Don't Buy Stolen Beth's on eBay!

[firelady]

WATCH OUT!!!! DO NOT BUY!!!!!
SOMEBODY out there is purchasing Bethlehem Torches from distributor's websites with FRAUDULENT Credit Card Numbers.

They are then selling them on eBay, and will then ask for chargebacks on their purchases... So they will get paid twice…..once on their refund from their credit card company, and again when they sell the stolen merchandise on eBay!

DO NOT SUPPORT SUCH SCHEMES. It will destabilize the torch market, and encourage unscrupulous scammers to profit off ignorance in our industry. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!!

I shipped 2 Beth Champions last week, and was thrilled to do so. Now it will be a huge mess, although at least I instructed the UPS not to deliver and to return the torches. But it will cost me financially……

Received another order for a Champion today. Checked it out and it was a fraud. So far my scams have come out of the unlikely location of QUEBEC, CANADA

Wale Apparatus has had a similar experience in the past week or so, and Bethlehem has also had one.

So, KNOW who you buy from, WATCH OUT for scammers, and DO NOT BUY STOLEN MERCHANDISE!!!!!!

[KJohn]

Thanks for the heads up.

[lampworker1]

thank you.

[valerie_folly]

wow! thanks

[ABR Dave]

They also have placed orders to ship to a Global Package Forwarding warehouse in Elkhart, Indiana. So, watch for that too Marcie. We also shipped an order, but were able to get it stopped in time today.

[ABR Dave]

One of ours came from Quebec also. We caught that one. The Elkhart, IN thing we only figured out after finding out about the fraudulent Champion orders. So, we looked into all our Champion sales over the last few weeks. Seems they ordered multiple torches each time they tried, another red flag.

[firelady]

No kidding!

My first order was for multiple Champions. My second order was for just one. Wale and I both got fraudulent orders from the same town in Quebec…Terrebonne.

[nevadaglass]

sorry Marcie - hope they catch the jerks.....

[allicat]

Connected? Maybe...note the location, date of join and items sold... :
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[firelady]

The first order for 2 Champions, after first being flagged for having an incorrect address when delivery was attempted, eventually found it's way to the right place. However, the resident refused delivery, stating that they had never ordered this merchandise.

[firelady]

So far, I'm aware of fraudulent torch orders on my site (
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…..Wale, ABR, Bethlehem, and now Glasscraft have been hit. I wonder how many others have been affected?

I just saw this comment on my Facebook page from Glasscraft's Shannon Spencer: "We spotted the scam via our Web sales at glasscraft thankfully....and canceled the order as it had too many red flags......Beware everyone about Canadian torch orders and we have also been hit with scams and chargebacks from Chula Vista California....so please be cautious as well in that area hot spot…"

And so, folks, watch your websites and be vigilant….

[Mountain Glass Arts]

Mountain Glass had some orders as well, we thought it was strange and did a credit check before processing the order. The credit check proved it to be a scam so we never shipped anything out. We tried to contact the people and they were sketchy as well.

[firelady]

Here's something almost funny…
After I received the second order (different name, still Canada) I wanted to check up with them to verify. And I had a good excuse…..they had ordered a Champion from me, but did not notate the order as to which FREE DVD they wanted (because I have a special in April where you get a free DVD with each Champion, your choice..) so I called to ask them which DVD they would like to select.

Well, the order was from a woman. I asked, "is so-and-so there?" That was a mistake on my part, but anyway….The person on the other end of the phone identified themselves as the person who placed the order….. But truly it sounded like a guy. Actually, it sounded like a guy making believe he was a woman….really badly….kind of like something you'd hear on Saturday Night Live….maybe church lady? Anyway, it was a very bad imitation of a woman. I sort of wanted to ask if maybe s/he was a tranny or was going through some hormone related difficulties or something of the kind, but didn't want to be insensitive! I did, however, cancel the order and refunded their money….

[Mountain Glass Arts]

Yeah the person who called the customer from here said it was a very bad accent of some kind. They could not understand what they were saying or what accent it could have been. Basically they were talking gibberish.

[firelady]

The order Bethlehem got was charged to Canada but was supposed to ship to the UK. That was the red flag that made them take note….

[Dasi]

What a sad mess.... I hope none of these fantastic vendors get stiffed! good luck....

[cgbeads]

Can't they be identified and caught when they resell?

-Donna

[ROC]

Sheesh. If thieves would just put the same amount of energy into gainful employment, they'd probably make a decent living. Sorry you all are having to deal with this, and thanks for the head's up! (My personal feeling about expensive equipment is that I will only purchase them from a trusted source.)

[Arwynd]

Originally Posted by firelady
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The order Bethlehem got was charged to Canada but was supposed to ship to the UK. That was the red flag that made them take note….

Where in the UK?

[firelady]

Don't know….

[smpalmer85]

looks like one was also listed/sold here:

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[firelady]

Maybe! Not sure, though…..the rush on Beth's from a few weeks ago were limited to the Champion model, typically multiple torches ordered, for shipment to and for sale in Canada. But….you can never be too careful. Thanks!

[Julie]

Edited: Silly me I realize the credit card companies must have already give all the info to the police when the fraud was reported by the sellers ... I really should cut down on my pain killers dosage ... or at least not post under influence
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______________________________

Hi,

I just saw this thread and just can believe what I read! I am from Montreal and I am wondering if there's any way I could help to identify this person to report it to the authorities here in QC ?

I have lot of free time because I am disabled due to health issue. So I could play "Columbo". I am willing to put my time in investigating, putting information together and report all of it to the police, fraud department whatever is needed to stop that crook! ('cause even if the person stop his/her fraudulent activities in the lampworking community, they could restart elsewhere) - I remember in the past (sometime between 2004 and 2007) there's been another crook from QC () that was buying bead sets and then claiming she did not received it and was getting reiumbursed by Papal, or something like that. But this time is seems more elaborated activities.

I am very upset about this for another reason, I was thinking of selling more items here because I will not be able to lampwork anymore ... I sure hope some of you who had bought my items knows that all people for QC are not of that kind! (I sold sterling silver shee recently to mewkittie, so she can testify I am an honest french pea soup from QC!)

So if any of you who have sold to this person is willing to help me putting info toghether, I am willing to dedicate time on this. What do you think?

Julie