Brewers Equipment Review

[Madman_Joe]

Maybe I didn't phrase it correctly but I'm in complete agreement with you. My point was that any small business is going to get in over its head if its successful. HOWEVER the worst thing you can do is disappear and cut off communication with the customer. When I'm keeping up with orders on a good week, I don't ever email the customer. If I know I'm coming into a few days of delay or something goes out of stock, I immediately email the customer, inform them of the delay and start giving them options. Being willing to give up the sale is the right thing to do when the customer's expectation isn't going to be met.

Maybe he needs to pad the price by $100 to slow the orders down.

Oops, I think perhaps you did phrase it right, Bobby; I just read it wrong.

My bad.

MMJ

 

[horric29]

It's odd, I keep seeing these threads and he's been in constant communication with me about a potential order. I havn't made the order yet but, his pricing/stand/automation pricing is just incredible. He told me he monitors the boards and said that any negative posts on here are do to last minute order changes/incorrect shipping addresses/shipping issues. He also told me he's only personally had one negative issue with all the brewstands he's created. I was ready to pull the trigger, time to avoid at all costs I do believe. What are my other single tier options? I see Blichmann Top Tier but, I would like everything on a single tier... And I would like a BCS or the ability to easily add a BCS/Control System.

 

[bnmir]

Despite a few weeks delay and a few sketchy excuses, I would still do business with him again. I'm very pleased with the quality and value. I love the height. I would probably have gone with larger caster if I had it to do again.

 

[jcav]

Hey guys, I just felt I should chime in. I bought a stand a year ago in July 2010, from Marcus. I do not know how to weld so I asked him to make me a custom stand with my own dimensions, basically a wider version of the Brutus in stainless steel. Marcus made me an excellent stand for cheaper than I could purchase the steel and have a shop weld it for me. Marcus told me right from the begining that it would take a few months and I told him I was not in a hurry as I still needed to order and accumulate all of the parts.

I received the stand in about six weeks and he did a fantastic job. I now know someone who welds but I didn't last year. Marcus always kept in touch with me and answered any e-mails that were sent. Since he makes a very good product for the money I guess he now has a lot of business and it must be difficult for him to keep up and make these stands as quickly as his normal turn around times.

The problems everyone is having and posting may be true for their experience but my purchase, turn around time, product quality and customer service with Marcus was excellent. I hope he gets better and gets back on track as he really does offer a good product for the money. Just my two cents.

Good luck to everyone with their stands!

John

 

[Dan]

Sounds like he provides a nice product but needs a business manager. His expertise is in making brewstands not customer service. I have no time for it but someone on this form who has business skill ought to get in touch with the man. His beerstands are well designed and constructed as many have said, he just needs an assistant to help him with the selling process. Just my opinion.

 

[drunkmonk59]

I've been wanting to post this for the last few weeks, but unfortunately I've have had a lot of family and personal issues to attend to since I have recieved and sent my stand back to Marcus. I feel this site does a fantastic job of keeping brewers informed of both great and not so great experiences. Both are equally important, when hard earned money is involved. Here we go.

My communication with Marcus started back in the begininning of this past January. As most of you would agree, my inital communications with Marcus (Pre Sale) were great. I would email his site or PM him thru this site and he always got back within the next few hours to a day. I remember thinking how impressed I was that he would take so much time to discuss things with me in the middle of the day, when I figured how busy he must be. We talked at GREAT lengths before I ordered about what I was looking for and what my expectations were from him. I explained ad nauseam about how I am as being as far away from a DYI'er as anyone could imagine. Describing me as not handy would be and understatement. I explained I would want as many extra touches and finishes from him as he could possibly do for me. I explained I basically wanted something out of the box ready to brew with. He always reassured me this would be no problem at all. He would wire my pumps to switches, push to start would be assembled and ready to go, a little later I added the BCS wireless integration, and again he reassurred me this would ready to go out of the box. One other modification was to have the hlt side raised so I could gravity feed from it. No problem at all. He even explained if he had to ship it differently to make it out of the box he would.

