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I would suggest that you steer clear from these con artists posing as "Big time" industry leading vendors. They are actually operating this �Big-Time Business" from a small home in Utah with an address of 185 W 1403N Tooele, UT 84074 (Copy & Paste it into Google Maps Street view) He also uses the fraudulent address of 1111 W 60 S Tooele, UT 84074 simply to dupe his vendors into thinking he runs an actual shop or retail sales type location. There have been many reports of "customers" actually driving to his house to conduct business which is in violation of Tooele city codes and regulations for what is registered as a "mail order" operation. BTW this is also in direct violation with his APR and many other Dealer agreements and he has been reported by other APR Dealers in the Salt Lake City area. In summary this is plain and simple fraud from a small time thief trying to pose as a "Big Time Industry Leader". This is not someone who's leadership you would want to follow.
He is in debt to the tune of well over 250, 000 dollars to his business creditors and has resorted to scamming his own dealers out of cash (http://www.borabarts.com) Aaron of boraparts.com is suing Charlie Migliorie A.K.A. "Kerma" for over 100, 000 dollars. Charlie has DESTROYED many VAG Diesel engines around the globe and uses bribes and intimidation tactics to hush his critics and hide his dirty little secrets. It is common knowledge among those who really know him that he is mentally unstable, and he has tried to take his own life through an overdose in illegal prescription drugs.
WARNING: STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM THIS GUY AS YOU CAN!
PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS BOARD COMMENTS ABOUT KERMATDI:
142 days ago by Textmonkey [send email] 0 Votes
I bought a vnt20 turbo kit from Charlie and paid good money for it. The kit came incomplete with no instructions. It took almost a WEEK to get him on the phone! He finally sent me my parts and I had many many issues with poor fitting and low quality workmanship. I had to take the kit to a mechanic and they told me it was "junk" that was made by a rookie company. I refused to believe them because Kermatdi has such a great reputation so I paid them almost $1, 000.00 to put it on. After my initial test drive I noticed the boost was spiking dangerously high, again almost a FULL WEEK for Charlie to get back to me with his "don't worry about it" response. Well a week later my head gasket blew costing me $800.00 to have it repaired. I email Charlie with NO RESPONSE asking him to please do something about this radical tuning and never to this day have I gotten a response. 2 weeks after getting the head gasket repaired the turbo EXPLODED on the freeway and one of my connecting rods went through the engine block. I now have a lawsuit pending with kermatdi for $15.000 in damages and lost wages and my car is sitting at the repair shop.
106 days ago by David Harvey 0 Votes
Boy I wish I would have listened to the previous posters. Charlie (kerma) and Paul (vailpowder) took almost $1, 000.00 from me and never sent me any parts. I have contacted the Utah and Colorado State police. They are not going to get away with this. Class Action Lawsuit?
94 days ago by Sootdude 0 Votes
I also would recommend staying away from KermaTDI. I got an Aligator chip from them for my 2005 TDI and two weeks later my turbo blew. Mild tune Charlie said when I got it and said no way it would mess up my turbo. The car was otherwise stock. He has refused to refund my money and Paul has also been avoiding me as well. They have both stopped replying to my emails. Very poor customer service. I filed a complaint with the BBB and with the UT attorney general. Avoid Charlie and Paul if you care about your car and don't want to get ripped off by these "con artists", as the original poster stated.
92 days ago by global innovations 0 Votes
I have seen & heard about many similar events occurring with KermaTDI as far as products/service.
