Soldier's Afghan Pay Lost To Fraud
PLEASE REPOST AND SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS! THIS IS A GOOD CAUSE!
The quick version "My good friend served in Afghanistan saving others in dangerous conditions. He brought his pay home to get his Fiero fixed. A deceptive local shop worked on his car many times. Each time it came home worse. They took all his money (10 grand and caused WAY more damage) and now his car doesn't work at all and is rotting on blocks.
I'd like to bring it back to life for him. Our veterans and Rich as a person deserves better than this. It's his dream car, as humble as it may sound. He is heart broken over it"
Full Story Below
This is for my good friend Sgt. Richard S. of the Canadian Army (as you can see by his veteran's poppy on his license plate in the picture).
Rich serves with the Canadian forces alongside allies like the USA. He was active in Afghanistan from May 1, 2010 and returned to Canada Dec 9, 2010.
A man who risks his life for his country and every free western society and our way of life should not return to his home only to have his service money taken by a scheming, dishonest auto repair shop.
A year after a car accident that wrote off his prior car in 2006, Rich decided he would buy the car of his dreams. He loves the Pontiac Fiero.
He purchased a 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT in nice shape from a student who was waffling on the idea of selling. The asking price was 2500, but Rich gave him 3500 to help him with school and assure the sale would go through.
Rich doesn't have a lot of money since he takes good care of his daughter, and he had someone who used to be in his life who was trying to take him for everything he was worth, despite living with a millionaire. Disgusting how cruel life can be.
He has little money since he wasted his money with this shop, is currently supporting his fiance (who also served), her son, his own child, a new mortgage for an old house with a few extra rooms to help support his new family, house repairs as well as a couple VERY unfair circumstances in his life.
Despite normal wear and tear items that had to be fixed, the first real signs of trouble came in 2008. During the first snowfall Rich's clutch gave out. 1800 dollars later he brought it home. The work was done by a garage who was SUPPOSED to be the second best at working on Fieros in the world (in Windsor, Ontario). Apparently they must have fallen on tough times, and dropped their work and moral ethics. They've also changed their names 3 times as of late!
Rich puts little miles on it, but still 2009 rolls around and the same shift problem came right back, He replaced the slave again, but still no change, the shifter was still stuck. It was completely undriveable again despite putting so much money into it.
Things got even worse, the economy was taking and Rich was laid off from his civilian job. The Fiero sat for a year under a tarp (aging fast) by the time Rich signed up for deployment to Afghanistan. This was a voluntary decision, not mandatory. Rich spent 7 months getting additional training alongside American allies in Canada and the USA. He then deployed and served from May to December 2010.
Upon return from Afghanistan Rich called up the Fiero expert place in town and hope he would stand behind his prior work and fix his car correctly this time (possibly at a fair rate).
This time Rich was told the car could be made like new. Rich gave the shop the okay to go over it to top to bottom and tell him what it needed and fix it properly and make it like new. January of 2011 the Fiero was once again at the shop.
The shop was to rebuild his car and V6 to 'like new' status, and fix any issues including the clutch problem they never fixed properly. Rich gave them 2 cheques in short time totaling 10 grand before he even got the car back.
Veterans deserve better than this. Rich has lost 10 grand in cash, and further losses from the garage damaging his car and doing work improperly, and as the car prematurely ages sitting on blocks in disrepair.
While waiting for the car to come back, he used some more of his overseas money on headlight upgrades, sound system etc.
Rich got his Fiero back in May incomplete. It drove fine for one night. The following day Rich noticed that brake fluid was leaking out of the reservoir and the exhaust system wasn't even connected in places. The shop owner blamed it on a part time employee of course.
The list of things it needed kept growing, including things that made no sense. Parts never would come in close to on time, and was constantly being told his car would be seen when the shop had time to get to it. Meanwhile Rich's car was the ONLY Fiero in the shop.
A few days later the Fiero was sputtering and shutting off. The shop had replaced breaks in the original vacuum lines with Teflon tubing that melted. Rich had to get a friend to help him replace it with stainless properly.
Also noticeable was an engine knock. That had never been there before at all. The shop was sabotaging his car with an improper rebuild.
Two weeks later the Fiero's electrical completely cut out. Wires had not been reconnected properly during the "restoration."
Rich was so disgusted by the car being worse every time he sent it back that he gave up. He later found out that many people had been ripped off by this place.
Rich ordered a third slave and master and clutch pedal and installed properly himself. Still no change, the car will not switch gears. At this point Rich decided to take some things apart and look at what the shop had actually done to his nice ride.
They actually did NOTHING! They replaced parts with old parts from his parts bin, not new as he was told. The brakes were untouched despite claims of repairs, and the shocks and struts installed were NOT new, and in bad shape.
Once the engine was looked at, it was obvious the engine rebuild was a lie. The carbon build up in the engine and seals were original. Nothing was done to the engine at all as was claimed.
The car is sitting in a tent now still stuck in gear. The transaxle has leaked out fluid, and Rich can not find from where. None of these problems were around before this shop decided to stab this soldier in the back.
The paint is now wearing off and he has damage on the front nose from someone clipping it in an F150. Rich never caught the guy.
I cannot allow his bleeding to continue. Rich risked his life in service of his country and helped people in medical need in dangerous territory overseas.
He is beyond frustrated, and too humble of a man to pursue this the way I would. He doesn't have the money for a lawyer and the statute of limitations may have kicked in by now.
This is the most disgusting treatment a garage has done to anyone I know, and the fact that it happened to a great friend and father of a beautiful girl, and a loyal soldier who served his country is even more disgusting. His blood, sweat, tears and service money is sitting in the pocket of someone who literally did nothing for Rich but make his car completely unusable and a faded red anchor.
He doesn't ask much from life. A Fiero really is his dream car, or this wouldn't matter hurt as badly.
Please help my buddy out. He risked his life to help us all.
Even if you can only help with a few dollars (or more) your help would be greatly appreciated. He is almost considering getting rid of his dream car. He deserves better than this.
I can't think of a more deserving person that I know personally. Thanks you all.
Please help my buddy Rich, and also assist your local veterans as they return from their hard duties, and transitions back to society.
As a car guy, and a friend and one who values our service members in Canada and the USA, I would ask that you might offer some assistance to help his car be put to use by a man that deserves it, and paid for it with his blood, sweat, tears and life.
Even if it's only a few bucks, who cares? That's a cup of coffee or a bagel.
Please spread the word around your patriotic friends, and car enthusiasts so that we can help this soldier's humble dream to come true.
Feel free to repost the link.
http://www.gofundme.com/veteranfiero
