Onur let everyone in the Landcruiser community know about the headlight deal, Matt read Onur’s post and started buying them and re selling them for massive mark up.I can't confirm, since he blocked anyone from seeing his prior posting history even a couple years ago when I was investigating. This is all speculation but I had a hunch.
He was selling "NOS" alternators and appeared to have an abundance of them looking new. Sure, you can strike a hidden mine and find them, no doubt. But I'd imagine that most of them were used up not just for Toyota but other Japanese vehicles. Anyway, during some point in time, he was looking to replicate the metal tag plates that read "nippo denso" and the Toyota part number. Eventually he did managed to perfect the metal tags and my hunch was that he was getting these random rebuilt alternator and sticking the "new" metal tags on them. Then up selling them for a huge mark up.
Of course I can be wrong, but it had me curious. Also, could he have been the guy that was charging a lot for the oem Toyota H4 headlight kits? Then some guy found the part number and found them still being sold, brand new, from Toyota marked down by 80% from his price. They were about $50 at the time and the up charge was about $200. Again, speculation
I might get flamed for it, but hey, I want my questions answered
Vintageteqparts ToyotaMatt link round up (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter jclark
- Start date
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Really?! Dang-gunnit!!! I'll have to look for thst post to see how it went down. Ha! Yeah, onur gave a big piece of info to help out the land cruiser community with that. Because of him I was able to get a set of H4 headlights super cheap through Toyota. If Matt really did mark-up the headlight kit that much, that's quite bad. Boooooo
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- Thread starter
- #24
Matt has been offered help, but he has refused those offers.
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Don’t do drugs, boys and girls. Just say no.
All I got to say.
All I got to say.
- Thread starter
- #26
I want to respectfully push back on the idea that this thread—bringing together concerns already raised by multiple community members—somehow caused the outcome here or influenced managements decisions. This thread didn’t create the problem; it simply organized what people had already expressed. And it only became necessary because so many conversations kept getting deleted by Matt in the Communication Portals 1-4.0. If anything, this gave people a space to be heard when their feedback was otherwise being erased.
This situation didn’t come about because someone compiled posts. It was the result of long-term frustration—mainly with inconsistent communication and unresolved business issues. That’s what moved things—not a thread.
So if you’re angry, I get it. But that anger should be directed where it belongs: toward the choices that got us here. Matt made those decisions. No one else. And from what Toyodadude recently posted elsewhere, it sounds like there are still paying customers waiting on responses to their emails. That’s not a forum drama—that’s a pattern.
As for the idea that a “great resource” was lost—I think we need to be honest about what’s really missing. You can’t call it a great resource if people who paid are left hanging. You can’t call it a great resource when the forum presence has frequently been confusing, disorganized, or difficult to follow. I won’t speculate on why that is—but it’s been noticeable.
And let’s be clear: You can still send messages through the VTP website, Instagram, and phone. What’s no longer here is the mess—the drama that came with running a customer service operation out of the Bad Vendor section on Mud. If anything’s been lost it is the circus that was asked to move on.
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D21FJ60
#LiveLaughLove.
That's a pretty solid way of putting it.
Absolutely wild.
73Fj43
SILVER Star
I for one appreciate the effort to raise the concerns. It helped me retrieve my money and move forward with a more trustworthy and expedient resource for the svc/parts I was in need of (my ID plates are being fabricated w another vendor 
. I was recommended to Vintage TEQ from a friend, and was not yet aware of the negative experiences had by so many, which led to me turning to MUD for support - Some come to MUD to identify solutions for their build, get educated & inspired by others, and in some cases become aware of what/who not to utilize for their LC needs. Thanks @jclark again for jumping on the situation. No one wants to see anyone go out of business - There are actions the vendor could take to restore trust and I'm many would forgive and move forward - after all we only move at the speed of trust
. I was recommended to Vintage TEQ from a friend, and was not yet aware of the negative experiences had by so many, which led to me turning to MUD for support - Some come to MUD to identify solutions for their build, get educated & inspired by others, and in some cases become aware of what/who not to utilize for their LC needs. Thanks @jclark again for jumping on the situation. No one wants to see anyone go out of business - There are actions the vendor could take to restore trust and I'm many would forgive and move forward - after all we only move at the speed of trust- Thread starter
- #29
Thank you—your words mean a great deal. I don’t believe most people want to see Matt fail; many, myself included, have been willing to offer support and constructive feedback in the hope that he can turn things around. I do believe redemption is possible, but it will require a genuine willingness on his part to accept help, take responsibility, and do the hard work of rebuilding trust. He has a deep hole to climb out of—both financially and in terms of restoring confidence—but it’s not beyond repair. I sincerely hope he finds the resolve to make that change and follow through.
The encouragement here has been especially meaningful in light of the apoplectic response I received from Matt—several over-the-top, aggressive messages, capped off by a completely unhinged voice memo that included threats of legal action against those contributing to this thread for defamation and even contacting the authorities.
Even so, I remain hopeful that, with time and effort, he’ll be able to get back on track.
