Anyone ever heard of Acoustic Image speakers? I think my friends got scammed

[Special K]

Here is the story: me and one of my friends were just walking across campus and were waiting to cross a street. Then a white van pulled up and some guys inside told us they had a great deal on some speakers. Maybe we were morons to even listen to them in the first place, but anyway we said we would take a look. So they opened the back of their van and showed us what they had. Now I am no audiophile by any means, so most of the technical audio info. they were saying was lost on me, but what it sounded like to me and my friend (at the time) was that it was a hell of a deal. They were showing us advertisements for the speakers that had them listed at a retail prices ranging from $800-1100, for the various sets they were offering, and said they would let them go for much less (they wanted us to make an offer). Basically the story they told was that their job was to deliver the speakers to people who had ordered them, and that this time they had recieved extra speakers than what they were supposed to deliver. If they didn't sell them somehow, then they would just have to return them to the warehouse when they got back. They said if they didnt sell them to us they would probably just ebay them or something. Then they told us they would give us a good deal on them but we had to act now because they had to leave the area soon. I was skeptical, but my friend told them he could get enough guys who would chip in to buy them if they would drop us off back at our dorm. They took us back and even offered to unpack the speakers and let us listen to them. Basically what ended up happening is he and three other guys spent $500 on the speakers. Later I did some research and found these two articles:

here

and here:

link

It seems like they got scammed. I am glad I didnt spend my money on them, but is there anything they can do to possibly get their money back? Has anyone else heard of this before? After reading those articles it seems like they sell under many different brand names.

EDIT: second link fixed.

 

[dOrKuS]

damn, i didn't think anyone actually fell for that bs. i guess your friends proved me wrong.
that's happened to me at least 3-4 times, where someone has a van full of speakers and asks you to pull over, or at gas stations they try and get you to buy them. there is absolutely nothing your friends can do to get their money back, because any info they gave you about a mystical magical "wharehouse" is probably BS.

sorry d00d

 

[Entity]

Yup, it's a scam, and an old one at that. Sorry.

Rob

 

[kranky]

I think your buddies just got a $500 education.

 

[d33pt]

HAHHAHHAHAHAH i still can't believe people still fall for the white van scam.. hahhaha... funny stuff

 

[Brutuskend]

Happend to a friend of mine (through me) one time years AGO. So this has been an ongoing thing.

The bright side was my friend just traded them something he had had growing in his shed.

 

[khtm]

that sux.

i've had the white van guys try to sell me stuff before, but luckily I'm not a sucker like your friends.

btw, why did you post 2 identical links?

-khtm-

 

[vash]

Someone tried to do that to me at a Sav-Ons parking lot. True scammer with the white van.

vash

 

[MajesticMoose]

OMFG, a friend of mine had a white van pull up to him at a gas station and sell him some avoustic images for $300. He says they sound great. There must some sort of white van speaker mafia out there.

m00se

 

[Mucman]

Yep iti's a scam... happened to me when I was young and naive They said they were from Soundstream and they had a card... I always loved Soundstream amps so I figured the speakers were just as good... like a doofus I bought them without looking at them I learned my lesson...

 

[Tschaft]

Why would anyone ever even consider buying from some guys u dont know selling stuff out of a van. What idiots.

 

[Brutuskend]

Yup. it was a white Van that got me too.
But they called them (Such and Such) Studio Monitors back then.
They weren't BAD speakers, but not great either.
And this was when I was young and dumb as well. Probably a bit over 20 years ago.
So as you can see. they have been at this a LONG time.

 

[Talon]

Read this.

 

[Brutuskend]

Good find Talon~~!!

 

[jjones]

haha, who hasn't been hit up by the boys in the white van? actually, i can't believe this is still going on; there must be something illegal about it. my brother got suckered into buying some of those about 10 or 15 years ago.

 

[Sepen]

Oh the pain, oh the memories, oh the honesty. It happened to me. Yep, white van. About 15 years ago. Yep, cost me $250.00.
The shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame!

 

[Scouzer]

Mmmm...interesting they even operate up here in Edmonton, Canada. Maybe I'll go on a manhunt one of these days.

 

[Brutuskend]

Figuring the precentages, and how many on here that were ripped.

They must make a good living!!

<Bastards>

 

[Hoeboy]

aha.sorry. funny how these guys almost ALWAYS use a white van. i'm surprised they rip you off for $500. usually they sell them for 100-200. did the scammer or your friend dish out the 500 price?

 

[Hoeboy]

btw, it doesn't hurt either to group that bunch of friends together with some bats in your own white van and scour the area

 

[WTT0001]

Wow, I had that happen to me 2-3 years ago in a Super K parking lot. Good thing that I was 14 and didn't have $20 to my name

 

[trmiv]

Oh man, that first link with the consumer ratings of the speakers is absolutely hilarious. I love reading the "Purchased At:" category in each review. Look at some of these:



<< McDonald's Parking Lot
Chik-Fil-A parking lot
Chik-Fil-A parking lot
Exxon
Hess Gas Station
Smoothy King Parking Lot
Furniture store parking lot
Parking lot of Chinese Restaurant in Lanham >>



and my personal favorite



<< TGI Fridays >>



Because I know when I'm looking for speakers, those are the places I shop!

LOL! Who would fall for this crap?

 

[aphex]

Here in Gainesville, FL i recently had a dude in a Explorer Sport ask me outside of Publix...

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

I know someone who was approached by some guys selling VCRs sealed in the box. He finally got them down to $10!! When he opened the VCR box at his house it was stuffed with diapers! He actually thought it was funny and got his $10 worth of a laugh.

$500 is another story.