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Report: #476219

Complaint Review: Excel Locating Service Or Ed Zielinski - Huntsville Alabama

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  • Reported By: Vincennes Indiana
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  • Excel Locating Service Or Ed Zielinski 612 Bain Drive Huntsville, Alabama U.S.A.

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I contracted Excel Locating Service to locate 10 Combo machines. The locator completed the job in one day and was paid in cash, which they require. The very next day I began going to the locations to drop off the machines and the locations stated the locator did not get permission to locate a machine there or misrepresented himself when locating, and I was asked to leave and they did not want a machine.

Upon checking all locations, I have found that many were not approved, even out the area that I requested and one was located in an auto body shop amidst paint fumes and men wearing masks while painting cars. I was promised by Ed Zielinski, the owner, that they had perfected the method of locating.

Out of 10 locations, at least 90% are bad locations and must be relocated. Excel Locating does not stand by their contract, and in fact, don't even answer their phone or hangs up on you when you tell him who you are. If the locator would have did his job in the first place I would not be here complaining. You're stuck with bad locations. Beware! Do not do business with Excel Locating Service!

They will basically take your money and give you bogus locations and then you will never be able to contact them again and they will not respond or take responsibility for their lack of service. Even if they do, they are not going to take responsibility for their locator and try and blame you when it is
their locator which screwed it up. Ed keeps pushing it on me that I should have toured and it is all my fault.

If you had a bad experience with Ed Zielinski or Excel Locating, please tell your experience or keep calling Ed and make him pay for all these dishonest
locators he sends out. The locator I got was named Ron and looked like he hadn't took a bath in 3 days, smelled like cigarettes and drove a beat up van. If this is what your locators are like I don't see how you stay in business. I will tell all my friends and everyoneI know not to use Excel Locators or any company that works with Excel Locators.

Jim
Vincennes, Indiana
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/04/2009 06:48 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/excel-locating-service-or-ed-zielinski/huntsville-alabama-35803/excel-locating-service-or-ed-zielinski-excel-locating-service-will-steal-your-money-give-476219. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
5Consumer
5Employee/Owner

#10 REBUTTAL Owner of company

Ripoffreport, Recycles Complaint

AUTHOR: Ed - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, June 28, 2012

I know who you are Jim Ellis, Your going to regret this report that you know is false, I still have all the emails from you and Susan. I believe I will contact the FBI. Remember Major Itule.

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#9 UPDATE EX-employee responds

You have some very false allegations

AUTHOR: L. Beshears - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, June 28, 2012

I worked for Excel Locations for 4 years in the office and even did some location work from time to time.    All paperwork before, during and after, instructs the customer to tour the locations with the locator and meet the owners of each location.  The customer always has right of refusal before accepting, signing for or paying for any and all locations.  Cash is an option, it is not a requirement.  I agree that one day is pretty fast for securing ten locations, however, it has been done.  I lucked out one time and went into a six story hotel in Decatur, Alabama.  They took 6 drink machines and 6 snack machines.  Twelve locations in one hour.  The speed in which I got the locations didn't make them less valuable. The customer had 24 machines.  When we toured, he accepted 22 and rejected two.  The two he rejected were good locations but he didn't want them, so he didn't sign or pay for them.  Nobody at Excel made him take them.  I had to go back out and find two alternate replacements or let another locator take over.  I chose to get two more. It sounds like you ignored all of Excel's written instructions, yet want to hold them responsible for your situation.

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#8 UPDATE Employee

ED Zielinski

AUTHOR: A Locator for many companies - (United States of America)

POSTED: Saturday, April 28, 2012

I am currently working as a locator for Excel and a couple of other companies.I have been working for Ed for 15 years and there are times i do redo's or relocations for some of the customers i do.Most of the time i can get problems resolved,other times people just don't want their machines relocated because they did it themselves.ALL MY CUSTOMERS tour with me.At time of touring,they have the say so about accepting or rejecting location.

I tell all customers allow 90 days at location,first month is getting it acclimated,or introduced to area,2nd and 3rd month is switching product for items that sell not sit in machine.ALSO,DO NOT set your prices higher than a corner grocery store,this will make your product sit in machine.If you listen to your "coaches"who sit at a desk and tell you what prices should be,they don't care about your area.It is true you can double or triple your income on certain items,not all items do you make twice,some are 1/4 above price.You are not out there to be a millionaire overnight.As long as you service or check your machine(s) on a weekly basis. 