Marcus explained the Build time would be "around 8-10 weeks" I told him that was more than exceptable and with all the extra touches he was doing for me. I paid him in the beginning of February and then again for the BCS upgrade a month later, to the tune of $2300+ dollars. March, April, May came and went with no word. I figured it was time to call and or email and see how we are doing. The tone of that first f/u call was very different, Marcus was still his amicable self, but there was this feeling that he really wasn't sure of anything we had spoke to. Given it been a couple of months I reassured myself, that a f/u he was going to have it staightned out. Well, it took more calls and emails to get another. He said he did have me "almost done" This is June. Again he as always very reassuring that with these delays I was gonna be blown away and ready to brew, with "very Little" assembly.

Well the month of June there were more and more excuses, Ok fine. I at this point started to get a little concerned and PM'D some other guys that seemed to be buyers and asked them about there stands and experiences. Two things that concerned me most we're that all but one of them, said that the stand when it arrived after many delays also, still needed parts, or more assembly by the buyer of mentioned later arriving parts. There also were a few that had some mild damgages to the stand. The most bothersome thing t all the guys I talked but one mentioned, was that they wouldn't do buisness with Marcus again. Well after more and more and more inquiries. Finally I recieve an email From Marcus on July 12th, that my stand is finally on Central Freight and would be there in a week. He also had to Blichmann Kettles he was supposed to be doing welds and autosparge install on. No mention of those, No tracking? I repeatedly respond asking for tracking and inquiring if my kettles are finally arriving as well? This goes on until July 22nd! He finally answers his phone and in an "OH, oh yeah" You won't beleve this manner, explains how my stand just came back to him late the day before and he was just gonna call me. Apparently their just so happend to be another drunkmonk email he was finishing up at the same time, and it got sent to the wrong address?? He told me to resend my mailing info again so that he had it right and he would send it right back out, WTF?? He is still unsure of my info this many months into the sale??? All along Marcus's demenor is like oh well, it will get there. I told him to grab a pen and I will give it to him right there. No pen, just email it to me, don't worry..It's goin out first thing tommorrow. We'll about 6 more exuses later...

The Final Frontier: aka the last 4 weeks.
Its now August the 15th. He's decided that we are back to ups and not standard Frieght. I don't know why, but I actually have 3 actual tracking #'s!!! Hallelajuh, this business transaction is finally comming to an end??!!

Not so fast. Lables created, but not going anywhere for another 3 weeks...WHY?? We'll sit back and relax while Marcus spins another tale thats not his fault. "Somehow they ripped the labels off the boxes (?all three) before they were scanned in." He has already found my kettles but is in "search of" my stand. I called UPS and asked them about this. I could tell the guy didn't really want to call total bull**** on this, but he wound up saying Highly unlikely with a giggle. I also have a very good friend that's worked with UPS and FedEX for 18yrs that said this is VERY rare. How lucky am I? Well I keep calling him for the next 4 days or so. One time he picks up the phone and I say hey there marcus and he starts to answer me, then can't here me? I finally get him again the next day. He states this is frequent problem with his boxes and the labels being removed. (???) He then tells me that UPS thinks they might have my long lost stand, and he has to go down to the UPS facility to "ID" the box. It's found and comfirmed still alive, Ol Marcus says I'll be happy he did some re-wiring while it was delayed and I'll be very pleased. Well do you think I should Marcus?

5 days later, the SAME THREE, tracking #'s appear to be finally on the way. On Sept 6th the stand Finally arrives!!!! Unfortunatly I am out of Town tending to a Family Emergency. Tropical Storm is raining down that day, probably the most rain we've gotten all summer. How fitting. My mother in law accepts a badly damaged box. When I return home nine days later, I can't wait to finally see this puppy, but you can already see it thru both ends of the box!! UPS had a field day with it.

The Stand or Grossly incomplete stand:
No bottom to stand or wheels.
No elevation/modification to the HLT side.
No pumps or pump sheilds wiring to switches
No push to light system.
No BCS box or hook up.

To top it off one of the burners is falling off the stand only attached to on screw, Welds to base of burner are broken thru. Not a stich of protective packing to be found. I'm kind of surprised there wasn't more damage.

Of course off to the phone, to call Marcus for another "WTF" moment. Not there. Finally calls me back very calm and non apologetic for what I just opened up after almost 8 months. Get ready...wait for another it's not my fault story fromo O'L Marcus. "Ya know, I think your missing a box?" "Yeah, I sent you another box that you didn't get." Oh yeah Marcus, where was that tracking #? You failed to send me the 4th tracking #??

