Chopperguys...disappeared with our mods?

[JudeD]

I don't have any skin in this game but I've read all the way through both threads and as a business owner who has dealt with a lot of deadbeats who owed me stuff and had a lot of con-men try to scam me, I would advise extreme caution here. Once a person (especially someone you are doing business with) has lost your trust, it should take more than a vague post on a message board to get it back.

The worst thing I can imagine a person going through would be the death of a child and yet business owners who lose children still manage to give their customers notice that a death has occurred and business will be suspended for X amount of weeks. It has been many months without any word on your property. What kind of devastating situation occurs that prohibits you from jotting a quick pm or email to people who have trusted you with one of their dearest possessions, but allows you time to go on FB to add friends? Even in the most dire circumstances, unless you are comatose, how do you not have time to post a quick update on your website apologizing and giving details about when you will be able to resume business?

I don't know Chopperguys and maybe he is a legitimately good person who just took on too much, but being in business has made me skeptical and I've seen situations where people were told "Just hold on a little longer and you'll get what you were promised," again and again and it was to give the con artist more time to dispose of the property (evidence) before police were called. This might not be the case here, but I would at the very least ask him to post pictures of the mods to prove he still has them and do it immediately. How long does it take to snap a pic and upload it?

Reading through the original thread, I was struck by the fact that very few people seemed to actually get their mods. Maybe I followed it wrong, but it seemed like a few fans were posting over and over again about how wonderful his work was, but I only saw a handful of pics of completed jobs compared to how many people were still waiting. This struck me as odd. Those same fans who got their mods and defended Chopperguys wholeheartedly haven't posted in awhile either, when they were on that thread daily for a long time.

I sincerely hope I am wrong and Chopperguy will follow through and return all mods and monies involved, but something doesn't pass the smell test and if he still had something of mine, I wouldn't wait a week for another update.

 

[JudeD]

see? now arent you glad you didnt bring out the pitch forks and torches? I had visions of the old Frankenstein movie where the villagers were chasing after the "Monster" I really hope all ends well.

No offense, but I didn't envision that at all except in your posts advising against it. Most posters talked about informing the authorities and what legal action could be taken. I didn't see any calls for mob action or pitchforks. I would hardly call strongly worded emails and notifying the local DA villagers chasing after the monster.

And a vague post promising resolution with no details or timeline doesn't solve everything.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

I am posting this so everyone knows where ive been.

My immediate family has been going thru a very serious crisis as a result of that i was forced to take a personnel hiatus.

I have returned home now and am picking up the pieces.

i sincerely apologize for everyones mods that got caught up in this me that was not my intention.

Monday i will start getting all these back to the owners in no way was this to be foreseen on my behalf i also lost another small biz over this crisis.

I will check back in later next week and try to update everyone.

my sincerest apologizes CHOPPER

Will refunds for money already paid be sent also?

If it were me,I'd do the jobs for free and apoligize profusely.

But that's just me and my business sense.

Disregard if I'M out of line

Not out of line at all imo.

I hope this person does indeed send everyone their mods back, please keep us updated on if he follows through with this statement of intent. If no one recieves their property within 2 weeks I would still go to this persons prosecutor. Don't get lulled into a false sense of comfort by a simple reassurance of intent, make sure the pressure of legal action remains until all properties have been returned.

Totally agree. I personally would like to request those who do receive their mods back to please post in this thread so that those of us know this is really being done and it will give me(at least) some piece of mind that mine will be returned also. This will go a long way in restoring whatever faith was/has been lost.

 

[jkmtwo]

What about refunds? I noticed that the word refund didn't appear in his post.....honesty, if one wants to make things right you know....

 

[jkmtwo]

Amen bro

You can always spot a business owner, 2 things, give me my money, and DTA

I don't have any skin in this game but I've read all the way through both threads and as a business owner who has dealt with a lot of deadbeats who owed me stuff and had a lot of con-men try to scam me, I would advise extreme caution here. Once a person (especially someone you are doing business with) has lost your trust, it should take more than a vague post on a message board to get it back.

The worst thing I can imagine a person going through would be the death of a child and yet business owners who lose children still manage to give their customers notice that a death has occurred and business will be suspended for X amount of weeks. It has been many months without any word on your property. What kind of devastating situation occurs that prohibits you from jotting a quick pm or email to people who have trusted you with one of their dearest possessions, but allows you time to go on FB to add friends? Even in the most dire circumstances, unless you are comatose, how do you not have time to post a quick update on your website apologizing and giving details about when you will be able to resume business?

