Lone Star Comics (MyComicShop.com) is robbing me! Need advice! 2 2

[Broken Shakespear]

Hey gang!

 

I have run into a major problem with Lone Star Comics. Because of a dispute over a misgraded item I had returned (a book was supposed to be NM, but it had a 2" color-breaking crease, a 1-1.5" color scrape, and many other minor defects, and Lone Star insisted this was okay for a NM book), they told me they no longer wanted to do business with me because I was too critical in my grading.

 

I had been doing business with them for several years, and when this happened, had about $200 in trade credit with them. Well, Buddy Saunders, the owner who told me not to do business there anymore, said he was going to "convert" my trade credit to a cash payout by paying me $.50 on the $1 for the credit I had on my account. He said that he would not sell me anymore books, and that he would only pay me HALF of what I was owed and my account is closed.

 

I consider this to be theft and I want to pursue action against them, more out of principle that out of the $100 they plan to steal from me.

 

Are there any lawyers in the house who can advise me? Should I file a police report in their home town? I definately plan on contacting the Texas Attorney General? If Lone Star makes me go as far as to take this to small claims court, would I need to file in Texas, KY, or both?

 

And let this be a warning to anyone else here who trades with Lone Star. They think it is perfectly in their right to cash out your trade credit for $.50 on the $1, whenever they decide it benefits them. You can be the judge if you want to take that kind of risk. I had been doing business with them (hundreds, if not thousands, of $$'s in trades per year) for 4 years and then they just screwed me over out of the blue!

[Forbush-Man]

....(hundreds, if not thousands, of $$'s in trades per year) for 4 years and then they just screwed me over out of the blue!

 

 

You returned one book and this happened?

 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2008 by FUELMAN

[dudeman5000]

[Broken Shakespear]

I returned two books in 2007, out of hundreds (at least 400 I would say).

 

I returned 2 in January 2008, and then this one. Since this blew up, I have needed to return 13 more for tears and pieces of the cover missing, when they were supposed to be NM. I actually haven't even returned them all, because Lone Star would not authorize the return until today.

 

And this is out of about 200 books in 2008. They just said I was being too picky wanting to return books with tears and even pieces missing from the cover, which were sold as NM. My "...grading standards which are stricter than our own and, for that matter, stricter than the standard employed by the vast majority of collectors and dealers".

 

They told me today that they no longer wanted to do business with me, that I couldn't order any more books from them, and that they were going to pay me $.50 on the $1 for the credit I had in my account. If I wasn't happy with that solution, I could "pursue any solution you wish if these terms are not agreeable".

[ft88]

Take a deep breath, its only $100. All courses of action will probably not get looked at other than small claims and I would assume that would be in Texas.

 

Think of all the folks out there that get hosed by industries like cable, insurance, bankers, used car salesmen, meter maids, divorce lawyers, and greedy dealers who "rob" little old ladies from $10,000 Golden Age collections And God bless the good ones.

 

Best thing you can do out of principle is exactly what you did. Post about it on a popular blog and let the market figure it out. Yeah you have a legit claim and it'd sure do you a lot of good to be able to vent in a court of law.

 

Why not just screw with their web site and put in a bunch of false purchases or bids on ebay or something harmless like that. You could have fun that way too.

 

Ed

[500Club]

Perhaps you should invite Lone Star to discuss the situation here.

 

Sometimes the bad publicity and exposure will lead the offending party to change their stance.

 

Failing that, PM one of the resident lawyers.

[ashrael]

How did you earn the credit? Was it something that they gave you as a bonus for your purchases, or is it actual money that you paid and are owed back (from returns, etc)?

[MatMarvelV1]

I'm really surprised to hear this as I have dealt with them on many occasions (not as many as you, thou) and their grading has always seemed spot on, if not undergraded at times.

 

I hate to hear stories like this thou where the honest buyer is 'not always right', good luck

[ft88]

I'll bring a point of contention just for bit. At what point can we not bring in lawyers to resolve every dispute. If someone defrauds by $1 is it really a case? $100 is a bigger deal but to actually get lawyers involved is a bit much IMO

 

And assuming all details are legit, I do think Lone Star is in the wrong; but in their defense, trade is different than cash. I just think the appropriate thing to do is simply to out them as has already been done.

 

 

[Broken Shakespear]

I sent them comic books I owned, in exchange for store credit. Comics I will add that they can't return because many have already been sold, and Lone Star profited from.

[Shootydog]

I trade with my game shop frequently and he usually gives me 50 cents on the dollar. I dont see how its much different than any shop that offers in trade.

[jools&jim]

I've also bought lots of books from them over the past 5 years or so (mostly BA Marvels). Some of their NMs were on the weak side, but since most of them were only $1 - $2 apiece, I let it slide, and continue to be very satisfied with the books I receive (many of which are under-graded) and their service. What I don't understand is why you kept ordering from them if you didn't like their grading...

Edited June 17, 2008 by mikeyriffhard

[Broken Shakespear]

I'll bring a point of contention just for bit. At what point can we not bring in lawyers to resolve every dispute. If someone defrauds by $1 is it really a case? $100 is a bigger deal but to actually get lawyers involved is a bit much IMO

 

And assuming all details are legit, I do think Lone Star is in the wrong; but in their defense, trade is different than cash. I just think the appropriate thing to do is simply to out them as has already been done.

