Better Business Bureau has received numerous complaints against this company for the same deceptive trade practices - accepting money and sending defective equipment. This is for a lure coursing machine which Pat Bennett purports to sell as working equipment for the purposes of lure coursing training dogs.
If you have had similar problems with Pat Bennett, Wicked Coursing, maker of lure coursing equipment, please contact the BBB of San Diego which handles companies in La Mesa, California.
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Business Information
Name: wicked coursing - pat bennett
Address: 4459 Monahan Road
City: La Mesa
State/County: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 91941
Problem
Product Issues
Repair Issues Selling Practices, Service Practices, Deceptive Trade Practices
Selling practices and service issues by by Pat Bennett, Wicked Coursing, www.wickedcoursing.com Marchine arrived DOA with incorrect battery charger, wiring that needed repair or replacement and a defective take up reel. After almost two months, have reached a dead end. Everything is documented in emails, paypal and credit card payments to her and postal receipt returning the defective item as well as her refusal to return the item fixed within a reasonable time. She received approximately $500 as requested (then tried to charge another fee over and above the billed amount) in good faith and buyer received a defective product which seller has yet to make whole and return. She cited social obligations and other customers needing attention as to why she couldn't complete our transaction and send back a working machine. How about that! I paid her as requested in good faith and I got a defective machine as well as rude, disrespectful and nasty replies in return. I would like other consumers not to have to experience what I have gone through ad there are others, by her own admission, that received machines with, at the very least, defective reels. Mine would not turn on, had the wrong battery charger and needed wiring fixed and also, according to her, most likely had a defective reel as well. She received as requested by her, her first payment/deposit on May 21, second on June 6 (which she claimed she wanted when the machine was ready to ship). Two weeks later, I finally received a machine that was DOA! I contacted her multiple times and received nothing but false and broken promises and disrespectful and hateful emails as if I had done something to her. Quite the contrary. I emailed on July 14 for the last time and was told again that I was being unreasonable wanting a working machine that I had paid for delivered to me (or a tracking number that it was shipped) by July 15. Having started this on May 21 and still not having a working lure coursing machine by July 15, enough is enough.
Complaint Background
Not all of these questions are required. Please provide as much information as you have.
1. Product/Service Purchased: lure coursing machine Lure Baby
2. Model Number:
3. Contract, Account, or Policy #:
4. Order #:
5. Purchase Date: 6/6/2009
6. Date Problem First Occurred: 6/28/2009
Dates you complained to the company/organization
7. First Date: 6/29/2009
8. Second Date: 7/1/2009
9. Third Date: 7/14/2009
10. Payment Made: Yes
11. Payment Method: Credit Card
Name of Sales Person
12. Title: Ms.
13. First Name: Pat
14. Middle Name:
15. Last Name: Bennett
16. Suffix:
17. Purchase Price: $500.00
18. Disputed Amount: $542.05
Desired Outcome
Enter your DESIRED OUTCOME below. Please keep your description within the box provided, without scrolling. A summary of your complaint is preferred, as the BBB will contact you if they need additional details. Mandatory fields are followed by a RED "*".
1. Desired Settlement:
Refund
2. Desired Outcome:
A refund because of her track record of sending it DOA, her refusal to return it working in a reasonable time period. In addition to the amount paid her in good faith, I paid $42 to ship it back to her. A replacement could be the same DOA machiine, I would pay $42 to ship it back to her again. By then, the 30 day warranty would be over and I'd own a defective machine. A replacement is not acceptable under the circumstances
The picture below reflects the port on the machine which clearly shows the plug doesn't fit the receptacle. For some reason, other pictures won't load.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I'm Pat Bennett, owner of Wicked Coursing. I have no idea who Stefanie Bridges is, but I'm assuming the real customer, Sherrie Rodarmor in Texas, is either using a pseudonym or is hiding behind a friend who posted this malicious and skewed information for her. I have done nothing wrong - certainly not engaged in any deceptive trade practices - but have tried to honor my warranty in every way I can. I have no track record of any wrongdoing and the BBB has NO other complaints against me because I am a reputable business. Ask all my other customers. Ask Cesar Milan (who owns one of my machines). Ask the BBB.
Each of these quality machines is built by hand specifically for each customer - these are not off-the shelf items that we just grab and pack.
Yes, it's true Ms. Rodarmor's machine arrived at her location with a different sized DC port for the charger so it couldn't be charged; the battery didn't actually need charging because it was fully charged when it arrived, but I apologized and told her that I would send her a new charger immediately, of course at no expense to her.
Yes, something came loose during shipping and the machine wouldn't turn on when it arrived. I personally bench test each machine in order to ensure that they run correctly so the customer will enjoy their purchase, but sometimes things happen in shipping that is beyond my control. When the machine arrived back to me, it was as I suspected - one wire that had come loose from the battery cable.
As for the reel, it was a manufacturer's defect that I was unaware of until after the machine had arrived at it's destination. I found out from the manufacturer and immediately contacted this customer and several others who had just received the same machine with the same reel. I asked Ms. Rodarmor to return the machine and I would upgrade it with a new reel and address the DC port and loose wire while it was here. I told her I would pay for all shipping charges. I also told this customer that it would take 2-3 weeks to complete and re-ship because I was just about to start a 4-day (July 9-12) annual charitable event that I have run for the Make-A-Wish Foundation for the past 4 years, and I was scheduled for abdominal surgery right after on the 13th. Ms. Rodarmor said she didn't care about my "social calendar" and the machine had better be fixed and returned to her by the 15th or else she'd institute a charge-back against her credit card. The machine arrived here on July 7th. That would have given me 2 days to assess, repair/upgrade/reship - a physical impossibility.
Ms. Rodarmor has initiated a chargeback through her credit card company and PayPal (who is investigating) and has now posted this erroneous and harmful complaint online. I spoke with the BBB on July 22 and they weren't happy to know that she's saying there are "numerous complaints" when, in fact, there's only one - hers.
Yes, everything is documented in emails, including the fact that this customer has twisted every reasonable attempt I have made at honoring my warranty and providing excellent customer service. She has harassed me, libeled me, and is acting in extreme bad faith. The machine is completely upgraded, runs great and is ready to ship but I have a very strong belief that once it arrives she'll do this same thing again - lie and libel me further and interfere with my ability to conduct business. I'll be issuing a refund to this person, not because I did anything wrong, but because I didn't.
Should anyone care to speak with either me or any of my customers (both domestic and international), please feel free to contact me at pat@wickedcoursing.com.
I received my Lure Coursing machine from Wicked Coursing a couple of weeks ago. Everything was perfect. It was well packed for delivery. I've used it several times and have no complaints. My dog loves it. Everyone who sees the machine in action is very impressed.