Seller Feedback Quantum-Auto.com (Jake Breyck) No customer service to be found

The 1UZFE EGR Delete Kit is available for sale here.
Another tip to deal with online transactions is either to pay with Paypal or Credit Card (an account that has low limit). Paypal may have the power to take the money back. However, Credit Card companies also have the power to take the money back for you, only if you dispute based on bad transactions within 30 days. It's Federal law. So let's say if you pay today, you need to make sure the parts are ready for you within 30 days. If on the 28th day and the parts are still not here, call your Credit Card company right away.
 
Be sure to pay via credit card regardless if you use PayPal or not...This way you have 2 types of protection. PayPal has a strict time limit to file for a claim, and if you do not file for it within that window, they will not help you. Unscrupulous sellers will try to get you to "understand" their challenges causing the delay in shipping or delivery to you because they know this window and the rules all too well...once the window is passed, you are toast. If you pay through PayPal with your credit card and not your bank account, then you can file through your credit card for a longer period of time, and your credit card will simply deduct the money from their account with PayPal as long as your cc company finds you have been defrauded. Never ever pay through your PayPal account from your checking account...and remember that PayPal auto defaults to your payment going through your checking account every time you make a payment transaction. You have to force the cc payment...PayPal knows all this, and they do not want to lose their money either...they care more for their profits than helping you...regardless of their bull crap statements otherwise....

Ryan
 
79 days later, this shows up out of the blue in the mail:

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Over everything that has happened, all the emails, two failed refunds and all of my wasted time, I finally got something for my money. Upon closer inspection of the adapter, it is clear that it is a very well machined and toleranced unit. However, it was also clear that this adapter that I bought "new" was actually used.

Notice the markings by the holes where the locking washers marred the surface, and also the dirt around the circular locating edge.

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The adapter also has lots of nice patina and oil covering the exposed areas.

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I would like to think these blemishes were only from test fitting the adapter to assure it was machined correctly, but the severity of the dirt and blemishes makes me think otherwise. Even though the unit is clearly not in "new shape," it is not compromised in way. I am going to just call it even at this point; trying to get a different adapter would be more of a headache than I care to deal with. All this being said, the adapter did fit nicely once the bellhousing received the necessary grinding to clear the input seal cover and two adapter bolts.

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My cliff notes of the entire experience:

1. Was I happy with the quality of the product for the money I spent?

Yes, except for the fact that it was clearly not new.

2. Was I happy with the waiting time for the product?

No.

3. Was I happy with the seller's communication?

No.

4. Did the seller do his part to make the buyer happy?

No.

5. Would I buy from this seller again?

No, not if forced to by gun point.

Thanks everyone for your help, especially William. I wouldn't be surprised if it was these threads and William's and others’ outreaching that finally shook Jake into delivering on this 79 day transaction.

-Mike
 
Just out of curiosity, why did you buy from quantum? I've been trying to figure out why they still get people to buy from them considering their high prices, and questionable bearing setups.
 
I did a search on quantum, and of course the first threads that come up are of RedPhoenix's build. Of course he praises the kit, since he is an "unconfirmed" business partner of Jakes. There was also another member of our MKII Supra community who received one from Jake and praised the quality, although he didn’t express the amount of time it took to reach him. Had I been a bit more diligent to do my research on companies, I surely would have went through you. I spent many nights through the past year researching everything in preparation to do this swap. I am a bit embarrassed about making this bad transaction to be honest. Funny enough now, but a search on Jake Brecyk or Jake Lindeke pops up nothing but negative threads about him, with my threads at the top of the list.

As I have said before, this bad experience has made me a smarter and more aware buyer from now on. I am (I guess you could say) just happy that this transaction is over, but I hope those who are still owed parts and or money receive what they are owed in a timely fashion. I am lucky to have my own shop to work in, I fear for those who rent space or have a shop doing their build.

-Mike
 
I'm not sure about your state law, but in Ca, if you have bad transaction for less than $5000 with a business, all you can do is to bring them to small claim court. Even if you win the case, it's not easy to take the money back. There're ways to take the money back, but it'll take times and money to do that. At the end, it's a lose-lose situation. The police won't do much in this case. It's not criminal.
 
I actually wanted to get my 1UZ swap running and buy a custom built and ready at hand Flywheel from Quantum instead of waiting for Brandon at the time to finish his prototype of the billet flywheel. I contacted Quantum and from my understanding, the steel flywheel is a custom made unit designed for the 1UZ.

When I received it, I noticed it had machining and casting marks of a generic flywheel like you'd buy from an autoparts store. I couldn't believe my eyes and I had to take it to a pro who actually machines for a living. I handed it over to Brandon and I didn't mention anything to him. He took a close look at it and asked me if I ovaled out the holes myself and where did I get this flywheel. I kept quite and he took it over to his 1UZ.

He inspected it closer and again asked me where it came from and I told him to guess. He said it looked like a $60 AutoZone cheap flywheel. I thought he was joking but he insisted that it was what he said it was, a cheaply casted flywheel from an autoparts store. I told him that it was from Quantum and he couldn't believe it. Of course, we checked out Quantum's site and the blurry pictures at the time of the as advertised custom flywheel looked deceiving.

It didn't take Brandon more than a couple of days to get back to me and confirm that the flywheel was actually a production flywheel that was modified to fit the 1UZ. Brandon tried to bolt the flywheel onto the 1UZ crank but some of the ovaled holes needed some more modification to actually make it bolt on correctly.

Long story short, I sure as hell didn't appreciate waiting about 2 months for something that was advertised as being a custom made unit that was in stock when it turned out to be a off brand flywheel kinda made to fit that took a lot longer than advertised to receive. All in all, by the time I got the damn flywheel, I already had Brandon's installed on my engine!!!

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I do feel cheated and Brandon did give me a discount on the flywheel he made for me just to take the bite off getting ripped off on the Quantum flywheel, but on a side note, the Quantum flywheel makes for a wonderful ramp to drive up on to get my jack under my lowered car.
 
I forgot to add a picture of the flywheel when I first got it from Quantum. It was already oxidized as you can see. The quality flywheel up top is actually one Brandon made me.

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Yeah, no shit. After the discovery and we exposed Quantum's scam of selling custom steel flywheels, he then changed his product description to "Modified Toyota Flywheel."
 


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