Hello,

I researched local shapers for a board building project and found Clay. I did read the earlier thread about his inability to put customers first and also an article from Jacksonville.com that talked about his skipping town owing $30000 in unmade boards and debt. I saw that he had tried to make good and came back to town to start over. I decided to give him a chance with my project. He promised a 30 day build time at a discount if I paid up front. I have been scammed. At three months later he has not started. He send photos of boards wrapped up or random shapes. I have pages of excuses from him about why he cannot get them going as well as four other promised dates of delivery. Clay Bennett is a legend alright. A legend in ripping off people and not being honest. I am writing this in hopes that anyone else in my position and wanting to take a chance with hard earned money will look to so many other great shapers around. Not good!

Wow that sucks I new all the aforementioned....bad batch of foam yadyadayad clark foams fault.......... but I had too hoped he was back in good standings.

Sorry to hear about your trouble that sounds horrible

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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

Sorry to hear about your situation.  It's a shame to see such talent go to waste due to bad business and lack of honesty

 

I warned him in 2014...after hearing about his latest scam....that he was going end up

In the ditch with a bullet in his head..if he crossed the wrong person..

Seems like he speeding towards that conclusion...

 

What a shame...talented...but totally corrupted...

Good luck 

 

FYI...talented respected displacement hull shaper..guru...Greg liddle has retired..per his website....I'm glad I'm back in Santa cruz...to surf mine tomorrow...

Aloha 

But, but .... he is a good "christian" !!

I have personally witnessed him send one of his kids to answer the door, while he slinked out the back and hopped the fence to get away.

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"Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do." - Bertrand Russell


"Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.


If I do not answer you .... nothing personal, I just have you on ignore.

few things worse than a thief.

 

This is surely surfing related and would get more traffic in the main surfing section and possibly keep someone else from getting scammed.

Sorry to hear that.  I thought he straightened up.  I went thru the same experience in 2006 before he suddenly left town.  My prepaid board was supposed to be done in 30 days... ready before christmas.  I got the come back next friday it will be ready - for three months.  I finally picked it up NOT ready in April and it happened to be two weeks before he left town.  I got a signature model Tipparillo and it was made heavy and durable.  Nice riding board with resin tint job.  Ordered in November got it without the pin stripes in April when lost my patients for waiting.

When he came back he was running craigs list specials and a friend of mine wanted to get one and I warned him.  He got lucky and it was done in 35 days.  You win some you loose some with that guy.  His work is good and his timing sucks.  Bad businessman.

He is not just a "bad businessman" .... he is a full on conman and thief !!

He cost a nice lady her life savings and her business when she made the mistake of giving Clay tens of thousands of $$$$ to make a large quantity of boards to stock her new SS in Jax Bch. After the ususal Clay delay after promise after delay .... He delivered a SMALL fraction of the number he was paid for. It crippled her cash flow (at that critical newly opened phase) and she was forced out of business.



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"Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do." - Bertrand Russell


"Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.


If I do not answer you .... nothing personal, I just have you on ignore.

LB i remember that.  I thought it was strange when I saw the figures and he was selling Longboards for what amounted to $300 per board.  That is not good business selling them for less than it costs you to make them. Or that makes him a theif knowing he took the money with out the thought of doing a board order.  They could have quoted the wrong numbers in the article but it was a large sum.  He left town right after that.  I was lucky to get my board right before he skipped town.

I have had him do some ding repairs since that and he was always correct on money and time.  Sorry to hear he is doing it again.