User Panel
Posted: 7/17/2001 6:21:03 PM EDT
Ijust wanted to let everyone know that there is a guy out there on the auction sites that is pretty SHADY! He was going by the name of portland armory on Auction Arms. His name is Les Blanchard. I won an auction of his for a Bushmaster shorty 16 back on june 26, 01 sent the money and now I have not heard from him in over 10 days, I get no response from e-mail and I have been calling his phone number every hour for the last day and a half with no answer! Unfortunately he already cashed my cashiers check so I think I may be screwed.
Just wanted to let everyone know about this guy and buy the way, his Auction Arms account has since been DISABLED! so learn from my mistakes everyone and be careful when on an auction site. Finally, if anyone knows of this guy or has any ideas on how to recover my money, feel free to email me at [email protected] Thanks [:(!] Steve |
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Damn dude [:(]
Sorry bro... It is always my biggest fear when I do an online transaction that I will get fucked. I mean, guns aren't cheap... It's a pretty big deal to screw someone out of that kind of $$$... I'll post a warning on my site.... We need to spread the word about clowns like this... |
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Contact Manny DelaCruz at Auction Arms... He'll get to the bottom of it for you!
If you get NO results with Manny, then and only then, contact you nearest BATF office since this would be bordering on firearms theft... A Federal Felony! |
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Thanks McUZI, and antiUSSA I appreciate your input. I did fire off an e-mail to Auction Arms and now I am awaiting a response.
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Since you sent the check through the mail, it's also mail fraud. Contact the postmaster at your post office and get an investigation launched. Also look at the city you sent the check to. Call the city police or sheriff's office for that town. They may be able to help you recover the money.
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How about posting his address, maybe he is in visiting distance of our fellow members.[%(]
ColtShorty GOA KABA COA JPFO SAF NRA "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them." |
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Uggh.
I do a bit of buying and selling on eBay, AuctionArms, GunBroker, and on GunsAmerica. (Yeah, it's not an auction site.....) This type of horsesh*t makes all online-only sellers look like crooks. 1. CALL THE POLICE AND FILE A REPORT. 2. Find out the police number in that moron's area and file a report. 3. Get hold of Manny and let him know what's going on. 4. It's mail fraud; contact the post office and see what you need to do to file a report. 5. It may be considered wire fraud.. Dunno. No matter what, you need to squawk quickly and loudly. Keep and print out all correspondance you did with this as*hole. Print out the auction page. Keep records of all phone calls you made (date, time, who spoke with, how long), all letters you write electronically and otherwise... EVERYTHING. Good luck- I hope you can nail this SOB. Mike |
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I love close to Portland, Oregon.
There is a firearm shop named "Portland Armory". Are we thinking of the same place? |
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Steve,
anti, and prebans are right. Send the email again, & address it to Manny DelaCruz. He's surprisingly effective at getting things done. Do you mind posting the AAs # ??? (I might have dealt with this guy before. If it's who I [i]think[/i] it is - [u]he is [b]really[/b] slow![/u]) |
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Thanks to everyone who has responded to this posting. Moose Drool, the guy uses the name portland armory on the Auction Arms web site. I am not sure if it is a business or private individual. According to some feedback he claims to be an internet business.
Here is the guys information. nick name: portland armory real name: Les Blanchard Address: 14655 East Burnside Portland, Oregon 97233 e-mail: [email protected] Also as an update, I went to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center web site and filed a complaint. This is a cooperative site with the FBI. |
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10 days is NOT fraud, it's simply very bad service. We've waited up to a month on items before...
Again, start by contacting Manny and have him look into it for you, BEFORE you jump to any quick conclusions and involve the govt authorities! |
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It's slow service, but the fact the account is disabled is a little worrisome. Good luck, and keep us posted.
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Hey everyone,
Just another update on this guy Les Blanchard. I just checked the Auction Arms web site and looked at the feedback. It looks like Les has struck again!!! Another user posted some negative feedback and stated that he never got the gun that he won from Les. I have written Manny at Auction Arms as well as this other user to see if we can team up on this guy and find out what is going on. I also sent more email to this guy and tried calling again with no response. SUPRISE!!?? Again, thanks for any info you may have and beware of this guy. As always I will keep you updated on what is going on. Steve |
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Well, the saga continues........Now the guys phone has been disconnected and still no response to my e-mail. I also sent a certified letter to him to see if he will contact me. As it turns out, another guy in Illinois also got stiffed. We both contacted the Portland Attorney Generals Office and have filed a fraud complaint. I have also filed a report with the U.S. Postal Service Inspectors Office.
