Great deal or con victim?
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page| Thread | Last Poster | Posts | Last Post | |
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| Archive through January 05, 2004 | joeyb | 100 | ||
| Archive through June 20, 2003 | Anonymous | 246 |
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Anonymous | I'm In OC California, same as the show The OC on Fox hahaha I got hit by the "White Van Scam" as well with the same stories i have been reading on this site. With the extra speakers and don't want to give it back to the boss and also someone giving them check but they don't want it so they will give it away for a better deal with cash. Actually i was approached by 3 different white van within 6 six month period and with the same story told to me by the driver and his passenger for all 3 times. It's kind of funny if you think about it because they only has know one story to tell. Well i'm not that pissed off because I actually get them to sell me the two Digital Pro Audio STL 2.8 for only $40 buck. YES, $40 for two speakers and i don't know how i got them to sell me for that cheap. But lucky me i didn't buy it because i knew something was wrong with it. At first the driver offered me the tower for $500 for the pairs but then i said it was too much and i walked away but then the passenger offer me the two speakers for any amount of money i have on me and at the money i only have $40 buck with me. So I think all of you guys over paid by a lot a lot a lot and i think these speakers are very s u c k because no one will sell an $1195 speakers for $40 and beg u to buy it. So Beware People |
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New member Username: HomedesignPost Number: 30 Registered: 01-2004 | What is the 'psycho-acoustic' phenomenon? Well, when the telephone first came out the public consensuse was it sounded just like speaking to people in person. Of course it does not even yet. Another example: every time I do anything to my system, when I get back to the listening seat, it is absolutely clear that an improvement was made. How can that be? I have done that so many times that by now the muscians should actually be set up and playing between the speakers. But of course they are not. Regrettably, much misinformation and outright nonsense have been spread to promote certain "high-end audio" products. The power of suggestion works exceedingly well, when listeners cannot trust their own hearing. I recommend to re-calibrate yourself frequently. Listen closely to all sorts of un-amplified sounds in order to recognize and remember natural aural patterns. It becomes an endless and futile pursuit to listen for and try to evaluate differences between speakers, equipment and accessories without a reality based mental reference. The psycho-acoustic phenomenon is something to deal with as much speaker setup, first order reflections, and selection of source material. Probably the least affective (in reality) in upgrades to 'true to the original' sonic characteristics are cables, and top end components. Bill Clinton said in 1992; 'Its the economy, stupid'. In audio playback systems; 'Its the speakers, stupid'. Selected as appropriate for the environment in which they will operate, and their setup. A distortion free amp to power them, and well engineered, sonically superior source material. When that is right, you will no longer be looking for a cheap fix (like cables, and other $ consuming tweaks). For what its worth. |
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Anonymous | I just got scammed by these guys, in a brown van, I got the Dahlton 5.1 home theater package for $200, they also had the tower speakers. They were in a Cosco parking lot in Monterey Ca. I haven't hooked them up yet, but they don't look bad for only $200. They tried to hit me up for some pot because they gave me a 'sweet' deal. All I can say is live and learn, and if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. If I could go back in time, I probably would still buy the speakers, but I would offer them $50, not $200 |
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Anonymous | So many of us are inherently dishonest. Look at the numbers of persons who are gloating that the speakers sound OK but they plan to put a stop payment on their checks. How sad. If the speakers sound OK you got value for your money. Live with it and learn from the experience. Many contributors are happy to buy from these "sidewalk and back of the van" sellers because they believe that they are getting a deal. Why would a legitimate seller offer $1500 spekers for $200? Any reasonable person would assume that they were stolen or low grade quality. Possession of stolen property is illegal in most jurisdictions. I have a friend who bought a VCR for $50 from a sidewalk vendor on Fordham Road in New York City (Bronx). When he got to his car the box contained 3 bricks wrapped in newspaper. Remember-if it is too good to be true, it is likely to be a lie. I prefer to be scammed by a storeowner. At least I know his location and can assume that most stores acquire their products legitimately. |
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Anonymous | HEY GUYS DONT FEEL BAD THIS SCAM HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 1990. I HAD 2 GUYS IN A WHITE VAN STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY, WHILE I WAS EMPTYING GRASS INTO THE BACK OF A PICKUP AND ASK ME IF I WAS INTERESTED IN SUPER HIGH END SPEAKERS. TOO MANY PUT ON TRUCK AND THEY CANT RETURN WITH THEM. YEAH RIGHT. WHO'S DOING THEIR INVENTORYE. NOW 14 YEARS LATER I OWN 3 PAWNSHOPS AND I CANT BELIVE THE NUMBER OF INDUVIDUALS THAT ARE TAKEN ON THIS SCAM. ITS FUNNY HOW IMPULSIVE PEOPLE CAN BE WHEN SHOWN A BROCHURE THAT CAN BE MADE AT ANY PRINTER. DON'T FEEL BAD THOUGH. SOME GUY JUST WALKED OUT OF MY STORE WITH 2 SETS HE PAIDED $550.00 / PAIR FOR. |
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New member Username: HomedesignPost Number: 43 Registered: 01-2004 | I was approached in the parking lot at work by a couple guys in a van selling speakers in the mid 80's. I almost bought a pair until I picked one up. I knew enough even then to know that anything resembling a decent dynamic speaker driver requires a large enough magnet to give the speaker some weight. These puppies were so light... well, ESPECIALLY for their size. (Not that an accurate speaker can be determined by its weight :-) Note: I know one feels the need to rationize one's purchases, but get real. You WILL NOT get 'good' speakers that 'sound great' with any semblence of hi-fi quality, for a few hundred dollars. (Not that the more you pay, the more accurate a speaker is :-) If you want 'hi-fi' and have no budget, get smaller better (accurate) monitors, then add appropriate sub woofers later (size to room!). Think long range. Sometimes it takes years to develope a system with any semblence of 'true to the original' sonics. Many 'audiophiles' trade pre-owned gear (AudiogoN.com for instance) as they develop the expertise to put together a decent system that will play back with some accuracy what is on the CD (or other source material). In the process one can use an extremely accurate affordable set of hearphones ($100 Shure E2, tested and approved as a reference for speaker designers) to hear a given CD, then compare to the sonic quality of your system (and/or its setup). You can also use them with an iPod, and if you record your music in .WAV format, your walkman will sound better (true to the original) than any consumer electronics system, and even most audiophile systems. I guarantee it :-) |
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Sounds Pretty Good Unregistered guest | I bought a pair of the SLT 2.8 speakers for $350 and plugged them into my old Onkyo receiver and cranked it up. They sound better than the speakers that came with the system I bought back then. For you guys that say they are crap, well then they're pretty good sounding crap. |
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New member Username: HomedesignPost Number: 44 Registered: 01-2004 | The audiophile population has suggested the 'sound' of a playback system is 'subjective', and indeed it can be. But, that has not to do so much with the actual sonic characteristics of the system as the chosen mind set of the listener. Enter the 'psycho-acoustic' phenomenon: when the telephone was first introduced to the public, the popular opinion was, 'it sounds just like talking to someone in person!'. Of course that has yet to achieved, even in the digitial age. Imagine how poor the 'sound' actually was then. How does the system (or an individual component) 'sound'? Compared to what? If 'true to the original' is one's goal, then to a 'live' performace. Or at least in as much as the recording captured the reality of that 'live' performance. And how much was 'altered' to 'improve' the artists work; the acoustic quality of the recording environment; the mic'g and engineering of the event, and of the quality of the equipment being used. We are left with comparing a system to whatever made it on to a given CD: the good, the bad, and the absolutely terrible. So, other than being more selective in the sonic quality of CD purchases, the best we can do replicate what a given recording offers: as accurately as possible. The Catch 22: systems contributing distortion at every turn will mask even that. So how is one to determine what is the system, its setup, and what is on the CD? Good question, and the real dilluma of the audiophile. Solutions: find reliable, tested, CD(s) to be used as reference (plural: it is always best to use several tracks, and a variety of styles, of music for evaluation purposes). See the Music link at www.linkwitzlab.com for instance. Or invest in earphones that have been tested for reference quality sonic characteristics. One such pair can be purchased ($100 Shure E2 www.samedaymusic.com test and review also at linkwitzlab.com), which can then also used with your iPod, or walkman, etc. But then, when you have aquired accurate speakers (appropriate for the room they will operate in), achieved a setup to maximize their capablity (while at the same time minimizing the effects of room pressure mode anomolies), you will then be in a position to evaluate the sonic characteristics of your CD collection. Be warned though, when you have spent some time experiencing some semblence of 'realism' with accurate speakers, coupled with a distortion free amp, and good setup, many of your favorite album's sonic qualities will become intolerable. To the point you may very well, sadly, give them a deserved burial in your trash bin, or will have test their usefulness as a frizbee (my preferred method: to express anger for having been ripped off). Poplular opinion, consumer electronics sales staff, and magazine reviewers notwithstanding, trust you own ears: 'Regrettably, much misinformation and outright nonsense have been spread to promote certain "high-end audio" products. The power of suggestion works exceedingly well, when listeners cannot trust their own hearing. I recommend to re-calibrate yourself frequently. Listen closely to all sorts of un-amplified sounds in order to recognize and remember natural aural patterns. It becomes an endless and futile pursuit to listen for and try to evaluate differences between speakers, equipment and accessories without a reality based mental reference.' <www.linkwitzlab.com> Remember, its about the music, as the artists created it. They play to the hall, you know. They are listeing to the acoustics and contributing appropriate and creative subtlties (which are the first to go when poorly mic'd, or over mixed at the whim of the producer, or engineer, 'helping' the musicians with their $250k room sized mixing console. |
