Anyone deal with Bivouac Overland LLC in Houston?

[cianksmith]

I gave the owner, Ryan Mitchell, $1500 to build a simple 4x8 box fame to mount a service body on for a camping trailer. This was beginning of Nov 2022. It's been nothing but a run around ever since.

Very poor communication, doesn't answer calls, half the time his voicemail is full. He had some issues at his shop and had to relocate, fair enough. There were shipping delays on some of the suspension parts, I understand. But it's been 3 months with almost zero communication.

I've since found a local trailer mfg company that can have it done for me over a weekend. I'm a first responder, and I make first responder money (i.e. not rolling in dough) so getting my money back to do this other one is really my only option.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[emulous74]

Did you give the $1500 dollars through a credit card? If so, tell them your experience and they will reach out to the merchant, which could get results for you.

American Express gave me all my money back from buying an Alu-Cab RTT from Bomber Products, simply because they refused to respond to American Express' inquiry.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Not that I can really help you, and I recognize this isn’t particularly useful, but I’m curious if $1500 was a down payment or if that was the total price?

 

[cianksmith]

Not that I can really help you, and I recognize this isn’t particularly useful, but I’m curious if $1500 was a down payment or if that was the total price?

Total price.

 

[SDDiver5]

Just googled the company and it says "permanently closed"... Not the best sign. Sorry to hear of this happening.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Did you get any sort of resolution?

 

[calicamper]

Maybe check with the county business registry and see if you can pull associated names. Then reach out to a local lawyer see if they can do a nasty letter requesting the deposit back for a small fee. We had to do something similar in Ann Arbor Mi with a real estate company running a pretty obvious in house scam on sellers holding escrow funds beyond the signed contract dates. Didn’t cost much. $250 to get our money back.
Might be worth it?

 

[BritKLR]

File a fraud report. Go criminal after him.

 

[zimm]

1500 for the entire custom trailer, rated at what? 2500lbs? what did the new company say it would cost?

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

My guess is 1,500 for the entire cost of the frame/chassis

 

[ruadhrigh]

Did you give the $1500 dollars through a credit card? If so, tell them your experience and they will reach out to the merchant, which could get results for you.

American Express gave me all my money back from buying an Alu-Cab RTT from Bomber Products, simply because they refused to respond to American Express' inquiry.

off-topic but I had issues with Bomber Products years ago. I was able to get my parts after a long, uncommunicated delay. That guy was difficult to deal with.

 

[emulous74]

off-topic but I had issues with Bomber Products years ago. I was able to get my parts after a long, uncommunicated delay. That guy was difficult to deal with.

Yeah, the only time he called me was when Amex took the money back from him and threatened to sue me. I told him go for it.

 

[cianksmith]

Just googled the company and it says "permanently closed"... Not the best sign. Sorry to hear of this happening.

Lol, I did that. Changed the address too..... Trying to get a reply or reaction.