Warning about True North Outback Adventure Co’. formally core outfitters- NATHAN MCDONALD

Made a credit card purchase for a set of sliders from Nathan last year but after being given excuse after excuse for 4 months I called the credit card company, told them that I hadn’t received merchandise that I purchased. They said normally they only give 3 months to go after the company and help the customer but they made an exception (not sure why, maybe cause I explained that I felt like I was scammed).

Hope this may help for those that made purchases via credit card, worth a shot I’m interested to see what they say.

Didn’t realize that this many people got screwed, this should incentivize someone to come along and do things the right way for potential loyal customers like we would’ve been to CORE.

 

Damn me too.. Bought a storage box for my FJ $475 US on Oct 18th 2017. I called the 1888-310-1122 number, but it didn't work. Is there an email address I can send my case to? BTW he gave me the same sob story...about his vendor screwing him. His Instagram account is still active but he deleted his FB.

 

You mean his personal Instagram account? Do share.
Try her email Cassie.Kilanski@opp.ca
Peter, can you add the email to the first post. Thanks man.

 

Just emailed her as I wasn't able to get a hold of her by the number provided

 

Lol no, my install was pretty straight forward as the truck had existing mounting holes. I did have to remove and reseal the bolts though, I guess hubba bubba bubble gum doesn't stop water intrusion. Who knew right? Lol

I've also got that hidden winch mount he did up too. I'll probably just leave it and tell them to Google it and see why I wouldn't recommend it lol

 

I must've missed a lot these past few weeks. I just submitted my Ontario Consumer Complaint. We'll see where it goes from there. I filed a BBB complaint back in early Feb. They can't do anything bc the business isn't active anymore. Then again, it's not like BBB could do any real help to get me back my lost money.

 

Hi guys, been following the whole CORE thing closely for a while, and I've also been a lurker on TW for ages, and thought I'd finally join in. I wish I didn't have to post in this thread specifically but seems like the problem is far worse than Nathan had initially told me. Story Time...grab a coffee (or beer)...

A few years back, Nate and I got talking through facebook about his business while it was in its infancy and he told me about all the great ideas he's had and such. All cool stuff. I thought (we all thought) that Canada was finally going to get a legitimate stronghold for all the 4x4/Overland needs. Great! Well eventually I met him in person and seemed like a good dude. He was obviously very passionate about overland/4x4, and Toyotas and everything seemed fine. Told me about a big group buy for RTTs that he was going to have made for him "by the same factory in China that makes the Smittybilt ones" but it will have the CORE logo on it. Why not? Sure... So I gave him $400 deposit back in August/Sept of 2016 (can't remember exact date). Later on, I had ordered Sliders, and he did in fact, deliver. I dropped my truck off and he had the sliders made up and I opted to have them welded on to my frame. While I was at it, I gave him $500 up front for an RTT rack for that RTT that "was coming soon". He was supposed to build the RTT rack...never happened. I should also add that at some point I ordered an ARB bumper and a Smittybilt winch through him, and he did deliver on that. So far, I'm out $900 worth of stuff I never got. (RTT rack, and RTT). After a very long time (over a year) He told me that the company that was building the RTTs in China stopped communication with him, and he could not track anyone down to ask about the RTTs. He said he had sent in a $28,000 deposit on a shipping container-load full of RTTs, Awnings, and the annex attachments, and the whole order never came, and the company building them disappeared. Who knows what happened there...truth? Lies? I honestly don't know.