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D21FJ60
#LiveLaughLove.
Would it be in bad taste to post the voice memo for the public to hear? 
The post where his daddy signed a letter he wrote to someone pretty much harassing the person was unbelievable, the icing on the cake is he sent it to the wrong person.Would it be in bad taste to post the voice memo for the public to hear?
What?
Post in thread '@ToyotaMatt'
@ToyotaMatt - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/toyotamatt.1322923/post-15501084
I believe this is the post they’re referencing.
Whoa, awesome! :]
At least there won't be spamming of posts in the classifieds section or randomly constructed messages with pictures of his products when he would reply to forum members. It was just too much.
Sukcs to know so many people got burned doing business with a "supporting vendor." definitely a difficult thing to manage; but If you're not doing the job right and people are getting screwed over because of your own actions, no mater your intentions, it's time to step back, reevaluate your strategy, and take your losses if necessary.
At least there won't be spamming of posts in the classifieds section or randomly constructed messages with pictures of his products when he would reply to forum members. It was just too much.
Sukcs to know so many people got burned doing business with a "supporting vendor." definitely a difficult thing to manage; but If you're not doing the job right and people are getting screwed over because of your own actions, no mater your intentions, it's time to step back, reevaluate your strategy, and take your losses if necessary.
Francis K
SILVER Star
I do e-commerce I've been doing it for 15 and I have multiple e-commerce business and more than one is a "one man show", every excuse the guy ever made was complete and total bull****. It takes catastrophic failure to not ship your orders out, either that or you're flat out lying and don't have the product to ship, it takes a few minutes to ship an order and it takes much less time than that to reply to a message. I don't care if he had a thousand orders backed up, one night of grinding it out and he would have been caught up. He was selling parts he didn't have, just like wits end was doing and just like wits end multiple guys got ripped off because people like you stood up for him.
He's either the dumbest business man on the planet, the laziest or he's a flat out thief. Which one do you want?
dmaddox
SILVER Star
I've kept pretty quiet on this topic, well, because why beat a dead horse? To my own weakness, I have a hard time with this whole topic to begin with. I consider Matt a friend and have quite a bit of empathy. I've never met him in person, but I have conducted business with him in the thousands of dollars over the last 10-15 years. I wanted to write this with a mindset of being neutral, but also exploiting what I believe the source of the issue is.
First, let's be honest...most one-man-band shops that are run by members of the same community they are selling to...are NOT "amazon.com" types. They are typically buried in parts, mostly used/refurbished with maybe the one source of a new part they have the market on, have strange (compared to modern e-commerce) business models and methods of conducting business. Examples: DON'T PM ME, PM ME, LEAVE A VOICEMAIL, DON'T CALL, I'LL CALL BACK IF AND ONLY IF I CAN HELP YOU, CHECK MY BAD SELLERS THREAD, on and on and on. I mean, sheesh. You gotta rub this one's belly....you have to sing "she'll be comin' around the mountain" to this seller...but only after 4pm eastern...and this seller only sells online, but returns messages on an entirely other platform. I mean my God...Yet, they have the parts we need....so we rub the bellies, sing the songs, and do the thing....all so we can get that part for our cruiser. This isn't unique to old Toyota's. I've experienced the same people in the air-cooled porche/vw community. I hate it, find it incredibly annoying and they know who they are.
That being said, we are all just enthusiasts trying to get along, share in this amazing journey and hobby and make a dollar or two (or spend, in my case). So, I will respect and have empathy towards all of us. Now...with Matt. This man is a horrible business man and I have told this to him over the phone on multiple occasions. He's a VERY experienced and clever Toyota mechanic....with a wealth of information and ideas. He's also very good at finding things and putting little packages together for you and me. If he was allowed to run the back shop of a business, with the role of "procurement" he'd excel, here. However, I'd never put him in front of a customer. He rambles, goes off topic, has no sense of time management or organization...and worse zero situational awareness. Honestly, it is VERY VERY in-line with a family member of mine that has had addiction problems in the past. Same behavior. In and out of the public eye, organized one second and a total mess the next. Now, I'm not insinuating anything of Matt, I am just connecting dots and speculating. I love the guy, like I would any community member that shares the love of classic Toyotas we all do, you know?
I can't tell you how many times I have read these "bad seller" complaints....with many of you (like me) have waiting months to get a small part. I slap my forehead and just mumble "damn, Matt...you gotta take care of this, brother...." as @jclark said we all want our members and enthusiasts to be successful. We are, after all, a family here. If we all got together in person, I know that our empathy and friendship would be amazing.
So, to Matt, we care for you and your success, wish you the best in overcoming whatever demons you may be fighting...even if that is just organization and time management. You can do this, we are here to help. In the meantime, might I suggest a bill-on-shipment model, halt taking payments on order submission, communicate orders (can be automated), set up a ship day, and get after rebuilding your empire...which I believe can be an incredible source and service for this community.