My main complaint however, is my experiences I've had doing business with them as a fellow vendor. Paul is EXTREMELY cut throat and a con artist. I have made the mistake of trusting them with design ideas that Paul approached me to add to his line up when in reality he just wanted to copy my designs and steal the whole project from under me. I should of known better after I have listened to him plot the same thing with other vendors & their products. One I know now is Aligator. Just FYI for the post above, KermaTDI has not installed any actual Aligator tuning for the last 3 years. Of course now that I have decided not to allow them to carry any of my products they resort to slandering my products to every customer they have. I really wish I had not developed any kind of business relationship with them in the first place now
91 days ago by Blue in NY 0 Votes
I bought, what I was led to believe by Kerma, an 11mm IP for my 2001 TDI for $1200.00. They told me that it was rebuilt by an authorized Bosch facility. After recieveing the pump I installed it on my car and it would barely idle, making noise and smoking like the space shuttle. I removed the pump and took it myself to an authorized shop and they told me that it was in fact only a 10 mm pump that someone had installed a Chineese built 11mm pump head on. After contacting both Paul and Charlie they said that they would send me my money back and as of today I have not seen a dime! Both these guys have not answered my e-mails or phone calls and it has been over a year now that I am out of my money. Not only am I out of the initial $1200.00 but I also had to pay the shop $500.00 and I still have a 10mm pump and kerma got my good original one to boot! I sure wish that I could have read this thread last year!
88 days ago by pissedinnewengland 0 Votes
Paul has numerously ripped off people for core charges! he thinks that the customer won't know any better, yet when we called up the company that did the rebuild they stated that nothing was wrong with the core. Still he charged $450 and tried to say that there was nothing good on it! Ive heard of several others having similar problems as well!
Stay away at all costs, yoru wallet will thank you! Hes such a smooth talker. more like a smooth criminal. like a used car salesman trying to con you out of your firstborn. wish I had gone to tdiparts or boraparts.
87 days ago by nozzle fraud 0 Votes
I have been debating weather or not I was going to post my bad experience on the TDI club in fear that I would be bashed. So hopefully people will read this as well for their own good.
Kermatdi sold me a set of injector nozzles I ordered that were supposed to be PP520's for $357.00 & they sent me a set of $250.00 sprints in a PP520 box. When called to see what the problem was Paul at Kerma told me to send them back and he would happily replace them with the correct PP520's. After he received them, he refused to refund my money and said I was trying to "fraud them"! :( He kept the set I sent back to him and my money.
Small claims court here I come. Even though it's only $300.00 + It's the principle of the matter. Cheap A-hole ###.
84 days ago by worried 0 Votes
I used to work for Fed-Ex. Meeting Paul and Charlie on the internet a couple of years ago I ordered parts from them. I thought that I would save them some money if I gave them my personal employee account number to ship my order to me. Charlie called me back and asked me if he could use my account to ship a couple of things, I thought, what the heck...OK. The next thing I knew I had a shipping bill due of over $6000.00! I called Charlie and said " What the heck is going on?" He told me not to worry about it, that he was going to make it good to me. While waiting on kerma, ...I got fired and Fed-Ex is considering fileing criminal charges against me of employee theft! I lost my job, benifits and retirement and maybe soon my freedom over these con men! Way to go guys, thanks a lot!
listen very close people, when either of these guys tell you not to worry, YOU SHOULD!
79 days ago by burntclutch 0 Votes
Sad to see that I am not alone. I too have kept my dirty little secret about them for too long for fear of people flaming me. I purchased a Flywheel and Clutch kit from Kermatdi.com and waited 3 long weeks to get it. I took it to the repair shop and dropped my car off only to get a call back from the owner a few hours later saying it was the wrong flywheel! These idiots sent me a flywheel for a VR6 engine. It will not bolt up to my 4-Cyl TDI engine! I rush shipped all the stuff back AT MY OWN EXPENSE and waited 3 days, finally I called and talked to Charlie himself. He told me it "has not shown up yet". I immediately contacted FedEx and was told by FedEx the driver left the parcel on Charlie's front porch. My fault for not paying extra for signature services. I have tried to call them 20 times but they must have caller ID, they never pick up, nor do they answer my emails. I had to purchase a new clutch kit from the repair shop and pay for a Rental car for almost a week! This clutch job has set me back almost $3, 000.00! I should have listened to that voice inside me when they asked me to pay for my parts with a Cashiers Check, now I know why BECAUSE THEY ARE SCAMMERS! I want to drive to Tooele Utah and meet these jerks face to face but these low life ### are just not worth the jail time. High level TDIClub.com insiders have warned me that the line to sue Kermatdi.com is very long and they hide all thier assets in other peoples names. There is truly a special place in hell for these guys.
