Things Unlimited

[74 Cosa]

I know I'm a new guy here, but I have had an experience with Mike at Things Unlimited. Back in late May I ordered some parts. As previously mentioned, it took several days of calling to get a response. Once on, Mike seemed very helpful, took the order and gave some technical advice. I ordered a steering damper, VW logo and a carb (all new parts). They came within a week but he sent me a used grungy carb, still with the rotting fuel lines attached. After several attempts at contact him, he asnwered and said "I thought you'd be happy with an original". I said my original is better then this one and I shouldn't have to pay new price for old stuff. He said he'd look into it.....and I never heard from him again. I contacted the credit card company and disputed the carb entry. They haven't heard from him either!!

[vwjoe74]

I ordered a wiper switch from Mr. Basso never came he sent a delivery confirmation number and still nothing came this was last year he contacted me via email months later claiming to have been in the hospital and wanted to know ir i was still interested and that the part had increased in price

not on my list to do business with

joe d

[74 Cosa]

Personal things happen! A family member or friend could have left a voice message on his answering machine. I think most customers would understand.

[bmwloco]

Some people (me included) have no family to "help pick things up" or take over my job if something bad happens.

I'm rooting for Things Unlimited. The more the merrier!

Maybe if we just be patient, just remember Things are just old slow cars, and life goes on, nothing matters much.

[ztnoo]

I think most folks are for the "underdog". American literature and culture have always promoted the idea the little guy, the underachiever, the guy from the other side of the tracks, a guy wanting to change careers, had the opportunity for the pursuit of happiness, and yes, good fortune, and even great wealth, because of the freedoms we enjoy which few other cultures or nations possess.

But this situation, it seems to me, is about someone who has made some massive miscalculations about how to handle his public presence and his public persona. Basso, from the time he took over Vince's business, in what?....2003, has always projected that T.U. was a full time business...with regular business hours five days a week, with a phone number, a fax number, email access, and a web site with online parts inventory listings and electronic ordering capability. At least on the surface, what was projected was that this entity was a sole source of earned income, and as such would be run and operated with customer service as the primary focus. He even offered that because he wanted to continue Vince's excellent service record to customers, you could call after 10 a.m. on the weekends if you had a parts emergency or needed counsel and advice about parts and procedures. On the surface, it appeared this was a full line, full bore, full time business literally ready to meet any need.

But the reality for customers which has evolved, or should we say devolved over the last year, is that this is a business entity which doesn't realize it has a real problem. Easy access to any business via phone, fax, email, and web site are keys to viability. Actually these are just basic starting requirements for a business to open the door every morning. The real key is the human element. If the human element is deficient in the use of these forms of communication to access the business, then all the technology in the world won't make it a better business, and one which truly services customer's needs.

For a full time business, not just one which is a hole-in-the-wall, mom and pop, part time, let's make some extra income hobby operation...ease of access is paramount. Forcing customers to make countless calls over days or weeks, i.e. not answering the phone, eventually projects to the buying public there is a lack of understanding about how to operate the business. Having a voice mail system full for weeks at a time which callers can't access gives frustrated potential customers the distinct impression someone isn't "minding the store". Same thing goes for web orders and email orders. Why have these technological tools available to use if the proprietor won't utilize them to make his time and his operation as efficient as possible? Wouldn't it be easier, and in fact cheaper, just to go back to a snail mail ordering system?

Basso within the last few days wrote in another forum he was "busy".....and in fact planing to expand his business. I think the reality is, he is busy spinning his wheels.....and why would he say he has plans to expand when he can't properly service the volume of business he claims to have now? So what's the real problem here?
Is it the average parts customer, or a guy from Australia, or a new Thing owner calling for the first time at fault??? I think not. The problem is in Schenectady.
After a year of complaints being posted online by dissatisfied customers, the problem needs to be addressed forthwith by the owner, or this entity will soon not even be mentioned by those seeking Things parts. It will die by its own hand and incompetence.

