VEPSAXPORTER          

a.k.a. Compass Trading

WWW.VESPAXPORTER.COM

EDITOR'S Notes; This was sent to me from an individual who thought that they could resell Vietnamese restored scooters in their local area. It ended up not working in the individual favor since the shop took the money and ran.

Reviewed by Jimmie B on July 30, 2008

I ordered 5 Scooters -3 Vespa & 2 Lambrettas from Le in September 2007 with a view to selling them on for a profit and making a profit.

 At first I must say he was very attentive – Due to the worry of buying form Vietnam I was asking a lot of questions and he was patient in replying.

 The first worry came when I saw the build pictures of the 1966 VBB GS Copy – The rear brake was the ‘PX’ style and obviously not a 1960’s frame. I was told by Le if It wasn’t a 1960’s frame he could adjust the frame numbers – after I panicked my 3 Vespa frames could of been ‘adjusted’ he retraced the statement. Even so I was very wary but he did install some faith into me – He was very good at ‘I will do anything to help’!

The scooters arrived in December – I did not look over all 5 scooter but concentrated on one at a  time. I must say the Lambrettas appeared good even though the clutch and engines ‘knocked’ slightly. Update end of July 2008 - 1 of the Lambrettas’ engine has collapsed after 100 miles - $1,000 rebuild!

The Vespas were a different matter and death traps – Please see all issues below – I was promised on numerous occasions that replacement parts would be sent – But nothing ever happened. I have been told subsequently I was ‘being picky’ about the safety issues!!!

I sent another $5,000 dollars as a deposit for another 2 Scooters – Lambrettas with new engines - not Vespas!!

Within the last 4 months Le was increasingly difficult to get hold of with regards to my second order. I would ring on a daily basis for 3 weeks to no avail. I asked a friend to contact him via text –he replied immediately proving he was ignoring me. Finally he replied to an email, where I said if he wanted to refund what he owed me that was fine. He said he would refund me and asked for my bank details. The total was $5,000 for the deposit, $2,000 for the refund of the GS (See invoice below) and $1,000 promised as I had had to buy 2 brand new engines for two of the scooters.

Le said on 2 separate occasions over 3 weeks the money transfer was promised the next day to no avail. Finally I spoke to Le last Saturday. He was very angry when he answered the phone.

Le immediately said he only owed me $5,000 not $8,000 and that if I was not happy with the GS Copy (The frame was a PX frame with a VBB frame number welded in!) that I needed to ship the scooter back to Vietnam in order to get a refund. Previously he said he would refund the scooter and pick it up from me.

Realizing I was not going to get anywhere in the argument I relented on the $8,000. He promised that the $5,000 would be refunded on Monday 12 th May – Various empty promises but it is now the end of July & I am still waiting for the money!!


GSC COPY/ VBB SPORTIQUE & ACMAISSUES LIST

GS COPY FORKS:

  

 Front stub axle has been filed/ground leaving various flats in the shaft!

FRONT HUB BEARING HOUSING WORN – CLEARANCE AROUND BEARING WHEN NEW BEARING FITTED RUMBLE OF FRONT WHEEL DUE TO BEARING ROTATING ON NON ROUND SHAFT – POSSIBLY DANGEROUS


BEARING FITTED WITH ‘DRINK CAN’ SHIM AROUD THE OUTSDIE  - FAR FROM ACCEPTABLE!!

 Other Issues

  • OIL SEAL WERE VERY WORN –Speedo grease could leak into brake pads.
  • ONLY ‘HALF’ A CIRCLIP WAS FITTED & NUT WAS BROKEN
  • ALSO NOTE THAT BEARING was VERY WORN , DOES NOT ROATE AND IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS!!
  • LARGE AMOUNT OF PLAY IS FELT BETWEEN FORK AND BACK PLATE

 

PARTS REQUIRED VIA AIR FREIGHT:

  1. NEW FRONT HUB WITH NEW BEARINGS, NUT & CIRCLIP
  2. COMPLETE NEW SET OF FORKS? IF TIME WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THIS SCOOTER THEN CORRECTLY RECONDITIONED FORKS REQUIRED WITH NEW STUB AXLE & BACK PLATE BEARINGS & SEALS.