Here's the part that upsets me the most. I didn't think he'd dodge my text messages and e-mails, but now he's been dodging me too and I'm not too happy about it. He needed a toolbox to store and organize his tools, and I had an extra one that was brand new and also had some spare tools in it that I needed to sell. Didn't have the room for it anymore, and my new job didn't require me to bring my tools because they provide them, so now my big toolbox from work is with me at home and I needed to get rid of the secondary tool set. So we made a gentleman's agreement... Trade the toolbox for a rear bumper with tire carrier/swingout. The box was a cheaper quality one, and the tools inside it were also cheaper quality, but still worth roughly $1500 all in..I figured one of those nice bumpers built by a fabricator would be around that much (i've checked before and yeah, they're pricey). So I delivered the box to him straight away due to the fact that I simply had no room for both toolboxes and I HAD to get rid of it. Told him I'll be back to pick up the bumper. (He had already measured everything). Well, months go by, and nothing. All the while I'm starting to hear more and more stories emerging from Facebook about deals that went bad. He told me he did have some trouble with some suppliers and had refunded people for some product that wasn't delivered but he downplayed it quite a bit and didn't realize the massive damage that had been done until I found this thread. So I never got a bumper, he said the fabrication shop he was going to use was still setting up, and after a while longer, he said that I might as well pick up the toolbox, because he can't make the bumper for me. Well I told him if I rent a truck again to transport the box, It's gonna cost me an arm and a leg to drive all the way to Stayner, so I told him, just sell it yourself up there and give me the money. That's where we are at today. Haven't heard from him in a while and I wanted an update to my toolbox. I didn't see an ad for it anywhere, and I had someone that might be interested in it who lives in Barrie and would just go pick it up, but I need Nathan to respond. For all I know the box is sold/gone and that means I'm out over $2400 (add that to the total!)

As I said, earlier, I had no idea the extent of the damage that has happened...or I never would have trusted him with my money. It's disappointing, as we had become friends but I can't tolerate that kind of behavior. I've already tolerated way too much. I'm a sucker..I shouldn't have given him that much slack. I'm smarter than that..But here we are. Lesson learned.

 

You wouldn’t trust anyone else but your used the word friend. A lot of us were on that level with him. He burnt a lot of bridges. Business and on a social level.

Sorry to hear and I hope you get some compensation for the finances.

 

Yeah I figure he befriended a lot of people as well. I don't think we'll be seeing any of our money.

 

Only time will tell. Definitely a crappy situation. Try to help someone out and they take advantage.

 

Update, Nathan has contacted me and is trying to deliver on some promises. We will see how it goes.

 

First , I sorry for your lost!(friendship and your money)

Nathan is not honest....(for sure...but )

Nate said to me a few time and repeat it....I can't communicate with my RTT manufacture....They desepear....

All that is BullShit!!!!

I ask a few time for having all the info about the manufacture of all the RTT...He doesn't want because, he can't said who it's..bla bla bla bla....

On allibaba or all-from-china(something)web.com, I found about 10 manufacture of RTT. I write, talk and exchange with all of them...They all know Nate...Nathan has a big order of RTT and they all want it to produce it for him! A full container of RTT!! They all send submission to Nate for this order. But no confirmation of order and no money at all!

When Nathan said that is difficult to talk to them....That really bullshit! When it's morning for us, it's afternoon or night for them and when it's night for us, it's morning for them!

 

Again, getting RTTs from a Chinese source seems simple but it isn’t. Yes you can go on alibaba, which is basically Chinese mass produced Amazon, and order a pile of tents but all of the shipping and clearance work is on the buyers end. I have a feeling Nate got in an order but it’s never been shipped because his price didn’t figure in real costs. After a while that deposit is the property of the seller so now he has no refund and no tents.

He isn’t the first company to have this issue. I’ve watched several go through the same hoops and I’ve never seen a tent from those sources offered for as little money as Nathan was asking successfully. Everything fits anyways. He fucked up, so bad that now he’s on the run from people and their lawyers.

 

People assume the RTT companies make money hand over fist, but keep in mind Shittybilt can barely even sell a tent as cheap as Nathan was promising and Shittybilt can sell a lot more volume.

 

If you need someone to pick up your toolbox, I can probably snag the work truck and transport it to my work where it will be safe until you find a buy. Just an option. Sucks that such an awesome idea and opportunity turned into such a shit show for so many people

 

Thanks John, Nathan has since reached out to me and is trying to honour the original deal. He said He'll try again to have the bumper made up. I've given him another chance to make it right. He knows he's behind with me in regards to getting me what I've paid for (and traded for) but he's trying to fix it so we'll see how it goes. I've got some work to do on my truck in the meantime (tune up, timing belt, etc) so for now I'm busy with other things.

 

It would be nice if he made this offer to the others he has screwed. I wonder what his plan is with his legal troubles. Dodge them and deliver on enough promises the cops don’t come down on him? That wouldn’t surprise me.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub792aeMjlM

 

How did you get ahold of him?