I don't know Chopperguys and maybe he is a legitimately good person who just took on too much, but being in business has made me skeptical and I've seen situations where people were told "Just hold on a little longer and you'll get what you were promised," again and again and it was to give the con artist more time to dispose of the property (evidence) before police were called. This might not be the case here, but I would at the very least ask him to post pictures of the mods to prove he still has them and do it immediately. How long does it take to snap a pic and upload it?

Reading through the original thread, I was struck by the fact that very few people seemed to actually get their mods. Maybe I followed it wrong, but it seemed like a few fans were posting over and over again about how wonderful his work was, but I only saw a handful of pics of completed jobs compared to how many people were still waiting. This struck me as odd. Those same fans who got their mods and defended Chopperguys wholeheartedly haven't posted in awhile either, when they were on that thread daily for a long time.

I sincerely hope I am wrong and Chopperguy will follow through and return all mods and monies involved, but something doesn't pass the smell test and if he still had something of mine, I wouldn't wait a week for another update.

 

[rwechsler]

I am posting this so everyone knows where ive been.

My immediate family has been going thru a very serious crisis as a result of that i was forced to take a personnel hiatus.

I have returned home now and am picking up the pieces.

i sincerely apologize for everyones mods that got caught up in this me that was not my intention.

Monday i will start getting all these back to the owners in no way was this to be foreseen on my behalf i also lost another small biz over this crisis.

I will check back in later next week and try to update everyone.

my sincerest apologizes CHOPPER

So I'm assuming you got my email! Glad to hear that you're back on the job and all this drama can be put to rest!

If it were me,I'd do the jobs for free and apoligize profusely.

But that's just me and my business sense.

Disregard if I'M out of line

 

[JudeD]

Amen bro

You can always spot a business owner, 2 things, give me my money, and DTA

Not a bro, but I'll take the amen anyway. I'm about a lot more than give me my money and there are tons of people I trust, especially the people who have worked with me and for me for decades. I just know that there are a lot of scam artists out there and people who are legitimately trying to run responsible businesses are hurt by scam artists as much as the scammed customers are. If you get burned by someone in a business similar to mine, how willing are you going to be to trust me with your business? A lot of chopperguys' supporters are saying he's just a guy who wanted to help out some vapers and he never meant for it to be a business, but the minute you take possession of someone else's property and enter an agreement that involves payment of any kind, you've entered a business deal and not following through with your promises affects every single e-cigarette vendor who is trying to make an honest go of it.

I hope chopperguys sends personal emails to all the people who sent him mods and money and offers an explanation and solution that satisfies their complaints. He not only owes it to his customers, but it would benefit the vaping community at large. And I hope whatever personal issues he is dealing with are resolved and he is able to win back the trust of the community. I'm sure every single person here wants that. But checking in "later next week" is not a good first step.

 

[TheSneakerHoarder]

see? now arent you glad you didnt bring out the pitch forks and torches? I had visions of the old Frankenstein movie where the villagers were chasing after the "Monster" I really hope all ends well.

It was never about that...if I kept a $250 overage from my bank I'll bet sure as hell they would be screaming for blood.

 

[Absintheur]

Crossing my fingers for everyone involved.....

 

[kiwivap]

A lot of chopperguys' supporters are saying he's just a guy who wanted to help out some vapers and he never meant for it to be a business, but the minute you take possession of someone else's property and enter an agreement that involves payment of any kind, you've entered a business deal and not following through with your promises affects every single e-cigarette vendor who is trying to make an honest go of it.

If you're just helping people out you don't put up a website and youtube vids touting for more business. I wouldn't give him two weeks. If no-one posts that they have their mod back within 4-5 days I'd be following through with the legal action. I do feel for you guys - that's a lot of money when you add up the mods.

