Scam alert: "1924 Gibson A-2 mandolin" on Knoxville CL

[mrmando]

Speaking for myself, if there were a photo of me and Danny together, I would be grateful to have myself removed from the photo before it was posted in a thread like this one. And I'm not even famous!

[Travis Finch]

I just had a quick look through the terms posted on the MySpace website. It would seem that the second of the two accounts listed may be in direct violation. I'm just sayin'...

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't think Ronnie blanked himself out. I'm just kind of taken back by that one. I would have left him in, and Martin, you're famous here. Everyone knows your name

[Ben Milne]

guessing he doesn't have permission to use the big 12-fret image he has as his background, Trav?

[Scott Tichenor]

I altered the photo. If there's any doubt about why I did that, please try to think harder about it.

[Travis Finch]

Well I was thinking more along the lines of him posting this info (from his 'Morristownmando' MySpace):

"I am just getting this page started i have about 4 mandolins in stock right now and will be taking instruments on consignment if you would like me to help you sale your mandolin.I also buy mandolins as long as they are quality or vintage mandolins.I am now just getting this page started i will be adding videos and pics of mandolins for sale and also mandolins thats already been sold.Any questions you can contact me at 423-200-7697. "

And wondering if if conflicted with this (from the MySpace terms):

"5. Use by Members. The MySpace Services are for the personal use of Members and may only be used for direct commercial purposes if they are specifically endorsed or authorized by MySpace. MySpace reserves the right to remove commercial content in its sole discretion."

...or this

"8.11 furthers or promotes any criminal activity or enterprise or provides instructional information about illegal activities including, but not limited to, making or buying illegal weapons, violating someone's privacy, or providing or creating computer viruses; "

...or this

"8.13 involves commercial activities and/or sales without prior written consent from MySpace such as contests, sweepstakes, barter, advertising, or pyramid schemes; "

...or this

"8.18 advertising to, or solicitation of, any Member to buy or sell any products or services through the unauthorized or impermissible use of the MySpace Services. "

...or this

"8.31 displaying an unauthorized commercial advertisement on your profile, or accepting payment or anything of value from a third person in exchange for your performing any commercial activity through the unauthorized or impermissible use of the MySpace Services on behalf of that person, such as placing commercial content on your profile, links to e-commerce sites not authorized by MySpace, posting status or mood updates, blogs or bulletins with a commercial purpose, selecting a profile with a commercial purpose as one of your top friends, or sending messages with a commercial purpose; "

[Scott Tichenor]

I think we'd be safe in assuming that adhering to rules of what he finds on the web is not real high on his list of concerns. You think?

[Travis Finch]

For sure! I was just wondering if there's any grounds for maybe getting that page pulled down.

[Scott Tichenor]

Likely. I believe a fellow user here on the forum who has a MySpace account reported a page Danny had taken out that was advocating some kind of physical violence against me. It disappeared at some point. I Googled and found this for reporting MySpace violations. That page has been there for awhile. Doubt he has any of those mandolins still, but gee, I guess that might not mean he wouldn't try to sell them anyway.

[Patrick Gunning]

Thanks for the heads-up Scott. Sorry for those who got burned. I've had it happen in (thankfully) non-mando contexts and it always sucks.

I always wondered what happened to good old morristownmando. I never missed his blundering idiocy and trollling one bit, and that was before I knew about his amateur con games.


(sarcasm on)

Looks like a big step forward for my hypothesis: a person's trustworthiness is inversely proportional to their dislike of Chris Thile.

(sarcasm off)

[FL Dawg]

Danny, do me a favor and make this easy for both of us. I don’t want the mandolin that you sent me, I just want my money back. I have been through a lot of aggravation and stress, more than I would ever think is possible for buying a mandolin. You’ve made this very difficult for me.

I am asking you to be nice and do things my way this one time. Your mandolin is packed up in bubble wrap and inside the box. I have a FedEx slip already made out to ship it back to you. I have attached pictures so you can see that everything is already done.

I am offering you an easy way out of dealing with this bad situation. Please mail me the refund for the mandolin and I will ship it back to you the same day. There is a FedEx store right by my house that is open until 11 at night. If I get the money order in the mail at 3pm, I will go down to FedEx the same night and give you a tracking number immediately. There is no risk for you, especially now that Scott and your local sheriff are involved. I swear to you that all I want to do is get my money back and give you back your mandolin. I just don’t feel comfortable letting you have the money and the mandolin at the same time at this point. I think you will understand why I am nervous with all the bad things I have heard.

You do have a chance to make things right. I will let the mandolin café know when you send the refund and I will even post the tracking number on the café so that everyone will be able to see things are getting fixed.

I have been really upset by this whole thing – please just do the right thing here and make it easier on yourself. We are very close to fixing this problem.

[Chris Biorkman]

He's still on myspace? That's so 2006.

[FL Dawg]

If there was any doubt about how challenging it is to deal with a situation like this, the email Danny gave me now appears dead.

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its recipients. The following addresses failed:
<Toot329@gmail.com>
SMTP error from remote server after RCPT command:
host gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[209.85.223.10]:
550-5.1.1 The email account that you tried to reach does not exist.

So I tried another email address that Danny didn't give me, this seems to be the one he actually uses. Same thing.

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its recipients. The following addresses failed:
<mandospurge@gmail.com>
SMTP error from remote server after RCPT command:
host gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[209.85.223.41]:
550-5.1.1 The email account that you tried to reach does not exist.