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Anonymous | sellout mmkay! did a 6 today. |
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Anonymous | Canyon Audio is an authorized rep for these speakers. It looks like they're doing it the right way by offering decent prices, a money back guarantee and a sales receipt. You can find them on the Internet at |
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Anonymous | I have bought the Dahlton 2500ti speakers on ebay and have not yet received them but after reading this I see that they are apparently a scam. Does anyone know of the actual quality of these speakers and anything about the actual origins of the company? |
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New member Username: BasfrommobayPost Number: 7 Registered: 12-2003 | I went on the Canyon Audio site. The speakers are offered for $235/pair. WC79-52 looks good. Many of the contributors to this forum claim that they sound good. That may be so, but I would have to hear them before giving my money to the guys in the van. It is legal to "puff" (exagerate the performance and perceived quality) Look at the power ratings assigned to Receivers and Amplifiers sold by so called legitimate manufacturers-Sony,Yamaha,Onkyo etc. Remember the maxim-"if it too good to be true...." The specifications from the Canyon Audio web site are set out below. FS280E Home Tower Speakers. Dense MDF construction, dual 8 inch drivers, single tweeter, Bass reflex design. All of the usual JSD Sound features, Big full sound, at an easily affordable price. Frequency response 40hz - 20khz, Sensitivity 89dB, Impedence 8ohms, Power 5-120 watts. Available in Black/Gold, Black/Silver, and Natural/Black. Sensivity is lower than I would like, frequency response is acceptable. These appear to be low grade speakers. But for $200.00/pair- what can you expect. If approached by the "van guys" and you cannot afford to lose $200, get them tested before paying. Some of the contributors said the "van guys" delivered the speakers to their homes and connected them. Try that option if you do not mind having strangers in your house. If you have a boom box with "speaker-out" option, tell the sellers to meet you later and connect the boom-box to the speakers. At least you would be certain that you are not buying an empty shell and get a fair opionion of the sound. Ignore the part of the speech about surplus stock, hiding from the boss etc. That is just salesmanship catering to the greedy and unethical side that many of us have. |
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Didn't get scammed Unregistered guest | Yeah these guys tried to get me too. Too bad I am skeptical and broke. These jerks said they needed the cash for going to a "t*tty bar." They wanted $500, I said no. They said then "at least $200, and some for beer" What kind of a line is that? T*tty bar? Beer? Ha. Oh yeah, one little detail they missed: people that install speakers usually take handy little things like TOOLS and CABLE, of which they had none. Not very believable... |
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Bronze Member Username: HomedesignPost Number: 47 Registered: 01-2004 | I think you all are making way too much of this issue. If you are willing to use speakers in the $200 price range, and they are not just for your computer, then what difference does it make where you get them. I can assure you though that they will NOT, because they CANNOT, 'sound good' (whatever that means). Speakers that sound 'good', if you take that to mean that they have some degree of accuracy, that is, they can playback what is on the source material without so much distortion that it ends up being somethin quite different than what is recorded there, it will cost more like $2000 than $200. Of course you can spend $2000 and get something that isn't much better than the $200 pair as well. But it is not possible to manufacturer a speaker system with any degree of accracy for a few hundred that reaches as low as 40hz. Though perhaps a 'good' pair of bookshelf monitors that only go down to 60-80hz, which may be appropriate for a very small room anyway, or for an installation where they cannot set into the room away from side and head walls. If you are interested in 'audiophile' (accurate) sound reproduction, and are on a low budget, check out Stereophile magazine for a Class 'C', or entry level monitors. The difference being, there are some manufactuers who do aspire to achieve some accuracy in budget systems. As opposed to the Consumer Electronics products that make no such effort. For instance, B&W makes a complete line of fine dynamic driver box speakers at the various price levels. Their cheapest speaker will be as good as you can get at that range, and for what they are. That is, not pretending to provide what a Full Ranger system with several drivers of various sizes to handle a wide frequency range, and appropriate for larger rooms. Their best speaker is $8k (Nautilus 801). But their two way monitors (for surround systems) are as 'good' as they can be and are very affordable. The Spica TC-50 (about $500) is an entry level audiophile level box speaker. Its all about accuracy, and freuency range. An audiophile will want accuracy first. Then frequency range. Hence, a quality monitor that is accurate to around 60-70hz. The Magnapan, or Martin-Logan planer, or ELS will do the best job and are relatively affordable. Then you can add accurate woofers that extend the range to 25-40hz (depending on room size) later. A preowned pair of Maggies can probably be optained for around $750 and will sound 'pristine' in mids, upper bass, and high end. If you have a small room, that will be the best you can do and should be satisfying until you setup in an average size family, or living room that perhaps can handle bass down to 20-40hz. It takes a 24 feet long room to accomodate a 25hz frequency. Anything less, and anything that plays that low will just distort and smear the entire frequency range. So if you cannot equalize it out, its best to not have speakers that will play lower than the room is big. Even if you EQ it out, its just a waste of money, and the price of the EQ to boot. Or if you play it anyway, you have wasted the money on accurate speakers. So you might as well go for the consumer electronics models and enjoy the music as for as long as you can stand the distortion. It will cause you to turn it down so low as to not be so annoying, or will drive you out of the room, or you will just think of something else to do than listen to music after short periods. Audiophiles call it 'fatigue'. Accurate speaker, sized for room, well set up, and powered by a distoriton free amp will not cause this fatigue but will offer long periods of musical enjoyment. But not for a few hundred dollars. If that is all you spend, and you care about accuracy, there are some 'reference' earphones that will 'reveal' what is recorded on the source material for as low as $100 (Shure E2). If you rather are going for $200 speakers, forget about it. They cannot be any 'good'. For what its worth. |
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New member Username: CpazPost Number: 1 Registered: 02-2004 | I just got scam today by the Dahlton speakers guys....same story as the ones before...If anyone is interested in this speakers please let me know. I will let them go to a lost for me (I pay $300 willing to sell for less). email:ce_paz@msn.com Phila, PA (or I can send it to anywhere in the US) |
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T-non-y-mous Unregistered guest | I feel better now! Knowing that im not the onley one that was scammed. But when they aproched me and showed me what they had, all I could think about was how great those two KV 2500Ti's whould look next to my new sony 65inch projection TV,so I caved in and gave them 200.00 for the pair+ 20.00 for the titee bar. lol PS: It was three felas in a white van in the home depot parking lot in willow grove Pennsylvania. |
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Anonoymous Unregistered guest | I'll let you know whe're you can find them in Atl. |
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Silver Member Username: Project6Post Number: 250 Registered: 12-2003 | check this out nice little undercover work |
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Anonymous | As I have suggested before, these speakers should be about $200/pair. That is a little below Canyon Audio's price of $237/pair. At least the buyers who pay under $250 get a decent looking piece of furniture that has a dual role as a low grade speaker. These guys in the vans are informal sellers and those of you who feel "scammed and violated" should only blame your own sense of greed and desire to get "something for nothing ($1500/pair speakers for $400/pair). The speaker is the single most important part of a music system. Go to stores, listen- then buy what sounds good to you and that you can afford. If the speakers sold by the these guys in the white van sound good to you- that is also good- if you can get them for $200/pair. |
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Anonymous | I got a some of these things-- sounds like I got taken too... I have the opportunity to nail this guy... is it worth it to get the cops involved? I'm meeting the guy this again friday. Or should I just forget it? email me at jumpandlink@yahoo.com if you think this scam qualifies as "illegal" and maybe they'll get busted. |
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stop crying Unregistered guest | EVERYONE WHO SAYS THEY GOT SCAMMED its your own fault. I WOULD NEVER BUY SOMETHING OFF THE STREET FROM SOMEONE. I CANT BELEIVE YOU ALL WERE SO FOOLISH.. HAHAH ITS SORT OF SAD - SORT OF FUNNY. There are so many suckers out there. buwahahahahahahahahahha |
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mike alexander Unregistered guest | i live in montreal canada. lots of people selling here two. anyone know anything about the theater reasearch speakers? friends of mine sell them. email me. |
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the eradicator Unregistered guest | well instead of sittin here and feelin less of ourselves for being scammed why dont we get revenge. nothing better than a little vigilante justice am i right. how hard is it to find out where these businesses operate from, i found a few just on this posting. that or suck up your loss. why dont people feel scammed at a restaurant when they pay $1.50 for about 2 cents worth of soda, or a pizza for 10 dollars that cost the pizza shop about$1.70 to make, including electric for the oven and the labor of having it made. why do people not feel scammed when its from a legitimate business. you know what more power to these fools. they are workin harder than most CEO's and basically doin the same thing, making you give them your money. yeah a one dollar service fee for taking your money out of your account isnt a scam at all now is it. i bet if you bought the same speakers from best buy youd say they sounded incredible. dont forget youve been told what to think your whole life |
