Moby1 Going Out Of Business? Has Anyone Received A Deposit Return?

cdthiker

Meandering Idaho
Funny thing... as of Oct 1 2018 they were still updating their facebook page. However, several links on their website appear to be down or not working.
 

jk6661

Observer
I think part of the problem is that there are way too many off-road trailer companies. Honestly, who really uses them besides some people in our little overlanding subculture (which, like all subcultures today, tends to seem bigger than it really is because of the Internet)? IMO the market just won't support dozens of companies building off-road teardrops and Jeep trailers.
 

portiadog

New member
I think part of the problem is that there are way too many off-road trailer companies. Honestly, who really uses them besides some people in our little overlanding subculture (which, like all subcultures today, tends to seem bigger than it really is because of the Internet)? IMO the market just won't support dozens of companies building off-road teardrops and Jeep trailers.


That may be true, but this sounds like an issue of gross business mismanagement. They were generating revenue, they couldn't operate properly.
 

ArmyofMike

New member
To be honest, this is probably normal business practice for MOBY1. Over promise, under deliver. My brother-in-law was killed last year, and MOBY1 would NOT refund the deposit to my widowed sister. It wasn't until she got the bank involved that it was finally scored as a loss for all involved. I will never promote MOBY1, it's owner, it's business or even it's trailers (IF the management/ownership is this bad at business, I can only assume thier products are of the same shoddyness...). Buyer beware. They are probably going out of business for a reason.
 

tgreening

Expedition Leader
Anyone that asks for a deposit then tells you it will be a year for anything is running a soft pyramid scheme period. Got $20 that says they chapt 7, fold and walk with all that money and their personal assets.


Nail on the head right here. Companies that work this way have never truly got off 5he ground and do this because they don’t have the capital cash to buy materials...and pay their wages. Your deposit was used to fund someone else’s work in progress, including wages. They are depending on someone else’s deposit to fund yours. The lead time speaks volumes. I will never give my money to a company that tells me they require a large deposit and months+ to actually provide a product. Niche’ hobbies are full of little startups that give the impression of a “solid” company (doesn’t take much more than a decent website and using words like we and us) when in fact they are little more than garage level hobbiests trying to make a buck at something that started out “fun”. Good luck OP, seriously.
 

Bombsight

Observer
I tried to warn people of the integrity of this builder over two years ago and caught flak from the moderator(s) here who seem to have had a vested interest in his/thier defense. I'm not seeing any of that now. Chances are, the Ponzi scheme has come to an end with casualties in its wake. I'm one of the lucky ones.
 

portiadog

New member
For anyone who may be reading this and may also be out of a deposit, you may want to contact Inspector Steven Petersen at Utah Consumer Protection. 801-530-6795. UCP has taken the complaints against Moby1 to the Utah AG who is currently taking action against Moby1 and I would guess the Grimes family directly. Joining the AG action will be cheaper and probably have more weight behind it than taking independent action against the company. Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice.
 

stevenboise

Observer
has anyone been to there shop, would be interesting to see what they have going on...
I contacted someone who lives near Springville today and he drove by their shop this afternoon around 3 pm. No cars and the shop wasn't open. No one around. He said it looked clean inside, but now that I type that, I took that to mean the furniture was there and it was clean....not tossed around or piles of stuff like they were packing up and moving. There were no notices on the doors, windows or meters.

A pretty inconclusive visit, I guess. Other than at 3 pm on a Thursday no one was around working on trailers.
 

flipmachine

Adventurer
I contacted someone who lives near Springville today and he drove by their shop this afternoon around 3 pm. No cars and the shop wasn't open. No one around. He said it looked clean inside, but now that I type that, I took that to mean the furniture was there and it was clean....not tossed around or piles of stuff like they were packing up and moving. There were no notices on the doors, windows or meters.

A pretty inconclusive visit, I guess. Other than at 3 pm on a Thursday no one was around working on trailers.
thanks for the heads up! well if they do close down... better for me once I get going again :)
 
Last edited:

mjhuberjr

New member
About two weeks ago their power was shut off, it has since been turned back on. Last time I was in their shop they didn't have much in there and no employees. I don't see them being around much longer, it just sucks for all the people who gave him $15,000+
 

flipmachine

Adventurer
that sucks, hate to see them go under, Ash is a great craftsman, personal skills a little lacking but great builder.
 

Guitarsail1

Adventurer
I still can't believe people deposit this kind of money with known wait times of a year. Stop it people! IG posts look cool and all but clearly they dont have the cash or pipeline to be "building" like that. Crazy.
 

portiadog

New member
The suit by Utah Consumer Protection has been served. We will likely know what direction everything is headed next week. If anyone out there is reading this and hasn't filed a complaint with the division, you should do so or you may not be able to take your place in line to file a claim and possibly see any funds returned.
 

jeremy70

New member
What a shame. Moby1 seemed to have a great product. Best of luck to all that were affected by this.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,533
Messages
2,875,605
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top