 

 

Well, I just wanted advice from lawyers on how to follow this up, since it is interstate and internet related. I know to file with the BBB (done) and they are a BBB member. I know you can file a complaint with the FTC and with the FBI's IC3, which are internet and interstate based fraud services. I also know to file with the Texas Attorney General. I didn't know if I should call the Arlington police department to file a complaint, and have it on record in case it is needed at a future date. Should I file something with my home state (police or Attorney General)? I know some lawyers post here, and I thought one might be able to provide info on how to proceed.

 

I would probably take them to small claims court on principle, and sue for the difference, court costs, and travel fees to Texas (if I can't file in KY). I wouldn't retain an attorney over $100 and make a federal case out of it.

[Broken Shakespear]

Like I said, I ordered probably 400 books in 2007 and sent back 2 for misgrades. I wouldn't say that means I dislike their grading.

 

Even the recent return of 13 books was out of an order of 70-80 books, and that was the last order I had placed with them, since I was banned.

[Broken Shakespear]

I trade with my game shop frequently and he usually gives me 50 cents on the dollar. I dont see how its much different than any shop that offers in trade.

 

The difference is, when I agreed to trade with them, I was offered $200 to spend in their store (so I could get $200 worth of stuff). Now they only want to give me $100 in cash, which means I can only get $100 worth of stuff elsewhere.

 

I would never have traded them the books I did for $100. I felt like I was giving them away at $200.

 

It isn't the contract we had. Lone Star was the one who decided they no longer wanted to do business, so why whould I be penalized another $100 because they decided to breach the contract. All my contracts state payment in dollar amounts to be issue 100% as store credit. Paying me half of the agreed upon amount in cash is not the contract I agreed to.

[Transplant]

I would probably take them to small claims court on principle, and sue for the difference, court costs, and travel fees to Texas (if I can't file in KY). I wouldn't retain an attorney over $100 and make a federal case out of it.

I'm pretty sure the first sentence is in direct contradiction with the second. Complain about it here. Ask for your money another time. Then drop it. $100 is not something to lose sleep over. In the states where I am licensed, you won't give all the things you want, even if you win. Edited June 17, 2008 by Transplant

[Shootydog]

So are you just angry that they banned you from doing business with them or is the $100 that big of a deal?

 

Why not just send them a note and let them know that if they refund the full $200 then you will let the matter drop and go your separate ways?

 

 

or is that extortion-esque?

[mschmidt]

I've also bought lots of books from them over the past 5 years or so (mostly BA Marvels). Some of their NMs were on the weak side, but since most of them were only $1 - $2 apiece, I let it slide, and continue to be very satisfied with the books I receive and their service. What I don't understand is why you kept ordering from them if you didn't like their grading...

 

In total I bought a couple of hundred books from Lone Star last year - had the same issues as the OP with some of the supposedly "NM" books being overgraded, and sent back books on three separate occasions. I never had any problems with the returns - which is the main reason I kept on buying from Lone Star.

 

I have a feeling that's why Broken Shakespear continued to buy from them as well - they have a return policy clearly listed on their website, so penalizing a customer for actually using that policy is just stupid.

[CKB]

I trade with my game shop frequently and he usually gives me 50 cents on the dollar. I dont see how its much different than any shop that offers in trade.

 

The difference is, when I agreed to trade with them, I was offered $200 to spend in their store (so I could get $200 worth of stuff). Now they only want to give me $100 in cash, which means I can only get $100 worth of stuff elsewhere.

 

I would never have traded them the books I did for $100. I felt like I was giving them away at $200.

 

It isn't the contract we had. Lone Star was the one who decided they no longer wanted to do business, so why whould I be penalized another $100 because they decided to breach the contract. All my contracts state payment in dollar amounts to be issue 100% as store credit. Paying me half of the agreed upon amount in cash is not the contract I agreed to.

 

I'm still not sure how you got your $200 credit.

 

If you got your credit by returning books you purchased from Lone Star, you should be screaming your head off.

 

If you got your credit by sending your books to Lone Star, i.e. selling books to Lone Star in return for store credit, $0.50 on the dollar sounds right to me.

 

I would try solve this issue (given the second option is correct) by offering to use your store credit at the full $200 and agreeing ahead of time that you will not return anything.

 

If you have the first situation just about anything would be on the table - that's fraud. What's stopping them from having people return all the books they want and when they need cash, ban them and take half their money.

 

 

 

 

[Broken Shakespear]

So are you just angry that they banned you from doing business with them or is the $100 that big of a deal?

 

Why not just send them a note and let them know that if they refund the full $200 then you will let the matter drop and go your separate ways?

 

 

or is that extortion-esque?

 

I really don't care if they ban me or not. I told them that was fine if that is the length they wanted to go to.

 

What burns me is that, at the prices they sell at, I traded them $400 worth of comics. They gave me $200 in trade credit. And now they want to cash that out by giving me $100. And the thing is, many of the books have already sold.

 

So first they want to ban me, then they want to screw me out of $100, for items they already sold and made $400 on. So instead of making $200 on my stuff, they make $300. It's a total reaming...

 

Now, at one point they stated they would return some of my books that they hadn't entered into their inventory yet, which would cover about $100 of the $200 the owed me. And I was fine with that. Just give me my books back if you don't want to pay me. I will eat the shipping I paid to get them there, but whatever...

 

However, I'm not sure now that they are even going to do that. And if they do, they stated they would still just pay me $.50 on the $1 for the other $100 (so $50). It's still a reaming, but not as painful I guess...