Does he owe you any money??

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Great so we Carnt Private message or promote a private group where we can share sensitive information - this is a really helpful forum.

Starting to think Chris was right and this forum makes money every time someone visits it with the advertising hence why your against anyone going to another group.

I've now set up a Facebook group for all customers and ex employees who have been left out of pocket by Chris.

The group is called [removed]

It's a closed group so anything posted is only seen by the members of the group.

Chris does read these posts on this forum hence the need to take it somewhere private.

I agree, multiple threads of different issues makes knowing just how many people are in our situation very difficult. As an update to my car, I had it dropped off by NWMC and the "business is being taken over by the receivers who will be in touch with me" (that was after my last phone call last week).

So they just randomly turned up with your car and dropped it off.

Carnt understand why he's gone to the bother of delivering some cars back to owners but then others have been left there for the liquidators to seize.

Hello Tiger

It was on a mini group on Facebook but unfortanatly chris has decided to delete his personal Facebook account and so the posts have disappeared.

But apparently a number of people paid for bits to be posted out (one person in Canada) and they haven't received any bits.

Bizarrely Chris arranged for them to be brought back to us on a trailer. Apparently he couldn't find the wheels! Felt sorry for the guy delivering because he was under the illusion that he would get paid! Delivery guy also said that he had taken a car to Chris earlier in the week for work to be done on it??? So he must still be conning people.

This is what I find strange. Why did he arrange to have your car brought back to you when everyone else's are still sat there waiting to be collected. He didn't normally do anything off his own back and would very often arrange for customers to pick up there uncompleted cars when he wasn't there.

He's apparently over the last few months been advertising on various mini groups on Facebook that he is 'breaking' various minus

- with what looks like photos just taken inside his stoatage unit,

quite a few people never received goods

but apparently some who collected did so wouldn't be surprised if that's where your bits have gone.

How did you get your mini back?

Did he deliver it or did you have to collect it.

So I now have most of my mini back in bits - missing the wheels - which I was told would be with me on Thursday 14th September. No surprises when they didn't turn up!

 

So the value of the car was £2500. It was road worthy but we agreed that it would be 'showroom' quality when it was restored. It needed quite a bit of work and we agreed a price. I have invoices for 2 instalments. I have countless text and photos of work being done (welding). At one point he sent a photo of someone else's mini 'primed' and when we went to see him he had to admit it was someone else's as ours hadn't been touched since our last visit. I have invoices showing the amounts we paid.

 

I don't hold out much hope of getting my money back - he's disposed of the company assets. My agreement was with North West Mini Centre! He needs to be held accountable and not let loose on unsuspecting victims.

How did you get the car and bits back?

Because he's been taking money off people since 2011 for restoration work that he's never done.

The fact over a 6-7 year period he's filled two large storage units and a yard with customers cars and not even touched them while living a life of luxury is to me fraud.

He text me two weeks ago and told me he didn't have the cash,time or means to complete my car yet the same week he took on a friends car as in insurance job and completed the work.

his in it's self proves he did.

He's told everyone he's skint and has no money yet handed over £3500 to someone that seized his tools off him on Friday morning.

He's took a deposit off a customer then emailed them weeks later saying work is going on and we are ready for first instalment money's been sent then a few weeks later same again yet the car hasn't been touched - it's blatant fraud.

I'm not saying we have to persue him as a group but as a group of victims we are better equipped to deal with it, seek advice and move forward.

You seem very negative to the whole thing.

Have you had dealings with Chris??

Does he owe you money??

better to each complain

 

no need for any kind of group

Police would see one person complaining as a civil matter and it being more of s disgruntled customer rather than a serious fraud.

The fact he's done it to so many people surly proves it was a con.

I'm keen to set up some kind of group just go try and group all his victims together so we can try and work out how to move forward and try and get him brought to book for what he's done.

I'm very certain if a group of us went to Derbyshire police and made formal complains about his dealings they would feel inclined to investigate as it's pretty clear Chris was running a ****.

I don't believe he had any intention of completing any of the restoration work he took on and I'm yet to hear of a satisfied customer.

How did it go recovering your mini??

Was chris there on the day and did he offer any kind of explanation??

if liquidators are going in Monday there's no point me taking him to the small claims court?

I just wonder given that 9 months after dropping my car off in a driveable state for a paint job it now looks like it's out of a scrap yard and will need trailerling away could i not try and go down the criminal road and have him done for fraud and criminal damage??

I am just gathering everything I have to go to a solicitor on Monday, I have pictures from 2014 just before Chris picked up my mini and it is in better condition then, than it does now (3years and £2k later)

How have you got on regarding the solicitor?? I am keen to take action but just wonder if there's any point for a £600 debt. I have no paperwork it was a verbal agreement but I do have texts where he's told me to bring the car and money down on a certain day and he will crack on with it.