It looks like my next option is to take a trip out to Portland and go after him in civil court. A friend of mine also found another name that he has been using "BIG GUNS ARMORY" So, beware of this guy, I hate to see anyone else get screwed. |
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[red][size=5] ALWAYS PAY WITH A POST OFFICE MONEY ORDER. IF YOU GET STIFFED THE POSTAL INSPECTORS WILL GO AFTER THE GUY FOR YOU.
TO BAD YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS BEFORE YOU SENT HIM THE FUNDS. I HOPE YOU GET YOUR MONEY BACK!!! AND F#@K THE GUY WHO SCREWED YOU!!!!!! |
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Steve, I don't know if anyone has offered yet, or if it'll do one damn bit of good, but his Aye-Oh-WHell! profile is:
Profile for Gunsfourless (@AOL.com) Member Name: Les Location: Portland Oregon Sex: Male Marital Status: single Hobbies: hunting,fishing.time with my 3 boys,shooting range,Big and fast trucks Computers: gateway Occupation: contractor/gun sells Personal Quote: life is too short so live each day like its your last one The more info you can get in a situation like this - the better. Now I'll draw a few flames. This is in no way meant to be an insult to anyone. The post office won't help you at all - they DO NOT GIVE A PHUCK! It's just not enough money for them to care about, at least that's what they think. I know that a lot of people give advise about using USPS MOs, because that makes it an "automatic felony" for the scumbag who ripped you off. THAT'S BULLSHIT! Even if it's true, it's still bullshit, the scumbag doesn't care, the USPS is too busy to care, & a felony is a felony - when the judge says it's a felony. That sounds wrong, hell it [u]IS[/u] wrong, but (IF ONLY IN EFFECT) that's the way it works. If everyone who committed a felony these days would be in jail there'd be no one left for guards (We all saw a picture of Diane Fienstien committing a felony on public news in a thread here yesterday, & nobody mentioned, or even thought about it). All your scumbag has to do is tell a judge that he's an alcoholic, lazy, forgetful, almost anything and he'll probably be "forgiven" by the tyrant in the white throne®. IF he's done this a lot of times before, the FBI [i]might[/i] get interested - if they're in the mood. I don't mean to sound so pessimistic, it just happened to me twice now. Luckily a year, or two ago (Although it didn't feel very lucky at the time) it happened to several members right here at AR15.cult along with me (Rick Jessie from VA). We all spent the money to get the USPS involved, & rolling - they will get involved, & prove the MO was cashed, but that's all they'll do. These were four, or five (very tenacious) members here that got screwed by him too, & the thing that finally worked after six months is that we drove the poor local sherif absolutely friggen nuts with phone calls. He (sherif) was finally so pissed at the guy, that he was stopping by his house every night on the way home from work. That's what worked for us anyway. Even if it is part of his job, I thanked him in the most meaningful way ($). By all means - don't give up, keep trying to do it the "right way" - it who knows. FWIW, & only a little OT, but that's when the "FEEDBACK" list got started. The list may let you know who you [b]can trust[/b] (People don't change). But sometimes I think it was more useful with teeth [u](ie "real world" NAMES, and ADDRESSES OF CROOKS)[/u]. There are good reasons people don't want their names posted anywhere (It's nobody's damned business, & that's a good enough reason=), but most heavy sellers / traders end up with so many people knowing their info that they don't care. One of the weirdest things of all it that when I DID post "real life" info for real crooks (I think there's only been three) - Ed, or GB never said a single word to me about it....... members who weren't even involved bitched!?! [i]Go figure.[/i] |
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Now that that's out of the way - I bet Tim is right, he's just a slowpoke, & he'll send the rifle. I hope so anyway, the disconnected phone is a little disconcerting,,, (Hope his AOL "personal quote" wasn't designed to be too prophetic).
[i]Don't-cha love it when everyone has all kinds of advice, & info when it's your dime on the line (Not worth [strike]the paper it's written o[/strike],,, I mean the electrons it takes to view the moniter)?[/i][8D] |
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From the crook's profile:"Personal Quote: life is too short so live each day like its your last one."
It may be if King300 gets a hold of him. LOL |
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It may be if King300 gets a hold of him. View Quote That's what I meant, L&L. |
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Just another way to get in contact with him. His e-mail is at aol.com, so you can try instant messaging him. He might not reply though.
