. The only unspoken question at this time is what do you want to do about it. You could pursue him in Small Claims depending on Indiana's claim size limitations. You could pay a lawyer to pursue him for you or you could walk away, lick your wounds, learn from the experience and pick a better supplier.

That final choice can only be made by you.


Ed

[McGaviR]

Correct, Tim McLoughlin that runs Sideoiler Garage is the same person that operated under the Genesis banner. I haven’t had any contact from him since September 2017 despite a huge number of attempts from me. It has been a long wait for our funds to be returned but I am still hopeful that Tim will do the right thing by us.

[eschaider]

At this point I wouldn't bet on a happy ending, too much time has gone by.

If this is the hold up on your build it is probably time to source a new block provider.


Ed

[Grubby]

McGaviR,

If you need me to stop by Tim's office in Indy, I can do that. I could hand deliver a letter. Not sure it would help.

I work in Indianapolis.

John

[40k Later]

12345

[twobjshelbys]

Listen guys. These engines are special and take a talented and knowledgeable person to work on them. If someone out of the blue suddenly pops up in a place like this (with a limited audience) making wild a** promises with no history you should see a huge football stadium of red flags. There are some long term reputable people (all most likely way past drawing social security) that ought to be on your short list from the forum. There are likely to be equally qualified and reputable folks "in your back yard" that don't look for wide-area and on-line presence. But if you see something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

[Grubby]

Tim McLoughlin left some people holding an empty bag when Genesis closed up.

John