PLEASE NOTE A NEW SET OF FORKS WAS OFFERED TO BE SENT BY LE BY AIR - 3 WEEKS AFTER THIS WAS SENT THERE WAS STILL NO SIGN OF FORKS – HE HAD SAID ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ‘THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY’  - I DID NOT PERSUE THE FORKS MATTER, AS I DECIDED TO REQUEST A REFUND FOR THE GS COPY, DUE TO THE FINDING THAT THEY HAD USED A LATER ‘PX’ FRAME AND A VBB FRAME NUMBER WELDED INTO THE RHS OF THE FRAME. (SHOULD BE ON THE LHS!!) – I HAD PAID AND ORDERED A 1960’S FRAME - HE AGREED THE REFUND AND TO ARRANGE SCOOTER TO BE PICKED UP -  THIS WAS LATER RETRACTED AND HE SAID I NEEDED TO SEND THE SCOOTER BACK TO VIETNAM IN ORDER TO GET A REFUND!!!


GS COPY ENGINE:

 
BAD STARTING & LOW POWER.



 


INCORRECT HEAD FITTED & BADLT FITTING BARREL INTO CASINGS

INCORRECT PLUG SIZE & HEAD THREAD –WRONG SIZE VESPA PLUG!!!!

COMBUSTION IS OCCURING INSIDE THE PLUG HOLE!!


 

SPRORTIQUE FRONT FORKS:

 

Wheel nuts 14mm across flats not 13mm

 

Wrong thickness washer fitted – Pin fitted not split pin. Pin Does Not Lock Nut DANGEROUS!

 

HUB DOES NOT FIT CORRECTLY ONTO SHAFT – HUB WORN – TAPERS DO NOT MATCH! BRAKE SHOES NOT FITTED WITH END PLATES

Brake shoes not fitted correctly & do not rotate easily

 

GREASE NIPPLES NOT FITTED – ‘PIN’ ROTATES IN HUB CASTING RATHER THAN IN BEARINGS – WEAR ISSUES AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS!


    

FRONT SPINDLE ASSEMBLY VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE NUT FITTED WITH ONLY 2 THREADS – SHAFT CAN COME LOOSE AND FRONT WHEEL COME AWAY FROM SCOOTER - HIGHLY DANGEROUS

ALSO COMPLETE ASSEMBLY WAS INCORRECT – BEARINGS ARE PRELOADED WITH TORQUE OF NUT. FINALLY, OUT BEARING NOT RETAINED WITH LARGE THREAD CUP.

PARTS REQUIRED VIA AIR FREIGHT:

  1. NEW FRONT HUB (Correct taper)

  2. 2 off grease nipples.

  3. Correct brake shoes & end plates.

 I will source the bearings, seals ,washers and spacers myself if possible at my own cost.

SPORTIQUE ENGINE:

SEVERE KNOCKING ON TOP END BARREL & PISTON

 

LINER FITTED – BAD PRACTICE  - HEAT VARIATIONS
IN MATERIALS CAN CAUSE SLIP OR LOCKING.

EDITOR NOTES: Most of the Viet Owned Restore Shops usually do machine and add the liners. After 40 years of use the jugs are tired and there is no real inventory of NOS or Indian product.


BARREL LINER MACHINED NOT CIRCULAR WITH ORIGINAL BARREL BORE – ENGINE WILL FAIL VERY QUICKLY!

 

PLEASE NOTE 2 OF TRHE ENGINES HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED AS THE ONES SENT FROM LE WERE TOTALLY INSERVICEABLE – HE PROMISED TO GO HLAVES ON THE COST OF 2 NEW ENGINES BUT THIS WAS LATER RETRACTED.

 

OTHER ENGINE/FRAME NUMBER ISSUES:

 

BELOW LEFT - Shows VBB scooter engine - Note the top of the engine number has been ground off and it reads VBB1M. My customer base only wants PX engines so they can be tuned & Iwas promised a VLX.

 

ABOVE RIGHT - This is the correct style of 'stamping' of a VLX engine (The engine in the Black GS copy)

Below  This is the sliver ACMAengine stamping. The 'boss' has been ground off and a new engine number stamped in. The engine is not a VLX. 

LE HAS PROMISED THE $2,000 REFUND FOR THE GS COPY – THIS WAS LATER RETRACTED WHEN I CANCELLED MY FUTURE ORDERS (AS HE SAID I COULD) AND REQUESTED THE RETURN OF MY $5,000 DEPOSIT – THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN RETURNED AS of August 1st 2008!!!!!!

EDITOR'S Notes;  An expensive lesson in International trade. It is unfortunate that these shops do not understand International business and try do the right thing. It ultimately hurts the reputation of the country.

I offered Le Chi Sang, owner of VEPSAXPORTER, a chance to defend his company or the quality of his work and he never responded back to my emails. You do the math.