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Bronze Member Username: HomedesignPost Number: 52 Registered: 01-2004 | [eradicator] Best comment yet. It is not so much a scam, as a marketing strategy. You all got what you paid for. Its just that like all retailers, they make you believe you are getting more than you paid for. Of course they would go out of business if that were true. So these guys make you belive it by acting like a fence instead of an audio authority (which you will NOT find in a consumer electronics store, by the way). 'Let the buyer beware'. (A.Wiseman) |
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the eradicator Unregistered guest | yeah i was taken for a fool but i was also able to get the address of where their warehouse is locally and got my money back, i did have to make 2 trips bc there was no one there the first time i went so i would advise a call first or get there early in the morning before they do. i did have to drive about 150 miles but at least i dont have the constant reminder of my stupidity. maybe ill foget how i was duped and end up buying some swamp land |
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positive feedback Unregistered guest | Alright, now you would believe from all these stories I would now complain about being scammed. When in all actuuallity, i think I got a good deal. I paid 200.00 for my kv 2500 ti's. I then hooked them up to my kenwoood suuround system and guess what. I had all the windows rattling, and the walls vibrating with each thump of the bass. Granted they do not have the best bass in the world. What they do have is a good crisp, clean sound with decent bass that does the job more that adequatley. When I looked on the net to find out more about these speakers. It was not to see how much I was ripped off, but to find out how much I ripped them off. I also noticed that it seems that you need to do four step when hooking up thse speakers. One, use thick gauge speaker wire. Two, have at least a hundred watts going through the speakers. Three, do put the feet on them as they seem to need the stability. Four, make sure when you hook them up, that you hook up positive to positive, and negative to negative. That is all I did, and like I said, they sound great. Also to all of you that are complaining that you got scammed before you hook them up. Try hooking them up before you complain about buying good quaility speakers for a very cheap price. |
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Hook them up Unregistered guest | I bought a pair of KV 2500's from a friend who bought them for $200 from the van. He was so bummed about being "ripped-off" he never bothered to hook them up. I bought them for $100 and I am very happy. I have an Onkyo s760 HTIB and it does rock the house when I turn it up. I agree with the last post. Stop moaning a hook them up. I do not think they are $1800 speakers, but they are a good deal if you get them cheap enough. |
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nobobdy ;-) Unregistered guest | you people that do this are not entrapeuneres at all it's just more of your lies. people like you will end up in jail, beaten, or dead. its a short run for you, grabbin that quick buck but u don't realize u are really the ones getting used. keep it up! and get back to us in 10 yrs let us know how it's going ok?? HAHAHAHAH losers. |
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stupid girl got swindled Unregistered guest | hey people..im glad i got scammed today by the speaker guys. it made me realize how stupid and eager someone can be. yeah, i lost $200 bucks, but what i think i really lost today was my pride. so here i stand with two new speakers in the back of my truck..too humiliated to bring inside. i think im going to leave them there so it can be a good reminder to myself how foolish and idiotic i can be..live and learn right? |
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The tard who got scammed Unregistered guest | 400 for a pair that was suppose to be 2200 for the pair; man I'm a retard but I'll hook em up and see if they suck or not. Its not too moral but I can see how it isn't much different from a real business but these guys suck... and I was soo close to not buyin' them... I'm a tard... |
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New member Username: Thegrobe2000Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-04 | I ran into these guys about 8-9 months ago in the albertsons parking lot in Santa Barbara. They gave me the whole story about excess inventory, etc..."it would be like giving a computer back to Bill Gates", blah blah.....anyway.. I knew I was getting a cheap set of speakers and YOU KNOW WHAT ??? THEY SOUND PRETTY DAMN GOOD FOR 200 BUCKS AND I WILL BUY ANOTHER SET AS SOON AS I CAN. (I have his phone number- which I will not share with any of you, as you all seem interested in "kicking their butts") Anyone complaining about getting ripped off is full of crap. If you really thought that you were getting 2300 dollar speakers then you would have been guilty of receiving stolen property... Is that what you would prefer? To be a genuine criminal? These guys are selling a fairly decent product without all the overhead associated with a store. I tell you, these are the best sounding speakers I have ever owned, and I am happy with my purchase. Go to an electronics store and see what you get for 200 out the door.... garbage. These are a fairly decent sounding and good looking set that won't break the bank and I am looking forward to adding another pair to my modest Sony tuner and tv and dvd and cd system. They sound EXCELLENT FOR THE PRICE, AND YOU ALL HAVE THE OPTION OF NOT BUYING THEM!! DON'T LET YOUR GREED DICTATE WHAT YOU THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN!! |
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New member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 10 Registered: Dec-03 | "All you guys that think you got "scammed" are probably not very knowledgeable about home theatre equipment. I notice that no one has actually tested this equipment out and proven that the components are not worth the value advertised." "They sound EXCELLENT FOR THE PRICE" You guys crack me up. Check it out. http://www.gr-research.com/dahlton.htm |
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New member Username: Thegrobe2000Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-04 | P.S. The ones I got are the DPA 2.8i towers. I think that they sound pretty damn good, considering they cost 200 for the pair. I cannot vouch for the dalton ones in you article or any other "white van speakers". Anybody who thinks they are getting thousands of dollars of equipment for pennies "cracks me up" too. I just think they are decent for around 200 or so |
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j.j. Unregistered guest | I see a lot of posters saying "they sound good for 200 bucks!" Apparently you don't know what $200 can buy speaker wise. KLH or Pioneers can be had for $100, have warranties, and sound a lot better than these "van" speakers. I've heard plenty of these rip off speakers and if you're still intent on buying them offer the guys about $40 for the pair. That's being generous. |
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Speaker Report Unregistered guest | Check this news report about the speaker guys! The end is coming you completely crooked speaker idiots! |
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A Great Idea Unregistered guest | IF YOU WANT TO POSTPONE BATTERING THEIR HEADS: Here is a different approach to the problem, please note that you can only use this if you did not buy from them and was only offered, if you bought in the past and you want to get back at them then use this the next time. As always if you can get this on tape it's much stronger but since you are strangers your statement will be strong in court. Most, if not all of the white van scams, say that they have speakers that do not belong to them, maybe their boss over stocked their van or maybe a mistake in inventory, any way you look at it they are admitting to sell[ing] items that they are not the legal owners of! Refuse to buy and take a note of the license plate, call the police and do not report an attempt to scam you but an attempt to sell you stolen goods! here is where it becomes fun, they will come in for questioning and most likely say that they are the legal owners of the speakers and show receipts and yes they will prove that it is not stolen, but trying to sell you items under the presentation of stolen is a conspiracy to commit a crime. Again note, if you have bought from them do not use it, if you agreed to buy thinking that they might be stolen or they might not be the rightful owners will get you convicted of the same crime! at this point they have a choice of which crime to confess to, theft and the attempt to sell stolen goods or conspiracy to commit a crime, both carry jail time. Good luck, be careful, try to get it on tape (audio or video) and if you really want to get them this will work but be ready to give statements and spend some time in court. (from a user post on That is a beautiful idea! |
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Speaker Report Unregistered guest | Check this news report about the speaker guys! The end is coming you completely crooked speaker idiots! |
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Anonymous | A GREAT IDEA-The writer needs to have his head examined. He is suggesting taping the negotiations then report the matter to the police. WHAT ABOUT THE TIME INVOLVED? A buyer who falls for the usual lines that the sellers use (boss made a mistake) make the buyers gullible, unethical and with criminal intent -receiving stolen property is a felony. Which gullible and unethical buyer would desire to invest time and possible arrest to seek revenge for $200-300? If you want a "deal", buy a discontinued speaker model from a recognized retailer. Otherwise, do not complain. |
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ANGRY Unregistered guest | These criminals got me in St. Cloud MN. I got thier plate #'s before I bought them. MN DEP 024. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY INFO ON WHERE TO FIND THESE GUYS PLEASE POST LOCATION . THEY WHERE SELLING DIGITAL RESEARCH SPEAKERS AND THEY SOUND LIKE CRAP. ANYBODY WHO TELLS YOU THESE SPEAKERS SOUND GOOD IS IN ON THE SCAM. |
