Beware FlyThisSim

I just got this from a customer named Adrian Clayton recently regarding FlyThisSim:

Dear Austin,

I hope you are well.   Your name is ubiquitous with flying and simulation and I could think of no better person to ask about sim construction.

I am a PPL from South Africa that has been looking to improve my flying and for years researched flight simulators – I am too busy at my normal job and not technical enough to build my own, so I finally decided to purchase a Flythissim sim in November 2018.  Unfortunately they have not delivered the product and neither have they refunded my purchase price, Flythissim seem to be defrauding other pilots too.    I expect to never recover my $13500.

Thanks for your time,

Best, Adrian

Normally, I wouldn’t bat an eye at this type of thing, because who knows what the other side of the story is, but then I took a quick glance that the letter from this guys’ lawyer, and a few things started to sound enragingly familiar to me:

To:

FlythisSIm Technologies Inc

3534 Empleo, Suite B

San Luis, CA93401

PER EMAIL:  revenueservices@flythissim.com // sales@flythissim.com 

Dear Sirs

NON-DELIVERY OF PRODUCT:  YOUR INVOICE #3563 – 11/27/2018

1. We represent Mr. Adrian Clayton, a businessman of the City. 

2. Our client instructs that:

1. 1. Commencing 23^rd November 2018 he engaged in correspondence with you in regard to the purchase of a TouchTrainer TTVISMOTION.

2. 2. Following your confirmation of price and a production time of 8 (eight) weeks you, on the 27^th November 2018, issued to our client invoice number 3563 for payment of the sum of USD13 375.00.

2. 3. He, on the  28^th November 2018, effected payment to you of the said amount.

2. 4. Following further correspondence relating to cost of delivery and other aspects our client on the 11^th January 2019 wrote to you reminding you that the agreed delivery date was two weeks hence and requesting collection point information for the upliftment of the simulator.

2. 5. A day later you responded apologizing for shipping “delays” in respect of the delivery and advising that delivery to you of parts of the product had been delayed but would be arriving “any day now”.

2. 6. Two weeks later on the 28^th January  2019 our client requested a status report and again wrote to you on the 16^th February detailing concerns as to your ability or intention to honour your obligation to deliver the simulator to him, such concerns being based on information available to our client regarding customers of yours who were having similar experiences.  Our client requested a refund of the purchase price and provided his bank details. 

2. 7. Despite further correspondence including promises by you that the simulator was close to completion, you have neither shipped the simulator to our client nor effected payment;

2. 8. The last correspondence from you was on the 22 March 2019 where you indicated that a refund request had been given to your accounting department and, from your head of sales this vague statement “I am working on getting some information so that I can let you know when you can expect a refund”.

2. 9. Our client telephoned on the 26^th March 2019 when he spoke to a Michael who directed him to your CEO Roland Pinto, who has not responded to any of our client’s messages. 

3. As you will note from the above and a reading of your own correspondence our client’s experience with you has been one of “here any day” and “any day now” excuses and a failure to honour any of your promises.

This is familiar to me because last year FlyThisSim, apparently headed by Roland Pinto, bought $18,800 of X-Plane from us on 30-day payment terms, and though we shipped them the inventory upon receipt of order, we never got any payment.

Instead, we got… this from Gabe Kaufman and then Roland Pinto of FlyThisSim: