little heads up about the company called Sim-Rigs in the UK

Jamie Purch · Aug 24, 2020

Hi all,

Just a little heads up about the company called Sim-Rigs in the UK

Wasn't sure whether to do this or not as "mud slinging" is not my scene. But after what i have went through and times being what they are financially wise, i thought it best just to alert the good people on here about this company.

I ordered a rig in May and was told after an email inquiring about delivery times that it would be 7 - 10 days.

Well after countless lies from the company including 3 bogus tracking numbers and trying to shift the blame onto everything and everyone else for not getting my order, i cancelled and requested a refund. Which was met with an email saying your rig is getting shipped tomorrow which was about the 8th time i had heard that. So i emailed back asking for a tracking number to prove that it was ready to be shipped and got one. Only problem was, after a live chat to TNT, the tracking number turned out -again - to be completely made up.

I mean, what company or person would do that??

I am now in the process of legal action to get my money back as the company just keeps fobbing me off with -

you have been refunded do you not have it?

Its not our fault its Stripes (an online payment company like paypal)

I have bank transferred the money you should have it now.

I will look into it and get back to you etc etc.....

Its been an absolute nightmare which, at a time like this, i'm sure anyone can do without.

I am sure there will be happy customers out there that ordered from Sim Rigs but i would imagine there will be a few in the same boat as me and for that reason i have decided to put this post up so as people can make up their own minds whether its worth the risk placing an order.

Hope this does not come across as sour grapes. I wish this post had been up the day before i decided to whack £600 down the drain!!!

Choose wisely folks!!

carson79 · Oct 14, 2020

Racing Sim Rigs UK said:
We would love to help also

I honestly don't know what to say.
Thank you very much.
I haven't slept properly since I read this thread on Friday evening.
I'm a bit all over the place and feeling sick now too, probably from the lack of sleep.
I never shared my experience here with the expectation of anything and these messages of support are very appreciated.
It really changed my mood this morning and made a little less down.
Just talking to an old friend @Mr Latte again has been really nice.
I actually feel really embarrassed as I'm not used to accepting help, but the offers have made me feel slightly better about things.
So thanks again, I'm speechless.

Mr Latte · Oct 14, 2020

Nothing to be embarrassed about at all, at some point, many of us have been at the receiving end of some con.
Including myself and I can relate to how distressing and angry or foolish it can make the victim feel.

In sim racing we have a commonly talked subject in "Field Of View" (FOV)
This thread seems to have turned into several people's experiences of "Victims Of Fraud" (VOF) by one particular company.

As a suggestion, perhaps it's best to focus on the people that have come forward. Those that have been affected and not so much the individual that's responsible?

It's nice also to see a company wanting to help as well, so a big appreciation to them.

Racing Sim Rigs UK · Oct 14, 2020

If people are missing parts, we have a lot of spare 8040 we can cut to size. Let us know

carson79 · Oct 14, 2020

Well the pity party is over.
I've just listed my old fanatec v2 pedals on ebay and sold them already.
No idea what the outcome with the bank will be but with @Mr Latte very kind gift last night I've almost half of what I was conned out of.
Still not the value of a rig but it a start in the right direction.
Onwards and upwards

AccAkut · Oct 14, 2020

Mr Latte said:
As a suggestion, perhaps it's best to focus on the people that have come forward. Those that have been affected and not so much the individual that's responsible?

good thing is the more people come forward and post their experience here, the higher this thread will climb on google searches

btw was this the shop site?

carson79 · Oct 14, 2020

AccAkut said:
good thing is the more people come forward and post their experience here, the higher this thread will climb on google searches

btw was this the shop site?
View attachment 412623

Yeah thats the one

carson79 · Oct 14, 2020

Pedals sold and paid for.
Dropped off at the post office and tracking details sent....
100% Postive feed back on my ebay account.
And thats how decent people conduct business.
I know Barry/James reads the thread.

Enzo Fazzi · Oct 14, 2020

carson79 said:
I know Barry/James reads the thread.

I don't think it would make a difference if he did, I doubt someone like this cares about how much he screwed people over.

FindingBarryHayward · Oct 14, 2020

carson79 said:
I honestly don't know what to say.
Thank you very much.
I haven't slept properly since I read this thread on Friday evening.
I'm a bit all over the place and feeling sick now too, probably from the lack of sleep.
I never shared my experience here with the expectation of anything and these messages of support are very appreciated.
It really changed my mood this morning and made a little less down.
Just talking to an old friend @Mr Latte again has been really nice.
I actually feel really embarrassed as I'm not used to accepting help, but the offers have made me feel slightly better about things.
So thanks again, I'm speechless.

