Ted Ciamillo Gravitas Cranks - Anyone else still waiting for a refund????

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lumbardcs
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2009 5:38 pm

by lumbardcs

Hi all,

I am a bit upset that I have to post this, but Ted doesn't seem to be responding to my emails anymore?! Is anyone else still waiting for a refund for the money paid for the cranks many years ago?? I gave him the benefit of the doubt each time he told me they were coming and being tested, but a good few months ago he told me that they were turning out to be too expensive and so are no longer being produced. He did say he would refund my money, but I am just constantly waiting. Is anyone else in this situation OR has anyone else got their money back? I would be interested to know.

Thanks Chris.

by Weenie


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Kayrehn
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by Kayrehn

I assume you're new to the forum? Find previous threads about this, read and weep...

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

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Kayrehn
Posts: 1776
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:06 pm

by Kayrehn

I assume you're new to the forum? Find previous threads about this, read and weep...

wingguy
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Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

lumbardcs wrote:I gave him the benefit of the doubt each time he told me they were coming and being tested, but a good few months ago he told me that they were turning out to be too expensive and so are no longer being produced. He did say he would refund my money, but I am just constantly waiting. Is anyone else in this situation OR has anyone else got their money back?

Yes, lot's of other people are in that situation, Ted Ciamillo is a serial thief, liar and con-man.

Please, please, please be the guy that lawyers up and actually does something about him!

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Mattias Hellöre
in the industry
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Location: Insjön, SWEDEN
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by Mattias Hellöre

I got my refund early so I thnk I was lucky.
Experimental Prototype

McGilli
Posts: 373
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 6:57 pm

by McGilli

I'm just curious - How does he make people pay for his products that no one can get their money back? Or does he just string people along until buyer protection has run out?

I'm only familiar with paying via Paypal Goods which is 6 months for Paypal so I just figure that after 5 months of "it's being tested and coming soon" I'd tell him I want a refund right then.... I could always repurchase it when he actually has it ready to send.

That said. A year ago I was going to purchase a set of his brakes form my first WW project - and I found a set of carbon callipers on his site for like %50 through a link from some cycling magazine. Anyways I emailed and said I'd take them. I got an email back soon from a fellow at Irish Cycles saying that Ted said the listing was a mistake and the brakes were not available. A week later I got another email saying I could get a set of Irish green callipers at 10% off so I just didn't reply... then got another email a few days later asking if I still was interested in the green callipers... NO.

wingguy
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Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

McGilli wrote:I'm just curious - How does he make people pay for his products that no one can get their money back? Or does he just string people along until buyer protection has run out?

Exactly that. Tells them it's almost ready, tells them it'll be in the mail by the end of the week, gives people tracking numbers for packags he hasn't even sent... He's well versed in the art of bullshit.

So to anyone who's been stung by that criminal I beg them to threaten him with a lawyer, or get a lawyer, or call the better business bureau, or call a Rogue Trader type reality TV show, do something that will actually cost him time, aggravation or money because so far he is happily ripping people off left, right and centre and facing no come back from it whatsoever - because there are always more oblivious new customers just around the corner.

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madcow
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by madcow

Being in the industry I usually bite my tongue and don't say anything bad about others, though It looks like I'm willing to make an exception for Ted. You can add us to the list of those that he still owes. Personally I'm not willing to chase him down for a relatively small amount of money, but would rather believe that what goes around comes around. I know he's burnt his bridges with us and hopefully that plays out when he pops back up for another round.

Given his history in the industry we of course do not recommend anyone have any dealings with him or his products which is a shame because he really is good at machining things, he's just horrible at all the other parts of running a business.

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Sooperlite
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 2:22 am

by Sooperlite

I forgot all about being a zero g crank tester it's been so long lol. Getting caught up to the Ted drama now, sad to see.

Segway, what do people purchase these days for light weight brakes in place of the zero g products?

wingguy
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Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

madcow wrote:Personally I'm not willing to chase him down for a relatively small amount of money, but would rather believe that what goes around comes around.

It doesn't. Karma isn't real unless someone makes it real.

The only way that Ted's misdeeds will catch up with him is if people like you take some responsibility and actually do something about him. Otherwise you're just leaving his trap wide open for the next unaware customer/mark to fall into.

UpFromOne
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Location: Olympic Nat'l Park, WA

by UpFromOne

Forget about the Better Business Bureau. That's just a front typically funded by the local Chambers of Commerce to dissuade people from suing the member businesses.

Look into a local Small Claims court action. Many are now up to a $5K damages limit. Filing fees are reasonable, and out-of-state service of process can be done by any number of internet process servers. Have them file an affidavit of service in your action, then get a default judgment if Mr. T doesn't file an answer.

If anyone got shorted in Washington state, I'm a lawyer there, PM me for more info on the process.

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dj97223
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Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 7:27 pm

by dj97223

wingguy wrote:
madcow wrote:Personally I'm not willing to chase him down for a relatively small amount of money, but would rather believe that what goes around comes around.

It doesn't. Karma isn't real unless someone makes it real.

The only way that Ted's misdeeds will catch up with him is if people like you take some responsibility and actually do something about him. Otherwise you're just leaving his trap wide open for the next unaware customer/mark to fall into.


I see, so now it is Madcow's fault. Oh my. :roll:
“If you save your breath I feel a man like you can manage it. And if you don't manage it, you'll die. Only slowly, very slowly, old friend.”

wingguy
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Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

dj97223 wrote:I see, so now it is Madcow's fault. Oh my. :roll:

Of course not. But last thread someone said they weren't going to do anything because they thought 'karma' would deal with him, and this thread Madcow isn't going to do anything because 'what goes around comes around' and I'm just pointing out that those concepts are nothing but wishful thinking.

The universe doesn't mystically deal with scumbags. Cosmic forces aren't going melt his CNC machines. He'll only stop if someone, or a group of someone's, make it too costly for him to keep doing what he's doing.

MadScientist
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Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 3:30 pm

by MadScientist

Long time lurker here in the UK, but felt compelled to respond to this.

I too paid up front for some brakes that were nearly ready about 18 months ago.

Instead of listening to his false promises, after a couple of strikes I threatened him with legal action and a visit to his workshop whilst in the US on business.

I got a refund.

Don't give people like this an inch.

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ms6073
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Location: Houston, Texas

by ms6073

lumbardcs wrote:Is anyone else in this situation OR has anyone else got their money back?

From the volume of threads I have read on various forums, I would estimate that more than 95% of those who ordered direct from Ted have never received anything more than hollow promises and endless excuses, much less anything amounting to a tangible refund. While I have no irons in this fire as I never had an interest in any of his products, you got to hand it to Ted as he has managed to leverage internet anonymity in order to maintain one of the longest running product scams of the modern era.
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"

by Weenie


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