You mean you send something that costly off and don't get a report from UPS back stating your shipments have arrived or they are held up or even worse lost again!!

Marcus is very good, but I remind him of one HUGE thing. We talked for mult Days how he was going to have EVERYTHING installed on the stand (pumps,Push controll panel, BCS box and wireing). REMEMBER Marcus "No Problems" Marcus??

No sorry, just "Oh, well now, your right." "Well, this is what we're gonna do, I'll send ya some return slips tommorrow." "When I get it back, I will send you a pic of it fully assembled, so that you see we are on the same page, then I'll send it back out to ya." Marcus how the hell can't we be on the same page after this long and so many freakin converstaions??

Marcus sends me his return slips. To add insult to injury, I wind up paying another $8 to get it pick up and sent back to him. He say's "I'll fix that, I don't know why they did that?"

POST MORTUM:
I tryed to cool down for a day, then sent an email asking for my immediate refund on both Invioces, minus the hole he drilled on one of my kettles and for an Autosparge. This is over two weeks ago, and of course he has not responded to any of my repeated emails, phone messages, and Text's. It's safe to say he's gone underground. I am currently working with my Visa to get all of my money back plus shipping costs incurred to get the stand back to him. He is not going to give me my money back and has basically ROBBED me at this point. He has got HIS incomplete stand back however, 3 weeks ago.

If anyone has had an experience where they needed to get charge backs from Visa and you have any advice for me at this point I would greatly appreciate it. Please PM with any thoughts or pointers. I'm obviously really stressed out about this right now.

It sounds like from someone elses recent post that Marcus still monitors these boards. If so Marcus, Please feel free to contact me and let me know why this business transaction should continue from here on out. If Marcus does contact me with Refund, I will be sure to update this.

So again, sorry for the long drawn out post of my experiences with Brewers Equipment. I hope this helps someone avoid the same. Thanks for hearing me out.

Cheers,
Joel

 

[EdWort]

Wow, sounds like Brewers Equipment is NOT the place to buy a brew stand.

Never pay in full for something that takes weeks for delivery. A small deposit, and the balance on delivery would be the way to go.

I'd contact the BBB in your area as well as the state Attorney General about this.

 

[drunkmonk59]

I certainly will Thanks Ed.

 

[EdWort]

I take it they are based in Texas, so this link to the Texas AG's office will come in handy.

https://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/complain.shtml

 

[Apoxbrew]

Wow. Amazing story. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Really sorry to hear your tale... It's bad for all of us in this business.
I am very sure there are many on this forum that will greatly appreciate the time and effort you took to write this.

At BrewSteel we require a deposit equal to the amount of parts and materials. The balance is due when the product is ready to ship with confirmation photos of the actual stand. If there are any changes in parts availability or changes due to who knows what, we keep our customers in the loop.

We attempt to do our conversations via email to provide a written record of our communications. Every stand build is handled as a custom purchase so each client receives PDF files of the actual quote(s) with a breakdown of the build. Every client has electronic and printed files for our records.

We also provide photos and written updates to our clients.

Basically, we do our best to treat our customers the way we want to be.

Yes, we are more expensive, but we feel you are getting a very good value for your purchase and unmatched customer service.

My shoulder is now out of socket for patting my company on the back...

 

[horric29]

Holy Hanna! I can't believe I was actually considering sending this joker any business. A friend of mine on the boards here had a similair experience. He called the credit card company and filed a dispute and then magically 2 weeks later, the thing shows up just as it was supposed too and they wouldn't issue a refund. He went through 6 - 8 months of hell. I was going to do it too save a few bones but then I talked to the BrewSteel guy, Kurt, and he spent a great deal of time with me, even though it cost a tad bit more, I feel so much more comfortable so far. I feel bad for the rest of the people lined up with him right now. I think he has quite a few bits of money in the wings from folks waiting for stands. You need to go the BBB route and the AG! I'd encourage others on here waiting 4 months to do the same!

 

[horric29]

Really sorry to hear your tale... It's bad for all of us in this business.
I am very sure there are many on this forum that will greatly appreciate the time and effort you took to write this.