Everyone has the prerogative to do what they want and order from whom they choose, but with the growing preponderance of written evidence here at this forum and the other major Thing forums, why would you knowingly and consciously choose to put yourself in a position where you are almost assured you will have problems and be dissatisfied with the service? It doesn't make sense to me. It shouldn't make sense to anyone.
If you persist in attempting to do business with T.U. and you have problems, you'll only have yourself to blame.

[Video Bob]

After cancelling an order three months ago, I got a call from Mr. Basso practically begging to re-instate the order with an offer of free shipping. I always try to give a second chance and agreed to re-instate the order. The parts arrived about ten days later. (NY to GA norm about 3 days)
I placed a second order about 30 days later. No parts No communications but 10 days after placing the order, my credit card reflected a $184 charge from TU. 17 days after the charge, no parts. Dispute filed with MC. I don't know if Mr basso is just a poor businessman or has some other problem best not accused of on this forum. I do know of individuals who have lost their families, business, home and friends because of poor choices in "entertainment".

[csmith181]

I've shopped with all the thing part vendors over the years. TU was a great source of stock parts up until last summer. I'm glad to see that Reed is dipping into his incredible parts stash (for a fee of course ) and filling the void caused by Mr Basso's trouble keeping his biz going.

Competing vendors helps keep prices in-line, so if Mr Basso can't get his act together (and now may be too late since so many folks no longer trust him) perhaps someone else will step up to the plate.

[ztnoo]

Brad in Oz reports this:

[cardifrat]

sounds like this guy is going to get a knuckle sandwich. What a cheat, and you suckers keep on giving him your credit card number and sending cash. Worse than a prison scam

[csmith181]

It's not that we are blindly trusting some "johny-come-lately" scammer. Mike took over a well respected biz that had a loyal customer base and filled a niche in the market that no one else was filling. The issue was that sometime last summer he claims to have run into some personal problems and his customer response went from great to non-existant. Many of us belived his explination when he seemed to come back to where we were used to.

The issue now is that he has slipped back into to same problem that he had last summer, only now there is no real explination.

I wish I could trust him since I will need some parts that only he may have. And I think that there are a bunch of folks in the same boat here. I am glad that Reed is opening his stash (Been there, it's really amazing for a private person to have as many rare parts as he has) and wish Mike all the best. Mike was never a bad guy, and until the whole opperation went belly-up I never doubted his drive or concern.

I don't know what is really going on in New York, and personally hope he is able to get this all figgured out. It may be that he is simply over his head and not equiped with the personal skills to deal with it. I do know that unfortunately I will not be able to trust him with my money anymore. I guess it will be back to the scrounging days for used body sections.

Just my $0.02

[Big Luni]

That chump's website needs to come down. As long as people who Google "VW Thing" see that site, the problems will continue. This is especially dangerous for Thing owners who haven't yet been on this forum.

[JohnaTHING]

The last time I talked with Mike Basso, he was looking into buying the heaterman's business. The idea was to provide resto services on gas heaters. It's obvious that he can't deliver the goods on every day parts, so the heater business will be a joke. He's lost his focus

Mike may be thinking "screw you", "I have all the parts you want and you can wait" Fact is, most of us will bail out and not support his con. We will locate other parts.

On another note, I had a photographer at his palce in July shooting still photos of his rusting THING carcasses for a web essay I'm doing called "rotten things" he was very gracious to the young lady photographer and we got some great shots. Why wasn't he packing parts to be shipped, I don't know!

BUT REMEMBER: the more complaints his credit card merchants acount gets about his service, the more likely they'll pull it from him. Then he's screwed - he won't be able to take credit cards. I am now convinced he is on his way out the door. For me to say that is difficult as he has given me a lot of info about the THING. I thought he was a friend, but it is nearly impossible to suppirt him anymore.

Mike has the THING community to worry about, not me.