78 days ago by KermAlert! 0 Votes
DO NOT BUY FROM KERMATDI, Kermatdi.com, Charlie Migliorie, Paul Maloney or anyone affiliated with them! I ended up purchasing a VNT 17 turbocharger from them which was �BRAND NEW� and a Kerma Q loader. I received the turbocharger, and come to find out it was a REBUILT turbocharger. Not only that, it was a STOCK VNT 15 and they machined the numbers off. I�m no fool, so I took it to a turbo shop near my place and they confirmed that it was rebuilt. I confronted Charlie and he said that �that�s the way it comes from Garrett�. I paid for a NEW turbo and had to pay a core fee as well! When I asked why I had to pay a core fee for a �NEW� turbo, Charlie told me that it�s normal with turbochargers because Garrett requires a core to be returned. I paid the 250 bucks, and he ended up saying my turbo was bad! I ended up not getting my core fee and he kept my good used turbo! Probably cleaned it up, machined the numbers off and sold it to someone else! My car ran perfect before buying the �VNT 17� from KERMATDI.
Not only this, but Charlie talked me into buying a KERMA Q Loader for my 1999.5 TDI. I received the Q loader along with the correct programming, all goes well until I tried to use the Q loader on my car. I call him back up and try to get some help, thinking I am doing something wrong. We get down to the problem and he said �I thought your car was a 2000 TDI, it doesn�t work for a 1999.5�. I was a little miffed about the situation, but he said to send it back. I sent the Q loader back and he said that it�s not usable anymore because my cars VIN number is locked into the Q Loader! He said he couldn�t refund me for the Q Loader but could give me the tuning only. WHAT THE HECK! First, he said it would work with my car, then he says it doesn�t work for my car, then tells me to send it back, and now he tells me I can�t get a refund because my car�s VIN is locked into the loader?! How can my VIN be locked into the loader if my car is not compatible! He said I need to send my ECU into him for a tune, I told him HECK NO I WON�T send anything in, just refund me the cost of the tuning at least. He won�t even refund the price of a tuning! Now come to find out I wouldn�t even be getting an ALLIGATOR tuning like I wanted! I ended up selling the rebuilt turbo, bought a turbo from another vendor, and have not gotten a tuning. This has really put a bad taste in my mouth, I�m surprised so many people have put up with his business practices! I�m sad, yet thankful that I�m not the only one that has had a bad experience with KERMATDI. We need to stand up for the TDI community and get rid of the ###!
29 days ago by jsfromin 0 Votes
Well I believe you can add my name to the list of victims and also might want to steer clear of Kermatdi. They are listed at the same address as the one posted above. I purchased a turbo for my TDI last fall after the factory one failed. The VNT-18 I purchased from streettoys2000.com started making some funny noises within a few thousand miles. So I contacted Kerma, the owner and he sounded very sincere and honest about wanting to take care of my problem. I pulled my turbo and sent it back to him for repair. I talked to him the day after he received it and he said he would get it repaired and back out to me the next day. Well that was almost two months ago... now here I am without my car and looking at having to buy yet another turbo just to get my car back on the road. He won't answer any of my calls or emails. There has been no communication as to the status of my turbo.. never once has the topic of me needing to pay for any of the repairs or anything come up..
So what is a guy to do? Do I report it stolen and show proof that he has it? Just to get my parts back?
I would suggest staying clear of Kerma TDI.
10 days ago by TDIFRED 0 Votes
Obviously the member "conserned TDI owner" is either a pawn asked to post here or none other than Paul or Charlie posting here themselves in an absolutely LAME attempt at discrediting Aaron of boraparts.com. You can go to http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=174524 to see just some of Aaron's AKA: Bleached Bora AKA: boraparts.com feedback for yourself.
As the original poster stated in the beginning of this post... "Conserned TDI Owner" AKA: Charlie Migliorie even further further shows the lengths that Kermatdi.com and it's cronies will go to at smearing their competitors and trying to hide their dirty little secrets. Not to mention Charlie stealing tuning files and the name "Gator Tuned" from Mark of DieselInside.com.
DO YOURSELF AND THE ENTIRE TDI COMMUNITY A FAVOR BY NOT PURCHASING ANYTHING FROM PAUL OR CHARLIE OR ANYONE AFFILIATED WITH KERMATDI.COM !
