UPDATE: Desert Wind / Celestial Comics damaging and losing/stealing books 6 6

[Nic8612]

7 minutes ago, ExNihilo said:

Yeah, I get this sense too given the amount of volume that flows through Desert Wind/Celestial Comics.  While I don't expect CGC to intervene, in your experience, does that same protection extend to the Probation/HoS List?  Or have CGC board mods deleted similar posts in the past?

 

Anyone can nominate another boardie to be added to the list.  I would recommend reading the nomination rules in the respective Board section and then writing up a fool proof post/argument stating your case.  I jokingly brought up Buzzetta because they have kindly written the last two, but should in no way be expected to write up everyone's nomination posts.

Thanks, I assumed Buzzetta was the mod in charge of that stuff or something haha

I'll get to work on putting evidence together

[Buzzetta]

2 minutes ago, ExNihilo said:

Yeah, I get this sense too given the amount of volume that flows through Desert Wind/Celestial Comics.  While I don't expect CGC to intervene, in your experience, does that same protection extend to the Probation/HoS List?  Or have CGC board mods deleted similar posts in the past?

 

Anyone can nominate another boardie to be added to the list.  I would recommend reading the nomination rules in the respective Board section and then writing up a fool proof post/argument stating your case.  I jokingly brought up Buzzetta because they have kindly written the last two, but should in no way be expected to write up everyone's nomination posts.

I believe Dena when she mentioned that deletion of the NYComics complaint was unintentional as they seemed thoroughly surprised by it themselves.  However, in the past, Desert Wind threads have disappeared or been locked. 

However, I can say I have personally seen emails sent to board members where the level of unprofessionalism, passing the blame, shadiness, and other finer traits coming from Desert Wind would astound you. 

There are many with a similar story. 

[Buzzetta]

2 minutes ago, Nic8612 said:

Thanks, I assumed Buzzetta was the mod in charge of that stuff or something haha

I'll get to work on putting evidence together

I am not a mod.

Let's not start that conversation unless you all want me to get 4-500 messages from @kav within the next 24 hrs. 

 

I have no problem putting this stuff together.  However, depending on what you are going for, you would want many accounts from various people that have had similar experiences as well as demonstrating that there is a pattern of wrongdoing. 

[mattn792]

2 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

I am not a mod.

Let's not start that conversation unless you all want me to get 4-500 messages from @kav within the next 24 hrs. 

 

I have no problem putting this stuff together.  However, depending on what you are going for, you would want many accounts from various people that have had similar experiences as well as demonstrating that there is a pattern of wrongdoing. 

I think this is a must if someone is going to try and move forward against a favored son.

And who wouldn't want 400+ messages a day from @kav?

[Chaz G.]

36 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

I do not determine whether something is HOS or PL.

Someone says, "Do a write up" and I do the research and the write up.  

Something like Desert Wind ... that might take more research than usual as it is not a single event but a culmination of a few instances dating back several years.    

If people want to start PMing me public anecdotes that they are aware of that would speed things up.  

Then I have everything put together and once it is determined what course of action the forum wants to take, then it is ready to go with one course or the other. 

I have a 2pm meeting to get ready for... then another at 2:20 and then a few after that.  Lovely day.  It's a lovely day. 

 

 

[Nic8612]

Another update:

 

I managed to get an email to go through to them today, it didn't get returned as undeliverable. Not sure what was going on prior to this, but I will amend my claim that their email is non-functional

Edited November 17, 2020 by Nic8612

[Jimmy Linguini]

On 11/2/2020 at 10:21 AM, Nic8612 said:

 

If you are a facilitator, PLEASE reach out to CGC and let them know that their response to this is unacceptable. If CGC is willing to let this slide and allow DWC to continue operations, then I don't see how anyone can trust the process at all going forward. Don't let the reputation of one facilitator ruin it for everyone else. 

 

This is terrible but I don't think this is close to the worst thing posted about DWC on the boards. So I in no way would expect CGC to do anything.

[kav]

1 hour ago, Nic8612 said:

Thanks, I assumed Buzzetta was the mod in charge of that stuff or something haha

I'll get to work on putting evidence together

I KNEW IT

[kav]

 

[Hollywood1892]

On 11/2/2020 at 10:21 AM, Nic8612 said:

I sent a bunch of books off to Desert Wind Comics back in February to be signed by various creators.  I've used them countless times before, nothing but good things to say....until now.  I hate to say it, but they have gone straight downhill since Chandler passed.  I asked them to return some of my books since CGC is now doing all of the signings and this is how they packed up and mailed my books back to me.

