posted on July 8, 2004 04:04:24 PM new
Does anybody live in St. Paul MN?
Would you go by 1016 McLean Ave - Saint Paul, MN 55106 - www.buyershaven.com and beat the C*app out of this guy for me?
After I have used them many times for a hearing aid repair and even posted to this board that they did excellent work...somehow this company has dropped off the face of the earth.
I emailed them in May about my hearing aid...they emailed back and said it was still under warranty, to send it back. Since then there has been no response to emails and I put Buyer's Haven into Google and it comes up at the Deaf and HOH forum that they have taken a lot of people for money. I want my hearing aid back!
I have filed a complaint with the IFCC and the BBB of course.
I am going to see if I can find an online web address for the Gov. of MN or whoever else I can find.
I am furious that this guy's website is STILL in business and his shopping cart is still active!
The BBB has a phone number for him but it has been disconnected of course.
posted on July 8, 2004 06:32:37 PM new
How about contacting one of the local TV stations - one that might help with consumer problems. We have one here that puts businesses like that in their Hall fo Shame - but they usually get things resolved too.
posted on July 8, 2004 06:46:56 PM new
What a great idea! Thank you!
Ok, so I put ST Paul MN consumer in Google - now this is an interesting story -
Estate Sales:
Ever heard the expression "hurry up and wait?" That's how the people you're about to meet make their living. It's just one of the tricks of a trade the FOX 9 Investigators discovered when we went undercover, at Estate sales around the Twin Cities. It's "inside information" that could help you beat the pros, at their own game.
Estate sales are all the rage and perhaps nobody needs stuff more than people like Tim McFarland, his friend Jeff, their acquaintance, Kevin Holmgren and gal pal, Ann Eliason. The FOX 9 Investigators met these folks through the classifieds, ads showing reading what's for sale at estate sales. The ads show when the sales start, what's for sale and who's running the show. They even tell what time numbers are given out, digits that will secure your place in line.
March 21st, 2003 we went to a sale in St. Paul. It was only 7:30 in the morning and shoppers were already in line on the street.
Betsy Jensen explained how we get into her sale. Betsy Jenson: "You guys gotta get numbers from the street. Just ask trucks around. Just say who's got the numbers and get a number. Everybody's already in line, you guys regulate yourself and I give out my numbers; and I honor my numbers at the door."
Remember those words. Fox 9 Producer:"You're the guy who passes out the numbers? Kevin Holmgren: Whoever gets here first passes them out."
That's one of the rules. You get a temporary number which entitles you to stand in line for a permanent number. On this day, Betsy Jensen passed them out.
Kevin and others are drawn to the sale by military memorabilia, old guns, a civil war sabre, pocket watches and vintage bedroom furniture. This wasn't the first or last we saw of Kevin.
One week later in South Minneapolis Kevin had his eye on this sale, too. In fact, he bought a woman's number. He became number 8. Before long it was time to buy. Among the bargains, good bone china and delicate glassware. Kevin chose an old candlestick holder and an antique ottoman.
Three weeks later, we met Kevin in Minnetonka as he picked up barrels and artwork. We ran into him three times, and then we spotted him in the crowd at Tracy Luther's auction house in North St. Paul. But he wasn't buying this time. He was selling. Kevin Holmgren is an antique dealer. One of the most aggressive, we're told, in the Twin Cities. He was helping out at one of Luther's auctions. In return, he got to put some of the stuff he bought in the past, up for bid.
And Kevin was not the only capitalist working the estate sales circuit. Remember Ann Eliason? She co-owns Ann and Jack's Vintage Jewelry in Hopkins.
Tim McFarland? He's got a booth at the mid-town antique mall in Stillwater, he shares with Jeff Durst, another member of this estate sale club. Dealer Randy Schmidt was another familiar face. He deals out of his home.
Sonja and George Palmer also liked to stake out sales. They got to one sale early to get a good number at this seemingly-simple little home in St. Louis Park. Inside, was a millionaire's ransom, left to a housekeeper, Haviland China, a Thomas Moore etching, Dominick and Haff candlesticks, toy monkeys from Germany, Circa 1880. The prices were so good, that an one dealer hired one man to sit in line all night so the dealer could be number one going through the door. The man got paid 10 bucks an hour.
The sitter has had longer jobs. Sitter: "I've started on a Wednesday night for a Saturday sale.
Wednesday, April 22nd (2003). A Lake Minnetonka estate sale is described as the biggest and best of the year thus far. It was a vintage estate.
A FOX 9 producer and photographer arrive and go undercover with hidden cameras to learn the tricks of the trade. It's was one guy's first time handing out the temporary numbers. He's did it for his dad, dealer Randy Schmidt.
Guy Handing out numbers: "It's funny 'cause these dealers, they all have sitters. I mean, you just can imagine them back in their back room, counting their money. They don't even sit here themselves, you know? kind of funny."
As the old saying goes, to make money you gotta spend money. Some of the sitters the FOX 9 staff talked with made pretty good cash.
