Apparently, the latest Robber Barrons that bought up and started real garage life while back is effed up the company and went bankrupt. No more backyard, buddy no more advantage Lift good luck all the customers on getting their deposits back. I am so tired ofthe schmucks buying up companies and ruining them into ground. I know that’s capitalism at its finest? but it’s really ********.
Real garage life out of business
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Skyman
Well-known member
Source for this info, please?
CluelessPro
Member
Have you been drinking? This is almost impossible to comprehend.
Real Garage Life, the company that owns Backyard Buddy and Advantage Lift has went belly up. If you have a deposit with them, you can contact your credit card company to attempt to get your deposit back.
I have not verified the bankruptcy myself, however due to Bankruptcy laws you may not be entitled to a refund until the court allows. Contacting your credit card company may be your best bet to get your money back.
racecougar
Well-known member
What?
KwikFab
Well-known member
Seems like this morning's coffee consisted of 1 part coffee and 6 parts liquor 
Kind of early to start drinking
Kind of early to start drinking
Nobody-named-Olli
Well-known member
This was all I could find, it’s accessible without facebook account.
In case it gets taken down/ to archive for the purpose of this thread:
(Thumbnails, click to enlarge)
Kind regards,
Olli
In case it gets taken down/ to archive for the purpose of this thread:
(Thumbnails, click to enlarge)
Kind regards,
Olli
Last edited:
HoosierBuddy
Well-known member
Well this doesn't look promising:
realgaragelife.com
The page just says "Exciting News Coming Soon" Everything else is gone.
Advantage Lifts
Discover Real Garage Life, your trusted source for high-quality 2 post and 4 post car lifts. Our lifts are designed for low garage ceilings, car collectors, car restoration specialists, and DIY Automotive Enthusiasts.
realgaragelife.com
The page just says "Exciting News Coming Soon" Everything else is gone.
BombShelter
Well-known member
The first common is a word too early, it all makes sense if you move it after "life"
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
There is irony in this post, significant irony
finn
Well-known member
An unfortunate, but not uncommon end to a business.
I bought two Advantage lifts about seven years ago, with no drama or issues. That was before they absorbed BYB and ventured into domestic manufacturing instead of sticking with importing consumer / hobbiest lifts like their competion.
I’m pretty sure that any parts will be available from Wildfire, since they’re almost identical lifts. At least the imports are. Don’t know about the BYB derived products.
I bought two Advantage lifts about seven years ago, with no drama or issues. That was before they absorbed BYB and ventured into domestic manufacturing instead of sticking with importing consumer / hobbiest lifts like their competion.
I’m pretty sure that any parts will be available from Wildfire, since they’re almost identical lifts. At least the imports are. Don’t know about the BYB derived products.
NitroExpress
Well-known member
Shiftless
Well-known member
Business filings rose 7.1 percent, from 23,107 to 24,737, in the year ending Dec. 31, 2025. Non-business bankruptcy filings rose 11.2 percent to 549,577, compared with 494,201 in December 2024.
source: U.S. courts.gov
Not a post in almost 2 years and then two threads for same subject.
Both threads merged.
Both threads merged.
kbuhagiar
Well-known member
The website is, for all intents and purposes, dark, except for the ubiquitous "Watch for zippy zappy razzle-dazzle developments soon!" notification.
OP, 3 of your 8 posts in 7 years are borderline incomprehensible rants about this firm. But I am curious how you know "Robber Barons" "effed up the company"? And how that relates to "schmucks buying up companies and running them into the ground" and capitalism more broadly?
Because Stacey Mack -- who ran the company for 15 years -- bought it from the founders in 2017 when they retired. But somehow you have conflated this with a complete failure of the capitalist system. Ok.
Nobody-named-Olli
Well-known member
Wondering if anyone looked at the link/ information I provided?
If that is genuine, Stacey Mack himself acknowledged the business is insolvent/done.
Quote from above Facebook link: ( https://www.facebook.com/frank.antonucci.2025/posts/from-my-friend-ed-salas/4508202162825053/ ) !I only edited the e-mail address out so it‘s not up for spam bots to grab!
”On Mon, Aug 3, 2026 at 3:49 PM, Stacey Mack
<smack@> wrote
Edward,
I don't know why this was strung out so long. I am sorry.
At this time the factory has shut down, Real Garage Life is insolvent, and the senior secured creditors are selling the remaining assets.
Your deposit unfortunately has been lost in the insolvency.
I am sorry there is nothing we can do at this point.
Stacey Wayne Mack.
President & CEO
Automotive Lift Service
777 Cherry Tree Court, Hanover PA 17331”
Again, I can’t verify this - I have no dog in this fight - and it is the only information I found to date. But none of this is old, it’s very recent 2025 to August 2026.
Kind regards,
Olli
If that is genuine, Stacey Mack himself acknowledged the business is insolvent/done.
Quote from above Facebook link: ( https://www.facebook.com/frank.antonucci.2025/posts/from-my-friend-ed-salas/4508202162825053/ ) !I only edited the e-mail address out so it‘s not up for spam bots to grab!
”On Mon, Aug 3, 2026 at 3:49 PM, Stacey Mack
<smack@> wrote
Edward,
I don't know why this was strung out so long. I am sorry.