"FRED"
8 days ago by TDI09 0 Votes
It's been a long time since I've ordered from Kerma TDI - and for good reason. In fact i can most assuredly say I will never order from this "smooth talker" again! last time I talked to him on the phone he did his best to assure me the part I received was the part "I needed." However, it wasn't what I ordered - plain and simple! I didn't pay good money to receive something I didn't order (simply because it wasn't in stock or he wanted to sell me an inferior part for a higher profit)! Upon reading the many complaints here, I highly doubt this man will stay in business much longer. He is a criminal. Plain and simple.
i hadn't planned on posting anything myself (as my complaints are similar to those already made), until I read the remarks listed about "Aaron from Kerma." It's clear that people are VERY misunderstood about Aaron's situation. the guy was formerly partnered up with Kerma, until Paul literally stole thousands of dollars worth of product from him AND charged thousands of dollars on his business card, with many false promises that he would be repaid. I've talked to many people who verify this. i'm sure Paul is claiming the exact opposite to cover up his misdealings. that is why I have to speak up and say that whatever you've experienced with Aaron in regard to Kerma has probably been tainted by paul's description of things. People, this is the Kerma complaint board - Let's stay on topic. Aaron owns a great company called Bora parts. He treats his customers with respect and honesty. he has connections with some excellent vendors around the world, and he can get you quality products at a great price. He will NOT attempt to send you a part you did not order, or steal away your money, or anything else Kerma is capable of. Aaron is not in any way connected to Kerma - other than the fact he was screwed over by Paul "Baloney!" EVERYONE I have been talking to lately has been singing Aaron's praises - many of whom have ordered from him for years now. From what I can tell, he has handled the history with Kerma very well - I applaud that. I also read a recent article in Top Gear magazine... Guess who supplied the parts for a recent TDI project for them?! Aaron from Bora Parts. Apparently they did significant research to find the right, reputable business to order from. I think that pretty much says it all.
Note: I have no connection with Bora parts, or any parts company for that matter (I have enough occupying my time as it is)... But I am an avid TDI enthusiast, and I want the TRUTH to be known so we can all receive great parts - and avoid falling victim to fraud. Thanks for reading!
"John"
5 days ago by dubman4life 0 Votes
The Single Mass Flywheel for an early VR6 engine is Part # [protected] B. The Flywheel for a 4-Cyl Supercharged G60 engine is [protected] B. It is very true that the Clutch disk and pressure plate are interchangeable between these 2 engines, however the flywheel absolutely cannot interchange because it has a completely differrent bolt pattern where it attaches to the crankshaft.
Regaurdless of these facts, Kerma refused to honor any kind of warranty or return policy. This alone tells me to stay as far away from that company as possible!
4 days ago by Tornado Red 0 Votes
About Aaron: my impression is that he's a good salesman who is informed about what he sells and will try to steer people toward the best product that will meet their needs.
Also, when he travels several hundred miles to a GTG with a carload of products, his goal is sell as much as he can and not take anything back with him. He has two bases of operation: Salt Lake City and Portland OR. For him to travel to Sacramento or the Bay Area is a major project -- he has to bring along what people have pre-ordered and he has to figure out what people will buy if he shows up with it. His website has a great selection of products, whether you want the best that money will buy or just something affordable that will do the job adequately.
He is not in the used-car business, so if he sold a car it was one that he owned. If he posted it for sale on www.tdiclub.com then I suspect he revealed the good and bad about it. If it was one he owned then it was probably a pretty good car, properly maintained and in good condition. He's not a mechanic but he is friends with some very good mechanics, and if you were at that GTG then you probably had an opportunity to meet them.
I'm one of Aaron's satisfied customers. I bought some Akebono ceramic brake pads because he recommended them, and I've been extremely happy with them ever since -- that was almost two years and 75k miles ago. I also bought some Recaro seats from him -- I traveled from San Diego to Sacramento and he traveled from Portland to deliver them, then he helped me install them for which I was extremely grateful.