At BrewSteel we require a deposit equal to the amount of parts and materials. The balance is due when the product is ready to ship with confirmation photos of the actual stand. If there are any changes in parts availability or changes due to who knows what, we keep our customers in the loop.

We attempt to do our conversations via email to provide a written record of our communications. Every stand build is handled as a custom purchase so each client receives PDF files of the actual quote(s) with a breakdown of the build. Every client has electronic and printed files for our records.

We also provide photos and written updates to our clients.

Basically, we do our best to treat our customers the way we want to be.

Yes, we are more expensive, but we feel you are getting a very good value for your purchase and unmatched customer service.

My shoulder is now out of socket for patting my company on the back...

LOL, speak of the devil! I can't give you a final review yet but, people from my experience so far should give you a peak!

 

[hinke]

I was also leaning to buying a stand from there. Glad I didn't. I am now a happy owner of the Top Tier system.

 

[drunkmonk59]

Ed, thanks for that link. I will look into that.

OneHoppyGuy, when I get this mess straightned out, we will be talking a great deal.

Thanks.

 

[FSR402]

Man that really blows, I hope it all works out for you. This makes me want to buy a good welder and start building stands to sell. There just are not enough people out there building these that care about what they are doing.
A friend of mine that has just gone pro bought one of the BE stands. It was a "returned" single tier stainless with three burners and PID controls. I got to say, the welds look like they were done in a junior high shop class.

 

[HitTheTwit]

My condolences man, that sounds like a purchase story from hell. You aren't even in the clear yet, as reclaiming money can prove to be a real challenge. I imagine that if the guy does still frequent the forums, your post should garner enough attention to force his hand.

I recently had a stand built for me, but I did it through a local guy. I've found it's usually better to be able to sit down and sketch out your plan with a builder to make sure people are on the same page. I found mine through Craigslist, and have been pretty damn happy with him. I actually "interviewed" 8 different welders prior to going with this particular one for price, acumen, and specific brewing knowledge. Plus, he made a pretty good 6-row IPA.

Best of luck to you.

 

[drunkmonk59]

It's a funny thing, after trying to get him to contact me for over the last two weeks, he called my cell twice last night. I wonder why all the sudden? I missed it both times. He did not leave a voicemail each time. I can't say I'm surprised. What does he want to say??

I emailed him back, letting him know that I want all and any communication between us from here on out done thru email. I would like a record of our convesations.

I wish he would just do the right thing and send me a refund, and we could move on.

I'll be sure to keep everyone posted. Thanks for the condolences. I will get my money back.

Cheers,
Joel

 

[wildwest450]

Why isn't this in the company reviews section?

_

 

[drunkmonk59]

Wildwest you might be right. I posted here because I've seen many other reviews of Brewers Equipment in the past here. They had never been moved so thought it was ok.

Since my post this morning I recieved two calls from a "Restricted" number..hmmm? I didn't pick up the first one. I decided to pick up the second. Guess who? Advised to email me. This guy's a piece of work.

 

[Bobby_M]

I really hate to see this kind of thing. If I saw my company getting slammed on this forum, I'd be posting a detailed and honest explanation of why my service has been so ****ty lately. When I first saw the website go up and some pictures of stands, I thought the pricing was almost too good to be true. Apparently that is the case. I know a few people were happy with what they got, but if any of the recent negative accounts are even partially true, I don't think anyone should do business with them again.

 

[EdWort]

I really hate to see this kind of thing. If I saw my company getting slammed on this forum, I'd be posting a detailed and honest explanation of why my service has been so ****ty lately. When I first saw the website go up and some pictures of stands, I thought the pricing was almost too good to be true. Apparently that is the case. I know a few people were happy with what they got, but if any of the recent negative accounts are even partially true, I don't think anyone should do business with them again.

Yes, and Brewers Equipment is a supporting Vendor here at HBT, so I would think they would want to see what's going on here and avoid the possibility of destroying their reputation among thousands of homebrewers.

 

[horric29]

Yes, and Brewers Equipment is a supporting Vendor here at HBT, so I would think they would want to see what's going on here and avoid the possibility of destroying their reputation among thousands of homebrewers.