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wickywhat Unregistered guest | I would like to start off my thread by saying that i have read every single posting on this message board. After buying the kv 2500 ti speakers from street guys, I am very pleased with the speakers. I paid $200.00 for the pair. I admit, i didnt want to buy the speakers, but i figured "what the hell?", I will at least look to see what these guys are selling. They showed me the speakers and they looked very nice. I had never heard of the brand name (Dahlton), and I had no way of knowing whether or not they even worked. But after about 15 minutes of negotiating and simply talking to these guys, i figured well, for 200 dollars its worth a shot. I myself like to keep up with the electronic world, and i knew that no matter where i went or what brand i chose to buy i could not buy speakers like these for any less than $200, so i gave it a shot. I felt very guilty after buying them and tried to sell them 45 minutes after to some guys at work, just to get my money back. Let me say, that i dont have a large income, and that i go to college, so money is hard to come by. I just knew that i had spent money on something that i didnt want. But, I also knew that i like electronics and that these speakers looked bada**! After unsuccessful attempts to sell them, i decided to go home and to see just what i had bought. LET Me tell you! These speakers are byfar some of the best speakers that i have ever heard. And please believe me, i am not one of the guys selling these speakers out of the vans, whether you believe me or not i really dont care. I am very satisfied witht the purchase and would buy from them again. The next day i decided to go to best buy to buy some better speaker wire (monster cable) for my speakers, and i was conversing witht the representative. She asked me what kind of speakers I had, and i told her dahlton loudspeakers. Her response was "really, those are nice speakers!" She was apparently very familiar with the brand which gave me more assurance that i had not made such a sh*tty transaction. In fact, she let me know that best buy doesnt sell this brand for the fact that they are very costly ( and not appealing to their aveage customer that wants to spend an average of $1000 or less for the entire sound system) with their lower end receiver starting at around $700.00. Ok, now this woman was either in with the van guys or she knows what she is talking about, i like to think it is the latter. I recently talked to a friend in the sound/electronic business and he also assured me that they are very quality speakers. So here is the only thing i am wondering, where are these speakers coming from. Are they actually stolen? what is the deal? It doesnt matter to me. I just read a thread from tmn8ter (located 8 threads above mine) with a link that explains all this physics stuff. All that jargon is worthless to me and probably most all the rest of the posters here. I graduated colled with B/S in Biology with pre-med emphasis and i had to take physicsI and II. I hated the class and everything to do with it, but here is what i am getting at. I dont care about that sh*t, all i know is that to my ears these are some bad a** speakers for low cost. I think that if you are approached by these guys, offer them $100 as i am sure they will probably take it. I feel for the company making these products that are being sold this cheap, but hey isnt it time we as the consumer get a break. The name is what you are paying for when you buy "Brand Name" items. Just because it is name brand, does not mean that you cant find something very cheap and perform the same way as they do. Dont get me wrong, name brand items are very good most of the time, but hell they better be for that kind of money especially in the electronic world. Just for instance, take Jordan tennis shoes. Just because they have jordan on them the price is set at atound $200 dollars. that is ridiculous. YOu know what i have on right now? $1.74 flip flops from walmart. I am very comfortable and not worried that they will get eaten by a dog. YOu get what i am saying? I hope so. Just dont be fooled by designer things. And just for your own information, whenever you buy colognes and perfumes (you pay on average $30-$60 for the box and bottle. How do i know this, my wife sells designer fragrances! I know this was long, but i just wanted to put my 2 cents in. I like the speakers and wouldnt get rid of them. They are exactly what i thought i was getting, and i am glad. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for tmn8ter, i wasnt trying to sh*t on you, i was just giving my perspective on things, but also,anytime you show stuff like that, show something to compare them to. I didnt see any graphs and such for yamaha, klipsh, bose, kenwood, sony, pioneer, cerwin vega, or any other name brand speakers. You need to do better research before presenting facts, just to let you know. I am not mad at you, just letting you know man  Thanks again! |
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Bronze Member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 12 Registered: Dec-03 | You're kidding right? Part of the scam is naming the speakers something similar to a high-quality brand. Of course Best Buy doesn't carry these. You want comparison graphs? http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/paradigm_studio100_v3/ |
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Anonymous | Lancaster, PA. Red Rose Commons in the Circuit City parking lot. Witnessed these two low-lifes from Philly sucker a guy out of 200 or more bucks. I say "or more" because they followed him to the ATM at the Weis Market and I heard they will actually try to look at the account over your shoulder and see if you have more money. Not knowing about the scam until I came home and looked it up on here, I still could sniff this one out pretty well. One thing that swindlers do is they control the conversation. So when I asked a question while he was showing this other guy the speakers, they didn't answer. It was a simple one. "Why don't you just sell them online or at an open-air market, you will get much more of your money back that way?" Listen folks, its supply and demand. Nobody DESPERATELY NEEDS to dump anything thats a great item and settle for pennies on the dollar. Think. Someone will snatch it up if you just put a ten dollar ad in a newspaper and put the brand name and model if its so great. Anyway, I took down all the specs and plate number on their white van as they were heading over to the ATM and I called the cops. Unfortunately if it were one block away OUTSIDE Lancaster City, the cops would have been there right away and I could have watched it all go down. Instead I watched them get on the highway and head back toward Philly. Lancaster City Police , or police in any city in America for that matter, what do you expect. |
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Anonymous | a great deal of posts from conned victims! When offered $200 speakers from the back of a truck, some say yes, and some say no thanks. Some feel they got "taken" and post their stories hoping others can learn from their experience. Others want to validate or justify their expense as a worthwhile investment. Afterwards can a buyer still feel good about their $200 speaker purchase? |
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sambuka Unregistered guest | My dad just got stoped by these guy in home depo...NJ... he got the Dahlton kv 2500 ti speakers for $100. they were not even open and look realy good...but i never even heard of Dahlton is that even a real company or what... we still havnt pluged them in cause we need to get a cable for um...but ill post back to let ya know how they sound..... |
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Silver Member Username: GmanMt. Pleasant, SC Post Number: 327 Registered: Dec-03 | There is nothing like buying a speaker you never heard before, a brand you never heard OF before, and from people you've never heard of before and will probably never see again. This is what is known as a 'short con". Getting the confidence of someone (that should know you are an illegimate poseur), into believing you are doing them an immense favor at the world's best bargain price. |
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Bronze Member Username: OkiecaverOklahoma City, Oklahoma USA Post Number: 26 Registered: Feb-04 | My grand daddy told me this along time in dealing with scmmars The 3 Whys Why did the con artist single me out? Why are they so intent on selling this way? Why do I think I need them? I have to agree with G-man, Mr. McAmis and the Computer Geek Lady. This is a con. And there really is no excuse for it these days. Fluance, Dana Audio, and a host of other make top quality speakers for not much more than what the street peddlers ( and they are peddlers) are asking. If you want something with that look, check out Swan Speakers They sell legitimate, mid level, made in China audio gear both on the web or thru bricks and mortars, where you can hear them. I'm personally excited about the better grade Chinese stuff coming here. Especially since Mark Levinson admitted that his vaunted Red Rose line was actually OEM'ed in China. But stay away from the white van garbage. It just aint worth the bitterness and remorse. Happy Listening Brock |
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Jack Benny Unregistered guest | Lucky me, I got my money back. |
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Westin Unregistered guest | i was approached by two guys in a white van who wanted 800 for them because they said some guy just tried to write them a check for that much...i wanted them for 200-300 but ended up payin the guy 400 for them....he showed me the magazine and all that said they were worth 1800 dollars...i feel ripped off. i was walkin to my car in the bank parkin lot in coopersburg Pa. thats between bethlehem and allentown. they guys said they were from norristown and his boss gave him to much stock of the dahlton KV 2500ti speakers. figured i was gettin a good deal because they were 1800 and i was only paying 400...havent listened to them yet..prob gonna try and sell them for more than what i paid...WHAT OUT FOR THOSE DAMN WHITE VANS OFFERING YOU SPEAKERS. THEY ARE LYING |
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Marco Unregistered guest | Charleston, SC Some fcukers are down here too. I was taken for $200 bucks on a pair of MTS 2328 speakers. They gave me the whole fake magazine thing and EVEN did the whole money for beer thing at the end of our little "transaction." At least they work? I'm guessing i'll just end up selling them to some other bonehead, because thats what I am. Also, they have some site that puts up these particular speakers that apperently is a manufacturers website. Newsflash, putting up a website isn't all that hard. I truely beleive that I'm a product of some elaborate sale scheme that makes you think your getting a good deal, when your really not. I seriously have speakers that cost me 20 bucks that sound just as good. We've all been scammed. Live and learn... |
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Anonymous | They are in Texas now add me to the list of boneheads. 250.00 plus a case of beer. All the above stories,the overstocked white van, the 1,700 dollar price, he opened the box showed the speakers they looked ok like that will make them sound good Ha! All I can say is I knew better and went for it anyway, so I will chalk this up to the can I get any more stupid club. |
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Anonymous | Check this out. I was approached with the same M.O. on stevens creek blvd in santa clara, CA and I got the DPA SLT 2.8 along with the surround sound system (like 5.1 or something) for like 200 bucks. They sat in my garage for the longest time until I heard some rumors of a scam going on. Then I happened to see the SAME three guys in the same linclon navigator and the same M.O. in los gatos, CA. So me and 4 of my friends followed them for 2 hours. Finally they returned to a house in MT.View and we approached them. Lets just say babies dont cry for mercy like these biatchs did. They had so many of these speakers in there garage. They offered us money, more speakers, even a noname plasma screen not to rat them to five-o. But in the end i just kindly as them for my money back and kept the merchandise. They actually dont sound that bad. I guess you can say that those hustlers got hustled. |
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Anonymous | They are in the Seattle areas too. My son bought a set of SLT 2.8's. He paid $200 for two towers. I hope they sound good. Dave |
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Anonymous | Yeah. Another one in San Diego. By the La Jolla Village Drive entrance at UCSD. $200 for some Audiofile 583LRs. We should all know better. Red expedition. Florida plates. It would be nice if the person above who followed them home posted the address so others can do the same. |
