Chopperguys...disappeared with our mods?

[Absintheur]

I know ECF as an entity would prefer to stay a couple steps away from this problem, this is not a criticism just they do not want to become involve too deeply in this, completely understandable. But if they could open a sticky thread asking for a forum member who is a lawyer who would be willing to file a class action suit on behalf of all the folks involved it could help things move along. I am sure there are a number of folks who sent their mods in that no longer frequent this forum, some may have stopped vaping. But I think there are enough that if there was a thread for them to find out who to contact they would do so in order to get their mods returned.

I had really hoped that when chopperguy finished two of the mods and returned them he would continue to fulfill his obligations. This is evidently not going to happen and I am sure many would be happy to get their mods back without embellishment. As far as the money paid, that may be lost for good.

 

[tobarger]

I don't know Chopperguys
But I don't think I like him

If he had thieved any of my PVs
Then I really wouldn't like him alot
Especially if I had paid him to do it

 

[Rocketpunk]

I can only read this thread and wonder, "Why the hell would I send my $200 mod to some dude for him to repair it?"

I think he returned a Darwin to someone. If I'm not mistaken, and I most very well probably am, can't you send your Darwin to the one dude who makes/made it? I was led to believe he's some Jedi wizened sage who invented the Darwin and is the god of vaping. My buddy paid THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS for his Darwin and was cocky in his attitude, "If anything goes wrong with this, and it won't because it wasn't made by the hands of man, but of gad" (Ok I am exaggerating) "then I can always mail it back to the dude who created it (the Darwin). He'll fix it."

I'm assuming he assumed the Darwin repairs are akin to a Provari, where you get a lifetime, or an awesomely long, warranty plan? Am I totally wrong in everything I said? It was all heresay.

 

[Rocketpunk]

I've hit the Trinity of mods, the Zmax, the Provari, and, most importantly, the Darwin. I wasn't impressed. Well, I take it back, I was impressed with the Provari.

The Darwin is just... ugly. It may be the Superman of vaping, but it's still ugly. The adjusting carto thingy is what killed it for me. It may be awesome for you, but aesthetics goes a long way with me. That's why I love my chrome/stainless steel Twist with an ego tank adapter to make everything flush, a metallic carto tank, and a stainless steel driptip. It looks like a vaping sword.

 

[Butters78]

Rocket bro I don't think he did repairs. He painted them and what not. That guy got a gold one.

 

[kiwivap]

I can only read this thread and wonder, "Why the hell would I send my $200 mod to some dude for him to repair it?"

Hi Rocketpunk - they didn't send them for repairs - they sent them to be polished and powder coated - so they could have new colors and finishes.

 

[Rocketpunk]

It's a weird thing where you want to sympathize with people who've been swindled... But then, I've been so poor all my life, when I finally have something expensive in my hand, ain't no way I'm mailing it off to a stranger. For any reason. Whatsoever.

I'm sorry a lot of you lost your mods.

I'm with Eric. You have only a few options. Calling law enforcement is one of them, but something inside of me thinks they won't make it a priority.

I wish and hope all of you get your property returned. It's frustrating being a victim of a crime, no matter how benign.

 

[meli.]

To give Chopperguys a benefit of doubt, we're not sure what is actually going on, short of the two devices returned, we haven't had any feedback from anyone else regarding items.

Sneakerhorder is the only one who keeps reporting back, has he given up, has he communicated with Chopperguys via email, has it been a positive result?

Where have all the others gone? Are they satisfied with what Chopperguys has told them, have they made alternative arrangements regarding their mods?

We don't know, and frankly shooting in the dark. Because for all we do know, (not alot) Chopperguys has been returning mod's and all those that reported here initially are all satisfied, happy customers.

 

[DC2]

Everyone who hasn't gotten a reply to their emails should be filing a police report.

 

[Rocketpunk]

My friend is a cop.

He says beat cops will do nothing to help you retrieve your mods. (Well, duh!)

You guys are in a sticky situation. Until one of you makes a clear and solid move, I doubt any of you will ever see your precious mods ever again.

My cop friend compared it to someone calling the police to report their drugs being stolen. Or complaining a ...... stole their wallet. What can they really do? Nothing.

I am so thankfully glad I didn't have a part in this, but honestly, no one has the right to complain unless they call their local PD and explain the situation. If after that you cannot be helped, this entire thread is for naught.