I think it's a bit too late for that! I can second that all of these threads, he's been giving the same stories to everyone. From the shipping labels, to the 4-6 weeks, to telling people that it's the same person that keeps posting bad reviews on here, etc. Very very messy...

 

[EdWort]

It's a shame to watch a business implode.

Then again, it's good to let everyone know who NOT to buy from. Brings back memory of how bad kegkits.com out of Huntsville, AL is.

 

[EdWort]

Any word yet?

We need to keep this bumped for maximum visibility.

 

[rkjones1953]

I've ordered my first brew rig from Marcus ar Brewer's Equipment in Honey Gove Texas. A little organization and a nice new stainless brewstand and my wife Margaret can reclaim her garage back. I've looked at his website and he was real upfront with me saying that a few people had circumstantial problems. I've run a business and know that when you are small vendors can be your worse nightmare. I've dropped shipped to my relatives and came home two days before Christmas and discovered the packages at my front door. Vendors will change their mine and tell you that they changed their shipping policy if they know that you are a small business. I've ordered personally from these suppliers and received fast home service. Please don't shoot the messenger, but occasionally a delays occurs. I'm excited and have high expectations so see my new order at (http://brewersequipment.3dcartstores.com/Stainless-Single-Tier-Brew-Stand--IN-STOCK_p_39.html)

 

[otisbrad]

Hi - I also ordered a brew stand from Marcus. It has been frustrating to say the least ! He's the nicest guy on the phone and I think he means well but it just aint happening. I ordered a Brutus 10 style sytem from him in April. By June he told me I would have it - June turned to July which turned to August. Not only is that frustrating but when push comes to shove - Marcus stops answering the phone. He also has more "problems" with UPS and the US Mail than anyone in the world !

I finally received my stand and keggles - the stand was boxed in a thin flimsy cardboard with almost no tape - protective padding - even the box was broken open. The legs were missing - no casters - no ignitors - no tops to the kegs.

I can't tell you how many times I have called Marcus and he has promised me the rest of the order - usually saying "thats funny I shipped it"

My blood pressure is rising just thinking about it! I have held off hoping I would get my stuff but now am giving up hope.

Unfortunately what ever good value there is has long been lost on his rediculousl and constant mis information and now complete avoidence in finishing the promised deal.

I plan on doing a full review on this. I have currently told Marcus that I plan to express my displeasure if he doesn't complete my order and refund me the money he promised for not sending the therminator.

 

[otisbrad]

It's odd, I keep seeing these threads and he's been in constant communication with me about a potential order. I havn't made the order yet but, his pricing/stand/automation pricing is just incredible. He told me he monitors the boards and said that any negative posts on here are do to last minute order changes/incorrect shipping addresses/shipping issues. He also told me he's only personally had one negative issue with all the brewstands he's created. I was ready to pull the trigger, time to avoid at all costs I do believe. What are my other single tier options? I see Blichmann Top Tier but, I would like everything on a single tier... And I would like a BCS or the ability to easily add a BCS/Control System.

I felt the same way - ever hear the joke about the "prospect and the customer"?

I'll spare you the whole thing but its funny how you get treated after you've paid for something sometimes !

 

[drunkmonk59]

Ed, thanks for the bump. I agree that this needs to be viewed by as many on this site as possible. It's the only thing that concerned me when this post was moved to a different (maybe less viewed?) section. I would hate that it might help him. I have joined other fourms over the years as well and plan on making sure they are all aware of this situation.

No progress with him as of yet. He still refuses to send me an email, or even leave me a voicemail explaining why I shouldn't be entitled to my refund or why I should still have to continue business with him after all this. I have sent him repeated emails for the last 3 weeks asking him to reply to email, so we have a clear record of what's transpired.

So far, Thursday afternoon, within an hour after my post here there were 2 calls from his cell # with no voicemail left. I had tried to get him to call me for two weeks up till that point. Friday morning I recieved 3 calls from a "Restricted" number. No voicmail was left on the first two calls. I picked up the 3rd call and it was him. I asked him to email me from here on out and ended the call. It's very evident he's being evasive to this point.

I propose a STICKY warning should be put out on this guy, until he offically comes out of hiding to me or this fourm and explains what he plans to do from here on out.

I'll be sure to keep everyone posted if anything changes.

