I'm giving up. The scammer gets off.

[BassGMan]

Hi. I originally signed up on these boards shortly after last Christmas as a suggestion from an Ebay customer of mine. I told him how I was scammed on a book I bought on Ebay and he told me that you guys might have some suggestions on how to handle it. Sorry, I can't remember who this guy was that referred me here.

 

Anyway, I came on and talked all about how Ebay user: GM67 sold me a "7.0 or better" unrestored ASM #1 for $2,325 (later graded by CGC as APP 4.5 with extensive (P)). I thought I was getting a great deal at the time. Yes, I was foolish to buy a raw book of this sort from a very little known dealer with a feedback of only 47, I know, I've been spanked already. Live and learn. So, I got great advice from Comicwiz on how to file claims online for internet fraud. A few others also PMed me offering to help and with more suggestions. Another forum member who wanted me not to disclose his name also offered to do some investigating into this guy for me and he did. I talked to one person at CGC who was also familiar with this guy, and knew of him as a scammer. His name is George Matos from Thomastown, Connecticut. He has since been NARUed from Ebay, possibly from my complaint to them of Fraud. Please, no one do any vigilante work. Someone actually offered to do this once. I fight my battles through the legal system or not at all. This guy's only defense for not refunding my money, which I'll add was stated he would in the listing if the buyer was not completely satisfied, was that after I received the book I claimed that the packaging was so poor that the book may have received a tiny 1/16" ding on one corner. Yes, the book was insured but taking a beat up book with plenty of small tears and chips and restoration all over, reporting a possible additional "ding" hardly seemed worth it or provable as shipping damage. Anyway, he based his decision not to refund based mainly off of that as well as his disagreement with the grade and restoration.

 

So anyway, dealing with all of this for several months, waiting for this guy to gain some honesty (yeah right), waiting for my reported fraud claims to "do something which they never did", spreading the word about this guy and so on... just to come up with nothing that helped... all I had left to do was take it to small claims court. This is where I stalled and this is where I am just giving up. This whole deal has soured me so much that it temporarily destroyed my love of this hobby and business. I swore for months to "stop at nothing" and "to get this guy (legally) no matter what". But at this point, taking the biggest step in filing a small claims case, taking time out of my busy schedule to do it, and just going all over this bad experience again while trying to prove a case against an out-of-state scammer is just too much for me. It might sound lame but I am at the point that I would rather just accept the loss and move on rather than continue with this mess. I figure that I may be able to sell the book for $1,000 or so and then take about a $1,500 loss (including related expenses) and look at it as an expensive learning experience.

 

I'm done now with this. Putting this headache behind me. Time to move on and realizing that scammer George Matos has at least made me a wiser collector/investor after having dealt with him.

 

I hope you guys don't think I am being wimpy for ending this before finishing it. But as a victim of this fraud I would rather take the loss and forget about it than let it continue. Sometimes peace of mind is better than justice if seeking justice prevents peace of mind. ------Sid

[FlamingCarrot]

Sorry to hear about your experience. May I ask why you decided to give up on everything after all that you've done? You stated that you started the process with small claims courts, but it 'stalled'?

[fantastic_four]

... all I had left to do was take it to small claims court.

 

Did you ever attempt this, or research the steps to take in filing such a suit?

[Silver Surfer]

Sometimes the mere threat of court will bring them back to the table. I think you should at least get the ball rolling as I bet he will offer some form of settlement rather than risk going to court? Worth a shot.

[drbanner]

I won a case in small claims court last year and think if you have a legitimate claim, good documentation, and a well-laid out case it can be done without legal counsel. My case had nothing to do with comics however, and the defendant lived here in Raleigh which made it doable.

 

The problem in this case is that bassman lives in Seattle, the culprit is in CT. You have to file in the county where the defendant lives, meaning travel expenses and missed work (I'm pretty sure the plaintiff has to appear in court in person). I believe the defendant would be responsible for the travel expenses, not sure about the missed work. And if you lost the case...well, you're out a bunch more $$. I got scammed out of $250 from a guy that lived in CT and chased around his false ebay information to finally track him down at work and I called him. I told him I'd be filing a claim if he didn't send me the $$, which was a half-bluff, but I was doing some work in the state at the time and there was a chance I would be in his area. It didn't work out and I ended up eating the $250, but it's not an unconquerable hurdle to sue someone, and win, in small claims court.

[shadroch]

That sux. Sorry you are giving it up.

These types just outwait people and always weather the storm.Offer him the book back for $1000 and I'll bet he'll take it.

You say you only want to go thru the legal system and then you say it is to lengthy for you.you are too busy. So this guy is free to continue scamming others.Maybe you should send it to CGG,it will most likely get a non-restored label.

This is why Im reluctant to help people out.The Gods help those who help themselves.

Why would you even bother posting this thread?

[ArAich]

His name is George Matos from Thomastown, Connecticut.

 

 

Geez...my ex-wife is from there....I guess now I can truly say there are at least 2 deceiptful dirtbags from that town...

I should go kick his azz just for the halibut....

[shadroch]

Now thats the spirit.Nothing like taking time out for a good asswhooping.Make it a roadtrip,swing by Dolgorfs on the return trip.But please don't give us pages of posts about what you're going to do and then say that its too time consuming.

DEEDS,NOT WORDS !!!

[FFB]

Sid:

 

Call the cops in his hometown and tell them he scammed you out of over $2,000 on the internet and you want to press fraud charges. If that doesn't work, call the FBI and the postal authorities and report him for mail fraud and interstate internet fraud.

 

Let the authorities do the work for you.