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Quoted: Just another way to get in contact with him. His e-mail is at aol.com, so you can try instant messaging him. He might not reply though. View Quote Exactly what I was thinking. You place him on your contact list and, if you're online, it will tell you anytime he is on or offline. You could then slip in a mild, kind word or two regarding your upcoming trip to Portland. [:)] CS |
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Hey,
Thanks to everyone who has offered some information. I did add him to my "buddy" list on aol instant messenger, now it is like hunting, just waiting for the one shot.... oh but I degress. I spent an hour on the phone this morning with a guy from California, he is victim number 3 for those keeping score. We have some good Ideas and are keeping in touch. As it turns out, ol' Les FFL is valid so I contacted the ATF to see if they can help? What the hell, it is worth a shot. I do think that the Portland Attorney Generals Office Fraud complaint division will be my best option. P.S, Anbody from the portland area that may be in the law enforcement proffession, feel free to stop by Les' house, knock on the door and say howdy! who knows, maybe he got hit by a bus or something. well I can hope, cant I? take care and I will keep you all updated Steve [pissed] |
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My ex-wife drives down there every weekend I have the kids to go see her boyfriend. I'll have her stop by Les' place on her next visit.
You should have his car, his house, his yard tools, all his cook ware, his cat, and he may even begin sending you $1000 a month as soon as she leaves. Regards, CS |
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Dam, thanks coversix. silly me for calling the ATF. lol
she can keep his cat if she likes [:D] |
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I do think that the Portland Attorney Generals Office Fraud complaint division will be my best option. View Quote |
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Sorry, I meant to say that, It was the Portland City Attorneys office.
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DING! That was the name ringing a bell.
I bought a gun from this guy about a year ago. I messed with him for a couple weeks. He claimed computer problems, blah blah blah. I finally got the gun. Sounds like this is his standard way of doing business. I still have addresses (two) and a phone number. |
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Oslow,
Sure would love to get that information from you, please e-mail if you can. Thanks Steve |
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Update: Filed a report with the Portland City Police Department today, They had one other complaint of the same type already. He has a clear criminal record. Until Now, that is. It has been over a month since the auction close and still no contact.
Hope everyone keeps spreading the word on this guy so he does not get anyone else Later, Steve [kill] |
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Quoted: My ex-wife drives down there every weekend I have the kids to go see her boyfriend. I'll have her stop by Les' place on her next visit. You should have his car, his house, his yard tools, all his cook ware, his cat, and he may even begin sending you $1000 a month as soon as she leaves. Regards, CS View Quote Oh another bright spot in my day - LMAO |
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Originally Posted By Jim Dandy: I do think that the Portland Attorney Generals Office Fraud complaint division will be my best option. View Quote View Quote I'll take Geography for $700 Alex. |
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Alex: Good luck Jim, What is the Capitol of Oregon?
Jim: Ahhh I know this one Alex, It's Astoria! Alex: Ohhhh - sorry Jim, The correct answer is Salem. Jim: Shit! Alex: Jim you can't say that on national TV, Don Pardo tell him what he's won!! |
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Actually, Don Pardo has been long gone as far as "Jeopardy!" is concerned, because it's Johnny Gilmer as of late. However, my wise and well-thought out answer of "Astoria" has certainly qualified me for "Streetsmarts," though probably not as a contestant, but as one of the dimwits that we all bash. :0
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[:D] Final Update [:D]
I spoke with the Portland PD yesterday the 31st and they had been in contact with good ol' Les Blanchard. As it turns out, he is still alive and still in portland. According to the PD, his ex wife had taken all of the money out of his account for back child care. The PD also stated,"he is not the sharpest pencil in the box." That was too funny! Any way, today my local dealer called me and told me that my gun was IN!!! [bounce] [beer] So all happy like, I went to pick up the new bushy!! (you probably can see where this is going) When I got to the shop and opened the case...... It was the WRONG RIFLE [:(!] The auction was for a PCWA3S 16" shorty carbine with detachable handle, what he sent me was the shorty AK with the non-detatchable handle. There is no way in hell I am going to send back the riffle and take my chances. I will keep this one and maybe tinker with it. Besides, I was told by bushmaster that the AK shorty was a little more expensive than the Shorty 16 w/removable handle. This I do not know. All I know is that this thing is finally over. He is out of business and I just want to thank all of you for your help and advice. Please take note of this guys information in the beginning of the post and do not buy from him if he starts selling again. Now it is time to head off to the range and break in my new Bushy. [:D] Steve |
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