 

[rkjones1953]

I've ordered my first brew rig from Marcus ar Brewer's Equipment in Honey Gove Texas. A little organization and a nice new stainless brewstand and my wife Margaret can reclaim her garage back. I've looked at his website and he was real upfront with me saying that a few people had circumstantial problems. I've run a business and know that when you are small vendors can be your worse nightmare. I've dropped shipped to my relatives and came home two days before Christmas and discovered the packages at my front door. Vendors will change their mine and tell you that they changed their shipping policy if they know that you are a small business. I've ordered personally from these suppliers and received fast home service. Please don't shoot the messenger, but occasionally a delays occurs. I'm excited and have high expectations so see my new order at (http://brewersequipment.3dcartstores.com/Stainless-Single-Tier-Brew-Stand--IN-STOCK_p_39.html)

Quick update- I spoke to Marcus 11:30am PST and he said he has my payment. He assured me that there will be no wait on my order. I'm sure that he will do me right. In marketing there is the old saying that when a customer is happy he tells one person and whena customer is unhappy everybody knows.

 

[Bobby_M]

Why anyone would pay in full up front is beyond me.

 

[spoonyluv]

I am in a similar position. I ordered from Marcus on July 19th and started requesting updates after 5 weeks. After 6 weeks of 'I'll have a tracking number for you next week' but with no progress, I stepped up the requests and have so far gotten nowhere.

If my order doesn't ship by the end of the week, I plan to dispute the charge with my credit card company, file a complaint with the BBB and with the Texas Attorney General's office. Here are the links if anyone else needs them:
https://www.oag.state.tx.us/forms/cpd/form.php
https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint/

Signed,
Angry and stand-less

 

[drunkmonk59]

Sorry to hear Spoony, I feel your pain and don't blame you. Good luck to ya.

Just and update. Marcus finally replied to my emails. We have talked a bit and I have decided to give this transaction one last chance. I have been EXTEMELY CLEAR of my expectations and am giving him a chance to make it right. I have not enjoyed blasting this guys business and livelyhood. I assurred him that if he makes this right, I would let everyone know. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't very skeptical at this point, but we'll see. Feel free to flame this sap.

 

[Madman_Joe]

Quick update- I spoke to Marcus 11:30am PST and he said he has my payment. He assured me that there will be no wait on my order. I'm sure that he will do me right. In marketing there is the old saying that when a customer is happy he tells one person and whena customer is unhappy everybody knows.

Right. Well, I wish you the best of luck. IMO, you are foolish to do this in the face of all of the buzz here online. There isn't just ONE customer unhappy, or haven't you noticed all of the posts?

Contrary to what Marcus is telling prospective customers now, I can speak to my circumstances. I did not change the order once it was placed. It’s a lie. Quite simply put, I believe he is a highly skilled scam artist. Let me describe my experience from my last post forward to date:

Note that I placed my order with Brewer’s Equipment at the end of January. I drew the line a few weeks ago, around mid-September, almost eight months after my order. I had nothing to show from my order but Marcus' hot air. At that time, I told Marcus offline that he needed to either send the stand, or send me a full refund. No response. Nothing.

A few days went by, and so finally, I boiled over (I needed to use a brewing analogy here). I filed a complaint with American Express, who then investigated. Then Marcus immediately flew into action--WHOA!--all of the sudden, I became important to Marcus again! Surprise! He called me about 24 times that very same day. All of the sudden, my stand was ready, like magic. Really? LOL. What an idiot...

In the midst of his newfound panic, Marcus called from his number that day, relentlessly, until I e-mailed him that I wouldn't speak to him on the phone under the circumstances. I told him that from that point forward, because an investigation/complaint was underway, everything needed to be in writing. He persisted in his calls, and then even blocked his caller ID to try to get through. It was to the point of harassment; apparently, he doesn’t work for a living, but I do. I don’t have time for this juvenile nonsense on a weekday during work hours.

He said that he had shipped the stand. He wanted me to reauthorize payment. Right! I explained clearly to American Express that if I received the stand, and only if it was exactly as ordered, complete, and not damaged, would I authorize payment. I would be good to my word (unlike the seller). But I certainly would not end the dispute and/or authorize any payment to him. The trust period of the business transaction was well over at that point. By the end of the day, Marcus sent an intercept order to UPS, and whatever 65 pound box he tried to desperately ship me (some rocks, perhaps? Scrap metal, maybe?) was now on its way back to Texas. No matter.