[Jeff Hildreth]

A few years back, a guy who started a Resonator Guitar site and who hustled reso related goods started scamming folks.

He took orders and did not send the goods.
He solicited and got consigned instruments, resos, flat tops arch tops etc.
He sold these and did not compensate the sellers..
Bought goods and did not pay
etc

He started posting excuses including his wifes cancer condition ad naseum then he disapperared.

Many of us filed claims with the Texas State Attorney General and with an investigator from the US Postal Service assigned this fraud by mail case...

The perp fled to the State of Washington and elsewhere and was finally nailed in Portland Oregon

He is doing some serious time. I mean multiple felonies.

This mando seller seems to be going the same direction.

I would strongly suggest he clear up any complaints and correct any mis- deals in a timely fashion...he definitley does not want to do battle with a group that comes together in a singular effort; can't win.

And if any of the burned parties did any bsuiness by US Mail contact the Postal Service... they are heck on fraud.


With the Reso Bandit I lost only $38 but others lost in the thousands and others had their reputations smudged a bit by having promoted and been promoted by the guy. It's all over now but the memory is strong.


I would also suggest that this guy is perpetrating another serious crime

Mando Mutilation

he has no business owning, repairing or dealing with mandolins if the photos are representative of his work. Simlply criminal.

Good luck to everyone who got ripped.

[Scott Tichenor]

This is interesting. Danny has shut down four of the five email addresses I have for him that were still functioning. Two of the others he had already been shut down. Sort of hard to communicate with your pals on the web and to explain why this is happening. Why would anyone do this? I know Danny reads this thread because I can tell when he does .

Whassup, brother?

As I've said, check your mailbox for a registered letter. Should arrive Monday or Tuesday. I'd strongly advise you'll want to know what it contains. We're just getting started here.

[MikeEdgerton]

I altered the photo. If there's any doubt about why I did that, please try to think harder about it.

It all makes sense now.

[FL Dawg]

And if any of the burned parties did any bsuiness by US Mail contact the Postal Service... they are heck on fraud.

Danny insisted on being paid with a Postal Money Order, so yes the US Postal Inspector is involved. There is a paper trail, and we've got documentation of everything.

It must be getting hot in Sevierville for this time of year.

[Scott Tichenor]

Since he has shut down all of his email addresses, I guess that means we'll need to start posting communication to him in this public forum. How unfortunate for him, but if that's the way he wants it, that's the way we'll get it to him. Wonder how you explain this curious behavior to family and friends, assuming you have the latter?

[Scott Tichenor]

I had an eBay friend that found this thread and contacted me with information. Normally i don't endorse the sharing of eBay user IDs, but I'm making an exception here due to the nature of the crimes being committed.

User: danmandospurge

He just won this auction on eBay. Obviously, anyone that deals with him on this one will be wading into dangerous territory, that is, if he pays for it...

Appears he has shut down his most recent eBay account. Within eBay you can attempt to contact others. Here's what I just received:

danmandospurge ( 0 ) Not a registered user

So, he's shutting down emails, shutting down eBay accounts, going into hiding. Why would anyone do that if they were honest?

[Linds]

There are updates. Not good. One instrument was received today, but while it was described as being in mint condition, it was a total wreck with many cracks, and shipped with no case, filthy. A real mess. Another party has a live working police report and is in contact with the Sevierville Sherrif. I've visited with them as well. I also caught up by phone with an attorney today and plan to file a tortuous interference suit against him for activities carried out on this site.

I think the folks who sent this clown money may also be able file suit for fraud and Deceptive Trade Practices (if they have that law in Tennessee or in the buyer's home state --go see a lawyer licensed in one of those states about that.)

[Scott Tichenor]

More info just in from an eBay seller I'm in contact with. Danny bid on and won an auction of a Weber Gallatin on 10/10 then never paid for the item, so he never took possession. Seller found us through a search and contacted me. Danny sold the same mandolin here the same day. Since he never took possession of it via the eBay sale, he didn't have it to deliver and obviously won't now.

Google danmandospurge and see what you come up with. While I detest outing people by eBay name like this, and it's against the posting guidelines we adhere to, it's resulting in valuable information we will use to piece together the felony crime that has transpired. That account is now closed per the above post.

[FL Dawg]

Come on, Danny, hiding is not going to fix this!

Why would an honest person shut down their email accounts?

[Scott Tichenor]

Here's a little bit of wisdom from Danny in one of his previous posts from this forum. Thought this would be good to start off the day. I've worked problems like this before and these guys like to think eventually this will all go away and everyone will forget about their crimes.

"I have cabin in br mtns and i would rather live their than in in city in the wourld so i guess i will be country intill i die.Were i live i do body piercing by GLOCK!!!!""

From his public MySpace page: Danny wants to buy your quality mandolin
And another public MySpace

Just sharing things that are on the web for all to see.

Someone is reading the Mandolin Cafe.

Danny has removed his MySpace account listing instruments he had for sale, and has set his personal account to private so that it's no longer public for all to see.

You can run, but you can't hide.

Oopsies, better take care of this a little better. Wonder how the 12th Fret music store would feel about their artwork being used on that page.

[FL Dawg]

The more violent threats he makes, the more charges the district attorney can use to go after him.

[lenf12]

Do you think the population of Sevierville, TN is about to diminish by 1?

Len B.
Clearwater, FL