Accelerated Truckmounts - Is it worth the risk?

[Duane Oxley]

I tried a dual filter approach. Discovered that the primary filter would clog first and faster and the finer filter hardly anything. I removed the primary filter and just use the 2ndary since it has about 2-3x the surface area.

Ron:

This one is different. The primary is a coarse filter, made of perforated stainless with 1/8" holes. The secondary has a very fine screen. The reason is to filter out sheep wool, which is more common in carpet in Australia and New Zealand.

 

[joe harper]

Duane...


I hope my post..was not offensive to you...?
I know nothing about you or your company...."I was just generalizing...!"

I wasn't offering advice to you....I was only ...making a suggestion.. :|

I have just learned ..that when someone says..."It's NOT the MONEY...It is the PRINCIPAL.."

"IT IS ALWAYS THE MONEY..!!!!!!!!!!"


There is ONLY...one way to ...to compensate this MAN... :!:

........................"STROKE THE CHECK"................. !gotcha!

 

[Duane Oxley]

Harper:

When Michael found out after- the- fact that a propane system would meet certain obstacles on import, we spent several days on the phone and internet with the various sources in Australia and here, to find if there was a way through it all for him. When it was determined that there wasn't , we tore down and rebuilt that system for him free of any additional charge onto another frame, modifying that second frame in the process, ordering a new heating system for it so it could be oil- fired, not propane, etc. All in all, that was no small concession on our end.

Once we get past this initial roughness and things get more normal, I'll make sure that his support is exemplary. In the meantime, I really don't think that anything other than getting his system up and running will be appreciated.

We got his filter today. There are a few incidentals that I'm bringing in to include with this package to him that he is not expecting. And it will all leave for Australia Wednesday.

 

[Becker]

Not that anyone cares.


But 1st of all. I'd not send that kind of money to another country for anything. In other words. I'd not pay up front. Perhaps some kind of deposit, escrow of some kind.. A trusted 3rd party.
No TM builders in your county?

2nd.
Ok, so lets say I did send $20k for a TM that was told could be shipped in a week and it took months to receive. I'd blow a gasket!
No excuse for a delay of this magnitude!

3rd.
I'd blow a 2nd gasket if my calls were being avoided. Be a man pick up the phone and be honest. I'd demand a refund after such a delay and find a better source for my next TM. But because the deal was between counties a demand only goes so far with out investing much more money.

With all that said.

I think Duane is a stand up guy. And ya can't judge a guy by one mistake. You judge a guy by what he does to correct the problem.
We all make mistakes.

I'd never pay up front.

Look at the Ace deal.

Look at the deals with the guy that built Waldo machine.

Look at all the Ebay scams.

Look at all the contractors screwing home owners willing to pay up front for remodels.

I don't accept payment up front for my services, and I don't pay up front for certain purchases without recourse or protection.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I always hated getting paid before I did the job....felt jynxed by it, and removed the "hunger factor" that motivates production.

 

[Becker]

I always hated getting paid before I did the job....felt jynxed by it, and removed the "hunger factor" that motivates production.

LOL


Yeah, I'll admit the checks sometimes blank are waiting on the counter after I let myself in via hide a key or code.

But, sometimes when giving bids, and them setting a cleaning date I've had clients reach to write me a check..
Normaly old folks.

Now with a custom build, it is a bit tricky.
No one wants to lose out. The customer or the builder.

So tricky.

Deposit, sure. Payment in full.. No way.. Stupid of any consumer to release those kind of funds with our protection or recourse.

 

[steve g]

I am posting here to share the experience I had with Accelerated Truckmounts so that any other unsuspecting soul is spared the grief my wife and I have been through in the past year.

Before ordering a machine from Duane Oxley, I did my research.

On every forum I visited, I got the same message: Duane Oxley is very knowledgeable and a man of good repute. I even emailed several former clients, and was assured that Duane was a man of integrity.

Nevertheless, handing over nearly $20,000 to a complete stranger in another country did leave me feeling nervous.

To cut a long story short, I ordered a Dominator Truckmount System in November 2009, and paid for it in full.

I was told by Duane that the system could built in 3 days and crated in 2 more, with the target date for shipping being December 18, 2009.

December 2009 came and went, and so did January and Febuary 2010.

By March 2010, I was starting to get anxious. After two weeks of being unable to contact Duane I posted a thread on the TMF asking if anyone could help me get in touch with him.