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Anonymous | i was also approached by two guys in a van at autozone in memphis TN. i was going to buy the speakers but figured they were stolen. these two guys will put pressure on you to get you to buy them. they told me to pop my trunk and they would put one in my car and we would go to the bank to get the money for the other one. if you really want those speakers they will come off thier price.. i got them down to like 120 for both. but decided not to get them since they were idiots. they gave me the whole spill of thier boss giving them extra speakers and they were tring to get rid of them. i asked a local police friend of mine if they were possibly stolen. he said probably not....just really really cheap maybe not even worth 15 bucks. |
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Unregistered guest | Guess what? they are now in Athens Ga.I bought a pair of 2500's for $200.00 and I was getting the cash from the ATM it was the same thing"your getting a great deal can I get an extra 20 for beer" Haven't hooked them up yet. As I read all the comments looks like 50/50 (good/bad) sure hope I'm in the first 50%. Anyway let the buyer beware as greed has no friends. looks like they like "white vans") |
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IHateWhiteVans Unregistered guest | I was taken around Los Angeles, CA. Another creep in a white van. I got a pair of 2500's and the 5.1 surround for $230. The thing is that on the "manufacturer's warranty" he left his real name and phone number, hoping I'd call him back to get some business from my friends. After I found out I was duped, I set up another meeting, telling him I wanted more. So we met again, I wanted to take a stun gun, knock him out, and take my money back (or make his life a living hell) but my family talked me out of it. Well, when we met, I said I wanted my money back and he kept insisting he was legit. When I began to call the cops, he left as fast as he could. I called him back and all he did was swear and yell, saying I made HIM lose a lot of business by keeping him for so long. Well, that seemed like my only chance to get my money back and I blew it. Should've gone with the stun gun. Anyway, his name is Tim Murray from Laguna Niguel, CA and his number is (949) 495-2711. If anyone can find me an address to match this number, I'd appreciate it. If not, please call that number with death threats. |
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Roger Unregistered guest | I was approached by a white van with two young men trying to sell me a home theater system for $500 and a pair of KV 2500ti speakers for $500 saying that they were an overshipment that could not be returned. They eventually came down to $360 for each set but I told them I had to go to the bank to get the money. I called my wife and had her look up the speakers on the webb and she read to me about the scam. It pissed me off and so I called the police who quickley showed up on the scene and cited them for peddling without a permit. That's all they could do to them because what they are doing is not illegal even though it is chickenshit. This is one time I didn't get it shoved up me. Ha! |
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taken Unregistered guest | I bought these damn speakers a few days ago in melbourne florida. Im such a moron, but oh well. I paid 400 for a pair of digital audio sl-3810s. The guys smelled like alcohol and pitched me the same story. I guess its an alright deal, but i dont even need these speakers. Maybe ill give them to my sister for a house warming gift. Why isnt this story on 20/20 or somethin so everyone will be aware of these scammers. |
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Pdidie Unregistered guest | yeah i got had in missouri. now i know how victims feel. i paid $300 for a pair of tr-2800's. i dont know why the heck i did that? it all happened so fast. this sucks, o well! |
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Anonymous | As of 4/21/04 They're in Rancho Cucamonga, CA headed for Victorville. 2 white males (the talker looks like Fred Durst) in a black pick-up truck. |
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New member Username: PalmharborPalm Harbor, Florida Usa Post Number: 4 Registered: Apr-04 | Many, many things now are knocked off in China. They take a well known brand name or similar brand name. Its junk in the long run. My brother was an executive for sony electronics and even in the sony factories in China he said they have a return rate of over 30%. Within a year the voice coil will be rubbing and they will be dead meat. the chinese have bought the names: DUAL, PHILCO, BELL & HOWELL ETC.and people will think they are buying a product with a good reputation but they just got suckered. Some of this stuff could be stolen from the docks too. Gee, maybe that had some nice Cartier Tank Watches for sale for about $100 too...how about a new diet where you can eat all the chocolate ice cream you want and lose weight? |
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Unregistered guest | I got taken for 200$ here in Richmond VA. I havent hooked them up, but I found the site looking for info on the speakers. Sure, I felt like a dumba$$, but I hope they sound good. Meanwhile, I used to be a skiptracer and I can try and help find any of these guys if you have thier numbers or names and whatever. I found my guy in HErndon VA, and called him, I hope to try and get my money back rather than keep them. PS, the guy on April 17th in CA looking for Tim Murray, his number Is listed in netdetective, and he lives in ZIP code 92675 in some city called San Juan Capistrano, or Orange County. Good luck. If anyone knows where these guys warehouse is in VA I want to know. Please. Later fellow fools. |
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IHateWhiteVans Unregistered guest | Hey JasonQW, do you know a specific address for Tim Murray? Some searches I do show up with Laguna Niguel, some show up with San Juan Capistrano. If you can help me find any specifics, it would really help, and I'll try to make sure there's one less person scamming people for their hard earned money. |
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Mine Were FREE Unregistered guest | Hey Guys, Why is everyone complaining. No one forced you to buy these speakers. From all of the posts that I have read, $200.00 is the going price and when you use monster cables and the little feet, they sound good. I mean what do you expect for $200.00? The best thing is, I got mine FREE. Yes, FREE. I found them on the side of the road and put them in my vehicle. Nobody was around and I saw no white van. They were still taped up and since no one was around, I took them. I am very pleased with them. I would say they are worth around $200 dollars but no beer money. |
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clubman Unregistered guest | hey, i did my research and read these posts before i bought them. i hate scammers so i gave them a taste of their own medicine and used my old checking w/ my old address and no money in the account. I was even like let me through in another 50 since you gusy are giving me such a good deal. Man do i wish i could see their face wen they go to cash that check!!! and all these posts saying they are decent . . THEY ARE THE SCAMMERS!!! Its a sh#t brand, they sound decent at first but blow easily and dont last long at all!!! |
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New member Username: NatediggidyBaltimore, Maryland U.S.A. Post Number: 7 Registered: May-04 | These guys sometimes go into pawn shops hoping to unload this junk and often settle for around $60-$80 for a pair because we know just what they are. So to all who paid around $200 for these and think they got a good deal, there ain't no "polite" word for what they did to you. |
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Unregistered guest | The Dahlton Van has hit Granbury Texas. Same story, two guys over stocked. I got the KV2500 and the AV5.1 System. Be happy to get rid of them |
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Anonymous | What's amazing is this has been going on for years. I got approached while in college back in the late eighties and didnt buy them because I flat out didnt have any money. |
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Unregistered guest | Hey, i just got hit by 2 guys in a white dodge caravan in Nanaimo BC. Got their driver's licence number and name, and the plates off the van. Speakers sond awesome tho. paid 500cdn for 2 tr-1110. Should i contact the authoroties? |
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TI1 Unregistered guest | You said the speakers sound awesome and agreed to buy so why the cop??? )) |
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Anonymous | Hey, ive seen these guys like 3 times turned them down twice at my work in Massachusettes then they came back the third time and got someone else at my work and hit them for 600 and i trien telling them it was a scam but they didnt believe me but that was after they bought the 2 late sorry..but anyways if your dumb enough to believe them mabey they should have your 600 dollers i like reading the threads about the people who screwed the by canceling there checks LOL |
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carlito12 Unregistered guest | Lincoln, Nebraska Here- I had not heard of the scam but figured it was crap. I bought 2 pair of the 1500's for $250 bucks. 06/02/04 They don't sound bad but I almost paid $500-It's crazy how everything they did was exactly how everyone has discribed it on the board. Even a White Van-Same Scenario-2 Guys-Pot-Etc |
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Anonymous | Does anyone know who makes the componets? What are they actually worth? I have heard about $50. What can they actually handle? Are they comparable to any speakers on the market. I now know they are junk-but just wanted some answers? Thanks |
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Silver Member Username: GmanMt. Pleasant, SC Post Number: 550 Registered: Dec-03 | There are a bunch of OEM speaker companies in Asia (China especially) and there are even Chinese (and other Asian companies) that are just inexpensive and unscrupulous places that buy tweeters, midranges, and woofers from $1 to $4- buy or build the speaker boxes (either painted or vinyl covered) and just crank them out with little to no testing. They probably have no research and development department and just connect the drivers with inexpensive passive crossovers. They ship maybe 5,000-10,000 or more pairs to (possibly a US buyer) at maybe a total cost of $25--$50/each delivered by ship to the West Coast. The buyer sends to a printer a run of 10,000 phony invoices and 10,000 phony ads and reviews to appear professional and away they go. I doubt they are comparable to any known speaker made by any reputable speaker company. For all I know a con man (or a few con men) in the US told a Chinese speaker company to put the most inexpensive drivers in a speaker box that looks presentable to sell. The speaker box, the phony sales literature/invoices/reviews and cartons (along with the shipping price to this continent) are probably worth far more than the speakers. It is unimportant what they can handle in wattage--that has almost no bearing on sound quality. A good speaker manufacturer carefully matches the drivers, crossovers, and mates the "guts" with proper non-resonant boxes that do more than just house the drivers. It is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I wouldn't pay anything for it. But there are people that bought "Pet Rocks" 20 years ago for $5 or more. |