Don't feel embarrassed, everyone who has been in this situation in all of Barry's cons is going to feel like this. Luckily he never took a penny off me, but I unearthed one of his cons via a family member who knew him too well.
He is a very plausible con man, he's perfected his con, and knows he'll usually get a 6 month run before the wheels fall off and he has to run. It's a lonely life for him, and he's not making much money out of it, you wonder why he does it? He's got suppliers all over the country, in fact all over the world on his tail, he's got big angry customers wanting to knock his lights out, he's got bailiffs chasing him to serve notices, he's got warrants out for his arrest (he might not know that, but he'll read this so he does now

) All he can do is run, and plan his next community to con. It's a sad lonely life for Barry, I bet he'd just love to see his daughter again! Not that she'd want to see him!
Just watch out to see if another similar company to Sim-Rigs UK sets up and starts getting active on forums, because he worked this con with carbon car parts 3 times, as Tech Carbon, Carbonedge and Carbon Composites. He did the performance chips as Officially Pimped and OP_Performance and a couple of others.
He'll be back, and he'll be found out again.

Cez Jones · Oct 15, 2020

public protector said:
So here is James / Barry’s latest FB post. Please excuse me if I don’t show any pity for this s***bag. So he claims to be ceasing trading because his past has caught up with him. I personally believe it has everything to do with the 23k CCJ that has just been filed against his amazing company.

Well its now come to this

Over the past few weeks a few people have taken it upon themselves to drag my past up.

Since then I have had threats made against myself and people close to me. This is NOT acceptable. I will not be bullied or threatened.

When i started sim rigs i wanted it to be amazing and it was. Yes some items went out late but from the hundreds of orders we get a few wrong but always try and make up for it.

We have had many customers try and us this again myself and the company saying they will slate us on pages. And they did.

We even had one customer say all the parts were cut to the wrong size. Utter bullshit as the supplier is top notch.

And for the guy who said you ordered in Feb and still waiting ???? we didnt start till May so good luck with that

We have had customers have rigs then put chargebacks on and refuse to return items. THIS IS NOT ACCETPABLE. I will be arranging collection.

We have a couple of customers who didn't read descriptions and then give us grief.

We came here with great items and great products and I have met some amazing customers who i class as friends. Then those who like to spread bullshit and never let anyone move on in life. I know who you are and you know who you are don't forget that.

So from midnight tonight Sim Rigs Ltd Will cease trading.

Any outstanding orders or parts will still be honoured.

I would like to thank all those that actual stuck with us and didn't listen to the bullshit and gave us a chance. But there is only so much we can take.

Tonight's last rig was delivered direct to Sam in Hull happy racing pal

Thanks
James

Funny he says he started trading in May. My PayPal invoice was from April

I too had a similar experience. Albeit one of the more fortunate ones from the sounds of it. Exact lies, excuses, falsified bank emails, falsified tracking numbers leading to nowhere. All the rest of it.

I’m a marketer by trade and offered to help the business expand with photography / videography of his products when they arrived. This somehow got me a ‘free’ digital display. Obviously to shoot to generate a form of authenticity to continue his games. His Sim Rigs video you may have seen on his streams and pages was actually shot by myself with half the items actually being from elsewhere as I’d not received, nor given permission for him to use, the video. Just something I was messing with in anticipation of the rest of my products.
I had also offered to help improve his website as v1 was atrocious.I guess he didn’t take me up on this as I’d have seen all the angry messages from other customers in equally as unfortunate situations.

He had also stolen designs from freelance CAD designers and rebranded them with his logos. The sequential shifter and pedal set he posted a month or so back. Super nice guy.

after placing my initial order I was promised 3/4 day delivery. Few weeks pass before anything arrived. Basic rig turned up with no pedal plate, monitor mounts, seat slider, seat side mounts, shifter plate, keyboard tray or feet. He promised they’re enroute and guess what... tracking is coming... never does. What a lad.
Eventually a monitor mount arrived. No vesa mount though. I fashioned my own for my new 49” ultra wide I’d just purchased for my new rig. Sketchy is an understatement.

THEN, He had the audacity to ask me if I would dismantle the monitor mount and he would have it collected and sent to another customer who was ‘giving him grief’. In return he would send me an Oculus Rift S. What an offer... how could I refuse?! Still to this day I want to slam my head into a wall for believing this C***.
I dismantled this set up and and sent it off with some random pair of women who arrived LESS THAN AN HOUR after he asked. From Skegness (about 20 minutes from me). Odd is an understatement.

another 3/4 weeks pass with no oculus or replacement monitor mount. Then finally another complete bodge turns up. Again I must make my own vesa mount. This then FAILED and smashed my brand spanker screen. Nice.
I sent him a picture and he instantly sends me a screenshot of a prime order with a replacement screen. Didn’t expect this but I appreciated the service. Again, nothing has arrived to this day. I had to purchase another screen along with a correct vesa mount from elsewhere. My fault. Hands up. But regardless I should have been provided with what I paid for.

After months of Chasing this guy, I finally ended up with a half usable set up. falling for his excuses a few times, then just giving up and peppering him with questions daily which soon made him change his tune.

Finally after giving up waiting for my bits to arrive (keyboard tray / mouse plate / shifter plate) I ended up purchasing from TrakRacer (DemonTweeks) which arrived next day.

another maybe month pass after I asked to be refunded for the items which were clearly never going to arrive. Alas a refund hits my account of roughly £150.00. Thankful to say the least. But why did this take from April until September?

it’s a real shame he didn’t run this business correctly as it had a fantastic amount of exposure and the quality of the items i eventually received isn’t overly awful. (TheTrakRacer items are far superior when put next to one another though).

