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This letter is being written to warn others of risks taken when dealing with OE Wheel Distributors of Sarasota Florida. The following is the letter that i have written to the Better Buisness Bureau, Consumer Protection Agency of Florida, Ford Motor Company, my credit card company who will be contesting the transaction on my behalf and Ebay who im sure will be doing its own investigation soon.

I contacted “OE Wheels” approximately 10 days ago regarding some Ford OEM wheels that I saw for sale on ebay. I had just bought a new truck and was eager to get some new wheels on it as the stock ones were bland and boring to say the least. I spoke to a man named “Scott” who assured me these wheels were not used and were in fact “brand new take offs” from a brand new vehicle. His story was that a large dealership was supplying the company he worked for with “brand new take offs” from vehicles that were being “upgraded” with even more fancy wheels and tires. That said, it was my understanding these wheels were BRAND NEW and in perfect condition. Why would I think otherwise after being told the above-mentioned story. So I bought them….

Fast forward to the day they arrive at my shop. With all the excitement that accompanies a child opening a gift on Christmas, I eagerly cut the tape on the top box then proceeded to open it. I was very pleased with their appearance! However, as we all know, looks can be deceiving. After smiling over the now exposed wheel for a few moments, a co-worker pointed out that “BENT” was written on the rim in black marker. I immediately took the wheel from its box for a closer look and in fact the word “BENT” did appear in black marker on what is known as the “barrel” of the rim. At this point, the other 3 remaining wheels were removed from their respective boxes. Not just one rim had “BENT” written on it. Three of the four wheels that I had purchased from OE Wheels did in fact have the word “BENT” written on them. I was startled to say the least.

Not an hour after the wheels arrived, I contacted OE Wheels and spoke to “Scott” and told him of my findings and newfound concerns. He repeatedly assured me of their integrity and went on to “guarantee” these wheels were straight. He insisted I have them “spun”(tested) to confirm his statements were true. Ofcourse, I had a slew of questions about “BENT” being written on three of the four wheels in first place. After all, why would you allow straight wheels to be shipped to a customer with the word “BENT” written on them? (Sounds like someone forgot to wipe it off before shipping to me) After seemingly endless verbal wandering, he reluctantly changed his story from “brand new take offs” (see first paragraph) to “Ford wholesale wheels”. He claimed that “someone up the chain at Ford Motor Company” was writing “BENT” on brand new Ford OEM wheels to “move them at wholesale prices”. According to “Scott” at OE Wheels, this is a needed action since truck sales were down and there was a surplus of new Ford wheels laying around taking up space at Ford.. Now at this point, I’d like to make something very clear. This second story im now being told is either one of two things. 1) A complete lie fabricated in an attempt to appease a concerned and upset customer. Or. 2) Confirmation of a scam involving OE Wheels and someone working for Ford Motor Company.

First things first! Had I been told upfront, upon my first phone conversation with “Scott” that these wheels were possibly being hijacked from Ford Motor Company under the false pretense of being “damaged” in order to obtain a “wholesale price”, I wouldn’t have purchase them! Again, three of the four wheels I received clearly say “BENT” on them! Instead I was told they were “brand new take offs from a new vehicle that was being up-graded”. I wasn’t told they would arrive with the word “BENT” written on them or that a “guy on the inside at Ford Motor Company” was making the decision to call new Ford wheels “damaged” in order to “move them” as ‘Scott” at OE wheels later said was the real story. That’s fraud! In fact, if “Scott’s” second story is true, OE Wheels is in the business of selling wheels that have been obtained under fraudulent circumstances. I wonder how corporate management or perhaps the financial minds at Ford would fell about the money being spent on researching, designing, manufacturing and marketing wheels that are being chucked out the back door under the false pretense of being “damaged goods” by one of their own?

On to the test results…

I have a attached a copy of the test results clearly showing “BENT” was not merely a term written on three of the four rims in order to obtain them at “wholesale prices” as “Scott” at OE Wheels would have had me to believe. They are in fact bent! All four of them! .039 is the standard for most independent tire and wheel shops. The least bent wheel tested at .042! Now compare the results to Ford’s maximum run-out specification which is .029!!!!

Upon receiving the results via fax, "Shawn" the manager, said a call tag would be issued as well as a refund. I was pleased to hear that this saga was over. However, after speaking with him today, he has informed me that according to HIS machine, only one of the rims is bent and another one was "damaged" which i would be held responsible for not UPS! What an outrage! He went on to ADMIT that i was lied too and mislead into buying these wheels by his salesman "Scott" but refused me a full refund sighting his "test" results. This is as bad a buisness as i've ever seen!

Location: Detroit, Michigan

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Guest

NOPE, will never buy ANYTHING from a crapcompany like this, just a scam

Guest

You certainly should have got a full refund! I ordered a set of polished oem new take offs 20" for my Jeep Grand Cherokee .

Well. They where supposed to be the real thing. And polished. Oem wheels.

When they came in they where the pvd chrome replica wheels that they have also. I was very upset. Got on the phone with them to only get the run around. I ended up keeping them but still not not happy with them.

I did not want old chrome finish. I even asked b4 ordering if these where indeed a set of oem take offs. I was told yes.