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papabeaunr Unregistered guest | I happen to find it morally unethical to leave a sucker with his money, theY could hurt someone with it you know. THANKIN' GOD EVERYDAY & LOVIN' IT IN THE MW |
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Bronze Member Username: Pingo76Slovenia Post Number: 14 Registered: May-04 | I would probably be tempted too by the offer and would probably felt for it too. Im not a moron by any means but my budget is very tight for those things. I tried once a "big deal" 5.0 sound system made by soundx for around 100$. Hooked up listened for 2 minutes and put them back in their box. The package weighted around 60Kg or more. I was somewhat sad but step by step i bought myself some B&W. At first i got the Dm303 and later a pari of 601 S3 and all i can say they're awesome. Well worth the price. In case some1 wonder... comparing any B&W speakers with those soundx would be just a big insult to b&w. There is a saying in UK that says like: I'm not enough rich to buy cheap stuff. Couldn't agree more. |
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Anonymous | I got approached by these guys too..... Too bad I wasn't dumb enough to fall for their trap. After they left I thought "geez they must think a a sucker is born every minute" but it wasn't till now that I realized its true. They pulled the exact same "got too many and can sell you these dirt cheap." I read in my school newspaper that they eventually got some sucker. Never buy something from anyone outside of a car. If you don't get scammed you could get arrested for buying it illegally. I've seen specials on how cops put a girl on the side of the road and have her offer bjs for money and then arrest the fools that got suckered into it. I thought that was entrapment but it happens. |
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Unregistered guest | You guys are all NAIVE IDIOTS who buy crap from somebody in a parking lot out of the back of a van! I just witnessed this happening today in a post office parking lot, so I called the cops. Before they left the P.O. parking lot, I saw the lady starting to write the guy a check, but the scammers obviously don't take checks. The cops didnt get there in time before the people left, so I followed them. The customer drove to their bank to get cash, and the sellers followed them there. The customers even let one guy ride in the back seat of their SUV while on the way to the bank!!! How stupid is that?! Where do you think these morons they get their stuff from? IT'S ALL STOLEN MERCHANDISE!! If these people selling this stuff were legitimate and honest, they'd at least sell it at a flea market somewhere. But of course they wont do that, because then they would get caught too easily. I followed the van for about 20 mins - they just drive around to parking lots all day looking for their next victim. Who knows, they could be working for the mob. |
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where have u gone jo dimagio? Unregistered guest | Well f*ck me I'm as greedy as I am dumb. Wilmington, Delaware- Best Buy parking lot,White van, T&M enterprises, overstock, have to go before his boss sees them, t*tty bar, "rock out with your c*ck out". Life lesson learned. I'm not going to buy any "monster cables" just to blow these piece of sh*t cones to dust, so here I am $200 poorer and a little wiser- thanks for that. It's only a deal if you need it right? and it's a crime to leave a fool with his money or at least it should be. Kudos to the guy who had his wife check them out and the guys who cancelled their checks and to the Napolean-looking guy to whom I donated $200 cash: go on with your bad self and buyer beware. Capitalism- what can you do? |
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Anonymous | I just got screwed in between Corona and Yorba Linda at the Chevron. Paid $250 for what I thought were $1495 speakers, they had a legit looking ad on a magazine with the price. I just figured they were ripped off even thought the two guys said that their boss left them in there and they had to meet him in 20 minutes. One of them said that I owed him a beer. Sounds like these same guys get around. Good thing is that I paid with a check and got a stop payment on it. But now these guys have my address, huh Mossberg 500? I'm going to give him a call tomorrow and give him his unused speakers back. |
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The Speaker Guy Unregistered guest | Hey Dude, This may seem strange, but, do you want some speakers for your home. I just finished installing this surround sound system in this guy's house and I have a couple of extra speakers left over. Do you want to take a look at them. I have to meet my boss in twenty minutes and if sees the speakers he's going to take them. I don't have time to drop them off at the house. The last time I had something left over it was a plasma screen television and my boss took it from me and gave it to his son to play video games on. I know your probably not looking for a system right now, but do you want to take them for a good deal. Thats how they do it. I should know, I worked with them just long enough to realize how badly they were ripping people off. The truth is these guys work in two man crews and have a warehouse were they pick up their speakers from. There will be a couple of trucks everyday roaming around selling these speakers out of their trucks or vans. The speakers that most of them sell are made in third world countries and they are shipped over and sold to the speaker guys at low prices. But, not every speaker guy gets them for low prices. A low price runs from $50 to $150 dollars for a set of speakers, thats from the distributor. From there the warehouse's get stocked with speakers, then the boss will set the price per speaker, then the speaker guy's have to coax someone into buying them for just over the set amount so that they don't come up short. Most of the time they may make some money off of the deal, but sometimes they lose money and have to make it up the next day. The bottom line is... There is a con artist around every corner, look at Fast food resturants, or Cellular Phone companies, Automotive shops, or even the gas stations. The truth is everyone is trying to con everyone else no matter what you do for a living, so lets not kid ourselves anymore. And for G-MAN, Speaker Guy's are straight up Huslers, and they carry guns, I know I do! Just for my own protection. |
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The Speaker Guy Unregistered guest | Oops! Sorry G-Man, I ment that message for I STAB PEOPLE. The best thing to do when you come across people like this is to ignore them. If you call the police they will stop them and check to see if the speakers are stolen, When they find out they aren't stolen they have to let the guy's go. It only takes about twenty minutes for the police to realize that the speakers aren't stolen. I apologize again G-MAN. |
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they must be good Unregistered guest | http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14993&item=5707756402&rd= 1 |
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Anonymous | they are in kitsap county right now if you guys want speakers... i paid 300 for a pair of dpa 315i's and i kinda wish i woulda read this post first... mabe i coulda got them for 150! not bad speakers though. oh and for all of you who think its such a crime a cop just happened to show up when i was making my purchase and there wasn't anything he could do except tell me that they weren't worth what the guy was saying they were worth. |
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Anonymous | my so was on his way home from up north he stopped for for gas along the 400 ,near barrie ontario and was approched by a women and man he said they seemed like really nice people and had the same old story about buying to many speakers and needing the money , he said he was told they worth way more , he is to trusting and not to bright in this case, he went to bank machine and most likley gave them all he had left in it as he is not working right now 340.00 dollars ,He hasnt set them up yet they are proline speakers it says on front they look very nice but when we get the guts to try them we will see if they even work,Comes with age i guess i would never buy something from an un known sourse , they pray on the young guys a lot it seems , wise up guys , |
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very large man Unregistered guest | whats up carlito 12 i just got scammed the other day in lincoln same story blaa blaa. Licence Plate on the van was OKK 813 if you care to know. I drive all day long for my job and i'm real good at runnin people off the road. |
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eBay whiz Unregistered guest | Wow, glad I found this info. Doing some research before bidding on eBay for the Dahlton 2500ti speakers. Thanks guys for whining, it's going to save me a headache. |
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Anonymous | same story, two early 20's guys in a white van with "avalon" on the door. this time in Niles OH |
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Irony Unregistered guest | Y'all are gonna love this one... my husband just bought some speakers from a guy in a van in Atlanta. He called me to brag about what a great deal he got and my response was something similar to "are you on crack?". He went back to try to get his money back, and noticed a nice police man across the street. Long story short, the police made these con artists give him his money back AND let him keep the speakers. Is that sweet justice or what???? |
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Anonymous | If any of you are wanting some more information on these guys check this pic out. I did a whois on thier website. Heres all the information maybe some of it will lead to the source. by the way i was suckered yesterday for 160 bucks for the av5.1 whats wierd though is i like em thier not bad. |
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Unregistered guest | Just got the av5.1 for $50. same white suburban deal. oh well, $50 aint bad. only thing im pissed about is that the system didnt have the instructions with it and now I gotta figure out how to hook the damn thing up. if anyone has the av5.1 email me let me know how to set this thing up. it looks different from my other surround sound set up cause otherwise I would just copy that. |
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New member Username: Bruin62Post Number: 7 Registered: Aug-04 | these guys selling speakers must be in a cult lol when i lived in vancouver canada it was common for a van to pull up at a light an ask you if you wanted to buy speakers. i figured they were stolen right off of the docks. |
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Anonymous | They are in Augusta, GA too. |
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Anonymous | Picked up the dahlton 2500ti's for just $120 today in LA. i had figured they were stolen until i found the info on the scheme online. i hooked them up, and they are by no means "great" speakers. But for $120... i think i'd probably do it again if i knew. |