 

In that shoddy envelope, sandwiched between nothing but two flimsy pieces of cardboard, are the following:

JIM 83

JIM 93

JIM 103

Caliber Presents 1

 

Obviously, all of the books arrived damaged.  Here's the worst of it:

The Caliber Presents #1 was an easy 9.8 candidate, its screwed now because of the corner damage. 

 

The JIM 83 just had the corner torn off completely

 

And this is on top of them submitting other books separately from singular invoices, resulting in multiple CGC invoices and more shipping costs for me at CGC.  Then they gave some nonsense excuse about how they can only hold books for 30 days after a signature before the "witnessing" becomes invalidated, so that's why they submitted them separately.  All the while, they forgot that they also had other books they had been holding for me for months waiting on signatures after they had already been signed by other creators/celebs.  They never owned up to that and I suspect that they won't own up to my damaged books either.  They just don't seem to be living up to the standards that Chandler set and it really, really makes me sad.  I won't be using them for anything going forward.  RIP Chandler, I'm sorry that this is happening to the wonderful reputation you built for DWC.  I know you would have never stood for this nonsense.

 

This is CGCs response so far:

 

If you are a facilitator, PLEASE reach out to CGC and let them know that their response to this is unacceptable. If CGC is willing to let this slide and allow DWC to continue operations, then I don't see how anyone can trust the process at all going forward. Don't let the reputation of one facilitator ruin it for everyone else. 

 

EDIT:  I've been able to get an email through to their server, it at least didn't come back as undeliverable. Not sure what was going on there, but I'll keep things updated

That is horrible....I do understand CGC position, but that is deplorable packaging...I'm really sorry that happened to you

[wombat]

What a load of BS. "there is not much we can do on our end". They could literally take 30 seconds, make one phone call and the problem would be resolved. 

[seanfingh]

3 minutes ago, wombat said:

What a load of BS. "there is not much we can do on our end". They could literally take 30 seconds, make one phone call and the problem would be resolved. 

But then they would be jeopardizing their construct of having facilitators be independent contractors. It is a fairly fine line. I'm mainly going to stay out of this as my history with DWC is long and sordid. The fact that there is not an employee - employer relationship inhibits the amount of control over the independent contractor - lest they be deemed employees with all that entails.

[Buzzetta]

4 minutes ago, seanfingh said:

But then they would be jeopardizing their construct of having facilitators be independent contractors. It is a fairly fine line. I'm mainly going to stay out of this as my history with DWC is long and sordid. The fact that there is not an employee - employer relationship inhibits the amount of control over the independent contractor - lest they be deemed employees with all that entails.

I like sordid. 

[Nic8612]

Update on this saga:

Finally spoke with someone from DWC. They offered me $200 "while they looked into it" and never looked into it, so I filed charge-backs with PayPal for every transaction I had with them and reminded them that they were still in possession of the following books of mine that they failed to return or submit to CGC:

Amazing Spider-man 101

Amazing Spider-man 129

Amazing Spider-man 361

Thor 225

X-Men 35

I threatened legal action against them if they didn't return my books and their last response was " if you want to sue, you have that right" and that was the last time I heard from them after multiple emails asking them to return my books.

At this point, PayPal has sided with me and returned my money because DWC couldn't provide the whereabouts of my books. Now they again are not responding to emails and are currently in possession of stolen property worth roughly $2000.

 

I'll be filing a police report against them today for theft and will be naming CGC as a contact for DWC. CGC has openly and unabashedly protected DWC for way too long and it has to stop. My next step will be filing a civil suit against them to attempt to recoup some of my losses. I gave both DWC and CGC a chance to make this right and now it's devolved into a criminal matter.

 

Good job, guys

 

[mattn792]

Thanks for keeping us posted,  that you're eventually made whole from this ordeal.

[badback83]

Wow.  That is terrible.  It makes me wonder if they lost the books or sold them.

[Nic8612]

36 minutes ago, DocHoppus182 said:

Wow.  That is terrible.  It makes me wonder if they lost the books or sold them.

Yea who knows at this point

[badback83]

17 minutes ago, Nic8612 said:

Yea who knows at this point

“If you want to sue, you have that right”.  What a bunch of scumbags.  To say something like that is so ridiculous.

[Buzzetta]

And this is why kids, you never send your book to Desert Wind... 

The OP is not the first nor the last to have experiences like this. 

 

[kav]