It's a disgrace

[Mac]

Six months ago I raised a question about Aerodeck as my order was overdue and emails were not being replied to. This resulted in a number of responses from unhappy simmers until the thread was closed down.

My order was placed in January. Nine months on I still have not received my order which was worth $20,000 with $18,000 being paid upfront Promised dispatch dates have come and gone. A couple of months ago I was sent a revised invoice and told certain items could not be supplied. The items in question were not Aerodeck items but panels from a major FS supplier. I was not given a refund but the money was put towards the balance owing. It has since come to my notice that Aerodeck owes this supplier a substantial amount of money.

I have now cancelled my order with Aerodeck and asked for a refund as there is clearly a breach of contract. However, I am not holding my breath!

I have now placed an order for the 737 shell and internal structure with another company.

[Matt Olieman]

Mac, I feel for you, and I appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

I just don't want this thread to get out of hand. Obviously there is a problem, and I'm sure you'll take care of the situation. Otherwise this thread has nowhere to go, at least constructively towards any flight sim building topics.

Mac, again, thank you for bringing this buyer beware situation to our attention.

Matt Olieman

[Matt Olieman]

If any one has factual information regarding AeroDeck Engineering, please contact me. If I can verify it, I will post the information.

I did an extensive search for AeroDeck Engineering Corp. First of all, although it has a Miami, FL address, AeroDeck Engineering Corp. is not registered with Florida Corporate Registrations. Second, On AeroDeck Engineering's web-site, they claim their address is 1733 NW 79th Ave. I could not find it.

There is a 1730 NW 79th AVE which is Doral Pharmamedics. The next building is 1780 NW 79th Ave, which didn't look occupied. This is based on Google Map search, even down to street level photos.

I did a USA search for "AeroDeck Engineering Corporation" or just "AeroDeck Engineering." The corporate search engines I used could not find AeroDeck Engineering registered in the U.S.

Perhaps there is a reasonable explanation for this, and I hope the folks at AeroDeck Engineering can explain this. Frankly, I don't know what's going on. I suppose you can draw your own conclusions.

Matt Olieman

[Matt Olieman]

This quote came from a fellow builder:

I have purchased quite a few products from Armando (Aerodeck) in the past including a 737 shell, floor structure, pedestal, and windows. From my experience, his fabrication operation is based out of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. All products ship from that location. Not sure about the Miami address though.

Matt Olieman

[Matt Olieman]

Another quote from a fellow builder:

Hi Matt,
Hope all is well? I want to share my experience with Armando (Aerodeckengineering) I placed over $25,000 for a complete order with ADE in early Sept. 2006. At first I was told that my order was going to take four to five months tops to have it deliver, but after the fifth month the excuses kept pouring in ......................... Long story short I received 90% of the original products after ONE YEAR and SIX MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!! The quality of his products is very poor for the price you pay. It's taken me over 900 hours to correct his mistakes!!! I could have saved myself lots of money and time if I would have gone whit a real company like NFS, or FDS.

Matt Olieman

[Matt Olieman]

Another quote from a fellow sim-builder:

Matt,
This is a good thing you are doing for the flightsim community. Please keep the topic open, you cant let this guy get away with it.
I guess I am one of the "LUCKY" ones to receive the product, lucky in the sense I got something from the guy BUT the things that I had to go through!!. My shell was overdue by like 3 months, then he quoted on a priority shipping that was suppose to be only 30 days which turned out to be 80 days. Promised to chase the money back from the forwarder and never heard from him again. I paid $4000us for shipping.
But back to the beginning, I never bothered this guy until it was 2 days before due to completion when I thought I should give him a call. He ensured that everything was on schedule, but the day past and gone so after 4 weeks past the date I wrote him an email stating that we had a an agreement and it was 4 weeks past and I receive no correspondent. This guy called my private home 1 am my time, not saying "hello" , but "listen here... we have no such agreement.....all subject to changes.....dont make such threats....". I was already half asleep!!!. I thought to mysellf this is the same guy I called 2 days before it was "due" and said "everything was on schedule....", how can something change so quickly. To cut the long story short , 5 months later I got my stuff, but thats when the nightmare begins. Everything is pretty much F&%(ed up. The measurement he quoted 1 to 1 ...IS NOT... The fibreglass shell was wobbly , and a short look below my god!!! some of the braces was not attached to the shell (cause it was short) so no bolt can be attached. The ones that have bolts attached are in an angle and not fully threaded in. His MIP stand is so wobbly and no place to mount monitors... and he expects me to find a place to cut LCD (what the F&*&(). His shell is not symetrical, one half is shorter than the other. I basically wouldve been better of to build one myself cause since the day it arrived thats what I have been doing FIXING his F&^* UP!!. and the windows on the shell well they're pretty much scratched up. The installation of the window , my 10 yr old couldve done a better job with the silicone gun. (Mate I have pics )
I tried to tell MAC last week as I know he was an older gentlemen , that he might not have the skills do fix it up and try to get your money back if you can, because its not an install and fly !! And the thing is so heavy you need 2 if you are brave and 3 to be save to uninstall the pieces so you can fix the damn thing. 6 weeks have passed although I have only working on it 3 days a week but I have nothing to show.
I am about to make a purchase for a new shell structure and interior from NFS!!.
Keep this forum open mate and dont put my name out but when it gets to there and you need to publish my name later than no probs.

Matt Olieman

[Matt Olieman]

More interesting information brought to my attention:

07-27420 30/05/07 AERODECK ENGINEERING DOMINICANA FABRICACION Y/O MANUFACTURA DE SIMULADORES DE VUELOS, PIEZAS Y COMPONENTES PARA
SIMULADORESDE VUELO, PARA EXPORTACION ; EL USO DE ESTOS SIMULADORES ES PARA
ENTRENAMIENTOS DE VUELOS PARA PILOTOS Y ENTRETENIMIENTO ARMANDO OSCAR PACHECO SANTANA 231394

Translated:
07-27420 30/05/07 AERODECK Dominican MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING AND / OR manufacture of flight simulators, parts and components for

SIMULADORESDE flight in order to export, the use of these simulators is for

Flight training for pilots and entertainment OSCAR Armando Pacheco Santana 231394

Matt Olieman

[Matt Olieman]

Another quote from a fellow builders experience:

Matt,

I know you closed the topic about Armando & Aerodeck Engineering; however, if you decide to add more to it, here is my experience with him.

About a year or two ago I inquired about the B727 Cockpits that he shows on the Parts page of the website. We emailed at first and later he called me after I provided my telephone number. Upon speaking with him he sounded really good on the phone, actually too good.

He was asking me to send $4000 for the entire cockpit and then I was to go pick it up or send him money for shipping. Oddly enough, I just could not believe he was selling it so cheap and in fact, he lowered it from $5000 because I said I was disabled and former military.

I mulled the whole idea over and decided that it really sounded "TO GOOD TO BE TRUE!". Therefore, I just forgot about the whole thing. However, I can say two things about him today.

First, the same photos of the same cockpit are still shown, but now it states they're just for reference. I think it would've sold by now at that price (maybe it did) Second, I did ask about the address back at that time and I learned it was a warehouse in Florida. In fact, that is the main reason I decided against him because I could not verify him as a company to where he stated that he was located.

Finally, after reading all the other individuals' problems with him, I'd say stay away because he still is "TO GOOD TO BE TRUE!".

Thanks