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scamed too Unregistered guest | my dad bought two sets for a home entertainment, 6.1 digital audio pro or something like that, he got them in cal. he was trying to call me to ask about the speakers, and i wasnt home, so we have two sets sitting here in texas he paid $300 for like 10 speakers, he too fell for the price printed on the box ($1000+) and that in the box says made in usa, we havent even tested them. somebody wants to buy a set for $400,?? |
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New member Username: Ben805Post Number: 8 Registered: Aug-04 | all you suckers....hehehe, couple months ago I almost fell for the exact same scam infront of the ATM machine in Fairfax area (Northern Virginia), same ol' story. The blonde dude was polite and very nice, I'd talked them down to $120/pair, those dudes were anxious and loaded them speakers in the back of my car immediately!! I am no audiophile but I'd never heard of that brand before, but they looked decent so I went straight to the ATM, I thought about it for couple seconds, then came back with only $60 and told them "hey man, my paycheck hasn't show up yet and that's all I got in my bank...here, $60, deal??" Let me tell you, the blonde dude got very pissed and asked IF I was trying to screw them, then unloaded them speakers off of my car and put them back into the white van, the blonde dude then said "F*ck you man", then gave me the middle finger and drove off, I couldn't help but burst out laughing at them, to this day I still can't believe I almost fell for that crap....haha. |
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T Unregistered guest | These guys have shown up in the netherlands too. I fell for it, But is used the same scheme as benjamin. I told them i had no money on my account and the best i could is pay them a 100 euros. They loaded them so fast (after i tested them of course), that it would make you think why didnt i try to lower the price even more. And yes even in holland they tried the old beer routine. Anyway they work nicely and it isnt a whole waste of money, cause they look pretty nice too. Only thing that bothered me afterwards is the fact these guys try to con you where you stand. They asked me at first if i would be ok if i paid 500 euros/dollars, because they were so expensive in the shop. Glad i didnt that much. |
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dougy fresh Unregistered guest | Has anyone heard anything about L6 aluminium as a maker of home theater system, it says made in america and is of durable quality, although i cant open it to see quality of actual speaker. Anyone heard about this??? |
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dougy fresh Unregistered guest | Is this L6 home theater system the same scam different product???? They seem like good speakers 500 Watt subwoofer and seem to be good quality, havent hooked it up yet though because i dont have surround sound tuner but the way i bought them seems to be the same deal as the speaker thing above??? |
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dougy fresh Unregistered guest | Is this L6 home theater system the same scam different product???? They seem like good speakers 500 Watt subwoofer and seem to be good quality, havent hooked it up yet though because i dont have surround sound tuner but the way i bought them seems to be the same deal as the speaker thing above??? |
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dumbass who got scammed Unregistered guest | September 20th Bellevue, Washington a guy named Gordin Martinez scammed me. Hawaiian or Mexican. Said he worked for Audio Concept. His car's license is 564 NRS (green Mini-Van). I called the cops, they ran the plates. He owns the vehicle but they couldn't do any more. Apparently it is not illegal, just shady. I feel like an idiot though. Just got greedy. I'm guessing these people have a spot reserved for them in hell. |
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white van guy Unregistered guest | why are you people so pissed?! oh my god! grow the f*#k up! "they sound horrible " "i got scamed"...you people are just pissed because you paid $200.00 for a ....$200.00 pair of speakers. wake up and figure it out idiots! YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! I Know your ego was rubbed the wrong way and you feel less than a man because we got you excited about some speakers. instead of crying like a bunch of children why don't you get a freakn' clue and try hooking them up right! or if all else fails come to the whapping conclusion that you bought a pair of $200 speakers for what they were worth. grow the f@#k up ! and be a man! do your wives and or girlfriends know that all of you get together online and cry to eachother about this stuff and exchange false threats to the speaker guys somehow believing that you balls grow alittle bit bigger with each threat. guess what Guy! Its legal ! GET OVER IT !! anybody want a pair of speakers for cheap let me know! I'll cut you a deal ! hahahahaha |
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dougy fresh Unregistered guest | Hey white van guy: Eat a dick you fuching faghot if its so fair why go through the whole bull story to sell them why not just say what they are and sell them for that price if I sold you a baseball signed by "Ruth" for 200 hundred dollars and it was actually signed by "Dr. Ruth" and worthless you would be pretty pissed, so fluck off you scandalous peice of garbage and try a more honorable calling you peice of schit. |
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new boom Unregistered guest | white van guy, i totally agree. I purchaced two sets of dahlton kv 1500ti's for me and my brother 6 months ago and they sound great for 200 dollars worth. you guys start carrying just subs single in a box ,... call me i'll take two. I understand your agrivation. dougy fresh what is the deal man you need to lay off and grow up like white van guy said. Do some homework and go to circut city and see what sound you can get with two hundred dollars. They made a great last minute birthday gift for my brother. best BANG FOR THE BUCK! thanks again speaker dudes! |
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Bronze Member Username: HokievtPost Number: 37 Registered: Aug-04 | Except they don't sell them for $200. They sell them for as much as they can. They advertise them as $2000 speakers. Pick a position and stick to it. |
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Silver Member Username: GmanMt. Pleasant, SC Post Number: 619 Registered: Dec-03 | Regardless how good or bad the speakers are, the people selling them with phony magazine reviews and phony expensive invoices are perpetrating fraud. If they sold them without phony print reviews and invoices and just said that they feel they are worth $2000--that would be fine. But I doubt they would get too many sales that way. But if they sold the speakers that way they would probably only be breaking a state law of sales tax collection. As always--buyer beware. There have been snake oil salesmen before the existence of the term snake oil. Heck, probably not much after hom0 sapiens started walking upright and not dragging his knuckles. |
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white van guy Unregistered guest | I recently went to a furniture store in Mississippi and was scamed!! I'm soo pissed!!! they told me this lie to get me to buy their furniture. they said, "were going out of buisness everything must go!! prices are at their lowest!" well come to find out they do the same scam every year and never go out of buisness. They got me to pay $300.00 for a $300.00 love seat. They told me it was $599.99!! I just wanted to let evryone know about the furniture scam in mississippi!! Don't ever buy furniture again !! it's all a scam!!! |
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white van guy Unregistered guest | The Walmart Scam!!!! look out everyone!!! I went to walmart and purchased a new pillow for my bed and i got home and did some reasearch on it because i don't trust anyone who doesn't give their stuff away for free. well i found out that it only cost like $1.00 to make a pillow and they sell them for like $5.00 !!! on top of that the pillows were on sale. They said that it was $5.99 . so i thought i was getting a bargan so i bought it for $5.00 and come to find out how much it costs to make it!! man that pisses me off!! Its a scam!!! don't ever buy from walmart again .!! they ask you to pay more for a product than they did!! where do they get off trying to make a profit and pay for their families to live and eat!! it's a scam!!! |
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Bronze Member Username: HokievtPost Number: 50 Registered: Aug-04 | Did they use fraud to sell you the pillow, telling you the pillow was really owned by Elvis? |
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Silver Member Username: GmanMt. Pleasant, SC Post Number: 628 Registered: Dec-03 | White Van Guy-- Heck, I wouldn't buy speakers I never heard and never heard of, from anyone that didn't have a legitimate store, or at least a re-sale site that doesn't have a warranty. Beyond that, it is sheer lunacy to compare Walmart selling a pillow that cost them $1 for $5 to "the white van guy" Dahlton speaker scenario that has been discussed. An enormous difference is that Walmart doesn't print a phony review and a phony invoice to inform the prospective purchaser that the deal is so amazing that it is like buying a new BMW 750 at used Hyundai prices. Also, if you buy something from Walmart you can return it within 30 to 90 days if you keep the sales slip, or have proof of purchase. Does "White Van Guy" have a return policy and warranty? Does "White Van Guy" sell his speakers with phony invoices and magazine reviews? Does the sale pitch arrive with an additional c-ck and bull story? This is not to say that the buyer is without fault in the purchase. Afterall, the buyer has to know that the only reason he/she bought the speakers is because they think they are getting stolen or otherwise misappropriated speakers at a more than bargain price. Speakers that sound really good at a bargain price are available online by the following manufacturers: Aperion, Ascend, and Axiom. All of them either make their own speakers or have their designs made elsewhere. I like all 3 companies products--and they have 30-90 day warranties. |
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white van guy Unregistered guest | we now have the dahlton kv 1500 ti this is a tower speaker with 1 inch tweeter and 5.25 inch mids and an 8 inch sub on the side. in the bottom of the right side speaker box their is a 5 year manufactuers warranty CARD. if you fill this card in and mark the card as a gift, and send it in you will recieve a printed 5 year warranty! the freaking magazine is not real i wish you people would get that go to the local book store ie. Barnes &Noble ...Books a Million....freaking open your eyes and look for it. or look on line at the web site for this so called phony magazine. since you are not observant the web site to hdtv etc. mag is guess what....figured it out?...hdtvetc.com check it out! everyone is freaking wrong about the phony mag. who would have thunk it! so now the only thing you people can cry about is the invoice! now that is phony i admit. the only thing that is phony is the story and the invoice. the reason for that is to instigate excitment and a since of urgency to purchace and create what we and everyone else calls an impulse buy. good product..good price...and no ..no taxes...on that note is their a web site where grown people go to complain about flea markets and other such places with no tax? well i'm going to call it a night and get some rest for my hard day of work tomorrow. I'll comment on what you reply with tomorrow night. look at that i'm giving you a whole 24 hrs to dig and search and find some other stupid little pointless thing to question. oh and if you were dumb enough to believe that these speakers factory sealed used to belong to elvis and they are just now putting it in hdtv magazine, you deserve to be screwed with. |