EDIT: Another part of me feels your mods are all in the hands of other people.

 

[meli.]

My cop friend compared it to someone calling the police to report their drugs being stolen. Or complaining a ...... stole their wallet. What can they really do? Nothing.

I don't understand, is your policeman friend suggesting mod's are illicit goods and therefore any services rendered are illegal and do not warrant protection from fraud?
Thus if theft is assumed the owners have no rights under law?
Is it just me or comparing pv's getting powder-coated /spray painted to being ripped off by a ...... or dealer is not quite the same and suggests that we as e-cig users are doing something wrong and going to the police with a case like this we would be deemed as such?

 

[Chris Braddock]

I think he's trying to say that I'm not sure how it was done but id assume ppl just sent him the mods and thiers not really any proof that the mods were sent to get painted...so thiers nothing cops culd do..I hope everone gets their stuff back..this is wrong ppl work hard for their mods

 

[martinc]

Sounds plausible...no receipts,black market jobs...well,perhaps a tax fraud/evasion complaint instead

Inspector goes there,seize everything,house,car,etc

BTW,I bet Sandy will be brought into the picture if he ever show up.

 

[Rocketpunk]

I don't understand, is your policeman friend suggesting mod's are illicit goods and therefore any services rendered are illegal and do not warrant protection from fraud?
Thus if theft is assumed the owners have no rights under law?
Is it just me or comparing pv's getting powder-coated /spray painted to being ripped off by a ...... or dealer is not quite the same and suggests that we as e-cig users are doing something wrong and going to the police with a case like this we would be deemed as such?

He didn't imply pvs are illicit, he said if you call the cops saying someone stole your personal vaporizer, and they ask what that is, and you explain it's an electronic cigarette, they'll send someone to your house, but you're about THIS low on their totem-pole as far as what's high priority and what isn't. As in, they're not going to burst down doors and send a tactical unit or even a detective over to this dude's house. UNLESS you guys really start hitting his local PD hard with phone calls. You all need to get unified and come up with a plan of action.

 

[me1969]

Some of them allready waited almost a year without doing anything .

 

[Aron Gatt]

I think he's trying to say that I'm not sure how it was done but id assume ppl just sent him the mods and thiers not really any proof that the mods were sent to get painted...so thiers nothing cops culd do..I hope everone gets their stuff back..this is wrong ppl work hard for their mods

Oh indeed they do !!

 

[Tralfaz]

It doesn't matter whether it's an ecig or any other item of value, it's fraud. Local PD would probably alert the feds anyway, so why not just file a report with IC3 or the postal inspectors and be proactive rather than enabling this guy?

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Home

https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/

Let them sort it out for you.

 

[martinc]

Post 142 has a nice proof of the amount kept at least for the last 3 months,atta start

 

[jazzbo]

Originally Posted by Rocketpunk

My cop friend compared it to someone calling the police to report their drugs being stolen. Or complaining a ...... stole their wallet. What can they really do? Nothing.



I'd say your cop friend is probably one of those who taze people for no real reason. Theft is theft; I would expect the cops to deal with it, not ask ME what they should do. There is PLENTY they can do...investigate. Take reports. In other words, they could earn their salary instead of making bone-headed statements about how there's nothing they can do when clearly there IS. Jebus....

 

[meli.]

Jazzbo, Rocketpunk did rephrase his statement, I think he is correct in saying the police would not hold this case as a top priority especially if only one or two people make a complaint, you really need a collective.

But you have a valid point too, it doesn't matter which country you live in these days, it seems police everywhere should be investigating more rather than pushing paper from desk to another but then policy makers are to blame for this.
I think the police would also prefer spending their time solving cases rather than filling in time-consuming forms for even the most minor of offences. Yet they must.

Some of them allready waited almost a year without doing anything .

That's not entirely true, most tried to get hold Chopperguys many times.
Had they known how many jobs Chopperguys had taken on, some might have thought twice before sending their mods to him. But, it's my understanding he did fabulous work, developed a good reputation, then, he got ill and fell on hard times due to that illness.

It doesn't justify his avoidance of the problems created by any means but at this moment we don't know how many pv's have actually been returned or if the owners have simply written the whole sorry mess off.

What has happened here is unfortunate, yet it's a testament to the type of people in this community.
They are a generous, trusting group willing to help and support allsorts of new vaping related enterprise and community members, they really don't deserve to be treated so poorly.