posted on January 5, 2001 01:52:44 PM
Wow. [email protected]? Wow. Sounds like someone is trying to rip people off with claims of a charity.
I emailed [email protected] (the address listed on fingerpc.com, and it would not go through because it was an invalid email.
Now, if these sites all come from the same IP address, it means one of two things:
1. They are made by the same people.
2. They are made by people on networked computers. If he gets his computer access at a local Internet cafe and so does someone else, it could be coincidence.
But what are the chances of that, right?
What made everyone think that bige bigs guy was run by the Alien Distribution company?
Gotta go.
-Sean
if you ever want to email me: [email protected]
posted on January 5, 2001 02:04:36 PM
Its funny that they are linked to kidsandcomputers.org, because they bid on their own computer! If you look at aliendistribution's feedback, you will see one left by kidsandcomputers. This was for a black book pc, but the weird thing is that they "got" theirs within 24 hrs of auction end! Talk about scandalous!
[ edited by StiLLWaiting on Jan 5, 2001 02:14 PM ]
posted on January 5, 2001 02:08:51 PM
Heh, aliendistribution is ONCE AGAIN selling stuff under a different name! Their not so new name on ebay is, you guessed it, kidsandcomputers.org. For a non-profit organization, they seem to be making quite a tidy sum, selling NIF cards and modems!
posted on January 5, 2001 04:42:48 PM
hmm...so far no new problems with his fb on those ids. Sounds like he bit off more than he could chew and is just trying to sweep all the alien stuff under the rug.
I guess my question is this. How come nothing has been done by customers if not the cops? I mean don't some guys live near this person?
posted on January 5, 2001 05:16:55 PM
"I'm sorry, who are you, and What is Alien Distribution, and why would you
e-mail me?"
This is the exact response I got when I emailed the rumoured-to-be-AD guy [email protected]
That tells a lot now doesn't it. On the brighter side, if it is the AD guy at least he's RESPONDING! hahaha.
[email protected]
sorry miss jackson i am for real
posted on January 5, 2001 05:20:05 PM
We can see his activity on both Ebay and Yahoo.. any other auction sites plagued by the incarnations of Alien Distribution?
Fortunately, all three of nwpro2001's computer auctions were won by kidsandcomputers, so no one loses there.
posted on January 5, 2001 06:26:50 PM
Here's a little something to add to the mess.
I went to Ebay and checked out Kidsandcomputers sells page to find they are selling a lot of the same product Alien sells, including our speakers. I emailed them thru the address they give and ask them if that was my speakers that went with my computer I paid for two months ago. Someone named Marie responded they had never sold computers and had nothing to do with Alien. She also said she would have to take the matter up with the board (I assumed directors). Could the board be David and Eric?
posted on January 5, 2001 06:59:16 PM
And the plot thickens. I bought a great video card from Alien earlier this year at a great price. Came in less than a week too. His ID was quickly suspended from eBay then with *NO* neg's and no apparent listing violations. My guess is that someone linked him to a previously suspended user...
posted on January 5, 2001 08:18:17 PM
hMM, i just got a letter from Marie, of "kidsandcomputers". they say their not even connected with alien D and that we should stop writing them. but wait! what about that pc they bought from alien D? The plot really does thicken now doesnt it?
posted on January 5, 2001 09:00:28 PM
FYI That 313 phone number listed on the whois is in Detroit.
All of Detroit Mi is the 313 area code. (south of Detroit is 734, north of Detroit is 810 and 248)
cya
Kevin
posted on January 5, 2001 09:30:45 PM
Here is the contact information of a detective who is helping me on an unrelated Yahoo Fraud case.
I believe I can post it here cause he is a public servant and anyone who was to contact the Mi state police could get this information.
I would suggest anyone who has a DIRECT tie with the Detroit incarnation of AlienD to contact his department.
-----------------
Detective Derrick Carroll.