3 days ago by Justice Student 0 Votes
Lately there have been multiple cases of Identity theft surfacing from Kermatdi. Please be warned that if you have given Kermatdi a creditcard # you may want to change that card immediately. DO NOT GIVE YOUR CREDIT CARD # TO KERMATDI UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
3 days ago by jason03tdigolf 0 Votes
I have a friend who has filed charges against Paul Maloney for using his credit information without his permission. Kermatdi settled out of court for an unknown amount, but if he did not pay close attention to his credit card statement it would have gone unnoticed. I also see that Kermatdi is trying to steal Aligators identity in a different way:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=236393
These guys have some real class don't they :( I know Charlie is mentally unstable & everything but, talk about Delusions of Grandeur. They are really showing their true colors now too me & I believe more now of the claims that are made against them.
3 days ago by Philly TDI family 0 Votes
I have to say that I also know of someone who has recently had their credit card information used fraudulently by KERMAtdi. I highly recommend that anyone who has given them their credit card to also turn off that card ASAP.
Kermatdi absolutely disgust me with the way they justify their behaviors when caught red-handed stealing from my family. They are VERY slick and seem to have had much prior experiance as identity theifs.
Anyone who gives them money for anything after reading this is only furthering their nasty, pathetic existence while taking the risk of being victimized.
They are extremely desperate and will stop at nothing right now because their business is in jeopardy. If you see anything fishy on your credit card statements please act immediately. The process of reclaiming the money has been longer than expected and the more reports that come in the more it may improve everyone's chances with their case.
2 days ago by ladyjustice 0 Votes
IF YOU HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY PAUL MALONEY OR CHARLIE MIGLIORIE IT IS YOUR CIVIC DUTY TO PLEASE REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE FOLLOWING LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES...
For Charlie please contact:
Tooele City Police Dept. at [protected] or email tip-a-cop AT tooelecity.org
Utah Department of Public Safety: http://publicsafety.utah.gov/investigations/index.html
Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov/
Federal Identity Theft Task force: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
For Paul please contact:
Avon Police Department at [protected] email detectives at parnold AT avon.org
Colorado Bureau of Investigation: http://cbi.state.co.us/
Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov/
Federal Identity Theft Task force: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
1 days ago by TDIgirl 0 Votes
I just got off the phone today with Paul from KERMAtdi. I saw this posting earlier thank goodness. Paul was desperately trying to close the sale and repeatedly was asking for my credit card information.
I began to understand what those under age girls feel like on date line when being pursued by a pedophile/child molester because this is what I felt like while I was talking to Paul on the phone.
Thanks for those who have put the energy into posting this because I listened to my gut and decided to go elsewhere.
Talking bad about Aaron from Bora parts and Peter from TDI parts did not sway me in the way it was intended either. I will be buying my parts from them now on.
15 hours 13 minutes ago by jsrmonster +1 Votes
Lets just face it, I don't know how much of your junk I have thrown away over the years but none of the crap you sell has ever gotten any better. Your tunes are crap, your nozzles are junk, even your attitude is a let down. You have ripped off just about every vendor that is stupid enough to associate with you. Even Aligator gave you the boot which was the only reason you were on the map in the first place. How stupid do you really think people are? One only has to go to the tdi club and search to see how much of a let down your existence has been for that community. I don't know where you found that Paul guy, but you were doing better before you did. With those hiked up cacky cargo pants you love so much I'm not surprised that guy gives it to you in the rear also.
14 hrs 46 mins ago by floridapanther
0 Votes
This jerk Kerma ripped me off about 7 years ago before he was "famous". He told me that chip tuning my VW was "stupid" and that all I would ever need to buy was his performance nozzles. Needless to say after a year of huge smoke clouds from the tailpipe and 3 fix it tickets, i eventually burned 2 exhaust valves and froze the turbo. Now I see he is trying to pass himself off as the the chip tuning "guru". Man this guy is a real ### bag
PLEASE COPY & PASTE THIS LINK TO SEE THE REAL KERMATDI...
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=252799
ALSO VERY INFORMATIVE: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4531429
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I ordered Bosio 520 injectors and the calibration service and received excellent results. Got a quick turn around time, the injectors came back, painted with the nozzles fitted looking better than new. Easy installation etc. Super happy with the immediate performance upgrade.
