Friday, August 18, 2006

eBay Drop-Off eigenaar spoorloos...

Een verhaal ergens uit een dorpje in de VS. Een Drop-Off komt in de problemen en de inbrengers van waardevolle spullen kunnen fluiten naar hun geld. Iets dat zich vaker zal herhalen. De reden ook dat TROC in Frankrijk reclame maakt met het feit dat TROC winkels de eigenaren van spullen verzekert tegen de faillisement van een individuele winkel.

Sandy eBay receives more hits
Police look for store owner as complaints increase

By Garth Guibord

The Sandy Post Aug 17, 2006
(news photo)

Garth Guibord / Sandy Post

Heather Michet holds a glass similar to the one she tried to sell through Sandy eBay Sales and hopes to have returned.

Sandy police have received three new complaints of possible theft by deception concerning Brad Coleman, a Sandy resident and owner of the Sandy eBay store.

The new reports increase the total number of complaints about Coleman to five, and police have filed the reports with the district attorney for a potential grand jury indictment. Coleman has not been charged with any crimes to date.

Police have been unable to contact Coleman and are trying to locate him.

“I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but with all the time that’s gone by, it’s hard for me to do that,” said Officer Ernie Roberts of the Sandy Police Department. “It’s a bit suspicious that he won’t contact me. People who are innocent typically don’t have a problem contacting the police.”

According to Lois Coleman, Brad Coleman’s mother, her son is “not dodging anybody,” and all the items from his store are in storage. But months after customers dropped off their items, people are looking for answers.

In late March, Heather Michet, a Sandy area resident since 1988, dropped off a box of spa items to add to a crystal goblet that was already on sale through the store. Coleman took the items, and Michet hasn’t seen them or any proceeds since. Michet did make a successful sale through Coleman’s service previously, although she had reservations about how he conducted business.

“I did get payment for two items, but I didn’t get payment until two months later,” Michet said. “Something that really rang whistles was that he did not give a printout from an eBay transaction detailing it. It was handwritten, so I had no idea if I was getting all my money.”

For Michet, the thought of losing her most recent items is made all the worse because she deliberately tries to keep her business in Sandy.

“It’s disappointing to want to support the local business and getting dinked by one of our own, if you will,” Michet said.

Steven Thorstad had a similar experience in that he also successfully sold a few items with Coleman before things turned sour. But now Thorstad questions the validity of those initial transactions. Among the items Thorstad sold were two unopened civil defense survival kits; one sold for more than $100, but the other one sold for just $9.

“I didn’t question it to him, but I thought that was kind of dumb,” Thorstad said. “I wonder if I got stiffed on that one.”

Thorstad returned to the eBay store in February and dropped off a tin matchbox and a tin candle maker, both antiques. He hasn’t seen them since.

“I just want to get my stuff back,” Thorstad said. “I can’t believe he intentionally did that; he probably just got in too deep.”

Roberts said the case could go before a grand jury sometime in the next few weeks, with a possible indictment of Coleman to follow.

“I feel sorry for all these people who put their trust in him and had this happen to them,” Roberts said. “I don’t like to keep these people waiting.”


Als je op eBay zoekt naar Sandy eBay Sales, dan kan je lezen: "Error This trading assistant is no longer available."


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