Put simply, I ordered a short path system from Seth Oxhandler at High Five in Santa Fe, NM ( alcohol avengers ) and what I got was a fucking joke.
Back story is: I found him after viewing systems at USA Lab that had his logo on the glass so I looked him up. He basically said that he makes glass for some of the USA Lab setups and that, if I went directly through him, I would pay less and get more. Eliminating the middleman = simple economics. On the phone he said, “I am getting you a SOLID system.” If anyone has ever talked to him by voice, you know his overly dramatic speaking style. Personally, I find it annoying as hell but, whatever, I just wanted the product.
Un-boxing the system I was like, “wtf is this?” Jeez…where to start? Nothing fits together. If I were to actually force the head onto the flask, I’d have to prop the collection flask on the edge of the mantle and it still wouldn’t be stable. There was only one vacuum hose so, how I’m supposed to pull vac on the cold trap is anyone’s guess. There was no vacuum gauge included and nowhere to connect one anyway. I guess he thinks its okay to run a SPD system without knowing how much vac you’re pulling on it. I also guess I’m supposed to put my vacuum pump on a stack of phone books so that the 12 inch KF25 hose will actually reach. I told him on the phone that there was only one temp probe (the short one for the head) His response was that I only needed one probe and to just move it back and forth between the head and the boiling flask. Right. And what do you think is going to happen to my vacuum when I pull that probe out during a run? To say nothing of the fact that a 4 inch probe can’t reach the oil in a 5L flask anyway. Lab stands, risers, cork rings, clamps for the KF25 and much much more that I can’t even list right now. His answer: “I don’t supply those little parts and pieces. You have to get that stuff yourself from Amazon.” I guess he doesn’t understand the definition of “turn-key”. I also got used glass, dirty glass, and an distillation head with a bubble in the glass which he has, thus far, refused to address and, at this point, won’t address because it is now up to our attorneys to settle.
You’ll like this: He invoices me for a Julabo F25MA heater/chiller which was already out of production at the time (he knew this as verified by Julabo themselves) and says what a great deal he’s giving me by discounting it 12.5%. Then, I get delivered a CD300 which lists for the same price I paid for the more expensive F25MA. In short, I paid full price for the Julabo. There was no discount at all. Fraudulent, unethical and not what’s on the invoice but he continued to argue.
Oh wait…there’s more: I was very clear about needing the pump to run at 110V. He boogered that up, too. I got a nice refurb’d Edwards pump that has 230V written all over it. I actually had to argue with this douchebag going back and forth by text messages that it was a straight 230V pump with him insisting over and over, “Its switchable: You have to take the top off and flip the switch.” It took me sending photos of the pump before he finally backed off on that but then told me I needed an electrician and actually sent me contact info for an electrician who is (supposedly) a friend of his. Yeah, dumbass…I don’t live in Santa Fe so what fucking good is that? In the end, a switcher was spec’d on the invoice and so he had to order up a replacement but what I fight I had to go through. He just assumes everyone around him is an idiot but the guy can’t even spell “tomarrow” (sic).
He is refusing to take his bullshit erector set SPD back standing firm on “All sales are final”, after sticking me for $16,050 and a system that will NOT piece together and NOT whats on the invoice. I offered him a way out several times but his pride, ego, and diminished mental acuity drove him to reject these offers. Now I have to sue his stupid ass.
He is going to get buried by my attorney. Due largely to the fact that I have written proof of our discussions, recorded phone calls, and all of the obviously used, dirty parts he shipped to me that would never go together to make a functioning SPD. So, if you want to do business with someone who has major legal troubles, IRS troubles, who clearly doesn’t know what the hell he is doing if this is his idea of a SOLID SYSTEM, and may not even have a business license by the time I am through with him…you’ll be making an even bigger mistake then I did. I think I’d have been better off calling up Hong Kong.
I heard from a friend that someone else on here had a problem with Seth and High Five a few months back and the back and forth on here got pretty nasty. I would LOVE to hear from you if you should ever find this post.
Check back later after I put up the photos of this abomination.
#highfivelabsupply #oxhandler #SPD #short path distillation #labsupplyinc.com
