Golden Beetle Car Company - [email protected]

[88carfan]

Hello,

I am a victim of the Golden Beetle Car Company and Peter Seabury.

Back in October of 2006 Peter came to my house and we struck a deal for him to restore my Dad's 1966 Beetle convertible for the sum of $12,000. It was to be restored from the ground up and we were promised that when it was complete it would look like it did when it came off the assembly line and we would be the owner's of a certified Silver Beetle. We were told not to worry about a thing and that he would take care of the finest detail to ensure my Dad received the bug he always wanted. We also had purchased between $800 and $1,000 worth of brand new parts that were sent with the car to be used in the restoration. When our car was finally delivered seven months later we had to push it off the trailer because it would not start due to a dead battery. Upon out initial inspection we found 31 separate issues with the car. In addition to several flaws in the paint, including chips down to the metal, there were several mechanical issues. The major problems include the convertible top not fitting and closing correctly, the main heater vents in front of the doors had been completely covered with carpeting, thus no heat. Upon the initial test drive the driver's seat broke away from the floor to the point that you can just take it out of the car. Other non working mechanical issues include the interior light, the radio, the fuel gauge, the glove box is extremely hard to open and close. In addition, some of the parts that were sent with the car were not even used nor returned. A brand new set of beauty rings for the wheels were not on the car or returned. My Dad also made numerous requests that a standard gas pedal be used but instead it has some sort of wheel-like apparatus for a gas pedal. Another request was that the original keys were to be returned with the car, they were not. A new ignition switch was installed so now we have a different key to start the car and no way to lock the doors because the original keys were not returned. There are other numerous issues that I could mention, but I am sure you are getting the picture.
Upon delivery and initial inspection I tried to contact Peter at both numbers listed on his web site www.goldenbeetle.com. He was not available at either number for more than five hours. I finally was able to reach him at his residence and when he realized who was calling he said "I have nothing to say to you or your family, I'm done!" He will not answer any of my calls nor respond to any messages or e-mail. We did absolutely nothing to provoke this sort of behavior. I have contacted the Better Business Bureau of Montana and my lawyer. I have decided to make every effort to let everyone I possibly can be aware of what a scam the Golden Beetle Car Company really is and to steer clear of Peter Seabury so you don't get ripped off like I did. If anyone has had a similar experience with this company please contact me directly as I am exploring my options for a law suit to put this guy out of business so he can't take advantage of anyone else. He is a disgrace to the business world and the Volkswagen community and he needs to be stopped. Anyone with questions, comments or ideas can feel free to contact me directly.

Kevin
88carfan
[email protected]

[Gary]

1) Did you have a signed contract?
2) Have you contacted an attorney?
_________________
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943)

[79SuperVert]

$12,000 for a body-off full restoration of a convertible seems to me to be a rather good price. While I can imagine you expected a perfect product for that price, the issues you mention don't seem to be impossible to resolve.

What was the condition of the car before you gave it to him for restoration?

Did the restoration include a complete repaint? If so then he should be willing to fix the chips.

The mechanical problems don't sound that huge, either, although the top could be a problem. What part of it doesn't fit? How does the car run and stop? Did the seat track break off from the pan or was the seat just off the track?

Did you have just one conversation with this person at the end of the restoration? It seems to me that in a project of this complexity there's always going to be some things that will go wrong or need resolution, and that there should be ongoing contact with the restorer during the project.

The missing parts are another matter. Those should be returned to you or a credit given to you for their value, assuming you have receipts for them.

[88carfan]

The floor pans had been replaced and it had new carpeting.
It had been completely repainted but not reassembled.
New brakes, rotors, wheels, tires.
The upholstery and seats had been done.
It had some sort of electrical issue that kept it from starting with the key.

Our main issue was the convertible top and actually reassemblying the car. My father's health was declining and we just wanted someone to finish it out for us and make it dependable and road worthy.

All of which was promised to us after inspecting the car and agreeing on a price. After 7 months we got the car back with most of the same problems it had when it left except the top was done. It is very hard to close and we do not know yet if it leaks. We have attempted three test drives and had to push it home all three times.