 

Good luck. Don't give up. He took your money and he'll do it to someone else if you don't stop him. He acts like this because he knows most people won't have the sack to turn him in and follow up.

[supapimp]

bought as FN/VF 7.0 and came back as CGC restored 4.5!?! how well was your grading back then? that is a pretty HUGE discrepancy in grade.

[FFB]

bought as FN/VF 7.0 and came back as CGC restored 4.5!?! how well was your grading back then? that is a pretty HUGE discrepancy in grade.

 

CGC seems to hammer restored books that look ok to an average person, if the resto doesn't "feel" right or look "genuine." It might have looked like a 7.0, and perhaps the resto just wasn't good enough for CGC to give it "full credit" for the apparent grade.

[BassGMan]

Hi again guys. I pretty much did try everything short of small claims. I offered him a settlement for much less money. I threatened small claims several times but I never did actually start the process, although I did research it. Due to being in seperate states there are many complications. It really is a big hassle and as I said in my first post, I feel as if I am better off just ending it rather than prolonging a difficult matter. Of course I am right, but all I have from the initial listing on Ebay is the very poor scan of the book that accompanied the listing. I imagine his dishonest defense would be that he sent me a different book and there is really no way that I can prove that it was the same book in the scan, as the scan on Ebay was not clear enough to identify minor differences between other copies of the same book.

 

As far as why I posted this thread? That is becuase I wanted to vent, like many of us do here. Kind of letting the wind out in a way. This post really was how I am saying "goodbye" to this mess. Thanks guys. -----Sid

[supapimp]

i've never seen a 4.5 w/o HUGE/long colour breaking corner creases, 7.0's will not have those.

[BassGMan]

bought as FN/VF 7.0 and came back as CGC restored 4.5!?! how well was your grading back then? that is a pretty HUGE discrepancy in grade.

 

I wasn't the one that assigned it a 7.0 or better. When I received it I knew it was a heavily restored VG. Below is the ad description. It does not actually say "unrestored" but it pretty clearly implies it. ------Sid

 

 

 

Amazing Spiderman #1 F/VF(7.0) This is a nice flat, clean, original Spiderman issue from 1963. The colors are vibrant with very minor wear. There is a couple of very small stres lines under the (on) in the word "Chameleon", also, corners are not square like a new copy, but they're not chipped or blunted. Very minor chip at top of cover.The spine is flat, strong at both staples, with no rolling. The interior is in great shape, very clean, slighly off-white. There is absolutely no writing, inks, pencil, stamps, arrival dates, or markers. No stains, foxing, or oxidation on or in the book. This book is a true gem and must be considered being professionally graded. Grading was done by myself and a friend using the Overstreet 100 point system meticulously to all of the books to be auctioned. This issue is better than the one illustrated on page 214 of the Oversteet gradng guide which shows a book at F/VF 7.0, so this in my opinion would grade higher. We have made every effort not to over grade the books. This is one of many books that was left to me by my uncle, I am auctioning about 1/3 of the collection to assist with bills and will be donating up to 10% of the final bid price on each auction to the Imus Ranch in New Mexico(A working cattle ranch for kids with Cancer and other terminal illness). These comic books were very well taken care of like most of his possessions. I am placing a very reasonable reserve and high bidder shall pay $3 for shipping, insurance will be additional. Any questions please email me red7skull@aol.com A return policy of seven days if not absolutely satisfied, Thanks and good luck. God bless

[FFB]

i've never seen a 4.5 w/o HUGE/long colour breaking corner creases, 7.0's will not have those.

 

You are correct that 7.0s don't have them, but three out of the four 4.5s in the Overstreet Grading Guide don't have them either. Are you sure you're not thinking of VGs or VG-s?

[FFB]

Sid,

 

No offense, but I agree with Shadroch. If you're not going to do anything about him, don't post about it. I find it incredibly frustrating when people allow others to make victims out of them, especially when it is in their power to avoid the victimization. What are you looking for here? Sympathy? I can't feel sorry for you if you're not going to take rather minor steps to help yourself.

 

Sorry, but that's just the way I see it. I hope you decide to do something about this scumbag.

[supapimp]

my STT 115 i bought from stephen fishler of metro in 1992 as NM has a long diagonal corner crease that i grade as 6.0-6.5. but other than that the book is perfect, i posted a scan in the excellent low to midgrade thread.....a 4.5 would be severe than that.

[CompleteRunComics]

 

Sid,

 

There's a lot of dirtbags out there looking to rip off anyone they can. We've all come across at least one (I have, a Hulk 181 I purchased came back with resto) Your not a wimp, someone who's a piece of sh it is not worth your time or worry. Like you said, say "goodbye" and get back to what you enjoy, collecting books.

 

What comes around goes around and someday he'll get his.

 

 

CRC

[FFB]

my STT 115 i bought from stephen fishler of metro in 1992 as NM has a long diagonal corner crease that i grade as 6.0-6.5. but other than that the book is perfect, i posted a scan in the excellent low to midgrade thread.....a 4.5 would be severe than that.

 

Can you post a link or pop the image here? If the book is perfect other than the one corner crease, depending on how long it is, I would agree with you on the 6.0-6.5 grade, which allows up to a 1-inch color breaking crease. (Perhaps even a bit larger if the rest of the book is pristine.) But a book with a long corner crease usually has quite a bit of other wear as well.

 

It would be interesting to see a scan of Sid's book, too. Sid, can you post it?

[FFB]

What comes around goes around and someday he'll get his.

 

But not today, apparently. Or any day, until someone actually gets off his [!@#%^&^] and does something about him.