OT - If you lost $$$ in the Shopss.CoN deal, Please Read (Others can Ignore this Instead of Flaming)

[JJordan]

I filed a complaint with the FBI and FTC over the Shopss.Com deal. Fortunately, I received a credit back on my credit card. Many of you lost money however. From my complaint, I received a call from Detective Labarbera in New York who has been assigned to investigate the Shopss.Com deal. He would like to talk to people that have lost money (no CC refunds and no goods to boot). If you paid for the computer and got no refund or computer, and you want to pursue Shopss.Com, please call him. Also, if you paid and received the CPU'less computer and got no refund, again, please call him to report your incident if you want to complain further. Many of you will recall my complaint was that Shopss.Com sent us the E-mail telling us that we could get a CPU'less computer and they would ship CPU's as soon as they were available, clearly blaming the problem on a CPU shortage. Less than 30 days after that E-mail, and after the computers were shipped, their 10k was posted on the SEC's web site which informed us that Shopss.Com was out of money and not even paying its employees. As such, they lied to us to get us to either do nothing and let our time for objecting to credit card charges expire or accept a CPU'less computer and be charged knowing they were lying about the reason for no CPU's.

If you want to complain, call Detective Labarbera at 516-573-5275. He will want documentation from you on what you paid and lost and the e-mail if you have it. I am sending him my copy of the e-mail so he will have one. They are all the same.

 

[Santa]

kewl thanks.. I was one of these people who just ate the cost and assumed it a lesson. appreciate the post and the followup. wouldn't it be great to actually get money back hehe. oh well if we do its just bonus

 

[Hector13]

Just out of curiosity (as I dont remember this deal at all), how much did some people lose out on?

 

[JJordan]

$371 is what some people lost.

 

[Techmeister]

I'm one of the unlucky ones who didn't get my money back. So any idea if there was any way we could get the money back after all this time?

 

[Sinner]

I got screwed on this deal as well.

I got the CPU'less computer. I filed complaints with the FTC, STC, SEC, and so on and copied the Shopss.com owner's personal email address.

I did eventually get a check back for $150 which was about the cost of the P3-550 at the time. So overall I made out ok. The computer was surprisingly well put together for the price I paid. It did take me alot of effort to locate the owner and his personal email address though, not to mention filing complaints with all those agencies.

They not only commited fraud, but as a publicly traded company they filed SEC documents with falsified phone number information to make it impossible for anyone to contact them.

 

[RGN]

So are these guys going to try to charge us for not cancelling the contract? It is to be automatically renewed in Jan/Feb... Unless we resond to 2 e-mails.

Thoughts?

 

[LevcoS]

JJordan-
I'm one of the lucky ones who got OUT of this hot deal before it was too late- but thought this would be a good place to thank you for all the hard work you've done for others involved!

YOU ROCK! It's easy to find other deal sites, but Anandtech's got a better rep for members who'll stand up for one another- that's why this is the only one I still read

LevcoS

 

[bigbootydaddy]

yeah, its also pretty cool that anandtech is letting these stay posted, and cool no flamers so far...wish i catch these deals, i go to sleep way to early!!

 

[Croton]

you guys all deserve to be ripped off!!!



























j/k

good luck getting your money back!

 

[Xmenxmen]

Does this Detective Labarbera have an e-mail address? I called, but the guy is out. I was one of the unlucky one that never got anything and totally assume a lost, great lession....

Also proves that Amex is crappy saying that they cannot do anything after 3 months. What a lame excuse....

I doubt this guy can do anything about it....

 

[silverspear]

Hmmmmm..... i just heard about this shopss.com anyway i think this should provide u guys enough info on shopss.com (if that is the website u guys are referring too)

just trying to help







Whois Results for shopss.com

The Data in Network Solutions' WHOIS database is provided by Network
Solutions for information purposes, and to assist persons in obtaining
information about or related to a domain name registration record.
Network Solutions does not guarantee its accuracy. By submitting a
WHOIS query, you agree that you will use this Data only for lawful
purposes and that, under no circumstances will you use this Data to:
(1) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass
unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via e-mail
(spam); or (2) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes
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reserves the right to modify these terms at any time. By submitting
this query, you agree to abide by this policy.