The brakes are horrible. The clutch slips when you get above 30 MPH.
The car was being restored for my 70 year old Dad and he is scared to drive around the block for fear of not making it home.

Some of the mechanical problems are not huge, but the point is that we wanted all of them fixed because we simply could not finish it ourselves.

The tracks on the floor pan and on the seat are not straight and true so both seats are extremely unstable.

When I contacted the guy when the car was delivered he screamed "you got more than you paid for and I'm done with you and your family".

He e-mailed me that he would be returning the parts he did not use, but they are yet to arrive. I have had no fruther contact since then.

The following is what we know doesn't work so far:

1. Battery was dead, had to push it off of the transport truck.
2. Brakes went almost to the floor, no brake fluid in master cylinder.
3. Clutch slips when driven above 30 miles an hour.
4. Fuel gauge does not work, ran out of gas when gauge read 1/2 tank.
5. Vintage VW radio that was requested does not work.
6. Interior dome light does not work.
7. Still has an electrical issue that was one of the original problems.
8. Seat belts were thrown in the car in the plastic package, not installed.
9. Original beauty rings for wheels that were sent with car, not on car or returned.
10. New ignition installed, original keys were not returned with car, can't lock the doors.
11. Car leaks engine oil, not sure of exact source just yet.
12. Sun visors not installed correctly and do not work correctly.
13. Both front seats are so unsecured it feels like they will come loose at any time.
14. Loose and exposed wires coming from firewall.
15. Chrome molding on interior passenger door is missing.
16. A standard gas pedal was requested and it came with a “wheel-like” apparatus.

[79SuperVert]

Well for $12 grand it does seem like you should have gotten the car in better condition than that. I hope you documented your conversations with the restorer. In a lawsuit the judge is probably going to want to see if sufficient efforts were made by both parties to reach a settlement.

[Gary]

[MrRestoration]

Kevin speaks the truth, I know first hand. I too have seen the deceptiveness of Peter Seabury and his company, the Golden Beetle Car Company. In a nutshell, they cannot produce a restored car. They cut so many corners on mechanical issues and try to create a glossy image of a Beetle. That's my assessment.

My friend Lisa paid $22,700 for a 1978 VW bug Convertible ($18,000 in advance) from Golden Beetle that was promised to be "show room new." I know restorations, I do them and I see perfect work that amazes me. Work so good that I can't imagine the effort and skill that it takes to achieve such a better-than-new car. And I know what it costs, because I buy parts and I fix parts. I know the restorer’s best tool is a media blaster, something Golden Beetle does not use.

When Lisa heard that her Golden Beetle was going to be delivered by the owner of the company, Peter Seabury, she was elated to meet him, to thank him and to get her restored car. That all turned very sour, very quickly when the car couldn't drive 2 miles before succumbing to a rusted gas tank and fuel line.

A local VW shop (plug for Lenny's VW of Fort Lauderdale) stepped up to fix Golden Beetles mess. After pushing the car home by hand Peter towed it to Lenny. Peter wanted them to clean the gas tank but it was too gone, too rusted, too dirty and clogged. A day or two later Peter was gone, back to home (correction: took a vacation to Key West) with a $1200 delivery fee. I drove the car fresh with a new gas tank with Lisa for a mile when the gas pedal stuck to the floor and accelerated out of control. I turned off the key and coasted to the side of the road. I am strong, but it was too far to push home and Lisa had on nice shoes so it was towed.

Back to the shop. We asked them to fix, the fuel gauge, the seat tracks that won't lock, the seat belts that don't match the receptacles, the headlights that will only come on if the hand brake is pulled, the dash lights, the dome light, the engine oil leaks, the hard shifting transmission, the brake thumping and bumping, the dash fan, the 2000 RMP idle when warm, the right side windshield wiper that doesn't touch the glass and on and on. The Fort Lauderdale VW shop was stuck fixing Golden Beetles problems, but they really tried. Then after they did all they could do and we picked up the car, the transmission locked up. There was no shifting. Within the first 20 miles of driving Lisa's "Golden Beetle" the transmission completely destroyed itself and ground down to a 3rd gear only, if you could find it, car. Back to the shop, again.