Michigan State Police, Computer Crimes Unit
email: [email protected]
Phone: (734) 525-4496
------------------
[ edited by unitedci on Jan 5, 2001 09:32 PM ]
posted on January 5, 2001 10:54:50 PM
Well, the new AD Update on their website does it for me! It's the end of the week, and 'lo and behold, there is another delay in shipping the computers. Overheating! I remember this issue being addressed in October 2000! What angers me is the way AD treats their hostages, I mean customers, as idiots. Actually, after waitinf for over 50 days and countless excuses, I feel like an idiot.
Anyway, I'm going to start focusing my energies on getting as much of my money back as I can. I paid by cc through PayPal and Ebay, so at least I have a good shot at recovering something. It just irks me that legitimate businesses and customers have to pay for AD's lousy business(?) dealings! I'll keep the thread informed of my actions and progress.
posted on January 6, 2001 11:06:29 AM
I just want to say, this is as intriguing as the infamous "Van Gogh" thread! Keep up the good work all. Now if the primary protagonist would just stomp in more often threatening "slanderous" lawsuits
P.S. As a "non-profit" organization, isn't there some method to verify what exactly they do, some government forms and reports they must make? Personally, I would be appalled at someone with the gall to rip people off based on the idea of helping to provide children with computers, and I am sure a jury would as well.
edited to add: Well, I searched a site called GuideStar.com, a database of over 700,000 non-profit charities and there's no "Kids and Computers" listed. And 340 charities are listed in Everett, WA, and they aren't there either. Found it amusing that one early "kidsandcomputers.org" purchase was a CD on "cleaning up your bad credit"!! LOL
[ edited by athena1365 on Jan 6, 2001 12:30 PM ]
[ edited by athena1365 on Jan 6, 2001 12:42 PM ]
posted on January 6, 2001 02:08:50 PM
Could it be the reason these are all on teh same webhosting and area is maybe theres a really big reseller for one of the big WebHosting/Domain resellers that happens to be located in Everett and just offered a good deal to a bunch of local pc businesses? I mean I'm sure this guy has a few aliases laying around, but maybe he's being accused unjustly. Then again, those same exact computer parts seem a bit fishy to me.
posted on January 6, 2001 02:23:43 PM
sure and I have a bridge for sale.
What we found here was administrative and billing contacts all tied together in a straight line like connect the dots.
PLUS all of them all used the same web hosting company.
That's a direct tie not a secondary or minor coincidence...
posted on January 6, 2001 02:45:37 PM
This is reading just like a novel. All of you make good detectives and maybe you missed your calling. It seems like you have done most of the work and I am sure with all the information you have acquired we will soon be able to read in our local newspaper how everyone got scammed on Ebay and that they (Alien & Co.) were all found guilty. Keep up the good work, and I truly mean this. When people get scammed I feel bad. It takes a sick mind to do that. I will return tomorrow for an update.
posted on January 6, 2001 03:39:58 PM
OK here's a tie you might not have seen:
The kidsandcomputers and fingerpc's headquarters were burnt down.
BookPC's are overheating.
This brings me to a couple of conclusions:
1) BookPCs get so hot that they burn down charity buildings.
2) BookPCs get burned down because they are not fire-proof.
or 3) They believe a batch of inferior cooling/heatsinks is to blame, yet don't realize, NO COOLING/HEATSINK WILL KEEP A COMPUTER FROM BURNING IN A FIERY BLAZED WAREHOUSE!
All this stuff about heat and fire, maybe they should say their warehouse froze and the BookPC's melted. THEN we wouldn't notice this little coincidence...
OK, so I'm not serious at all, but come on people. I'm just waiting for something to happen and until then might as well use my imagination to stay alive.
posted on January 6, 2001 03:48:33 PM
ADVICE FOR EBAY USERS:
For Buyers Who Have a Problem Getting Delivery of a Paid-For Item from a Seller
1. Keep good notes and document everything about the transaction. Print out hard copies
of:
(a) all your e-mail correspondence to and from the seller:
(b) the auction listing; and
(c) the End-of-Auction Notice from eBay.
2. Send E-mail to the seller. Be very firm, but polite, and make specific points about what
you expect from seller. Set a deadline for compliance and tell the seller what it is. Do NOT
engage in any personal attacks against the seller's character or personality. Refuse to
participate in any arguments that the seller may present. Do NOT make any statements
which could be interpreted as threats.
