MLA toolbox

P

piper184

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
H-M Supporter Gold Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2021
Messages
283
Moving this discussion about MLAToolbox.com products from https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/1922-9-south-bend-o-series.107983/page-3#post-1069043

This is getting really weird. A short recap:
In the above thread it was noticed that the cross slide was not original and a discussion ensued.
It came from MLAToolbox but it was thought that the owner had passed away and the business wasn't running.
The web site was still up so I send an email asking about availability.
The reply was they were out of stock and waiting for a shipment from the foundry.

Then I get an email from them that says they are back in stock but their PayPal account had been hacked and they only take bitcoin.
After some back and forth about payment methods it seemed we had a way to complete a transaction.
I then requested a quote for two items plus shipping and some payment information.

Then this morning I got the following in an email:
******************************************************************************************************
Our email appeared to have been hacked. Please disregard the previous message. We have changed our password and everything else appears to be in line.

At the moment, we are awaiting a shipment of castings from our foundry. We hope to have them in a month or so.

Once we have the castings, I can reach back out and we can work out payment. We will accept check or PayPal.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Do you have a phone number? I can call you.

This appears to have been a very professional scam.
Thank you,
Jared
**********************************************************************************************************

I went back and checked the website and there is a physical address for the business and an email address that is on the verizon.com domain, not a business domain. I had noticed this before and thought it a little weird that a business used that email, but not everyone does things the way I do. (retired IT tech)

Jared asked for a phone number, which I am not going to give out because at this point I have no idea who I am communicating with.

Anyone have an alternative way to communicate with MLAToolbox, other than writing a letter an sending it to the address?
 
Keep in mind that Andy (Andrew Lofquist) is not doing well and he is getting help from Jared Pilch and Jack Pilch... These two brothers seem to be the driving force behind the business now.

Email is indeed mlatoolbox@verizon.net - has been all along. Same one I use for PayPal payment.

I have always sent payment via PayPal. Never had any issues there.

Most recent purchase I made was the MLA-18 when they had castings back in stock.

The phone number that I have is for Andy... but, as mentioned, you can talk to him but he will not remember to follow through on the request. It is a shame... I spoke with him often and noticed the change from one year to the next. I am so glad someone stepped in to help him.

EDIT: Looking at the website, I see that his phone number was removed from the site. Good.
 
I did it the very old fashioned way, and sent a check with my order to the address listed. Worked out. But that was years back.
 
About a week ago I got an email from MLA and it explained the current situation for the company. They also introduced a new web site address and a new email address. It has all been upgraded to https and they have a working shopping cart system that easily uses paypal.
I ordered a couple of things on Wednesday and they had it shipped by Friday. I got it yesterday in the mail.
Well packaged, good communication including tracking information.
Products look really nice!
It will probably take me a while to get all the things I need to do the machining. Including some more mill experience, a better understanding of the drawings (wrap my head around all the steps) and nerve enough to put tool to metal.
I am very impressed with the way things went. I think they have a good handle on the business and wish them all the best.
I plan to buy some other stuff as soon as I get these projects done. I have no connection to them other than being a satisfied customer.
https://www.metallatheaccessories.com
 
Dear MLA Community,


We hope that this email finds you well!


As some of you are aware, Andy Lofquist, founder of Metal Lathe Accessories, decided it was time to pass the ownership of his business to my brother Jack Pilch and me. Andy has been a longtime family friend of ours and we are truly honored to continue such a wonderful business.

We recognize the importance of Metal Lathe Accessories in the machining community, and we are committed to maintaining the excellent standards that you have come to expect. You can continue to rely on us to deliver quality materials, great design, personal communication and with your help, continuous improvement. We hold your opinions and input in very high regard.

We have created a new website - https://www.metallatheaccessories.com. In honor of Andy’s love of black and white photos, we have crafted our website in a more traditional style. We have posted new pictures of our finished products and even a video of the beloved Die Filer in action. Our old domain, http://www.mlatoolbox.com redirects to our new site. However, specific pages on the old site (such as http://mlatoolbox.com/MLA-18.html) we have not been able to redirect to the new site. We apologize for the confusion that this has caused some of you.

In the past, due to the weight of the MLA-18 (Die Filer), our international customers have had to pay some steep shipping charges. As it stands, we will now be shipping the MLA-18 Kit in two separate medium sized boxes to our international customers. In doing so, we have been able to significantly reduce the cost of shipping. If this has held you back from purchasing in the past, we strongly encourage you to go through our checkout process now and see the current shipping price applicable to your region.

As far as payment goes, we are now accepting all majors credit cards and PayPal. However, if you still prefer to pay via cashier’s check, please reach out to MetalLatheAccessories@... and we will accommodate your needs.

Finally, we will continue to monitor the inbox of MLAtoolbox@..., but we are transitioning to MetalLatheAccessories@... as our primary point of contact.

Jack and I are very much excited about the future of Metal Lathe Accessories. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season! Please let your friends and family know that MLA is here to stay!



Sincerely,

Jared Pilch
 
wachuko said:
Dear MLA Community,


We hope that this email finds you well!


As some of you are aware, Andy Lofquist, founder of Metal Lathe Accessories, decided it was time to pass the ownership of his business to my brother Jack Pilch and me. Andy has been a longtime family friend of ours and we are truly honored to continue such a wonderful business.

We recognize the importance of Metal Lathe Accessories in the machining community, and we are committed to maintaining the excellent standards that you have come to expect. You can continue to rely on us to deliver quality materials, great design, personal communication and with your help, continuous improvement. We hold your opinions and input in very high regard.

We have created a new website - https://www.metallatheaccessories.com. In honor of Andy’s love of black and white photos, we have crafted our website in a more traditional style. We have posted new pictures of our finished products and even a video of the beloved Die Filer in action. Our old domain, http://www.mlatoolbox.com redirects to our new site. However, specific pages on the old site (such as http://mlatoolbox.com/MLA-18.html) we have not been able to redirect to the new site. We apologize for the confusion that this has caused some of you.

In the past, due to the weight of the MLA-18 (Die Filer), our international customers have had to pay some steep shipping charges. As it stands, we will now be shipping the MLA-18 Kit in two separate medium sized boxes to our international customers. In doing so, we have been able to significantly reduce the cost of shipping. If this has held you back from purchasing in the past, we strongly encourage you to go through our checkout process now and see the current shipping price applicable to your region.

As far as payment goes, we are now accepting all majors credit cards and PayPal. However, if you still prefer to pay via cashier’s check, please reach out to MetalLatheAccessories@... and we will accommodate your needs.

Finally, we will continue to monitor the inbox of MLAtoolbox@..., but we are transitioning to MetalLatheAccessories@... as our primary point of contact.

Jack and I are very much excited about the future of Metal Lathe Accessories. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season! Please let your friends and family know that MLA is here to stay!



Sincerely,

Jared Pilch
Click to expand...
Awesome news on the die filer for us Canucks as the shipping costs to Canada used to be as much as the kit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top