The mechanic changed the transmission and the shifting is now night-and-day better. It's so easy light and pleasant. Before it was an indiscernible, undetectable, hard to push into shift location and second gear whined. Peter said I wasn't shifting right.

The rear axles. Boy, when the transmission went, I jacked up the car to look. I found all, not some, but all of the axle screws were loose. Most were a 1/4 inch backed out already. All were finger tight. I checked the rear wheel hubs. Both drum brake rear wheel hub center bolts were without cotter-pins and they were loose. I video taped how loose they were as I unscrewed them with my bare hand.

Red rust is already showing through (2 months) the thin coat of white paint at the door bottoms, the running board, the rear engine lid, and the door hinges. POR-15, Zero-Rust or Phospho would have prevented that in one application.

Neither seat would lock into place. Two sets of keys for the doors and ignition, none for the glove box. Small stuff,...not at this point. Under the rear seat, rusty, dirty corroded wires and just garbage left there. Chunks of hardened garbage that were just left there. I fixed the wiring but not before Lisa got stuck at Walgreen’s in the parking lot because the starter wire separated.

The car was specified to be delivered with carburetors, not fuel injection, but it was delivered with fuel injection. The vapor re circulation pipes were so messed up, the sensors missing the Bosch connectors just hanging, because the sensors were missing. Oil leaking from under the distributor cap! The throttle cable being pulled to tightly and locked into place caused the idle at 2000 RPM. The big spring Golden Beetle put on the throttle linkage made the gas pedal so stiff and it wasn't even needed if they adjusted the cable throttle correctly, but they didn't see that. So simple, but the experts didn't see it and delivered it to their customer that way. I released the extra tension at the locking cable nut and the throttle dropped to normal (and I took off the giant added return spring).

The rear engine hood had already scraped away at the upper right corner until the metal was bare, the mirrors that are so loose that they flop down, the drooping carpet, and the rusted gas- brake-clutch pedals. The dirty, cracked old unsightly console, the ripped headliner (blamed on improperly putting the top down?), the dome light that pops out onto the floor. Minor things like the modern looking JVC CD player that was declined. I replaced with a real vintage VW radio that Lisa bought on Ebay. Tons of other parts that she bought on Samba, like the front seatbelts because Peter put in seat belts that didn't even match each other. They would not buckle. When he sent replacements, they were so old, frayed and ugly that Lisa threw them out where they belonged and bought a brand new set that function perfectly, why didn't they do that?

I had patients with Peter Seabury and the Golden Beetle Car Company. But his excuse after excuse made me realize that he was an empiric and that he had been through this before. He blamed his employees, the Fort Lauderdale VW shop, us for lack of knowledge of old cars and everyone but himself and his company. Admitting to have made mistakes does not clear one of responsibility, it highlights it. A used car salesman in the stereotypical way (no offence to decent used car salesmen, please). When Peter said after one month that there was no more warrantee and that he was, "done" with repairs that was it. He left $500 upon departing on delivery day for repairs if needed. It should have been $5,000. His shoddy work and lack of quality control is nothing short of criminal and fraud. That's why I am telling you this. In the real world people should not get ripped off.

I know that you Samba people are sharp. Too sharp to buy a bug at this price unless it was perfect and way beyond extraordinary and that’s what Lisa expected because that’s what she was told. FYI: At the Palm Beach Barret-Jackson 2007 auction an original 1978 Super Beetle white/white/white went for $17,000 with 40,000 miles. Well,...I hope I enlightened you as to what's out there. Lisa paid $10,000 too much for this car and put $2000 more into parts that were not there. Now, she is determined to make this car right at her expense, but there is a limit. I think she knows that it's just for her pleasure now, she will never, ever, re-coup 1/2 of the money she spent.

Lisa did everything that Peter at Golden Beetle asked, fast cash advances, over night payments and cash final payment. Lesson learned.

[clearsurf2001]

Just sent a link to this thread to Peter [email protected] . Let's see if he want to come in and discuss this.
_________________
Get ready for the injection

[88carfan]

I don't think you sent the right link...the one in your post does not bring you to this discussion.