3. Do not engage in any activity that is against eBay's rules or is illegal.
Do not contact seller's other bidders or interfere in any way with seller's business. *See
"Note About Contacting Other eBay User" below.
Do not post any personal information about the seller on any of eBay's boards.
For a list of activities which are against eBay's rules, read eBay's Safe Harbor Information
at this URL: http://pages.ebay.com/aw/safeharbor-proc.html
4. Request the seller's user-registration information from eBay by going to this URL and
completing the form: http://pages.ebay.com/aw/user-query.html This is especially helpful
if you are not getting a response from the seller, because your request for the seller's eBay
registration information will automatically notify the seller of your request and your
user-registration information, which might provoke a response from the seller.
5. Attempt to contact seller by phone or by postal mail (and proceed as in numbers 2 and 3
above).
You are NOT required to do this, and the cost of a long distance phone call (or the effort of
a written letter) may be more than you want to spend. However, many times a problem can
be promptly resolved by speaking or writing to the other party, so it is recommended that
you try a phone call or letter.
6. If the transaction involved the use of the United States Postal Service (you mailed your
payment to the seller), file a complaint with the Postal Inspector's Office. There is a simple
form to complete, available for a 1-800 phone call, and you will be provided a postage-free
envelope to mail it back.
To get a Mail Fraud Form: Call 1-800-275-8777 and ask the Operator there to give you the
number to call for your zip code area.
You can also go to the Postal Inspection Service Locator online, to find out your local
Postal Inspector's office address and phone number:
http://www.usps.gov/ncsc/locators/find-is.html
It does help to file a Mail Fraud Complaint, because not many sellers will refuse to deliver
the item or give you a refund on your payment for the item, when the Postal Service
notifies them that a Mail Fraud Complaint is being investigated.
7. Feel free to contact the National Fraud Information Center if you have questions
concerning fraud. You can prevent future fraud by filing a complaint at this URL:
http://www.fraud.org/
8. There is also the International Web Police, which is an organization to protect the
Global Internet Community. You can file a report there: http://www.web-police.org/
9. Another private organization, which reports consumer complaints to agencies that are
interested in investigating and taking action, is The National Consumer Complaint Center
for Internet Fraud, False Advertising, and Breached Warranties and you can file a
complaint there: http://www.alexanderlaw.com/nccc/cb-ftc.html
10. Contact your local (a) District Attorney's Office and (b) your State Attorney General's
Office. File written complaints with both agencies' fraud groups.
11. Contact your local area fraud group. File a written complaint with that agency.
12. Contact the seller's local (a) District Attorney's Office and (b) State Attorney General's
Office. File written complaints with both agencies' fraud groups.
13. Notify eBay of the problem and about all charges and complaints filed with legal
authorities, by e-mail to [email protected].
Also provide eBay with copies of all e-mail from seller to you, from you to seller, and all
legal complaints and actions filed by you against seller by mail to:
ATTENTION: Fraud Prevention
eBay
2005 Hamilton Ave., Suite #350
San Jose, CA 95125
eBay does have an information page, Complaints About Other Users, which may be of
some help: http://pages.ebay.com/aw/complaints.html
14. You can also visit the Federal Trade Commission Web Site at: http://www.ftc.gov and
click on Complaint Form to report an internet scammer. The Federal Trade Commission
does compile complaint data and investigate criminal activity.
Also, the FTC provides a host of pamphlets to help consumers recognize the warning
signs of various financial cons at: http://www.consumer.gov
15. Notify the seller's Internet Service Provider (ISP) of all charges and complaints filed
with legal authorities, by e-mail to support@[ISP name].[com or net] or to go seller's ISP
site and find a place to e-mail the webmaster of the ISP.
16. Post negative feedback on seller's eBay Feedback File. Specifically mention what
seller did. Keep it non-personal, non-emotional, and non-flamming. If it takes more than
one feedback to completely list seller's acts, use another feedback and post it as a neutral
feedback. Suggest in your feedback that anyone in need of more information can contact
you.