Interestingly a local company he owes money too is taking him individually to court and not the business as they reckon they have a better chance of getting the money back.

Hi BankFodder,

 

I gave Chris my car some years ago to restore. Progress was claimed to be being made but having collected my car last week zero progress has been made. Unfortunately money was paid on good faith that work was progressing.

 

I have sent Chris a letter today requesting full refund of monies paid given that no work was done.

 

 

I have requested a response within two works or I shall seek to recover the costs through the courts, as well as reporting this fraudulent activity to the police.

 

 

I shall also be informing the relevant trading standards department in the next couple of days.

 

I would be keen to hear if you have any information on how customers in similar situations have fared with similar complaints.

 

Many thanks,

Good luck with that one!! Chris did a moonlight flit on Thursday (14 sept) and is apparently heading south. NWMC is in the process of being wound up with liquidators apparently going in next week to cease assets - of which there are very few as Chris has taken anything valuable with him.

I'm keen to find out exactly how many people he owes money too and exactly how much as I feel that this goes beyond a civil matter and given the amount of people effected it should be a criminal matter!

My worry is he's up and gone with his tool box in tow and his aim is to set up in another part of the country with a new name and start all over again. If we can stop him and bring him to book for his actions then it needs doing.

He's gone pal did you manage to get your car??

You can't pm as a newbie

 

Please read our rules regarding off thread contact

 

We understand you are helping well

And thank you

 

But cag is for everyone to be able to read things

Not exchange useful info out of sight of all

Don't wish to exchange useful info but rather give the number of the guy trying to sort out the vehicles left behind in this carnage - as you can understand I'm not going to share someone's personal details on a forum anyone can read but oh well silly admin rules and all that.

This is exactly what he's done.

He's spent all this week secretly removing assets from his workshop and has left very little assets left for the liquidators to put towards debts.

I'd be interested to know more on the trading standards involved and I have wondered about it the police can take any action considering the amount of people he's [problem]med.

If you wish to discuss further please PM me a number.

Hi,

Did you happen to see a mini pickup in any of his storage areas?

the set up consists of a main workshop/office

, large yard to rear then another large unit down the road and more storage in another yard.

All are packed full of Minis and many other shells/cars in various states.

I'd suggest collecting sooner rather than later.

Just a quick update.

Chris told me last week he didn't have the cash or means to finish my car and that I was welcome to pick up when I wanted too but as he had 'prepped' the car for paint, removed the bumpers, lights etc he was keeping the cash as he had technically started the work.

I've been told tonight that he's been caught by one of his angry customers trying to do a flit with his toolbox and some of his equipment strapped to his trailer all hooked up to his discovery.

The trailer/equipment have been seized by the customer until his car and cash are returned.

We went up tonight mainly to weigh up my Golf but there's still lots of vehicles -mainly minis in his rear yard.

His workshop is apparently empty with all ramps and equipment gone.

Can I suggest if you have vehicles still there you arrange to collect them asap.

I would imagine the unit will be quickly re-let.

There's a lot of very angry people locally who he owes money too including me!

Yes he's still trading apparently.

Two of his customers had their cars recovered yesterday (Monday 26th) by recovery companies. Chris was no where to be seen and left it all to his business partner who looked embarrassed by the whole thing and claimed he works independantly of Chris - personally I think this is rubbish but hey ho.

There's rumours locally he's about to do a flit so act quickly !

I know Chris very well and have done for many years.

Sadly it seems I'm another one of his victims.

I paid Chris £600 upfront in January this year to repaint my mk 4 golf anniversary.

He stated that as the body shop side of his business was quiet over winter he could do mine between other jobs and it would be done in 3-4 weeks from then.

Nearly 6 months later and I'm still waiting.

The car is sat in the same place I parked it back in January.

Last month (April) I had a talk with him and told him I wanted the car and cash back and that i would get the work done elsewhere.

He promised to crack on with it and days later the bumpers, lights etc were removed,

now we are back to square one with my car sat rotting away.

It's been there that long there's 3mm of tree sap caked on the car.

Chris avoids replying to my texts.

I've been told by a very good friend of Chris's that he has over 40 cars waiting for extensive restoration work

the majority of customers having paid upfront all to lavish Chris's lifestyle.

His friend admitted he doubted any of the cars would ever get done and that it was only a matter of time before he 'Did a flit' back to his belovied Cornwall.

His working week consists of 3 days now.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

On Thursday evening he travels down to Cornwall returning Tuesday.

He's well aware of the comments on this forum and reckons most is liable and that he's tried several times to get it taken down but to no avail.

Posts claiming people have served court papers on him are also false according to him with most of the negative comments coming from a disgruntled ex member of staff that was sacked - the guy lives in fairy land.

I don't know how the guy has the brass neck to continue taking money off people.