I also invite Peter to this dicussion. Here are two piles of crap that his "Golden Beetle Car Company" have produced and won't stand behind. I am sure it will somehow be all our fault.

Kevin
88carfan

[Glenn]

[88carfan]

I am glad you passed this information on to your friend. My goal of posting on here was to get the word out about Golden Beetle Car Company and it's owner Peter Seabury. We were completely misled and downright lied to about what would be done to our car. As I mentioned before Peter said it would be completely redone and come back in like new condition. Since my last post we have discovered that the brakes are faulty, the clutch slips, and the supposedly rebuilt new engine leaks oil. And on top of it all, it will not even start. It has as many mechanical issues now as it did when we sent it to Golden Beetle.

We received a fraction of what we were promised by Peter Seabury and his company. I STRONGLY advise others not to do business with Golden Beetle Car Co.

But I guess he's got our money and that's all that matters to people who run a business the way they do. All talk and fancy pictures on their web site. But when your crappy car is delivered they are nowhere to be found and won't stand behind their work. You don't notice any customer testimonials on there. I wonder why that is? He would not even discuss what was wrong with our car. He shouted he was "done" with us and hung up the phone. I instantly called back and was told he was not there.

I was glad to see that someone invited him to join this discussion. I was hoping he would, but I am not surprised to see that he has chosen not to join in. He has no defense against what he has done. And I am not the only one. Read MrRestoration's post for all the details on problems with their car car and their experience with Golden Beetle and Peter Seabury.

BEWARE OF GOLDEN BEETLE CAR COMPANY AND PETER SEABURY !!!

Kevin
88carfan
[email protected]

[MLTIGGER2]

I am glad you posted in this forum. My dream was to someday buy one of these "perfect Golden Beetles" I love my '74 but it has many little problems and to drive a new old car sounded good to me. I will cross this company off my list and find a more reputable restoration shop!!!
Thank you for saving me money.

[88carfan]

A "new" old bug was our dream as well, except this one turned into a nightmare. I am glad I could save you from being scammed by this company. That was our goal of posting on here was to get the word out so no one else would be taken advantage of like we did. Take your bug anywhere but Golden Beetle. After spending $12,000 and waiting 9 months we got back the same car we sent to Golden Beetle with the exception of they did install the convertible top. However, it doesn't close properly and we don't know if it leaks because the car is still in unsafe drivable condition. They did not fix any of the mechanical problems it had. If you haven't read this entire post, go back and read it all. I have all the details of our experience and you will see that I am not the only one. Other people have shared similar experiences with this company. I have also found out that Montana is a "Buyer Beware" state. Which means you have to do your own research before doing business with any company in Montana. The Attorney General has advised me that there must be multiple reports to them before they can consider pursuing a class action suit. I have filed a formal complaint with them and the Better Business Bureau. If there are any other folks out there besides me and MrRestoration that have had negative experiences with Golden Beetle or Peter Seabury please contact the Attorney General of Montana so we may get them involved. Or you may contact me directly at the e-mail at the bottom of this post.

Vujade mentioned the VOA, but I don't know what that stands for, can someone help me out with what that means so I can let them know as well.

Please pass this on to everyone you know, especially anyone that is possibly considering using this company for any kind of restoration.

BEWARE OF GOLDEN BEETLE AND PETER SEABURY!!!

Kevin
88carfan
[email protected]

[bugninva]

[88carfan]

Hello all,
I wanted to give everyone an update on what is going on with my situation. As I mentioned before, I did file a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau of Montana, which to date has sent the Golden Beetle Car Company two letters requesting a resolution to this complaint. Peter and his company were notified of the complaint on June 26th and have not responded to either letter from the BBB. He is not a member of the Better Business Bureau, but you would think that any reputable business that had been reported to the BBB would want to defend themselves and get the matter straightened out. However, just as he has done to my family after he had all our money and delivered a very poor excuse of a restored car, he has chosen to ignore the BBB and do nothing to resolve this. Also, in the final e-mail I received from Peter he stated that he would return at least some of the unused parts that we had already purchased and sent with the car. That e-mail was received on June 6th and I have heard nor received anything from him or his company.