First, let's be honest...most one-man-band shops that are run by members of the same community they are selling to...are NOT "amazon.com" types. They are typically buried in parts, mostly used/refurbished with maybe the one source of a new part they have the market on, have strange (compared to modern e-commerce) business models and methods of conducting business. Examples: DON'T PM ME, PM ME, LEAVE A VOICEMAIL, DON'T CALL, I'LL CALL BACK IF AND ONLY IF I CAN HELP YOU, CHECK MY BAD SELLERS THREAD, on and on and on. I mean, sheesh. You gotta rub this one's belly....you have to sing "she'll be comin' around the mountain" to this seller...but only after 4pm eastern...and this seller only sells online, but returns messages on an entirely other platform. I mean my God...Yet, they have the parts we need....so we rub the bellies, sing the songs, and do the thing....all so we can get that part for our cruiser. This isn't unique to old Toyota's. I've experienced the same people in the air-cooled porche/vw community. I hate it, find it incredibly annoying and they know who they are.
That being said, we are all just enthusiasts trying to get along, share in this amazing journey and hobby and make a dollar or two (or spend, in my case). So, I will respect and have empathy towards all of us. Now...with Matt. This man is a horrible business man and I have told this to him over the phone on multiple occasions. He's a VERY experienced and clever Toyota mechanic....with a wealth of information and ideas. He's also very good at finding things and putting little packages together for you and me. If he was allowed to run the back shop of a business, with the role of "procurement" he'd excel, here. However, I'd never put him in front of a customer. He rambles, goes off topic, has no sense of time management or organization...and worse zero situational awareness. Honestly, it is VERY VERY in-line with a family member of mine that has had addiction problems in the past. Same behavior. In and out of the public eye, organized one second and a total mess the next. Now, I'm not insinuating anything of Matt, I am just connecting dots and speculating. I love the guy, like I would any community member that shares the love of classic Toyotas we all do, you know?
I can't tell you how many times I have read these "bad seller" complaints....with many of you (like me) have waiting months to get a small part. I slap my forehead and just mumble "damn, Matt...you gotta take care of this, brother...." as @jclark said we all want our members and enthusiasts to be successful. We are, after all, a family here. If we all got together in person, I know that our empathy and friendship would be amazing.
So, to Matt, we care for you and your success, wish you the best in overcoming whatever demons you may be fighting...even if that is just organization and time management. You can do this, we are here to help. In the meantime, might I suggest a bill-on-shipment model, halt taking payments on order submission, communicate orders (can be automated), set up a ship day, and get after rebuilding your empire...which I believe can be an incredible source and service for this community.
I think I've said the exact same things to him, in addition to having a minimum order so he doesn't spend the same amount of time shipping out a $10 order as he does $500 order.
I even showed him an ebay study done years ago for its sellers and found that when considering opportunity costs, shipping and shipping materials, etc, if an item wasn't at least $20, the seller was losing money. Who knows what the threshold is now.
Sure hope he adopts some of it.
I even showed him an ebay study done years ago for its sellers and found that when considering opportunity costs, shipping and shipping materials, etc, if an item wasn't at least $20, the seller was losing money. Who knows what the threshold is now.
Sure hope he adopts some of it.
Francis K
SILVER Star
I understand you're trying to have a level head about this and be kind in a bad situation, good on you for that. This post isn't necessarily directed at you.
Understanding goes out the window when someone flat out lies to you, someone who knows full well that what they are doing to someone is wrong and does it anyway. Especially when they try to prey on and manipulate people in a situation simply because they know they can get away with it. The guy has used every tool at his disposable to manipulate and hide the situation to keep extracting money while purposefully neglecting his end of the bargain. From fake pictures to fictitiously display how busy he was to blocking members in manipulation of the forum tools to hide problems all the way to the zany and sometimes maniacal approach to brushing away customers who simply wanted some communication. This is not the behavior of someone going through a rough patch and has some things to work out, these are the actions of a person who knew he was doing something wrong and was more interested in covering it up rather than doing the right thing.
There is no benefit of the doubt to give here. Shipping orders is by far and away the easiest part of an ecommerce business, it's straight forward with no grey area and it is incredibly simple monkey work. There is no such thing as "I'm too busy to ship orders out", that is simply not a thing I'm sorry that is a non existent concept, if you got to that point you would be dancing for joy and hiring people.....not lying through your teeth and doing every deceptive thing possible to hide your problems. Anyone who believes the guy was just too busy to ship out what was paid for months later is playing themselves for fools.
Give me a possible explanation as to how someone can ship one order out in a few days but then has other orders sitting around for months, orders for items he advertised as available when purchased. Please someone find a way to explain this concept to me in a way that paints him in any way other than being dishonest.
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D21FJ60
#LiveLaughLove.
Forgot about this.
That's fantastic.
I say that not meaning fantastic that people got cheated out of money and time, but fantastic as in there is someone out there worse than me.
edit: Would it be in poor taste to make "I was conned by ToyotaMatt and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" gear?
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edit edit edit: @jamesurq
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Am I going to Hell 'cuz I laughed at that?
