Hello,

I just wanted to warn people in my area about one local video store thats running scams. I'm not going to go into all of them, just what they did to me and one of my customers.

The place in question is "Cobourg Audio / Video" in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. I wasnt sure at first but after my experience with them I have no doubts they're very unscrupulous indeed.

What happened was just over a week ago, I'd taken in some flyers for my own home business I'm starting. What I do is computer upgrades / servicing, also transferring cassettes & records to cd, vhs tapes to dvd. They said it was ok for me to leave a few flyers there and customers could call me if they wanted. But what they did in reality was very different. A customer had tried to get them to transfer 3 vhs tapes to dvd, they'd kept her tapes over 2 weeks and done nothing. As of last friday afternoon the store told me she wanted me to do the tapes for her. I wondered why they hadnt given her my number or why at first they would not tell me her name or number but I told them if the work was to be done then I'd have to talk to the customer to confirm what she wanted. Its a good thing too cause these induviduals in that video store had it upside down & backwards.

When I did get in touch with the customer after her tapes were out of that store I did find what she wanted and was able to transfer them to dvd the way she wanted. All seemed fine, or should have been. But then I heard from the "sales person", he claimed the customer wanted me to take the tapes back to him cause he said "she's a really good friend of mine". As it turns out both of these statements are a pack of lies. The customer had never seen this "salesperson" before or since and she hadn't arranged to pick the tapes up from that store since she was upset they'd taken over 2 weeks to do nothing.

Whats worse is they way they treated her. They knew she was going to university sunday of the labour day weekend, some 200 miles away and needed to get setup in residence and she wanted the video on dvd before then. On top of that they still insisted I had to deliver her tapes to them (which they nave no legal right to!) so that they could get her to pay them (while I did the work!). After she picked up her tapes & dvd on saturday afternoon the customer was happy with finally getting the video on dvd. I was paid for the work and thought there was nothing to worry about. But it still wasnt over yet. This morning after I got back from having a car repair done there was a new message on my answering machine from this same "salesperson". Now at this point he shouldnt have been calling me at all cause they knew fully that what they'd done was wrong, lying to myself and the customer and attempting to defraud both of us. But they called again after I was home, no less than 3 times! The first call was this "salesperson" (to use an accurate term would involve words best left unsaid) claimed I owed him cause the customer paid me directly. I did the work, the customer knows it, I know it and he knows it yet he expects to get paid for the work I did whilst he did nothing other than lie about the whole situation. I told him flat out neither I nor the customer would do business with him or the store he worked in again. He then claimed he'd talked to the customer this morning (2 days after she went to university 200 miles away) at her home and said she wanted to pickup the tapes from him. Yet another lie, as I mentioned she was 200 miles away and she already had her tapes and dvd. He then started screaming obsceneties and slammed down the phone. Less than 30 seconds later he called back, again screaming obsceneties and threating that he'd "lock me up in a mental institution", and he'd "ruin my business" among other things that dont belong in a public forum. Unbelievably, he called again 5 minutes later and pretended he was someone else, at first using his real name then claiming once again he was a different person. Again he claimed I owed him and claimed that the person I did the work for (for whome he did NOTHING) was not my customer but his customer and I owed him for the work I did for the customer. He didnt like the fact that I told him flat out I knew he was lying, and what he was attempting was fraudulent, and that his repeated harassment of myself and the customer was illegal (he'd also called the customers family and left a message on their machine).

Note: I've deliberately avoided mentioning my customers name to avoid them having any more harassment. The name of the "salesperson" is not mentioned since he gave more than one and pretended to be someone else on the phone, theres no evicence any name he gave is his real identity. Nor is there any hint that anything he said in this matter is true provable fact. On the contrary, all evidence points to repeated habitual lies.

Whats the point of this long unpleasant event?
- if any person or business such as "Cobourg Audio / Video" proves to be corrupt and refuses to recitfy the situation, dont hesitate to ditch them. I have, so has my customer. After all, if they cause this much trouble to myself and my customer over $30 worth of business can you, me or anyone trust them over a $6000 home theatre system?

- Consumers are often the first to get burned and most often. But sometimes small business people such as myself get burned. Its not enough to ditch the scammers like the one I've been subjected to. But its imperative to warn others not to get scammed.

- Business owners (and I'm not excempt from this) are ultimately responsible for what happens in their business, not only in what other businesses they deal with but who they employ. The "salesperson" I described above is an obvious example of someone who doesn't belong in a retail position or any position for that matter. They not only cause trouble for those they victimize but those who employ them. Do you think I or anyone else harassed and ripped off by this jerk will ever buy anything in that store again? or that matter would anyone who knows what he's like hire him or recommend him for a job anywhere?

The contents of this page were recently brought to our attention and we would like to take a moment to establish our position in this matter.
We would first like to refute most if not all of James.MGA’s positions in this matter, drawing particular attention to the opening statement “I just wanted to warn people in my area about one local video store thats running scams. I'm not going to go into all of them,”
The opening statement made by this individual is quite simply false and, according to our legal counsel, is also defamatory and injurious.
Rather than refute every point made in James.MGA’s thread, we will simply establish our position as such that the customer which is claimed to be his, is in fact the daughter of a gentleman who has been and remains a loyal friend and customer to the store; The sum of the misunderstandings in this matter are in direct relation to the latter fact.
The other point of contention in this matter which is of great concern to us, yet never mentioned in his rant, is that the customer in question was in fact a customer of the store not his. The store sub-contracted the work to James in order to help promote local business however, it was James who chose to “relieve” us of our customer and begin direct dealings and interactions with said customer. Such practices are not conducive of a proper, contractor, sub-contractor relationship.
As accounted by the various accolades awarded to us by our customers and by our community, “2006 & 2007-Nothumberland Reader’s Choice Award for best consumer electronics store”, “2007 Cobourg Retail Business Of The Year”, not to mention the numerous letters of appreciation from such entities as Northumberland Big Brothers and Big Sisters for outstanding contributions for 2006 & 2007. We are focussed and committed to providing an atmosphere for our customers, which will leave them absolutely satisfied with the professional service, experience and overall interactions with us.
As evident in the many threads posted by James.MGA, James appears to create or attract a great deal of conflict from consumer-based entities, which leaves us in a precarious and unfamiliar place to defend our position in this matter.
In the eventuality that you or anyone you know would have been affected by this post, we would invite you to come visit us and experience our service and professionalism for yourself.


Sincerely,

Cobourg Audio Video

We at ScamFraudAlert.com would like to thank you for taking the time and responding to the complaints against you or your firm.

Our policy is as such. Posts made by Members, True or Not - Dfamatory or Injurious deserves a REBUTTAL. Until a rebuttal is made and the party who posted the complaint response, we normally will take no action such as the deletion of posts. If such party do not response timely, then in all likelihood post will be deleted.

Thank you so kindly for your response.

__________________

Dear James.MGA:

Obviously you've been hurt or mistreated that's what prompted you to post your experienced on here and voice your feelings. Deceptives and false claims are rampant online. That's partly why we exists. WE HEAR YOU.

Cobourg AVU - Look you have a customer or someone upset at you or your business practices or your services. Find out what it is and try to mend fences. Online is not the appropriate place for you two vent out your feelings guys.

--
Admin
ScamFraudAlert.com

__________________