It's best to NOT post negative feedback until after you have exhausted all possible means
of communicating with and obtaining the item or a refund from the seller.
17. If you are a seller on eBay, notify the seller by e-mail that you will cancel any bids
made by seller on your auctions. E-mail a copy of that notice to [email protected],
because if the seller bids on your auctions after you've notified them not to, eBay will
suspend their eBay privileges. If the seller bids on your auctions, immediately cancel the
seller's bid and notify [email protected] with a copy of your e-mail to the seller.
18. Remember, if the seller is cheating you, the seller's probably cheating a lot of other
people too. There might be others who will get hurt like you did, if you do not file
complaints with the proper authorities and eBay. It is very important to file a report with
the proper authorities and notify eBay, because eBay and the legal authorities can only act
if you report the crime.
If you provide sufficient evidence and file complaints, eBay can suspend the seller's
registration and the authorities will have what they need to file charges, obtain search
warrants to obtain further evidence, and prosecute.
19. Seek help and comfort from a friend. You are NOT alone and good people do care!
Post a message on the eBay Q&A Board about your problem and ask for some moral
support.
Remember, other eBay users and sellers who practice good business ethics do not want
scammers and criminals on eBay either.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Note About Contacting Other eBay Users:
In a case of obvious fraud, when all else has failed, it may be helpful to contact other eBay
users who may be having a similar problem with the same eBay user. It may be very
helpful to form a support group with other eBay users who have suffered a similar
problem as yours. A group action may be more effective than a single action. Also
information can be pooled about the criminal, which may be helpful in aiding the
authorities to track down and prosecute the criminal. Moral support can be provided to
others to encourage them to file complaints and reports to legal authorities, as well as other
actions which may prevent future fraud.
However, do be careful to not break any of eBay's rules or do anything to cause you to
lose your user privileges with eBay.
Be particularly careful about what you write or state to any third-party user on eBay (who
may not keep your correspondence confidential).
Do not make any statements which are untrue or speculative or may endanger you (such as
libelous or slanderous statements).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phone numbers for the proper agencies to file written complaints with are available:
(1) in your local phone book;
(2) through your phone company's long-distance information or 1-800 information; and
(3) by using an Internet search engine.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another helpful site is 411 for eBay Users:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/2625/baddealhelps.html
posted on January 6, 2001 04:00:52 PM
Hi guys. I have a favor to ask. If ANYONE here can please email me their full name and home phone number, I would really appreciate it. I am filing at the Internet Fraud Complaint Center. I can add witnesses to make for a better case. I believe most of us here have plenty to say, and this is a great place to start. Please please please email me with this information if you can, it can go a long way to ending this now.
Thanks.
[email protected]
posted on January 6, 2001 05:14:11 PM
FYI everybody, this guy never had any documented eBay or online dealings with AlienD. Please take that into consideration before you email your name and phone number to him.
He also email'd me asking me some very detailed and personal questions regarding AlienD only referring to an "off-auction sale" he had with them.
cya
Kevin
posted on January 6, 2001 07:40:27 PM
Strangely enough, Alien D did sell their black book pc's directly via their website. The 800mhz bbpc was selling for 599.99 american. I guess they took it off because they realized they could get more from an auction (?). Oh well, never quite knew how they would deal with direct orders.
posted on January 6, 2001 08:45:26 PM
I don't know if this is any help and I'm not even sure what it means, but I found this:
"Kid's and Computers
Is seeking donations of any and all computers, and computer parts. Our goal is to sell these items on the open market, and use the proceeds to purchase new computers for needy children in the greater Seattle area. We are currently looking for a suitable site for our lab. (Our original site was destroyed by fire a few weeks ago.) Contact Eric E. Scott at e-mail [email protected] www.kidsandcomputers.org"
posted on January 7, 2001 08:02:35 AM
Finally i got my speakers too. I don't know if i am the only one who got the complete system but beleive me the whole system is a good eal for that price if the wait is not involved. I know people are selling the barebone systems for three to four hundreds, and good thing is that AD email me on 01/03 and stated my speakers would be shipped today and guess what i got my speakers in UPS 2 DAY DELEIVERY.
