88MPH Cancels Refund Request...2 years 3 months later!?

Discussion in 'Transformers General Discussion' started by dakroland, May 8, 2006.

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  1. dakroland

    dakroland I fix toys.

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    I wouldn't even say this is a scab, it's more like a swollen, festering boil that won't go away. And he will never say "I can't pay you back, sorry" because then he'd be admitting fraud, and who in their right minds would admit to committing a crime? I've been wary since then of prepaying for ANYTHING online after the Genesis book fiasco. I'll pre-order toys through a reputable site, like BBTS for example, but no matter how cool a 'fan produced product' may be, I won't pre-order again until I see the final product is in the hands of a reputable dealer. (I pre-ordered the Snarl WSTs but simply because they gained a good reputation with me with thier excellent service. And I knew that if the WST Dino deal fell through, they would refund my money without a second's hesitation.)
     
  2. dakroland

    dakroland I fix toys.

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    I resubmitted my refund request about 2 hours after I got the notice. He has until Friday to respond to that, the emails I sent, or the contact form message I sent him from his website. If he doesn't, I'm calling PayPal. I have an internal number (I will post here later if it all works out) that I have used in the past to get my refund from a con-artist on ebay*.

    Scammers are everywhere, and yes, as Op_Was_A_Truck said, their only goal is to take advantage of a fandom for a quick buck, then split. What's worse are the "Poor Me" scammers like Clavet who stay in the public eye, thinking they've done no wrong, and won't fess up.

    I was wondering how many people never got refunds. I would hazzard a guess of between 200-500 people. That would mean, at $33 US each, he got roughly between $6,600 - $16,500 from fans which he still owes us. This is no small potatoes scam artist. This is serious fraud. I really hate thinking bad things about people, but his lack of actions, his empty promises lead me to believe that he is nothing less than a criminal.

    There is another side to this, what about people who got the book and are demanding a refund? Or maybe never did a pre-order and are demanding a refund of money they never paid in the first place? Well, PayPal has records of every transaction ever made on their site, so that's simple enough to debunk. Plus, there would be shipping records for every copy of the book he shipped. He'd be able to disprove those claims easily enough. I have kept every piece of email correspondence written between myself and 0MPG Studios, and I have a 'paper trail' to prove it. I just wonder how many other honest fans really have been shafted?



    *In December of 2004 about a dozen people including myself, were bamboozled by a guy claiming to have about 15 Playstation2 Slimlines in hand. He didn't, but claimed he did and they were shipped as promised, but they were destroyed in a Mail Truck fire. He claimed it'd take 6 months to get our money back. I contacted PayPal right away, still feeling that pain from the 0MPG Fiasco in my gut, and got my money back within 15 days.
     
  3. jourdo

    jourdo TFW2005 Supporter

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    I've never had any dealing with this company, but this is just my 2 cents.

    I know you stated that $32 isn't much money... but fraud is fraud. I had problems with an ebayer over mailing some comics. The total was around $12 or something. Because the comics were coming cross border I gave him the benefit of the doubt and waited longer than I should have. When nothing showed up I continually asked where they were. I asked for proof of mailing, etc. He had none. I on the other hand had all of our communications, receipts, etc. saved for just such an occasion. When ebay and paypal were their usual helpful selves (saying it was too late to file a complaint), I searched the web and found a link to report online fraud (I think it was through the FBI actually).

    I documented my case and sent in the required files. I got my money back from the guy the next day (along with a less than polite email). Now I have no idea where this would have gone if the investigation had proceeded, but I only wanted to give the guy a little scare to not rip people off (no matter how small the amount).

    Bottom line is if you paid for something that was not delivered and your money has not been returned, that is fraud by my definition.
     
  4. Might Gaine

    Might Gaine The Devil Express

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    No, you can definitely sue foreigners in US courts, especially in situations where they've done business with you. However, the old saying goes, "you can't get blood out of a turnip." He'll probably just go bankrupt and no one will see a dime anyway.
     
  5. Foster

    Foster Haslab Victory Saber Backer #3 Veteran

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    This is why I never preorder with an unknown company.
     
  6. G.B. Blackrock

    G.B. Blackrock Autobot Ally

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    Even so, I'd be pretty happy to see a conviction slapped on his sorry self.
     
  7. 88MPH

    88MPH Member

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    Clarification

    I tried explaning things but people are acting crazy so nevermind.
     
  8. DON

    DON Well-Known Member

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    Whew! it's like opening the oven door. :mad 
     
  9. dakroland

    dakroland I fix toys.

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    Mr. Clavet,

    Thank you for responding. That explains the PayPal issue. Could you please shed some light on the problem with the lack of books or refunds? As you know, I am less than pleased with you at the moment, but I still feel there is a chance for you to make it up to those of us here who still are owed refunds. Your lack of response and communication gives us no choice but to assume the worst about you, your company and our situation. I've waited over 2 years for my refund. I hope you understand I felt I was justified in starting this thread and venting my frustration. I am glad that you at least responded here. It's the first time I've heard from you since September of 2004. How soon can we expect the new website to be up? I have sent you my information at least 6 times aready. Isn't that enough?

    Thank you for your time. I await your response.
     
  10. G.B. Blackrock

    G.B. Blackrock Autobot Ally

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    It's been over two years with no word until this. This is simply inexcusable, and your words, whether true or not, do not change this fact.
     
  11. Nightrain

    Nightrain Senior Villain

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    I feel this is going to come up twice a year for the rest of our lives.
     
  12. Omega Supreme V

    Omega Supreme V The token Asian one

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    Well, I got the same message this morning and came here to see if anyone else got the same, glad I wasn't the only one.

    if anyone does something about this, count me in.
     
  13. Optimus_Prime84

    Optimus_Prime84 Well-Known Member

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  14. Ops_was_a_truck

    Ops_was_a_truck JOOOLIE ANDREWWWWWS!!!!!!

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    I wonder if "proceed the refunds" translates as, in real-life-speak, "continue to do nothing."
     
  15. Kranix2k

    Kranix2k Spare me this mockery!! TFW2005 Supporter

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    Strange how having his account "locked" TODAY is an excuse for why a lot of folks have been waiting over 2 YEARS for refund! :rolleyes2 
     
  16. jourdo

    jourdo TFW2005 Supporter

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  17. Dragonclaw

    Dragonclaw Briefly the owner of KB Toys

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    I'd also recomend going to the authorities in Canada. This is a pretty clear cut case of international fraud committed by one of their citizens. My grandfather got ripped off by a guy in Canada and it was the Canadian authorities that actually recovered some of his money and prosecuted the case.
     
  18. 88MPH

    88MPH Member

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    nevermind
     
  19. Valkysas

    Valkysas Attack Buffalo

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    Sweet. I wish Hasbro the best of luck.
     
  20. Steevy Maximus

    Steevy Maximus Old School Snarkster

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    Hasbro has thier own dedicated legal team.

    And by the time the legal weasles are done, it might be a while longer before anymore get their refund
     
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