When Duane finally responded to me, I told him that I was tired of the excuses and wanted to know the real reason for the delays.

Duane responded by telling me that in January 2010 a company had come to him in a ‘frenzy’ wanting 4 custom machines built immediately. He told me that he decided to take the order on because it would help the growth of his business. Unbeknown to me, he then put my order on the back burner.

Again more months passed, and excuses for more delays kept coming.

In July 2010, the machine finally arrived, and it has been sitting in my driveway ever since.

Why? Because after Duane had shipped the system, he informed me that he had not included all the parts that make the system complete and operable. Duane promised that he would air freight them to me and I would have them within 5 days.

Among the missing parts are filters for the vacuum recovery box, the solution hose reel and a number of other parts that were paid for in full when the system was ordered.

That was in July 2010. It is now October 2010, almost a full year after the equipment was ordered and paid for, and I still don’t have those parts.

It is obvious that a lot of people think very highly of Mr Oxley, and we are happy for those who have never had a nightmare experience like ours.

you still never answered the question why did you buy a broke dick garage unit, when you could have just bought a prochem that would be supported by a Disty in the country you live in??

 

[Mikey P]

I dont think the guy will be back Steve.

 

[Willy P]

I always hated getting paid before I did the job....felt jynxed by it, and removed the "hunger factor" that motivates production.

I just got a big chuckle from that Lee- I won't put the cheque in my wallet until I'm loaded up and ready to go.Same reasons. It just doesn't feel right.

 

[Heathrow]

Steve the simple answer I'd imagine would be that Duanes units are WAAAY cheaper than the equivalent specced Prochem down under. I think even a lil PC Blazer setup is well over 20 grand down this way. Also up until now Duane has had a great reputation down under with a few units (probably more) floating around, and as the guy said - he did his homework and thought that Duane was a safe bet to deal with over that distance. Bad timing I guess :|

I should add that I looked very hard at getting one of Duanes (or TCS's) units when I started out, but a used 405 came along at the right price so it saved me a lot of hassle importing.

 

[randy]

There are way too many truck mount makers in this industry and more than a few with insufficient capital to operate as a going concern. When you see a "manufacturer" that requires huge up front cash it is because they don't have the capital OR credit lines to secure the materials to build the product you are ordering. Basically from a strict accounting analysis they are already bankrupt just too stupid to realize it or in deep denial. When Ace, Steamway (and more than a few others) went south a few cleaners took huge financial hits on undelivered or grossly defective units.

If Accelerated or any other manufacturer can't go to their banker and get a bridge loan then why in the world would any carpet cleaner extend interest free financing to a near-defunct operation.

In this economy many truck mount makers will disappear and Accelerated will obviously be one of them. That "company" has been on borrowed time for years, this continuing recession and poor standards of communication, customer service and management will turn out their lights for good eventually.

Buy a unit that has already been manufactured by a legitimate operation (that operates in a business like manner) and is on a dealer's floor, pay when you pick it up NEVER BEFORE.

 

[Duane Oxley]

Hey, Ran...

You sound like so many nay- sayers that have been saying the same thing since I started in this business in 1996. "They're a small company. They'll be out of business in a year or less..." While it's true that we've been historically funded with lower reserves than I'd prefer, large deposits from customers for standard production machines have never been required. However, we have accepted them when offered, because the amount of the deposit for a standard system is irrelevant, as long as it's something that we know the customer will not back away from. As I said above, we always require deposits on custom designed / custom built systems. To not do so would be foolish. And if you think otherwise, you're out of touch with reality. I've spent more time than I can count with guys who call us up and want me to redesign a system we already build for them with "just a few changes", who are all for it until time comes to pay for it.

Regarding standard systems, picked up at our place, we do require as a matter of policy a $500 minimum, non- refundable, for us to set aside the time to devote to installing a system, which takes the better part of a day. Nothing is more frustrating than to set aside a block of time for a "no- show", who calls a week later and blames it on his wife, etc.

Regarding shipping a system, we simply don't unless it's paid for prior to shipping. The only exception is a domestic, leased system, in which case we have a written commitment from the lease company to pay when the customer is satisfied.

We have shipped several systems overseas over the last few years without such a mess as this one. As I said, it was a culmination of events that simply got out of control and left battle scars and learning experiences. And if I was more like most people, you may have been more correct in your statement. However, I simply don't give up. And I know that what we produce now gives us a market advantage over other systems in ways that we never had before. The next edition of the heat exchangers I've designed will drive that point home much more clearly in coming months.

