Sun Valley Towing/Freeway Tire
Complaint 5155 Details

I'm 70 years old. I live in an area that does not have a tow company. Travelers must pay a lot to get service from Willcox, (40 miles west of here). I decided to get a tow truck. But I live on a SS check of $550 per month.
I went back to work, so as to make enough to get a truck. I hauled hay and scrap for three and a half years.
I converted what I made to silver and gold, as I thought is was going up. It did.
June 9th 2011 I found a tow truck on the internet that would work. It was listed at $4000.00. I called tim kunselman. I ask him if he would accept silver and gold for his truck. He said yes. But he said a person from Mexico was coming to look at it. If I wanted it I must send him a deposit of $500.00, NOW. He told me to get a postal money and send it in an over night pouch. I sent postal money order #50621605288. It was an extra $18.50 to send it overnight.
On June 11th I called him and ask if he got it. He said he hadn't been at his shop and didn't know if it came in.
On June 13th I went to his shop with a friend to drive my pick-up back home. I intended to buy tim's truck. I had cash in my pocket and I brought my gold and silver. The silver, at current wholesale market price was over $4000.00. This amount is the silver content only, and not the higher amount that collectors would pay. I had not figured the gold. The silver filled a large coffee can. Silver was in the form of coins. 124 large coins and 100 old silver dimes. The gold was pure 24k in small vials. Gold vials filled a large instant coffee jar.
I went into tim office. He said he had received the money order and wanted to see the gold and silver. I went back out to my truck and got it. When I set it on his desk, he moved it out of my reach and said he had bad news. He had sold the truck on Saturday. (It flashed through my mind, he told me he hadn't been there). But he said he had a better deal for me. I knew this was the old "bait and switch" con.
He showed me another truck. Both trucks were in his storage lot. The other truck WAS a lot better. I would NOT have bought the first truck. It was junk, (not the way he discribed it on the phone). He told me the better truck would cost me $3000.00 more. I told him I couldn't afford it. Then he said he would let me send no interest payments of $250.00 per month. I said OK.
Now, he say's I can't take the truck today. He said he is getting a new truck Friday and needs to keep this truck in service for police calls until then. He said he would deliver it to me on Saturday the 18th.
I reached for my gold and silver. He pulled it away, and said he need time to pick out the ones he wanted to buy or trade. He would bring them Saturday.
Sunday: I called him. He said he would call me right back. He didn’t. Several hours later, I called him again. He said his family was there for Fathers Day. He would bring truck Tuesday.
I called him Tuesday afternoon. He said I'll call you right back. He didn't. Two hours later, he refused to answer my call. I changed phones and he answered. He said he was broke down in Marana. He would be back on the road in a half hour.
I called Wed. He said he would call me right back. He didn't. I called two hours later. He didn't answer. I used a friends phone. He answered. He said he couldn't find parts. I offered to go get the truck. He refused to tell me where it was.
I called Thur. He didn't answer. My friend called him. He answered. My friend in in the road service business. He offered to come and help. Tim refused. My friend told him off. Tim finally called me (first time). He said he would be here Saturday. I said I would meet him up there. He said he had a delivery to make in Lordsburg NM, and had to come through San Simon anyway. He never came or called.
Many more calls were made by me on many different phones. In all cases he always was going to call back, but NEVER did. When I did talk to him, he was always going to be here in two days.
Friday July 9th. I got ahold of tim. He said to meet him at the triple T truck stop, in Tucson on Tuesday the 12th at 9am. I was there. When I called, a girl answered. She told me he was out in the shop. She would call me right back. She didn't. An hour later I called her. She said he WASN’T there, and she had no way to get ahold of him. In a few minutes he called me, (2nd time ever). The read-out on my phone said he called from the same phone the girl had. He said he would be there in 45 minutes. I called back in 4 hours. The girl answered and said he had gone home and she didn't know the number. I checked into a motel.
Wed. July 13th. I drove around in Marana trying to find the truck at all the repair shops. Then went to Phoenix. I checked into a motel.
Thur. July 14th. I went to his office and asked for my gold and silver. He said it was home and he couldn't go get it because he had to be in court in a few minutes.
He then told me, because of all the problems, he was going to lower the price. If I would give him $1500.00 now and let him keep my silver and gold, I could have the truck. I ask him where the truck was. He said: somewhere on golf links in Tucson, at a tire shop. He could drive to it, but couldn't remember the name. He would meet me "for sure" at 2pm at the triple T.
At 2pm I called. The girl said he was out in the shop, she would call me right back. She didn't. At 6pm I went home.
At home, I used a different phone and called him. He said he was in such a hurry to get Lordsburg, he had to drive right by. Now: instead of making a delivery in Lordsburg, he said he was making a pick-up. But he said, he would be at the San Simon truck-stop at 9am Friday with the tow truck. He said, "I'll call you from Willcox, on my way in. (Lordsburg is 40 miles EAST. Willcox is 40 miles WEST).
This is Saturday July 16th. I've had no other contact with him.
Postal fraud
Internet fraud
Business fraud
And because he refused to return my property: Theft/robbery.
Bait and switch: As of today July 16, 2011, 7:30am, the listing on the internet for tow truck sale is still running. Craigslist, Phoenix, listing # 2425082864.