Producer: "How much is he payin' ya?"
Sitter: "Depends on what, you know, sometimes a couple hundred, sometimes a hundred and a half."
Producer: "apiece?"
Sitter: "Yeah."
It's easy money for retirees, the working class. and the younger generation.
"It's almost like a secret world." "It's like an underground like antique dealers world."
The sitters let us in on one of those secrets. Sitter: "There's been fights over numbers." "Antique dealers get into this pretty strong I guess."
And they'd be right. in fact, some dealers make sitting a family affair. Sitter: "...my sister's a school teacher. She has a regular job and she sat overnight at that sale for me." Then there was this woman who rents a dealer's space at Antique's Riverwalk in Minneapolis. She talked to the executor of the estate, prior to the sale. She had her numbers by the next morning. 16 and 17. Woman "You were 16 and 17? Probably could have sold your number for a hundred dollars." After six hours of shuteye, the estate sale show came alive. The cops showed up and the grounds were crawling with dealers. This was the time to pay the sitters. It was also time for the permanent numbers and a peek in the window to scout locations.
Finally the doors opened and the frenzy began. FOX 9 spotted Tim McFarland breezing through a bedroom. The shoppers are in a bustle, one buying for two, antique dealers rush from room, to room. FOX 9 tried to keep pace with all the shoppers. In the middle of all the mayhem, a sudden realization. Producer: "I just figured it out people running around here with stickers on their fingers and...geez."
Clerk: "They bring their own sold signs, yeah."
Producer: "How convenient." They did it without really looking. Slapping "sold" stickers on everything within reach, claiming it for their own.
Shopper: "But then they go back and if it's something they don't want they pull their sticker off.
Reporter: So how fair is that?
Shopper: Not fair. Not really."
And that's the issue. Is it right or wrong for dealers to stack the deck in their favor with pre-made stickers and paid sitters?
Shopper: "That's insane. That's insane."
Shopper: "If antique dealers wanta come in and buy the whole place out, that's their business."
Shopper: "I think you should have equal chances of getting in."
So where do you find a level playing field in the estate sales game?
There's no need for sitters at sales run by J. Donald He puts everyone, including dealers, in their place.
J. Donald: "You have to get in line 'cause we're gonna count." And after the head count, "he" hands out numbers, drawn at random. One woman got the best of the dealers. Woman "I like this system better. and it makes it fair. I mean it's luck of the draw."
She hopes her luck holds until she's safely inside the sale. Shopper: "You pray that the dealer behind you doesn't run you over getting in."
posted on July 8, 2004 08:12:26 PM new
How low can someone be......
I was thinking the same thing Herb said.
Do give it a try it might be your best chance of recovering your hearing aid.
posted on July 8, 2004 08:50:14 PM new
Glassgrl...If you sent it to them for repairs, and they refuse to send it back, it's conversion at the least and embezzlement at the most. I know hearing aids can easily run up into some big $$$. This may be a matter for the St. Paul Police Dept. to look into.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on July 8, 2004 10:31:21 PM new
Being from a St. Paul (east suburb) in Minnesota, I found item #42 on the St. Paul city council agenda from October 2003 to just be "interesting". I know it won't help but may explain a few things.
http://www.ci.stpaul.mn.us/council/2003/oct0103ca.html
posted on July 9, 2004 03:21:25 AM new
Inre the "estate sale" story, I can only HOPE our sale in Akron goes that good next week!!! LOL!... from your keyboard to God's ears glassgrl! !
Our tag sale company, crew of 4, have been busy all week tagging everything, and are still not finished ... yesterday one of them remarked they were getting "sensory overload" with this much 'stuff'!
Good luck on your MIA hearing aid, glassgrl ... and congratulations and happiness in your new home! ( mcjane had told us about) ... moving is such a chore ... you probably have sensory overload too, eh?
posted on July 9, 2004 05:37:48 AM new
That's weird. The ST Paul Police have a web page but you can't do anything online. No "contact us" or anything. But remind me never to visit Frogtown!
posted on July 9, 2004 09:40:41 AM new
I live in Minneapolis and as luck would have it I used to work for the ABC affiliate here before starting on Ebay. I just called the consumer reporter, but he's on vacation until Monday.
He'll probably be interested in the story. In the meantime is there a good way for me to hook you guys up to talk?
posted on July 9, 2004 09:39:25 PM new
I can tell you from being in the area that that address is a residential address. It is not in frogtown however. Frogtown is about 3 miles to the west. Your scammer is in the Mounds Park area. In the exact area of your loser, there tends to be a higher consentration of lower class scum bags. I would suggest finding a new hearing aid company and move on.
As far as the estate sale posting, that is pretty accurate. If you want the good stuff, you better get up and get out there. Summer isn't too bad because of garage sales take much of the competition and spreads it out. But winter, it is the only game in town and can be quite intense. Too bad that fox9 took two of the highest priced estate sellers in the metro to their story with though.