Regarding funding, the fact is that every time I go to the bank, they approach me about getting a line of credit. Qualifying is simple, but I'd rather not. I hate owing money. Instead, I've arranged a partial payout of my inheritance in the form of an "investment" from family that doesn't have to be paid back.

In a year, I'll remind you of your statement above...

 

[steve g]

I have only ever seen one accelerated machine, and you could squeeze the pump out belt that runs under the engine with TWO, yeah thats right TWO fingers and visibly see the frame of the machine flex. its no wonder so many people have been duped by Nigerian money scams. I can't believe how much trust with money people have.

the question I have is if the board is going to continue to accept advertising money, or is it the same as ACE and connections.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Not that anyone cares.


But 1st of all. I'd not send that kind of money to another country for anything. In other words. I'd not pay up front. Perhaps some kind of deposit, escrow of some kind.. A trusted 3rd party.
No TM builders in your county?

2nd.
Ok, so lets say I did send $20k for a TM that was told could be shipped in a week and it took months to receive. I'd blow a gasket!
No excuse for a delay of this magnitude!

3rd.
I'd blow a 2nd gasket if my calls were being avoided. Be a man pick up the phone and be honest. I'd demand a refund after such a delay and find a better source for my next TM. But because the deal was between counties a demand only goes so far with out investing much more money.

With all that said.

I think Duane is a stand up guy. And ya can't judge a guy by one mistake. You judge a guy by what he does to correct the problem.
We all make mistakes.

I'd never pay up front.

Look at the Ace deal.

Look at the deals with the guy that built Waldo machine.

Look at all the Ebay scams.

Look at all the contractors screwing home owners willing to pay up front for remodels.

I don't accept payment up front for my services, and I don't pay up front for certain purchases without recourse or protection.

Great post!

 

[joe harper]

Duane,

Just let this thread die.... :idea:

If you had spent 1/2 as much time...responding to the original ISSUE...we would NOT even
be having this discussion.. :roll:

The "facts" are the "facts"...all the EXCUSES & APOLAGIES in the world...can NOT explain
away the TIME FRAME this consumer has wasted dealing with your POOR customer service!

If this guy had posted these issues..a WEEK after receiving to unit..people could understand !

If the "SHOE was on the OTHER foot.. :idea:

You would have ALREADY....filed a LAWSUIT...or...PAYING HIM A VISIT..... :shock:

THERE IS ONLY ONE "VICTIM" IN THIS TRANSACTION....

 

[bob vawter]

I met DUane down in Nashville.....seems lik a great guy..........very deliberate and easy going.......
perhaps to a fault............i don think Duane operates in the conventional time structure as the rest of us do........i believe that DUane is tied in somehow to the Hopi Indian Sun Dial where the earth is spoken of as having always existed. In Hopi mythology the human race was not created, but generated from the earth, from which man emerged through an opening called the sipapu..............

 

[joe harper]

I met DUane down in Nashville.....seems lik a great guy..........very deliberate and easy going.......
perhaps to a fault............i don think Duane operates in the conventional time structure as the rest of us do........i believe that DUane is tied in somehow to the Hopi Indian Sun Dial where the earth is spoken of as having always existed. In Hopi mythology the human race was not created, but generated from the earth, from which man emerged through an opening called the sipapu..............

"tHiS TRUE"..... :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


look @ the SIZE.....of this { sIpAuU }........ :roll:

Of couRsE....LeT'S NOt for Get our LibEriAl FreInDs..... :!:

"TheY bElIeVe in tHeIr own InDian hErItAgE....the "HoPi'E-cHanGiE" ...TRIBE... !gotcha!

 

[joe harper]

"HopI"...things will rEtuRn to NORMAL...sOON..... !gotcha!

 

[roro]

Duane,

Just let this thread die.... :idea:

Duane you have been given some pretty good advice


"Walter Mittys with Everest dreams need to bear in mind that when things go wrong up in the death zone (above 26,000 feet)—and sooner or later they always do—the strongest guides in the world may be powerless to save a client's life; indeed as the events of 1996 demonstrated , the strongest guides in the world are sometimes powerless to save even their own lives."

I find more time at work and less on the keyboard can be beneficial to the pocket.
roro