But,in a year you will be making your money back from your investment. I have quite a few repeat customers who like my work and know i am in high demand since i am one of the few locators who makes sure the job gets done right.Some have to be patient with me since it takes me awhile to get back to them. The relocation contract is a no hassle program that states for 1/2 the original price we get another location for them.All money is due when locations are toured,wheter it is 2 or 10.Payment for toured locations is checks,or cash.I give all a signoff sheet with business cards,plus a reciept for the money that is given to me.

If there is any dispute on locations it is easily rectified by going back to signoff sheets and get them solved.Ed has had several locators that work for him.I for one am a more slower,if not better locator that gets the job done and finshed.I do get calls from some of my customers about redoing a location or 2 for them,i let them know as soon as i get to their area i will get them done.Needless to say,i DON'T GET BOGUS LOCATIONS

A locator for Excel and other computer


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#7 REBUTTAL Owner of company

Anonymous Complaints.

AUTHOR: Ed - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, April 26, 2012
Anonymous, if it is your intent to damage Excel's reputation with the assistance of "Ripoff Report", who at one time may have provided a viable service. However since they allow anybody to make any type of statement and do it anonymously, they have lost their credibility.

You claim that Excel takes the money and gets the location ASAP yet in the very next sentence you say that you were the third locater, each of whom were paid, sounds to me like Excel goes out of their way to take care of their customers...

If as you say you have run a location company, and you are an experienced locator, and you are being paid to do a job, what other assistance would you have needed.

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#6 REBUTTAL Owner of company

Anonymous Complaints.

AUTHOR: Ed - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Why is it that people that complain to Ripoff Report remain anonymous, they don't want to reveal their name, ' could it be that what they say is not truthful" that should tell you something. It's not worth a response. It diminishes Ripoff Report's credibility to allow anonymous complaints.   

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#5 Consumer Suggestion

In regards to Locating, and Excel Locations

AUTHOR: Just Me - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 25, 2012

While I do feel for those vendors being "ripped off" in terms of contracting with a location company, I must say that folks should do their research.



I am familair with Excel, having done locating for them.  I can say that they typically do not care who they employ as their locators.  Their business practice, as far as I've seen, is to get the money in and then get the locations done ASAP.  Last time I worked for them, I came in as the third locator (I didn't know this when I took the job...they neglected to tell me this).  I managed, with my locating partner, to fix the situation and locate all machines, but it was with absolutely no assistance from Excel directly.  They threw us into a situation that myself and my partner had to fix, without giving us any advance info.



I have been on the side of locating and running location business for years.  There are advantages to hiring a location company when getting into vending as a single person company.  Excel does not care about who they bring on as locators, from what I've seen, alas.  They will bring on a locator that can show up much like described...no shower, unprofessional, sloppy dressed, etc.  They merely care for the money up front, and after they get the check and it's cashed...oh well.



I am willing to provide some insight to anyone on some things to look out for, in terms of going into business as a single vendor, but prefer to leave myself anonymous.  Feel free to use an email, and I'll email you back.  :)

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#4 REBUTTAL Individual responds

Stephanie- Durham Beware of Self-righteous locating companies

AUTHOR: Ed - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, February 25, 2010

This " Stephanie " claims I told her how bad other location companies are-this is absolutely not true! She also says I'm a special informant on certain naughty companies-again not true. (Note: " naughty" is not in my lexicon).

She further speaks about my bringing up Christian faith, again not true.

She goes on to say that I had several complaints that are only resolved after months if they get far enough. (Love to have her produce names of said customers.) Who are the bad locators, what are their names?

This person continues by saying our fees are cheaper than anyone else; our fees are posted on our website. If anything, they are either the same or higher than other location companies. Again, name a locator that has ever worked for Excel and was paid less.

She also claims that I've paid off customers to keep them silent. I would like to know the names of those supposed customers. This is just plain silly.

Excel has been at the same location, with the same phone number for well over twenty years. If we were running scams of any sort, this would be impossible

Stephanie-Durham, please post your full name, your address and your telephone number, because I would truly love to talk to.