Thats where the good experience ended.
I sent them my ECU to be socketed since one of the sockets (L side) broke on chip removal. Bummer but hey its a 24 year old ecu. They said no problem $125, even though they advertise $75 on the website. Instead of fighting the price I send it in to their tuner, he turns it around quick and I get it with much anticipation. Install their tuning chips, install the ECU, turn the key and - No glow plug light, no check engine light, car turns over doesn't start. Reinstall the original H/L chips and same thing. Now I know what you all are thinking - this guy's Relay 109 went out. I was thinking that too because its the original relay and 24 years is more than expected on this relay. I change it after verifying voltage on both sides of it. No change. I then spend the next 3 evenings chasing wires to the ecu looking for issues. Verify power and ground at ECU so I order a $180 ECU from a local wrecking yard. It shows up, gets plugged in with stock H/L chips, boom, car starts first crank with GP light and CEL.
I call their office, Mike answers, is very attentive and helpful, and instructs me to send an email to the tuner. I construct a professional step by step email and he responds 'there could be a problem with the chips? Oh really? I ignore that and answer his subsequent questions about smoke etc I even send him the fault codes (the replacement ECU was from a 97 FA ECU whereas my original is a 96 GQ) -txt file from VCDS to help the process. 15 emails go back and forth before the communication stops. I wait a week with no response I send an email to info@Kermatdi.com explains that I now have a substantiated complaint about this process as I am $180 + $125 + $325 in the hole without having actually received anything.
They forward the email to the tuner and he responds, " Relax, I'm sending your chips today I assume you want to pass emissions testing and so forth? not such a straightforward case using a 97 passat ecu in a 96 passat but the chips are done and going out today, probably too late for USPS today but they should show up this weekend" Great customer service buddy (thumbs up) plus there aren't emissions requirements in California for 97 or older diesels! You would think a tuner would take something like this into consideration? Second attempt at tuning chips show up this weekend and I will update this thread if there is an improvement... Not holding my breath. Buy parts from the Avon warehouse, go to any other tuner but these guys, I'd kick him straight in the ball sack if I lived anywhere near Toele, UT.
I just used Karma Tdi...im in Fla and let me tell you something about those so called lowlifes...they [censored]in rock...thanks Kerma...im up n rollin thanks to you guys
I have gotten a lot of tdi parts from Kerma, IDpart, and Bora. I have been fortunate and have had good service from all vendors. The hard parts from Kerma were of good quality and the service was better than described above. Kerma must be named after the Kerma Empire, which made its fortune trading goods from the interior of Africa to the Egyptians, in days of the Pharaoh. Kerma = middleman. So all of the parts are outsourced based on whats available. I purchased their K3/K4 hybrid for a AHU and never had any issue, however know what I know now I would get/or recommend an untouched garret gt1852 or a gt20. Customer service-wise, I was shipped the wrong clutch once and they made it good and expressed shipped the replacement. Never had any trouble getting deposits back or anything. I mostly dealt with Paul, some with Kale. I think Kerma had a couple bad vendors over the year that did not help their reputation, but all in all they were good to be with one minor exception: CHARLIE.
I got a tune from them once! Had problems, talked to Charlie. Like most people have stated Charlie is a real pain to deal with. And he is the most worthless excuse for a tuner that tunes VW anywhere. Never buy a tune charlie has touched.
FYI, Paul passed away NOV 2014, I enjoyed talking to him. He helped me keep my TDI running on more than one occasion. So despite the issues some have had I considered Paul to be a good guy, but am unsure that I will continue to do business Kerma after Paul. Personally I would have to call first and talk to Kale and ensure i am not dealing with Charlie.
Holy Cow! I am really glad I saw this posting. I was all set to make a $2000 order via Paul, but I got to feeling skeptical when he pressed to make the transaction via bank transfer. Knowing how impossible it is to get money refunded if something goes awry in the transaction made me think he didn't trust the viability of some portion of the transaction. Sucks, because I now need to find a vendor for these parts, but I have my $2K to work with still. Thanks to all for posting!