Anyway, to the guys still out of pocket I really feel your pain. I’d advised a few guys to go to this clown too which made me feel absolutely awful. One of which was in Canada and had zero way of correcting this other than constant messages.

I hope everyone eventually gets their items / money returned, and I really do thank the companies helping his victims. You truly are a good bunch of guys / gals (don’t wish to offend )

Jamie Purch · Oct 15, 2020

Checked my emails this morning and i have a refund from them!!!

So maybe he has come to his senses and is trying to do right for everybody. That may sound gullible but your probably all aware by now i try my best to give folk the benefit of the doubt.

I've got my fingers crossed for every one of you.

carson79 · Oct 15, 2020

Jamie Purch said:
Checked my emails this morning and i have a refund from them!!!

So maybe he has come to his senses and is trying to do right for everybody. That may sound gullible but your probably all aware by now i try my best to give folk the benefit of the doubt.

I've got my fingers crossed for every one of you.

Is the money in your account?

NobberUK · Oct 15, 2020

Morning All,

First post and was kindly given the link to this thread by another poster here.

Have to add my name to the list of people who have been 'let down' by James or Barry or whoever he is.

Back in August he offered me a Mige 130ST he had kicking about that they used for testing. Said it was basically brand new and I wanted to try and upgrade my kit. Anyway he 'kindly' delivered it to a friend of mine that lives closer to him who I was meeting up with a few days later when I visited my ill parents in the North. Great I thought, what a nice gesture and also passed on a link to a friend of mine about the pedals Sim-Rigs had 'coming' soon. He instantly put down a deposit on them and has since paid the remainder but I dare say they won't turn up!

I come home a week later after being up north for a week and plug in the motor. Low and behold it doesn't work. Just says error. So I get in touch with James/Barry/Etc who says he'll order a new one up to replace it. In the meantime I've got in touch with another member of the community who sold me a control unit for the motor in case it was a problem with my controller. He kindly offered to test it for me, so I pop up his workplace and he tests it on his rig, same outcome motor doesn't work. We then test another motor with the controller and that works perfectly. He then offers to lend me the working motor and says just get the replacement shipped here.

So I ask James/Barry to ship the replacement to the other member of the community, he says no problem. He also didn't ship it with a shaft adapter so I pay him some more money for that too and he says he'll send it via courier.

I organise to send the broken motor back, which I do at my expense, next day with a tracking number!

The next bit you all know.....days and weeks pass and I still have nothing to show for it. Countless promises about it's been sent, but can't get me tracking info as he's out delivering. Will be back in work soon, or he's on his way to work now and he'll let me have the info later. Didn't get in until 3am so he'll do it shortly, etc etc etc blah blah blah.

It had all gone on too long and I had been hearing things, but I'm a genuine guy, been brought up right, so I always give people the benefit of the doubt and see the good in them but I'd had enough, so asked for a refund via PayPal. No worries I'll sort it is the response. I'll also send you one of our new shifters for all the hassles was the reply. Roll on a week and still no refund, the excuse was that it's blocked outgoing payments on his PayPal so he's gonna do it on his mates one.

Last night he messages again to say if the PayPal isn't in by 9 he'll do an instant bank transfer. I bet you can't guess the outcome of that one!

In comparison to others on here I'm only down a smallish sum of money, but I'm not letting this go.

NobberUK · Oct 15, 2020

Sorry for the double post but I also wanted to add something further as the above post I started writing yesterday and finished this morning.

I have also since spoken to a couple of other people about James/Barry and Sim Rigs UK.

On the 'woe is me' Facebook post there was a comment that popped up from a guy named Lee saying that James owed a courier £12.5k for deliveries they'd done and not been paid for. The post was deleted but not quick enough before I got a screenshot! I looked Lee up and found out he owns a courier company, so I called them. Turns out it isn't actually Lee that's owed the money but a good friend of his, who Lee kindly gave me the number of. So I called him to!

After speaking to him (I'm leaving his name out of this for now) I sent him the link to this thread and hoped he'd add his **** show to the pile but he also explained what had/is going on. Long story short they're a small company who have only been going 18 months and are run by a genuinely nice guy who unfortunately doesn't have Facebook so couldn't comment on the post so Lee did it on his behalf.

He drafted in other drivers and vans to help with all the deliveries but still hasn't been paid. He's currently outstanding a grand total of between £12.5k and £16k. He's also instructed bailiff's to visit James/Barry which they have done and things are well on there way on that score.

I'm now making it a personal mission to help as many people as I can with this **** show. This should not be allowed to happen.

carson79 · Oct 15, 2020

Guys...
Just checked my bank account
Full amount in it!
I can't actually believe it

NobberUK · Oct 15, 2020

carson79 said:
Guys...
Just checked my bank account
Full amount in it!
I can't actually believe it

Awesome news!

Division Detailing · Oct 15, 2020

I got this from him last night.

He seems to be righting some wrongs. But this can only be for selfish reasons. ‘Taking orders and not delivering on time and struggling to keep up’ is clearly the card he’ll be playing when the police come calling.

He’s now deleted his Facebook profile.