Copycat

With the help of a very kind dz.com user I got the IP back to where he wrote the emails from, with a nice satellite photo of the area. I wrote him to all his emails with the screenshot and the message: "Is this where you're living, or just where the server receives your email? I don't mind, the guys at CSC are very helpful. Even Douglas (The DZM) seemed very interested in learning about your "Credit Card Machine incident" at Skydive Pepperell. Think again about those $250. You have my PayPal address." I'll post any updates.

Staff from his previous dropzone, email: "Sorry to hear Reece has struck again..I gave Reece a chance to get back on his feet by giving him a Job.. and the morning he left he tried to Rip Off my Credit Card Machine in the Office..." Damn, he's a criminal with split personality.

Actually it's worse. I just checked his "old address" reply and he has quoted the email I wrote to the "new address". He outsmarted... himself?

Oh! the plot thickens!! The "new" Reece Baldwin answered my email by saying: "You must have the wrong person". Two minutes afterwards the "old" address Reece writes: "as i told you the cypres was owned and sent to you by another party who needed an internet connection an me to list it he told me he sent it now I am out of the country for the next couple years and only check email once monthly" To which I replied that someone has seen him working at Skydive CSC last weekend. Hmm.

From PayPal's Resolution center: ------------------------------------------ We have completed our investigation of this case. We attempted to process a refund from the seller's account to your account. Unfortunately, the seller's account does not contain the funds necessary to cover this refund. We were able to recover $0.00 USD. We have taken action against the seller and are working to recover the remainder of your refund. We will contact you when we have more information. No further action is required of you at this time. --------------------------------- I told them I could do a chargeback with my credit card (although my bank is in Sweden, and I'll have to travel there first) and they told me to wait for their veredict first. No idea what's taking so long, they just said the obvious thing: of course the money is gone if he stole from me! PikzeeVikzen: I did send all the new info to paypal. Waiting for a reply. Thanks!!

Yes, I've done a lot of eBay deals, and often used USPS either as shipper or recipient, and in the vast majority of cases, they never update their "tracking" info, so even after it has been delivered, there isn't even any proof it ever shipped. The only reason I use their (non)tracking service is because they have made it clear to me that w/o a tracking number, they won't even bother to try to find a lost shipment. About a week ago an online bike-parts seller shipped something to me via USPS, and to my astonishment the USPS "tracking" service actually was updated when the delivery occurred. I was amazed. Yeah, I don't care where in the world is my package (because, as you said, it doesn't really work and they nevery update it) but if the italian customs don't find my phone number on the package, I have to personally call and give them the tracking # to clear it, otherwise it'll stay there for literally months until it either goes back to sender or gets destroyed. Sadly, it works like this. He never send me a tracking number, so all I can think of, is that he never had the tracking number because he never sent the package. I wrote countless emails to all his 4 addresses telling him this. Never got a reply.

I called the other number I got (Alaska according to the ID), and it was his grandmother's house and I think I made her cry. I didn't mean it, but she did tell me he was short on cash and asked her money, then he moved to chicago and didn't call her or anything, and she doesn't have any means to contact him. She was a very helpful and considerate lady. I wrote to all the staff at skydive CSC, and I'm really hoping to get to the bottom of this soon. Thank you all very much for the help and bluest skies!

This is the PayPal claim report, as it was filed: -------------------------------------------- Chronologically, 02/20: I posted an ad on www.dropzone.com, looking for a Cypres (an electronic device that open parachutes automatically at certain altitude) 02/28: I got a response from Reece Baldwin for a unit for a very good price, $200 (These units have a lifetime of 12 years, this, specifically had little over 2 years left). I replied the same day. 03/05: After asking about shipping prices, he answers on this date that 3-6 days shipping would cost $30, $4.95 for bubble wrapping, and that he couldn't remember if he asked $200 or $250 for the Cypres, so we should call it $250 for the unit+s/h. I agreed, still considering it's a good price. He said it was going to arrive after the weekend if I paid him with Western Union, but I insisted in using PayPal. 03/06: He gave me an email address to PayPal him, I paid him as soon as I could. 03/08: First email I sent to him to confirm payment, since he didn't write. 03/12: Still no word from him, second email pointing out that I did pay for 3-6 days shipping, and I didn't even get a payment confirmation from him. 03/13: Asked around www.dropzone.com forums if anyone could give me his phone number, and a very kind person replied with the phone number, and a sour deal that he did with Reece, in which he lost shipping money. I left a voice message on his answering machine. 03/15: He said he got the voice message, and that "his friend from Eloy sent the Cypres and should arrive soon". He also got angry and offended me for being insistent. 03/17: E-mailed him and left him a voice message asking for the Tracking Number, as sometimes packages get stuck in the Italian Customs, and I need to call to clear them. Since that date, I've been leaving voice messages and sending e-mails without a single reply, or tracking number, or package whatsoever. I have every single e-mail sent and received if you find necessary. These units also devaluate every day, and the person who has to install it has been waiting impatiently. --------------------------------------------

Thanks so much! I didn't find this website on my many searches before. I'm e-mailing the whole staff! Thanks again and blue skies! -Patrik

