David Clermont Grinders. Quebec

I don't know if this belongs here or not, so please mods point me in the right direction as I am new here.

I'll start at the beginning. I am a knife maker located in ontario canada. Its hard to get good grinders up here and I was in search for a 2x72 with a 1-2hp 120v motor and vfd. I found an ad on kijiji for a grinder and started to inquire about the details with the gentleman via text message.
Everything seemed pretty much to fit the bill, so I requested an invoice for the downpayment. He sent it and I paid. He promptly sent me pictures and a text saying it was built. So I requested another invoice for the remainder with the implications that it would be shipped. He stated that I would have the grinder mid next week. This all took place last week on tuesday February 2nd. I sent him a text on monday(yesterday) requesting tracking information. He stated that we misunderstood each other and he hasn't shipped it yet and was working on it still but that it would be shipped in the next couple of days. He preceded to tell me he usually takes two weeks. I am okay with this as I understand. Little let down as I had been anticipating the grinder for this week.
Tuesday he sent me a text asking if I would like to get any belts or a jig. I told him that I had already made arrangements for belts and I didn't need a jig as I do all my grinding free hand.
He then told me the grinder would be shipped either tonight or tomorrow and he would send me tracking info. Fine.
Then he text me saying he would ship the vfd when he got it.
I said I didn't realize it wouldn't all be shipped and once and asked why he didn't state any of this in the initial conversation.
At this point, I was getting a little tired and agitated with what seems to me, poor business practice and intentionally leaving out valuable information pertaining to the grinder and vfd.
He then preceded to badger me, and tell me he was going to send me a refund by the end of the day.
I no longer wanted to deal with him and requested he send the refund now, as he has internet and a phone, which would make it very easy for him to do.
then he kept badgering me, and apologizing for his behaviour, then preceding to call me names and taunting me (I had told him I would make a claim with PayPal if he didn't send the refund as I don't trust him and didn't want to wait any longer) about getting my money back slower if I made a claim with PayPal.
I will attach an imgur album with screenshots to the text messages.

I am making this as a warning for any makers in canada looking to purchase a 2x72. Avoid this man.

 

Here is the complete conversation VIA text message. His number is found online through kijiji so I didn't bother omitting it

https://imgur.com/a/SXGbL

 

A little update, opened a dispute through PayPal. to soon to escalate to a claim on my end. It was in two payments and he's trying to claim now that the first, of 30% or 405$ cad is a security deposit and non-refundable, so he escalated it to a claim to try and scam me.

 

That is sad to hear hope you get your money back .

 

So, update on the whole situation. I let my need for a grinder best my judgment. Went ahead and let him send it instead of getting the refund. When it arrived, it showed up without a platen and he didn't have the vfd to ship with it.
I really didn't know enough at the time just by looking and I set it up and was excited to get it running. First thing I noticed, tracking was horrible. I'll add an album so you can see what I mean.
https://imgur.com/a/WCWqu
Contacted him about the tracking. He told me to raise the tension arm. I did, and also added some washer to the front plate holding the wheels to have them more centred.
It kind of helped, I could get the belt centred, but it still ran with a lot of side to side play. It also needed constant adjustment to keep centred. It got so tight on the belt, it snapped into two pieces and send a blade I was working on flying, took the tip off and chewed the edge, while also giving me a big scare as I have read the tragic and fatal story of a blade smith being impaled by a flying blade(albeit from a buffer)
At this point, I still didn't have a great idea of how bad this thing was. So I started posting on reddit for advise on the tracking. While waiting for responses I learned about crown wheels, and that my machine didn't have any. So I tried some tape to make them crowned, it helped but it still needed constant adjusting and I wasn't in the mood to have another belt snap.
I got some replies and learned that the machine looks terrible, and the motor appeared to be an ODP instead of a fully enclosed, which is not meant for grinding/sanding and will build up with dust and die quickly. I also learned it was a single phase motor and a vfd wouldn't work.
At this point I started really doubting the machine at all and am now going through the process of getting a full refund. Sadly I'll most likely have to pay return shipping of 130$ to get it.
I asked the maker, who said he would give me a refund if I returned it. I asked for a return address and confirmation I would get a full refund. He has ceased communication.

Do not buy from this man, he may not have originally meant any ill will, but has no real knowledge of grinders and in the end has turned into a huge pain in the arse.

here is the text conversation leading up to me still going ahead with this. I regret it and let my need best me.
https://imgur.com/a/CNvUA

This all should have been fair warning to just get a refund and not deal with this individual.
His company logo is on the grinder, but is la forge du village and I found him on kijiji.

Hope everyone can learn from my mistake and this doesn't end up to anyone else. Thanks for reading

 

What a frustrating ordeal my friend! I recently came across this add on kijiji for a unit made in the west end of Toronto, besides the grinders Jo here builds this is the only other Canadian based grinder I have ever come across!

Here is the link if anyone is interested: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-power-tool/...er/1314372889?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

The only reason I have held off moving forward with this one is I would like a 2hp motor this time round.

 

Yeah, thats probably where I'll end up going. Have that page open haha. It's considerably more money and the only reason I didn't go that route first.

 

Terrible story. Sometimes buying online can bring a lot of frustration when you cross sellers like this.

I haved tried some search yesterday to see whos that guy but i cant find him...

 

The only thing I have found was a Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ForgeDuVillage/

I don't know if he originally had ill intentions or not, but this has turned into a crap show and he doesn't know how to make a grinder. He also hasn't contacted me since I asked for a return address and confirmation of a full refund

 

That really sucks mate. I always hate dealing directly off the internet for this reason alone. I too looked into the machine being sold in the west end TORONTO area off kijiji but decided to build th e no weld grinder Dancom provides drawings and instructions for. Fingers crossed I'll have it built soon and for under 1k.

 

Nice! let me know how things go. The only reason I don't want to make one is because of sourcing a motor and vfd and the wiring.

 

Has anyone purchased anything from the guy in Toronto? Just curious because I was thinking of getting a toolrest from him for my current grinder.

 

Ryan I haven't bought anything, but the gentleman in question responded to my emails and questions very promptly and politely. He also invited me out to see the grinders, so he was not trying to sell me sight unseen, which is a good sign.

 

Thanks. I’ll post the results if I end up dealing with him. Price on the tool rest was reasonable. So I may pick one up.

 

I too never went but did communicate with him and he did say to come see them before i bought. Hes just in Mississauga. i never did end up going to see them because i went with the build my own route. seemed nice enough though

 

So, how things end up here ???

I just saw this guy facebook today and it made me think about your story.

 

I'm still waiting to get a refund. Had to open a claim through PayPal and send it back. So far I'm out 150$ for return shipping. I sent it the same way he sent it to me. Doesn't look like its arrived, even though it was supposed to be 2 day shipping. Maybe he refused to sign for it. The guy is an immature individual who has been trying to screw me since the beginning, only wanted to give me 70% back and make me pay return shipping, and now he's seemingly making it delayed to get my refund. I suspect something is up with the return address he gave PayPal. All in all, horrible experience

 

Sorry to hear that pal. Makes me sick that there are people out there like that. ive been burned before too through Amazon (thankfully). they refunded my money and refunded my cost of return shipping and a restocking fee the seller wanted to charge me. Hope it all works out in the end.

 

Oh man !! Sorry to hear its still a pain.
Hope this bad story end soon for you.
So much bad people those days, we have to be carefull.

 

On the bright side, because of your posts here, on other forums, and on Reddit, I doubt this guys grinder business is going to be very busy. By telling everyone the story and showing pictures of that garbage machine, you are potentially saving a lot of people a lot of money.