 

[BigErn]

Ive read the whole thread and a few others relating. That last post he wrote tells you guys nothing. If he was in drug/alcohol rehab, incarcerated, hospitalized, or whatever, he should have posted exactly WHY he just stopped all communication, a detailed outline of the steps he will take to sort everyone out, a list of the mods with their owner's names by them, an explanation of the fees paid and what will be refunded or not refunded, and should have given everyone an invitation to check in with email about their particular mod so it could be accounted for. This WAS a business, right? Whatever it is NOW, it's not on the level. He has had how long to think about what to say to dozens of angry, cheated customers and all he offers is a few lines of rubbish. Not even one of the aforementioned actions were taken on his part. This could go on for another...well, forever. I'm not sure what else you guys can do, though. I think everyone has been very decent. Everyone except him. If it were my Darwin, or whatever, I would have a hard time remaining idle. However, what can be done that hasn't already been attempted. I feel for you guys. Too bad there isn't a friendly ECFer who practices law. Anyways, I hope you all get sorted. -Ern

 

[debb]

Woodstown is a 15 min drive from me...we go there a couple times a week for horse feed...unfortunately I don't know where chopper lives as I never got around to take my pv in to him...

 

[chopperguys]

I understand what ever I say will not be enough and that's just fine but I said that my family was in a crisis and my family is not anyone's biz and those saying I was on Facebook are dead wrong and if someone is stalking my 12 year old sons face book because he has the same name is also do wrong for doing that.
I was away disconnected from everything in a very bad mental state that's all I'm saying about that issue and that's final!
I am returning the mods and will try my best to make it right for those involved but others have no right telling me how to handle my life.
What I will say is as a result I'm losing a house and have started bankruptcy proceedings so if you want to have a lawyer call I can give you my lawyers info.

I am doing my best if that's not enough than I can't help u

 

[meli.]

... if someone is stalking my 12 year old sons face book because he has the same name is also do wrong for doing that.

Sorry to read about your problems Chopperguys and I appreciate how harrowing financial situations can be if further compounded by health issues, and without meaning to add to your problems of which you obviously have many, your 12 year old son is operating an Illegal FaceBook Page. Only those aged 13 and above are permitted on FaceBook.

And as a Responsible Parent perhaps you should have considered the Consequence of Your actions before it had to come to this, did you consider your Sons feelings with regard to you being arrested for theft?
Did you consider the Members on this Forum who placed Their Trust in You?

It took you all of Five minutes to write and post on the Forum, had you done so Sooner, well...
But making people Feel Guilty for taking an Action for which the only obvious conclusion is Theft, is slightly Out Of Order on your part.

 

[beckah54]

I have read the threads and just wanted to say that I am sorry so many have been taken advantage of by someone they trusted. I hope each one of you gets your mods back without delay and that chopperguys does the right thing by all of you.

 

[kiwivap]

I am returning the mods and will try my best to make it right for those involved but others have no right telling me how to handle my life.

How many are in the mail and how many are you putting in the mail today?

 

[JENerationX]

Nobody is telling you how to live your life, but the second you took money for a service, you became a business. People who gave you their mods and their money have a right to expect that you conduct yourself accordingly. There is no excuse for months of silence other than being dead or in a coma. If you could speak, you could have told someone to post a message on your behalf. Don't try to turn this around and make anyone considering legal action feel guilty about it.

I deal with a business owner whose daughter was brutally raped and murdered a few months ago. I got a message from his assistant that she was not taking calls due to a family emergency but would be returning to the office on such and such a date and wanted to set up a meeting to discuss such and such an issue, and a check was in the mail for her account. I received a personal email from her within the week explaining the extent of the situation and asking for a one month extension on the rest of the payment. I had no problem with that, because I was aware that she had an issue, she did everything she could to maintain contact rather than avoid people she owed money to.

There is no excuse for putting your head in the sand and expecting everyone to understand that you're having personal issues when you disappear for months with their money and their mods with no explanation. If I were in your position (which I wouldn't be as long as I was able to type or speak for the past 4 months), I would admit you were wrong for not communicating, apologize, and either provide tracking numbers for people's mods or have someone the board feels some kind of trust in come get them and help facilitate the returns.

 

[Coffee Addict]

Chopperguys...I seriously doubt you have the funds at this time to get all these mods back to their rightful owners. I suggest you come up with a plan to get with someone, (that you and some other member that own one of these mods and are willing).
Let them take control of the situation, I doubt anyone is going to send you money to get their mod back.....you need to enlist help as soon as possible. I know alot of people here that woud be more than willing to meet up with you and get the mods and send them back.

 

[Joe_13]

.

I am doing my best if that's not enough than I can't help u

Wait a minute. Have you done Anything about refunds or returns yet?
If not... Your best isn't that much at all...
Just sayin.

 

[Iffy]

Actions have consequences... so does inaction!!!