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Bronze Member Username: HokievtPost Number: 52 Registered: Aug-04 | Was it a gift? Isn't that another example of the fraud? Do you take returns? |
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Anonymous | this guy came up to me in a burger king parking lot saying he just left the drive-thru with 10 burgers but only ate 5 of em and asked me if i wanted the rest for $1 each and i bought all 5 and then i threw each one at his head. but now i feel scammed. also after i threw the last burger it splattered open and he picked up the pickles off of the pavement and ate them. i didn't get his license plate number because it had katchup all over it |
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Bronze Member Username: HokievtPost Number: 53 Registered: Aug-04 | I had a guy come up to me with some Rolex watches. They were overstocks from his high-end Jewelry store and he was willing to sell $500 Rolex's for $50. I gave him $20 for two, Sweet deal, huh? It's not every day you run into a high-end jewelry dealer selling watches on the street. |
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CarSubWoofer Unregistered guest | hmm...yea, cool deal for those Rolex that were made in China, wear them for a year and throw them away, they're one helluva great disposable watches. :-) |
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speakerdude Unregistered guest | |
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PoorWiteVanMen Unregistered guest | guess they are in Fl now too , sold them to me, sounded ok , but still upset with the idea that they are lying to me and taking my money on dishonest terms. All i can do is keep my eyes open and well ... lets just say , 'poor speaker hustlers' if i ever see them around town, they WILL be robbed and vehicle damaged , and if they resist , well it'll be one of those situations... "If a big dog latches onto your leg , let him finish , dont struggle it only makes it worse." Sometimes you scam the wrong person & with all of these white van hustlers , each and every one of your times will come when you make the mistake of scamming the wrong person. |
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Balkey Malone Unregistered guest | i am from san luis obispo california and i was at work when this dude in a van pulled up and offered me some speakers for cheap i was not busy so i took a look and they seemed ok. he had a real looking magazine with the same speakers for $2499 i was shocked, the box was unopened and everything was brand new. i bought them for $240. i am not sure what they are worth but i can not find them on the internet anywhere, they are THEATER LOGIC L6 ALUMINIUM what ever that is? i suggest do not buy from some dude in a van or write him a check then cancel it or something!!! |
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Anonymous | Well, sure wish I had read this before today..... Same story Location Montgomery, AL Home Depot on 12/7/2004 was leaving the parking lot when these 2 guys yelled out of there blue ford expedition at me asking if I was interested in buying some home theater speakers (2 Slim towers and the 3.1 surround sound) and a lot of talking they keep asking 1000 for them I was interested after seeing the retail price and yada yada yada but said I could only do about 300 after i got in my truck to leave he said how about 400 and 20 for beer money I agreed and then we went to the bank. He rode with me and we talked about Auburn football and the weather then got him the money and they left. Afterwards I felt very funny about the whole situation and searched a lil once i got home to find this website. I sure do not like the feeling of being scammed but maybe these speakers are not as bad as you would think it seems a lot of people on this forum like them a good bit. |
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New member Username: RmaxxxPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-04 | Yeah, those bums are in Jacksonville, FL also. In a green Ford Expedition. Ran the whole scam on me. Warehouse gave us extra, gotta go meet my boss. Last time they gave us an extra plasma tv. Pro Dynamics is top of the line installed in million dollar homes. Look there is an ATM right there. Got me hook line and sinker. Haven't tried them yet, kind of afraid to. I should have know better, cause I don't even need them. If it sounds too good to be true yadda yadda yadda. 300 bucks down the drain. Merry F'ing Xmas. |
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adam phillabam Unregistered guest | there in sharon, PA...scammed me $300....ruined my day...said boss gave them some extra speakers..so they figured they would get some money and to go the ti** bar...2 guys white van got myself some kv 2500ti for $400...ripped looking for a buyer will sell for less still brand new never used... email: adam_philly@msn.com |
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Bronze Member Username: Jim_mcbobPost Number: 22 Registered: Nov-04 | White van scam = tax on stupidity. |
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T-O-B to the Y Unregistered guest | you know what - $300 got me a set of Wharefedale Pacific Pi-20s, best speakers i've ever owned, amazing as home cinema fronts, even better when bi-amped as stereo speakers. Plus, they are a helluvalot smaller than them vanscam speakers. Nice external tweeter, polished rosewood... etc.etc. and they came from a reputable dealer too! |
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suckered lawyer Unregistered guest | I just got scammed around Louisville, Kentucky. These are apparently legal businesses, although the tactics are fraudulent. ScamShield website indicates that by law, you can get a refund if you request it within 3 days, which is what the fine print on the receipt says too. I was amazed that the number on the receipt was an actual business. We'll see if I actually get the refund. If not, they will be sued quick and fast. |
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New member Username: CzarliPost Number: 1 Registered: Feb-05 | It's not a scam -it's a hustle. All you high tech speaker bullshit. I have bought these speakers from 2 guys in the van paid $250 and they sound till 2day. You think Sony or sherwin -vega are not maid in china? It cost sony even less to make their speakers because their co. is huge. Understand about business and stop hating. Once i get the hook up from china I am out there slamming you. The goverment is raping you every day!!! Think about that. |
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John Yaya Unregistered guest | To "White Van Guy". When a product is sold "gray market" (out of standard retail channel practices) the manufacturer will often times not honor the warranty. Also, who is to say that the company doesn't fold in under 5 years? It is very apparent you don't understand warranty. I work in the warranty business, it's what I do. John Yaya |
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Silver Member Username: VarneyBirminghamEngland, UK Post Number: 379 Registered: Sep-04 | I'm sorry.... I really, truly do not think I have ever witnessed so many idiots talking on one thread. Amazing. V |
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Silver Member Username: Ca_convertCardiffUK Post Number: 130 Registered: Jan-05 | Varney, you are far less polite than I am |
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Silver Member Username: VarneyBirminghamEngland, UK Post Number: 381 Registered: Sep-04 | My use of the vernacular is something I pride myself on |
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Silver Member Username: VarneyBirminghamEngland, UK Post Number: 384 Registered: Sep-04 | I'm afraid some of the more disturbing posts in this thread seem to support what I've always said about petty criminals.... They always end up screwing their own peers of the same income bracket. Then we see someone here identifying himself as a 'bonehead' and looking for a fellow occupant of his primordial soup bowl to shift the lemon onto. In this case, stupidity breeds stupidity. Maybe this proves that somewhere near the bottom of the food chain of capitalism, we see the oldest principal in action: 'Survival of the thickest'. V |
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dexterandjane Unregistered guest | Well, Guess what! I met some guys today in a white durango with some extra speakers that they wanted to sell before they got to there intalation jobsite. They wanted to sell these "high end" speakers for cash intead of letting the boss have them. But we all know this story, at least if your reading this page you do. I sure wish I would have read this yesterday, before I gave them $300 buck for these piece of Sh!^ speakers. Anyways--the "van Scam" has made it to Las Vega Nevada. I wonder if I'm there first Las Vegas Customer. I have to say, it was the magazine page that really conviced me to buy--what a bunch of B.S. and I baught it hook, line and sinker.......... |
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DCM Guy Unregistered guest | It,s a shame so many of you felt you were scammed but I will have to dissagree with those of you who think that $200 speakers are crap. I purchased my DCM kx 10's from circuit city in 1996 for $179 each. Specs -10' woofer 4ohms,30hz to 20khz 96 dcbl sensitivity@ 2.83 volt/1 watt/meter. I would NEVER buy speakers from shady people in a van, but the notion that a speaker that costs less than $200 is crap is bunk. You can read about DCM speakers in several favorable reviews done on them by Sound and Vision in the past or at www.DCMspeakers.com Happy with cheap USA made speakers! DCM guy |
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Silver Member Username: VarneyBirminghamEngland, UK Post Number: 393 Registered: Sep-04 | Yes, but did it never occur to you once, that anyone with high-end speakers to legitimately get rid of might not grab them for themselves? Oh, but of course - the story admits they are hot, so why would any sensible thief want the items where they could be linked to his theft? And has it never occured to any of these 'victims', that if a person is willing to lie to their own boss, they will be more than willing to lie to a complete stranger? Even in a case where they are not stolen goods, it seems the scammers will feed you the line they are stolen in an effort to ensure your silence. In any case, whether they are or not, you are at the very least comitting a conspiracy to theft. Therefore, you get everything you deserve from buying them. Do the words: "One careful owner...." and "Geniune reason for sale...." mean nothing to people these days? V |
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Silver Member Username: Ca_convertCardiffUK Post Number: 156 Registered: Jan-05 | a little like the phrase "one careful president, geniune reason for war" means nowt as well |
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