One other piece of the story that I have not mentioned so far was that when my delivery company, Mills Transport, showed up to get the car, Peter himself loaded up the wrong car. After loading the car, the transport driver stopped about 10 miles from Golden Beetle to review his paperwork and make sure everything was in order. He then noticed that he was supposed to be picking up a convertible bug and knew that the one that Peter and Golden Beetle had loaded on his truck was, in fact, a hard top bug. He then returned to Golden Beetle only to find that Peter had already left the premises, obviously unaware that he had not even loaded the correct car. Had it not been for the transport driver, we would have, most likely, received someone else’s car. With such a keen eye for detail, it‘s not a mystery why our car returned from Golden Beetle with so many problems. My compliments to Mills Transport who were the only bright spot in this entire fiasco. The people at Mills were very friendly and helpful and handled our car with a very “personal” touch. I highly recommend using Mills for any transport needs you may have.

A local mechanic has had our car for about a week now. So far he has found many small problems that we knew about and paid Peter and Golden Beetle to fix. I’m talking about small obvious mechanical things that don’t even involve restoration. If you read MrRestoration’s post of things he found wrong with the bug Peter did for them, the similarities are so obvious. Our mechanic has found shock bolts so loose that they had backed out and were nearly falling off, cotter pins missing from ball joints, springs not connected on the brakes, axle seals leaking oil onto and ruining the new brakes we had already installed, a leak from the front axle beam, which Peter charged us an extra $2,000 to replace, oil leaks from a supposedly new, rebuilt engine, and to top it off he found missing lugs on the wheels. All this from his initial inspection. Does this sound like a $12,000 restoration to you? Now, we are faced with having to replace parts that we have already purchased and sent with the car to Golden Beetle to begin with. All of these issues are mechanical and are only what have been found so far. It doesn’t include the many other flaws that will have to be corrected that were supposed to be repaired in our original agreement with Golden Beetle. They delivered a car that was supposed to be turn key showroom new and it was, in fact, unsafe to drive much less be the dependable, roadworthy, beautifully restored car that they promised.

With the advice of other Samba members I have contacted Volkswagen Of America, as well as, the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau here in my home state of Kentucky. I plan to keep you good folks on Samba updated as to what unfolds as well as continue to explore my options against Golden Beetle and Peter Seabury. Please pass this on to anyone you know in the Volkswagen community that may be considering doing business with these people. I don’t want them to deceive anyone else like they did to us. They don’t deserve to be in business dishonoring the Volkswagen name. If you have any information, experiences, or questions regarding my posts about Golden Beetle Car Company or Peter Seabury, please feel free to contact me directly.

I will post again when I have any other developments or information regarding this issue.

BEWARE OF THE GOLDEN BEETLE CAR COMPANY AND PETER SEABURY!!!

Kevin
88carfan
[email protected]

[Gary]

I have asked before and this question was never answered. Was there ever a contract signed for any of this?
_________________
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943)

[88carfan]

Peter came to our house to look at our car and see if we could come to an agreement on the restoration price. We verbally agreed on $10,000 and he took our car with him as he was on a return trip from Atlanta to Montana. He was to send a formal written contract to us when he returned to his office in Montana. He never provided a written contract, even after several requests. We had to give him $5,000 up front for him to start on our car, so he already had our car and half of our money. When we sent the rest of the money we again asked for a written contract. There was no response. After numerous requests for photos we were finally sent a couple around Christmas time. He also said it would be an additonal $2,000 to replace the front axle beam and sent a couple more photos. We sent the money and again asked for a written contract. We were always told he would get back to us on that. A few more months went by and he said he would be needing an additional $1,500-$2,000 for more repairs, I asked for a detailed invoice of additional parts and labor and the whole deal turned very sour. He would not return calls or email and would never answer his phone as he had always done early in the beginning. After a few more weeks he sent an email of photos of what I assumed was our finished car. Nothing in the text, just the pictures. My transport company contacted him and he said to pick it up it was done.
The rest of the story is in my previous posts on this thread. Sorry I did not directly answer your question the first time. Thanks everyone for your time and please pass this along to anyone you know considering using this company for any restoration.