At this time the factory has shut down, Real Garage Life is insolvent, and the senior secured creditors are selling the remaining assets.
Your deposit unfortunately has been lost in the insolvency.
I am sorry there is nothing we can do at this point.
Stacey Wayne Mack.
President & CEO
Automotive Lift Service
777 Cherry Tree Court, Hanover PA 17331”
Again, I can’t verify this - I have no dog in this fight - and it is the only information I found to date. But none of this is old, it’s very recent 2025 to August 2026.
Kind regards,
Olli
darkshade9
New member
I have a half-up-front deposit for one of their XLT lifts. I purchased it back in February, and my credit card company says I am beyond the 120 days for a chargeback. Am I SOL?
Quickstep192
Well-known member
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That’s a shame. I have a BYB I got from the original company. I did a lot of research and it was the best.
I have been thinking about selling mine. I suppose the value will skyrocket!
I have been thinking about selling mine. I suppose the value will skyrocket!
racecougar
Well-known member
Have you received anything by mail yet? Do we know if it's Chapter 7 or 11?
darkshade9
New member
Nothing in the mail, in fact, no one every contacted me after my initial purchase. I had to call several times to get updates that my lift was delayed, at least a half dozen times. I don't use Facebook to contact the person above, but I will be joining any class action lawsuits if possible. I've filed complaints with the Consumer Credit Financial Protections agency, the FTC, the Ohio attorney general (my state) as well as the Pennsylvania AG.
Skyman
Well-known member
This is sad news if true, and Olli's post appears to confirm it.
When I ordered my lift from Advantage last year, I was told that as a result of tariffs, they were in the process of re-shoring production, and that they would begin building them at their factory that produced the BB lifts. It seems reasonable to guess that in the process of this, they got into a fiscal squeeze that they couldn't find their way out of.
Out of curiosity, I called their main phone number just now. It rolled immediately to voice mail.
When I ordered my lift from Advantage last year, I was told that as a result of tariffs, they were in the process of re-shoring production, and that they would begin building them at their factory that produced the BB lifts. It seems reasonable to guess that in the process of this, they got into a fiscal squeeze that they couldn't find their way out of.
Out of curiosity, I called their main phone number just now. It rolled immediately to voice mail.
Thanks. I assumed it was some youtube show that i'd never heard of.
Court is about the only thing. I ran into this when I paid a deposit for fab work being done and the shop never did the work.
racecougar
Well-known member
I'd say it's worth joining FB to contact the person Olli referenced.
Skyman
Well-known member
With a second phone call, I was able to confirm that the company has folded its tent. Sad for all, especially those who've lost advance payments, and the employees who are now out of work.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Well, if they were working out of a tent, things couldn't have been to good to begin with...
BombShelter
Well-known member
I don't trust any company or contractor that requires a large deposit up front unless it's for supplies. A known company like this charging 1/2 up front for a lift is unforgivable. Contractors are worse, and may have started the trend. They dig a hole so deep that instead of a small dept, they owe a ton of suppliers and customers.
Skyman
Well-known member
"Well, if they were working out of a tent, things couldn't have been to good to begin with..."
That interpretation might have been just a tad too literal.
That interpretation might have been just a tad too literal.
kngelv
Well-known member
If you look at most of the Advantage Lift videos on YouTube then you will see a guy named Tony. I bought My Backyard Buddy Classic from him 2 1/2 years ago and a rolling air jack last year. He retired late last year. I talked with him about all this two weeks ago. He confirmed that they had major issues and that they were claiming there was some investor who was going to keep the business going. He did not believe that was true and hoped that people could get their money back through their CC companies. He had many sales that were in the same boat as the OP's. He told me that they stopped working with the Chinese lift manufacturer over a year ago and cancelled all orders with them. Any orders after that were basically bogus. They claimed they would build them in Ohio but as we see that was simply not true. Shortly afterward a new company called Guardian Lifts started working with the same manufacturer. https://guardianlifts.com/ Supposedly they are actually delivering their product but I cannot verify this. If you look at their site they are carbon copies of all the Advantage Lifts and made by the same manufacturer. Hope this helps. I feel bad for the OP.
James
James
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Wow, if that's the case, that is pretty clearly fraud. Somebody(s) will go to jail for that. I feel especially sorry for anyone who fell victim to that behavior. It reminds me of an agricultural attachment company that did similar activities, Everything Attachments.
Makes one wonder if they stopped dealing with the over seas manufacturer because they couldn't pay them!
Or possibly someone was skimming the till and cooking the books.
finn
Well-known member
Just remember: you can’t get blood from a turnip.
And secured creditors get paid first.
kngelv
Well-known member
Maybe the OP can edit his title so it also includes Backyard Buddy and Advantage Lifts because the Real Garage Life was fairly recent and a lot of people won’t really know what the topic is about.
James
James
Oh, someone’s little **** hurt you hate the truth didn’t can’t you read look at the above posts. What are you buddies with Stacy? It doesn’t matter if I had written nothing on this site in five years I’m trying to warn you people. IF you don’t like the truth that I have found then go take a long walk off a short pier.
Well, looks like we're done here.
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