mmcelrea
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| posted on 1/4/11 at 09:53 AM |
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no contact from luego
Hi
I have a luego velocity and I have been trying to get in contact with the company to buy a new nosecone. Does anyone know how to get in touch or if
there are any other manufacturers nosecones that would fit with the luego bonnet.
Thankyou
Miller
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HappyFather
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| posted on 1/4/11 at 10:20 AM |
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Luego changed owners recently. Are you trying the contact specified on the site?
http://www.luegosportscars.com/4.html
Tel: 07976 271380
If that fails, hope someone else can tell you if there is another cone provider.
HappyFather
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mmcelrea
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| posted on 1/4/11 at 10:34 AM |
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I've tried calling a number of times and emailed but I've had no reply as yet. Has anyone else spoken to someone at luego recently?
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norfolkluego
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| posted on 1/4/11 at 11:14 AM |
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I know for a fact that Luego did not make their own fibreglass parts (bought a new bonnet from them last year). The part was shipped to me from the
guys who made it (in Peterborough if I remember), the invoice also came from them, I'll have a poke about when I get home and see if I still
have it (the invoice that is, I know I've still got the bonnet)
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mmcelrea
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| posted on 1/4/11 at 01:04 PM |
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Thankyou
Any info is much appreciated.
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 1/4/11 at 07:49 PM |
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Yes but Ben still owned the body moulds and moved them between companies. I know as I bought on the transition.
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 17/5/11 at 04:27 PM |
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Just been doing a bit of firkling after reading a previous thread and thing do not look good.
Anyway I have had a temporary rethink on the body of this post and also a retink on what next. Having been on to the Luego web site, I have today sent
them an email (with a reciept and delivery request so I will know when the have it and if the read it) The email is fairly blunt and to the point but
I think asks legittimate questions.
body of email.
Greetings I was today about to put a post up on locostbuilders.co.uk with regard to the alledged trading/nontrading future of Luego Sports Cars.
However I thought that I would give yourselves the cahnce to put the record straight so that we loyal Luego Owners would know whether we still drive a
product that we could still promote as an viable product to people that arrive at our display stands at the various Kit Car Shows that we attend.
There have been various rumours and conjectures that have been put forward, however we would very much like to know the truth. Yours faithfully C A
Taylor
So we shall see and I will let you know.
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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Irony
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| posted on 17/5/11 at 07:33 PM |
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There is a post up on the Luego facebook page. I asked what was happening and they said 'still around but in a much smaller form'. I
personally am a little sad. There seems to be a loyal following on Luego Drivers (or in my case, builders) but the Leugo themselves don't seem
to be as committed to their product as they should be.
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 17/5/11 at 10:36 PM |
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Just to keep you all in the loop as much as possible I have just received/read the following reply to my email.
Hi Clive,
I trust all is well with you. We closed the ltd company we were trading under, main reasons were ever increasing costs - the council deciding to
put the rent up 30% kinda put the nail in the coffin. Basically people stopped spending and I wasn't prepared to risk the company going into
liquidation and customers losing money, so we stopped at a point were I could provide everything that had been ordered. I still own the rights to the
name and have all the jigs and molds. I also support all my customers who bought from us, as there are a number still building their kits.
Regards Ben
I feel rather sad that although there was a prompt reply, and apparent commitment, it is none the less sad that this is the situation and it is not
likely to get much better with the lack pricing (competetive or other-wise) on their internet site.
JGG
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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Irony
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| posted on 18/5/11 at 08:14 AM |
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That makes me sad and frustrated, what happened to his passion??? In my opinion 'people stopped spending' because of the lackluster
marketing and somewhat unpassionate attitude of people manning the stoneleigh stand.
Surely making and designing sportscars is about the coolest profession there is. I think there is good market for these cars, the Viento is a one
off.
Just look at company's like GBS or MEV who have pumped development into their products and spent money on superbly placed marketing. Seems to
me that these days the main thing thats needed from kitcar manufacturers is customer service. There are some terrible posts about poor customer
service on this site, it completely shocks me. In some instances kitcar companies don't even answer the phone when a customer wants to order
something. This is just unforgivable, if someone calls and wants to buy something its the easiest sale in world. Service is paramount and a
defeatest attitude will get you nowhere.
 sorry rant over.
[Edited on 18/5/11 by Irony]
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 18/5/11 at 05:20 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Irony
That makes me sad and frustrated, what happened to his passion??? In my opinion 'people stopped spending' because of the lackluster
marketing and somewhat unpassionate attitude of people manning the stoneleigh stand.
Surely making and designing sportscars is about the coolest profession there is. I think there is good market for these cars, the Viento is a one
off.