Alright, someone tipped me (thanks!) that he's got another alias and using the forums: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?username=limegreenreece; I found him in a couple of other websites, and on one of his info sheets, the email matches the one from monoverde, so it's definitely the same person. What can I do from Italy?? If I was in the US at least I could call the police or something... If anybody cares / for the sake of making him public: Name: Reece Baldwin Phone: 602-653-9658 Address: 2020 w orangewood ave #205 Location: Phoenix, AZ, 85021 Michigan info: Phone: 3135624583

That's it. It was a scam, or the seller "monoverde" just suddenly disappeared. It's been over 3 months now, and over a month since I disputed a claim with paypal, and been waiting for my money ever since. They say I have to wait for their veredict before trying a credit card chargeback, but in all honestly, I just want my money back ASAP. If anyone knows this Reece Baldwin (D 28301) personally, please punch him really hard for me , I'll pay you.

I've had my Kurupee since August now and I absolutely love it. I have it with the snap fastener, v-shaped neck and it rocks. Has very safe velcro pockets on legs and one inside in the chest area, perfect for an iPod, wallet or cellphone. Fits great, looks great, and most importantly, flies great!

Heh, given you're a demon, you might have it easier [EDIT] GOT ONE! Thanks so much! -patrik

It's the only place I found some medicine audio CDs (heart sounds) and I need them for a friend, so if anybody is a member and has an invitation code, I'll very much appreciate it! I promise to give a code back as soon as I get one. my email is: tfm.copycat(at)gmail.com Thanks and blue skies!! -pat

"It's going to be a pain in the ass trying to put that huge thing in here..." /Rigger complaining about a big ZP canopy and a small container

Ugh! That reminds me of my jumpmaster, he always ate korean food saturday nights, and we jumped sunday mornings.. I wanted to jump as soon as the door closed :X

Thanks a lot for all the replies, I got a lot of help from all of you in very short time, it's nice to know skydivers are a nice breed! There are 2 things bugging me about him not answering, actually: One is that I payed for 3-5 days shipping because my rigger has my rig opened and waiting for the cypres, and I think it might be bothering her to some extent, the other one, is that i NEED the tracking number, as 99% of the time, the packages stay at the [italian] customs and one must call to clear it. So if he did send the package, it might go back to him since I never claimed it (I know it sucks, but it's like this) Appart from these 2 things, I could give him another week or two, but at this point it's a must that I contact him. Again thanks a lot guys and gals, and blue skies! -Patrik

Will do. I forgot to mention, he did give me an adress when he wanted me to WU his money, so I called the administrator of the building (found thru white pages) and she confirmed he lived there, but wasn't allowed to give me his phone number. And so far I gathered 3 email adresses, the one I paypal'd to, the one in his profile, and the dz.com one. I wrote to all of them every time, in case I was being filtered as spam or something. Thanks for the tips, I'll wait a couple more days and try to contact him somehow by phone on these days, although I'm pretty sure I pissed off the Apt. administrator, as I didn't consider the time zones differences and called her at around 6AM

Well, about 10 days ago I posted an ad that i was looking for an older cypres. I got a reply from someone called Reece Baldwin, who wanted to sell his '97 cypres 1 exp. (with the 8yr done) for a good price. So I decided to buy it, and he asked to get paid by Western Union. Since I don't trust this method at all, I insisted in using PayPal, and he finally accepted, but raising the price by $20. So it was his initial price, +$20 +$30 S/H. I still though it was a good deal for what I was getting. He mentioned he was going to send with USPS, 3-5 days, and I checked the price and it was correct. Now it's been exactly one week that he doesn't answer my emails, didn't write anything to me, didn't send me the tracking number, and didn't even confirmed that he got the money (although paypal wrote me it was accepted) As I always do, I did some research on him before sending the money. His Dropzone.com username is "monoverde" (http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?username=monoverde;) and I did find his "alias" in some other skydiving sites, and his name pops up in some dropzones sites and such. His DZ.com profile seems that he's a respected skydiver with many jumps, so why did he disappear completely? I sent him a quite menacing e-mail last night telling him that if he doesn't write me an e-mail, i'll be reporting him to paypal, but of course I don't want to do this, specially if he just had some personal trouble and couldn't ship it. Thanks for any advice / suggestions, any opinion is welcomed! -Patrik

This is my baby, bought it in november from the classifieds section =)

Sending them now. Why did you deactivated the possibility of users flagging a classified as SCAM when reporting a 95% sure? I sure did hunt 5 or 6 doing that.. and i was 100% sure.

I DID submit that one as a scam as well, but it's still there I see. Mainly because I live in Italy, and he is definitely not a skydiver, and that's no italian ZIP code. I have as well bought a rig a month ago from probably the greatest seller ever, very supportive and caring. Thanks again, Dan.

I submitted the scam alert as "almost" sure because I've seen the pics before with the same description, but this time without the ebay photo icon on the pics, so I thought it might be the real owner. I just received an email that he's in london, and will just accept payment thru western union. Please report it as scam ASAP! http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=43022&d=1

I submitted the scam alert as "almost" sure because I've seen the pics before with the same description, but this time without the ebay photo icon on the pics, so I thought it might be the real owner. I just received an email that he's in london, and will just accept payment thru western union. Please report it as scam ASAP! http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=43022&d=1