Amex took care of the rest for me (which is why I am such a loyal customer). As of 10/7/11, I got a full refund for my order! Yay! Sometimes, the good guys do win! Wahoo! I am quite glad to know that it cost him some bucks to ship, then also to intercept and have whatever piece of junk skipped back to him. So he did come out of pocket for all of the trouble he caused me. Good. Karma sucks, I suppose.

---

For the record, the caller ID thing, the constant excuses, the low-low prices, the way he pitches to the newbies that everything will be OK, it all clearly indicates to me that this is a person who knows what he's doing. He's skilled at his craft, which is not necessarily welding…

I think that the rub is this: he has people buy his service, and has them billed through PayPal. He hopes that people pay through PayPal directly from an account, rather than by card. He knows full well that if he waits long enough, the PayPal buyer protection period ends, and he may be able to cut corners, do partial shipment, send dented, damaged or sub-par product, or who knows, maybe he thinks he’ll get lucky and keep the whole payment as profit.

I believe that Marcus should be shut down. I'm investigating further options. I have researched the Better Business Bureau in his area, and have contacted them regarding their complaint process. I have those details, and now need to proceed. I also have been in touch with the feds on how to file mail fraud charges. If folks are interested in this, let me know. I think that this would only really work as a group effort.

Thanks for reading all of this.

Madman Joe

P.S. I just ordered a few custom made lights for the exterior of my house. Handmade, in the U.S., welded, custom finish, specific glass, etc. all made from a real small shop. It took exactly one week from order to confirmed shipment. I will not let a scam artist like Marcus deter me from supporting small U.S. businesses.

P.P.S. I may check out the brew stand welding shop here local to me in Concord, CA. They are a small shop, and post on this forum (not More Beer; I like them, but they are pricey). Whatever route I go, I will report back my experience to the group in an unbiased manner. I reward good customer service, and punish unethical activity.

I will keep posting about my experience with Marcus as long as Brewer’s Equipment exists.

 

[schaez]

Sorry to hear about all your troubles with Marcus. I ordered a stand on 4/7 and it ended up shipping on 7/8. I asked for status twice and got replies the next day. The first time he said it would be another 2 weeks, but it actually took 5 weeks. I've gotta say that the status could have been more accurate, but 3 months met my expectations. In the end I'm happy with the stand I ordered, but the lack of good information on status made the process of waiting frustrating.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Pricey? But hey... we deliver (in every sense of the word)

 

[rkjones1953]

Quick update- I spoke to Marcus 11:30am PST and he said he has my payment. He assured me that there will be no wait on my order. I'm sure that he will do me right. In marketing there is the old saying that when a customer is happy he tells one person and whena customer is unhappy everybody knows.

I caved in this evening and called Visa to cancel my payment. I emailed Marcus to give him a heads up. I am a Pollie Anna always taking a positive view but when people are yelling fire there must be something burning. I wish him the best but I cannot risk being burned or suffer the agony.

 

[mlwahler]

i was ready to order a stand from him, he put alink on his website with my custom stand ...was about to pay for it and thought i would check again for some reviews and read your post, needless to say i canceled it with him before i sent a payment, keep us posted with how it all worked out...i new for the price it was to good to be true

 

[SwampassJ]

Wow. After all the jerking around he's been doing to you buys I would rather you get the money and him having to eat the build cost.

 

[agroff383]

Went through the same thing with Marcus and after all the money I spent and all the bull****ting around for 4 months, it really isn't that great of a stand. So many emails back and forth, stupid "mistakes" with UPS that have never happened to me in the 15 years I have been dealing with forums, Ebay, internet, etc.

I spent a lot of time welding in my life and I would have built my own and done a better job had I had a welder and a decent place to work on it. Given the chance I would buy one again but for half the price. I dont care if he is a vendor on here or not he needs to go to business school, learn how to communicate and follow through, and stop ripping off homebrewers, I hope no one on here buys anything from him again, let your dollars speak for themselves.

I would like for someone to step up in his place on this site and others so homebrewers like me can get the stand they want even if they cant or wont build one of their own.