Ed Zielinski

256-880-9052

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#3 Consumer Suggestion

Beware of self-righteous locating companies

AUTHOR: Stephanie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, August 09, 2009

I had considered using Ed before but he spent a great deal of time telling me about how bad other locating companies where. Ed said he was a "special" informant on certain naughty companies and brought up his Christain faith several times. This was a red flag so I investigated him.

Turns out Ed has several complaints that he only resolves after 2-5 months if they get far enough (AG - BBB usually). If the consumer doesn't pound him on a regular basis he turns his back - the weak get eaten. Also, Ed uses some very bad locators - his fees where cheaper than anyone else (which mad me consider him) but that meant the locators got paid less.

Turns out he uses some pretty shady locators because they are desperate and many other companies just won't use them. Really... I wonder if there are any good locating companies out there? Also, I wonder how many people Ed has shafted - then paid off to keep them silent only when he absolutely had to? Watch out for locators and certainly watch out for any who stab their competitors like a gossiping old woman - if you talk to Ed long enough he'll put down about everyone out there.

Ed, you're a hypocrite and your bad as you say your competitors are.

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#2 Consumer Comment

Excel Location Services and Ed Zielinski Honest and Most Dependable Company out there.

AUTHOR: Lseeber - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, August 08, 2009

Once upon a time I owned a location company along with my ex-husband. Nowadays, I simply sell an instructional online that explains how to get your own locations or what to expect from a location company if you hire one. Those 2 occupations have put me between customers and location companies for a lot of years. Ed Zielinski / Excel Locations is the only location company that I'm aware of out there that has been in business for over 25 years without having ever, ever, changing their name, address or phone number as was stated in his rebuttal. Most others have...many times over. Too often, one unfortunate by-product of getting locations is, the locator. They are independent contractors and most of them all do work for all of the location companies out there. A few have dedicated locators that only do work for them, very few. Each company has it's own set of rules as to what they expect from a locator that is doing a job for them and their own contracts and sense of business ethics. Unfortunately, not all locators follow the rules. Hopefully, if one does not, he/she is no longer used by any company. So, when you hire a location company, what you're essentially doing is choosing the man behind the company. I know Ed and he's always been an honest individual (unlike MANY in the industry) and runs an honest company. Might you ever run into a problem with a locator sent to do your job? You betcha! But...at least with Ed, if you do have a problem, he'll fix it.
Also, as stated in his rebuttal (no, I don't work for Excel, but I do study various location companies contracts for my instructional) Excel's contract (as most others) requires a customer to "tour" locations before ever accepting them or paying the locator. While on the tour, you would find out then if it was a legitimate location or looked like a good location to you. I have seen way too many people skip this step, accept their locations sight unseen, pay the locator the balance and then complain that they didn't like their locations. You MUST tour.
I also cannot believe that noone answers the phone at Excel during business hours. I've never, never heard of that from any customer that I have spoken to that has worked with them. Occasionally, you might have to wait for Ed to return a call, but to not answer? Never.
Even Walmart has some disgruntled customers. But, I've never heard of Excel simply ripping someone off.
One other thing to check... I've seen several location company customers either complain or praise the efforts of an individual company only to find they were naming the wrong company, after having spoken to and having paperwork from several.

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#1 REBUTTAL Owner of company

Our Procedures

AUTHOR: Excel Location Services - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 06, 2009

Our database reveals that we have no clients in Vincennes, nor do we have a contract for 10 combos in Indiana. Such anonymous claims could be made by anyone; either a disgruntled locator or a competitor. It would seem that valid complaints would be filed with the Better Business Bureau. To address the stated claims, our paperwork clearly states that payment is to be made to Excel Location Services by money order or certified check. Our phones are manned from 9a-5pm, M-Thurs and 9a-12 noon (CST) on Friday. If all lines are busy, the caller is directed to leave a message and we then return calls. On the rare occasion that we have had to disconnect a call, it was due to very foul language. Lastly, Item #6 of our contract stipulates, All secured locations must be toured by the Company (client) prior to acceptance and final payment. Company must enter each location for viewing. If Company does not tour - all guarantees are null and void. This is included in our contract as a protection for the client ... and to give us a measure of control, since all locators are Independent Contractors. As an aside, the only locator we use by the name of Ron does not smoke. Finally, Excel Location Services has been in business for nearly 25 years at the same address with the same phone number. That, and our vast number of satisfied clients should attest our honesty.

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