The wheels are ok wheels if you like chrome. That's clearly not what I wanted

Guest

I'm so glad i read this!! I was trying to look for a set of OE wheels for my C5 Vette!!! I will not be purchasing from OE!!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1138636

Same deal ,i was just about to go to OEs website when i caught this story ,so thanks for saving me a nightmare of finishing up my new old muscle car,as the wheels are my final step to finish it up

Guest

I am so glad I read these post. I was just getting to buy a set for my mustang.

I will not even take them if they were free. Thank you!

Guest

Oh no I bought rims from them and now I'm just seeing all this now I'm going to see if my rim isn't in bad shape. I was saving them for the spring time : (

Guest

Thank you for this information, I really get tied of companies like this and nothing gets done about it. I was thinking of buying some wheels from O.E Wheels but saw other reviews stating the wheels were not round also.

How do they get away with *** like this, I will never know. I will never buy from this company and I hope they go out of business soon, may be even someone behind bars.

They will just change their name when it gets to hot for them, where is the government with these issues? Anyway thanks for you honesty

Guest

Well, It is a ford...I have purchased 2 wheel sets from this company and had no problems. But they were wheels for my chevys. Enough said!

Guest

That same guy Scott took me for a ride as well. I had to hire a lawyer.

I did get my money back.

But what an ordeal! !

Guest

Sorry to hear of your problems with wheels. I have a feeling many companies are giving us the shaft with bad merchandise.

Edelbrock screwed me with a new manifold which was machined wrong at the factory. Distributor hole was 5/16" to big and crooked, leaving a large space for engine pressure/vacuum to leak. I sent back for exchange. Their phone guy told me that it was worst machining he had seen.

However his supervisor would not authorize exchange or refund. Said it was within tolerence ?

they sent it back to me with note saying "ok". I took to scrap aluminum dealer. I will never buy another car item online again.

I have to see it in my hands to make sure its good. lesson learned from Edelbrock....

Guest

I bought 4 black chrome spider wheels from OE Wheels for my C6 and fought a vibration issue ever since. After numerous calls to them the first month and the rim tested round they said "not our wheel" well after 1 yr and over 2k....loadforce rebalancing 4 times, two sets of tires, new Spindles and no less than 6 trips to the dealer they finally tried a set of wheels off another zo6 .

vibration gone!

Turns out the hole in the center of the wheel was 40 thousands to big on every wheel, so the wheel wasn't being held centered on the hub. Called them 10 days ago and thay said they would have the warranty dept call me back and haven't heard back yet..

Guest

Wow Dude, they SCREWED you 2X!

Guest

I was also a victom of the OE Wheels Evil Empire as I purchased 4 chrome Bullitt wheels & tires pkg. w/tpms for my 2009 Mustang GT.

1st they claim that stock center caps fit this wheel, which they did not. Then the tpms gave me a sensor fault message and still will not work. But worst of all after only 4-5 months the chrome wheels are now pitting to the point where the chrome is flaking off . This is a car that I baby and is never driven in bad weather with only about 2,000 miles on the wheel & tire pkg.

They have not responed to me regarding this matter after sending pictures and making multiple attemps to contact them. Instead of working with you, they insist that the problem is you, which only adds insult to injury. I can't see these people in business much longer because they dont back there product. I wish I never bought anything from these people.

DO NOT BUY FROM OE WHEELS!!!!

Guest

I feel your pain as I also had the same experience with these people. Crooks would be a nice word for what they do to customers.

Guest

Wow so I was also taken for a ride with these AS@#$LES. I bought 2 sets of corvette ZO6 wheels and tires and the first set was ok but the second not so much as soon as I mounted this set of wheels/tires I testdrove my camamro around the block and immediately noticed vibration and I called OE and they basically said Im FU@#$ED.

They claimed it must have happened in shipping or I must have hit a pothole and they would not do a *** thing about it cause I already mounted them and drove on them.

FU@#K these guys. STAY AWAY.

Guest

I purchased a great looking set of deep dish chrome rims from OE. I carried them back to Canada. We could not balance them in different garages. The car is stored for the winter, so the following spring I had the wheels tested and the fronts were marginal and the rears were way out of round. I drove to Sarasota and convinced OE to replace the rear rims for no cost (suggested that the forums would like to hear my story). I stood in their shop and they found the rims to be out by more than .070. The owner pulled others off a skid and every other rim was out of round. I drove back to Canada and had trouble with the front rims. My next trip to Florida, OE replaced the front 2 rims. I still have balance problems. A high speed on the car balancer showed how bad the casting of the rims were.

We know the rims are not round.

Now with 2 years of driving, summer only, the chrome is wearing off. The chrome is no longer smooth.

Stay away from casted rims. Go for forged rims.

Guest

Made in China!!! Hooray!!!

You buy from ching-chong-ping, you get ping pong!

Guest

They ripped me off to i bought a oe set of monte carlo rims also after 6 months 3 of 4 were oxidized they said that the appearance warranty would cover this if i sent in the rim and they chemical tested it which would take up to a month after shipping and testing the odds are the rims were neglected so they probably wouldnt replace them I kept my corroded rims and am refinishing them myself because i dont need another *** set of rims that arent gaurenteed to lasthonestly who can take the rim off their car they drive everyday for a month they just dont back their products the only thing they have going for them is they are cheap but cheap is what you get

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