BEWARE OF THE GOLDEN BEETLE CAR COMPANY AND PETER SEABURY!!!

Kevin
88carfan
[email protected]

[Gary]

I am certain the court that would have jurisdiction over this would be in Montana, where he is located. Bear in mind that you are going to have to see what the state laws in that area are regarding verbal contracts. The only state that I know of in which a verbal contract in enforceable is Colorado.

You fell victim to the typical ploy of most "restoration" shops. They come up with some stratospheric figure, wanting half up-front, and you pay it. Time goes by and *BOOM*, they "need more money", and this game continues all while ignoring your demands for itemized lists, receipts, and proof that your vehicle is being worked on. I had this happen to me once and I learned my lesson. I had a painter, trying to make a name for himself, guaranteed he could have my car repainted in three days if I paid him half up front. The red flag was his "eagerness" for me to get my car in his shop as he "had a landlord digging into his ass for rent". I declined, but a friend of mine who used the guy before took a 1966 Beetle in to get painted. It took over a year for him to get his Beetle back, and he really needed to hound the guy on a weekly basis.

Overall, unless you have any type of written correspondence, I doubt that a lawyer will be able to help, and you would have to check with the State of Montana on the limits for small claims action (some states considering $10,000 the upper limit). It is good for you to warn people, but you may be stuck holding the bag.
_________________
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943)

[88carfan]

As I have said before, my main goal on this forum is to get the word out to all in Beetleland about this whole thing. So far, my efforts here, as well as over on Volkswebbin, I have saved at least four people from becoming a victim of Golden Beetle and Peter Seabury. That's what I wanted to accomplish, saving others from being ripped off like I was.

Here is where I stand as far as trying to resolve this issue using the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau from Montana and my home state of Kentucky:

The Attorney General in Montana was very interested and sympathetic with my situation. I talked with them for about an hour. I had sent a formal complaint to them and after about a week or so I called to follow up. They said they had received my complaint and it would be on file in their office should other complaints come in against Golden Beetle. However, they then went on to explain that Montana is a "Buyer Beware" state and it is up to the consumer to research and validate any business in the state of Montana. They were sympathetic and understood our dilemma, but explained that under state law, they could not act on one complaint. They said that there must be multiple complaints (3-5) for them to take action. They said that my complaint would stay on file and if they received additional complaints against Golden Beetle they could, and would take action. So, I strongly urge anyone who has had a bad experience with Golden Beetle to notify the Attorney General in Montana and we can get 3 to 5 formal complaints filed then they can get involved and force Golden Beetle to take action or suffer the consequences.

I heard back from the Attorney General here in Kentucky yesterday. They told me that they had sent an official letter to Golden Beetle requesting a resolution to this issue. They said that Golden Beetle has 30 days to respond to the letter. I am still waiting to hear back from the Better Business Bureau in Kentucky as well as the BBB in Montana. It looks like the AG here in Kentucky may be my best chance of some sort of resolution at this point.

Again, if anyone out there or you know anyone who has had a bad experience with Golden Beetle and Peter Seabury, please report your experience to the Attorney General of Montana. If they get 3-5 formal complaints against Golden Beetle they can step in and take action. I find it very hard to believe that I and myvwbug1234 are the only ones that have been deceived and ripped off. If you have any questions or need assistance with how to contact the Attorney General please contact me directly at the e-mail address below.

BEWARE OF THE GOLDEN BEETLE CAR COMPANY AND PETER SEABURY !!!

Kevin
88carfan
[email protected]

[42Kruiser]

Make that at least 5 saved 88carfan. I had been dealing back and forth with Golden Beetle on purchasing a restored super beetle. I was sent a contract that only stated how and when I was to pay, nothing in writing relating to what work was being done to the car or when it would be finished. I have been checking VW sites to find feedback on them. There is not a lot but none of it is good. So thank you and good luck with your complaints against them.