Just look at company's like GBS or MEV who have pumped development into their products and spent money on superbly placed marketing. Seems to
me that these days the main thing thats needed from kitcar manufacturers is customer service. There are some terrible posts about poor customer
service on this site, it completely shocks me. In some instances kitcar companies don't even answer the phone when a customer wants to order
something. This is just unforgivable, if someone calls and wants to buy something its the easiest sale in world. Service is paramount and a
defeatest attitude will get you nowhere.
sorry rant over.
[Edited on 18/5/11 by Irony]
All very true, the thing is, that, if you look on the Luego Web site, there is now NO phone number for contact, just the e-mail link.
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 18/5/11 at 06:36 PM |
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I have to agree with Irony about the passion. In my experience there wasn't any passion with Luego under this management. There are viable
products in the Velocity and Viento that just needed marketing a little better IMHO but this was never done. Barely, if any changes made to the
website that I can remember and to take the company on and live in Aberdeen whilst you outsource the manufacturing around England was always going to
result in quality issues which was what I experienced coupled with, as Irony mentioned, customer service issues. I was upset about the delays in
receiving my items, which I paid for in full, up front with an agreed timescale because under the old Luego ownership I had no issues at all but I was
even more upset at receiving a phone call in the morning after a late night at work and having someone start shouting at me like I was a child! ( I
know you read this Ben  )
All in I genuinely think that it was a recipe for disaster and that the company should be sold on to someone with more passion like the Luego
customers and owners have. See the Luego owners stand at every show.
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SteveWallace
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| posted on 18/5/11 at 07:04 PM |
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Just to add my 2p's worth, speaking as someone who is mid way through my build, I have to say that Ben has been responsive to my e-mail
questions and has swapped the occasional part that I have found not to be in spec without fuss or challenge.
I've no idea how tight the margins are in the kit car world with so much competition out there, but the Viento is unique and fills the
'big bloke' gap in the market. It would be a real shame to see it disappear.
Unfortunately, it means that if they are not selling at the moment, there is only one answer to the 'viento for a beginner' post thats
been running here for the last few days - so a missed opportunity for a sale.
[Edited on 18/5/11 by SteveWallace]
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blakep82
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| posted on 18/5/11 at 07:11 PM |
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no matter how much passion the guy has, he can have all the passion for kit cars in the world, but if he's losing money, and facing having to
put the company into liquidation, then why should he continue, knowing that he's getting himself into more trouble? i think he's mad the
right choice personally. good on him to pull the company, before he gets into a position where he's taken peoples money and can't supply
parts, and hasn't got the money to give back
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 18/5/11 at 07:21 PM |
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That's a fair point there Blake as I think a few more companies wouldn't have been so honest, if that's the word.
But, I still regard Luego as one of the main 7 style companies and I had no luck with their customer service nor was impressed by their marketing so I
think that the company needs moving on quickly and put back into the public eye with a good bit of marketing.
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stevegough
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| posted on 18/5/11 at 07:31 PM |
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Just a quick 'thanks' to Clive (aka JGG) for getting us some sort of an answer to the question quite a few of us were asking at
Stoneleigh. It sort of confirms our suspicions - it is a huge shame, but at least he isn't still taking money for orders he knows he
can't fill?
Luego Locost C20XE.
Build start: October 6th 2008.
IVA passed Jan 28th 2011.
First drive Feb 10th 2011.
First show: Stoneleigh 1st/2nd May 2011.
'Used up' first engine may 3rd 2011!
Back on the road with 2nd engine may 24th
First PASA mad drive 26/7/11
Sold to Mike in Methyr Tydvil 19/03/14
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Steve Lovelock
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| posted on 18/5/11 at 07:56 PM |
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I'm glad to see you had a reply Clive.
I'm glad to see that Ben took an honest approach to his current financial challenges.
I'm sad to see what has happened to one of the best kit car companies in a few short years.
There is no point in a one/two man company trying to run a business making and selling kit cars, it takes a much bigger operation to make it viable.
However, that takes money and in the current climate I struggle to see how Luego can re-surface at the moment; who would put that type of investment
in when the economy is so testing?
Just think about what would be required to run a reasonably efficient kit car company:
A fabricator
A salesperson / purchaser
A customer service person / general helper
A stock control / accounts person
Ok, maybe some of those rolls could be further combined but take four average salaries, add rent for a premises and general costs and you could easily
be looking at costs of £150,000 a year.
How many Viento / Velocity's would you need to sell to make enough profit to cover that lot? That could be 100 cars or more and I just
don't see how it's possible.
I hope somebody or some company takes up the mantle.
Steve
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