Registrant:
Shopss.com, Inc. (SHOPSS-DOM)
42-44 Cain Drive
Plainview, NY 11803
US

Domain Name: shopss.com

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Zone Contact, Billing Contact:
Miller, Mikki (MMZ456) mikki@PHONEOMINAL.NET
42-44 Cain Drive
Plainview , NY 11803
516-454-1577 (FAX) 516-454-4842

Record last updated on 11-Jul-2000.
Record expires on 27-Jan-2001.
Record created on 27-Jan-1999.
Database last updated on 16-Oct-2000 03:13:13 EDT.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS1.ECYBERTEL.COM 206.231.21.241
NS1.CCMCOMPUTER.COM 206.112.56.141

 

[xDanielx]

i got a cpuless comp with no keyboard/speakers so I would like to complain to. I'll give him a call soon. THanks a tone!

 

[jester64]

thanks,

 

[jester64]

thanks,

 

[SmokinToilet]

out of curiourity,

are they going to send out that e-mail for another service fee??? they stopped spamming people after a while... or are they just dead?

So I haven't gotten anything latelly...

hee hee... the only thing left from the computer is the ... CPU, case and ... thats it...

oh, ya the floppy...

-Smokin T.

 

[randypj]

JJordan--thanks for the update. That's one I'm glad I "missed".

I seriously doubt that they will be sending out any emails for renewal. However, just to be safe, you might keep a close eye on your cc bills (I know you do anyway). Any cc that's half worthwhile would honor a chargeback request on any new charges from them.

A slightly inventive former employee that has/had access to the cc info could take it upon himself to make the charges and see what happens. Course, if it was me, I'd be sure to do it from a country without an extradition treaty with the U.S. JJordan....would that possibly be Belize or Honduras? Ah....Belize...my future retirement home (sure beats Kansas).

Xmenxmen--Actually, as I recall, Amex was probably the top card that DID honour the chargeback requests, at the time. Did you take their first no as gospel? I wouldn't accept the first no. Possibly, you could argue the 90 days due to the fraudulent aspect of the situation (since they were stringing everyone along). I still don't know if the 60 days is a non-breakable rule, or if it is just a mandated minimum. I'm guessing mandated minimum. Course, the better customer you are, the better chance you have.

Amazing how Fidelity "made an exception" on my $$$ transfer to Datek, when I brought up "compliance department".
--Randy

 

[MiniDrag]

I left a msg for that detective - thought he was FBI, but he is NYPD. I missed his call back, but his message to me said "of NYPD" not "of FBI". I'm from IL so I don't know if he will be able to help me or not...

I'll try him again tomorrow. You said you called the feds though... do you have a contact name / number there?

 

[JJordan]

I filed the claim on-line. This detective told me that it was referred to him to investigate. The claim was filed through the FBI's web site. I have no number for anyone except him.

 

[Cheapest]

I got the same rip off! Got me CPU less with no keyboard! Lucky that I used WEBCERTIFICATE Master Card and got all my money back!! I brought a PIII CPU 700MHZ and still left more than $100 in my WEBCERTIFICATE account!! If they charged me for membership, WEBCERTIFICATE will back me up!!
WEBCERTIFICATE.COM deserved the credit and I recommented if any of you buy stuff from the web! In term of these detectives or other layer out there, my advise is be careful! they may be any other SHOPSS.COM (want to rip your money).

 

[MiniDrag]

I spoke with him today. He is an officer with NYPD, based on Long Island. He is building a case, and once he has affidavits (sp?) from enough people he will go after shopss.

Hopefully a lot of others who were ripped off will contact him so he can build a case. He doesn't expect it to go to court, but he says that it may be enough to get the credit card companies to wake up, and possibly get our names added to the list of people that are owed money in the bankrupcy filings.

Time will tell I guess.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Just a little bump for those that might have missed this one already.