I became associated with AED Central though a club website www.lxforums.com, where AED was a sponsoring company and was looking for 3 project cars to work on. A Charger, a 300 and a Magnum.
Having made contact with myself and two other individuals who would loan him their vehicles for what he said would be 2-4 weeks time to create molds for a new body kit design he was coming out for each of the vehicles.
The 300 owner had already giving his car over a few weeks before myself (charger owner) and the magnum owner brought our cars to him to start this project. This was in the beginning of September. (I had purchased my car on August 26) He intended to have the cars ready for SEMA 2006 in November.
After waiting a few weeks with no sign of him finishing up in time for SEMA, I allowed him to take more time to finish the project with my vehicle. The Magnum owner took his vehicle back and would not leave his car at AED any further since Len had the mock up for his car.
Me being the nice guy I am, (or rather foolish in this case) left my vehicle with him since I had another vehicle to drive around for the time being.
October... November roll past, no parts.in December 20th Len notifies me that he is in a financial trouble and will need to borrow $2000.00 in order to finish the Charger Project. After much debate, I agreed to loan him $1000.00, so long as he signs an agreement showing that I am loaning him this money and he will return it upon completion and sale of a Charger Kit. I was desperate to get my car back and since he used my original body pieces to cut and make the mock up body kit, I was stuck, I needed him to finish the kit so I could drive my car, and $1000 was less than buying all new parts paint, since Len had made (empty) promises to find paint and wheel sponsors.
After that, I really start asking for progress because now I have more money involved in this project. At the end of January, a loss of a great man, Leonard Dodd Sr. Struck their family. He was the one who had started the buiness and built it into a great name. This further delayed the project which I left them alone for a good month before asking anything dealing with the project.
On March 24 (6 MONTHS!!!) after we started this project, Len delivers on the bumpers, but is still not 100% completed with the project. There are still accessories and a spoiler to be built.
In April of Len Sells and Ships a Charger kit, thus completing our agreement of the Loan... But I never see any money.
Http://www.lxforums.com/board/showthread.php? T=63879
I give him time to get the money together to pay me. April, May, June... Go by. No money or attempt made to pay me back.
I got fed up with waiting and they were trying to lie to people telling them that his 300 guy was being taken care of. I went out with him to help him pick up his car... With no front, rear or rockers on the vehicle anymore. He drove this car for almost 6 months without any body pieces because AED would not supply them to him.
After calling them a liar and saying they were not taking care of the 300 guy and saying they shipped kits for the 300, Len and Susana blew up on me, calling me, cursing screaming on the phone. I never yelled back at them either the whole time trying to defuse the situation, but he would not let me a word. Kept screaming and cussing, theatening to shoot me if I ever were to come near his place of business again and would sue me. He tends to like to say he's going to sue people to get them off his back.
Now he refuses to pay the original loaned money because of an Non-Discloser Agreement (NDA) that I was never informed of, saw, signed or verbally agreed to. How he can refuse to pay back the loan amount because of an NDA anyways does not make sense.
This man used to have a reputable business. I still say the products he has made are very good quality. I've always said so. But because of his serious lack of commitment to his customes, dishonesty, lack of self control, temper and total lack of acting like a human being, I honestly hope people will heed these words and take your business elsewhere.
After this incident happened with him lying about delivering product to him and the three people who were his "pilot vehicles" informed LXForums.com of his behavior and business practices, he was immediately removed as a Site Vendor. To which I recieved another angry, screaming phone call filled with threats from Leonard Dodd Jr. And how I ruined his business and "everyone on LX Forums can go F* themselves."
* To this day, he still uses pictures of my car on his website to try and sell this body kit. *
Please, for your own sanity, if you want specialty parts for your car made, look elsewhere.
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