I paid a guy known as ACROFLYER ( I will not post his real name here) for 3 planes back in early November based on this ad:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...hreadid=164269

Until he cashed my check, email correspondence was easy and frequent. Since then, I've received many promises but no planes yet. Also, the email responses have stopped. I did receive an email, supposedly from his wife, saying that he had been in an automobile accident. I am wondering if this is, in fact, the truth or simply an attempt to further delay the inevitable.

I believe that I am in the same boat with several other RCGROUPS users ( I have heard from one other user but I suspect there are others). This guy lives in Arlington TX. If any of you know him personaly, I would appreciate it if you would contact me. Anybody else owed anything by ACROFLYER? I am about to contact both the Postal authorities as well as the Arlington Tx Police Dept, but I am hoping that this post might shake things up a bit first.


Thanks
Jim AKA fenderjw
Email: fenderjw@highstream.net

I know a couple of bikers in that town. Should we have them stop in for a visit ?? Its to bad that people try to forget their obligations. Worse is that this forum operates on what is basically the honour system. Yes its pretty easy to scam a deal but why. Did the few dollars gleaned from ripping off one of us make a real difference. If he was in an accident big deal. There are any number of places in and around Arlington where the planes could have been taken for packaging and shipment. He did not have to be the one to do it. Personally I would tell him you didn`t even want the planes anymore just the money back. They should have been packed up ready for mailing the day your money got there. My advice is to "let his name be known" There are alot of fliers in that area. Its a big city small town type of place. But he is the one who has to live there.

Thanks for the support justaboutgeese. I may take your advice later, but I am REALLY hoping to determine whether or not the story about the accident was true. The info that I have about the accident said that the guy's brother was killed. If this is indeed true, then I dont want to make an a$$ of myself. Out of respect for the guy and his family, I am certainly willilng to wait. BUT, if his story is an untruth (read LIE), then I want to contact the appropriate authorities in an attempt to resolve the problem. I have heard from one gentleman who offered to discreetly try to determine if the guy is telling the truth. I'll keep everyone posted and if the guy's lying, then you will know about it here. If it turns out that the guy really did suffer such a tragedy, then I'll apologize here as well.

Thanks
Jim

Fenderjw; I got the same e-mail from him and his wife. If he did have an accident i am sorry, but i am like you, send me my money or my plane. I work with the police dept. and i have already checked on fileing internet fraud charges. This is a federal offense, and i will follow up on it. I am also going to the winter ralley of the giants in Texas and Arlington is on my way. I believe in giveing everyone the benefit of doubt but dont try to get me because i will get you sooner or later. MR>ED

I'm not telling you what to do, but I had a deal going on with someone in GA and he didn't send the items that he said he would, anywho, I was upset and did whatever I could, fill charges with post office, send nasty letters and what nots to that guy, only to find out that I did in fact make an ass out of myself because he did actually have a heart atack.. I'm such a jerk sometimes....

well the posibility is there might have been an accident. BUT the fact is that the excuse has been used so many times on ebay and internet transactions that it cannot be used as an excuse for not completing the transaction. As I said his wife could have hauled them to a "Mailbox inc" or UPS where they would have taken care of the packing and shipping. She could have done this on the way to the hospital or "funeral home ". When the truth comes out we are just going to find a deadbeat seller with a new hobby financed by deals from this forum.

Sounds like a scam to me. Im pretty new here and have not had any bad deals yet. But on rcu i was taken for $165 last year and i can also tell you that no matter how many times i called the police where he lived and after filing an internet fraud complaint nothing ever happend after about 5 months the police there stopped returning my calls also. Now i belive that if there not bigtime thiefs not much is going to happen at all.

It would be nice to give this guy the benefit of a doubt, but one thing to add to the mix here is that Acroflyer accepted an offer from BOTH me and MrED (who posted above as well) on the same day for the same item.
I'm lucky because he didn't give me the rest of the info I needed to send a MO so I held off, but auto accident or not, it doesn't feel right when the guy accepts two offers at the same time.
I haven't heard from him even though I had sent him several PM's in the following days.

So, he accepts two different offers at the same time... but then conveniently layed up because of an auto accident?
You decide.

If he really is laying in a hospital, that still doesn't explain why he accepted two offers on the same item at the same time.

Highflight

The email that I got from his wife(?) said that he's out of the hospital. He's supposedly been home for a week or so now, but I cant get him to respond to emails or PM's

Jim

I've never heard of a single time somebody got in an accident or had a family member die and was unable to let the buyer know where to send the money!!!!

NOOOO!

He already has the money. The only thing I have, however, is promises

Jim

Why is it that whenever a deal goes bad, the one who isn't responding always has an accident?

I wonder when the tide will change to people demanding product to be sent before the money.

Originally posted by MHawker
Why is it that whenever a deal goes bad, the one who isn't responding always has an accident?

I wonder when the tide will change to people demanding product to be sent before the money.

Well, that won't fix anything because all that will change is who scams who.
With product being sent first, it's then the buyer who can do the scamming if he want's and keep his money because he has to pay for emergency brain surgery or whatever

Highflight

Jim, I've had no email responses.

Do you think the Arlington police can help? Maybe they can get word to the family that someone needs establish some lines of communication here.

I agree with you, about feeling neglected. It's that sinking feeling that you've been ripped off and you feel like such a sucker because you go to a discussion group where people share common interests, you become friends with them, trust them, and then they steal your money never to be heard from again. You feel like a total fool and wonder if you can trust anyone again.

The money will be lost and earned again over time, but the emotional scars are the one that run deep for me.

Farfromwerkin;
I am in the same boat. I don't like being taken for a ride either. BUT, on the odd chance that the guy is telling the truth, I am going to wait awhile. My airplane is certainly of no consequence when a family is going through something like this (I lost my brother in '91 so I can certainly empathize.). Also, a guy who lives in the same town Pm'd me and is discreetly trying to find out if the story is true. I will let you know what develops.


Everyone else;

Thanks for the advice and support. I will let everyone know what happens.

Jim